I've been on the bandwagon to get less Peapack air time and certainly this week gave me more ammo.
Full disclosure, I am one of those Washington, D.C. weather wimps that was mentioned by the President this week, so I had to laugh at Josh and Edmund having a scene in the snow! While it was pretty - and certainly not a blizzard, it was pretty distracting when I was watching the scene.
There are times when the outdoors is a great break from the studio sets that have all but disappeared, but this was crazy! Couldn't they have the scenes indoors?
Aside from the distracting elements, I have to admit that Edmund's reappearance certainly spices up Springfield - at least for Reva, Josh, Jeffrey, Dinah and Shayne. Edmund seems to be sincere in his grief, reaching out to Shayne to learn about his daughter. But long time fans know that Edmund is sneaky and subtle in many ways. Even when people know about his past, Edmund can show vulnerability to really lure people in. Look at what he's done already with Jeffrey - one of his biggest nemesis - who is already feeling for the dark prince. Yes, it appears that Lara is indeed his daughter, and he must be experiencing grief that I cannot comprehend. But the other part of me knows his history and is waiting for the knife to slip between your shoulder blades.
While Shayne might not remember Edmund's dastardly deeds, his family is working hard to protect him from the Dark Prince. At some point Edmund will learn that Shayne feels responsible for Lara's death - and the dance will truly begin. I can't wait to see how it all plays out.
Another man on a mission is Alan, who is the last person in Springfield to know about Beth and Coop. I'll bet even Phillip, wherever he is now, knows about the relationship. Like Edmund, Alan is a dangerous foe - and all the love in the world won't protect Coop and Beth once Alan's ire is in full force. He's less subtle than Edmund, but equally as affective. But when all is said and done, will get get the girl? Fans know that Phillip is making his way back to Springfield, and the show is building all of the suspense, plots and subplots to make this casting decision to translate into ratings.
Part of me is a little confused by the book plot. I know that this is how Coop feels he's outed (at least for now) but how can Blake steal a manuscript (albeit from the trash) and get it published? This week she's going full force (true to her character) at getting the book out there in the public eye - even though anyone who knows publishing knows this doesn't happen overnight. Still it moves the plot along, but not with a healthy detour from reality.
Another detour from reality is the way Bill goes off traipsing through the woods in search of Phillip. The note (that appears to me to be written by Grant Aleksander) means that Phillip wants to be found, which would give him another reason to return to Springfield. But someone who is recovering from a three-week hospital stay with head trauma to go out on a walk in the woods to find someone is crazy. And - poof - his memory is back! How convenient - but too late to get back with Lizzie. Who has decided to flirt with the one guy in town who can't seem to stay faithful to anything but advancing his own agenda? Those scenes were SO painful to watch. Hopefully TPTB will move away from that idea. I like an Aussie accent as much as the next girl, but Cyrus is not the right guy for Lizzie - even short term.
With a week to go before Phillip's return I am waiting to see how this week's show sets up his return. Looking at the spoilers I have to admit that while I like some of what I see, there is one story that has me already thinking of the column for next week - but I'll save that for another day...
Keep the Light Shining and Have a Great Week!
Kimberly
