Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Jack, Carly, Hal and Holden have been on the backburner too long, and this storyline is meaty enough for all of them to chew on.
Already, we've seen Emmy-caliber performances by Maura West and Benjamin Hendrickson. Carly's agonizing cries of despair when she learned of Jack's demise were gut-wrenching. I confess, I haven't teared up that much from a TV scene, since the beloved Mitch Leary bit the dust on "Dawson's Creek."
The fallout from Jack's "death" sets up some intriguing possibilities. There's the ongoing conflict between Molly and Carly, as she continues to blame Molly for the incident. Then, there's the growing bond between Holden and Molly. Not to mention, what really happened to Jack?
Since his body wasn't found, we can only assume he'll wash up on the riverbank somewhere. Let's just pray that Jack doesn't fall victim to daytime's most popular disease, amnesia, or that he doesn't wind up being found by an insane woman and held captive again. I want a refreshingly original plot this time.
In the meantime, I hope to see some Carly/Craig scenes. These two were once my favorite Oakdale couple and, sadly, they haven't had a conversation or even a sarcastic barb in months.
In other observations::
--Is John Dixon still living in Oakdale? The man hasn't been seen in months. Perhaps someone should file a missing person's report with the Oakdale PD. On second thought, maybe not. The cop shop's history of finding missing persons is about as good as Craig's record of marital success.
--So Parker sees "dead" people. The kid's psychic dream of Jack calling for help was a little freaky. If he truly has the gift, then perhaps he can telepathically let his mother know he accidentally fell in the Snyder pond.
--Another week with no Henry. I swear, it's like being stranded on an island with nothing but sand in your swimsuit.
--Enough already with the Cabot/Jordan storyline. It's absolutely ruining Rosanna. Once a strong, savvy woman, she's now a quivering, wilting shell of her former self. The old Rosanna would have laughed in the face of James Stenbeck's ridiculous plan to get her horizontal with Jordan. I just can't stomach a needy Ro. She's so much better when she's in control.
--Why hasn't Craig been around to see Cabot? The show honchos seem to have forgotten that Craig was Cabot's father long before Jordan and Paul were in the picture. They also forgot that he has two sisters in town who could use a shoulder to cry on.
--Talk about waking the sleeping lion. You could hear Tom roaring all over Oakdale this week, as he and Doc went another round over Margo. I like angry Tom. But he seems to be forgetting that he is no saint. Remember his dalliance with Emily?
--The more I see Chris and Emily together, the more obvious it is that he and Ali won't make it to their first anniversary. Chris was so busy gazing at Emily during the pre-wedding meeting with the minister, that he couldn't muster the least bit of enthusiasm for Ali. I don't know why I'm surprised, considering Chris' history. And he and Emily certainly have chemistry. I once enjoyed the Chris/Ali romance, when they were written as equals. But recent scenes have demonstrated how ill-matched they are. Ali and Aaron seem the better match these days.
--New Molly is working my last nerve. I don't know if it's the director's intention to convert the character into a weepy, needy woman or if it's the actress' portrayal, but this isn't tough-as-nails-I've-done-time-Molly. This girl looks as if she needs someone to follow her around with smelling salts.
--I know it's wrong to like Lucy and Dusty together, but I can't help myself. I'm just enjoying this storyline until Lucy finds a decent mate her own age. Besides, fans have given them one of the coolest couple nicknames, ever, with the "Lusty" moniker.
--Hal has been downright despicable to Emily lately. I know it's just a plot device to push Emily toward Chris, so I'll forgive him. We know Hal would never be so callous to her. On a sad note, it was reported recently that Benjamin Hendrickson will leave the show soon, so we'd better enjoy every juicy scene we get.
Best Lines of the Week:
(This week was heavy on the drama and light on the humor. That's the only explanation I can give as to why a day player, Wade, gave us the funniest line of the week.)
(Wade attacked Dusty with a corkscrew and cut his chest.)
Craig: "You saw Dusty?"
Wade: "Yeah. I opened him up like a '94 Merlot."
