I know many of you are ready to jump into the upcoming murder mystery, but let's handle some of the other events in Pine Valley last week -- and we'll get to that pesky murder in just a bit.
It's been about a decade since I was in medical school (Yes, it's a really, really long story, but if you have the time you can click here for the scoop on that), but I have to think that there is no way that this experimental heart valve could have been implanted in little Ian Slater. First, I'd think that the valve would have been tested on a adult first. Did anyone even have time to make the valve munchkin-sized for the toddler? That aside, doctors don't just scoot into the operating room to use unapproved medical techniques and equipment even if it means that they can see their grandchild every now and again.
I need to add that seeing Dr. Chappell's feet dangling at the close of last week was pretty stunning. Sure, the character was a day player... but suicide is still relatively uncommon on the soaps. Unless, of course, he didn't really hang himself and someone did it as a cover for murder.
I can't help but wonder if JR Martinez is about to be phased out of the show. For the immediate future, having Brot around will be vital to the story. We're not sure of the extent of Frankie's injuries, but it would appear that his future as a doctor or surgeon is going to be in jeopardy as a result of the accident he was involved in. It seems only natural that Brot would be able to help Frankie come to terms with having some sort of disability. As I've mentioned previously, though, the writers have to be very careful to not make like of Martinez's real-world injuries with a soap-world injury.
However, there's early word that the show wants to check out the chemistry between Beth Ehlers (Taylor) and Michael E Knight (Tad). Unless I've missed something, if Taylor and Tad become an item, that leaves Brot out in the cold. Head writer Charles Pratt, Jr., has said that Taylor is woefully underused (that would seem to be his fault), and it doesn't appear that Brot has any free-standing story of his own on the horizon. Does his mother even know that he's alive?
Marissa seems to be in everyone's business, or at least everyone who she'll end up being related to. Thankfully, she wasn't straddling anyone's naughty regions this past week. I was taken to task by one reader for being "skeeved" last week by that slightly icky massage scene. The reader argues that Marissa and David having a sexual relationship was no different than Reese and Bianca being involved sexually... or David and a goat.
I'm not sure why farm animals always get roped into the debate of same-sex relationships. I don't think there will ever be total agreement on the issue, but I do think that there needs to be a certain level of respectfulness involved as well. We can't even get fans to agree on whether or not Kendall belongs with Ryan or Zach! But as long as we're not hateful to each other, I think we'll manage to get by.
Annie is back in Pine Valley. Apparently now that spring has sprung in Pine Valley, it's no longer en vogue to be wintering in the Maldives. Shortly after she returns, Pine Valley will be rocked by some violent weather. Bianca returned from Paris to tornadoes. Annie returns from the Indian Ocean to wild thunderstorms. I'm not really sure what to make of that. The sun and sand don't seem to have done anything for Annie's cuckooness. She's going to turn on Aidan and get wrapped up in the murder mystery that takes place at the Chandler Mansion this week.
Yes, this is the week... the week that someone meets their maker. Technically, the person will not die until Monday, May 18, but there's plenty of great setup until then.
Fans have been creative in their attempts to get me to spill the beans about the victim of the impending murder. One even went as far as to offer to ply me with homemade cookies. It's hard to keep a secret of this magnitude, but if you want me to be honest, I really wish that I didn't know what was going to happen. In this age of instant news gratification, there are seldom surprises any more. Anyone who really wants to know what happens can find out, I guess. Be warned, though, because a lot of the so-called spoilers I've read elsewhere are w-r-o-n-g.
ABC calls the victim "legendary" and assures fans that one of these people takes their last breath: Adam Chandler, Erica Kane, Kendall Hart, Ryan Lavery, Tad Martin, and Zach Slater. I am not really sure that Kendall, Ryan or Zach quality as "legendary," so let's remove them from the list. It's not intended as disrespect to fans of those characters or the actors that play the roles. I just don't believe that you can compare the longevity of the other three characters to these relative newcomers.
Pratt has said that the victim will be someone that fans love and hate. Tad doesn't seem to fall into that category. Erica and Adam definitely do. Much has been made of Susan Lucci's recent pay cut and David Canary has gone a long time without a huge story. We hadn't seen Stuart for months prior to Scott's return. Can All My Children really survive if either Erica or Adam does not?
In her visions, Opal has seen both Tad and Adam with serious injuries. This week, she adds Ryan to that list. All of Opal's visions seem to come true... so that doesn't bode well for the three men. On the other hand, Erica, Zach, and Kendall could breathe a sigh of relief.
And things won't be as clear cut as they appear. There may very well be more than one victim... and Pine Valley will never be the same.
dan
