Luke and Noah fans, brace yourselves. I'm about to break from the ubiquitous mainstream media support that this couple constantly receives. All week, Luke and Noah fans have been e-mailing me, clamoring for a "real" storyline for them. Good luck with that. I've been begging for the same treatment for my beloved Henry for the past five years, but sadly he wastes away behind the counter at Al's diner and now the bar at Metro, with very little to do.

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'm OK with Luke and Noah on the backburner. In my opinion, they're the most boring couple on the show (except for perhaps Lily and Mike.) This love story has turned Luke into a whiny, clingy mess of a man, and Noah just comes across as aloof and indecisive. Before you fire off the hate mail, calling me a gay basher, hear me out. When this romance started, I was on board. But it quickly lost its shine. Frankly, I just don't buy that Noah is as in to the relationship as Luke is. I actually preferred him with Maddie, and I can't help but wonder how he would have fit into the scene if he had been straight. He would have perhaps been a great romantic lead for Ali or even Liberty.

I'm getting slammed with e-mail from folks declaring how much they love Luke and Noah, but I can't help but think that perhaps it's simply love for what this couple represents, rather than the pairing itself. Of course, couple popularity and chemistry is always subjective, so perhaps what some folks are seeing, I'm just not. I'm hesitant to criticize such groundbreaking storytelling on daytime, but I have to be honest with my opinion: these two make me want to reach for the fast-forward button. I've mentioned this before, but it's worth saying again. For a truly gripping well-written gay storyline, check out Brothers and Sisters' Kevin. OK, you can fire off your hate mail now, but please remember that we can respectfully disagree. Well, unless your Brad Snyder, and then it's his way or the bottom of a murky pond.

Meanwhile:
--Holden is sending so many mixed signals he could confuse a flock of geese. He wants Carly. No, he wants Lily. Wait, he can't stop thinking about Carly. No, he wants to pummel Mike for hooking up with Lily. See? I pity Lily and Carly. Perhaps they should both wash their hands of him, and then he'd be able to finally figure out what he wants.

--Note to writers: If you're going to continue this heated feud between Bonnie and Vienna, at least fill us in on the details of what it's about. Was it about Simon? Another man? A batch of pepparkakor gone wrong? Give us something, other than that the two of them hate one another.

--Thumbs up to Lucinda getting some loving, especially from a younger man. Hey, if Emily can do it, why not Lucinda? However, I don't trust this guy Brian. Is he a pawn of James Stenbeck's? I'd like to think he's not and that the ATWT execs are actually pursuing a romantic storyline for Lucinda (it's been too long), but sadly I doubt that's the case.

--Welcome back James Stenbeck! What an entrance. Stenbeck is a bigger genius than I thought. The guy managed to somehow hack into Windows and video blog to Paul. Impressive! I can't wait to see what havoc he has in store for Paul and Barbara. I hope he picks up his history with Emily and Margo, too. Ah, good times. I remember watching James and Barbara back in the early '80s when Barbara was having an affair with Gunnar. I thought James was one of the best villains I'd ever seen, next to JR Ewing. Two decades later, and he's still one of the best bad guys ever.

--Brad Snyder needs some Valium. He's abusive toward Parker, and I've had enough. He owes that kid an apology. I understand that he's a dad trying to keep his daughter innocent, but his behavior is outlandish. The next time he puts his hands on Parker, I hope Jack puts the smackdown on him. Or if not Jack, then Carly. She packs a mean punch, if I recall.

--Why do women in daytime feel compelled to marry men they're not in love with? OK, I get that sometimes it's for the size of the guy's back account or for the giant bling that accompanies the proposal. But in Ali's case, Aaron is a bartender and the ring was pretty, but not ostentatious, so what gives? I don't get it, especially when she's got gorgeous Dr. Chris Hughes, with the six-pack abs, panting after her. Maybe all that meth messed up some of her brain cells, because for me, this is a no-brainer. Chris loves Ali and never got over her. Choose him already.

--Mike and Lily hooked up at warp speed. While I'm a fan of some fast-paced storytelling, this one didn't have time to grow any kind of roots to make it believable. And the fact that Mike has slept with Katie, Carly and now Lily is just kind of weird. This town is getting way too small.

--Note to the writers: Please let Meg go at least one week without ending up in the ER. Come on, people. This is getting old. Every week it's a new crisis with her. She's been poisoned, shot, had a miscarriage, treated for cramps, etc. I hope she has good health insurance. At this rate, we should add to the ATWT Drinking Game that every time Meg ends up in the hospital, take a sip.

--It's a sad state of affairs when the loan shark guy has had more scenes this year than poor Dallas. I swear, if Dallas has to walk through the station with that folder one more time, I may scream. In fact, add that to the drinking game, too.

--Henry and Bonnie are fun. I'm enjoying their scenes together. It looks like Vienna isn't though. Hopefully Vienna has returned as her old self and will be back to her antics. You know, the ones that made us love her when she first hit the scene with Simon.

--Jack Snyder, you're in my doghouse. Ignoring calls from Carly is a no-no. You share children, and her call could have been an emergency, like say you're son is being accused of rape.

--I get that Katie is a back player in the Liberty/Parker storyline, but I hate that she's become an appendage to Brad. I miss the days of Katie and Henry's shenanigans. Can we have some of that, please? Or how about Margo and Katie going out for a beer? I get that the plots on ATWT are moving fast these days and every action seems very plot-specific, but the writers should remember that we like to see family and friendship moments just as much as mystery, romance and suspense.

--I'm really hoping that Brad didn't kill Leo. When Brad went ballistic and threw that punk in the pond, I was cheering. Drugging a teenage girl and attempting to rape her makes me want to throw him in the pond, too. I didn't see it coming when Leo failed to surface. If the kid dies, this becomes a horrific tragedy. I'd rather not see Brad have something like that on his conscience, not to mention the jail sentence he'd probably receive for killing the kid. This is Oakdale, after all, where justice is rarely served.

--Sccopers, you are fired up about Dylan Bruce being dropped to recurring. I feel your pain. I like new Chris, too. Again, I say, they should have taken Aaron.

--Finally, thank you to all of you who wrote me words of encouragement and support about my newborn son. I truly appreciate it. A premature baby is challenging to say the least, but he's healthy and thriving, so I'm beyond thankful. The sleep deprivation, however, is brutal. You don't realize how much, until it dawns on you that it's 6 p.m. and you're still in your pajamas and forgot to put on deodorant in the morning. Thanks again for all the love.

Best Lines of the Week:
I didn't catch any lines this week. I promise to do better next time. Please don't send Brad after me. I'm not a great swimmer.

Reader Spotlight:
(From Two Scoops reader Brenda.)
I agree with you about Holden & Lily. They are more ridiculous than a pair of teenagers.

(From Two Scoops reader Rick.)
I was dumbfounded by ATWT'S announcement by putting Dylan Bryce (Chris Hughes) on recurring status. How could this ever happen since Dylan (Chris) is front burning storyline? This doesn't make any since at all. Dylan Bryce is the best Chris to come along in years.

(From Two Scoops reader Jennifer.)
I would love to see Luke and Noah in a compelling, front-burner storyline. They are two young college students, and I think they should deal with the daily issues that other couples their age face. I would also like to see them interacting with other characters on the show and cross over to other storylines. It often seems like they're isolated from everyone else in all of their storylines. With Luke's numerous family ties and Noah's job at Java, it would make sense for them to interact more with other characters. I am writing this because I truly love and support this couple, and I believe they have so much potential for great storytelling if given the opportunity. It would be a real shame to waste these two wonderful characters (not to mention the two talented actors who portray them) by keeping them on the backburner.

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