Will Pam and Stephanie have time to work out all of the complicated emotional issues that they have with their mother, or will they brush them aside to enjoy her company in her final days?
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Has your week been boldand beautiful? Did you get implanted with an embryo? Did you join the Mile High Club? Did your mother come to visit and turn your life upside-down? These and more situations faced the Forresters this week in L.A.!
Hello, all -- I'm Adam-Michael James (just call me Mike!), and this is my dbut column for Soap Central. If you like me, I stay; if you don't like me, I go! Either way, I'm happy to be opinionizing about a show I've been following since 1988. Quickly, I'm a writer (2 books and a musical -- see the web sites below for more!), and I also did lots of extra work -- including a 2-episode stint on B&B back in '98.
Anyone remember when Rick, Amber, and CJ (where's CJ? I miss CJ! He and Clarke should've continued Spectra!) did The Beatles' "Baby You Can Drive My Car" at Insomnia, right before the big accident where Amber gave Rick her kidney? Those were my eps! I've got a few more B&B encounters to share; if you keep me around, I'll tell you about 'em in coming weeks. But enough of that -- we've got some Scoopin' to do!
What a week to dig back into B&B! After the many cartoonish directions of recent years, the show has really returned to form, even if we started lightly with Katie and Bill's wedding reception. It was mostly a charming affair, with lesser story points fortunately not lingered on for too long. Of course Eric's still bummed about Forrester Creations: A Division of Spencer Publications, and they're still trying to create an Eric/Donna/Justin triangle, although it was interesting that Justin tried to get Eric to be supportive of Donna hosting The Catwalk . Speaking of which, it seemed like Stephanie was actually trying to help Donna by pointing out how much her job is hurting Eric, which doesn't hurt as much as that Catdance -- yowch!
Donna wasn't wrong when she pointed out how unprofessional Pam was. And Stephanie was right when she said Donna shouldn't be hosting the show, at least not under these circumstances. Never mind that she's completely unqualified to be a talk show host, especially when she's not as familiar with the fashion industry as, say, Brooke (now wouldn't it have been a kick to put Brooke in that chair instead?). But it does seem a bit insensitive of Donna, considering. If it had been a talk show not affiliated with Spencer, then Eric wouldn't have as much of a beef. But then there wouldn't be a reason for Donna to take another look at Justin, would there?
As for the newlywed Spencers, what's next after Vince Guaraldi-esque video montages and experiencing (ahem) turbulence on route to their honeymoon rendezvous? Is Bill really as sincere as he seems? And will a big deal be made of Bill's missing necklace? Where could it be? And will it have something to do with that one tiny kiss with Steffy, who really needs to be packed off to Forrester International pronto? It's certainly nothing against her portrayer, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, but this character has been a misfire from the beginning -- I don't think they're quite sure what to do with Steffy, and she grates every time she's on the screen. It only makes her look bad to have her chasing after Owen one week and Bill the next -- okay, so she's got good taste.
Have you all noticed that all of Brooke's relatives have been recast? I've been watching some old late-80s/early-90s B&B on YouTube lately, so maybe it's just jarring to me because of it. With all the emphasis they're putting on the Logans' history in "the Valley" these days, somehow it feels like it would resonate more if we were seeing the original actors. I think Patrick Duffy and Robin Riker are doing fine jobs as Stephen and Beth, but...well, they're not Stephen and Beth.
Also, they really seem to be pushing the fact that Katie's such a loner, the outcast Logan sister. Refresh my memory, anyone, but I don't recall Katie being quite so isolated, do you? Even if that were the case, the way they're repeating it so many times, it feels like Katie's rubbing it in Brooke and Donna's faces, as if she's being hurtful -- and I don't think that's the intention. Lastly, is it just me, or wouldn't it have been nice if Beth had catered the reception, just for old times' sake? I realize it's an old time she may not remember due to her unfortunately advancing Alzheimer's, but still,that would have been a neat touch.
It's good to see other couples solidifying -- Bridget and Nick, Ridge and Brooke. It's becoming easier to forget they've all been broken up and remarried more times than we can count. Let's hope the writers realize that couples can have strong storylines that actually involve staying together! As for odd couples, what was up with Rick and Marcus' suddenly friendly exchange at the reception? Rick has not redeemed himself for his treachery this year in my eyes, and "Hey, Rick, how's it going?" is not what you'd expect Marcus to say to the man who stole his girl out from under him and shipped him off to Paris, even with that storyline resolved. Maybe his memory is gone along with Katie's heart scar! But I digress.
Check out Whip and Cousin Agnes! Who knew they'd be relatives and not the typical former lovers? Whip finally gets a storyline -- although, did anyone else find it odd that Whip would just sneak into Sandy's room like that? He really had no business being there in the first place, so to just duck into a stranger's room, even out of sheer curiosity, is just this side of implausible. While it did seem they introduced and explored Whip's connection to Sandy at lightning speed, how fascinating was it that he covered for Sandy when the Knights barged in? And Jackie's so excited about her son having a baby that you'd think she wouldn't have fussed so over having her own -- don't you think Owen would be just a little hurt by that?
Since the surrogacy story has started off unconventionally with us knowing from the get-go that Sandy isn't what she seems, it's all the more intriguing to see where it will go. What happened to Sandy that she'd change her name -- and want to "do something good" by carrying Nick and Bridget's baby? Is it a coincidence that Sandy and Bridget look so much alike? Since Owen's the one who found Andrea (Sandy's surrogacy "agent," or whatever you'd call her), will he be blamed when the truth about Sandy comes out? Not that Nick and Bridget shouldn't have checked out Andrea and Sandy more thoroughly (or at all!).
If I were Nick, I'd be more alarmed at Sandy's lack of enthusiasm than the fact she pulled her hand away. And would the Marones really be allowed in the room while Sandy was being implanted? Nick, at least, should have been booted to the hallway instead of being allowed to peek from behind a curtain. Eww! Hang a sign on Sandy's cervix that says, "Privacy, Please!" Looking forward to Whip's continuing involvement in this storyline.
Of course, this week's motherhood theme wouldn't be complete without Mama Douglas coming to town. I'd been thinking when Pam went crazy on The Catwalk that Ann should send Pam to bed without dessert, but I had no idea that Ann would show up -- much less drop the bomb that she's dying! Like many of you, I grew up on Betty White's goofy Mary Tyler Moore and Golden Girls characters (okay, and Password!), so I was surprised in '06 when she turned out to be such a dramatic powerhouse, and it makes it all the more sad that she won't be on B&B's canvas much longer.
In a couple short episodes Pam stopped being zany and reverted back to who she was when we first met her, and I love how Stephanie transforms when Ann is around. As Brooke rightly pointed out -- and it's a great use of history -- Ann's failure to protect Stephanie from her father's abuse is the reason Stephanie is so overprotective and controlling. Eric describing Stephanie's childhood to Donna wasn't at all expositional (not like some of the other filler scenes that day), and they even managed some comedy, with Ann asking for medical marijuana and telling Pam "this is my moment, not yours." Shame on Ann, though, for dumping her pills into the Pacific Ocean without a second thought -- that wasn't very environmentally sound, now, was it?
But WOW, was the drama compelling. Ann's attack was very suspenseful, and the dilemma Stephanie and Pam are now in is good soap -- even with Ann not wanting to be hospitalized, how could Pam help calling an ambulance? How could Stephanie not be more sympathetic to Pam's plight? And now, how far will the Douglas sisters go to hono r their mother's wishes? I wouldn't be surprised if they try to sneak her out of the hospital. It's a meaty, substantial storyline, and a relief from the usual romantic triangles and other hijinks that have dominated B&B of late -- even if Taylor is a shrink and can't prescribe cancer meds; I don't care if she was Caroline's oncologist all those years ago!
Those are my thoughts -- and of course, they're only mine. I leave you with two other thoughts:
Best Line of the Week: Owen: "Do they make cards for embryo transfers?"
Worst Line:Steffy: "I know they don't have vegetarians in Chicago!" (Slap her-- somebody slap her!)
November sweeps aren't over yet, so stay alert and be BOLD! Thanks for giving me this chance to Scoop! "Beep beep, beep beep, yeah!"
Mike (Adam-Michael James)
