It appears there are a lot of swimming the wrong direction, backstroking, and barely staying afloat going on in Pine Valley of late. As much as we wanted this baby-switching storyline resolved, are we ready for the next chapter? We are now led to believe in the same 24 hours, Babe gets Bess back, runs off to her chapel to pray, and gets lost only to end up in Llanview. She walks into a trendy restaurant to meet Kevin Buchanan, a very prominent citizen, who is with his baby son, Ace. As we all know, this is really Babe's long-lost son and within a short period, she knows it too.
GIVE ME A BREAK.....this is really offensive and upsetting to me as a long time viewer. It is not believable, it is not fair, and it is not fun to watch. Why should Babe come to town married to JR (but legally married to Paul), sleep with his half-brother (again in a short period), move her hillbilly mother into the Chandler Mansion, get pregnant and befriend Bianca (also pregnant), deliver Bianca's baby and later mothers her friend's baby because of the twist of fate, and then find out Bess is actually Miranda (but decides to keep that info from her best friend) and David is her biological father??? I just don't think it is fair to have Bianca suffer as she has and let Babe come out smelling like a rose. There should be a period of suffering herself, attachment anxiety, dealing with her divorce, having to work for a living and get an apartment, handle the consequences of her actions and possibly Bianca and JR's anger/detachment. It is almost like she doesn't lose. She has Krystal, David, and Jamie as her supportive champions and will still have a ready-made family when she is reunited with her son. If this follows true to form, Jamie will be the father, and they can all live happily ever after like in the fairy tale she told Bess in the nursery. Who are they kidding?
Mary's choice for Fan Spotlight of the Week comes from Jadar who shares, "AARGH, if I have to listen to Tad go on anymore about how wonderful Krystal is, I'm going to scream!!!! I don't like this relationship at all, Tad has too much class for her, and the comment about Paul Kramer to Babe that yeah he's sleazy but stealing a baby....HELLO. Did they forget this what they are doing? I also don't buy all the "instant" relationships: Babe and Bianca have a conversation about being pregnant and bang...best friends; Ryan and Greenlee are best friends when he returns to town; David totally on board as Daddy, shouldn't that relationship take time to build?" Exactly, Jadar.........the instant relationships are hard to swallow. They had Jack and Greenlee bond pretty quickly also. The hardest has been when Bianca had best friends in Lena and Maggie and yet Babe becomes her best bud because they are both carrying a child and have the JR connection. Father and son falling for mother and daughter is a bit out of character due to their differences, but who else would have been as forgiving and compassionate? A true Martin trait.
Meanwhile, Ryan is fighting for his life as others around him are fighting with one another. There are a lot of accusations and theories but by week's end we find that Kendall's gun truly did only hold blanks and there is an unknown assassin. A high-powered rifle did it. Naturally, all fingers point to Ethan Ramsey, new guy in town, vying for the Cambias name and millions, AND a prior marksman. We all know things are never like they appear and are sure there is someone else responsible. My theory (and many others who wrote in) is that Jonathan is the culprit. It is hard to fathom a brother, no matter what the history, would want to ever do that to his own flesh and blood. Yet, Jonathan is suppressing a lot of anger and mixed emotions over their abusive childhood. It looks like he flashed back on when his brother actually took a lot of the blows for the siblings; maybe he had blocked that out. He was mysteriously missing when the shooting happened during the fundraiser AND when Greenlee asked him to stay with Ryan at the hospital, he was not present when Kendall appeared a few minutes later. Naturally, Ryan was able to open his eyes for Kendall but I don't think he will be happy to see her. It was a very heartwarming scene when she revealed her true feelings and sincere apologies. I think this could be the humbling experience she needed to bring her back to reality and let go/go on without Ryan if necessary. I received a lot of good theories regarding Jonathan, Zach/Ethan, and Michael. Joey feels that Michael could still be alive as they removed his body and put him in a landfill and later showed his hand coming out. The scenes this past week, I assume, were of Michael as a dream.....devil or angel? Poor Zach is being hit on all sides as he deals with his guilt over his brother's demise, the possibility of Ethan being his son, Maria choosing Edmund over him, and the backlash to his GAME. It was good to see William DeVry again; I truly enjoyed his acting, just hard to deal with his character. Still was dead or alive. The cockiness, denials, and body language automatically became annoying all over again. He looks great with his new hair color though. I was excited to see most of the guys finally shaved this past week, as that 5 o'clock shadow was never my favorite. The worst is John Callahan in a beard, GRRRRRRRRR. I can only hope there is a theatrical play he is in or some other good reason for him to keep such unattractive facial hair on his handsome face!!! Doesn't the actor portraying Ethan remind you a bit of Hugh Grant? Suave, English accent, always dressed well.....not as sexy/handsome but has a certain presence.
JR must feel like he is living in Hell as he has to deal with everyone still residing under his father's roof. The Chandler Mansion has become comical with all the different "orphans" living there and others being able to come and go (ex: David, Paul, Jamie, Liza) like they belong. Another bizarre storyline is Adam being shipped off in a crate. I do believe Adam deserved to be zapped a bit, but that is beyond believable. Adam in a box, JR in a straitjacket, but Krystal and Babe are allowed to run the roost and keep their own secrets. Exhausting at best. I am glad Dixie isn't around to witness all this craziness with her loved ones.
Tad has decided he loves Krystal and wants her to be his wife. He was ready to elope that moment. Krystal, of course, can't commit to Thaddeus until she deals with the mystery of Ace's parentage and asks him to be patient. Jamie is playing amateur sleuth and finding out what his "babe" is up to. Aidan and Anita are bonding over their love for Maria and her welfare. Maggie and Jonathan are attracted to each other and share an awkward moment when Bianca walks in on them making out on the sofa. Ryan will recover and start up where he left off. There will be searches and confirmations of lost sons (Ace and Ethan). Hopefully, there will be some happiness and changes overall. Stay Tuned!!!
I will not be back on board in two weeks, as Mary will cover for me once again. My daughters and I will have some out-of-state company and want to get over to the BEACH in CA for a few days. Other family members and old friends to see. I have been a very busy beaver with my crazy schedule but the good news I have been screaming from the rooftop, in case you couldn't hear me from Las Vegas to your home, is that I am finally going to be a GRANDMA. My oldest daughter who married in May 2003 is due to have a baby in May 2005. Needless-to-say, I am ever so happy to have a new member added to our family and be called "Grammy." Also, my other daughter also found the love of her life and will be marrying him in March or April 2005. A wedding (gaining another great son-in-law) and a grandbaby in a short period complete my life. I also found my nephew's wife is expecting their first child in May also, making me a GREAT AUNT. The cycle of life with family and friends never ceases to amaze me and is such a blessing!!! I am sure you all feel the same way......back to you in 4 weeks AMC fans. Thanks for all the rants and theories, feel free to share your thoughts on OUR FAVORITE SHOW anytime.
Suellen
