Pondering Pine Valley with Kristi

Are things really ever over with Jack and Erica? (Soaps.com)

Wow! Is anyone else completely surprised that it’s Friday (and therefore time for Week Three of the new column?)? Seems like this week – and the summer in general – have flown by. And no wonder with all the craziness going on in Pine Valley! Personally, I really love a good, dramatic summer storyline and we’ll dish a little about that today. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinions, give me your own in the comments section and we’ll chat some more.

August 15, 2008

My first observation: all of the dramatic summer storylines … aren’t all that dramatic! Unfortunately, this week has shown that almost all of the drama could be explained away with a few simple conversations. I hate that! So, I’m gonna be a little bit picky this week.

Jackson/Erica/Samuel Triangle

I’m sorry but I’m not buying that Samuel – a federal attorney and Senate candidate! – is really buying Erica’s I’m-So-Over-Jack routine. Yes, he came to her rescue in the solitary confinement. Yes, it’s easy for her to see the friction between Sam and Jack. Yes, he’s obviously attracted to her after a loooooooong spell of celibacy after the death of his wife on 9/11. All of that should ratchet up the drama but it isn’t. You know why? Because I don’t think Samuel is really buying into her act. I think he knows she is using him (as she’s used many others) just to make Jack jealous. With that said, what exactly is Sam up to? Is he leading Erica, who is leading him, on? Is he trying to out-Kane La Kane? I’m not sure, which is what is keeping me watching and annoying me at the same time.

The best part of the week Erica-wise? When Jack finally dumped her! I loved the look on her face. That You-Can’t-Be-Over-Me look was priceless and so totally Erica! You know what I think? I think Erica is great. She’s an amazing woman who knows how to work a room – and a man! – over. So why isn’t she working the room this time around? Why is she playing games? She knows what she wants. Jack. So why isn’t she just going after it? I guess after all of her heart to hearts with Carmen in prison, I expected that more mature Erica to still exist outside of the prison bars.

The Teen Hit-and-Run

All I can say here is, “Hallelujah! It’s almost over!” Don’t get me wrong. I love Colby. I love Dre. But Cassandra is working my ever-lasting last nerve! She’s acting like an eight year old who was picked last at kickball. Newsflash: she is a world-traveling eighteen year old. Yeah, she would be worried about her friends. Yeah, she should be worried about winding up in jail herself. But, no, she shouldn’t be stomping around her home trying to convince everyone and anyone that Jesse has it out for her when he so obviously doesn’t. Jesse’s been trying to help her from the beginning. He said it, Angie said it, Frankie said it, Dre said it…but still Cassandra is playing the My-Stepfather-Doesn’t-Like-Me card. Will somebody give Angie a little more backbone and have her set Cass straight? Yeesh!

The best thing about this storyline? Yaya DaCosta. She makes Cass worth watching even when every second I’m grinding my teeth begging her to stop with the whining.

I’ve been thinking about this storyline a lot and I think I know where it’s gone wrong: Cassandra isn’t really upset about the charges (or at least not totally). She’s still harboring ill will because Angie never got over Jesse even though she married Cass’s father, Jesse-look-a-like Jacob. This storyline needs to make an abrupt change. I say bring in Jacob (and let Darnell Williams play a dual role; he’d be awesome) and let the storyline play out as it should: with plenty of father drama, daughter drama and wife drama because Angie would finally have to choose between the two men in her life when both of them are in the same place at the same time.

The Carmen-Randi Connection

This week a new relationship developed in Pine Valley. Or should I say a relationship redeveloped? When Carmen and Randi first ran into one another at Fusion, I wasn't sure about the chemistry. But after seeing them reliving old times, I have to say I like the friendship! Plus, it gave us some much needed background on both Randi and Carmen. We now know they grew up in Center City, that Carmen was some kind of caregiver for Randi and that she left without a word. No wonder Randi feels abandoned and neglected. No wonder Carmen feels as if she has to atone for many, many sins. I can see the friendship being rocky but I certainly hope it is explored fully - because I could see these two girls setting Pine Valley on fire!

Jake/Taylor/Frankie

I know, I know, we haven't really seem much of this triangle but after Jake's attempts at flirting (could someone help him loosen up a little bit? Pleeeeeeze?), the way Taylor shut him down and the way Frankie tried to pry into her personal life, there is clearly a deep well of emotion inside Taylor. And who saw Frankie's Silver Star coming? We all knew he was heroic (how could he be anything else with Jesse's blood running through his veins?) but we couldn't have known that he risked his own life for him compatriots in Iraq. Go, Frankie!

Okay, that's enough of the big issues I see. Here are a few quick hits:

I love that Krystal set Adam straight, but at the same time I wish she would stop lying to herself about her true feelings.

Kathy's reaction is a little bit strong and a little bit late. If she were going to have issues with Tad and Krystal, wouldn't those issues have developed immediately? It isn't like Krystal is a new girlfriend Tad brought home, she's his wife and a woman who Kathy has known for over a year!

Would someone give Amanda a storyline already? Chrishell Stause is too talented to have lingering in the background. I liked her initial chemistry with Jake but we haven't seen anything develop from that. I love that her friendship with Babe is healing. I really enjoyed how she stuck up for Randi. But, come on, let's give her a real, strong storyline. Something with teeth!

I'm adding a new feature this week, some of the best lines of the week. Here are a few I thought were priceless.

Adam to Krystal, as she was telling him she chose Tad, "I'm a man among men!"

Kendall "Buttinski" Slater to Zach, "Nasty pod-Annie doesn't have a soul!"

Aidan to Greenlee, after coming up with yet another lovable nickname, "I love you, too, Prune Tart!"

Well, that was the week as I saw it. What did you think? Are the storylines progressing well? Would you like to see a few changes? If you were writing the show, how would you do it?