As I am sure you have all heard by now, NBC has cancelled Passions. It is slated to end sometime this summer, most likely right before the new fall shows appear. So we may even be able to hang onto the show well into September. There is also a possibility that the show will be picked up by another network, so all hope is not lost. Still, I am saddened by this, if for no other reason that I may no longer have this column to write. I have enjoyed the privilege of voicing my opinions since July 2002. It's very hard to believe this year marks the fifth anniversary. And when I think back to where my life was five years ago, to where it is now, it seems like an eternity ago. And when I think back to seven and a half years ago when I started watching Passions, it seems as though nothing has changed; which I am almost certain is the reason for this cancellation.
Nevertheless, I will continue to write this column until Passions is cancelled and allow you, the readers, to voice your opinions as well. I am also going to do my best to convince the editor of this site, and my very good friend, Dan Kroll, (even though he is currently upset with me because the New Orleans Saints beat his beloved Philadelphia Eagles last weekend. GEUAX SAINTS!!!!!) to allow me to write the Ugly Betty Two Scoops. As of now, Ugly Betty does not currently have a Two Scoops column, but after five years, I will be lost if I don't have a column to turn in every week.
This week soon turned into the week of why's for me. I guess I'll start with the news of Grace's death spreading throughout Harmony. Why was Kay blamed for Grace's death? Both Sam and Grace had forgiven her, and Kay did try to tell everyone about Ivy's plan long before Grace left. It's not her fault no one would listen to her. Then Miguel waltzes in and starts yet another fight with Fox, which sends Kay running out in a frenzy, which makes me wonder; why do the people of this town seem so comfortable running around in their nighties? What is it that makes it okay to run around in the middle of the night half naked, whether it be at the Crane mansion, the beach, a hotel, etc.? More than one person has done this and it seems to be a trend on this show.
Why didn't Fox send the Crane jet to pick up Grace? I know the weather was supposedly bad in London, but he could've sent it to Rome and flown Grace straight home. That is the way half of Harmony got home last summer. And seeing that it was his future wife's mother, you think he wouldn't have minded picking up the expense, especially since she was trying to get home to the wedding. Yet in the middle of all the finger pointing and placing blame, no one asked this question.
Despite the tongue lashings she took from Eve, Jessica, and Sam, Ivy still found the time to be concerned about her "dying" son. Why is she not concerned about Fancy? Ivy claims to love Fancy so much, yet Fancy is right upstairs supposedly being attacked repeatedly and Ivy can't even pop in to say hi? You'd have thought Sam would've said something after he rushed in to "save" Fancy, but Ivy can only care about one person at a time apparently. Still in all, after watching her get reamed by Sam, Eve, Kay, and Jessica, then almost laughed out of the mansion by Julian and Fox, you had to feel a bit sorry for her at being duped about Fox's condition.
But I really think Ivy cared more about being left out of the loop than about looking like a fool. Still in all, she asked the best question of the week, Why does Fox even want Kay if she doesn't want him? As Julian scowled at her that "Crane's don't lose," you could almost imagine the hell she lived in for years. And why Fox will not believe that Kay is with Miguel is beyond me. They are both missing, why wouldn't they be together? It's not as if Fox doesn't know they are in love.
Finally Kay confronted Miguel about making love to "Charity." She even told him Simone witnessed it too. Miguel quickly (surprise, surprise) figures out that Jessica was telling the truth about the look-alikes on the docks, when everyone thought she was drunk. Kay gets confused and sleeps with Miguel, then claims she is going to have her marriage annulled. What?!?!?! She just broke her vows, and she wants an annulment? I'm not the expert, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way. However, now that Charity is back in town, she may want to hang onto her hubby just a bit longer.
Why can Fancy do nothing but scream at her attacker? She is supposed to be trained to handle a crisis, and yet every time she is attacked, she screams for Luis to save her. It would frighten me to know she was on my police force. And why doesn't Crane security keep a look out for her? If she really wanted to prove to Luis that she isn't crazy, she should secretly have a guard hide in a room and when the rapist attacks, she'd at least have someone else to back up her story.
Does Sheridan have a home? Last time I checked she lived in the cottage. Does Fancy scream so loud that Sheridan can hear her and come running? Why is Sheridan still in the mansion at all? She's managed to go home and change clothes, why didn't she stay there with her husband and child? And for the love of pete, why did Fancy pick that knife up? She got her prints all over it, and then acted shocked that they were on there. DUH!!!!!! Did she miss basic training 101?
And I'm not 100% sure, but if the peeper/rapist storyline has turned into a NipTuck/Slasher storyline, I'm going to tune out. The rapist drugs Luis and then we see a condom? I'm thinking this is gross, and then I realize, the peeper is CHAD!!!!! Think about it; who else is Harmony has a ready stash of condoms?!?!?!? I may be onto something here!!!!
Sheridan is so much fun to watch. Somewhere, Alistair is watching all her machinations and glowing with pride at the thought of the things his devilish daughter is doing to keep Luis and Fancy apart. Pamela (see Viewer's Voice below) has suggested Sheridan is really Beth in disguise, and if that is true, it is about Sheridan's only road to redemption. I truly believe Sheridan is dressing up as the rapist part of the time just to terrorize Fancy. How the peeper got out of the closet baffles me if it isn't Sheridan. And she showed up just after Fancy and Luis realized the peeper escaped. But for the sake of fun, I hope Sheridan really has gone off the deep end. She's just soooooo interesting to watch right now.
Whitney had me howling this week. Did you see her demand the owner of the motel open up the doors and let her see who was in the room? I laughed out loud thinking she must be crazy. But then Theresa steps up and threatens him, so he lets them barge in on Valerie and Vincent. Not for one second did I believe that Valerie and Chad were having an affair. That is too easy, but then again, this is Passions.
Jared knows who Chad's mystery lover is, but he isn't letting on any clues. Still it was funny to see Whitney get hysterical. Why can't Valerie and Chad choose better hotels? They can certainly afford it. And why is this seedy motel the first place Whitney looks when she assumes Chad is cheating? Is this the only motel in Harmony? And if Whitney hasn't found Chad yet in the dump, (and we know he pays extra to stay off the register), maybe Whitney should either trust Chad or start looking in other motels.
Why is the peeper so concerned with Ethan and Theresa getting together? That came totally out of left field and seemed way too contrived. It would've been better to just have them unable to resist each other, much like the last seven years. And now Ethan will just use the lame excuse that he was brainwashed. Gwen will buy it, and we will go through yet another round of fighting between Gwen and Theresa.
However Jared may be through with Theresa. Why he is with her is beyond me. I can understand he loves her, but she brought so much baggage with Ethan, he had to know he was setting himself up for a fall. And with Ethan accusing him of being a murderer every time he turns around, Jared had to suspect his time with Theresa was limited. Truthfully, he needs to go ahead and be written off. He's served his purpose to make Ethan jealous, Gwen has seen Ethan and Theresa in bed, and heard Ethan crying Theresa's name at night, so what point does Jared serve now. Ethan and Theresa fans have to be ecstatic that their favorite couple is headed back together. And with cancellation looming, the best thing is to allow Ethan and Theresa some time together to be happy. The fans deserve it.
Some Random Thoughts:
Did anyone else think Spike looked like the Joker from Batman with that jacket he had on at the wedding?
Sam wanted to know why Spike was at the mansion because he had it on lockdown since JT's death. So why were Fox and Kay allowed to get married there?
Speaking of weddings at the Crane mansion, is there no other place in Harmony to get married?
Fancy has a princess room? If she was at boarding school all the time, what did she need with a princess room? And could the cheerleader/football jock thing be any cheesier?
That was some sedative Eve gave Fancy. She never seemed to fall asleep; she just screamed every ten minutes.
Where was Endora this week?
Ethan whispers Theresa's name and Gwen pops out of bed like a fire alarm has gone off. But the peeper lured him out of bed, and she never heard a thing. Amazing!!!
Fox said Ivy lied for 20 years about Ethan's paternity. But the viewer's have been lead to believe she lied Ethan's whole life. Boy he sure made it through law school fast if he's only 27 years old.
GEAUX SAINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUPERBOWL BOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Viewer's Voice:
"I am so glad this Ethan/Theresa/Gwen storyline is coming to a close next week. It is time, if the spoilers are right and Gwen finally dumps Ethan. Theresa and Ethan belong together. Also, this Chad storyline has to end, too. It's becoming so boring that I fast forward through him and Whitney now, cause it's the same old, same old boring stuff. Time for his secret to come out!" Thanks Gloria!!!
"I think Grace is still alive, but knowing Passions, she won't show up until the next winter Olympics (2010). And why did Kay's wedding take over a week worth of episodes??? That was unnecessary and ridiculous, one of Passions downfalls. I've seen many soap weddings, with more drama, and they don't need 6 or 7 episodes to play out. Just shows how this show loves to drag storylines out!!!" And it has ultimately caused the show's demise. Thanks Jen!!!
"First of all, allow me to offer you my best wishes. Here's hoping that you and your new husband will have a lifetime of happiness and God's blessings. Secondly, I just got a major brainstorm about why Sheridan changed so dramatically. What if Sheridan isn't Sheridan? What if the real Sheridan was kidnapped (again) and is being held hostage somewhere -- and the Sheridan we're all seeing is Beth in disguise? Something to think about, isn't it?" Thanks Pamela!!!
"I can not stand how they make Luis look like a friggin' idiot. Hello Luis not believing wacko Sheridan who I wish would fall off into the ocean and never surface again. Now he doesn't believe Fancy. I wish Fancy would just knock Sheridan's block off. Jessica is not going to help Kay after she helped her mother to leave. I hope Grace is not dead. I think Chad should be with a guy. That would make ratings soar. I am glad Kay married Fox, he was there for her while Miguel was chasing for Charity. Did he even come for one birthday party that Maria had. Pilar needs a lover so she won't be so cranky. That's my thoughts on the matter." Thanks Ginger!!!
"I think I figured out what is wrong with the show most of the time. When it started, they had a couple core families and a lot of the romance was centered on the teenagers while the intrigue focused on the adults. Now that the teens are adults, their plights should change, grow more complex, and not focus solely on romance! Plus, except for Endora (and the rare occasion of seeing little Ethan) they have no next generation. If they want to save Passions, the writers need to let everyone grow up." Thanks Jenn!!!
Until next week friends,
Brandi
