It was a short week for One Life to Live, and based on what happened in the three episodes that did air, I wasn't sad that there weren't more. I keep seeing glimmers of a good show, but some of the stories continue to bring it down, and I hope a swift resolution for each of them is ahead.
Monday's episode was disappointing from start to finish, since we didn't know much more by the end than when it started. I think having three paternity stories at the same time is too much, and having three possibly faked results is equally too much. Now we have to watch Charlie and Rex believe they are father and son, when we know they aren't, which makes it all seem like a waste of time. Poor Charlie thinks he has a second chance at being a father, when in reality, he will feel like he lost another son when he learns the truth. Rex will discover that he was lied to yet again about where he came from, making it even worse for him to learn that evil Clint is his father. Haven't Charlie and Rex been through enough?
Brody and Jessica got the news they wanted, but that is subject to change, and Ford might be the father of Jessica's baby after all. They looked happier than they have for a long time, and it made me sad to think that it might not be true. Natalie got the news she didn't want and made another stupid decision because of it. It's pretty obvious that the test result is wrong, and Marty probably had something to do with it, but Natalie doesn't know that and told Brody that John is the father when she knows Brody is. She gets dumber by the day in this story, and if Marty tells John the truth, Natalie can't blame anyone but herself.
We know Clint's employee altered at least two of the tests, and Marty probably altered at least one of them, leaving no end in sight to all of these paternity stories. By the way, why does anyone have DNA tests done at Llanview Hospital? The results are just about always tampered with, and anyone can walk into the lab and access information!
I am glad that Roxy was included in Rex's paternity story. I disliked that Roxy turned out to be Schuyler's mother and not Rex's and didn't like that Rex and Roxy's relationship practically disappeared after that. I am glad we got to see Roxy's reaction to finding out that Echo was Rex's biological mother. She had every right to feel betrayed by the news, since Echo kept the truth to herself while befriending Roxy. I don't blame Roxy for kicking her out. I hope Roxy continues to be a part of this story. She isn't on the show nearly enough.
While all of the paternity chaos was transpiring, Todd served Marty with an order, barring her from seeing Hope. I know that Todd likes to be mean to Marty, at least occasionally, but even he should have seen that this plan would backfire. I am glad Téa reamed him out about it, and I hope Starr does the same thing when she finds out. After that, maybe Starr will learn to read documents before singing them! I know that Todd and Marty will always be a part of each other's lives, but I wish the writers would stop creating new conflicts just to continue the cycle. There has to be a better story for these two characters.
That being said, Marty's behavior has been strange. She can't wait to make Natalie suffer and is obsessed with making sure John knows the truth about Natalie. I agree with Todd about how Marty should lose her license. There's no way she should be seeing patients in her current state of mind. She's stolen medical records and hasn't cared about professional responsibility ever since she vowed revenge against Natalie. Professional ethics rarely matter at Llanview Hospital, but Marty's actions have been egregious! I admit that it's been entertaining to watch a darker, meaner Marty, but I wonder where this story will go. She can't stay this way forever, especially since so many people know that she is on the warpath.
I still think that there has to be a better story to tell for Bo and Nora. Inez is still the most boring character on the show, and yet, she is coming between Bo and Nora and is the subject of many conversations these days. I still think having Nora be jealous of Bo's assistant is cliché and beneath them. Bo's behavior at Thanksgiving was outrageous. He acted like Nora didn't exist! This is a very hard to story to watch, as an avid fan of Bo and Nora. However, I did enjoy Nora's line about Inez knowing all about tarts, though. Go Nora!
As many have suspected Clint wants to break up Bo and Nora, since he told Inez he wants her to sleep with Bo. What a cliffhanger for a holiday episode! I knew Clint was interested in Inez because of her connection to Bo, but it turns out the reason is entirely different. Clint doesn't want Inez; he just wants to use her to seek revenge on Bo and Nora. I can't imagine Bo would ever cheat on Nora, but it will be interesting to see what Clint's whole plan is!
It looks like Langston is setting herself up for another heartbreak, since she has decided to reform Robert. While I think Robert is a slightly better person than I thought before, I simply don't believe he will wait for six months to sleep with her. I am sure he will sleep with "Karen the pizza girl" or anyone else who is willing before he waits for six months. I knew Langston was going to take him back, but it was still disappointing to see it happen. I guess Langston wants to learn the difficult way...twice.
The Thanksgiving episode had all of the elements of a true, family holiday. There were awkward moments, uninvited guests, and plenty of tension to go around! It was great to see Shane after such a long absence. I liked his conversation with Brody about Brody being a good father. After all that's happened, it's easy to forget that Brody stepped up to be Shane's father when he didn't have one, so it was a nice nod to history. It looks like Echo and Gigi are off to a bad start, as Echo took jabs at Gigi at every turn. It will be interesting to see how these two do (or don't) get along in the future.
As for the Cramer Thanksgiving, Eddie Ford crashed it and was arrested faster than anyone in Llanview ever has been. He continued to show how crazy he is, after he claimed he couldn't be arrested for hitting his own son. This character has gotten an interesting reception so far. I've gotten e-mails saying that people are rooting for Eddie instead of Inez. Either watching a crazy, violent man is entertaining...or Inez is just that boring. I wonder which one it is!
I liked that we were told that John was in Seattle with Michael and Marcie. All too often, characters are forgotten after they leave, so it was nice that they were acknowledged, especially since they are related to someone who is still in Llanview. The best thing that happened, though, was Joey arriving at Llanfair. I'm not sure how I feel about Kelly and Joey reuniting, but I like the idea of having another Buchanan in Llanview!
Until next time,
Dawn
