As I watched the show this week, I came to one major conclusion. The writers are honoring this show's history in big ways. From Bo and Nora, to Rex, to Jessica seeing Allison, to Dorian remembering Mel, the show is brimming with new stories that are linked to old ones. I love how cohesive the show is becoming, and the history is the tie that binds.
Bo and Nora's conversation was one of the best uses of history. Bo has been treating Nora like she was garbage for years. He has forgiven everyone else in his life for a variety of misdeeds. He even forgave Paige for her crimes, while I can't even forgive her for existing in the first place. The question that has been bothering many is: Why can't he forgive Nora? Apparently she hurt him and let him down more than anyone. Why won't he let her off the hook? He just can't. This conversation made It hard to believe that Bo and Nora have been apart for almost a decade because the tension and the hurt still exists like it just happened last year. Realizing that they wouldn't be able to see each others points of view, they agreed that they usually have a good friendship and work well together for Matthew's sake. This conversation was long overdue because they've been dancing around the subject for years. I am glad Nora finally called Bo out on his behavior and attitudes towards her and wouldn't let him gloss over the subject. We know that Bo can hold a grudge, but his grudge against Nora has had been fierce and undying compared to the others. It is obvious that Bo isn't okay with Clint and Nora as he purports himself to be. There is more to this story, and we can be sure this will play out in the near future. As Clint and Nora move forward, and Bo and Lindsay grow closer, I think Bo and Nora are going to have some intense moments and awkward situations. I am not saying that they will reunite. That might not ever happen at this rate, but they will always be intertwined because of Matthew, and they are involved with people that are a little too close for comfort. It's been a rough decade for fans, but we finally got an explanation to what has been going on between these characters. Things are going to get messy for these characters, and I think it will get as soapy as it can get!
Meanwhile, Jessica got herself into an unexpected trip to St. Anne's. No, she didn't commit herself, but she chose to stay! I've found it pretty difficult to like Jessica lately, but her stay at St. Anne's brought back an unforgettable piece of history in the form of Allison Perkins. She is just as crazy as ever and proved it by singing about her secret and by greeting Ben as she waved at Viki's chest. That was some unexpected comedy! Now she has a secret that she is dying to tell Jessica. Allison was one of Mitch's disciples, so her secret is bound to be connected to him. I have seen a lot of speculation about this secret on the message boards, and many people seem to think that Jessica is Clint's biological daughter after all. While I think the "Who's my daddy?" plot device is overused, I could tolerate this part of the past being rewritten if it made Jessica a biological Buchanan. When it was revealed that Jessica was Mitch's daughter, the whole core of the show was rocked (at least for me). As a long time viewer, I knew Jessica was Clint and Viki's daughter, end of story. The revelation that she wasn't Clint's daughter was almost too much to handle. Of course, this happened when Jessica was a much nicer person. Now, I am not sure I would care so much. Anyway, I am not sure making Natalie Mitch's daughter is good idea. They were MARRIED after all. The marriage was a sham, but it's still a creepy thought! It's right up there with Natalie making out with her "uncle." I have never been a big fan of Natalie, but I think enough has happened to her that she doesn't need to be saddled with being her father's ex-wife! The Buchanan family's world will be shaken again once we learn this secret. With all of the crazy things that happen to the Buchanans, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to NOT be a Buchanan after all!
While we wait for Allison's secret, Rex is on a mission to find his father. Could these two events be related? It's definitely possible. Roxy looks like she's seen a ghost every time the Rex asks her about it, and she even has Charlie pretending to be Rex's father. With the way Roxy has been written in the past few years, it's easy to forget that she was involved in Mitch's baby switch plot with Jessica and Natalie. I am glad this is being revisited because now we are seeing the serious side of Roxy. In 2003, I remember that people speculated about Rex's true parentage. People wondered if there was a secret about him too, and while that writing regime didn't go doing anything with that (and I am not saying they should have), this piece of history is giving Rex a story that doesn't revolve around Adriana. At the same time, Rex's past is coming back to haunt him in the form of his ex-girlfriend Gigi, and Shane, who is presumably his son. It's a great idea to have Rex is search for HIS father, just to find out that he is one himself! .Rex has been an established character on the show for years, but we never really learned about his past, beyond his living with his aunt. I realize Rex lost many fans because of the Todd/Marcie fiasco, and to a lesser extent, because of his boring relationship with Adriana. Perhaps this is the way to reinvent this character. It's possible that we will understand (not necessarily condone) Rex's motivations for lying to Todd because of his own parental situation. I am not sure what will happen, but there is a wealth of possibilities here, and I am for any story that gives Rex something to focus on besides Adriana!
Finally, I was surprise and touched by Dorian remembering Mel when she offered to help Charlie with his drinking problem. Of all of the men Dorian has been partnered with over the years, Mel is my favorite. He understood her and knew how to call her out on her games. I was sad when he "died" in a plane crash, and it seems like he had been forgotten by the powers that be. I definitely wasn't expecting Dorian to mention how she was married to Mel with his drinking problem all of those years ago. Dorian has been playing Charlie for weeks in her attempt to keep him away from Viki, but I think she genuinely wanted to help him with his drinking problem because of Mel. Dorian's motivations are often suspect because, well, she is Dorian, and we expect nothing less from her than manipulative behavior and scheming. However, she does have a good side, and I think the writers made a good choice by having her tell us she wanted to pay tribute to her late husband by helping Charlie. We know that Dorian will continue to meddle in Charlie's relationship with Viki, but we saw the good-hearted side of her, and we saw it because the show tapped into her history.
Until next time,
Dawn
