A Joy Retrospective for Soap Nerds
'Cause I am. A total soap nerd. Not that there were ever any illusions that I was cool or together or anything. (Though let's face it, there's only one soap of my many that ever makes me actually do happy dances.)
After the heartbreaking, heart-filling, weepily-wonderful of Wednesday's episode, I expected a major crash and a decent-but-no-biggie kind of follow-up episode. I was wrong! So much to love!
Téa and Tina, first of all. How cute was this? Téa all snuggly and sleepy, just waking up with her big giant teddy bear! Tina was bringing by flyers for her missing dog (c'mon, Princess David Vickers, you're out there somewhere!) and Téa was downright adorable about it. She actually looked really upset for Tina that she'd lost her dog (as well she should be)! And Tina was all heart in these scenes, the first time we've really seen that since she's been back -- and I'm thankful for it. Sure, Tina's a selfish mess, but she's also got a big old heart and it was good to see it again, and especially good to see someone else responding to it in a positive manner.
And Tina pointed out that they're sisters-in-law and that she's there for Téa if she needs her. And they hugged! I am loving the idea of these two as friends. I do enjoy the friendship between Téa and Blair but, realistically, with Todd back and Victor out of the picture? We've got some rough roads ahead. Speaking of which, Tina mentioned that Téa seems to be taking care of everyone else and wondered who's taking care of Téa. I think we all know the answer to that!
Those scenes were sweetness and light, and the follow-up to the spectacular scenes between Todd and Blair and Viki's cabin were certainly not as epic as the day prior, but they were still lovely and happy-making (and sad-making) despite Todd being delirious or unconscious for the majority of them, and that would have been enough of an episode for me to smile (and not be bothered by the Ford scenes, which were the usual nonsense but rolled right off me as the non-entity of non-entities that they were and that he is), but then Cord and Tina took a trip down memory lane!
It was one of those ridiculous soap scenes where two people who know full well what their history is just repeat incidents in their past as if the other may have forgotten or never knew, but it all just only exists to remind (and, for newbies, fill in) the audience on their past. Stilted awesomeness, I say! They reminisced about Tina going over the Iguazu Falls (while preggers!), as any couple would do...
Can we talk about how happy I am to be able to make clean, crisp screencaps of that instead of counting on some blurry YouTube mess?
And then they reminisced about how she came back from the dead, interrupting Cord's marriage to Kate.
Looking crazy-hot, I might add. Lordy I wanted to be that woman in the late 80s! (Alas, I could never get my hair that big.)
(I'd be bummed if I were Kate, too. Who looks that good after living among natives for months and giving birth in the jungle? Tina, that's who! Tina, who gave a little shout-out to Marcia Cross' current gig by referring to her as a "desperate" archaeologist.)
And then Cord and Tina remembered that it didn't really make sense to rehash ancient history they'd already forgiven each other for because they'd re-married after that!
Oh, my Cord-and-Tina-loving heart! And John Loprieno and Andrea Evans have absolutely still got it, in spades. His morally upright good-old-boy always melts when Tina looks up at him with those huge blue eyes and reminds him how much they loved each other.
Ooooo! And then it cut away! I really hope they don't get interrupted.
It's just an embarrassment of riches, y'all.
You "forgot" about Jessica and Saint Ford!
;)
Posted by: MyName Is | October 07, 2011 at 10:48 AM
It truly felt like an embarrassment of riches, didn't it? How I loved yesterday's episode. Andrea Evans is such a welcome presence and reinvigorates the show. The Tina/Blair scenes were beautiful and the Tina/Cord scenes were fun/sweet. So far, the writers are doing right by Tina (and the audience) this time around whereas her previous return is better left alone. And any scene with a Ford is better fast-forwarded.
Posted by: soapbaby | October 07, 2011 at 11:08 AM
I so loved Cord and Tina back in the day! I hated that AE had to leave OLTL because some fan took things way to far and stalked the actress.
Posted by: LadyBug | October 07, 2011 at 11:09 AM
Holy shit, based on that picture, Marcia Cross hasn't aged a day!
This is my first experience with Cord and Tina and I heart them!
Posted by: C | October 07, 2011 at 11:22 AM
I really can't get over the Tea/Tina scene. I mean, it was just so unexpected, you know? It was never a pair of characters I expected to have a Moment. And so GOOD! AE and FL worked expertly off of one another. It was nice to see Tina's softer side.
And Cord and Tina! 80s flashbacks! I was too young, really, to remember them from the first time, but I still clapped with glee. I mean, THAT WEDDING DRESS KATE SANDERS HAD ON! You can't get much more 80s than that. (Whatever happened to her, anyway?) I didn't even notice it was Marcia Cross under all that lace and crap.
I can't believe, though, you didn't screencap the "kindly" Indians in their FEATHER SKIRTS who helped Tina, Louise. I just about died.
Princess David Vickers had better come home safe and sound soon!!!! I swear, if one hair on her body is hurt, I will not be responsible for my actions!
Posted by: Bourgeois Nerd | October 07, 2011 at 11:36 AM
Oh I know you're so busy but I hope you blog about today too! Between Tina/Cord, Viki/Clint, Todd/Blair (FLASHBACKS! Finally), and Liam/Princess David Vickers - I just don't see how you could leave it without comment. Awesome show today. This was probably the best overall week since RH's return for me.
Posted by: LB | October 07, 2011 at 07:23 PM
LB...I second your comments! OLTL was awesome.
Posted by: LadyBug | October 07, 2011 at 09:09 PM
I third the sentiment! Such a great episode. Even Ford with Jess didn't make me as stabby as it previously has. The show needs to let this writer out of the closet more often.
Posted by: The Queen B | October 07, 2011 at 11:26 PM
This show is chugging along, with quality acting and engaging storytelling so consistently that I'm starting to take it for granted. Nah, not true, not yet. But I am loving the hell out of it.
All of the Todd and Blair scenes this week have been very endearing, and for this new viewer, very instructive. I'm glad to see Tea out of the deep grief mode and back into lawyering. Tomas is becoming more interesting, and I think they must be investing more in his character since he's signed on with PP. We've had to put up with the paternity nonsense, which is the show's biggest blindspot. But even there, I saw a moment of sunshine. For the first time in ages, I actually liked Jessica again. (I mean, besides her trying to strangle Gnat). Jessica was kind and thoughtful in her scenes with Brody, and I saw again the pre-Tess Jess I liked.
And if Brody is going to be thrown under the bus, they sure are going about it in a strange way. He's presented as a strong and loving guy, whose biggest weakness is his desire for a family. If they are going ahead with writing him off, they're going about it in a strange way.
As for Jess and Fudd, I thought for a moment he'd been replaced with a defective crash course dummy, but the dummy would have been a better actor. Well, every show needs something to FF.
The biggest surprise to me has been Tina and Cord. I'm only familiar with Tina from that last Mendora romp, which pretty much stunk. But this time around, I'm liking her, enjoying her. And it's nice to see her when she's not in total silly mode. Cord, I love! His scenes with everyone are good. And the flashbacks to his early days with Tina have been instructive.
But the best, absolute best, is David Vickers the Dog. This character is a keeper. And I loved the scenes today with the dog and baby Liam talking to each other.
OLTL, the show that just keeps on ticking!
Posted by: Ron | October 08, 2011 at 10:29 AM
It's only a little nitpick, but why does ABC Daytime insist on stretching out the old footage? If I were running things, I'd put bars on the sides that say either "ABC Daytime" or "OLTL" to prevent people from looking like wide loads.
Posted by: Robin Stinson | October 08, 2011 at 01:56 PM
Friday was so fab!!!
Posted by: The Queen B | October 09, 2011 at 03:18 AM
I may be in the minority here, but I could have done without the "Look Who's Talking" junk. They did have some cute zingers, but the whole thing was so stupid. And hey, if Liam understands a dog, then he bloody well already knows Brody's not his dad because BRODY HAS TOLD HIM ABOUT FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES!
Posted by: Judy | October 14, 2011 at 05:58 PM