I have been watching One Life to Live for over a decade, and the show has definitely had its ups and downs. People have said that soap characters become your friends or guests because they are "in your home" 5 times a week. Sometimes it feels like these guests overstay their welcome, and yet other pleasantly surprise you. Here are some examples of this phenomenon:
The best example of a storyline overstaying its welcome is the Jess/Tess storyline. I simply cannot believe this storyline is approaching the 2 year mark, and the integration process has not even started. We've already been through Jessica discovering she had DID, Tess taking over Jessica's body for months at a time, finding out why the DID started in the first place, and discovering Brennan's true paternity. What is there left to do in this storyline other than INTEGRATE? I watched Jessica, Antonio, and Nash this week, and I all could think was that all of this dialogue has been said before. We've been there, done that, and have the worn out our fast forward buttons to prove it. What is the point of dragging this on any longer? I realize that the summer months are notorious for slowing pacing, as actors take their vacations. However, there has to be something better than having Antonio and Nash argue over Brennan again and having Jessica have flashbacks of Tess again. Tess isn't a real person; she is part of Jessica's illness. We've known that for a long time, and it's time to wrap things up. The one scene I did enjoy was with Jessica and Viki. I love their mother/daughter relationship, and Viki can relate to Jessica's dilemmas like no one else. I would love to see Viki be an integral part of Jessica's integration and for the mess with Antonio and Nash to be placed on the back burner. It is time for DID to disappear for a while. I don't want to see Tess, Niki Smith, or any other alter return any time soon.
Another storyline that has stayed on for too long is the saga of Adriana's stalker.I still can't get interested in Adriana's stalker. This stalker is the most inept of all time. He has been so close to getting her so many times, and yet he hasn't succeeded. He even found out where Rex took Adriana to hide, but he always misses her. Again, I still don't see the relevance of giving Adriana a stalker. She's not that important of a character, and she doesn't have that many connections in Llanview. I can't imagine anyone in Llanview even wanting to stalk her, and making the stalker a complete stranger would make this storyline a complete waste of time. I actually wouldn't mind if the stalker just disappeared one day, and we all forgot about him. There are so many other characters that deserve air time, and this storyline is just wasting it. I will admit that Adriana seems to appreciate Rex's efforts to protect her a little more than before, but other than that, the purpose of this storyline escapes me. Like the DID storyline, I want this to be resolved soon. There are so many other things that could be focused on right now, so it's time to move away from this silliness.
While Evangeline, Todd and Cristian are not new to the show, their storyline has surprised me. It seems that Evangeline has had a tough year. She goes blind, has to live with Todd's execution (or so she thought), and now she has fallen because of an argument between Cristian and Todd. It has been interesting to watch a strong-willed, independent woman like Evangeline struggle with these obstacles. Usually, soaps make women look whiny and pathetic, but Evangeline is quite the opposite. Even after becoming blind, she has been strong willed and has tried to be independent. I know there are strong fan bases out their for her to be paired with Cristian and with Todd, but I am not sure who she should be with, or if she should be with anyone. They are both trying to take care of her in their own ways, but she doesn't want to be cared for by anyone. I see potential with both men, but I am honestly torn! I usually have firm opinions about such triangles, but this makes me indecisive. If Evangeline is with Cristian, it is likely that Natalie will be involved in some way. We've seen enough of the Evangeline v. Natalie to last us a lifetime. If Evangeline is with Todd, there is always a chance he will go back to Blair (even though I don't want that). I don't want Evangeline to be anyone's rebound relationship, nor do I want to see any old feuds renewed. This is a tough one, and I am on the fence. I have a feeling that after she recovers from surgery, she will push both men away, since they both were part of her fall, but that won't last. Who will she end up with? I don't know! I wish I had strong feeling about this one way or the other. I will let all of the Evangeline/Cristian and Evangeline/Todd fans out there make their case to persuade me one way or the other!
Something else happened last week that surprised me. I saw Dorian and Lindsay's friendship on my screen! It has been a long time since they have shared scenes like this, and it was wonderful to watch them. Who ever thought that Lindsay would be the voice of reason? She told Dorian everything she didn't want to hear...and it all needed to be said. That is what a true friend does, and Dorian was lucky to have Lindsay try to help her. I especially liked it when Lindsay told Dorian to get over herself. Dorian really isn't accustomed to being put in her place like that! It was also a nice use of history, when Lindsay reminded Dorian that she was married to Clint, even if it was for all of 15 minutes! I never really thought about how Clint and Dorian are alike when it comes to protecting their families, and that has already been a huge source of conflict between them. I don't know if I like Clint and Dorian as a couple; it still feels weird to me, after everything that has happened in the past. They do have a spark, especially when it comes to arguing, but I can't see a long-term relationship working out. However, if this relationship brings Dorian and Lindsay's friendship back to the forefront, I might be able to accept it! There aren't enough female friendships on OLTL, and I am glad to see one getting some air time at last.
Finally, I was shocked and thrilled to see Bo visit Nora for more then 2 seconds. They had a good conversation and made some progress in moving on from the past. Matthew and Bo were thrilled to see Nora walk, and they all looked like one happy family again. These scenes are long overdue, but I a glad that Nora is recovering, and that she is mentioning her future. A friend from the OLTL message board noted that time "stood still" while Bo and Nora were talking, and I completely agree. I've always said that Bo and Nora can talk about anything and make it interesting. I can't say that for many characters on the show, especially the newer ones. I want Nora's recovery to get the air time it deserves. It seems like Nora is included in a show to fill time. With less than 6 months left in Hillary B. Smith's contract, Nora needs to be the center of attention. I wouldn't mind if Nora instantly recovered and was able to be the DA again. So many other characters have recovered in record time, and Nora deserves that too.
I found something Nora said last week said to be quite thought provoking. After her therapy, she told the nurse "I don't even know who I am anymore." I never even thought about that being an issue, but after being through so much and then being out of commission for so long, where does Nora go from here?
I think this would be an interesting discussion for the One Life to Live message board. Where should Nora go from here? Should she attempt to resume her old life or start in a new direction? All opinions are welcome; we are just giving the writers at OLTL some ideas to help them place Nora back in the heat of things where she belongs. Post your opinions, and I'll see you there!
Since this is my last column, and I promised Ryan I would keep his campaign to save Hillary B. Smith going, I will include 2 favorite Nora moments! Here they are:
Favorite Nora Moments
February 2000: After finding out that Lindsay altered Bo's fertility tests, which contributed to the destruction of Bo and Nora's marriage, Nora walks out on Sam after he threatens to leave her, and she goes to the church where Bo is about to marry Lindsay. She marches down the aisle and breaks up the wedding by telling Bo the truth.
April 2005: After Lindsay crashes Nora's wedding shower, Lindsay and Nora argue. After Lindsay tells Nora to go to Hell, Nora quickly responds "Meet you there!" (Even though I hate that Nora married Daniel, this was a great moment between Nora and Lindsay.)
That is all for now! Ryan will be back in 2 weeks to pick up where he left off.
Thanks for reading,
Dawn
