Doesn't it seem like the residents of Pine Valley are making some really, really bad decisions of late? Okay, so they've never been the poster children of doing the right thing, but lately the show's tagline seems to be "Don't do as I say and definitely don't do as I do."
Here are two prime examples: the decision to place baby Trevor in an abandoned alley, and Jesse and Randi's decision to cover up Henry North's death. For whatever reason, in their minds, these plans sounded great. In reality, well...
Since I've already touched upon the abandoned baby plot last week, I won't go into too much detail. Maybe someone was reading a fairytale to the little one before this idea was conjured up. Isn't that a mainstay of fairytales or cartoons -- leaving a baby in a basket on someone's doorstep? I'm sure I've seen it somewhere other than All My Children. In the real world (or as much as Pine Valley can possibly be the real world), you just don't go around leaving babies unattended. Everyone is in a state of panic and angst because Trevor was babynapped as a result of their idiotic plan.
The Hubbards have their own set of problems due to a bad decision -- and that's before we even get to Randi, Frankie, and the baby. I understand Jesse's decision to help Randi cover up the death of Henry North. I am not saying that I necessarily condone it, but I get it. Here is a woman who had just found out that she was pregnant and she was almost sexually assaulted by a creepy district attorney. She clobbered him over the head and thought she'd killed him. We know she didn't, but she didn't. That could be a song lyric. There was no premeditation involved, because Randi obviously didn't plan to kill Henry.
What would have happened if Randi and Jesse just called the police in the first place? I don't think that Randi would have gone to jail. I'm sure it would have been ruled self-defense. It would not have prevented Frankie from finding out that she used to have "dealings" with Henry, but it turned out that Frankie wasn't upset about that anyway! Plus, he knew she was a hooker... so you kind of have to figure that Randi's had sex with other men. I'm just sayin'.
Now, this little lie poses danger to everyone. Jesse and Randi could both go to jail for their part in covering up the death. Angie's been roped in... and it's just a hot diggity mess. Quickly before I move on: I loved -- loved, loved, loved -- the showdown between Angie and Madison at Confusion. I have been waiting for Angie to take off her earrings, grab the Vaseline, and have a throw down with Madison. I was surprised that the ice queen, Madison, didn't flinch. Not an inch! Maybe Angie should have asked her for her hands. (If you've seen the wonderful Debbi Morgan in Eve's Bayou, you'll understand what I mean. If you haven't, you can buy or rent the movie on DVD! It's definitely worth it.)
Okay, back to Randi finding the baby. This is an updated tweaking of a similar story that involved an African American family -- at least in my head. A bunch of years ago, after losing her son, Grace Keefer went a little loopy and kidnapped Danielle Frye. Granted, Grace's son, Tony, was grown and he was shot and killed by Mimi Reed. Randi truly believes that finding the baby was a gift from God, who wanted to give her a chance to atone for her previous transgressions. For some unknown reason, even Frankie is going along with Randi's plan now. Soon-to-be-Emmy-winner Cornelius Smith, Jr., was great in the scenes with little Trevor. Yes, I've predicted that Cornelius will win an Emmy this year in the Younger Actor category. Just click here and you can also check out the rest of my picks since there are a lot of AMC actors nominated this year!
There have been a lot of religious references on All My Children lately. I don't want to make the column a Sunday School lesson, but considering that the show has always had undertones of religion, it's nice to see that the residents of Pine Valley believe in a higher power. It would also be nice to see some folks of different religions at some point. But, I guess one thing at a time.
I'm a sucker for romance -- far more than I let on -- but I found nothing romantic about the way Zach chose not to get medical treatment for Kendall after her collapse. I understand that he is skirting the law by having Kendall hidden in the secret room. Kendall received a heart transplant less than a year ago and he is willing to risk her life based upon her assurances that she's feeling better? With all of his shady connections, Zach must have a doctor in his pocket who could sneak in, check out Kendall, and sneak back out. Or maybe the doctor was asked to watch the casino while Zach finally tended to his kids.
While he doesn't have a doctor on the take, David is keeping Nurse Gayle around for some nefarious purpose. She's taking care of some mystery patient in Massachusetts, but who is it? We've all been led to believe that it's Greenlee, but it doesn't have to be. There are so many possibilities! Take a few moments to go to the kitchen and get yourself a nice beverage. While you do, think of all the former Pine Valley residents who've been presumed dead over the past 15 years. Go on! I'll be here waiting for you when you get back.
We might have to add Jackson Montgomery's name to that list. In a completely bizarre story twist, Jack announced to Annie that he could no longer represent her because he had to go out of the country. Really? Where ya going, Jack? It may have been a comment that Jack made because he was disgusted by Adam's decision to bribe a judge, but there is more to it than meets the eye. Walt Willey has apparently been taken off contract. It's not been confirmed by the show, but there is a belief that we will not see Jack again in quite some time. I know that Erica and Ryan are supposed to be the new "it" couple in Pine Valley, but does Jack have to be left out in the cold? Hook him up with Annie! You would think that if Gayle is nursing Greenlee back to health that the show would want to keep Jack around... it would make no sense to resurrect Greenlee only to have her orphaned by the show's writers.
What also would make no sense is a decision to bring back Bianca if Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) and Alicia Minshew (Kendall Hart) opt not to relocate to Los Angeles next year. It would be strange to see Bianca roaming around town without her mother or sister. The show's already killed off her father and her brother, so she'd be orphaned by the writers, too. I suppose Bianca could be written in temporarily to help usher the Kanes off the canvas...
Since I brought up Susan Lucci, I have to discuss the scenes that had Erica and Krystal in the tent in Africa. It was nice to see that AMC could incorporate some content from Lucci's recent humanitarian trip to Africa. The scenes with the scorpion were such a nod to the classic campiness that is Erica. Erica was right: she has stared down bears and prison mobs in the past. I was tickled by her remark, "Don't you raise your tail at me!" Also amusing was, "If you ever want to see your ugly bug wife and ugly bug children again, I'm telling you... you need to go!" When Erica was brushing up on her Swahili, she must have forgotten that scorpions aren't really insects... but it was still funny. And speaking of Swahili, how many people made notes of how to say "female dog?" C'mon... show of hands...
Well, folks, it's that time again. I need to get ready to head out West for this year's Daytime Emmys. I am hoping to get some photos and interviews with all of your favorite AMC stars. As a result, I will be back here in two weeks. Don't worry, though, I've asked for a special guest commentator to fill in for me next week so you'll still get to dish the latest happenings in Pine Valley.
dan
