Crazy love

Due to the departure of one of our columnists, there was not a new column this week. Instead, please enjoy a look back at what was happening in Salem during the week of January 23, 2006.

Miss Billie, what exactly do you think you're doing? I have never thought of this character as an unintelligent woman (ridiculously impulsive, but not dumb), but Billie, you were a cop and an ISA agent. Do you really think no one is going to figure out that you were on a plane when Zack got hit? Call me crazy, but I assume being on a plane thousands of feet in the air makes it a bit difficult to drive. That's just me though.

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While I absolutely can believe that Billie is covering for Chelsea, I really can't stand the fact that Chelsea is letting her. Yep, I don't like Chelsea again this week. But her portrayer is doing a great job at showing us exactly how weak we can be in a moment of crisis. We all like to think that we would step up to the plate and admit our mistakes (or crimes as the case may be) but sometimes fear makes us do really stupid things. I still can't stand it, but I do think that it is realistic.

As for Belle and Shawn's shared "dream", I thought the news about Claire (maybe they'll show us the baby before she turns seven, huh?) was great, but I'm not too keen on a Shelle reunion. The two of them getting back together doesn't make me really think anything but poor Mimi and Philip (I still like Mimi even after the extra long protracted abortion fiasco). I understand that none of them would be in this situation if it wasn't for Cuckoo Jan (she really did just disappear into coma-land didn't she?) but I would really like to see Shawn and Mimi together. I think that there is just something sweet and kind of goofy about them. There are no long impassioned speeches about fate and how they are destined to be together, they just are like millions of other couples who were friends first and saw a little something different in each other. Don't get me wrong, they are all really good actors that have chemistry with each other, but storywise I prefer something that speaks to me as being real. But this is DAYS, so Shelle fans get ready. I'm not going to get my way.

Onto the Austin and Carrie "you stole my company!!!" drama. Carrie, sorry to break it to you, but Austin is right. If you had run your business instead of a popularity contest he wouldn't have been able to take it. But, ooooh Carrie is mad. I wonder if Austin will be able to smooth that one over. Even though I don't like Lucas and Sami keeping quiet, I loved how they stood over in the corner looking like two cats in a roomful of canaries. And what are they going to do with Nicole now that Arianne Zuker is leaving the show? I can't see them recasting, at least not right away, so I'm curious to see how they are going to work that out. Nicole is one of those characters that I loathed at first but she has really grown on me the years. I'm going to be sad to see her go.

Now for my least favorite story of the week. Now, understand that this is in no way an insult to the actors because everyone involved is really putting their all into it and they are great actors, but all I can say about the Lois-is-a-lunatic-trying-to-kill-Marlena-but-no-one-knows-that-she's-crazy-and-Alex-is-a-good-guy-that-can-will-himself-out-of-a-coma-after-a-gunshot-go-up-to-the-roof-and-save-his-lady-love is this. Crap, crap, crippity-crap. Please, you guys are killing me. Throw Lois and Alex off the roof and never talk about them again. Love the actors, despise the story.

My favorite storyline still belongs to Bo and Hope. Kristian and Peter are keeping up the emotional intensity beautifully, especially with Billie involving herself now. Hope's anger and grief and Bo's grief and guilt cocktail just radiate from the screen. I mean you can just feel your heart breaking for both of them, not to mention that for a second there I thought that Hope was going to rip Billie's head off and kick it down the hall. The only complaint I have is that Hope's orange coat is wearing me out. I loved it the first couple of days, but now that one lapel that keeps turning in is getting on my nerves (yes I know I'm nit-picky). I'm ready to see them go home and deal with the situation there (and make it more than a day or two after New Year's being that January is almost over), but the story is really riveting and for the first time in a long time, I'm excited to get home and watch DAYS. I can't wait to see where they'll go with this.

If you don't mind, I have a couple of little side notes that really didn't go anywhere else, so please bear with me.

Kate isn't even a snake in the grass. She is a snake slithering along the hospital linoleum and trying to wrap herself around Shawn and Mimi. That woman doesn't really even try to hide her treachery. That's just who she is. If Lauren Koslow ever wants a change of scenery, she should definitely hit up Passions. With that voice she puts on when Kate is scheming, she would be a fantastic witch or demon or something. It really raises the hair on my arms.

Jen, please stop being so difficult. I know you're grieving, but please stop being simple. Frankie might love you, but he's a good friend and a good influence on your kids. If it freaks you out that bad to have him live with you, let him go stay with his parents or one of his brothers (they do still live in town, right? Because we never see his parents anymore unless there is a wedding or someone dies), but keep him around.

One last thing, I have a prediction to make. If my eyes weren't deceiving me, in that scene where Abby is trying to talk Chelsea into doing the right thing, I do believe that Mr. Max Brady was beginning to get enchanted by that good ol' Horton goodness. I bet that he will dump selfish Chelsea and date (or at least try to, we'll see what Frankie and Jen think about that) Abby instead. We shall see, won't we?

READ MORE OF THIS WEEK'S TWO SCOOPS The Bold and the Beautiful | General Hospital | The Young and the Restless

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