Poor old Salem. Despite the return of at least some of the presumed dead, no one seems to have a darn thing to be happy about. Can anyone name me even one person in Salem who truly appears to be happy and thankful to be alive? (Besides Alice, who is always happy, even when, after being returned from the dead, no one acknowledges that she's still around.) I've just realized that it must be at least two years since any of the Salemites have been happy for more than a few minutes. What a miserable place this town/soap is turning into! Mickey's obviously gone senile, since he's basically losing it both emotionally and legally. The mere fact that Maggie is still alive, even if presumed dead in the past, invalidates his marriage to Bonnie. Yet instead of 'fessing up to this truth, he's dithering between Bonnie and Maggie. In another writer's hands, this situation could have been better handled, both for laughs and for pathos. But all we're getting is cat fights and nonsense. Bonnie is happy for now, but the constant battles will surely weigh her down. And of course, Maggie can't be happy to be returned to this blithering idiocy.
Bo and Hope are back, and reunited with their sons. However one son is too young to know what's going on, and the other has been physically and emotionally scarred by his summer trauma and subsequent head injury. And he's engaged to Jan. 'Nuff said. No one can fathom how Jan wormed her way into Shawn's life, so no one is having a very nice holiday with the Brady Bunch.
John's not having much fun either. Still in the hospital bed, still unsure of Marlena's wellbeing, with the oddest combination of unshaven face and neatly trimmed hair - and some unknown trespasser who keeps adding something to his i.v. Whenever he starts to feel even a little bit better (which is rare indeed), someone comes to his bed and asks for advice and/or comfort. Did he even get a piece of pumpkin pie?
Kate's been one of his visitors. She seems oddly calm for a woman widowed on her wedding day who finds out first that her dead husband is very much alive, and then that he's missing again - lost with his ex-wife, presumed dead. So naturally, she spends half of her time mooning over John, and the other half manipulating her adult children. Sheesh, she's a widow, a mother, a working woman - where on earth does she find the time to cook up elaborate plans and charades too? She must be taking some pretty good multi-vitamins!
Having husband Abe home should have really thrilled Lexie, but his sudden blindness kind of took the shine off his homecoming. The news isn't good for Abe's vision, while Lexie is too busy at the hospital to even remember that it's Thanksgiving. What little down time she finds is reserved for worrying about Brandon getting back together with Sami. And Celeste is too busy divining the future to live in the present. Really makes you wonder about the day care situation in Salem - they must be very forgiving of parents who 'forget' to pick up their kids for a month or two!
Jen's back, but Jack's still missing. Abby is once again angry with Jen for misplacing her daddy. Patrick wanders around apologizing.
And Belle has accepted Philip's proposal because she's getting tired of waiting for Shawn to come back to his senses. Great reason for marrying, right? Meanwhile Mimi's still being 'blackmailed' by Jan into doing as she says, since Jan has the 411 on Mimi's abortion. I'm hoping Mimi grows a backbone and lets Jan have it - and soon!
So I ask you again - who's happy in Salem? Who can honestly give Thanks at Thanksgiving this year? What a sad bunch.
Here's what you all had to say this week:
"Why do they have to bring this Georgia stuff back up? Bo goes to look for Billie and we all know the baby is really the TEENAGER who has befriended Abby-CHELSEA. How sick. How can a baby be born, buried in the swamps of La and now they have a headstone in Salem with Georgia's name. We have never heard of this before. Then Billie goes crying at the grave and says she can't stand to leave her baby. Why has she been flying around the world before? I am sick of this...This is getting way too goofy. I have tried to stick this stupid storyline out, but I am getting to my wits end! " from Babs
"This is the most distasteful show on TV now. I can't even read the entire "SCOOP" anymore much less watch the show... Let's see more goodness and gentleness, more kindness and give everyone a break from the violence, grim reaper scenes and Celeste's stricken countenance moaning "Oh No." Hasn't she caught on that nobody listens to her anyway, they all think she's nuts. Your storylines are beaten half to death and bloody."
- Rosanne D.
"We need a little happiness in the world today to watch. " - Donna P.
Hands up, anyone else who's getting tired of spending a daily hour in Salem depressed!
