Ok, before I start my shrieking tirade, let me correct something from last week...I must have read something that was not altogether accurate about Susan Flannery's leave from the show. I thought it was vacation or a break and only this past week realized it wad due to illness. I am very glad she has been back on set and glad she is ok. This show has a tough time without her, it's clear.
Nick has a quite a dilemma, huh? I never thought in my wildest dreams that there would be a 'Who's the Mommy' drama on this show. Maternity is usually never questioned in soaps, so while this has the outward appearance of the writers doing something new, it's really the same old rehash of so many stories lately. Who will Brooke chase after??? Will she attempt to stay with Nick and force Taylor to give them the baby since it's her? Will she try to break up Ridge and Ashley's wedding at the last second (um...already done when Nick crashed hers to Ridge)? What will Taylor do when Brooke sabotages yet another marriage of hers? Does anyone else see how repetitive all this seems? It's the same 3 or 4 people involved in every story, ALL THE TIME!! It's just getting so hard to be excited about the week's episodes when there is nothing new to watch. No new people, no new angles, no new couples, no new romance. Nothing.
And for anyone that may think watching Donna and Eric hang out by the pool (Donna was really hanging out more!!) is in any way appealing, you may need some professional help. This is rehashing Brooke and Eric and nothing more. She doesn't love him and he's just a lonely wretch with a dead-fish wife and a failing company. No wonder he's on the prowl for a little action. Wouldn't you if you were married to Stephanie? I'm sure the pantsuits don't compare to Donna's birthday suit. But the bottom line here is that it's really a sad paring when you think about it. Again, it's like the writers just don't know what direction to take these characters and just keep dusting off 15 year old scripts to keep their jobs for another week.
It was nice to see Thorne for a few minutes...guess he'll be headed back to the shelf he's been sitting on for so many months prior to his sex-romp with Donna. I am hoping to see him connecting with Katie soon but every time I get my hopes up, the writers take a pee break or something and everyone disappears. He should have been colder to Donna, though, as what she did was just cruel. Don't be such a doormat! Poor Thorne is becoming his father more rapidly than I thought.
So almost all week was dedicated to Brooke using her crisis to get Ridge back and Nick freaking out on Bridget. By the way, I am done seeing that toad Carl...hasn't he outlived his usefulness? I think they may be trying to inject a little humor with his character but it isn't working. My readers even hate seeing him. And Bridget does a great moonwalk, too, trying to talk her way out of the fact that she never told Nick there could be a problem. What the hell was she going to do, NOT say anything at all and roll the dice that the child didn't come out looking EXACTLY like Brooke? And we all know it will be Brooke's...the timing is perfect. Brooke won't be able to get Ridge back because he has finally awoken from his Logan-induced trance he's been in for 20+ years. With Ridge a non-factor, Brooke HAS to be with someone...why not Nick? After all, Ridge being married is irrelevant in her world and nothing that has ever stopped her before. She will feel that she needs to be the mommy and Nick deserves to be the daddy...end of story. Taylor better pack her bags now and find somewhere else to live because the set-up for all this points to her being the odd-woman out. Do I think Nick loves her? Yes, but the inexplicable emotional pull is still there for Brooke. You can see it every time he talks with her...and now that he knows about the rape, it'll be harder for him to stay away. Brooke will play it if she can.
I have said this before and I'll say it again....Brooke needs to be alone for a little while can find a new man. Do you hear me Brad??? A NEW MAN!!!!! That woman may as well have a department store turnstile in her pants for all the back and forth between Ridge and Nick in the last several years. This one, that one, this one, that one. You're my destiny...you are my rock...blah blah blah. Do the writers actually think we like watching this every week? And now to have the 'I'm going to be strong and independent speech' one week and 'I must have Ridge back' the next, it shows the trauma of rape has done nothing to make her any stronger or focused on being a good worker and Mother. She's right back to her crazy obsession with Ridge. Thank goodness they are at least making Ridge think before he gives in again. I think a solid and string woman like Ashley is just the ticket to help break this cycle Brad has his characters stuck in. Her scenes were so good last week and she showed the kind of strength and class that Brooke is never written with at all. Confident and made it clear she doesn't need or want to chase any man. I just hope the writers don't blow it with her. She and Ridge should get married and finally give us long-time viewers a reason to like Ridge. I know...it's a stretch but I am willing to give him a shot and not turn the TV off for his scenes.
Who liked the scene with Ashley and Taylor? I loved it! Now those two should be written as becoming good friends. Both intelligent, both trying to make sure they are not letting the men in their lives screw everything up. Taylor fixated on Ridge and had some rather odd bumps along the way (Stephen Logan, Thorne, etc) and Ashley obsessed with Victor for as long as I could remember. It was nice to see Taylor not ragging on Ridge that much and being honest about Brooke's pull and influence on him. The Haters can say what they want about Taylor but I thought she handled it as well as she could. She was honest but not vicious. I love them both and hope to see them interact more in the coming months. Nothing like a little positive 'girl power', huh???
As much as I hate to say this again, there wasn't much more to write about last week. Until there is some actual resolution to the 'mystery bun in the oven' and until Stephanie comes back, it's a little boring right now. And not very many responded to my question last week about their favourite male character. I guess no one felt very strongly about any one guy in particular. My favourite is Nick (oh no! what a shock, right?) and it's because he is the anti-Ridge to me. He's strong, principled, determined, not a Momma's boy, and the kind of guy that you would want in your corner. He's made mistakes and before the Nick-haters fill my Inbox with venom, I know this---when he is in a scene, I never get up from my couch. That's says something no matter what anyone says. He's the strongest male character and portrayed the best, hands down in my opinion.
Question: Have you missed Stephanie at all?
I want to close the week by wishing my stepson Michael a Happy 19th birthday! He came back from a month in Marine boot-camp due to a back condition that the military felt would be aggravated with combat duty. He wishes he could have completed his training and thinks everyday about the guys he left behind and what they may face. It's good to have him home, though. A thought to all those who read this every week and those uniformed loved ones you may be missing.
The Soap Box
Loren writes: 'Favorite male character is Nick......when he's with Brooke. where he should be. Ridgid should take a walk down under and stay there. can the people pushing 50 stop getting pregnant???'
Ernest says: 'Thank goodness Taylor's lips have diminished a bit and the hair is more as it should be. She's beautiful. Forget the "trends" That chopped off look was NOT good.'
Rory says: 'My favourite male character's Nick, because he doesn't hide his feelings and
because he's a round character, who does his fortune and destiny. He's
definitely more active and self-made than any other male character on this show.'
Have a great week!!!
