When I posed the question in my last Scoops about whether or not everyone liked the new Donna, I had no idea I would have the avalanche of responses that I did. I can say I hit yet another new record in emails! And the vast majority (all but 2) let it be clear throughout the land that they HATED the new Donna. H-A-T-E-D. If Brad wanted to stir the pot again by bringing back someone and completely changing them from their original incarnation, it worked. Mousy Donna has been replaced by Slutty Donna and boy, is she looking to get into some trouble! Somebody better get the flea collars and GET READY TO RUMBLE!!
I swear I don't have any recollections of past-Donna being anything like she is now. I even have to agree with some of the folks who emailed in saying they can't even look at her without seeing the equally slutty Grace Turner from Y&R. She seems to be channeling her in this performance as Donna. Not such a hot idea if you ask me (or maybe Brad told her to do just that!). I thought having Donna come back would be a plus, something to move along or spice up some of the boring triangles that stick around with us like a bad rash. I am thinking that this thing with Ridge will be interesting but not for the reasons that I thought originally. I just wanted someone to distract the Wooden One from Brooke, not to be a cheap plot device that would bring them back together. All the jealous looks and posturing that Brooke has been going on with for the last week or so makes my stomach turn thinking all this is to make her think she made a mistake in marrying Nick. Why do we have to keep revisiting this Brooke-Ridge pile of manure? Can't she be happy in at least ONE marriage without Ridge casting his obsessive shadow in the middle of it? That Xerox has been working overtime to create this scenario of Donna intentionally coming on to Ridge in front of Brooke and Brooke doubting her love for Nick because she is insanely jealous. Blah-blah-blah!!! Somebody please let me off this ride!!
I just thought they would make a good couple, you know? Sleazy sex-obsessed Ridge meets sleazy waitress sex kitten Donna. End of story. I am glad my prediction did not come true, however, between Donna and Thorne. That poor man has been through enough...the last thing he needs is a woman of loose morals sniffing around the beach house. Besides, he has a woman of 'higher' morals sitting around crying and shouldering truckloads of guilt right there for the taking!
Taylor has gotten herself in a quite a pickle, huh? Now she has the guilt of accidentally running over Thorne's wife, being a willing participant in the cover-up (sorry, but she could have said no and come clean), and now she is trying to mask her guilt by going to an AA meeting and playing dress-up with little Alexandria. I know it's been a long time since my days in Psych 101 but isn't this all a little unhealthy for her and the girl? She can't be a substitute mommy just because she feels guilty for mowing down her real one. It gives everyone a false sense of healing and interrupts the natural grieving process. Come on Dr. Hayes-Forrester!!! Dust off those old textbooks and flip right to the chapter titled 'Defense Mechanisms: Denial'. Tell the truth, Taylor...people are gonna be mighty PO'd as it is but prolonging this will make it worse. Making a dress from Darla's clothes for the girl does not make the truth go away...do the right thing. That's what we have always come to expect from you but with you veering so far off course, one has to wonder how much lower you will go. I would love to see her and Thorne rekindle the flame from years past but not exactly like this. I liked the relationship they had when she was pregnant with Thomas...no, I didn't like the lying about his paternity and Thorne's willing part in it but nevertheless, I like them as a couple. If it's done right, I think Brad may have something there.
With Thorne and Taylor becoming a possibility on the horizon, it makes you wonder how much longer Hector will be around. It seems that all he's good for these days is threatening Taylor and Phoebe into not telling the truth. "I'll get in trouble! You'll go to jail! You'll lose your Mommy!!' With a few keystrokes, the formerly Saint Hector has been reduced to Scary Hector. Sad and ultimately could spell certain doom for his character's place on the cast. After all, if and when all this comes to light, he's gonna be spending time putting out fires in the Big House!
But we all know that in the Soap World, no one goes to prison for very long and even if Taylor is found out and gets convicted, she'll magically serve it all in one week or have Thorne or someone beg for her not to go at all. Maybe it will be Stephanie since she is really a little guilty herself in the upcoming week after having treated Taylor like a secondhand citizen during her brief "I love Brooke' phase. What can the Queen say that would erase the betrayal that Taylor feels? Not sure but I would still love to see Taylor tell her to go to Hell! Get a little sassy, woman! Find your backbone and stand up for yourself! Stephanie is only looking for someone to bitch about Brooke to anyway. Her plan didn't work and she is running out of females to control. And I'm sure that the elusive 2% that Taylor sold has NOTHING to do with Stephanie's sudden interest in making amends, right? Right.
Onto to Babymaking Barbie...does she want a kid or doesn't she? God, make up your mind already!! Two key things make me scratch my head about this whole Dante-Bridget-Felicia story: 1-What exactly is Dante's rush to procreate anyway? I have never seen a man SO intent to have another baby NOW as he is. Does he think having a baby with Bridget will cement their relationship? Shouldn't they have a courtship or something first before rushing headfirst into being parents? Go to a movie, get a bite to eat, something!!! Is Dante's biological clock ticking? Will he turn into a pumpkin at midnight? And 2-Why would Bridget rush into baby-making with him at all, only to pull back out of nowhere and say she wants to wait? What is she hoping for? Maybe that Nick may be available if things go bad with Donna in town? Is she scared because of what happened to her ill-fated-right-from-the-beginning pregnancy with Nicole? Maybe she thinks Dante has feelings for Felicia he is not admitting to? I don't get it. My brain hurts just trying to figure it out.
Another question is what the heck is going on with Felicia? She is acting so desperate in every scene with Dante that I wonder if she is 'on' something! She needs a cold shower and he needs to stop leading her on if he doesn't have feelings for her. He runs off pouting and whining like a little boy and she swoops in like a vulture going in for the kill. Felicia had a good thing about to get going with the cute doctor but now I suppose there are no other guys to chase in town but Dante. The bottom line here is that I don't think any one of us viewers knows where this is going. For that matter, maybe Brad has no idea either! Now wouldn't that be a shocker!!
The emails I received over the last few weeks about Nu-Donna were nothing short of, shall I say, 'colorful' in their description of her impact on the B&B landscape. Here's a sampling of some of the words used to describe her:
mean
snarky
backstabbing
vicious viper
plastic
creepy
snooty
trampy
trouble
all hair and boobs
nasty
screeching witch
snake in the grass
annoying
slut
Whoa!! I'd say there are some rather strong opinions about Brooke's little sister. My thoughts? No one should look that skinny in lingerie. Someone get that girl a burger! And if I have to hear her go on with "Your Ridge's destiny" one more time I'll jump off a building! AHHHH! I can't take all the pro-Ridge speeches!! She doesn't want them back together! She wants Ridge all to herself, period! And judging from the sleazy little smooches this week, she just might get her man! GOOD! She can have him! They deserve each other...but she better watch her back because Queen Bee is not going to want to see Number One Son shacking up with another 'Logan'.
Things that drove me crazy this week: More 'praying hands' from Ridge...where does that come from and what does it mean? Nick's oogling at Donna in her teddies...hey there Buster-you're a newlywed!!! How about every scene with Phoebe and eyes that bug out so much that she may as well have a sign on her forehead that says "Accomplice-Guilty as Charged'. Ridge's poor-me speech to Brooke citing 'Don't take that away from me too!' UGH! PUKE! Taylor saying as she walked into the AA meeting that she 'didn't need this'. Uh, yeah you do! Wake up and smell the sobriety Doc! You're a drunk and you need to kick the habit. Welcome to the real world. Yours is messy and smells like cheap wine...deal with it. It turned out to be a good scene, though. And Felicia ghouling around every corner looking to kiss Dante. Every scene with her is becoming sad to watch. And that ugly, shower curtain dress that became Alexandria's new mu-mu to wear around the house. I am all for this poor child having something of her Mom's to cling on to as she is too young to truly understand her loss but THAT? How about a picture or a favorite purse or old stuffed animal? I was snickering, too, at the sight of Taylor whipping out the sewing machine like she has been making dresses for years. Yeah, that's believable.
My happy moments this week were all the scenes with Thorne. Such a great and underused actor. I love his easy way with the little girl that plays Alexandria. I actually liked the catty dialogue between Brooke and Donna. And though I thought Taylor's entrance into the meeting was a bit out of touch with reality, I like the way she opened up as it went along. I have always thought Hunter Tylo was a good actress and those scenes helped her show the more vulnerable and down to Earth side of Taylor.
Sorry for the absence last week...I had some family issues out of town and had no way to craft the column. In over 3 ½ years doing the Scoops I have only missed one week around the Holidays so I hope all of your readers will understand. I'm sure many of you can empathize with the demands of family and the craziness that can come along with it!
This week's question: Do you like or dislike the change in Taylor's character? Why?
