I’m starting to feel belligerent about the lack of Chris on my screen.  I think I should just get that out in the open right now.  How can they not be able to work him into this story in a meaningful way?  PC is lucky in that it has quite a few good actors to work with, in fact while there are characters I detest right now (um…LIVVIE!?!?!) offhand I can’t think of any actors that aren’t worthy of being on screen.  Having said that though, there are some that are better than others.  And Nolan North definitely falls into that category.  The focus of this show is getting a little too narrow in my opinion.  The hospital (and I was just saying not long ago that I thought PC did so well with this) is basically non-existent in this arc.  Since Chris isn’t tied to anything or anyone outside of the hospital anymore, he is non-existent as well.  Meanwhile Livvie, Alison and several newbies are spending a LOT of time in my line of vision.  Like I said, I’m not complaining about the acting they are putting out but I get tired of seeing the same people all the time.  I know it’s a half hour and I know that they are trying to be different than other soaps and keep their stories moving more quickly but if the current story doesn’t interest you, then what?  

 With other soaps there are various (hopefully anyway) stories going on and there’s usually one or two that keep you watching even when the rest are boring you to tears.  That’s the beauty of soaps; there really is something for everyone.  When there are at least two sides to every story and there are multiple stories – well, even at their worst there is almost always something you care to see.  PC doesn’t have any thing going on that doesn’t revolve around Rebecca and these candles.  There are no characters doing anything that doesn’t have something or everything to do with this mystery.  We aren’t seeing Ian deal with losing Eve; he’s too busy helping Lucy find Kevin.  We aren’t seeing Chris deal with that either, he’s too busy doing nothing but doctoring up Ian who is overtired from channeling Kevin.  I guess when a book is over it’s really over!  It starts feeling, for me anyway, like I’m just watching and biding my time until they give me more clues or finally resolve the big mystery.  I know things are going to happen along the way that I don’t like but when it’s over and done with are the effects really that far-reaching?   

Why isn’t the whole town more suspicious of Livvie living up in that cabin by herself, and now with some stranger?  Why don’t they remember that when things get weird, Livvie gets even weirder?  Why are they not assuming that she may very well be hiding something from the rest of them based on her recent past?  It just doesn’t feel like it’s very far reaching to me.  Oh, there is the occasional reference back to how much evil they have all faced but there isn’t any evidence that they have actually learned anything from it (other than to be open to the idea of more evil).  For example, I would think at this point the first thing they would all do when faced with something supernatural they are not familiar with would be to research the heck out of it and then call in an expert to give them advice.  A bit too easy, I suppose.  Ok, I have gotten a bit off track here with what I meant to be saying, which was…I want more Chris and I want at least a tiny little bit of story that isn’t about the force of the candles!  Anything to lighten things up a bit again.  Chris gets a pet, Chris starts sneaking down to the hospital daycare to talk with Danny because he misses Eve so much and they bond making Chris realize he wants children so he starts looking for someone he can pay to have his baby with no strings attached…something!  Anything!   

Ok, I’m done ranting now.  Here’s what I like:  Frank’s revelation from childhood.  I could see that coming but I believe it could happen and I liked it.  And the acting by Pat Crowley as Mary was really great in those scenes where Frank confronted her about it.  She’s also very under-used but what else is new – she’s over fifty and that means she’s of no real use to the viewers, right?  (Sorry, I’m at it again, aren’t I?)  I like the idea of having to solve the past injustice in order to right the current injustice, that’s all cool with me.  I’m curious about the minister who ran off with his girlfriend.  Horatio Lodge.  Interesting name, though probably meaningless for our purposes if Kate is right and he changed it after he left.  I’m assuming that someone on canvas now will be a descendent of Horatio and his love, proving that Horatio did in fact not die.  And because Alison life is repeating the events of Rebecca’s life it’s possible that Horatio’s descendent will begin repeating Horatio’s life, and try to run off with his/her love with the help of a friend.  But, then again, Rebecca’s past is repeating because she was unjustly accused and killed, therefore never getting her peace and it’s possible Horatio had all kinds of peace so he may not need to be a part of the do-over.  I still figure we will find his descendent though.    

Livvie drives me really nuts, as usual, but I have to say that it’s a great, make us really hate her, story twist to let her get her hands on Rafe.  It’s the kind of thing that really works because it’s the worst thing that could happen and it happened in a fairly plausible way.  Well, plausible for PC, anyway.  It’s the classic “I don’t want to see this but I can’t stop watching” thing.  And I think it’s working pretty well.  I also really like that they are having Rachel show up intermittently in Livvie’s dreams.  I mean, who can deny a young lady who is causing nothing but trouble the right to have her psycho mama tell her she’s loveable?   

Ian and Kate, hmmm…what is that?  I think I see something on that wall over there…is that some sort of …why, it looks like…writing maybe??  Oil and water, rubbing each other all wrong, he thinks she needs to loosen up…whatever.   

Livvie drinking the wrong wine was a nice change.  I always wonder how they can be so sure they gave the right one to the other person – particularly when they leave the room after handing it to them. 

I am firmly behind Jamal cutting the sleeves from his shirts any old time he wants.  

I would also be firmly behind Frank and Ian realizing it’s officially (almost) summer (boys, note that every female around you is in sleeveless attire) and they can now take off the long sleeved sweaters.  Give us a little peak guys! 

Sticking with the clothing thing for a minute, a question…is Rafe wearing Livvie’s sweater?  That thing doesn’t look like it was made for him at all.   

Lines I personally enjoyed most this week came from these poor babies: 

Jack:  “My Ex-girlfriend isn’t only cracked up, she’s shacked up with some other guy!”

Jamal:  “Yeah, well mine?  She’s in love with an imaginary friend.”  

While on vacation I missed PC due to lack of tape space and I learned the hard way that if you want to keep up during a particular book you better not miss too many days in a row.  I was completely lost there again (though I kind of started out that way anyway!) for a while and I’m just finally coming out of the fog.  Some great people on the message board helped me out by answering some questions that the recaps didn’t cover and I think I am back on track now.  Rebecca told Kevin recently that he wasn’t leaving and that no one was going to come for him, but she knows that there is a way for them to rescue him because she was thinking aloud about Livvie (I think??) awhile back and said “I wish I could trust you enough to tell you how to get Kevin back before it’s too late” or something similar.  So the question I still have is:  when is it too late?  And who will the true believer that needs to find the candle be?  Lucy seems too obvious, as does Alison, and Livvie is going to need to be redeemed somehow at least a little or she may as well stay up in that cabin for life.  Maybe it’s going to take getting her to truly believe Alison didn’t do it in order to get Kevin back.  That makes me want to yawn so I hope I’m wrong about that one.   

I’m not worried about Rafe and Livvie getting married because I know he doesn’t have a valid birth certificate (not one that doesn’t have a matching death certificate, anyway) to show the court.  Nope, I’m not even worried. 

Feel free to drop me a line and let me know how you think things are going on PC, I love hearing your thoughts!   

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