Before I start this week's slicing and dicing of the 'Did Stephanie try to kill Jackie or not' storyline, I would first like to personally thank all that emailed me throughout the week regarding my dog Maggie. She is fighting the cancer bravely and is eating/drinking/doing her business which the doctor says is a very good sign that she is trying to hang in there the best she can. She's not giving up without a fight and neither am I. I cry a little each day over the thought of losing her but I have to be honest...the outpouring of kind words and prayers from all of my readers has made this difficult time bearable. I have tried to response personally to each and every email I received and still have some more to go but I'll get back to you, I promise. I know I have said this before but I truly have the best readership of any soap columnist, bar none. You all are very special and it's an honor to entertain (or enrage) you each week.
Now, on to the image of Stephanie doing hard time in the Big House for attempted murder. Ok, who really thinks she consciously 'tried' to kill Jackie? I don't. I think she was pissed that Jackie wouldn't back off and I think she shoved her without realizing that she was that close to the railing. I know Donna saw her push Jackie but I still say that when the scene happened in real time and when she RECALLED it, she saw two different things. She's is playing this up, pure and simple. We all know that and the speech in front of Storm and Brooke about how Stephanie should pay for all the terrible things she did to the Logan family, albeit true, makes her so transparent. Blah blah blah...I swear she looks like Barbie on steroids! I just can't take her scenes seriously without seeing Grace Turner. Ugh.
Please don't confuse this theory on Stephanie's motives as me having a change of heart about her in general. I haven't. I still think she is a meddlesome harpy that has no conception of when to quit tinkering with people's lives. Love the actress, not liking the character much these days at all. Having said that, though, I am beginning to wonder exactly where all this nonsense is coming from about giving up Forrester in exchange for Jackie not pressing charges. WHAT? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the true owner of Forrester Creations Brooke Logan? I thought she has the 51 or 52% to assume majority control...didn't she? Then how is Nick thinking he can 'take' the company from a woman that doesn't own the majority interest? This is opening up a new facet of Nick's personality, too, that I am beginning to feel uncomfortable about...
I am all for a strong man that stands up for his principles and fights for his woman. Nick has gone so far beyond that now and it's almost becoming comical to watch him go from sad and worried about his mother to hell bent on revenge as if you could actually SEE the light bulb go off above his head when Jackie mentioned taking Forrester. It's a silly twist and I would have liked to just see this go to trial. This show needs a good protracted murder trial, you know? Y&R is working on a good one...why not B&B? The 30 minutes doesn't have to be a hindrance to this. It could spice things up a little in the process. But no...we have to do our now-typical 'Add water, instant resolution' direction that leaves us remaining viewers feeling a little unsatisfied.
So what have we learned so far, students? Don't follow Stephanie around the house yapping in her ear about what a rotten Mom she is, don't stand so close to the railing when she snaps, and for God's sake, make sure the slutty sister keeps her bony butt outside with the kids so she witnesses nothing. Hmm...rules to live by.
Nick should cut his losses and focus on finding another woman anyway. Brooke doesn't deserve him. And before I get tarred and feathered by the Brooke fans, think about it...she married him knowing she was still hung up on Ridge. I think a person can only take so much and Nick has taken enough. He slept with Bridget and there is no excuse, however, he never should have been in the position to make such a bonehead mistake. Brooke let Ridge do things that no man would tolerate. He loved her more than any man ever did (with the exception of Thorne whom I still say was the best shot she had at a truly solid marriage). Nick...it's clear he never had a shot. She has been too quick to go back to sucking face with Ridge lately and that's enough to convince me. Maybe Nick should make a play for Taylor? We still don't know if Thorne will forgive her enough to go out with her and Hector is a fruit loop, so why not?
I see all kinds of possibilities there...I can hear the phone call now: "Hello, Ridge? Yeah, it's Taylor. Can you come over and help Phoebe with her homework? I am going out for dinner with Nick." Can you say E-X-P-L-O-D-E? Ridge can't have Nick making it with both his ex-wives! Of course, this is all predicated on the assumption that Taylor will be released from jail pending the outcome of the trial. And that depends on the other fruit loop on the cast...Shane. What's up with this guy, anyway? I watched the scenes with him and Phoebe at the pool and wondered not if she was too stupid to see what he was doing but if HE was that stupid to not see she is stalling to get him through the trial and she's done? She is being so obvious yet he keeps up the menacing soliloquies about how he will have her no matter what. Come on, dude...wake up and smell the psychosis! And the newspaper clippings on the wall thing is SO 'Silence of the Lambs', too. Been there, done that. Phoebe, run as fast as you can and let Mommies chips fall where they may! Save yourself!
A couple of weeks ago I posed the question to everyone asking what would make you quit watching the show altogether. I don't think I addressed this but wanted to make the point that a disturbing amount of emails from folks said they had already stopped watching the show. That's right...they already stopped. They do not watch and many of these readers said they read my column and the recaps strictly to gauge whether or not the show will ever be worth watching. How sad is that? I have watched since the beginning and I know how these readers feel. I have toyed with changing the channel myself more than once but to be honest, writing this column keeps me from doing that. I also am more optimistic that people give me credit for and am constantly crossing my fingers that the writing will improve and I will be really excited to tune in each day. Until then, for those still watching like myself, hang in there. Brad can't keep up THAT many years of bad writing...right? Anyone? Hello? Are those crickets I hear? Hello???
This week's question...can Shane stand up to the 'Deacon' comparisons I have seen all over the Net? Is he the next mega-bad boy? Or...is he leaving all us ladies 'flat'? Weigh in...
I will bring the Soapbox back next week with answers to this week's question. Until then, have a great week and thank you all once more for letting me know what big hearts you all have. You know, it's a bit surreal to realize that, after a thousand or so emails from folks I likely would never lay eyes on, so many of you would share such amazing stories of pets that have touched your own lives. Many, many thanks from me and Maggie!
