As the World Turns just celebrated its 50th year on television and as I watched the new episodes after the special ones - it looks like the show is as strong as ever.

Special Episode #2
I loved it! It was the perfect mix of the ladies of Oakdale: Nancy, Lisa, Kim, Susan, Lucinda, Emma and of course, Barbara. Why wasn't Margo invited? They all had histories together both good and bad; it was so much fun to see clips from the past. Only Barbara would keep the fact that she had food then almost get attacked by a bear. The icing on the cake was the realization that all of the women except Nancy had been romantically involved with Dr. John Dixon - such a great way to tie in history. John is missed so much and if they could get him back; it would be great.

This episode just proved that these women need to seen on a more regular basis with real storylines - they are just as vital as they ever were and the best that Oakdale has. I must admit as much as I enjoyed this episode that I enjoyed the 30th anniversary show better; remember, it was the one where Nancy and Chris celebrated their anniversary and so many faces from the past showed up like Penny and Donald Hughes, Ellen Stewart and the Hughes children. I know this was about the ladies of Oakdale but why wasn't Dr. Bob used more than just his voice - though he was in quite a few of the clips. Emily/Paul/Meg
What a psycho Emily is becoming. She is losing all of the marbles that she had left - she kidnaps Dusty, blackmails Henry into helping her and marries the man who left her at the altar. All of her actions are about getting Paul back and I can't wait to see what she does next. Prior to her getting involved with Paul again, Emily was definitely underused as Hal's housewife. She just seems to be in this zone with Paul that makes her feel that all will be fine once they are together.

They have a huge obstacle - Meg. Paul and Meg certainly have feelings for one another and it is crystal clear every time that they are in the same room. What is Emily going to do when she finds out that Dusty has escaped and that Paul does not want her anymore? Will Meg's daydream come true and Emily does kill the both of them? They need to remember that this woman likes to use a gun. The Kids
This is starting to shape up to an interesting quadrangle: Casey is nice to Gwen; Maddie is tutoring Will; Lisa gives Gwen a job working with Casey - thanks to Barbara; and Maddie senses problems with Gwen and Casey being friendly. Casey and Gwen do have some unfinished business; there was something about each other that drew them together the first time. We all have to remember that Will is not too stable so what will he do if he senses Casey and Gwen getting too friendly.

I like that Maddie keeps her eyes open and asks the right questions. She is so much older than her years. I like her with Casey and I like Will with Gwen. I think the parents are right by letting Gwen and Will just be because if they are given the freedom they will each get closer or fall apart on their own. Mike is Back
It is nice to have the stable force back in Oakdale to keep Katie grounded and his cousin, Nick out of trouble. Now Katie and Mike can get married as they want - NO! Now this new book that is starting to breeze its way into town, Oakdale Confidential and Mike is not too happy. What kind of dirt does it contain about the citizens of Oakdale? I have my copy and I will start to read it this week while I take a few days off. In addition, the news that Paul Leyden is returning as Simon will not be good news for them. Let's just hope this time the story is more interesting than the last time that Simon was there with that awful Pilar character. Jack and Carly
It's obvious that Jack and Carly love each other; however they are at their best when they are finding their way back to each other. The scenes between them have been phenomenal as Carly has begged Jack to forgive her once again. She should have known what her scheming does to the upstanding G-man. I could not believe that JJ is seen only to find out that his new family is falling apart. It is great for him as this displaced kid to think that this is his fault.

How can Hal be so superior to think that he can raise Parker better than Carly? Carly is a good mother. Hal, on the other hand, is not the poster guy for Father of the Year. Carly was right when she brought up Will's problems. Carly might want to take her chances in court because she could probably win against him with the right witnesses. Jade
Is Jade coming on Holden by opening the door in her underwear? This con artist is realizing that since Like is gay that the only way to stay in Oakdale is to cozy up to Holden.

Finally, this week proved that ATWT is still a great show to watch. That's one of the reasons that I will be attending their fan club gathering on April 22; I thought that this year with the celebrating of the big anniversary, this would be a can't miss event.

That's all I have for now.
Reggie Jackson