The momentum continues for OLTL as action peaks at Statesville Prison while other lives in Llanview are rocked by revelations and declarations. Broken relationships, ruined weddings, destroyed trust---all of these have come into play as characters decide who is important in their lives and who should be cut from them forever. In particular, the ramifications that still linger from David's refusal to marry Dorian as she stood at the alter in front of her family and friends remains front and center as the reasons for his betrayal are revealed. Also, Carlo Hesser's botched jail break has contributed to mass chaos and the whopper of revelations---that Cristian is not an imposter and is really Natalie's "dead" husband.
As bad as Dorian can be to other people and as self-absorbed as she usually is, how can viewers NOT feel sympathy for a woman who at one moment was filled with joy and ebullition at the thought of marrying one of the great loves of her life and at the next minute was facing humiliation and embarrassment at being rebuked at the wedding alter by her fiancé? Dorian has been a trooper, that's for sure. But when Spencer showed up at her mansion and told her that he himself was responsible for convincing his brother to stop the wedding, the horror in Dorian's face was clearly apparent. Sure, she's been wary and suspicious of Spencer as she became aware of his vendetta against the Buchanans, but she never fully realized the depth of his sliminess or his hatred. Here is a man Dorian has truly underestimated. Over the years, she has faced many adversaries: Mitch Lawrence, Victor Lord, and even Todd. However, Dorian always seemed to be good at assessing exactly whom she was going up against. But at the moment when Spencer revealed what he is capable of doing, Dorian's entire world changed. She knew if she were going to continue her fight and her quest to bring down Spencer, she was in for an equally turbulent ride.
So after Spencer the Creep rubbed poor Dorian's nose in his handiwork, it was David's turn to smooth things over. I'll admit that I was relieved and pretty surprised how quickly David was willing to confess to Dorian that he was essentially blackmailed by his brother into calling off the wedding. He was afraid that the lack of a Statute of Limitation would result in his going to prison for the murder that he committed when he was younger (interestingly, we still have not learned the circumstances of the murder). How rare it is to have someone actually come clean to a loved one about a deep, dark secret BEFORE it is revealed in some public place (think of the recent outing of Daniel in front of news cameras and the entire town!). But this is a soap opera we're talking about, so nothing is ever THAT easy! In this case, Dorian can't come to grips over the humiliation she has suffered in the public eyes. She can't grasp the fact that she is the laughing stock of the society page, and despite the honesty and the trust that David has shown to her in revealing this monumental secret, she will not forgive him for this act of betrayal. Is this supposed to be a lesson that it's better to keep one's mouth shut and not fess up to a secret instead of being up front and honest? I'm not sure yet, but with David's having taken the first step towards reconciling with Dorian, time will be the determining factor for whether or not a second wedding is in the cards for these two lovers.
Ever since David Fumero assumed the role of Cristian Vega once again, it's just been a matter of time before his real identity would be revealed to Natalie. After so much time, I was just hopeful that the show would make the moment of realization one that was worth the wait. I'm happy to say that I wasn't let down. I found it extra sweet and ironic that Evangeline was the one who let the cat out of the bag as she realized that Cristian was about to be shot by the sharpshooters. After calling out his name, Natalie showed disdain and indifference at the man she believed was posing as her dead husband. But when tensions rose and rifles were aimed, Evangeline shouted out "Christian" in such a way that Natalie took a moment to consider the implications of this. Only when Vangie admitted that Cristian is really a Vega and not an imposter did Natalie's face contort and change as the words settled in and she faced a number of different realizations. Looking directly at her husband's face as he yelled her name made Evangeline's confession an absolute reality.
Of course, first and foremost for Natalie will be making sure her husband doesn't die for sure this time. After dealing with the fact that he's alive, she'll have quite the dilemma to contend with. First will be facing why Cristian chose to keep his identity a secret. Then she'll have to square off against her new lover John who has been Cris's partner in crime (at least where his identity is concerned). This secret certainly does impact a number of different characters, and the directions their lives take from this point forward will be quite interesting!
Now on to the other odds and ends that have been on my mind this week...
THUMBS UP!
1. Robin Strasser's meldown with David was brilliant! This Emmy-award-winning actress rarely gets enough meaty material like this to let us see her shine, so I'm glad that she had the opportunity to have such powerful scenes. I had to laugh though at one point during her rant when she said "The entire town of Pennsylvania"---and then realized what she said and said, "You see how upset I am? I meat the entire town of Llanview..." I wonder if that was scripted like that or if Strasser is so good that she kept the cameras rolling and worked through the blunder. It paid off, though, and made sense considering the emotional state Dorian had worked herself into at that time.
2. Love the grand scope that the prison break seems to have on screen. The set that was used must be enormous! I love the dark feel the atmosphere provides and think that it contributes to the tension and the suspense that the prison break has created. Please spare dear Carlo, though! He's not ready to be killed!! He has more trouble to cause.
3. It was nice to see Viki and Todd share a tender scene together. No matter what anyone says about Todd, he has always shared a close relationship with his sister, and she calls him on every bad move he makes (and he allows it to happen!). So it was refreshing to see the two of them have an honest conversation about his guilt or innocence, the decisions that he makes which he believes are the "right ones," and the fact that he kept Jessica's mental health problem a secret from his sister. Todd will always have a place in Viki's heart, and Viki is someone Todd will never intentially hurt.
THUMBS DOWN!
1. Until she returns to the screen full-time, I'm continuing to push for NORA'S RETURN. Nora's absence impacts so many characters, and it's time that Hillary B. Smith's contract negotiations be handled in an expeditious manner so the character can stir the pot between Bo and Paige.
2. I am excited for a return of Niki Smith and a story that involves Tess and Niki on the run together, but I'm not pleased with TV Guide's article by Michael Logan that suggests that this storyline will continue into February and that the revelation of why Tess came to exist won't come until MAY! I hope that the on-the-run story is so juicy and filled with ups and downs that it distracts viewers as to why this is going on for such a long time.
As everyone knows, former Two Scoops columnist, Dawn, has decided to retire from her commentary duties. In the quest to find a replacement for her, the site is going to ask for YOUR help and input to help determine who will share writing duties with me. If you think that you have what it takes to become a Two Scoops columnist, we'd like to hear from you. Please send over a sample column along with a brief introduction message telling us about you and why you'd like to be a columnist. You can send your submissions to Dan at dan@soapcentral.com
Enjoy your week,
Ryan
