Ok, that may seem harsh given the support I have always thrown the way of Darla's character. However, as I was watching this week, I began to see why Darla needs to go and what good it can do for the show and probably for the actress as well. Bear with me...
I shook my head when I realized exactly how many years Darla Einstein had been around. Could it have been that long? Well, when I read that she would be getting the axe and the way in which she would exit the show, it dawned on me that maybe this is for the better. Think about it...as many readers have reminded me in the past, a happy couple like Thorne and Darla are a boring couple in the soap world. They love each other and have a healthy relationship (more than I can say for any other couple on this show). This doesn't make for very racy TV and high ratings and having this whole 'martyr dying by the roadside thing' will open the doors for Thorne to become 'front-burner' again like he was a few short years ago. I love his character and always have even with all the different actors that have played him. Winsor Harmon is my favorite though. He's hot and not a bad actor at all. Maybe with Donna coming to town and Taylor available (if she doesn't get sent off to the clink), he could find romance yet again. After all, this poor guy keeps losing women like a dog loses fur in the summertime. Caroline died, Macy died and now Darla dies on him. Geez! Why couldn't all this tragedy and woe happen to Ridge instead?
I can see it now...Thorne is grief-stricken and starts out hating Taylor only to fall in love with her a la Phyllis and Nick. It would be a pairing you wouldn't necessarily see coming. At first there is hatred, then they cling to each other in their shared grief over losing such a good soul as Darla. Taylor feels eternally guilty and Thorne is there to 'comfort' her. There is already a familiarity between them anyway and she could do a lot worse in a guy like Thorne. It would drive Ridge crazy, that's for sure! Sign me up!! And she doesn't seem too worried about doing the bump and grind with Hector, so why not just keep it in the family? Brooke's done it! They would look good together, too. Her kids already love Uncle Thorne. See? It's perfect.
Or...with Darla gone that could open up a tryst with newly-back-to-town Donna Logan. I know advance word is that she will try to cause trouble for Brooke and Nick but it would make more sense for her to grab a hold of someone in the Forrester clan before making her move on Ridge. That's who I think she will try to hook-up with for the long-term (if you can say 'long term' in the same sentence with 'new actor'). Thorne could go from saintly Darla to slutty Donna and watch his life spin out of control. He could start partying hard again and hit the bottle with Taylor waiting in the wings to help him get back on the path to sobriety. I hate to see Darla go but for Thorne to have some action, it probably had to happen.
I still say that any minute now they will SORAS his daughter again and she will be shunning the sexual advances of one Deacon Sharpe Jr. ( a.k.a- Little D). It would be perfect to have the Forrester somehow tied up with Deacon again, even if it is through his son.
How about that Taylor, huh? Well, the writers really have done it this time. Now she is not only a drunk but will probably get charged with vehicular manslaughter for mowing down poor Darla. Darla was fresh from two days worth of videotaping loving messages to her daughter and husband...playing the Forrester family healer and even being nice to Ridge of all people. Sweet and giving Darla. Super Darla! Her last moments on this planet were not spent thinking of herself but rather helping her niece (whom she never saw) on the side of the road. Then here comes freshly sauced up Taylor driving frantically trying to find her dingbat daughter who couldn't read a map or something or have the sense to pull over til the fog cleared. Poor drunken Taylor has to tell the whole family and the court system she was drinking, thus ruining her reputation within the Forrester's and in the professional community. But of course the question will be HOW much was she drinking? Was she over the limit? Everyone will look at her like some kind of monster...all but Ridge.
It's my sincere hope that if and when Ridge finds out she was drinking shortly after their oh-so-heartfelt talk that he take some responsibility for what she has become. I know...she could CHOOSE not to drink. I get that. But relative to the story, she never had something so crazy to deal with as coming back from the dead only to play second fiddle to Brooke, have him marry her anyway only to leave again. I think I can safely say that ANY woman would go a little off the deep end. I like Taylor but really don't like this story. Yet, I have to take my own words to heart with her as I did Darla...for something more engaging to happen to Taylor's character, I guess drastic things have to happen, right?
Loved the newlywed romance early in the week. Happy, happy, happy...well, for as long as they will be ALLOWED to be happy! I never get tired of watching those two, that's for sure!
Ridge is such a two-faced jerk. All he did for years was call Darla names and now he decided to be nice to her? Why? Because he happens to be humble for the first time in nearly 20 years? No thanks....if I were Darla I would have told him he deserved to be alone for all the nastiness he puts out in the world. It's called karma, buddy...look it up! WAH-WAH-WAH!!! I don't have Brooke!!! WAH!!! Grow up and move on you baby!
The jury is out on the Nu-Phoebe. I'm not sure what I think of her...except she's not too bright. And was I the only one who saw how Ridge was touching her? Ewww. Very creepy. I know she was playing the "Daddy's little girl' card but come on! He was petting her hair the same way he does with Taylor and Brooke and since when does a Dad hold on to his daughter by her hips? Lift those hands, buster!
The Forrester's should feel lucky that the only fireman in LA that happens upon their tragedies is Hector. I have a hard time believing there will be much of a story for him in the future. I have watched since the beginning for something exciting to happen to this man and at every turn he comes up short. We thought he would get a second chance at romance with that whack-job Samantha, then we saw a spark between him and Brooke only to discover that she did not look at him like that (he's not related to a Forrester, that's why), and finally this 'thing' between him and Taylor that just never got started. Really pretty sad, actually. I guess I should be surprised he lasted this long when you look at the length of time the other walk-on help has lasted.
Last week's question had the majority of responses for Nick and Brooke as the favorite B&B wedding ceremony with a few surprise emails thrown in that cited some others I would not have thought of. A couple of viewers liked the Brooke and Ridge wedding at the beach and one readers liked the Taylor-Ridge nuptials in 1992 with Brooke getting there too late to stop it. I thought it was rather surprising that no one brought up the goofy hot-air balloon wedding between Eric and Brooke or the even more laughable rain-forest wedding in Puerto Vista. That would get my vote for the worst wedding EVER.
Ok, this week's question...what would you like to see happen to Thorne now that he will be without a wife? Does anyone care?
A quick note here regarding the passing of Benjamin Hendrickson (Hal Munson) from ATWT...I have watched him play that role since he came on in the mid-Eighties and I believe it goes without saying that he will be missed. I have watched Y&R, ATWT, GL and B&B since I was a child and Hal was the kind of character you always wanted to cheer for...the consummate 'good guy'. My thoughts go out to his family and fans.
