I promised myself that I wouldn't start off this week's column by gushing about Zach and Kendall - although, judging by the emails I've received, it seems that most of you love them just as much as I do. But a promise is a promise, so let's move on to the big events of the week - namely, the slaying of the Dragon and Tad's confrontation with Di.
Julia finally got her revenge on the man who forced her into witness protection and killed her beloved Noah - but it wasn't quite as sweet as she'd hoped. Call me crazy, but I agree that killing Garret was the only way out. It was naïve for Di, of all people, to think that the untouchable Garret Williams would actually make it to prison. At the very least, he would have jumped bail and been a constant threat to both women. He managed to evade capture his entire life; it's not unreasonable to think he could avoid jail time too.
And I'm sorry Mimi, but an apology doesn't quite cut it. Hopefully, the next time your daughter tells you your husband is a pervert you'll listen. If all that crying was supposed to make me feel bad for Mimi, it didn't work. But I am glad Danielle got the chance to tell her mother off - she certainly treated her better than I would have!
And the Award for Most Incompetent P.I. Goes To...
Pine Valley's resident private investigator finally figured out the truth, and it only took Stuart waving it in front of his face for him to find it. Now that the secret's out, Tad insists that everyone must know the truth, despite the damage it will inevitably cause. I must admit that I can see both sides of the argument.
Revealing the truth will almost surely undo all of the positive strides JR has taken this past week and it will hurt countless others to lose "Dixie" all over again. But the fact is that Di is NOT Dixie and lying about it just doesn't sit well with me. When talking with Julia, Tad made a pretty good case for telling the truth. It is disrespectful of the real Dixie to allow this imposter to fill her shoes, and Tad knows how even the most well-intended lie can blow up in your face. There's no easy answer - but since this is soap opera land, we all know the truth will eventually come out. It's only a matter of how and when it surfaces. In any case, the fallout should be pretty compelling.
Guess Who's Coming (Back) to Pine Valley?
So Ryan has finally decided that it's time to return to his old stomping ground and reveal all to his wife. Where do I even begin with this one?
Ryan faked his death in a way that was eerily similar to Leo's tragic ending, and he didn't realize that Greenlee would be emotionally crushed? Exactly how many loves of her life did he think Greenlee could lose before she reached the breaking point? And now, he's decided that he owes Greenlee the truth, which to me just means that he owes Greenlee more pain.
Does he not understand that going back and telling her the whole truth will hurt her even more? The short answer: no. In my opinion, he's going back to Pine Valley to ease his own guilty conscience. Just when I thought that "Ryan the Hero" had been marred beyond all recognition, he does something else that makes me hate him even more.
I've read the spoilers detailing Ryan's return - he barges in on his own memorial service, in true soap opera fashion - and I'm not looking forward to it. For one, no matter how annoying I find Greenlee, it will be hard to watch her go through all that pain, especially when she thinks she gotten her much-loved husband back. ("Honey, I'm home! But I faked my death. And my crazy murderer brother is alive and on his way here. How have you been?") And secondly, and more importantly to me, this will throw a huge wrench in the Zach/Kendall romance.
"Hang in There"
I loved the scenes between Zach and Kendall when he told her his Dragon-hunting days were over. From the impulsive hug to the playful way he was caressing her arm, they once again radiated chemistry. And you've got to love a guy who brings you bubble gum cigars when you conceive the child of your ex-fiance and ex-archenemy/new best friend.
I know the you-know-what is going to hit the fan next week, but I'm hoping that Kendall will be able to get over her initial rage and try to understand why her husband did what he did. It was wrong to lie, and Kendall has every right to be furious with him, but if you look at it from Zach's point-of-view, he was trying to protect Greenlee and Kendall from a dangerous man who would have run away with or without Zach's help. In the grand scheme of things, Ryan's lie far outweighs Zach's. I'm hoping Kendall will come to see that in time. She was willing to forgive Ethan - if she hadn't already married his dad! - so I think she can forgive Zach too. Wishful thinking? Maybe ... or maybe not.
In this week's Soap Opera Digest, head writer Megan McTavish asks "Zendall" fans to "hang in there", assuring us that "Zach and Kendall are falling in love." If this truly is the case, I for one am willing to wait a while longer. To leave this potential unexplored would be an incredible waste, and I'm glad that AMC seems to agree. And even though next week's inevitable argument will make me shed more than a few tears, I am going to try my best to keep the faith. The course of true love never runs smooth, right?
And I've always known that PV's other resident Kane woman thinks the world revolves around her. But where does Erica get off asking Josh to help her bring down his own father? She was honestly shocked that he refused to turn on his dad! That's our Erica, I guess. By the way, where is Jack these days? I haven't seen him - with or without Erica - for a while now. And what about David? At least we got a few days of Brooke and Palmer. And could Opal have been any funnier coming on to Del like that? Careful Opal - dating (much) younger men is Mary Smythe territory!
Well, that about covers it for now. See you back here in two weeks!
-- Kristine
