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One Life to Live Update Thursday 3/6/03
By Brandon
Pictures by Juanita
proofread by Theresa
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Boy, did I call this one or what? Last week I told you all that Blair and Troy have a very easygoing, gentle chemistry with each other that seemed worth exploring. And what do you suppose happened on Thursday's episode of "One Life to Live"? They explored it.
See, it all started when Starr threw her umpteenth "I wanna see my daddy" tantrum and Blair promptly told her to go rub a lamp. Later, Blair was looking for Starr and realized she had run off again. (Am I the only one alarmed by the fact that this little girl has the run of this town? She just goes wherever she wants to whenever she wants to! It's amazing!) Anyway, Blair immediately got on the phone and called Troy, thinking that Starr probably went there. Troy told her that he hadn't seen Starr in days, and Blair panicked, but while they were talking, Starr knocked on the door and started calling out Troy's name. Blair told Troy to keep her there, that she was on her way, and not to tell Starr anything. Troy hung up and let Starr in. She announced that she had just come to tell him goodbye -- that she was leaving town. "Good for you," Troy told her with a smile, quickly catching on that this was just Starr's latest scheme to reunite her parents. He offered her a cup of hot chocolate -- "for the road," he added -- and she agreed.
They sat down to talk, and she admitted that she thought running away might be a good way to get Todd and Blair back together, and she told Troy that she's sure that they still love each other. Troy told her that he thought so too, but sometimes love isn't enough to overcome everything. Starr asked what else there was, and he told her that trust is even more important in a relationship -- no tricks and no schemes and no lies. She asked if that was also the problem between Troy and Nora, and he told her she was a very perceptive girl.
Later, he carried her over to the bed because she looked exhausted. She admitted that she hadn't been sleeping much lately because she's afraid of dreaming that her parents are together and happy, only to wake up to the reality of the situation. She asked him if he ever dreams of Nora, and he told her yes, all the time. He then told her to get some rest, and she was asleep before the sentence had a period.
Blair then showed up, and Troy told her not to be angry with Starr, that she's just confused and hurt. Blair admitted she's angrier with herself than Starr, because she knows all Starr wants is to be with her father and all Blair does in return is yell at her for it. Troy advises Blair not to be so hard on herself, because it's been equally hard on her.
So they sat at the table and started talking, and he offered her a glass of wine. She turned it down, saying she needed to get Starr home, and he told her she was fine right where she was, so Blair accepted the drink and they talked more. Troy apologized for coming down so hard on her back when she tried to seduce him, and told her that she did it for all the wrong reasons; immediately thereafter, he recognized aloud the irony, since he did more or less the same thing with Lindsay. The two of them then toasted to the messes they've made of their relationships.
(A quick question that's been gnawing at me for a while now: why did it escape everyone's attention for more than a year that Ty Treadway has more of a spark with little Kristen Alderson, who plays Starr, than he ever had with my divine Hillary B. Smith? I mean, honestly! But you've totally gotta love the way Josh Griffith and co. are swiftly and systematically, in vast swoops, correcting all the horrid mistakes that past regimes made. This illogical Troy/Nora romance? Gone in two episodes. The Worst Storyline in the History of Television? On the right track in half an episode! This pointless -- if marginally entertaining -- Rae/Asa marriage? Read on, I'm getting to that one. And is anybody else hearing the rumors I'm hearing regarding the true paternity of little Matthew Rappaport? I defy anybody to tell me with a straight face that that wasn't one of the most botched plotlines in the history of soaps, and I'm all for somebody having the balls to fix it.)
OK, get the vomit pail in arms' reach, because here's where things get a bit nauseating: Jen and Rex woke up in each other's arms this morning, not remembering much about the night before. But Jen was appropriately horrified (as was I, you better know). Rex hopped up and got dressed and as he was leaving, Marcie showed up. She too was appropriately horrified, and Jen told her not to worry about it, that she and Rex were just having a little fun and that this certainly wasn't going to be a long-term thing. (May I second that? I know Jen is more annoying than toe lint but I still wouldn't wish the town horsefly on the poor girl.) Then they talked about something or other regarding men and being used, I'm really not sure what the exact lines were. Something about how Jen isn't going to let herself be used anymore, that she's going to get what she wants from a man and then cut him loose from now on. Sounds decidedly Lindsay-esque, yes?
Rae had a bit of an epiphany today at the Palace. She saw Hank sitting there working on the Mitch case, and she approached him. He started to talk to her for a second, then remembered that he's still upset with her, so he told her that he doesn't even recognize her anymore, that she's become so money- and status-obsessed that she's completely lost who she used to be. Rae tried to convince him that the woman he used to know isn't lost, just... "Missing in action." She then told him that she'd appreciate it if he could find it within himself to give her another chance, even though she knows she doesn't deserve it. So then he started telling her about Mitch, and how he has finagled himself into Victor's will and is trying to steal Llanfair from Viki. Rae wondered aloud what kind of person could be so driven by greed and power that he would try to steal somebody's home so viciously, and Hank did everything short of holding up a mirror. Rae finally understood how far gone she has traveled, and left determined to make up for it. She tried again to apologize to Renee as she was leaving, and Renee told her that words would only take her so far.
So Rae returned to the mansion, where she happened to overhear Asa -- who had just come from Llanfair and dealing with Mitch -- telling Nigel about Mitch, and how he almost got so worked up over the whole mess that he could have given himself a real heart attack this time, "not one like I faked the other day to get rid of that Gretel." Rae stormed into the room and confronted him, incredulous that he would go that far. Asa gladly informed his wife that he'd risk a real attack if it meant he could be rid of her forever, and Rae announced that she was prepared to make it easy for him -- she'd give him the divorce. Asa again told her he has no intention of handing over 90% of his fortune, and she told him he wouldn't have to, that she was changing the terms. Intrigued, he asked what he was going to have to give her. She told him simply: "Nothing."
Asa had been over at Llanfair to support Viki and the family, as Victor's new will was set to be read this morning. Sam and Todd were the first to arrive, and Todd tried to get Viki to go along with his latest ploy -- a doctored videotape that "contained" Victor's last will and testament. Viki refused to lie and say that she had eye witnessed the recording, and Sam told Todd that it wouldn't work anyhow, that Mitch would hire a litany of experts and that even the most seamless edit would be detected on the tape. "We're going to fight this legally," Sam announced. Viki later thanked Todd for his attempt; telling him his heart was in the right place. Then Jessica and Joey showed up, followed by Mitch and Evangeline, and then by the lawyer who would be conducting the will reading.
Everybody got comfortable in the library, and the lawyer read the will quickly -- not that it was terribly complex: it declared null and void any previous will, and bequeathed the entirety of the estate to Mitchell Laurence, who sat on the sofa grinning like a cat. Mitch started gloating about all that was now his -- Llanfair, the Banner, Todd's 28 million dollars, everything. Viki and Sam both told him not to get too comfortable, that it wasn't over yet. Asa then arrived and let him know in no uncertain terms that he wasn't taking too kindly to Mitch's intrusion into his family's lives.
"So what are we supposed to do?" Jessica asked incredulously. "Just pack up our things and leave?" Mitch looked at her and told her that she didn't have to leave if she didn't want to -- that her loyalty to Viki was admirable, but that she was still his daughter and that he'd be more than happy to share his newfound fortune with her. Jessica was ready to agree, and then she was informed that Mitch was going to make her sign a document that explicitly forbade her from ever giving a cent to Viki or anybody else in the Lord family. Jessica told Mitch to get bent, and he told her he'd be waiting for her to reconsider, and that he'd be taking control of Llanfair and the Banner as soon as the will was out of probate. Then he and Evangeline left, happy as clams.
Asa told Viki and the kids not to worry -- "I've stepped on things I've been more afraid of than I am of Mitch Laurence!" he declared -- and that they'd always have a place to live if they ever needed it. Viki thanked him but said that she wasn't worried, that they were going to fight this and win. She and Sam then paid a visit to Judge Fitzwater, who took in the entire sordid story and agreed with Sam's motion that ownership of Llanfair should stay as is for now. Viki thanked him profusely and returned to the house, where she declared defiantly that this was her home and no one would ever take it away from her.
Meanwhile, that loose cannon known as Todd was on the prowl. He first went over to Dorian's to talk to Blair and the kids, but the housekeeper told him that they weren't there and that he wasn't allowed to see them anyhow. So he went to the next logical place: Mitch's house. He kicked the door down and marched inside, stunning Mitch, who told him to get out. Todd pulled a gun from his coat and informed Laurence that he has nothing left to lose anymore, and pointed the weapon at Mitch, eyes glazing over in pure fury.
Over and out, kids, don't miss tomorrow, it looks awfully exciting!