Happy New Year Scoopers!

As we look forward to the new year and new resolutions (Henry will be a leading man, Henry will be a leading man,) it's important to pause and remember where we've been.

2004 was a good one in Oakdale, compared to other soaps. Storylines didn't center around the mafia, violence or one character primarily. (GH) The townspeople weren't faux killed only to be sent to a tropical island. (DAYS) And one plotline didn't drive the entire story for a year. (AMC)

Here are my votes for the best and worst of ATWT in 2004. If 2005 is nearly as good, it'll be a great year Scoopers. Best mystery: Who killed Rose? It turned out that Will was Rose's killer. I would have staked my chocolate stash that James was the culprit. But show execs went the unpredictable, and risky, route, pinning the crime on a young boy. The twist set up years of future story, as Will tries to regain everyone's trust. I love it when I'm wrong.

Worst mystery: Who kidnapped Lucy? (The first time.) It looked like Alan was the bad guy, but in the end it was Lucy's dastardly dad, Craig. I know Craig has always walked a fine line when it comes to the law, but I just don't buy him risking his own daughter's safety just to keep her in town. I wish the evil mastermind manipulator had been Alan. That would have at least explained the mystery of why Sierra married a guy she barely knew, without introducing him to her daughter.

Character who most needs to get a clue: Ironically, it's the head copper himself, Hal Munson. His psycho ex-wife is living in his house, drugging his current wife and tormenting his sons. Magnum P.I. he ain't.

Best six pack: Mike Kasnoff. Enough said.

Strangest aborted storyline: Lucy and Paul suddenly develop a close friendship, only to never mention one another again.

Most welcome aborted storyline: Jordan and Rosanna. Never should have happened.

Best male return: Simon Frasier. That accent. Those eyes. The look he gives Katie. His recurring returns may have been brief and irregular, but he's welcome on my screen anytime.

Best female return: Sierra Montgomery. Barely in town a week, and she imprisoned Craig in a monastery for a little a soul searching. This is my kind of gal. Craig may have finally met his match. These two have always had chemistry. And her return may finally give poor Lucinda some screen time.

Best love triangle: Katie/Mike/Simon. As a longtime Katie/Simon fan, even I was torn when Simon returned. Mike and Katie sizzled. A triangle works best when you're routing for all three legs. Brilliant.

Worst love triangle: Jessica/Margo/Doc. While I love that the Jess/Margo friendship was rattled, the fact that it was for this immature playboy was unbelievable. Oakdale's two smartest women making fools of themselves for Doc had me scratching my head.

Most wasted character: John Dixon. He should have been paramount in the Dusty story. Instead, he was relegated to a few scenes at the hospital. Ridiculous.

Best recast: Will Munson. In the capable hands of Jesse Soffer, Will Munson has emerged as a teen I love.

Worst recast: Molly. The recast actress was beautiful, but never captured Molly's toughness. Weepy Molly just didn't work.

Best villain: James. Only he could hoodwink the entire town into believing Cabot is dead. And that clown stuff was creepy enough for a Stephen King novel.

Worst villain: Pilar. Not since "Fatal Attraction" has a wacked female stalked a defenseless rabbit. And I never really bought the Pilar we all used to know as a lovesick fool.

Best friendship: Henry/Katie. What won't this martini-loving fool do for his Katherine? I'd say, nothing. I look forward to more of their hijinks in 2005.

Most absurd story: Teenagers running the bar at Metro. It's madness people. Madness.

Most wasted character redemption: Barbara Ryan. Her brain tumor could have been used to explain away all her wacky behavior of the past several years, and reinstate her to bitchy boardroom diva instead of psycho Barbara. Instead, she's acting as nutty as before.

Most annoying event: Network preemptions. I can't count the number of times the network interrupted the show at a crucial point, just to air some ridiculous "news." Taking the majority of the show for a preemption, without offering viewers an alternate time to watch, is maddening. Waiting months for a storyline payoff only to never see it, is beyond frustrating. I'm convinced networks are trying to ruin ratings. If they tried this in primetime, somebody would be fired.

Funniest plot: The Six Keys to the Kingdom Contest. Those ZZ-Top dudes ruled.

Worst departure: Mitzi develops a tendency for robbery and leaves Oakdale.

Best surprise couple: Dusty and Lucy. Who knew?

Most missed character: Walker Daniels. I was so hopeful this doc would find a story to land in, but he ended up with nothing to do. What a shame.

Most wasted couple:: Chris and Ali. This pairing had real potential, especially with Aaron thrown in the mix. But Chris's strange obsession with Emily left viewers wanting this doctor to stop calling.

Best story: Jack's amnesia. I can't believe I'm putting the word amnesia in my best story section, but there you go. Maura West, Michael Park, and all the supporting players made this a must see. Even with the minor problems, this was a winner.

Most in need of a vacation: Holden Snyder. He should get the saint of the year award for putting up with Lily's craziness. Whether he's helping out cousin Jack, babysitting the kids or coming to Julia's rescue, he's always dependable. This hero deserves some down time and some tan lines.

Best line of the year: (Henry tries to convince Katie to partner with him in the Keys Contest.) Henry: "I need you Cupcake. I need you like Bush needs Florida."
That's a look back. Thanks to all of you who read my thoughts each week and take time to send me yours. Happy New Year. And now a look at this week:
--How hilarious was Henry pretending to be Simon? His "A dingo ate my baby" comment had me rolling.
--What else can go wrong for Lucy? Kidnapped, a plane crash, snakes, buried alive, hypothermia, starvation, it's like she's been cursed with some biblical plague. I've said it before, Lucy should increase her medical insurance. The girl is in trouble more than Lois Lane ever was.
--I guess I was wrong about Dominic; He didn't go to the Sonny Corinthos school for mobsters after all. Dominic actually kills people.
--Why is no one questioning the fact that Barbara could be involved in haunting Rosanna? It's absurd that Hal or Paul aren't making the connection.
--Didn't Katie learn anything from all those months of duping Simon years ago? Tricks never work. Lying to Mike is the quickest way to ensure he'll go running back to Jennifer.
Best Lines of the Week:
(Craig spots the live camera feed of his former jail cell hidden at Lucinda's house.)
Craig: "Well, well, will reality programming never cease?"
(Katie orders Henry to keep fashion designer Jennifer away from Mike.)
Katie: "You're going to have to keep her occupied."
Henry: "How? What do you want me to do, stitch her to the pattern table?"
(Henry asks Jennifer for a job at Street Jeans.)
Jennifer: "You're not working, are you?"
Henry: "No. And it is a lifestyle choice."

That's all for now. See ya next time, Scoopers!
Jennifer Biller