It was a big week of comings and goings in Llanview, as Markko and Cole said goodbye, Téa returned to her life in a big way, Layla and Adriana appeared in Paris, and Eddie Ford arrived to "bond" with his sons. The show is in a period of transition right now, and while I think there are good things ahead, there are some things that can't end soon enough!
I am glad that Cole did the right thing and turned himself in, despite Starr's pleas to go on the run. He also did a mature thing by breaking up with her and telling her to move on with her life. It wouldn't be fair to expect her to wait for 10 years for him to be released from prison. I doubt Cole will really be gone that long, but Cole's intent was right for the situation.
I think both Kristen Alderson and Brandon Buddy did phenomenal work in their final scenes together. Their goodbye was very emotional and moving, and the montage was a nice touch. I've never been a big fan of this pairing, especially since it seemed like the writers tried to make Starr and Cole into a bigger deal than they really were. However, it was still sad to see them split up after going through so much.
As expected, James was there to console Starr. I know some people feel that he was taking advantage of the situation, but I don't believe that. He seemed genuinely concerned for her and even rebuffed her advances. However, I am sure that Starr and James will become a couple in the near future. It would be nice if they didn't become a couple right away, but somehow, I don't see that happening.
Meanwhile, Markko said goodbye to his friends once again. I am sorry to see Jason Tam leave, but Markko really wouldn't have anything to do in Llanview, since I don't see him ever reuniting with Langston and since Cole will be in prison. I am sure the actor will do well with other projects, and I am glad Markko got a good exit.
Téa proved that she is a resilient person last week, as she returned to Llanview ready to pick up where she left off. She was ready to defend Cole, despite all of the emotional and physical trauma she endured. She might not have won, but she proved that she is back and ready to fight for what she thinks is right. Llanview wasn't the same without Téa's fire and energy.
Todd and Téa's party was interesting. Only in Llanview would several people attend a party hosted by someone they despise. They might like Téa and be happy she is alive, but most of the people in that room wouldn't want to be in the same room with Todd under normal circumstances. I guess there aren't many "I came back from the dead" parties, though, so I can understand people wanting to witness it! Dani's song for Téa was a nice tribute, and Kelly Missal has a good voice!
One of the things I didn't like about Todd and Téa's party was the confrontation between Marty, John, and Natalie. I like seeing the darker, meaner side of Marty, but her scenes with John and Natalie did nothing but prolong an already drawn-out story. Marty could have easily blurted out "It was a paternity test!" while John was trying to calm her down, but she listened to every word and left. Marty has a long way to go if she truly wants to seek revenge on Natalie.
On the other hand, Natalie isn't doing anything to stop Marty from seeking revenge on her. She has had several opportunities to tell John the truth, and she's chosen to continue lying instead every single time. If she told John the truth herself, Marty wouldn't have any power over her. It wouldn't matter that Marty saw Natalie's medical records or started figuring things out. Natalie doesn't seem to be thinking at all these days, and while she hasn't always made the best decisions, her behavior is incomprehensible. I've never been a fan of John and Natalie as a couple, but I imagine that fans must be reeling over this story. I hope John learns the truth soon. I can't handle watching this for much longer!
I hope Brody tells Jessica the truth soon too. Jessica told Brody the truth and has taken control of her situation. I don't know how Brody can live with himself, as Jessica continues to worry about their future because of Robert Ford, while Brody continues to keep quiet about Natalie. At this point, Brody and Natalie deserve each other and nobody else!
I don't care how many times Rex and Kelly see each other naked; I still don't see any chemistry between them. They make good friends, but I don't see anything beyond that. Even after their kiss, I still don't see why they should become a couple. I hope this is just an innocent flirtation and that nothing will come from it. I am optimistic that this will happen, since Kelly has Joey Buchanan on her mind.
I also don't see the appeal of Cristian and Gigi as a couple. Their scenes together in Paris were frivolous and contrived. Cristian and Layla might be growing apart, but that doesn't mean Cristian should be forced into another couple with the next available character. It seems like the writers don't know what to do with Cristian or Gigi these days, so they tried putting them together to solve the problem. That eventually worked for Cristian and Layla, but I don't see the same thing happening in this situation.
It was fun to see Adriana push Gigi's buttons, though. She couldn't wait to tell Gigi that Rex had been confiding in her about his relationship with Gigi. I can't really blame her, since Gigi interfered with Adriana's relationship with Rex, but I still don't like Adriana. Seeing her once in a while with her smug attitude is okay, but I couldn't handle that on a regular basis!
Eddie Ford paid James and Robert a visit last week and appears to be a loose cannon, as expected. I think it will be interesting to see what happens while he is in Llanview, but I suspect he will be killed at some point. A character like Eddie can't really be redeemed, and Inez and the Ford brothers seem to despise him enough (and with good reason) that one of them killing him isn't out of the question. Inez has been a boring character since she arrived in Llanview, but seeing Eddie seemed to bring out a slight edge in her that hasn't been seen before. I'm not sure that even this can make her more interesting, but I guess almost anything is worth a try!
Speaking of Inez, I don't like that she continues to be the subject of most of Bo and Nora's conversations. As I said, she's not that interesting! I can't stand that Nora is getting jealous over Inez and her interactions with Bo. It doesn't help that Inez is always around and likes confiding in Bo about everything. Bo and Nora are better than stories like this. It doesn't get more cliché than to have a wife be jealous and/or suspicious of her husband's assistant. I hope Inez doesn't become a serious issue between them. I am sure that Bo and Nora didn't reunite after a decade apart to have a character like Inez become an issue!
Finally, I still think that Echo's story is the best thing on this show right now. It has been great to see Viki, Clint, and Charlie have a story of their own that doesn't revolve around helping their children. However, I have a bad feeling that Echo is going to lie and say that Charlie is Rex's father because she prefers him over Clint. I have no desire to see Charlie and Rex as father and son again when they aren't. The identity of Rex's biological parents has been changed too many times to have another lie be told. I would love for Echo to tell Rex that Clint is his father despite Clint's threats. With Viki and Bo both knowing the truth, it would be harder for Clint to throw Rex in jail like he did with David. Echo calling Clint's bluff would be much better than watching Rex be told yet another lie about his parents.
Until next time,
Dawn
![B&B's Thorsten Kaye on his Daytime Emmy nomination: You always try to do your best [INTERVIEW]](/bold-and-beautiful/news/2023/0513-interview-the-bold-and-the-beautifuls-thorsten-kaye-on-emmy-nominations-the-fans-and-stolen-shoes_sm.jpg "B&B's Thorsten Kaye on his Daytime Emmy nomination: You always try to do your best [INTERVIEW]")
