For most of the past week in the Valley, the focus was the perpetually screwed up Carey/Chandler clan. We started out with Erica blabbing to Tad and JR that Babe was indeed alive. Word started to spread and soon, all of Pine Valley was rejoicing (and I was trying not to throw up). The worst part of this "miracle" was the scene I was dreading since Babe's funeral, when a teary Bianca forgave Babe. As expected, Bianca offered her forgiveness again and -- wait for it -- asked if the two girls could be friends again.
I thought long and hard about what to write about this infuriating turn of events. I figured my first instinct -- typing a rambling series of expletives -- was probably not the best way to go. I'm sorry, but I will not accept Babe and Binks as BFF. Like I've said before, Bianca may have forgiven her for stealing Miranda, but I don't. If that seems unreasonable, well that's just too bad. The thought of Binks bonding with the woman who let her believe her child was dead for months on end makes me sick to stomach. What's worse, now that Kendall and Babe seem to be getting along, we might get a full-on Kane/Carey lovefest, a concept that makes my skin crawl. What bothers me the most is that Babe didn't earn this forgiveness. Up until the day she "died" she was being held responsible for her actions (at least partially) by those who hurt her. Now that she's alive, all is forgiven. I'm sorry, but dead or alive, Babe is still the same selfish, baby-stealing tramp she always has been (in my humble opinion).
Of course, Bianca wasn't the only one excited to see Babe. JR ran out to see his wife and his reaction was pretty much what I expected. The New JR was present in full force -- he gushed about this being a miracle, begged his wife for another chance and promised Babe that, this time, he has really truly changed (he learned that line from his father). He even threw in a handshake and a thank you to his rival Josh, for good measure. JR also promised he would never reveal Krystal's secret, but Josh made that moot when he encouraged Babe's mother to confess, in hopes of getting Babe away from Junior. That boy is definitely a Kane, through and through, and it was nice to see Bianca call him on it later in the week.
At Long Last, The Real Adam Chandler
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, watching Adam turn into a pale imitation of his former self over the past year or so has been torturous. The Adam Chandler I love would never have fallen for Krystal Carey, let alone profess that he loved her more than any woman in his life (Uh, hello?! What about Brooke Freaking English?!) So to say I was looking forward to the day when Charlotte's true paternity was revealed is something of an understatement. I couldn't wait for the truth to come out and for Adam to spew all the venom he could muster at his wife. And true to form, Adam didn't disappoint.
He hurled deserved insults, called Krystal on her crap and railed against JR for keeping him in the dark--and I was cheering him on. JR's attempt at justifying his actions--saying he could have saved Tad from his misery but choose to keep Adam living in a fool's paradise--was lame at best. There was nothing selfless about JR keeping that secret. He either used it to blackmail Babe or to win her back. In either case, his reasons had little to do with protecting his dear old dad.
And, of course, I felt absolutely no sympathy whatsoever for Krystal. I love it when people come clean after lying about the hideous things they did and then expect to get credit for finally being honest. Never mind the fact that Krystal never would have spilled the beans if it weren't for her desire to protect Babe. This wasn't about being truthful with her husband or doing the right thing. She confessed for one reason: to get Babe out from under JR's thumb. Both JR and Krystal put Babe above Adam and I didn't like it. Of course, I'm sure Adam will seek revenge and get cast as the bad guy. The nerve of that man, to react so badly to the news that his wife cheated on him and conceived a child with a man he hates!
In a perfect world, I'd want Tad to be just as angry as Adam when he finds out the truth, but something tells me that rage will fade quickly. I sense an "I understand, you were just trying to save your marriage" conversation in the near future. Never mind that Krystal kept him from his child (she's really good at keeping children from parents, isn't she?) or that she denied Dixie's last wish by keeping quiet. I'm sure Tad will forgive almost instantly and Adam will look like an irrational monster in comparison. And all I'll be able to do is throw stuff at my television.
Ryan + Annie = Perfectly Boring
While Krystal and Adam's romance was mercifully ending, Ryan and Annie's love story got a big push this week. You know, I think Ryan has finally found the perfect woman for him. Nothing he says fazes Annie. This week, he made a big deal about confessing his covert vasectomy and she brushed it off like it was nothing. There wasn't even a moment of "Man, that sucks. We wouldn't be able to have children together." It was just a quick "Oh, is that all? Well, you did what you had to do!" and a big grin. Golly gee, she's one swell lady!
Given Ryan's track record with strong, opinionated women like Kendall and Greenlee, I think Annie is his perfect match. She's blindly loyal, thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread, she doesn't mind having sex in stables and she's prettier than the Chrysler Building (to paraphrase Ryan). Sure the two of them are about as boring as watching paint dry, but who cares?! Ryan has found the fourth love of his life and all is right with the universe. Oh, and wasn't it great that Ryan--who had angrily sworn off all things Cambias in his dead sister's name--used the Cambias jet to whisk Annie away to NYC (and leave her on the plane to wait for him the whole time they were there)? Honestly, it's amazing how this man becomes more and more obnoxious as time goes by. Just when I think he can't annoy me anymore, he outdoes himself. It's a sight to behold.
A couple of other potential couples [i]did[/i] catch my attention this week. Zoe and Bianca were pretty adorable and might be able to win me over after all. It was nice to see Binks tell off her evil stepmother Barbara, too. On the other end of the spectrum, Tad and Julia shared some scenes this week that piqued my interest in their possible pairing. Of course, once the truth about Kate comes out, these two are bound to grown closer, making for an interesting Jamie/Julia/Tad triangle. The two have more in common than just Kathy, having both lost the loves of their lives. Of course, it would be a little odd to see them as a romantic couple, but I think there's potential there. And if Julia is going to the third point on a parent/child triangle, who better to give her advice than Tad the Cad?!
We're Having a Baby!
Hands down, without question, the best part of the week was Kendall telling Zach that she was pregnant. When I read this spoiler a few weeks back, I was shocked -- and terrified. The cynical soap fan (and specifically, Zach/Kendall fan) in me automatically assumed I was being set up for a fall. If I've learned one thing from my years of following soaps, it's that if a couple is too happy, their lives will probably implode in short order. As such, I was immediately convinced that this baby wouldn't make it.
But watching Zach and Kendall's sweet, hopeful scenes this week gave me new hope. I loved how the scenes were written and acted. It wouldn't have made sense for Zach to be over the moon about a new child on the way, while he's still struggling to come to terms with his father's actions. I loved how Kendall gently assured him that this was good news and that she saw this as a chance at a new start for their family. These are the types of Kendall moments that I love, the ones that show how much she has grown. When Zach said he knew she wanted him to have a happier reaction, she assured him that she didn't, that she believed he wanted this and that was enough. She was self-assured and strong, committed to helping her husband above all else. I never want Kendall to lose her fire, but its these quieter moments that make me love her all the more.
The baby reveal ended up having a great effect on the father-to-be, who managed to beat his father at his own game by doing exactly what Alex Sr. wanted him to do. I'm glad Zach will be taking over Cambias and making it his own. The only way to break this stupid Cambias Curse nonsense is to change what the name Cambias signifies. I also loved that Zach went to Bianca for advice. Any excuse for a Zach/Miranda scene is fine by me.
And how adorable was Zach's impromptu baby shower in the casino gazebo? The bracelet with the "key to his heart", the baby gifts, the balloons with belly buttons, Zach telling Kendall that she and Spike saved him--it was all great. And while the name Spike has really grown on me, I'm glad the Slaters chose two more traditional names for this new bundle of joy. Amelia Bianca Slater and Zachary Ethan Slater have a wonderful ring to them.
And the Emmy Doesn't Go To...
The nominations for the 2007 Daytime Emmys were announced this week and AMC garnered a whopping ONE nomination in the major acting categories. Congratulations to perennial nominee Leven Rambin (Lily), who earned a nod in the Younger Actress category. In fact, AMC was shut out of all the major categories, earning only a few nominations for technical awards (i.e. set design, costume design, etc.).
Is this surprising? Not really. Most would agree that 2006 was one of AMC's worst years in recent memory, if not the history of the show. The unfortunate part of this equation is that when a show sucks, actors who deserve to be recognized for their work are easily passed over--and that's exactly what happened to AMC's best and brightest this year.
I don't say this to denigrate any of the other nominees. Truth be told, I only really watch AMC and OLTL, so I can't truly compare performances. But it's hard for me to believe that all four of the nominated lead actors did a better job than Michael E. Knight in his Madden murder confession scenes. Or that they were all more powerful than Thorsten Kaye as he grieved his estranged son or begged his comatose wife to wake up. Did any of the lead actresses match the spunk and passion of Alicia Minshew? Were any supporting actors able to master the challenge of playing a transgender lesbian, as Jeffery Carlson did? These AMC actors took challenging and often sub-par material and made it shine. They were outstanding despite the circumstances, and to me, that's an accomplishment worthy of recognition.
The upside to all of this is it is yet another message to TPTB that AMC needs serious help. The show has already taken the first step by firing Megan McTavish. Maybe this near-shutout will prompt them to make more positive changes.
I have one more Emmy sidenote, if I may, for those of you who watch OLTL. Trevor St. John being shut out of the Leading Actor category had me seeing red. Those execution scenes were amazing and definitely deserved to be recognized.
Thanks for reading. See you in two weeks.
-- Kristine
