As summer begins, watching One Life to Live has become a mixed experience. There are moments that are great and right on target, and then, there are moments that are frustrating to watch. Last week was a perfect example of how both kinds of moments coexist. This show has struggled with being consistent for a while, and I hope the great moments start to greatly outnumber the other ones soon.
The story of Gigi's death, and everyone's reaction, is the perfect example of this inconsistency. On one hand, I loved Viki's scenes with Gigi, as she said goodbye and promised to look after her family. Viki always knows the perfect thing to say in situations like this. I always liked Viki and Gigi's friendship, even if we didn't get to see it often. Gigi came into Viki's life as she was searching for a life change, and Gigi got a whole new life because of Viki. They dynamic between these two characters has always been enjoyable, and I am sad that we won't get to see them interact again.
On the other hand, we have Rex and the choices he made last week. I understand that Rex simply can't stand the idea of Clint getting Gigi's heart. Clint has gone out of his way to be cold and mean to him since Rex found out Clint was his biological father. Even when he learned that he would be getting Gigi's heart, he didn't show any compassion for Rex. Clint's attempt to "reach out" to Rex as a father was pretty lame and transparent, since he only decided to do that after he found out Rex could stop the transplant. Rex is angry and doesn't think Clint deserves Gigi's heart, but Rex is only making this decision based on his own feelings.
Rex isn't thinking clearly right now, which is understandable. However, he knows that Clint is important to many people, including his own sister. To let Clint die out of spite or try to smother Clint with a pillow is just a way to make himself feel better in the moment. It would be one thing if Rex were in denial about Gigi's condition. However, he has admitted that he knows she isn't going to wake up. He is going to great lengths to stop the transplant, including letting Echo forge documents to further his cause. He thinks he is protecting Gigi and doing whatever is necessary to get his way. That sounds like something Clint would do. I wonder if anyone will point that out to him.
Bo's indifference about what Rex is doing is bizarre. I don't believe for a minute that he would actually accept Rex letting Clint die. Clint has done horrible things to Bo and Nora, but I still don't believe that Bo wouldn't want Clint's life to be saved. His reaction to Rex stopping the transplant seemed out of character, and was definitely one of the frustrating moments of the week.
It was great to see Matthew open his eyes and even say a few words. David was great with Matthew, and I am glad he came back to Llanview to see his little brother. While the story has been interesting, I found it hard to believe that neither David nor Rachel would come back to Llanview to see their brother while his life was in danger. I know we won't be seeing Rachel for whatever reason, but at least we got to see David care about Matthew.
I hope Bo and Nora figure out what Matthew was trying to say when he said Eddie's name. I don't want to see Nate get away with punching Matthew, simply because Matthew can't communicate clearly. I doubt Nate will confess any time soon, especially since he has Deanna around to justify every single thing he does. Matthew is a murderer himself, and that must be dealt with, but Nate's actions have to be addressed too. I have no desire to see Nate be allowed to go on with his life like nothing happened. By the way, Nate's graduation was a random event to feature; when was the last time we even saw him at school?
I also don't want to see Jack get away with what he did to Gigi. Todd is upset about Jack's behavior but is also eager to make it all go away. He was even willing to bribe Brad's father into letting Brad take all of the blame. Is Jack going to be punished for anything he has done? So far, it doesn't look like it. Téa is in lawyer mode and is doing everything to make sure Jack isn't punished. Blair was busy following Tomas in New York, and Starr doesn't seem to know anything either. I hope someone holds Jack accountable for his actions, but nobody seems interested in doing that except John McBain. I hope that this changes soon because this story will be hard to watch if it doesn't.
Getting back to Blair, she found out that Tomas was married, much to her surprise. I am glad she questioned Tomas' explanation for going to New York. Sometimes, she doesn't question anything about him, so I am glad her instincts come through for her once in a while. While it looks like Yvette isn't a threat to Blair, an even bigger revelation came out of their meeting. Tomas allegedly has a son named Sebastian or "Baz." Tomas didn't request a DNA test to prove this, but either way, it looks like we'll be seeing more of Sebastian.
I didn't like Starr and Sebastian's "meet-cute." It wasn't actually cute. Deciding that Starr should listen to his music instead of her own was presumptuous and over the top. I guess he knew what he was doing, though, since Starr eventually found it endearing. I don't think Llanview needs any new characters right now, especially not arrogant ones like Sebastian has proven to be so far. I get that he is a foil for Starr and James, but since their relationship hasn't gone anywhere, a foil seems unnecessary. I hope Sebastian's presence on the show is minimal and that we don't get introduced to other new characters to add to the teen/twenty-something scene this summer. We have too many characters as it is, and Sebastian hasn't made me want more.
I am glad Jessica is back because I've seen enough of her alters to last a lifetime. However, I don't know why she expects everyone to accept the fact that she is Jessica and that she is ready to resume her regularly scheduled life. She was gone for four months, Tess did a lot of crazy things, and her family doesn't have the assurance of a doctor telling them that Jessica is okay. People should be suspicious of her. Of course, no one has rushed her back to St. Ann's, but at least they are leery of her. That's a start. I know some people suspect that Jessica is actually Tess. I don't agree with that, but Jessica's new feistiness and anger are certainly a lot like Tess, especially the way she threatened to sleep with John when she argued with Natalie. However, she rebuffed Ford and actually seems to care about her children, so I think Jessica is in control, and I hope she stays that way.
I am still intrigued by Roger Howarth's character. His interactions with Sam were adorable, even if someone should warn Sam about stranger danger or maybe even watch him when he's outside. Anyway, Roger Howarth's character has had moments of acting exactly like Todd. He is convinced someone has taken over his life, but I am not convinced that the current Todd isn't really Todd. Either person could be the real Todd at this point. I can't wait for Trevor St. John and Roger Howarth's characters to see each other for the first time. I hope this happens soon because Roger Howarth's character can only skulk about Llanview for so long, without it becoming redundant. I still like this story; I just don't want it to get stuck in a rut!
Finally, please don't forget to continue writing and calling ABC and its sponsors to let them know what you think about the cancellation of the show. People have been requesting the contact information, and it can all be found at soapcentral.com/sos. ABC is counting on us becoming complacent about the show ending, and we shouldn't give the network that satisfaction!
Until next time,
Dawn
