If there were a Daytime Emmy category for best cliffhanger, One Life to Live would win it, based on the last few weeks. There have been some terrific cliffhangers lately, as Roger Howarth's character arrived at the movie premiere and announced that he was Todd Manning and that the man everyone thought was Todd wasn't. We also had a good cliffhanger at the end of last week, as the DNA test results that would name the real Todd Manning were about to be revealed. What a week!
After Todd's family members regained their ability to speak, they expressed shock and disbelief at what they saw. Seeing both versions of Todd in the same room at the same time was too much for them, and it was exciting to watch. Blair was most captivated by the original Todd's likeness standing in front of her, and after he kissed her, she looked convinced that he was Todd, even if she won't admit that to Tomas! Téa was deeply conflicted but went home with the person we currently know as Todd. Starr was torn, and Jack wasn't impressed by Roger Howarth's character at all. I guess it's easier for Jack to dismiss the man with Todd's original face, since he didn't remember his father having that face. No one else had that comfort.
I enjoyed Téa, Starr, and Viki individually confronting Roger Howarth's character. He acted just like Todd with every single one of them, but I think his scenes with Starr were the most moving. He acted like a father caring about his daughter and couldn't believe that his little girl now has a child of her own. When he saw the picture of Hope, he was so touched he could barely speak. If he isn't the real Todd, he is doing a great job of faking it! I loved the flashbacks we got to see last week as these confrontations transpired. I remember all of those moments but hadn't seen them in years. I hope we get to see more flashbacks as the story continues to unfold.
Meanwhile, Trevor St. John's Todd assumed everyone would be on his side and wanted to go on with life as usual. Of course, his family (except for Jack) wasn't ready to do that. It was a powerful moment when Téa looked at him, and he angrily flung her arm away from him, once he realized she doubted him. That was something Todd would do, too, so I am not fully convinced that he isn't Todd. I hope this story continues to move forward because it's definitely getting interesting. As I said, the end of Friday's show was great, but I don't put any faith in DNA tests in Llanview, since they are almost never right the first time. This fact won't stop me from watching the test results be revealed, but I will take the "information" with a big, proverbial grain of salt!
I am glad that Nate finally told Dani that he punched Matthew. I didn't expect her to agree to keep it a secret, but I guess young love can be a powerful thing. Funnily enough, Nate's preference of gum turned out to be his downfall. Who knew chewing mango-flavored gum could be incriminating?! Honestly, I think the gum wrapper as a clue was a weak, contrived premise, but it got the story where it needed to go, so I can accept it. Bo was amazingly calm as Nate confessed to punching Matthew, so I am curious to see what he and Nora decide to do about it.
I am relieved that Destiny finally told Dani and Shaun about her pregnancy. It was hard to watch her worry about everything on her own! I liked how we didn't hear Destiny tell Shaun, but we saw the reaction from a distance. That was a powerful way to do it because the emotion was so strong without words. We knew what Destiny was going to say, so we weren't going to learn anything new, but we got to see the overall reaction, and I thought that was a good directing decision.
Destiny hasn't revealed what she has decided to do, but it will be interesting to see how people react. Shaun didn't seem to like any of the options Vivian described, since he was still in shock, while Dani was ready to support Destiny with whatever she chose. Bo and Nora will be shocked, but I can see them being happy that Matthew will live on in the form a grandchild, since Matthew's future is uncertain. I think this has the potential to be a good story, with all of the different people and perspectives that are involved. By the way, I think Shaun and Vivian make a great couple. Vivian was great with helping Shaun accept Destiny's pregnancy and support Destiny. I hope we get to see them more often. Llanview needs all of the stable couples it can get!
Clint is ready to face the consequences of his actions and was even put in jail. How the mighty have fallen! However, I doubt that Clint will actually be punished for the things he has done; people in Llanview have a way of getting away with their crimes, and I am sure Clint will too. It looks like being close to death and getting a heart transplant has changed him, though. He isn't scheming or trying to get out of anything; he has admitted has done bad things and wants to make them right. He was willing to continue to accept guilt for killing Eddie Ford, even as Nora announced she was dropping the murder charge. Most surprising of all, he is even showing concern for Rex!
Everyone in Rex's life should be concerned, since he seems to be losing his mind. I am glad he didn't shoot anyone at the movie premiere. I can't see Rex killing anyone in cold blood and couldn't have accepted it if he had. He is so wrapped up in his grief that he isn't thinking clearly. Now, he is seeing images of Gigi and believing that she isn't actually dead. I am glad that Echo is there for him, but he needs more help than that. I don't know if we are headed for another "Heaven can wait" story or if Rex is just hallucinating, but it's sad to watch him unravel. I hope Rex doesn't end up in St. Ann's. Shane has been through way too much already; I don't want to him to lose his father too!
It looks like Cristian's days in Llanview are numbered, since Soap Central has reported that David Fumero has already taped his final scenes. His early departure isn't surprising. His character hasn't had anything significant to do since Layla left Llanview. He had some interesting scenes with Rama, but that was short-lived, and now, there isn't much of a purpose for him in Llanview. His family and friends have left Llanview, and he is randomly inserted into scenes for little reason. It's sad to see a longtime character fade out like this, but I am sure we will see David Fumero in other projects in the future. He did a great job on this show and made the role of Cristian his own over the years. I wish him well!
Finally, I am tired of seeing commercials for ABC's new daytime show-that-shall-not-be-named during One Life to Live. It's insulting to see this show be heavily promoted as All My Children and One Life to Live are coming to an end. I can't imagine that fans of either soap are eager to watch this show, and I don't like the constant reminders of it! I wish ABC had promoted All My Children and One Life to Live this much. I guess this is to be expected, though, and we will have to continue participating in campaigns to save our soaps and wait for more information on Prospect Park's plans to keep the soaps alive.
Until next time,
Dawn
