Nonetheless, the newly married Colemans gave us a superb two days of viewing pleasure. From the Ryan family's outrage at the nuptials to the eventual happy celebration, this wedding didn't miss a beat. And if any of us had any doubts as to why Henry, or Barbara for that matter, would want to be married to the other, those incredible vows should have put those doubts to rest. I actually got a little teary-eyed as Henry explained that with Barbara, he wasn't afraid of his own nature. (The gambling, flighty, drinking man that he is.) And that she accepted him for who he is. Then, when Barbara mentioned her cancer. Gulp. I was a goner. Beautiful!
As most of you know, I've enjoyed Barbara and Henry, but I ultimately thought that he and Katie should have closed out the show together. Well, it seems Henry is happy, Barbara is glowing, and well, the chapter has ended. I have a good feeling this daytime marriage is going to last, because we've only got a few more weeks before the show is gone forever. Had the show not been cancelled, I think that Henry and Katie would have been the more interesting route. But I have to admit, that unique Henry finally fitting in with a family, especially the Stenbeck one, has truly made me smile.
Speaking of chuckling, Paul is so clever that he deserves his own show. He was lobbying enough humorous one-liners about the wedding to fill an entire column. (See the Best Lines of the Week section.) And I couldn't' help but chuckle at the repeated reminder that Henry was half of Barbara's age. I did need reminding, because there is no way Barbara could pass for double Henry's age. Barbara is stunning and was so beautiful in her wedding dress, that if Vienna had seen her, she'd have been green with envy.
Congratulations, Henry and Barbara. I raise my glass to you. It was an odd, but beautiful, wedding, followed by Paul hosting an "exorcism," not a reception. Yep, it sounds just about right for this family.
Meanwhile:
• Talk about salt in the wound. What a spectacular week our show had, right, Scoopers? It kills me a little more every day that such an excellent piece of scripted drama is going silent forever. From Lucinda's criminal past to John Dixon returning, to the heartfelt Coleman nuptials and mentions of Hal and Jennifer, and Will and Parker's heart-to-heart, to Reid and Luke's blossoming romance, well, it was a banner week. Replacing this show with another ubiquitous talk show is completely outrageous. I'm going to buy stock in antidepressants when this thing finally wraps, and I realize that my daytime choices are limited to the mob wars on General Hospital; Brooke Logan sleeping her way through the Forrester men and her daughters' lovers, a second time, on The Bold and Beautiful; or the snooze fest lately in Genoa City. Why, Scoopers, why did it have to be our show? (Sniff, sniff.)
• He's back! We only caught a glimpse of that smile, but I am over the moon that John Dixon is back in the house. Can I get a "Woo HOO?" Now, please, writers, don't waste time. Get him in some scenes with Lucinda stat!
• Luke, I take back what I said a couple weeks ago about your fashion sense. No self-respecting businessman would attend a hospital budget meeting in a t-shirt and sneakers. Sigh. Fashionistas and businessmen across the globe are rolling their eyes.
• Will Munson didn't have many scenes during his brief stay this time, and it's a good thing, because he steals every one. What a superb actor this kid is. His talk with Parker about Hal was beautiful. He wears his heart on his sleeve in every scene. I've missed him.
• Could Parker be heading to the police academy? Following in Jack and Hal's footsteps seems like a logical move to me.
• Bravo to the writers for the Lucinda and Ralph twist this week. Who knew Ralph knew Lucinda as Mary Ellen Walters from their Peoria days and that she had ties to the mobster? I sometimes forget how devious and cruel Lucinda can be. I wasn't familiar with her history as Mary Ellen, so I checked out her sordid past under this site's character profile section, and wow, has that lady committed some heinous acts. But still, with all those crimes under her belt, including her latest attack on Lily, I can't help but still love Lucy! This show does villains so well, because just like Craig, I usually feel empathy for Lucinda, even after she's pulled one of her stunts.
• As if I didn't have enough reasons to love Reid, he's the first one in years to utter the words, "John Dixon."
• I told you in my last column that Dusty Donovan was an action hero, but I didn't know that he was a karate kid, too. Wow, did you see that crazy kick action he pulled on Blackthorn? That was cool. I'm not sure if it was karate or not, but it sure looked impressive.
• Bravo for bringing back Ralph this week and giving Jack some closure for Brad's death. Those scenes were tough to watch, but necessary I think. And just for the future, if I were Jack, I'd keep an eye on any of Janet's friends or relatives that she swears are good fellas.
• It's getting harder and harder to like Janet when she comes across as so clueless in these dangerous situations. She needs to get about a quarter of Carly's street sense, if she wants to stay in Oakdale.
• In the completely shallow end this week, was Craig. Okay, I couldn't resist that joke, but on my own personal shallow note, I have to say that Lucinda looked amazing this week. I loved, loved, loved, her hair and outfit. What a gorgeous gal. It looked like she had just left a spa, instead of checked into one.
• I'm sure I'm going to take some heat for this comment, but you know me, I've got a fire suit in the closet, so here goes. When news broke that Maura West was heading to The Young and the Restless, I started DVRing it again. I haven't watched it since Brad died and was hoping I could get interested so I could watch West. Viewing Y&R made me appreciate all that we have on ATWT. With a few notable exceptions for me (Jack, Phyllis, Kay, Billy, Jill, J.T., and Paul) that show is tough to watch lately. I was beyond bored. I've always loved the Abbotts, especially Jack, so I'm going to try to watch Maura as Diane Jenkins, but I sure hope she gets better storylines than what I've watched in the past two weeks. I just don't see how West is going to get writing like what was featured in the alcoholism storyline or the good-girl, bad-choices plots she has had for years in Oakdale.
Best Lines of the Week:
(Craig provokes Lucinda by implying that he's sleeping with her daughter, Lily, and that they are beginning a relationship. Then, Lucinda pushes him in the pool.)
Lucinda: (Explaining herself) "You called me a foul name."
Craig: "Mom?"
(Carly tells Craig that he should be headed to jail, along with criminal Ralph.)
Carly: "The two of you would make great cellmates."
Craig: "Well, don't get your hopes up. I'm clean."
Carly: "Not clean, Craig, you're Teflon."
(Barbara and Henry announce their engagement to Paul and family and get a chilly response.)
Paul: "It's weird... He's my brother."
Henry: "Half-brother, on our father's side."
Paul: "Right, because if it was a full brother, then she'd be your mother, and that would be a whole different kind of weird."
(Paul tells Henry that he isn't a good match for Barbara.)
Paul: "You're a very spontaneous guy. You go from job to job, woman to woman. You're in and out of heels."
(Paul gives away Barbara to Henry at the wedding and delivers a message.)
Paul: "Glad you're sober this time, Henry."
Henry: "Me, too."
Reader Spotlight:
That's all for now, Scoopers! See ya next time.
Jennifer Biller
