I was not aware until Wednesday that this was going to be a short week. I think that all preemptions of this show should be cancelled (no pun intended) since we only have a few months left. We have a few new faces in Oakdale the last few weeks: nuChris, nuFaith, and now nuLiberty.

Janet and Dusty
Its official - Janet accepts Dusty's marriage proposal, which means that Dusty will again be raising another man's child. I wanted to see Dusty as a father of his own child. I guess in some ways he is being like the man who raised him, Burke Donovan. Burke raised him knowing that Dusty was not his biological son. Dusty also had John Dixon who adopted him after Burke passed away - John treated him as much like a son as he did his own son, Andy.

Janet has given up her need to be with Jack and has committed to Dusty, who she seems to be a better match with. Jack is okay with this so he can be with Carly. Carly is more than okay with it as long as she can be with Jack. Who wants to bet that all will not go smoothly for either one of these couples? It looks like everyone is being adult about all of this chaos by choosing to be with the ones they love.

Noah and Luke
Luke ends things with Noah then a minute later is having a moment with Dr. Oliver. They continue to be in each other's space, so it was just a matter of time before sparks would fly. Actually, sparks between these two guys were flying when they first met. In recent months, Luke was trying too hard to make Noah want to be with him. It was time to rip the Band-Aid off and move on.

I believe that if a romance between Luke and Reid is on the horizon then it will not be smooth sailing. It will be nice to see Luke get some of his personality back; he has become so whiny, pushy, and needy lately. I don't know if Reid can work a miracle, though I am interested to see how this all plays out. Reid is fun to watch, as you never know what he will say or do.

Henry and Vienna
Why did Vienna come back to Oakdale anyway? Her continual comings and goings have somehow diminished the character. I used to be a big Vienna and Henry fan and - like Noah and Luke - this relationship has lost most of its sparkle too.

I know Barbara is older than Henry; big deal? There have been other successful older woman, younger man pairings in Oakdale - remember Katie's parents: Lyla and Casey Peretti. What about Alison's parents, Larry and Susan McDermott? Their breakup was a product of poor writing and a hatchet job on the character of Larry McDermott, who was really a good guy. I think Barbara and Henry need a chance. Barbara is showing her insecurities especially since Vienna came back, she doesn't think she can compete. Well, it is Henry's choice who he wants to be with.

Meg and Eliza
Meg is starting to get better, and Emily is starting to get attached to Eliza. Paul is being honest by telling Emily that he wants Eliza to think of Meg as her mother - valid point. In the meantime, Emily is being a real mother to Eliza while Meg is in the psych ward. I think it will work itself out unless Emily gets crazy and possessive. We all know how much she wanted another baby of her own. This is a bit soon after the Mick fiasco, so she may be a little vulnerable. This is one of those wait and see what will happen next sort of situations.

Rating the Recasts
NuFaith Snyder - what a dramatic change in this character. Well, I don't think we had a chance to really know Faith before. She was shown rarely and her character did not have a storyline since her eating disorder story. So for this character to be at school smoking pot seems so far-fetched. I also hated her getting manipulated by Damian all of a sudden when it was just a few months ago she hated him and was very verbal about it - major change in character. I think more needs to happen with this character, as she is being forced on us and we barely know her.

NuChris Hughes - excellent choice in actors for this role. Daniel Cosgrove has made me forget any previous Chris Hughes rather quickly. It is good that Chris has been away for a while too. It's too bad we won't be able to have him around longer.

NuLiberty - this young actress instantly took hold of this role and made it her own. I am pleased with the casting choice for Liberty too. Sarah Wilson has captured all the nuances of Liberty and, in short order, made me like her. You know how sometimes it takes some time to like a recast; well this time from her first scene as Liberty, I was won over.

Now, it's time to open up the mailbag and see what readers have to say: