We all know it is, but really, was it a good idea for a judge to say that during a custody hearing in front of impressionable teens? What about teaching them that justice prevails? That those who wield power are compassionate, understanding and have the child's best welfare at heart?
Hi everyone, this is Liz again, filling in for my friend Dawn. She'll back in a couple of weeks with another one of her wonderful columns.
The judge, who presided over Langston's custody hearing, was hard to watch. His callous attitude made me cringe at times. I am thoroughly convinced that Clint somehow managed to get to him. There really is no other explanation for why a judge would grant custody of a minor to a recently released convict who's murder conviction was suddenly overturned in a country where corruption runs rampant.
I understand that this is all a plot device designed to push Dorian into a corner while showing us the lengths to which Clint is willing to go to in order to get Buchanan Enterprises back. However, I'm not digging what they are doing to the characters. Clint has become a loathsome creature who has stooped to a level I never thought him capable of. It's quite sad to see.
Then there is Nora. I love, love, love Nora to death but recently, I've had the urge to reach through my TV and slap Nora silly. She has turned into a Stepford girlfriend, who constantly gives Clint a free pass on stuff she would have left any other man for. Who is this person and how can she not see how little Clint has grown to respect her?
And it's obvious that Clint has absolutely no respect for Nora. That was made painfully clear when Clint made the jaw-dropping decision to move Dallas into Nora's home! Of course, shameless little hussy that she is, Dallas accepted. Did anyone call Nora to check to see if she would mind? Um, no.
But then again, why should they? Nora has shown that she is willing to put up with pretty much anything that Clint does. I used to like these two, but not so much these days. At this point, I won't be satisfied with anything less than Nora kicking Clint to the curb. And his little Dallas too! And then, for good measure, reuniting with Bo and living happily ever after. Okay, I admit it, that was a shameless plea for one of my all-time favorite soap pairings.
Sometimes, life really is unfair.
Just ask Shane. Regardless what happens to Brody, Shane is going to lose the man he worshiped as a father. Worse, not only is he going to learn that Brody is not his father but he's also going to discover that everything he had believed about Brody, as a man and a soldier, was a lie. That's a devastating blow and it cuts deep. Sure he's going to gain Rex as a dad but that's not going to help in the short-term. At least not if the writers plan on doing this storyline any justice.
Speaking of the writers, what's with the lack of Tina and Roxy scenes? I loved their rapport and chemistry a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting for them to bump into each other again! Come on, if we are forced to watch a redux of Viki holding Dorian in a secret room, then at least give us Tina and Roxy.
I have to admit, I've been avoiding spoilers because I'm hoping that it would make watching this storyline more interesting. The problem isn't Tessica (Tess/Jessica) or Natalie. I find that both Bree and Melissa are giving riveting performances. The problem is Jared. I just don't like the character and I hate that he's become the focal point of this storyline. Natalie is praying that Jared remains steadfast and true, despite the fact that he's always shown he's anything but, while Tess is counting on Jared being... well, Jared.
I really don't care about Jared's role in all of this because I don't like him. I'd much rather see the Tessica/Natalie angle explored. Unfortunately, I just don't feel that's where the writers are headed at the moment. It seems to be all about Jared and that's making me lose interest.
What I'm not losing interest in is the creepiness of Todd and Marty's storyline. At first I was completely repulsed by the idea of Marty falling in love with her rapist. I didn't buy it when they did it with Luke and Laura on General Hospital and I couldn't imagine buying it with Marty and Todd. Watching it unfold was almost like watching Todd rape Marty over and over again but then the unthinkable happened. Susan Haskell sold me on it. Suddenly, I could understand how Marty ended up falling in love with Todd. From her perspective Todd is like Heathcliff, a misunderstood man with a tortured soul.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like Todd or what he's doing but I do understand how we got here and it's convincing. That doesn't mean I want it to continue once Marty regains her memory because I don't. Ultimately, I want the pay off to be Marty rejecting Todd. He doesn't deserve to win her heart.
Before I sign off, I'd like to mention two outstanding performances this week. The first were Robin Strasser's scenes following the judge's verdict. She completely knocked it out of the ballpark and for the first time in a very long time, made me feel compassion for her character. Dorian losing Langston was powerful and when the Dankies roll around, I intend to nominate the scene when she knocked the table over as the most memorable moment.
The other performance that blew me away was by Mark Lawson (Brody Lovett). Each scene pulled me in starting with that shower scene where Brody broke down. After I picked my tongue up off the floor and moped up the drool, I found myself mesmerized each time he was on the screen. Mark played those scenes to perfection and I could see Brody completely unraveling before my eyes.
Until next time, take care dear readers.
Liz Masters is a freelance writer who occasionally submits news stories for Soap Central. She is filling in for Dawn this week.
