Well, I've returned from the wilds of Orlando, Florida and back in the thick of things in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania. It was a short week (Happy belated Thanksgiving to all my American friends!) so I'll be doing both my normal blow-by-blow of life in the Valley and a recap of my experiences at Super Soap Weekend. Hope you enjoy it.
Most of the week seemed to revolve around the Martin-Chandler clan, who was still keeping watch over an injured JR. Babe was doing her level best to make us feel bad for her, but it's kind of tough for me to buy Babe's "I'm sorry" show, considering this is act 3,285. Also, when the man she cheated with, Josh, showed up at her door, she didn't tell him to leave, even when he offered. Needless to say, I didn't feel any sympathy at all for Babe when JR hurled insult after insult - and a glass of water - at her. Babe made her bed, she invited Josh into it, and now she's got to lie in it.
JR had a parade of guests this week. I did get a little teary when JR apologized to Colby - there's a sliver of hope left for that often annoying teen. But not all of JR's visitors were wishing him well. Erica came by to make sure Junior never hurt her family again and David stopped by to torture and threaten him. Those David/JR scenes were great. I've said it before and I'll say I again - I am really going to miss Dr. Hayward.
Doctor in the House
That said, I was a little ticked at the good doctor by the end of the week, when he dropped the bombshell of Emma's true paternity at Kendall's feet. David showed up at Kendall's condo to tell her that Ryan is Emma's real father, and played on my girl's worst fears about Spike losing his father. In the previews, David said that he was leaving it up to Kendall whether to share the news with Lavery or keep it to herself.
I must have missed Kendall's name on David's revenge list. Sure, he wants to get back at Zach and Ryan, but why would he put Kendall in the middle of everything? After everything she has gone through, why make her life harder. Yes, I know, David is ruthless. He used an innocent child to get back at Tad, Dixie and the Martin clan. But David has a connection to Kendall - he was in love with her mother once upon a time and served as Bianca's surrogate father while she dealt with her rape. After keeping Miranda from Binks (and Kendall) for so long, I would think David would take extra care not to hurt any Kane women again.
Of course, before David had a chance to go around spreading his own special brand of holiday cheer, Tad managed to corner him long enough to nearly beat him to death. Dixie stopped her ex from finishing the job, knowing that Tad couldn't live with himself if he took another life. I actually didn't mind Dixie this week, mostly because she was trying to help the man she hurt so much.
Having learned from David that Krystal was carrying Tad's child, Dix tried to get Carey to confess the truth. Being the champion liar that she is, Krystal insisted she was carrying a Chandler baby, but the look on Dixie's face after their conversation told me that Cooney isn't going to let this go. Don't get me wrong, she's still on my short list of people to boot out of the Valley, but Dixie didn't do anything new to annoy me this week, which is worth noting.
Will the Real Adam Chandler Please Stand Up?
I cannot wait until Adam finds out the truth and kicks Krystal-with-a-K to the Curb-with-a-C. Maybe then we can see the real Adam Chandler, the one who would never let the woman who emotionally tortured his son to live under his roof. And when Adam said that he never loved any other woman as much as he loved Krystal, all I could do was scream "BROOKE ENGLISH!" at the television. What a waste.
Once again, I tried as hard as I could to muster up some feelings for the budding Jack/Erica/Jeff triangle, but I still can't make it happen. Honestly, I do not care how this plays out. The bottom line is that it's just more of the same from Erica. She loves a man, he actually requires something of her, then she finds another man who tells her what she wants to hear and she gets confused. I was just looking at Jack and Jeff this week wondering why either of them wants La Kane in their lives - and that does not make a good triangle.
The best part of the week, as usual, was Zach and Kendall. Zach dressing up Spike like a miniature pilgrim, the Slaters sharing a meal at Fusion, the two of them reminiscing about Zach's declaration of love a year ago, Zach trying his hardest to make his wife's dream of a perfect Thanksgiving comes true - it was all wonderful. If history is any indicator, the Slaters only have about five minutes of happiness left before the next catastrophe hits, but I'm begging the AMC writers to keep good on their promise to have them face those challenges together. This show would be far too depressing without Zach and Kendall.
So Many Soap Stars, So Little Time
I went to Super Soap Weekend. You'll have to forgive me for stating the obvious, but going to SSW was something I never expected to do. The idea always knocked around in the back of my mind, but I didn't think I would ever actually attend. But after a particularly difficult year, during which I learned that life is far too short, and the encouragement of a few online friends, I took the plunge and booked my ticket - and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
It was definitely a whirlwind weekend. I woke up at 3 a.m. to wait in insanely long lines just to get the chance at an autograph FastPass, but I was happy to do it. Anyone who reads this column with any regularity should have no trouble guessing who my top two AMC priorities were. That's right - Ryan and Dixie.
Kidding! I desperately wanted to meet Thorsten Kaye (Zach) and Alicia Minshew (Kendall), so when I managed to get passes for both of them, I was beyond thrilled. They were both incredible. TK was wonderful and about 1,000 times more handsome in person. Alicia is quite possibly the nicest human being I've ever met. It didn't matter who walked up to her, she treated everyone like she'd know them for years. It was truly a joy to meet her and finally let her know how much I love her portrayal of Kendall.
I also managed to get in a few talk shows and motorcades, featuring Aiden Turner (Aidan), Michael E. Knight (Tad), Eden Riegel (Bianca), Jacob Young (JR), and yes, even Cameron Mathison (Ryan) and Cady McClain (Dixie). They were all very gracious and seemed genuinely happy to meet with the fans who watch them every day. I was particularly impressed by Colin Egglesfield (Josh), who seemed to be having more fun than anyone else. I don't think I saw him without that amazing smile on his face all weekend.
For any OLTL fans out there, I also got the chance to meet Trevor St. John (Todd) and Renee Elise Goldsberry (Evangeline). Yes, I'm a die-hard Todd and Evangeline fan - Blair who? They were also wonderful to me even though I was all nervous and giddy. It was an honor to meet them.
Some people complained about the lines, about how difficult it was to get to see the stars, about the crowds in general. But in my opinion, as an SSW virgin, the experience couldn't have been any better. At a time when it can be a chore to tune in to my two favorite shows, attending SSW reminded me why I love soaps. I met wonderful fans who are as passionate- in some cases, far more passionate! - about daytime as I am and got to meet the stars I've loved for years. If you ever get the chance, head down to Florida and check it out. I know I'm going to try my best to make it there again next year.
As always, thanks for reading.
-- Kristine
