Due to a hectic schedule last week, I watched a week's worth of episodes in one day, and it wasn't easy! It was blaringly obvious how repetitive the show is, how weak certain stories really are, and how characters who have big secrets don't try that hard to keep others from finding out.
While initially I thought making Eli the guilty party in Marty's fall and Ford's attack was a good twist, the story has lost a lot of traction. Multiple characters have jumped on the "Eli is BAD!" bandwagon early on, without much evidence to back up their beliefs. Kelly and Rex decided Eli was their man with a vague physical description, and then John became suspicious of Eli because he's always suspicious of people. Now, just about everyone in Llanview thinks Eli is a criminal, except for Blair.
I thought Blair was onto Eli when she decided to look in his brief case. I also thought she knew more than she let on when she told him why she opened it, but based on her comments to other characters, she is still ignoring John and Kelly's warnings. The thing is, Eli isn't even trying to cover his tracks around her anymore. He left his briefcase out in the open and took incriminating phone calls just a few feet away from where Blair was standing. He's also made severa; ominous remarks lately, so it seems like he wants the truth to be discovered!
Blair isn't making smart choices herself, as she told Eli that Kelly suspected that he was Bennett Thompson and a murderer. Even if Blair didn't believe Kelly's accusations, she didn't need to tell Eli everything. Blair thought about John's warning multiple times last week, so she hasn't completely rejected the idea that Eli isn't being completely honest. However, she decided she was going to marry Eli as soon as possible anyway. Eli wasn't even pressuring her to get married during that conversation, so she didn't have to suggest it. Where is her common sense? I guess Blair isn't allowed to have any when she is engaged to a murderer. We've seen this with her before, and it never ends well.
Another thing that bothers me is how much power Eli has over various people. Ford and Hannah are both terrified of Eli, and now it looks he has something to hold over Greg's head too. Why would Greg be willing to participate in Eli's plan to keep Téa away from Todd and Dani? Greg didn't seem convinced that following Eli's orders was the right course of action, so either he has a bad side but has second thoughts, or Eli is blackmailing him. I hope it's the latter because Llanview needs a doctor, and Greg has done a decent job of being the only doctor in town.
I am glad that Hannah and Ford FINALLY told John what they knew about Eli. They've had plenty of opportunities but have let Eli's weak threats get the better of them. If he was really going to kill either one of them, he would have done it by now! I wish Ford hadn't changed his mind about signing his statement. Inez did unwittingly bring Ford's attacker into the loop, but I think John could have figured out a way to protect him. Now we have to wait for Ford to regain his nerve to help John's investigation, which could drag this story out even more.
In spite of how much I dislike this story, it was kind of fun to see John arrest Kelly. She hasn't followed any of his instructions and hasn't cared about laws or procedure since she started investigating her mother's death. I realize John has behaved the same way in the past, but Kelly has been out of control. It was disappointing to find out it was just a ruse to get a warrant for Eli's arrest! I really don't like how Kelly has been acting, especially with Rex and John. She's been bossy, defiant, annoying, and self-involved. I hope her behavior changes after this story ends. I am sure Kelly Cramer didn't return to Llanview to undergo an unflattering character change!
Another story that is hard to watch is the concurrent pregnancies of Natalie and Jessica. They are each wondering who the father of their respective babies are, and they aren't doing a good job of hiding their concern. It's amazing that Viki didn't notice Brody and Natalie giving each other uncomfortable looks when Natalie told Viki that she was pregnant. They glanced at each other so many times, that I thought Viki would demand to know what was up. I hope someone catches them doing this so the story can move forward.
I don't like that Natalie expects Brody to accept that her baby will be John's, even if it really isn't. Too many soap opera characters try to lie about paternity of their babies and insist that others lie too. Most of the time, their rationale is weak, and the truth always comes out. It is a trend that needs to stop! I don't think that Brody is going to drop the issue, so Natalie will have to come up with another plan other than proclaiming John is the father, ending the issue in her mind.
On the other hand, Jessica should have a much easier time of keeping her secret, since Ford didn't want to even consider that her baby could be his. He was quick to brush off the idea when she told him she was pregnant. However, Jessica needs to be more careful about where and when she makes phone calls about paternity tests. She quickly thought of a cover story when Brody walked in, but I don't know if he completely believed it.
I'm also not happy that Jessica is the victim again. Ford took advantage of her when he knew she wasn't stable, and now Jessica has to deal with the consequences. I hope her alters don't return and that she doesn't have to go back to St. Ann's to deal with everything. Jessica has been through way too much for such a young character, and she's played the victim way too many times.
Moving along to the teen scene, I don't think Langston or Cole believed Starr's assertions that she doesn't have feelings for James. Starr is a terrible liar, and she let James get to her way too easily. She should have known that James and Langston were only going out to make her and Ford jealous, but she took the bait and protested too much anyway. I guess she can't help it!
Starr and Cole still appear to be on the verge of a break up, even if neither of them wants to admit it. There is a lot of tension when they talk about anything these days, so it seems like a matter of time before they just can't do it anymore. I'm not saying that they won't eventually get back together, especially since the writers have invested a lot of time into this couple. However, I think a break-up is imminent and needs to happen soon to end the agony.
I am glad that David and Dorian finally gave up their ridiculous game and admitted that they loved each other. I couldn't handle watching them act like immature teenagers, especially since they have such a long history together. It's hard to get excited for their wedding, though, since David tends to disappear for long lengths of time. I hope Dorian isn't jilted at the altar by him again. That was hard enough to watch the first time. By the way, I was surprised to hear Blair ask about Ray Montez. I thought he was one of the characters that would be completely forgotten by everyone in Llanview!
Some of the best scenes last week were with Todd, Dani, and Téa watching the shooting stars. The moment held so much meaning for all three of them, as they each tried to cope with Téa's looming death. I am glad that Todd and Dani have formed a father/daughter bond, even if I didn't like how it started during Nate's crisis.
I knew that Todd deciding to let Téa go to the hospice alone was smoke and mirrors. While I think Todd should respect Téa's wishes, it's good that he is trying to find her, since we don't know what Greg is going to do for or because of Eli. By the way, doesn't it seem like Todd always hires mediocre investigators? It seems like he fires all of them because they don't find what he needs.
It's sad to watch Téa do nothing but wait for her untimely death to come. She doesn't know what to do with herself, and she is constantly fighting the urge to reach out to Todd and Dani. I am still positive that Téa won't stay dead if she actually dies, but it's still difficult situation, especially for such a strong-willed character as Téa.
I liked how Blair took the time to be there for Dani, even though her wedding was quickly approaching. I'm not usually a big fan of Blair, but she is very good at comforting kids in difficult situations. She and Dani share a nice bond, and I hope we get to see them interact a lot more in the future.
I also liked seeing Bo and Nora work together to find a way to arrest Eli last week. They make a good Téam when they work together on anything, and these days, it's rare to see them together at all. I am still annoyed by Inez's constant presence, though, especially since Nora let David's warning about Inez get to her. Bo and Nora have been through way too much together and apart to have such a cliché story as a wife being jealous of her husband's assistant. I hope this is meant to be nothing more than lighthearted material and that it will never turn into anything serious. It would be awful if it did!
Finally, it has been announced that Kim Zimmer is returning to One Life to Live as Echo DiSavoy, first airing in October. I wasn't watching when she was on the show before, so I am not familiar with this character.Overall, I have mixed feelings about this news. One the one hand, I like that a character who isn't a teenager is being added to the show. On the other hand, we already have characters who don't get air time as it is, so adding yet another character seems excessive. If you watched the show when Kim Zimmer was on the first time, please let me know what you think of Echo DiSavoy!
Until next time,
Dawn
