What Seventh Heaven Looks Like To A Soap Blogger

Or at least this one, anyway.

I'm unlikely to be able to be the least bit articulate because I have had a lump in my throat and a little lemon in my eye ever since about the thirtieth second of today's One Life to Live, so bear with me. But y'all. Holy Mother of God did this show get to me today.

First of all, Sam! Sam in adorable green PJ's!

And I just adore Sam and John in scenes together. So effing cute I can't even stand it. 

And seriously, this would have been enough for me. This show has been so exciting and fun lately that I'm just satiated, and a so-so episode that contains little Sam in a scene with John would make me plenty happy right now. And to add to that, Jessica and Brody had a nice grown-up conversation that actually reflected their history together and the fact that they still care for one another (and perhaps are less completely over than we think?). So again, this would have been enough. This would have been plenty.

But then this happened!

Blair (after thinking Todd was dead and then he'd woken up and she tried to put pressure on his wounds, after explaining that she'd seen a missed call from him on her phone): Why did you call me? Why didn't you call Viki or, or, or Téa?

Todd: 'Cause you're the one, Blair. You're the one. I know that you care about me. 

And I'm done for. Done for, I tell you!

At this point, I didn't even know if my heart could handle the rest of the episode. But I decided to be a trooper and continue watching.

So how did they re-pay me? Todd talked about how he'd missed her and how he hadn't seen Blair for eight years and how this wasn't how he pictured their reunion. She agreed. Because she's pictured their reunion. Oh and he had to take his shirt off, you know, so she could take care of his wounds. Sweet mercy, y'all, who bought ad space on today's episode? I'm buying two of each product!

If you had told me six months ago that I'd ever be putting together screencaps of these images, I would have called you unspeakably cruel and asked you if Santa Claus was real, too. 

Then Blair played Florence Nightingale to Todd to try and keep him alive. It was in turns heartbreaking and frightening and hilarious. And just at the moment I was thinking, "This show really doesn't have any more doctor characters. Who can she call? I miss Dorian!" she called Dorian! (And Todd may have been tortured and kept away from the world for eight years, but he has not forgotten who James Carville is!) Dorian talked Blair through removing the bullet from Todd's shoulder and Todd told Blair he totally trusts her and, um, y'all it was just awesome and they are just so great together and they've still got it and this was the centerpiece of the episode and it was just perfection. Deep breath. Deep breath. And she did it! Blair removed the bullet while in leggings and heels!

And it wasn't just the "Todd and Blair" of it all. It's that they still managed to find a way to let Dorian be there for Blair even while she's not on the show.

Oh em gee, and then? Blair was about to go, and Todd grabbed her hand and put it on his chest and begged her not to go.

Gulp.

This just... okay, who wrote today's script? Scott Sickles, it looks like? Who wants to chip in to send him a massive gift basket? I'm taking Paypal donations!

And then the ending...

Blair: Are you scared?

Todd: No, I'm not scared. (through tears) (his, not mine) (okay, both!) I just don't want you to leave.

Blair: (through her tears and mine) Okay. I'll stay. I'll stay right here. As long as you need me, okay? (I cannot find the words to describe Kassie dePaiva's delivery of that last line, but suffice it to say that it told a seventeen-year-long story right in that moment. Absolutely beautiful. Beautiful.)

I don't even know what else to say. Except thank you! Thank you, Scott and Ron and Kassie and Roger and all the set and props designers and technicians and camera operators and Jill Mitwell (who directed the episode).

I'm a little excited, y'all. I'm going to go watch those scenes again now, but this time I really ought to get a glass of wine. And a box of tissues.

Comments

[LB]

OMG OMG OMG! I was so hoping you would post today. IT WAS AMAZE-BALLS! So good I just used a made up word.

Sam! James being not so useless! Jack being a decent older brother but still a terrible human being! John on his continued "why do I like him?" tour! Delgado sibling inappropriate chemistry! Liam! Brody and Jessica - what can I say I still love them? Dorian from afar!!

Oh but let's not forget Todd and Blair. That hug - oh God. It did me in. Todd just needing to be held by Blair. He hugged her a few weeks ago and their horrible son ruined it. Thank God Jack wasn't around today. And then the way she was watching him while on the phone with Dorian, stroking his face, his hair. All that anger to mask all the caring - she's going to fall right back into the Todd cycle no matter how hard she tries to run and hide. She so wasn't planning on leaving at the end given how easy it was to convince her to stay.

I wanted a Todd and Blair scene and surprisingly I got one so much better than I ever expected (to be fair, my expectations were low). I can't wait to see if the writers actually take this somewhere.

[waiting for wow]

This is why soaps are needed because only on a soap could a chance meeting between a rapist and the town slut lead to the most endurring super couple on daytime.. Roger and Kassie need to give classes in chemistry cause even when the writing isn't there the actors make it so clear T&B soulmates. How will I make it to the end of the week.

[Soapbaby]

The episode was pretty great and the Todd/Blair scenes were immaculate. Just glorious. I love Roger Howarth when he does comedy or romance because he does it so well whereas I thought his scenes facing off with Irene yesterday were not very good. He is wonderful in this element and the chemistry with Kassie DePaiva is greater than I remember! Seriously, I preferred Todd/Tea back in the day but since RH's return it's Todd/Blair ALL DAY. Just wow.

P.S. May I adopt Sam and Little Liam? Those children have stolen my heart.

[Andrea]

Today was so awesome!! I loved the Sam scenes. I loved James trying to get one up on Jack and I definitely loved his advice to Jack at the end. Jack needs to confess because he's going down a dark road that it's already incredibly hard to come back from.

And I loved, loved the Jessica/Brody scenes. They still have so much chemistry together and it makes me beyond furious that the show ruined him for twotimerapistandnunroller Robert Ford. Ryder should be Brody's and Jess/Brody/Ryder/Bree should all be a happy family right now dealing with some big conflict.

The best part though was the Todd/Blair scenes. There was so much great material there. Their scenes showcased everything that makes Todd and Blair so magical. Todd telling her that she's the one, Blair taking off his shirt and Todd not wanting to let go, them just laying there for a second, Todd telling Blair he trusts her, Todd grabbing her hand and begging her not to go, and Blair breaking down and saying that she'd stay there as long as he needs. Words cannot describe how magical the two of them are. Thank God that the show is finally writing for them. I cannot wait until tomorrow and Friday!!!

[Ann]

My heart is still hurting - a good kind of hurt - from the Todd/Blair scenes. I am emotionally wrung out. That's how much they got to me.

As a matter of fact, the whole episode was good. I am actually starting to like John which means the universe must end about now. Jessica/Brody were wonderful and I hope to God that they don't destroy Brody for Ford. James/Jack scene was great and I was reminded yet again why James is the only Ford brother I like. I need to lower my expectations for tomorrow. Get low, dammit.

[Dandesun]

The entire show was damn good. All of it. Jess/Brody (why can't they get back together, Show?!) Tomas insistent on claiming responsibility for Irene's death in order to keep Todd from getting put away again, James and Jack (?!) Sam and John and shark bracelets... Jack being a good big brother to Sam again, Delgado sibs being inappropriately chemistry laden...

But Todd and Blair. Look, it would have been a good T&B day for me simply for the fact that Blair took that fucking coat off at last. But they exceeded expectations.

Roger and Kassie have somehow gotten better and that's not suggesting that they didn't have ridiculous amounts of chemistry before. How have they gotten better?

How was a scene of a woman taking a shirt off of a bloody, barely conscious man so damn beautiful? Blair being so gentle and Todd's face showing this profound emotion of having her close again... the way he wrapped that one around her... and slid his hand into her hair... was that supposed to be as beautiful and sensual and emotional as it was?

They hit all the beats, anger, snark, fear, worry... you could practically hear Dorian on the phone demanding to know why Blair was wasting her time with 'that cretin' (I miss Dorian so!)

To have Todd be so vulnerable and to have Blair's walls visually crumbling. My God, that last scene where he said he didn't want her to leave and she said she wouldn't, that she'd be there as long as he needed her...

Glorious.

[LoriK]

Today was absolutely the best soap day in a long, long time. I am seriously thinking about sending the writer a fan letter.

Todd and Blair were just so Todd and Blair. It was so good to have them back together again. I can't even lie, I cried.
It turns out I've missed TnB even more than I thought.

Jessica & Brody broke my heart too. I have been so fed up with Jess these last few months and today went a long way toward fixing that. I know from spoilers that she's going to do something stupid and appalling next, but today she made my heart ache because she even after everything she couldn't bear to hurt Brody. Show needs a hell of a lot better reason than Ford for continuing to keep those 2 apart.

Even James came through for me and demonstrated why he's the only Ford I can stand at all.

Seriously, Steve the writer guy deserves some major love.

[hummingbird]

Absolutely adore reading your blog! Incredible moments btw Roger & Kassie today. They really bought T&B to full life. Loved Todd's openness to share how he honestly feels about Blair. He made me cry today. And, Blair's reaction to that, was truly overwhelming. As shocked as she was from hearing his touching words, I saw her take his beautiful words in & it fill her heart with his warmth. It was truly one of the more romantic moments I have ever seen. T&B are off to an amazing start today. One day down, the rest of the days to go!

PS: Are you really considering doing a formal thank you of sorts to Scott Sickles for his part in todays T&B stuff? Brilliant idea! Keep us posted on that.

[CZ]

Yay! A tribute to an excellent deserving episode. It's been almost a day since I watched and my head is still spinning. She sliced him open, and who knows what she did to his insides?

Oh, I think we all know!

Gah. Writer totally deserves a gift basket. :)

[Matcano23]

TnB, RH & KDP just WOW. I can finally stop watching YT clips to get my fill. Damn!!! Think I smoked half a pack of cigs.

[realbrenda4evr]

This was AMAHZING!!!!

I loved this so much. Sam! Sam and John! Sam giving John the shark! Sam not wanting to go to bed b/c he's on duty! John's utter disdain for Jack!

Todd and Blair! Todd taking the first second he could to hold on to Blair and not wanting to let go! Blair calling Dorian...to ask how to treat a gunshot wound! Blair being awesome and concerned for Todd, while being sweet and snarky at the same time! Blair looking like a model while saving Todd's life! Blair's fantabulous, gorgeous heels! Todd not wanting Blair to leave!

Brody and Jessica (even though I can't really stand him anymore)! It was so weird seeing them together and talking, all the while thinking about Brody and Natalie being engaged. This story took just a wrong and ragey turn. Jessica not wanting Brody to get hurt again was sweet.

This epi was filled with unicorns, gummi bears, and ponies!

[Bebe Piper]

I can't add anything to what you all have said; this episode made me so happy.

I loved Sam on duty in his jammas. I loved Starr not being portrayed as a love sick damsel and Tea being a tough competant lawyer. Blair being clever and resourceful is something we have not seen in years. It's sad that women being portrayed as strong, smart and protecting their families on TV is still unusual.

And that hug? OMG that was sexier than any daytime love scene I've watched all year!

[sanen85]

I guess I'm the odd woman out, because I was just not interested in the majority of today's show. As much as I love Blair (mostly KDP) and as much as I love Todd (either version really), I just don't like them together. I grew up on these two and liked them at one point, but I just find them forced and boring now. I feel like I'm being told that these two belong together, and I stopped believing that when Todd sold Blair's son.

Still, I loved seeing Jessica being the logical, forgiving Mini-Vicki that I grew to love long before the Antonio mess. I still think Brody/Natalie would have been the better couple if TPTB weren't trying to sell me on Jolie, but I'd live with Brody finding happiness with Jess.

[The Queen B]

Yesterday was so good that I'm still an incoherent mess of goo. ::dreamy sigh:: I am spent, y'all. I needed a cigarette after the show and while today was quieter it was still intense and Kassie rocks the house in her leggings and heels. Damn, girl!

RH and KDP have even more amazing chemistry now than they did before and I would have sworn it was not possible. So much awesome. And the writing was great which is hardly ever on this show.

I started recognizing Jess again yesterday, too. That is who Jess is meant to be, flawed but a good person at heart who honestly wants to do the right thing and loves her family even when it's not easy. Sadly, all it took was one scene today with her and Ford to make me lose my happy glow. Ford is the worst thing to happen to that girl outside of RC's love of writing Tess as a zany hooker that pops out if Jess sneezes too hard.

Nat and Jess were good and I hope to see them mending fences soon.

I have even been liking Tea and the Tea/Blair friendship lately since Tea has been acting like a real friend to Blair and not behaving like everything out of Blair's mouth is stupid. It's also nice to see her being a lawyer again instead of just hearing about how she's an awesome lawyer. She and John even had some banter going on.

The last two weeks have been pretty darn good and this week has been rockin'. I'm still on a high...

[AG]

I have to qualify that I stopped being a Todd/Blair fan or shipper or whatever you call it a long time ago. But damn, if RH and KdP didn't suck me completely back in. Not only was the writing swoon-worthy, but the acting and the chemistry was as well. It was as organic as that first park bench meeting where I felt that spark that comes from those "lightning in a bottle" couples.

That hug scene was so beautiful especially coupled with the knowledge of knowing that Todd hadn't touched her in 8 years. Not only that, his only human contact for 8 years was pain and torture. There was something so tender and poignant in that scene and I could feel the longing. I know both characters loved others but yesterday's show made it clear to me at least that there were pieces of each other's soul so deeply imbedded in the other.

I loved the quiet nature of their scenes. Nothing was overt and blatant like shows do with couples these days. The lines were double entendres and the cadences of the actors' voices showed that. There was no forced emotion to be seen. It all felt authentic-what one might do if they hadn't seen the woman they loved for 8 years and what one might done if their walls were up but they were unable to resist.

Also, I loved how they went from tears to anger to longing and love. Blair's walls falling apart in front of Todd's vulnerablity was a beautiful thing. I've been only watching GH (god only knows why) and I hadn't watched OLTL since the rapemance. So here I am again. Fully invested. Also, Todd/Blair are assholes for making me care like I did in 1995. Complete assholes.