To those in charge of story direction at ATWT, please stop getting inspiration from silly horror movies. The slasher storyline this summer was bad enough, but now we've had to watch Maddie and Gwen bury a body, lurk in the woods in the dark, and shriek in horror repeatedly, as the man they thought they killed apparently makes phone calls and phantom appearances. Enough!
Maddie and Gwen were once smart ingénues. But this bust of a storyline has reduced them to unsympathetic head cases. How are we supposed to root for them, when they were too stupid to call 9-1-1, after Maddie bashed Adam in the head? The fact that they didn't try to get help, but instead dug a shallow grave for the shallow guy is a tough pill to swallow.
As to who's really behind Adam's phone calls/appearances, I have a couple theories. Iris is at the top of my suspect list. She enjoys torturing Gwen, but usually isn't in it unless there is a paycheck involved. Then, there's always Jade, who seems innocent this time, but one can never be sure. Finally, it could be Adam himself. Why he would taunt and torment Gwen and Maddie could be explained by the fact that they left him to die and buried him alive. But, I can't believe he would let his mother and family believe he had died. Of course, I found it hard to believe that the Adam we once knew would hit on Gwen, get violent, and set up his own brother. All I know is that I'm ready for this horror movie to be over so the ladies can get back to their normal lives, and I can get back to watching the show without having to fast-forward through this nightmare.
Meanwhile:
--Emmy nominations were announced this week, and several of my favorite actors and actresses made the cut. I'm especially excited for Trent Dawson, Maura West, and Michael Park. Longtime Two Scoops readers know my adoration/obsession for Trent Dawson, so you won't be surprised that I'm over-the-moon happy that he's being recognized for his outstanding work. (Henry may never be lucky at love on-screen, but he sure gets plenty of love from fans and his peers.) Congratulations to Trent and to the other deserving ATWT nominees, including Alexandra Chando, Jennifer Landon, Jesse Soffer and Van Hansis.
--The best line of the week goes to Jade, when she found a shrieking Maddie and Gwen. "Could you two please shut the hell up?" she sneered. Thank you, Jade. I couldn't have said it better myself.
--Emily finally made me understand why she took up the age-old profession of prostitution. (No, it isn't the costumes or the wads of cash.) She explained to Dusty that she feels in control with men when she's hooking and that she doesn't have to worry about love or getting hurt. (Well, if you don't call getting beaten up by a client getting hurt.) Emily's talk with Dusty was one of the highlights of the week. For the first time in months, I finally understood the depths of her hurt and desperation. And kudos to Dusty for being a friend to Em and making her admit what she was doing. He wasn't gentle about it either, as he called her a whore. "You play the game, you earn the name," he said harshly. It was cold, and exactly what she needed to hear.
--Is anyone else cracking up at the way Vienna pronounces Maddie's name? It makes me chuckle every time she utters "Mad-uh-LEEN." I'm not sure if it's on purpose or not, but it makes Vienna even more loveable.
--Brad Snyder is quite the conundrum. Just as I officially put him on my hit list for calling my beloved Henry a "softie," he went and defended Luke's honor to that prejudiced teacher. That makes it hard to hate Brad, especially when he throws out one-liners like the one about Katie pretending to care about something other than shoes. Funny!
--Maddie and Casey's breakup was touching. I forgot how moving Maddie's character is when she isn't having mental meltdowns and running from killers.
--Is Lily's baby food tainted? It appears that may be Paul's premonition. Ethan may be headed for a trip to the emergency room, after eating the new product. If the baby food is organic, I'm not sure what could be in it that would make him sick. Perhaps the jars were tainted. If it's not the food that's the danger, perhaps it's one of the customers who come to the farm for the open house. Whatever it is, I have a feeling it's going to send Lily reaching for a handful of those diet pills she seems so fond of swallowing lately.
--You've probably heard by now that Scott Bryce is returning as Craig. I can hardly remember Bryce's Craig, as I was just a kid when he was torturing Betsy and Steve. But, I'm open to any fan favorite reprising a role. That said, I enjoyed Jeff Meek's take on Craig, despite that it was quite different from my favorite Craig, Hunt Block. Best wishes to Mr. Meek in any future endeavors.
--As thrilled as I am to see Henry finally getting some, he and Vienna need to tone it down a bit. I say this with love affection for my new favorite couple. If we're to buy them as a serious couple, and Henry as a serious leading man, then they need to lighten up on the cartoon make-out antics. I'm not saying I want them to turn in to Mr. and Ms. Angst. That would be beyond boring. But Trent Dawson does drama even better than he does comedy, and I'd like to see more of it.
--Lily is in the doghouse with many of you for not handling Faith's bulimia better. I hear you, but I also understand the way Lily is feeling, too. The kid has been downright viscous to her. Lily believes Faith is happiest when she isn't around, so it's understandable that she wants to give her space.
--Henry needs to tell Vienna that she shouldn't offer everyone she sees champagne. She tried to give Maddie a glass, despite the fact that she's a minor.
--Katie gets points this week for defending Henry to Brad. Nice job, Bubbles!
--Does it frighten anyone else that Meg seemed to be a much better nurse than she is waitress, despite the fact that she killed a patient? Yeah. Me, too.
Best Lines of the Week:
(Vienna tries to seduce Henry outside of Margo and Tom's house, but Henry explains the danger that is Vienna's killer body.)
Henry: "Margo is chief of detectives, and Tom has a heart condition. So, if he walks out here and sees you bathed in nothing but moonlight, he's gonna have a heart attack, and then Margo is going to have to arrest you for not concealing this deadly weapon."
(Dusty tells Emily he thinks she's a hooker, based on her behavior and the evidence he found.)
Dusty: "What am I supposed to think?
Emily: "You're supposed to think that I'm a professional editor/reporter doing what I do best."
Dusty: "Hanging out with losers?"
Reader Spotlight:
(From Two Scoops Diane.)
"Just weighing in on the return of Scott Bryce as Craig. I can't wait to see the sparks that are sure to fly between him and Meg. I LOVE Scott and have been hoping for years he would come back. He's got the perfect twinkle to play Craig, the loveable cad. As good an actor as Jeffrey Meek seems to be, he just doesn't have that spark Scott and Hunt Block had. He's just too villainous. Craig is supposed to be self-serving and unscrupulous, but never mean. Also, the Emily/hooker storyline actually makes sense for us longtime viewers. Emily has always done stupid things when it comes to men. And it ties in to the new storyline that's bringing Allison back from her life in the porn industry in LA. Watch the online episodes of LA Diaries on cbs.com. It's a blatant marketing ploy for both Y&R and ATWT, but enjoyable nonetheless. Love your column. Keep up the good work."
(From Two Scoops Denise.)
"I have taken Katie long enough! I can't stand her spoiled-brat home-wrecker character. She is just like her brother Craig. But when she is as despicable and disgusting as he is, everyone forgives her! What gives? And Jack and Katie? Come on. Carly, get your behind back in Oakdale, because the little vixen Katie's after your man. Can Jack be so desperate/stupid to go for her? I can't stand it! And finally a woman for Henry, who is one of the best actors on the show! You go, Henry! The scenes with Henry and Vienna were fabulous. Can't wait for more!"
(From Two Scoops Kristy.)
"I love that original Craig is coming back. Jeffery Meeks never felt like Craig to me, just way too dark. He could have made a great post plastic surgery James Stenbeck. Not buying the Jack and Katie pairing. Did Jack just forget that Katie is a selfish, spoiled, immature brat who all but ran Simon and Carly out of town because she was jealous? Even if he has, the CarJack fans haven't. What I'd really like is to see Katie, Brad and Jade take a hike. I know they serve a purpose as instigators but if that is all they do you begin to wonder why anyone even listens anymore. Am I the only one who is tired of hearing Jade call Maddie crazy and say how bad Gwen is? These two haven't done anything to Jade that Jade didn't deserve and all they really want is for Jade to leave them alone. So why is Jade still showing up around them if she hates them?"
(From Two Scoops Frankie.)
"Who else, besides Adam, Gwen, and Maddie would have a vested interest in this whole Adam's body is missing story? We only have a couple of choices here. Either Adam's partner in crime, Iris, moved the body and is trying to find a way to turn the whole thing into cash, or Margo has put some of the pieces together and is trying to find out what really happened to her son. Failing that, we go back to the theory that Adam is alive and terrorizing all the people he wants revenge on. Regardless of which plot turns out to be true, I just want it to be over. It's getting pretty bad when I'd rather watch Brad and Katie arguing than have to put up with another scene with Maddie and Gwen's hysterics. Sad, sad, sad!"
That's all for now Scoopers! See ya next time.
Jennifer Biller
