Teen pregnancy and daytime drama go together like Holden Snyder and blue jeans. But the story of Liberty's pregnancy is anything but typical. A better description would be gripping, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking.
I wasn't thrilled when I heard Liberty would get pregnant from a quickie with a virtual stranger, because she felt insecure one day. It seemed to go against everything this character was, considering Liberty had always used birth control and had witnessed, first-hand, her mother's teen pregnancy story. But now that the little stick has turned blue, and Liberty's family is aware that she's with child, I can only give this storyline an enthusiastic thumbs up.
It has launched a compelling debate about abortion, between characters we care about. On one side is Janet who for religious reasons doesn't believe in abortion and she's got a pregnant Katie also in her corner, trying to convince a devastated Liberty not to abort her child. On the other side is Teri, Brad, Craig and Parker, who want Liberty to make the decision that she thinks is best. No matter which way you lean on abortion, this is a riveting story showcasing the emotions, tough choices, and heartbreak of teenage pregnancy, for all those involved. Bravo ATWT. I can't wait to see what decision Liberty will make and how it will affect those closest to her.
Meanwhile:
• --The line to smack Holden Snyder starts here. I'm starting to think he doesn't want to go home. He's had several chances to escape now and keeps letting that intellectual-genius Eb get the best of him. Why didn't Holden shackle Eb to the bed, after Maeve clocked him with a frying pan? Or better yet, why didn't Holden take the gun? I know he knows how to shoot one; Miss Emma's been waving around that shotgun at the Snyder farm since he was a teenager. I know these characters are only as smart as the writers, but Holden is an intelligent farm guy, who knows his way around a weapon. He should have had the upper hand on Eb several times by now. Sigh.
• --The line to smack Lily starts here, too. Parading Damian at Holden's funeral was bad enough, but jumping into bed with your ex when you husband is barely buried, well, that's harsh. No wonder Faith is so angry. I'm a little ticked myself and Lily isn't my mother.
• --Poor Carly. She's away at rehab trying to get better, just as her sister and fiancée are growing closer every day. It's obvious that Rosanna is still hot for Craig. All I can is, "Carly, hurry up and complete those 12 steps."
• --What a treat for longtime General Hospital fans to see Stuart Damon, Jon Lindstrom, and Lynn Herring reunited on As the World Turns this week. Damon came aboard as Ralph, the mob guy that Audrey introduced to Henry to launder money through Metro. Ralph has family in Oakdale, in Janet and Teri, so this should be interesting. But I'm asking ATWT to please not turn Oakdale into Port Charles, where it's mob central 24/7. General Hospital has never been the same since the mob came to town with its ubiquitous gun fights and death threats, edging out core families. That said, Damon is a great choice for a mobster; he goes against all the stereotypes with his soft-spoken voice and friendly demeanor. But I'll never forgive him if he gets my Henry into trouble. And by trouble, I mean Carly's wrath, when she finds out Henry allowed Ralph to get her club into bed with the mob.
• --Does anyone else find it strange that Dusty hasn't been around at all to comfort Lily? It wasn't long ago that they were inseparable, and now he's M.I.A..
• --If you haven't seen the latest ATWT casting news, then stop reading this paragraph right now. Last warning! Some familiar faces are returning to our show, and I'm absolutely beside myself. My Simon is coming back! Woo hoo, I've missed Paul Leyden. Simon's presence is sure to affect Carly, Katie and Vienna. I can't wait. Also returning is Mike, fan-favorite Mark C. Collier, and Peter Parros as Ben. Three gorgeous men coming home sounds good to me, but for you gentlemen, Maddie and Molly are coming back, too. I'm thrilled that some of my faves are coming back, but I have to ask the question of how a one-hour show can possibly handle all these characters? There is already a full canvas, and unless a mass exodus is planned, I'm a little nervous this will mean less screen time for my favorites.
• --Does anyone know how Dr. Bob is doing? I assume he's recuperating nicely, but it would still be nice if Margo and Tom would mention him.
• --Go Lucinda, go! She put the smack down on Damian this week and even tried to get Meg to fight for her man, to get Damian far away from Lily. Lucinda is about as subtle as a bull in a china shop, and that's why I love her. She tells it like it is.
• --Parker is acting remarkably mature. I really thought he'd lose it when he found out that Liberty was stepping out, considering his almost fanatical jealously a few months ago. Surprisingly, Parker has been nothing but supportive of Liberty. Although, he could have made a better choice than beating Liberty's baby daddy in the school hallway.
• --I'm glad to see that Adam's history is coming up. He mentioned this week that Gwen and Maddie buried him in the woods, after he attacked Gwen. I have a feeling that we're going to find out what happened to Adam to make him go all convict on Gwen.
• --I'm so confused about Damian's character. Did he purposely try to get Lily into bed and use Meg, or was he just ignoring his true feelings for his ex? Did he suspect all along that Holden was not dead? Is he trying to drug Lily, or simply trying to help her deal with her grief. For once, I need a GPS to figure out where a character is going. That's a good thing - I think.
• --I couldn't help but laugh at Paul this week when he told Meg, "All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy." Um, no, Paul, all you ever wanted was your daughter and to obsess about Meg and James. I guess Paul's amnesia must still be hanging on in some parts of his brain.
• --Speaking of Paul, congrats to him and Emily on their nuptials. Those two are always entertaining and equally wacky.
•--I always forget how hilarious Susan is, until we get a few lines of dialogue from her. Check out the Best Lines of the Week section to see her latest zingers.
•--James' funeral occurred during the week I didn't write this column, and the funeral was so fabulous and funny that I have to chime in with my thoughts. It's no secret that James has died so many times on this show that it's become a fun joke to fans, who always welcome back the talented Anthony Herrara. But I was pleasantly surprised to see James' onscreen family getting in on the joke, as Barbara stuck James' corpse with a pin, and Emily put her mirrored compact under his nose to make sure he was indeed dead. Brilliant! Then to be certain James was dead, Emily wanted to put a stake in his heart and Barbara wanted to lock his casket from the outside. I was laughing out loud as Audrey and Barbara traded insults, with the former asking the latter how she stayed alive, "Batteries?" and Paul telling Henry not to break up the "cat fight." Then, I almost went into convulsions, as Audrey pontificated about James' prowess as a lover, as Henry shuddered and begged her to stop, only for Audrey to tell the whole room about Henry and Vienna's sex costumes. It was dysfunction at its best. I hope James videotaped the ceremony, so he can watch it when he comes back. Oh right, he's dead for real this time. Riiight!
•--Can the hair department please pick a color for Ali and stick with it? She changes colors more than Meg changes lovers. She went from blonde, to black, to dark brown, to ash brown, to light blonde. Personally, I like her hair lighter. She looks more like the Stewart clan. She's gorgeous no matter what, but it seems a little strange to see so much change in one character's appearance in such a short time.
•--On a personal note, thanks to Reggie for trading weeks with me so I could take a brief vacation last weekend. To make up for it, I'll be writing next week's column, too, so come back for a second helping of my Two Scoops!
Best Lines of the Week:
(Susan is stunned to hear the news that Paul and Emily are getting married.)
Susan: "Are you nuts?"
Emily: "I was thinking something a little more traditional like, 'Congratulations,' or 'Best wishes.'
Susan: "How about, 'I wish you were marrying somebody you hadn't shot in the back.'"
(Susan tells Emily that Paul is not good husband material.)
Susan: "That guy is flakier than a croissant."
(Later, Emily defends Paul.)
Emily: "They took something out of his brain and it left him with amnesia."
Susan: "So what did you do, catch it?"
(James' funeral begins and the director tries to get the event started.)
Funeral director: "Are there any other mourners?"
Barbara: "We're not mourners, but we're here."
That's all for now Scoopers! See ya next time.
Jennifer Biller
