It was a slow week in Llanview. After months of fast-paced storytelling, I found myself wanting to use the fast forward button through some of last week's episodes. Once Ron Carlivati's material starts airing again, I think the show will move faster, but that day can't arrive soon enough! The show is still better than it was a year ago, but I want to see what happens with the stories that Carlivati started building before the writers' strike. Charlie and Viki's story has hardly progressed at all, it's easy to forget that Dorian is Langston's foster mother, very little has happened with Clint and Nora's relationship, and I felt like we saw the teens too much last week. However, there were some things that happened that did hold my interest.
First of all, Layla became my hero last week. I rarely have a strong opinion about her one way or the other, but she did something that made me very happy. She made sure Adriana went to Paris. Adriana has gone from being a boring character to being an annoying one. She made Rex a dull character, and watching her whine about how Rex doesn't give her all of his attention is tiresome. When she complained that Rex was paying attention to Shane instead of her, I couldn't handle it. It's true that she suspects Shane is Rex's son (as do I), but it's not like Shane would take Adriana's place in Rex's life. Rex has practically made Adriana his world, so Adriana's insecurity here is ridiculous. Fortunately, Layla talked some sense into her and pointed out that she has to trust Rex if she is going to marry him. Then she dragged her to the airport without hesitation. Everyone needs a friend like that who will tell you how things are and what you need to do, and Layla fills that role well for Adriana! When Adriana returns, maybe she will be more tolerable, but I need the break from this character, and I hope she doesn't hurry back too soon!
I also like the direction that Rex is being taken. He is searching for his father and his bonding with the boy that is presumably his son. Rex didn't have much of a family while he was growing up, and now he is discovering what it's like to have a father (even if Charlie isn't his father), and potentially a son (even though he doesn't know that Shane is his son). Rex has is on a new journey, and he isn't letting anyone get in the way of it, including Adriana. He called her out on her jealousy and pointed out that she has to trust him. It was great to see him take a stand with her, since we've seen him do whatever she has wanted for months I like seeing him interact with Viki, Charlie, Gigi, and Shane. They are forming their own little family, and this gives Rex the opportunity to have a real story. Running Ultraviolet and doting all over Adriana isn't a real story, so I am glad the writers have given Rex more dimension! This story also affects his relationship with Roxy, a character that hasn't had a true story in years. We know she's keeping a secret, and it's only a matter of time before we find out what it is. The thing I like most about this story is that it includes so many characters we already know. We aren't being bombarded with "newbies." Connecting people by making them a family makes the show more cohesive.
Speaking of families, I enjoyed watching the Buchanans attempt to solve their business crisis at Buchanan Enterprises. They don't all have business experience, so being put in the position to save the company forces them to work well together. It seemed like they were making it up as they went along, and thanks to Nora, they found a way to solve the problem. We haven't seen the "fallout" of Asa's death until just recently. Bo lost his job because Asa wasn't around to protect him, and now Asa's enemies are after his company. His family is determined to overcome this crisis, and it is wonderful that Bo is a part of it. He had strong feelings about not wanting to work at BE, especially since he has unresolved issues with Asa, but he put that aside to help his family. I find it interesting that Clint is taking on a new persona through all of this. There were a couple of moments where he acted more like Asa than himself. He is determined to go after the company's enemies with full force and doesn't want to hear anyone else's opinion on the matter. Clint has been a docile person since returning to Llanview, with the exception of pointing a rifle at David, so it was surprising to see him take such a strong stance at Buchanan Enterprises. It looks like Clint could be the person to take charge of the company, and from what we saw last week, which might complicate his relationship with Nora. She was caught off guard by his anger and desire for revenge. Can she stay with Clint if he turns into a business tycoon? I'm not so sure. However, I am glad she was included in this story. While I find it hard to believe that Buchanan Enterprises would only have one, unreachable lawyer, it seemed right that she was asked to help. She is an honorary Buchanan in many ways, and the Buchanans know they can trust her. It will be interesting to see who is really attacking the company. Is it Virgil Webster, or is it someone we know like Carlo Hesser or Alex Olanov, or even Dorian? The possibilities are endless, and if we know the "enemy," the more interesting this story will be. The best thing about this story so far is that it has been focused on the Buchanan family dynamic instead of the actual business crisis. As long as it stays that way, I think this has the potential to be a great story for the Buchanan family!
Meanwhile, Todd made the executive decision to pack up his family and move to Hawaii. He is afraid of Lee Ramsey and thinks the only way to escape trouble is to move thousands of miles away. I was stunned when Blair hardly had a reaction to Todd's announcement. She usually isn't shy about stating her opinion on matters, so I was expecting more of a fight from her. I don't know why Todd can't explain his reasoning behind this decision. If he told Blair and Starr he wanted them to move so they would be safe, it would make more sense. Putting on a Hawaiian shirt and being rather flippant about the move doesn't make sense. I liked how Dorian confronted Todd about the situation. She knew he had a better reason for wanting to move, and I wish Todd would have told her. Todd and Dorian might dislike each other, but they can be good allies when they want to be. It would be great if they teamed up to bring down Lee Ramsey. I love it when people who can't stand each other have to join forces on soap operas, and this would be a golden opportunity! It doesn't look like that avenue will be explored, but I thought their scenes were well done on Friday. Todd also had to answer to Viki about moving to Hawaii. She is the perfect person to deal with Todd in most situations, and I think this will be no different. In the first minute of their conversation, Viki was able to pinpoint the emotion behind Todd's decision: fear. Viki might be able to get the truth out of Todd, and I hope she does. Viki is very influential in Llanview, after all! We know the Mannings aren't leaving the show, so it will be interesting to see why they end up staying in Llanview.
Finally, I thought Antonio did a great job of putting Jessica in her place when he was interrogating her. While I find it highly unlikely that Antonio would be allowed to question his ex-wife, her certainly let her know where she stands with him. Jessica thinks the world revolves around her and that she can do no wrong. However, Antonio let her know that she isn't off the hook for cheating on him with Nash. She thought she could get out of trouble by asking Antonio about Jamie and Talia, but Antonio wouldn't let her do it. It's only a matter of time before people discover that Jessica helped Allison escape from St. Anne's, even with the altered sketches that Antonio and John saw. When Jessica does get caught, maybe she'll finally realize she has been acting stupid! That might happen soon, since Allison opened her eyes widely as Nash was standing over her. That was a classic, soapy moment. Nash's reaction was priceless, and Allison's face said one thing: Busted! While Allison's waking up might be a false alarm, it was a great way to end an episode!
Until next time,
Dawn
