It's nice to break things up a bit with a special episode to experience what this show does really well then we go back to the regular stories with the same characters like Paul, Meg, Dusty, Carly and Craig almost every day.

The Special Valentine's Day Episode
What did you think of it? I kind of like these special episodes as it is one of those times when we see how creative the writers and producers can be. I just wish that they could put some of that creativity into the regular storylines.

It is a shame that the only veteran was asked to be in this episode was Dr. Bob - it would have been nice to see Lisa or Kim show up for a change. When I heard Bob's voice at the start of the show, I was sure that he would be joined by other veterans in this episode.

Luke Snyder, Private Investigator
Ok, what else does he have to do since he is not in school? I understand that he is really upset about his friend's murder so why not take the law into his own hands by trying to find the culprit on his own. He suspects Elwood as does everyone else but Matt is definitely a prime candidate as well. Who else has the initial M? But of course, is it too obvious to immediately assume it's the ex-con who just returned to town to be the drug dealer? Yes, it is because the last time he was in town he was in cahoots with a thug who was out to get Margo Hughes.

I want to believe that there could be some mystery to this tale but I am not sure our writers can adequately pull that off. Honestly, who cares that Reg is dead in the first place? How many times did he even appear on the show? My point is why a murder mystery about a character that no one really knew or grew to care about? I think that what draws us in is that we want to see Luke or Casey or maybe Alison in a story together.

Katie Wants a Baby at Any Cost
It was just a few weeks ago that she was concentrating on her career then all of a sudden she wants to have a baby again. She gets on Brad's case for doing things behind her back when he was trying to clear his name and now she is doing everything in her power to get pregnant without his consent. Why, why, why? She seems so desperate right now that she needs to do this no matter what.

It was just a year or so ago when she wanted a baby that Brad would do anything to get her pregnant and now he is against it just like his friend Henry. It is amazing that both Katie and Vienna both want to do anything to get pregnant at the same time. Is this building to a baby switch story or something else?

Carly and Craig
I really like Carly with Craig like I did years ago when Hunt Block played the role. The most fun about Carly and Craig is that it upsets Jack so much. The other thing is that Craig is also getting friendly with Janet.

What is really happening with Carly and this vodka story - is she going to start drinking more? She just mentioned her father was an alcoholic. I get it now -the show will not write Maura pregnancy into the story and Carly becomes an alcoholic so when she leaves for maternity leave in six months, Carly goes off to rehab for a few months.

Josie
Yes, she is gone. I am somewhat glad to see her leave - after the Jennifer lookalike story and to find she was not related to anyone in Oakdale, she spent all of her time being a town busybody. The actress was good but it was how her character was written that made it very difficult to really invest in her character.

It's been a few weeks since my last column but I have to say what a great response I received from quite a few readers who had a lot to say about the state of things in Oakdale. I want to thank you for letting me know that I was not alone in my feelings about how things are. Here are some of those comments I received:

Ken said: "I agree with you 100% on your analysis of ATWT. The only thing I would add to it is that the people at our show really need to check out what you and Jennifer have to say about it."

Kathie said, "Your column this week is spot on!! You bring up all the same issues that bug me...Please ATWT writers: stop putting Paul and Meg together. If he never changes (and he never does); she just looks like an idiot for going back to him all the time. It's tiring; I just want to shut it off!! I hope the writers read your column. They could learn a lot from it!"

Eric said, "Is ATWT the best it can be right now? No. But it can get better. With layoffs and cutbacks and the economy, daytime drama is going through a very tough time right now, and it shows. On ATWT alone, the lack of diverse sets (is the Lakeview the only place in town where people live AND eat?) is scary. The fact that actors like Hunt Block and Larry Bryggman are considered too expensive to hire/keep on is a sad reality (just look at what Y&R and Days are going through right now). The list goes on and on."

Michelle said, "Thank you for saying all the things us little people are thinking. This revolving door of actors is getting really old!!! Soap fans do get invested in particular actors and then they are gone and recast 19 times. I personally loved Hunt Block the best......but I was reconnecting with the other actor (his name escapes me at the moment) from the Craig and Betsy years and now this new guy? And I'm sure no one warmed up to that new Mike character and I'm still mourning the loss of Martha Byrne!"

Diana said, "I have had many of the same thoughts. I miss the previous generation. There are plenty of storylines that would prove Bob, Kim, Lisa, Susan, Lucinda, and Emma very useful. I felt no attachment to Lucy on her brief return. She didn't even visit her grandmother. The Maddie character was a god actor but was not back long enough to feel her pain. And I really don't like having useless characters hanging around. "

Finally, I want to say thanks once again to that take the time to write to express your thoughts on my column and what you think about the show. I just wish I had enough room to post all of your comments.

That's all I have for now.
Reggie Jackson