Last week was eventful in Llanview, as Starr and Hope were taken hostage, Shaun was shot while trying to save them, Stacy got the surprise I hoped she wouldn't get, Blair brought Ross to Llanview, and Téa's secret was almost revealed. It seems like there are too many stories happening at one time, especially since we haven't even some characters in a while, but at least the show is moving at a decent place.
It seems like the hostage situation has been a point of major contention, as people debate who is to blame and who should be held responsible once it is over. I choose not to focus on that. I think people's reactions and methods of dealing with it are much more interesting. For example, it was interesting to see that John's confidence was shaken as a result of the whole situation. He was positive that he could keep Cole safe during the undercover investigation, and promised Marty that nothing would happen. He managed to keep Cole safe (relatively), but Starr and Hope ended up being put in danger instead. Once things spiraled out of control, John became flustered. He is usually the confident, arrogant hero, so this was an interesting thing to see! Bo took control of the hostage situation, and John followed Bo's directions with few complaints. I like that Bo, the actual police commissioner, was in charge for a change. He has hardly had anything to do because John has been doing everything, but it was great to see Bo get a chance to do his job! Bo tried to bargain with Sergei and make sure that Starr and Hope would be safe, but Sergei didn't take the bait. That was a risky move on Bo's part, and since he is usually so practical about everything, it was an interesting moment for Bo. Once Bo, John, and Brody arrived on the scene to rescue Cole and Starr, chaos ensued. It was a great cliffhanger to have Sergei sneak up on John and point a gun in his back at the end of Friday's show. While I have every reason to believe that no one is going to die from this situation, it is an interesting action sequence so far!
I feel bad for Starr, though. How many times can one be held hostage in a year? She was already held hostage by Zack, and now she is being held by creepy drug lords! The first hostage situation seems to have paid off because she has remained while being held captive. I will give credit to her for making sure Hope's needs were met and not completely panicking while Sergei talked about killing her and even shot a bullet to make a point. I have never been impressed with Starr's arguments of her being an adult, but she really did hold herself together and put Hope first during an awful situation. It's not often that I say something nice about Starr, but I must give credit where it is due!
I also feel bad for Shaun. He proved that he is a brave man, as he tried to rescue Starr and Hope at Dorian's house. I felt so bad when I saw him get shot multiple times, especially since Rachel confessed to Greg that Shaun isn't the one for her while all of this was happening. That's a really bad day for any soap character! Even though Shaun has been a relatively minor character on this show until recently, I always liked him. I am glad we are getting to learn more about him, but it stinks that he gets badly injured and loses the girl (or will) in his fist major story! Rachel is now stuck in the situation of having to play along with the idea that she is in love with Shaun, as Shaun declared his love for her. I don't think she will dump Shaun when his life is in the balance, so we'll see how long she can keep the illusion alive. It doesn't help that Shaun's parents have latched onto the idea of Shaun and Rachel being a serious couple. I have to say, I really like Shaun's parents so far. They seem like nice, well-grounded people, and there aren't enough of those in Llanview. I am not sure if these characters are just here for the current story, or if we'll see them more often, but I like the Evans family!
The part I find difficult to accept is the idea of Greg operating on Shaun. Everyone accepted the idea way too easily, and I find it hard to believe that Greg is one of the few doctors on the planet that can perform this exact operation. Isn't this the same story he told about Matthew's surgery? How many different types of rare, difficult surgeries does Greg know how to do? I realize that doctors in Llanview specialize in all areas, since it's unusual to have more than one doctor at a time. However, we are being asked to accept extraordinary circumstances as this story unfolds. Also, Greg was very emotional when he saw Shaun on the stretcher. I don't believe that anyone who reacted that strongly could be cool, calm, and collected in the operating room. The only good part of this story is it could lead to some interesting drama in the end. Greg and Shaun clearly have a strained relationship, and the operation could change that. If Greg manages to save Shaun, it might sway the outcome of Matthew's trial, and Rachel might be more inclined to admit how she feels about Greg if he is successful. I suppose I can get past Greg being the super surgeon of the universe if his operating on his brother Shaun can create good drama. I just think soap opera viewers are asked to accept too much sometimes!
Speaking of being expected to accept too much, Stacy got her wish as her doctor told her that she was pregnant. This story has been awful since it began, and I can't believe that is being dragged out even longer! First, we had to watch Stacy gloat because she was pregnant. Then, she lost the baby, and her best friend forever Kim showed up to help her find a baby daddy. Now, it turns out that the plan worked. Make it stop! The "I'll pass off this baby as someone else's" plot has been done way too many times, and this time is particularly painful. Stacy needs to keep Kim around, though. Kim has to be the most loyal friend ever to accept everything that Stacy has done with few questions. I wish Kim would suggest that Stacy should give up on trying to steal Rex from Gigi, though. She told Schuyler she thought Stacy's obsession over Rex wasn't right, and although she was trying to manipulate Schuyler, I think she really feels that way. Kim would be my hero if she could get Stacy to drop her plan and move on with her life. I doubt that will ever happen, but this story has to end soon. I can't watch Stacy pretend that she is further along in her pregnancy than she is. There have been few stories that have been as frustrating as this one. It was a mess from the start, and it hasn't gotten any better. Gigi and Rex have faced enough obstacles, and Stacy looks even more desperate than before as she tries to keep Rex with Fish's baby!
Speaking of desperate women, Blair also needs to be taken in a new direction. She is still on her mission to reveal Téa's secret, and it looks like she is ready to implement her plan. While everyone else in Llanview understands Blair's true motive behind bringing down Téa, Ross is ready for an adventure in Llanview. I don't know why Blair would choose to hide him in the cabana on Dorian's property. She was discovered with Todd in that cabana, so obviously, it's not in an isolated place! I don't think Ross will be able to hide there for long, especially since Téa almost saw him last week. This gives me hope that this story won't drag on, but it was still a strange place to hide him! I actually felt a little bad for Blair when she returned, and Todd told her what had happened to Starr and Hope. I know she is a worried mother and needs comfort, but it seemed like she was throwing herself on Todd in front of Téa for Téa's benefit. On the other hand, while the hug appeared to bother Téa, she'd better get used to it. If she is going to marry Todd, Blair will always be a part of her life, and she will have to deal with that. I just wish Blair would lead her life with some dignity and not be so obsessive over Todd. Her life's motto doesn't need to be "Stick it to Téa." Todd has made it very clear that he isn't interested in Blair anymore and chose Téa. Blair needs to do something that doesn't revolve around Todd or Téa. While I agree with Blair that Téa should be honest, Blair isn't doing herself any favors by making it her mission to bring down Téa. No one believes her motive of protecting her kids, and I don't think she believes it either. It's never easy being the odd person out in a triangle, but Blair needs to find a new act other than sheer desperation!
All of that being said, is there any doubt that Téa's secret is a child? Nora and Téa's conversation almost proved it. Nora made a point of asserting that Téa could never understand how Nora feels because Téa isn't a mother. Téa came very close to telling Nora something, and at this point, it couldn't have been anything other than having a child of her own. As I've said before, I wish Téa's secret would have been something more creative, but Nora and Téa's scenes supported my suspicions. Now I have to wonder if Téa's child is already in Llanview, or if we will meet yet another new character. Having a long lost child is a tired plot point, but Florencia Lozano has been doing a wonderful job with showing Téa's angst and desperation over keeping her secret. Let's hope Téa's secret is revealed sooner rather than later. Nora has better things to do than to keep pointing out that Téa isn't a mother!
Until next time,
Dawn
