and his name shall be... Ryan Lavery!

Introducing the guest writers who sing for us "when the Muse strikes"

August 20, 2005
By Emeraldax

The way Erin was talking about Jonathan in comparison to Ryan, I have to wonder if she really knows all the things that Jonathan has done.  She doesn’t seem to refute Ryan’s words - like when he mentioned Jonathan poisoning Greenlee, she had no reaction to that - but it just seems like she regards Jonathan way more than she does Ryan.  She has legitimate reasons to hate Ryan, but I think compared to Jonathan and Braden, he wins the dubious honor of “Least Reprehensible Brother.”  On a fluffy note, the actress reminds me a lot of Debra Messing. 

Earlier in the week, it seemed as if there was some depth to JR’s statement that Babe never loved him.  He always goes on about her lies and her actions, but I think where it cuts him the most is his belief that she never loved him.  Because if she did, she wouldn’t have hurt him like that.  The expression on his face Friday was even more telling.  Jamie was going on in detail about how this was a setup because Babe would never do something like this to him. What a slap in the face for JR.  It goes back to JR’s belief that she never really loved him.  Using Jamie’s logic, if she had loved JR, she never would have cheated on him. 

I am sorely disappointed that Brooke is not going to be onscreen with her own storyline, but I do find the Adam and Krystal dynamic interesting.  When she first came on, I thought they would be fun  – though I never thought the writers would go for it.  She was clearly intended for Tad.  I guess it just goes to show that if you wait long enough, it might happen.  I think Krystal will be more lively with Adam, because at least her halo can be tarnished with him. 

Since I don’t get Soapnet, I didn’t get to see the Soap Star reality show, except for the tidbit they showed on Thursday (replacing The View).  I could not understand why the judges were gushing over Alec’s good looks.  I guess he’s just not my cup of beef.  But I do think he might work fine as Del Henry.  I’ve never seen the old Del, but I’ve read about him.  I’m willing to give Alec a chance.  I hope that girl who was runner-up gets hired somewhere. 

Ever since Amanda came to town, I have been trying to give her a chance.  That type of character always gets on my last nerve,  but I figured that given the right story, she could be fun.  I think she is getting better.  Especially now that her scheming ways are more in the open.  Not sure why, but there it is.  Crishell is definitely still green, but I think she will improve with more practice, and once the writers have more practice writing for her.   

New characters, especially when they are minor characters, tend to bumble around a lot before finding their place.  Like Josh, for instance.  I thought he was smarmy at first, and then he was surprisingly tender with Danielle, both during their hookup and in the aftermath.  He has excellent rapport with Erica.  I thought he sparkled great with Babe, but I hated the way it turned him into a Babe defender.  When Erica was telling him all about Babe, I thought he was too dismissive of her.  If he had just copped to the fact that he was drawn to Babe despite Erica’s warnings, instead of saying that “Well, that’s not the Babe I know” crap, it would have gone down much better.  But, I know how Josh feels.  I’ve actually witnessed Babe pull all her horrific stunts from day one, and yet Alexa Havins still manages to make her compelling.  I find myself wanting to like something about her, yet the writing makes it very hard.   

I feel the same way about JR.  The writing paints him as despicable, but the actor brings out something special that makes you want to root for him anyway.  He is very similar to AJ on GH in that regard.  But I’m not rooting for him with Kendall.  JR tries too hard to get into Kendall’s pants, and he shouldn’t have to do that.  Word to the wise – if you have to spend all your time making cases for how good you can be together, give it up.  She’s just not that into you.  Move on to someone who will fall madly in love with you and you don’t have to hog-tie them to get them into bed. 

I like Kelli Giddish a lot and I like Di.  But I’m just not feeling any chemistry with Tad.  They work very well as ex’s who squabble a lot, but the kiss on Friday left me cold.  In the four years of watching the show, the only person that Tad has really had chemistry with is Simone.  That is, of the women he dated.  If you go beyond that, then Anna Devane and Maria Grey for sure.  With Brooke, it is the same “cozy ex’s” feel as with Di.  Hopefully they will keep up the squabbling and not be too shmoopy. 

Along with 99% of everyone else on the net, I was hating all the spoilers about Kendall agreeing to become a surrogate for Greens and Ryan.  And I do still hate it, in theory.  But boy are Alicia and Rebecca really selling it to me!  They make me want to forget all the horrible things these characters have done to each other (or at least make light of it the way they are).  They make me want to forget that they are putting Ryan up on a pedestal.  They make me want to forget that Greens as a mommy leaves me green around the gills.  When it gets right down to it, if my best friend of 13 years was in this situation, I would be her surrogate in a heartbeat.  No kidding.  That is why it resonates with me, despite all the other stuff.  What makes me laugh, though, are the jokes going around about Greenlee and Kendall as a couple.  Ever since I read that, I can’t keep a straight face watching these two.  Same thing with the JR and Di coupledom. 

I was really glad that there were some flashbacks to Julia’s relationship with Noah.  At the beginning of the week I was complaining on some boards that us new viewers were not being given the chance to connect to Julia.  All we’ve had is a woman standing around complaining.  I am a visual person.  It would have been much more effective if we had seen flashbacks of her witnessing the murders, of her and Noah together (which we finally got) and of her having to part from her loved ones (such as Maria or anyone else that is currently or recently on the canvas).  I managed to miss the one and only appearance she made a couple of years ago, so right now she is just a strange woman talking in a empty house. 

Zendall lovers got quite a little chocolate morsel of a scene this week.  Every movement, every word, every glance is just so seductive to me.  Thorsten and Alicia really know how to work it.  I loved the chemistry these two had from the moment they met in Las Vegas.  Last December I started writing a fanfic because I figured that was going to be my only outlet for this couple.  I was so flabbergasted when these two were paired, that ever since I feel like I’ve been walking around with a delicate blown-glass figurine.  I keep imagining the TPTB are going to stick their foot out and trip me, causing the figurine to go flying and shatter.  Then they’ll hand me a tacky trinket from South of the Border and tell me that I will like it much better.  The last time I was this ulcer-causing anxious for a couple to get together was on GH when Jax walked into the ELQ board meeting and Skye breathed, “Who is that?”  I was chewing Tums for nine months before they finally had popsicle sex.  I really hope Zach and Kendall become a real couple, but if they don’t, I will enjoy every moment while it lasts. 

Speaking of chocolate, my daughter was watching a DVD of Max and Ruby this week.  In one episode, the Easter Bunny leaves them a chocolate chicken.  Max stares at the chocolate chicken and exclaims “I love you!”  Indeed.  

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