Despite the fact that this is the information age and spoilers for the show are readily available, sometimes a story or a performance really take me by surprise. This week we were treated to several of these.
While I want to have the Lizzie/Jonathan pregnancy story over soon, the performances this week were great. This story has yo-yoed so much in my mind. It gets a ton of air time, yet moves so slowly. But now we see the end of Jonathan and Tammy (seemingly for good) and finally more of her meddling family at least offering some support (even at louder volumes) as the birth draws near. My hunch is still that Lizzie loses the baby and it somehow saves Reva. Will that mean Jonathan runs off to be with Tammy (since both actors are leaving?). Probably so but the show is not telling - which is just fine.
But this week you really felt sorry for Lizzie - something I rarely do anymore. Despite the fact that she's had some hard knocks in her life (killing Carl, beating cancer) her whiny attitude and constant schemes begin to wear on me. When faced with the possibility of raising her daughter alone, my heart went out to her. The majority of her family members (i.e. the Spaulding's) are a pretty unstable lot - which doesn't bode well for her baby. Money might by a lot of things, but it's never once bought her family long-term happiness. Phillip is on the run. A-M and Alan are at odds over the company. Alex is missing in action once again. Beth is consumed with her disastrous marriage to Alan. And her only friend (Tammy) just broke off her long-time relationship with Lizzie's husband over her pregnancy. Who will throw this poor child a baby shower? Who will be there for her when she needs someone to lean on? She's adrift in a world without friends and a family of manipulative piranhas.
I did love the scenes with all three generations of Raines women (Lillian, Beth and Lizzie). It's something GL seems to forget for weeks on end, then adds them like a treat for long time fans. I know that much of this has to do with contract status (on-contract vs recurring and the budget for using actors you have to pay each show they appear in) but it certainly ties a story (and a show) together nicely.
Another scene stealer this week was the heartbreaking breakup at the fishing shack. While I know many GL fans hated the Jonathan and Tammy pairing (and I was one who wasn't really in favor of it in the beginning) the chemistry was certainly there between Tom Pelphrey and Stephanie Gatschet. Part of me wishes them the best of luck when they leave Springfield, but the other part really wants more powerhouse performances to remember. We don't have firm last air dates for either actor (or Nichole Forester, Cassie, but will post them as soon as we know).
The third story that had me welling up this week also was a big surprise. Olivia's confession that she was raped and Ava's reaction to her adoption were both great performances. I know there are fans out there who aren't fond of this story (or saw it coming a mile away like I did) but you have to admit that the story and the performances were pretty powerful. The spoilers seem to take another turn in this story this week, so maybe we'll get away from the whole death threat story. (But for the record, I'd be more than a little ticked if I found out about a threat to me - even if she turned out to be my mother). Try not to forget the actor's don't write the stories - they just have to bring them to life for the fans....
But as I sit watching GL episodes back to back, something is missing. While I FF past a million political ads using my Tivo (since I live in the Washington, DC area I am bombarded with DC, Maryland and Virginia ads - and am really hating all of the negativity). But GL has seemingly forgotten about the mayoral race again. We haven't seen Blake or Jeffrey much at all. And unless Election Day in Springfield isn't November 7th, they are really missing the boat. I don't want a whole day of the election, but mention it a few times during the week - and show the characters involved.
This week promises to have some more great performances as the Reva cancer storyline also comes to a close in time for November sweeps. More familiar faces will return (hooray!) and the story should be an intricate dance between Reva's wanting to say goodbye - without revealing her illness or her plans to take a final plunge.
I was glad to see from the posts I saw that the fans seemed to enjoy the GL Fan Club events - it's always time and money well spent. Hopefully I'll be able to make it again next year. As soon as we have information on next year's event, I'll be sure to pass it along.
Until next week...
Keep the Light Shining and Have a Great Week!
Kimberly
