They fell in love as kids, and as viewers, we've watched their journey for more than two decades. But as we inch closer to the end of our beloved show, it seems Holden is all set to marry another woman, one whom he also has history with, and a child. Surprisingly, I'm not upset that Holden seems poised to finish out his ATWT days at Molly's side, instead of with Lily.
As loyal readers know, I love the Molly and Holden coupling. (At least I do when the writers don't dumb down Molly, like they did this week. Murder instead of a restraining order? Sigh.) I think the problem is that one half of the power couple we've grown to love is no longer on-screen. No disrespect to Noelle Beck, who is doing a fantastic job as a recast Lily, but I grew up with Martha Byrne as the face of Lily, and it's tough to root for a power couple when that familiar face with all the history and chemistry with Holden is no longer on-screen. So, I think that's why I've enjoyed Holden and Molly so much. The faces on-screen have history together, not to mention off-the-charts chemistry. Plus, Lily and Holden have been married and divorced so many times at this point, I've lost track, so if they couldn't make it work all those previous times, then something is missing.
It's hard to imagine that the writers would not reunite Lily and Holden when the show wraps. They're iconic and from the era of super couples in soaps. But at this point, I can honestly say that I won't be disappointed if Holden rides off into the sunset on his tractor with Molly. If the end game is going to be Lily and Holden, though, the writers had better get busy showing me some spark between these former spouses. Otherwise, Lily had better start picking out a wedding gift for her former mate.
Meanwhile:
• I wish I could take this entire column to rave about Reid Oliver, but I can't, so you'll have to settle for this nugget. Kudos to casting and to Eric Sheffer Stevens because I cannot get enough of this guy. I know many of you are rooting for him and Luke to pair up, and surprisingly, I must admit that I did enjoy their scenes this week, but I think it's mostly because of Reid. What has dawned on me during Noah's illness, and the Luke/Noah breakup, is that I don't much like the character of Luke. So, it's hard to get invested in his pairings. Luke is so needy and directionless that for the life of me, I can't imagine what Reid or Noah see in him. After Noah rejected Luke and he went calling on Reid, saying that Reid didn't want him either, I literally was rolling my eyes. Writers, please, I'm begging you, if you want me to buy a Reid and Luke pairing or even a Luke and Noah reconciliation, start giving the character of Luke some purpose, other than clinging to whatever man happens to pay him some attention on any given day. Both Noah and Reid are highly motivated individuals with goals and accomplishments, whether it's education, film-making, or saving lives. I want to see that for Luke, too, and to make this character more than just a romantic partner for someone.
• So, Molly is a murderer now? Um, okay. What a huge miss this storyline turned out to be. The Molly I know and love would have called up her equally conniving cousin, Carly, and hatched a plan to steal back those sex tapes from sinister Silas. The Molly I know and love would not have allowed herself to be bullied by a creepy drug addict and blackmailer. Molly was always a smart scheming gal, and the fact that she didn't file a restraining order against that jerk or try to blackmail him herself has me scratching my head. If this arc ends with Molly in prison, I will be outraged.
• Craig schooling Jack this week on the dangers of loving Carly had me chuckling. Craig, this isn't Jack's first time at the rodeo. He, better than anyone, knows how addictive and sometimes destructive loving Carly can be. You just have to learn to hold on and enjoy the ride.
• Speaking of Jack, kudos to him for following his instincts and not letting Craig take the fall for a crime he didn't do. Sometimes, Jack gets off course, but most of the time, he does the right thing. And at the end of day, that's why I love his character.
• Meg Snyder, I underestimated you. It never occurred to me that Meg would drug herself to frame Emily, but Two Scoops reader Kathie thinks that is just what's happening, and I think she's correct. You've got to admit that it's a brilliant plan to get Emily out of Eliza's life. I guess I understand why Meg wants Emily gone. Emily is so overbearing and will barely let Barbara or Meg hold the child, despite that Emily hasn't been mother of the year. I can't wait to see how this plays out.
• I don't know about you, Scoopers, but seeing Nancy one last time this week warmed my heart. She looked as gorgeous as ever. Rest in peace, Helen Wagner.
• Oh, Chris, you are not so smart for a doctor. Painkillers and booze are a no-no. And in Chris's case, it makes for some very loose lips. I felt bad for poor Alison, who had to listen to her former fiancé go on and on about how much he feels for Katie. It looks like Katie and Chris are a go. And Alison got slammed once more when Casey called her out once again for jumping into bed with Mick Dante.
• I loved, loved, loved the Henry and Casey bonding scenes. For years, I've been preaching that we need to have more scenes like this, where characters go out together. Henry and Casey talked about fatherhood and cheating lovers because they are both sleeping with Vienna and believe they are the father of her (fake) baby. But, nonetheless, it was great to see some male bonding and a nod at history, as well, as Casey mentioned Gwen and her pregnancy years ago.
• Speaking of Henry, has Trent Dawson been hitting the gym? When he opened the door in nothing but a cape this week, those pecs were phenomenal. Looking good, Trent!
• We talked last week about the character assassination of Henry. I received plenty of e-mail from you telling me that Vienna has undergone the same treatment, and I agree with all of you. The writing for Vienna has been uneven and confusing. She waffles between sweet, bitchy, and conniving, so we're not sure what to believe. For me, Vienna has become almost unlikable, and that's a shame because I was once her biggest champion.
• Well, it seems Carly is back to her scheming ways. Some things never change, and would we really want it any other way? Carly scammed her way into stealing evidence from the Monte Carlo fire police file this week, just as Jack caught her. I'm sure this will prompt argument (number 5,000) as Jack will chastise her for not doing the right thing. The thing is, I don't ever want Carly to change. She's so much fun when she's being bad.
Best Lines of the Week:
(Barbara knocks on Henry's door and he answers it wearing a red cape and nothing else, after a romp with Vienna.)
Barbara: "Oh good God. I do have a knack for showing up at the worst times, don't I?"
Henry: "This is not what it looks like. (Pauses and realizes his appearance.) This is exactly what it looks like."
(Paul finishes a speech at Eliza's christening.)
Paul: "That's enough speeches. I'm boring even myself!"
(Barbara yells at Vienna for making Eliza's christening all about Vienna's pregnancy.)
Vienna: "What did you call me?"
Barbara: "Narcissistic. Look it up. It begins with an N."
Vienna: "Really? And I thought it started with a B as in Barbara."
(Henry tells Barbara that he came clean with Vienna about his feelings for Barbara.)
Henry: "She was suspicious, anyway, and I was tired of lying about it."
Barbara: "How unlike you."
Henry: "Tell me about it."
Reader Spotlight:
That's all for now Scoopers! See ya next time.
Jennifer Biller
