Greetings, One Life to Live fans. I am delighted to be your guest Two Scoops columnist again this week. First, let me begin by saying that I have been reading the Two Scoops columns for most of the soaps for quite a few years now, and I have enjoyed the comments made from each columnist. And second, I want to add that I am a fan of both OLTL Two Scoops columnists, Dawn and Michael, and I look forward to reading his or her column each week. They both describe and evaluate the latest happenings and developments of our favorite show with wisdom, insight, and humor.
Now, on to the big news of the week: We finally have to say goodbye to some of our fan favorites. Kelly and Joey say their final farewells to Llanview, as they set out to move to London. However, the saddest departure will be made by fan fave and soap icon, Dorian Lord, as played by Robin Strasser. I can first remember Dorian as Victor Lord's not-so-very-popular physician. Dorian was played by several other actresses, but Robin really brought Dorian to life and reconstructed her into a multi-layered character.
The Dorian/Viki rivalry was artistically developed, under the writers' unique guidance, with Robin Strasser's and Erika Slezak's spellbinding magic. I am not even sure that there ever would have been the Hatfields-and-McCoys type of feud between Dorian and Viki, without the special talent of Robin and Erika. Therefore, I tip my hat to them (if I was wearing one), and I bid Dorian a fond but sad adieu. I will miss my Aunt Dorian...that is what she seems to me...my aunt. I declare that I am an adopted Cramer woman! Dorian has become one of the members of my family throughout the years, and I will miss her.
On the other side of the coin, we also welcomed back a popular character, Kimberly Andrews, this week, and I just recently learned that Marcie and Michael McBain would be returning to Llanview in the fall. So, try to think of good things, not bad, and of happy, not sad. It almost sounds like a Carpenters song. (Hint, hint: "Sing." I'm probably dating myself -- again.) So, this week it was Hello, Kim...Goodbye, Dorian. I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello. Oh dear, I must be in a song lyric frame of mind. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...oops, that's not the same thing, I guess. Anyway, I was pleased to say hello to Kim again. But please, please, please...I beg of you...do not bring back Stacy. Don't get me wrong. Crystal Hunt played Stacy admirably, but the character, Stacy Morasco, was truly despicable. She should have just remained an icicle. But that's not what was hinted at. So, on to the week's developments....
David Vickers-Buchanan announced to his wife, Dorian, that they would be moving to Stockholm, Sweden, the home of salty fish and of easy-to-assemble furniture. It seems that David had landed a movie that he had no clue what the name was, but he did know that it would be a summer tent pole movie with action figures and fast food toys. However, Dorian had her own news: she was on her way to Washington to be the new United States Senator! Wow, is that the way that the federal government really works? America really is the land of opportunity.
Neither Dorian nor David was willing to give up their dream, but luckily, Dorian arrived at a solution. Dorian's term as senator only lasted until November, and David's movie would only take two months to shoot. So, Dorian and David decided to take Washington by storm and then move on to rule Hollywood and then the world. It is always nice to have such realistic goals!
In the meantime, Kim had just returned to town, but David was no longer on her radar for revenge. After Rex had discovered her at the Spotted Pony in Kentucky, dancing under the name of "Gigi," he told Kim about Gigi's death, and about how Clint was poor and living at Llanfair under house arrest. Later, Kim updated an unseen girl in a hospital bed with this news and told this girl that Kyle and Fish were taking great care of Sierra Rose. This is so scary! It sounded like Kim was talking to her best friend, Stacy, and a picture of Kim and Stacy sat on a table next to the hospital bed.
Nooooo!!! Please don't return, Stacy. Or if you return, stay in a coma! But please, writers, don't put her into some big romance with Rex. She tried to ruin his life, and she kept him away from his true love, Gigi. Stacy never loved Rex, she was only obsessed with him. She does not need to come back. But at least, if she does, she can no longer hurt Gigi.
Anyway, when Kim returned to Llanview, Kim pleaded with David not to reveal her big secret from when she had previously worked at the Spotted Pony. This is supposedly the big secret that David had used to blackmail her to leave town in the first place. David was skeptical that Kim's heart would still "go pitter-pat now that" Clint was poor. When David maintained that he had to abide by the Buchanan code and protect his uncle, Kim pointed out that Clint should not be in any danger from her, since he no longer had any money. So David agreed not to reveal her big secret. I wonder what her secret is. But I guess that is what we all want to know. What is your secret, Kim?
Of course, since Dorian and David had decided to leave town, there had to be the tear-jerking, emotional goodbyes to send them off. My newfound relatives, the Cramer women, held a farewell party that also celebrated Dorian's good fortune. These ladies expressed the love that they have for each other, and when Dorian asked what they would all do without her, Blair claimed that they would "muddle through." Addie really hit the nail on the head, when she stated that while they muddled through, someone would also be meddling. Yes, that is the Cramer women. Starr said that Dorian would no longer be a big fish in a little pond and then cried that she would teach Hope all of the things that Dorian had taught her: "to respect myself, to stay strong for myself, to fight for my family, and to remember where I came from." Maybe the Cramer women should follow the example of the Buchanan men and adopt a creed. That would be an excellent one.
David delivered his good news/bad news scenario to his father, Bo Buchanan. The bad news was that he was leaving town, and the good news was that he would be a movie star. When David announced that Dorian would be the newest senator, he claimed that she would be the next Hilary, without the cheating husband. We can only hope the last part is true, David.
Bo and David then discussed David possibly having a future as the First Husband in the White House. Ah, those realistic goals again. I have not heard that these were the last scenes for Tuc Watkins, so I am hopeful that he will return as David again, before OLTL leaves the air on ABC in January. When Bo stated that Dorian was bidding her farewells to the most important person in her life, David questioned who that could be, since he had thought, outside of Dorian's hairdresser, that would have been him. Dorian's hairdresser...good one!
That person was, of course, Viki Lord Buchanan etc. etc. Banks (if she is still even going by that.) Dorian's way of bidding her frenemy a fond farewell was to crow that she was the one who had provided the proof that had made Viki "dropkick Charlie all the way to Paris, Texas." After the two rivals got into yet another yelling match -- this time about Viki allowing Clint to stay at Llanfair instead of letting him die in prison -- Dorian exclaimed that St. Viki had her man, hallelujah, even though Clint had kidnapped David and had locked him away in a Moroccan prison. When Viki tried to leave, she found the door jammed.
While Dorian noted that gave her the opportunity for one more go-around with her nemesis, she also believed that she and Viki had come to an understanding. Viki agreed and said that it had not been easy or boring. Dorian and Viki both finally admitted that they would miss each other, and that their lives would not be the same without each other. Then clips of the past, containing Dorian and Viki throughout the years, were shown, as Viki stated, "Dorian, you have made my life hell over and over again. In a real, profound way, you have made my life. I will miss you." I loved the speech, and I loved the past clips! What a special tribute to such a fine lady as Dorian Lord Vickers-Buchanan.
Dorian was not the only one preparing to leave Llanview. As Kelly had her bags packed and ready to go, John arrived at La Boulaie to wish her luck. Kelly advised that John try to make it work with Natalie, and John said he would think about it. Kelly told John to remember his friends in faraway places. John then bid Dorian goodbye and asked her why Irene Manning had asked for Dorian repeatedly. Dorian insisted that Irene was crazy and claimed that she barely knew Irene. But Irene had been Victor Lord's mistress, and Dorian had been Victor's wife. There could be more to this story, but we may never know what it is.
Joey also packed up at Llanfair, and Aubrey stopped by to return his ring. Joey had totally forgotten about the ring and suggested that Aubrey keep it, since the job market had not been good in Llanview. However, Aubrey refused and then insisted that she had fallen in love with Joey. Aubrey wished Kelly and Joey good luck and left. Kelly and Joey believed that they finally had their happy ending, and that it had been worth the wait. Although the fans have always loved Kelly, she had never received a truly involving storyline that was worth Gina Tognoni's Daytime Emmy-winning stature, since she had returned. However, I do like that this couple ended up together, since they had always seemed destined to be a couple.
Believe it or not, there were other developments in Llanview, although nothing quite as noteworthy. After Robert Ford kissed Jessica, she slugged him. That was pretty much the highlight of that storyline. I had stated before that I am not a fan of this couple, so any scene that moves them closer together would not thrill me. Jessica did insist that they should end their friendship, but I am not encouraged. The scene ended where he held her hand, supposedly to shake on their deal about shared custody. Not encouraged at all.
A more interesting development was the tribute to the fourth anniversary of Asa's death. Bo visited his pa's grave and was later joined by one of Asa's wives, Renee. I loved that Bo shared an Asa quote with Renee at his father's gravesite. "Pa said that you measure a man two ways: one is by his family, the other is his word." Those definitely are words that the Buchanan men would live by, and that sounds like something Asa would have said. Bo felt as though he had let his father down in regards to the family, but Renee disagreed. Renee reminded Bo that David had been a first class good-for-nothing, until David learned that Bo was his pa. Renee still thought of David as a boob, but at least he no longer tried to sell her a bridge.
Renee also told Bo not to blame himself for Matthew, because she felt in her heart that Matthew would return. Bo then announced that he was going to be a grandpa, and Renee laughed hysterically when she thought it was because of David and Dorian. Bo clarified that it was because of Matthew, and that things were tough. Renee declared, "Tough is what Buchanans live for."
At this time, Clint was trying to escape temporarily from Llanfair for his special tribute to his father. With Nigel's help (and defying Viki's wrath), Clint rolled into the Buchanan mansion and did not receive the most welcoming greeting from his son, Rex. Actually, Rex tried to throw him out. When Clint refused to leave, Rex poured Asa a glass of bourbon and Clint a glass of water, because he did not want Clint to ruin Gigi's heart. Clint said, "Thank you, son," when Rex handed him the water. I hope that Rex eases up on Clint very soon. This could have been a touching scene, if Rex would have relented a little. But I guess some things come slowly. Sometimes very slowly. (Such as the Liam paternity storyline!)
Bo joined Clint, Rex, and Nigel in this private ceremony and delivered a special toast, "To Pa, here's hoping that we learn from your strengths and your weaknesses." I believe that Bo was indirectly attempting to deliver a message to Clint and Rex with his toast. Then, instead of arresting Clint, Bo told Nigel to take Clint home. Once Clint returned home, Kim visited him and insisted that she could not imagine a world without Clint. Kim claimed that she had missed Clint, and Clint remembered that he had loved Kim's boots.
Clint recollected that he had wondered why Kim would leave a dead girl her boots, which rather frightened me. That sounded like another hint that Stacy was the girl in the hospital bed in Kentucky. Anyway, Natalie arrived and tried to throw Kim out of the house, so Kim could not slither her way back into Clint's life. This storyline is just getting started, so it will be interesting to see where it leads.
Kim also decided to visit Gigi's grave (and offer stolen flowers from Asa's grave.) She hid as Bo and Rex dug up Gigi's grave and found that Gigi still lay in the coffin. Rex had been positive that Gigi was still alive, and that she needed help, so he had wanted her body exhumed. Unfortunately, Shane arrived on the scene just as they had opened the coffin. Needless to say, he was pretty upset, and Bo quickly ordered the authorities to seal up the coffin.
This again points to it being Stacy in the hospital bed, and not Gigi. It really would have been difficult to believe that Gigi would still be alive, after she had given her heart to Clint (so to speak, since it was actually Rex who had given her heart, not Gigi.) The only other way that it could be Farah Fath in that bed is if Stacy's obsession with everything Gigi had caused Stacy to have extensive plastic surgery to look just like Gigi, after she had climbed out of that frozen pond. But that would be too much, right? Shades of Todd Manning and Victor Lord Jr.!
Also, Brody threatened Victor Jr. and told him that if Victor said anything to destroy what Brody had, Victor was a dead man. Of course, an assistant at the Sun overheard the threat. I feel a possible murder mystery coming on. And that was hinted at again later when Shane asked Brody's help in getting revenge on Jack and Todd, whom we now know as Victor. Shane wished out loud that they were dead, and Brody promised justice for Gigi. Could Victor's premature demise be on the horizon? How far would Brody go to stop Victor from telling the secret about Liam's paternity, and to get revenge for Gigi on Shane's behalf? I will definitely be tuning in next week to find out.
John actually tried to heed Kelly's advice regarding Natalie, until she received a telephone call about an apartment for her and Brody. He wished Natalie luck and walked out. Liam's parentage needs to be revealed soon. The fans have been waiting for so long. I know other storylines have pushed this back, but now it is time! The fans have been patient, and if it drags on for too much longer, no one is even going to care anymore. Please -- soon!
Finally, we have arrived at the storyline that has had viewers tuning in for the past month. Todd Manning and Victor Lord Jr. First, let's talk about Victor and Téa. After the kids had left the mansion, Téa pointed out that Starr, Jack, and Dani had all stood by him, but Victor still felt that he had lost everything to Todd. Téa reminded Victor that she had vowed to love him, even if he was not the man she had thought she had married. She insisted that even though things had changed, Victor was her husband, partner, and soul mate. Téa insisted that she loved him and stated that he had a good strong name -- Victor for victory!
On Todd's end, Jack confronted Todd at Llanfair and reminded his dad that Todd had tried to give Jack away, when he was a baby. Oh, those were the good, old days! Jack called him Scarface a couple of times, which was not very nice. Todd correctly stated that if Victor had raised Jack properly, Jack would not have turned out to be an obnoxious brat. How true! Jack is a brat. Todd then blamed Victor for Jack's behavior and stormed out of the house with the gun in pocket.
When Todd arrived at his mansion, he listened to Victor and Téa's conversation, as they lay in bed. Téa lovingly informed Victor that he could not be Todd anymore and said that it was okay to be scared. Téa insisted that as long as they stayed strong and healthy, they would survive, because they had survived much worse. Todd then closed the door and took the gun apart. I believe it was because he loved Téa, and he just wanted for her to be happy.
Because then Todd confronted Victor in Todd Manning's office at the Sun and tried to throw him out of what Todd believed to be rightfully his. Todd resented Victor for pretending to be the "newspaper magnate guy," and for stealing the people that Todd loved, Todd's money, his newspaper, and his life. However, Victor claimed that is had been his legacy for the last eight years, and he refused to give up any of it. The standoff continued until Bo and the police burst through the door. Bo informed Todd that he would have to leave until a court of law validated his identity.
Todd left with Blair, who gave him a ride home and told him that she would get him the best lawyer. After Blair left, Todd pulled out the gun and declared that he would not be needing that lawyer. Again, this somewhat points to a possible murder mystery on the horizon, and I have a feeling that Todd will be the number one suspect. But let's face it -- he would be too obvious. However, we will have to wait and see where this storyline leads, and I hope that the next chapter will be just as entertaining. It is great having Roger Howarth back as Todd though. He was good as Paul Ryan on ATWT, but he is great as Todd!
That's it for me, and I want to let you know that I am keeping my fingers crossed for the Prospect Park project. I last heard that they are in talks with the AMC actors and actresses, and I am sure that OLTL's will follow. I am hopeful that a cable network will pick up both soaps. I will continue to look for OLTL updates, because I want my days with this soap to continue, since I only have one life to live.
Teddi
