Two weeks ago, I lamented the fact that Bo and Nora faded into the background after their much-anticipated reunion. Much to my surprise, Bo and Nora were front and center last week as Bo took a bullet for Rex, placing his own life in jeopardy. While I was relatively certain that Bo wouldn't die, I felt Nora's pain and fear as she left Rodi's in a daze and told people what happened in sentence fragments and tears. Hillary B. Smith did an amazing job of portraying Nora's reaction to Bo being shot. I could feel Nora's pain and worry, and her scenes were intense.
I like how Nora and Rex bonded at the hospital, especially after Nora learned that Bo jumped in front of Rex to protect him. I also liked how Matthew expressed his guilt over what happened to Bo because Matthew was so angry at Bo when he was in the wheelchair. Nora came through for Rex and Matthew as she consoled both of them. I loved how the episode ended with Matthew and Rex at Nora's side as Bo was wheeled to surgery.
I am glad that Clint came to the hospital after learning about Bo's injury. For a while, it seemed like he wouldn't even be told, so I was happy to see him show up. I know that some people think that it was contrived for Clint to suddenly realize he needed to make amends with Bo because Bo's life was hanging in the balance. However, I think it is perfectly natural for people to re-evaluate their lives in times of strife, so I think it worked. Clint said they needed to have a "reckoning" before they could move on, but I am glad that he at least took the first step towards reconnecting with Bo.
Rex and Bo also reached an understanding, as Rex told Bo that he needs him around and that he shouldn't have taken the bullet for Rex. I have always liked their relationship, and their conversation further establishes their father-son bond. However, in light of recent events, I don't want Bo to be Rex's biological father. That might seem weird, since I said I enjoy their relationship. However, I think making Bo and Rex related would be way too contrived, even for a soap opera.
While on the subject of Rex's parentage, I don't like that the writers decided to change the story yet again. Considering we were expected to wait to learn the identity of Rex's father for over a year, it's a slap in the face to find out that not only is Mitch not Rex's father (as far as we know now), but Roxy isn't Rex's mother either. Do the writers really expect us to become invested in learning who Rex's parents are at this point? After all, we know that they can just change it at any time, as they have already proven. I think this whole plot development was unnecessary, and I don't know if I care who Rex's parents are anymore.
On the other hand, I like that Roxy and Schuyler have started to form a bond as mother and son. Schuyler didn't have anyone in his life anymore, and Roxy came at just the right time. I am glad that she insisted on being there for him, even if he tried to push her away. It's disappointing that we won't get to see Schuyler and Roxy get to know each other. It seems pointless to make Schuyler Roxy's son, since he is going to prison off-camera.
I hope this doesn't diminish Roxy's purpose on the show. Things are strained between her and Rex, and it remains to be seen if Rex will truly be able to relate to her in the way that he did before he learned the truth. I've wanted the writers to explore who Roxy is for years, and making Schuyler her son instead of Rex doesn't work toward that wish at all. I hope we still get to see Roxy on a regular basis, but it doesn't look good so far.
As for Schuyler, his exit story was written in such a way that everyone in Llanview will probably forget that he existed (except for Roxy). I actually think that Schuyler could have pleaded temporary insanity instead of pleading guilty. I believe that he didn't know what he was doing after he learned that Sierra Rose wasn't his daughter. He held Gigi hostage without a real goal in mind and then shot at Rex in a daze. None of it made sense. Had he pleaded temporary insanity, he could have returned to Llanview after a stay at St. Anne's, but instead, he will simply disappear, just like Lindsay Rappaport.
Scott Clifton did a great job portraying Schuyler Joplin on the show. He really shined in the last couple of weeks with his exit story. It's too bad that Schuyler's purpose for being in Llanview has been erased, but I am glad that Scott Clifton was part of the show, even if it was for a short time. I will miss Schuyler's friendship with Rachel and all of the potential that it had, though!
Oliver and Kyle will also disappear soon, presumably in the next week. It's too bad because I would love to see them raise Sierra Rose. Oliver looks truly happy to be a father now, and I love how he looks at Sierra Rose with affection. I hope that Gigi lets Sierra stay with Oliver. She understandably wants to be a part of Sierra's life, but there is nothing that proves that Oliver would be a bad father. Rex tried to get her to see that last week, and I hope she takes that to heart. Oliver is a good person, and Sierra deserves to know at least one of her parents.
Moving along to the teen scene, I am glad that Langston is finally going to break up with Markko. She has made it clear that she doesn't want to be with him anymore, and he deserves to know the truth. I can see why Starr is so upset by Langston's revelation. Starr, Cole, Markko, and Langston have formed a happy little family since they all moved in together, and Starr doesn't want that to be disrupted. However, Langston has to do what is best for her, and right now, she thinks that moving on with Ford is best. While I think Ford is a creepy sleaze, Langston needs to explore her options. I can understand that; she is clearly going through her bad boy phase, and while I fully expect it to backfire, it's just something she needs to do.
Destiny and Matthew might feel uncomfortable playing Langston and Markko in the musical if they find out about the breakup. I'm not looking forward to this musical about Starr's life, but it could be interesting to see how Langston wrote about her relationship with Markko. It could be quite telling!
In my last column, I mentioned that Kelly's return has served little to no purpose so far. However, I got uncomfortable as I watched her reach out to John for help in investigating her mother's death. While I want Kelly to have a real story and a real purpose, I don't want to see her be paired romantically with John. To be fair, I don't want any woman to be paired with him, but putting Kelly with him doesn't make sense, other than it would deepen Blair's hatred of Kelly.
I also don't find the investigation into Melinda's death to be that captivating. I didn't know Melinda, and right now, we don't know if foul play was involved. For all we know, Melinda could have passed away of natural causes. I hope that is leading to a bigger, better story that will give Kelly a purpose on the show.
I really like Blair and Eli's relationship so far. I like that Eli wanted to address Blair's feelings about Marty's pregnancy, since he witnessed her displeased reaction firsthand. He seems serious about moving forward the right way, and I like that. I hope Blair stays focused on Eli and doesn't concern herself with Todd or John. She doesn't need either one of them!
I liked Natalie and Cristian's conversation last week. Natalie finally admitted that she was jealous about Marty having John's baby. We all knew it, but she wouldn't admit it. I think Natalie and Cristian should talk more often. Natalie needed to talk to someone who wasn't involved in the situation, and he needed to talk to someone about Layla. I don't want Natalie and Cristian to get back together, but I think they could be good friends. It's actually hard to remember that they were married since they hardly ever share a scene!
Finally, Brody summed up my opinion about Jessica's current story when he said, "This can't go on forever." It already feels like it has, and it can't end soon enough. It's not Jessica's fault that she can't remember anything past high school, but she could certainly make an effort. Instead, she is intent on winning Cristian back and denying every single fact that she doesn't like about her life in 2010. Jessica needs a serious reality check very soon. If Jessica were to wake up one day and magically remember everything without explanation, I would be thrilled. Some stories don't need a logical resolution, and this is definitely one of them!
Until next time,
Dawn
