Fall TV Season: Newbie Reviews

OK, I watched what I could from the new Fall lineup and I have mixed reviews.  Maybe it was the shows I picked, but some of them are turning out to be the same, tired, old format; so I switched a few.

It seems, even I have a hard time being objective.  The likability of the actors contributes heavily to a show's appeal and success.  A perfect example is Castle. Nathan Fillian is a natural in the role, and with his co-star, they make an exciting pair.

The Event is my favorite new show.  I just hope it holds up.  My favorite returning show, which is an absolutely, must see is The Good Wife—LOVE IT.  So, this is what I have so far:

Newbies		Comments
Hawaii 5-0		Lots of shoot 'em up cowboy stuff. Really hot guys and might be interesting after it gets going. Some scenes looked a bit fake—like back lot and not like real street scenes.  Maybe too much gratuitous violence.  We'll see...  But having a hard time staying interested to the end of the episode.
The Event		I resisted watching this because I didn't want to spend six more years LOST, but I finally watched it, and I am totally hooked.  Modern SciFi.  It has the big special effects action of LOST, the intrigue of The X-Files and the non-stop pursuit of the good guy like The Fugitive.  I was holding my breath most of the time.  No one can be trusted and we don't yet know the difference between the good and bad guys.  I had hoped FlashForward would have all that, but it just turned out to be stupid.  And V is so completely unwatchable, I hope they don't bring it back.  I recommend this!
Chase		Decided not to watch it or review it.
Detroit 1-8-7		Good job, but same old story.  I like Michael Imperioli a lot, but this is the exact same character he played in Life on Mars!  Don't hold your breath for this one, it might not make it.  The hand-held camera and constant closeups make me feel a bit seasick. Watch it while you can.
Blue Bloods		Wow.  I didn't think I would like it this much, but I am a sucker for anything shot on the streets of NYC.  It will fill the void left by Law and Order admirably.  And, who doesn't love Tom Sellak.  The rest of the core cast really shines.  All very likable, very appealing characters in one family unit.  Lots of warm and fuzzy.
The Whole Truth		Not going to watch it.  I don't like any of the actors.
The Defenders		A fun romp with some unusual but attractive characters and the usual, predictable happy ending.  Good if there isn't anything else you want to watch.
Undercovers		Well, it's complicated.  Hot, hot actors, gorgeous clothes, lots of action.  As with a lot of these types of shows, maybe too much violence.  Very much like Hart to Hart was years ago, only more technology.  Whether or not it is that believable, maybe not.  Fun.
Nikita		Nonstop action. Violence, torture, violence against women,  automatic weapons in the subway station.  Everybody gets killed except the good guys. High tech gadgetry that is too ridiculous. Won't be watching it.
Law and Order L.A.		Same as the original L and O, but using crime stories from the West Coast instead.  Good cast, worth watching if you're already a fan.  I think I'm burned out on the genre.
Trump's Apprentice		Of course, I'm watching it. The contestants have been brutal this time; especially the women.  Yikes.  Celebrities will be back second half of season.
Outlaw		Nope.  Is it Jimmy Smit's character and his smug attitude or just very boring writing or both?  Didn't hold my interest at all.
No Ordinary People		Way better than I thought it would be. Thought it would be more "cheesie," but appears to have a story. I think they can stretch it out for awhile, if it is done right. Very watchable.
Outsourced		Got bad reviews before it aired, but it is somewhat funny. The novelty has to wear off soon, though. There are only so many ethnic, stereotypical jokes you can make, before it starts getting tedious and offensive. Good fun while it lasts.

         

OLTL—Friday–10/8—Eli wants Danielle

Nothing new was revealed to the audience, but a few hints were dropped; like, what is Greg's big secret and what does Mama Evans know about it.  Today was mostly a wrap up of an action-packed week and a prelude to Elijah Clarke's "Plan C" or maybe we are back to "Plan B."  I'll explain that later.

Shaun and Destiny are standing vigil with Greg at the hospital, taking turns talking to him.  Mama Evans has gone to the airport to pick up Papa Evans.  Destiny is getting impatient with Greg and finally says, "Greg, wake the hell up.  Yeah, you heard me."  But it doesn't help.  Detective Price comes around to see if there has been any change in Greg's condition, because he needs to question him.  He expresses his concern for Greg to Shaun, but Shaun gets annoyed by what he sees as insincere concern and tells Price, "Stop acting like we know each other, because we don't."

Poor Téa wakes up and sees Todd and Danielle standing by her bed.  They just smile at her, but don't react when she tells them she is going to live.  She realizes she is hallucinating again.  She pages the nurse and begs her to call her family.  The nurse tells Téa she will call Dr. Evans.  She leaves a message explaining she doesn't understand why she can't just give Téa a phone and mentions that since she has left several messages for him now, she is starting to wonder what is going on.

Téa is trying to figure out why Todd would come there and then just leave.  She is worried that something is wrong with Dani, otherwise he would not have left.  She asks the nurse if he said anything about flying back to The States, and the nurse tells her, she must be confused, because "this IS the United States."  Téa presses her for more information and learns that they are actually in Cherryvale, even though Greg told her they were still in St. Kitts. She realizes that Greg lied to her, but why would he lie to her?

Dani rushes over to Ross.  Todd tells her it's too late.  She just stares at him in shock and says "call an ambulance, call an ambulance."

Dani and Todd argue because she thinks he killed Ross.  He tries unsuccessfully to convince her he didn't.  He tells her it was Eli.  She says, oh right, he came back from the dead to kill Ross.  Yeah, that's right.  Todd just wants to get Dani away from the dock and to somewhere safe, but Dani grabs Todd's gun, points it at him and says she is not going anywhere with him.  She throws the gun down and takes off running.

The police show up and think Todd shot Ross, but McBain arrives right behind them and says he'll take it from there.  He asks Todd for the details.  Todd is shocked that McBain actually believes him and then tells him that Ross' dying words were "Eli wants Dani," but that he died before he could find out why.

Nate shows up at the dock and tells McBain that Dani was with Starr.  Now, everyone is very worried.  McBain says that since Dani just went through a severe trauma seeing Ross dead on the dock, she is going to go someplace where she feels safe.  Todd:  "Starr?"  McBain's face says:  "I'm afriad so."

When Starr opens the door to her apartment, Eli forces her to come inside.  She can't believe he's not dead, since her mother shot him.  "With blanks," he says.  Eli tells her the land line is dead and she will be too, if she doesn't cooperate.  She starts to go toward the bedroom to get Hope, but Eli says he doesn't think she should go in there.  She rushes into the bedroom and finds the baby sitter shot to death. 

Eli tells Starr they are leaving and orders her to hurry up and get packed.  It takes longer than he would like for her to pack everything needed for a baby, but he knows he doesn't have any other hostage options since Dani, his "Plan B," got away.  But just then, there is a knock on the door and it is Dani begging Starr to let her in. 

She says, "Ross is dead and Todd killed him.  He won't even admit to it and he says that Eli...."  Eli swings open the door and says, "is alive?  Who says Todd Manning is a liar?  Come on in.  Join the party.  "Dani's face says:  "OMG!"

Dun, dun, da.....
          

OLTL—Thursday–10/7—"I'll think of something."

Yesterday was exciting, but today was unbelievable.  Even though Todd and Eli were staring each other down in the cliff hanger yesterday, I still wasn't expecting what happened today!!

First, I'll recap a few of the more humdrum developments, then get to the good stuff.

Clint gets Ford reinstated at L.U. by threatening to withdraw financial support to the university.  Viki visits Clint at his office to tell him about the return of Echo DiSavoy, and overhears him threatening someone. He laughs it off as "just business." He is quite surprised to hear about Echo, thinking she is in Llanview to see him, but Viki explains that this time, her target is Chuckles.

Inez is able to convince Nate to tell John McBain the truth about his involvement in Dani's disappearance.

Bo and Nora realize they have been eating lunch in the office and not having any personal time for way too long, so they sneak off to a hotel for a nooner.  I said it before, and I haven't changed my mind—not really into the old folks in bed.  Does anybody want to see Bo's greying chest hair, flabby arms and man boobs?  Did I really say that?  OK, I'm done.   Bo and Nora are able to have a few stolen minutes, but it doesn't take long before their cell phones start ringing and they need to get back to reality.

Continuing from yesterday:  Todd is on his way to get the yacht ready, when he sees Eli on the docks.  Todd says, "Hey Clarke.  Glad I ran into you.  Now you can die a second time."  Then he pulls out his own gun and points it at Eli, and they are at a stand off.  They begin negotiating back and forth; drop your gun, no, you drop your gun.  In the process, Eli admits to faking Téa's Will, but he will fix it if Todd doesn't shoot him.  Todd lowers his gun and says, "Oh, so now you're asking me not to shoot you because you're going to fix the Will.  Eli says, "Who else is going to do it?"  Todd raises his gun and shoots Eli, then says under his breath, "I'll think of something." Great acting and great writing!!

Eli goes down.  Todd rolls him over, but he is only playing dead.  Eli clutches his shoulder wound, and then jumps up and starts pummelling Todd.   In the scuffle, Todd loses his gun.  Eli reclaims his own gun, gets up and orders Todd not to move.  Todd turns and reaches for his gun, and ROSS POPS OUT OF THE WATER AND GRABS TODD'S ARM!!!!

Todd is startled, to say the least, and Eli gets away.  Ross begs for Todd's help.  Todd acts like he is going to leave him there, but knows it would hurt Dani, so he pulls him out of the water.  That's when Todd realizes, Ross has been shot.  He wants to know why Eli shot him.  Ross says Eli wants Dani.  Todd presses Ross for more information, but he doesn't answer him.

In the meantime, Starr convinces Dani she needs to find a better hiding place, because it is just a matter of time; since Natalie knows about James' necklace.  She suggests her father's yacht.  Dani gathers her things and they leave.

Starr takes Dani to the dock, gives her a marina security pass and the alarm code, and points out the yacht at the end of the pier.  Dani hurries down the dock toward the yacht, and that is when she sees Todd kneeling over Ross, pointing a gun at him!  She almost stops breathing.

Starr returns to her apartment bldg and sees blood on the floor in the hallway.  In a panic, he rushes into the apartment, fearing for Hope's safety.  Eli is there. He turns and points a gun at her.

Dun, dun, da.....
          

OLTL—Wed–10/6—"Blair, Elijah Clarke is alive."

Today was one of the most exciting episodes we have seen in a very long time.  But I'll have to get to the action in a minute.

Hannah Banana is still living at Marty's.  She seems in a bit of a hurry when she picks up her backpack off the table and accidentally brushes some files and papers onto the floor.  When she picks them up, she realizes they are Marty's confidential patient files and just happens to notice that one of them says Brody Lovett.  She very quickly glances at some of the notes, but Marty comes home just then and finds her with the files in her hands.  She is immediately suspicious, but Hannah says she was just picking them up off of the floor.  Marty gathers up the files and then says she needs to go out again, and leaves.

Natalie is wrapping up her investigation outside Todd's.  When Cole leaves in a hurry, she calls out to him and asks him to wait.  She shows him something she found on the ground under Danielle's window and asks if he knows anything about it.  She shows him James' bullet on a chain.  Cole denies knowing anything, but Natalie pushes him.  He almost tells her who it belongs to, but when Starr comes outside, he says, "Ask Starr," then he leaves.  Starr makes up a story about the necklace, but after Natalie leaves, she rushes over to James' apartment.

Hannah is alone at the house when the doorbell rings.  She answers the door and it is Cole.  Cole proceeds to tell Hannah he has feelings for her, blah, blah, and then he kisses her.

Marty arrives at the police station and runs into Natalie. She says she is there to see John.  Natalie says, "Oh, about what?"  Marty brushes past her and says, "It's personal."

Natalie sees Brody in the hall and she tells him she just can't manage to ever say the right thing to Marty.  Brody mentions she has been a big help to him, and that is when she finds out he has been counseling with Marty.

She can't believe he would tell Marty about them, but he says he didn't; that they mostly talked about Jessica and Ford.  She finally says, I know that everyone around here thinks she is Saint Marty, but I don't trust her—so find another therapist!  Marty is just coming around the corner and sees them walk off together.  Her face says, it all.  She has tuned into her suspicions.

Blair, Kelly and Dorian are at La Boulaíe.  Dorian wants Blair to take a sedative since she has not been able to sleep, but Kelly and Blair both say no.  She is blaming herself for everything that has happened with Dani and a lot of shoulda, coulda, woulda, etc.

Just then Todd comes rushing into the room sandwiched in between two of Dorian's security guards, and demands that she call them off. Blair says, "What's going on?"  Then he blurts out to her, "Blair, Elijah Clarke is alive."  The look of horror on her face, gave me chills!!

After she gathers her wits about her, she wants to know if Todd got a call from Eli the way he did from Téa.  Todd says, "No, I'm not hearing things.  This is coming straight from John McBain.  Now, Blair is terrified and the look on her face, again, gave me chills.

She still can't believe it because she knows she shot him.  Todd says, "With blanks.  What happened in Tahiti was staged.  He and his brother rigged it because the heat was on."  Todd says if she doesn't believe him, she should call John McBain because he is the one who figured it out.  Kelly says, "So, Eli is coming here?"  Todd:  "That could be his next stop."

With the latest turn of events, Kelly and Dorian talk about Eli and Kelly's mother, Melinda.  Dorian tries to convince Kelly to let the police handle the situation and Kelly is defiant; that if it weren't for her, the police wouldn't even KNOW that her mother had been murdered by Clarke.

Todd and Blair have some time alone and Todd tells her he wants her to be safe.  He insists they should all go stay out on the yacht.  That way, no one can sneak up on them.  She wants to know why he is so concerned about her, and he says, because he just lost Téa and he doesn't want to lose her too.

Ross and Eli are arguing at the docks.  Eli says he knows a safe way out of town, but Ross says, "This makes no sense.  Why didn't you just wait for us—THAT was the plan."  Eli says that sometimes plans have to change.  He wants to just go pick up Danielle and get out of there, but then Ross tells him that is the problem—Dani is missing.  Now Eli gets that look of "what?!?!"

He is really getting annoyed with Ross and says, "How could you let this happen?  I will lose everything that I worked so hard for."
Ross:  "I'm sorry.  What have you worked so hard for?"
Eli:  "Getting Danielle back for you, bro."
Ross:  "Then why do you seem more upset about Dani, than I do?"
Eli:  "We need Danielle."

Eli wants to use Dani to squeeze Todd for every cent he has.  Eli explains his plan to Ross, who seems to be a bit clueless.  Eli is starting to see that Ross is going to be hard to deal with.  He only wants Dani and Eli only wants the money; Dani is just the means to the end.  Then Eli pulls out a gun and asks Ross if he is with him or not.

Eli tells Ross he killed Téa and Ross says he feels sick. 
Eli:  "You won't be for long."
Ross:  "He [John McBain] told me you would do this. He told me you would turn on me."
Eli:  "You should have listened."

Then Eli shoots Ross.  Ross is still alive and Eli tells him "I really am sorry that it ended up this way.  I always loved you."  Ross says, "Oh Dani..."  Eli says, "Don't worry, you'll be together again soon."  Then he pushes Ross into the water.

Eli hears someone coming, he points the gun toward the footsteps, and it is Todd.  They stare at each other.  Todd looks afraid.

Dun, dun, da.....
          

OLTL—Tues–10/5—Oh no, NOT the very scary face!

Dani is hiding in James' room.  Bobby Ford leaves for the day.  Dani and James come out to eat breakfast when Bobby returns unexpectedly.  Dani runs back into the bedroom, but James has to explain the two bowls of cereal.  Bobby thinks James is hiding Starr in the bedroom.

Cole shows up at Todd's and asks Starr what is going on.  She tells the story she has been telling the police, but he knows she is lying and they get into an argument.  When he finds out James is involved, he is furious and the argument escalates.

Shaun is at the Llanview hospital waiting for the medevac flight bringing Greg to the ER.  He is rushed in just before his mother and sister arrive.  Mrs. Evans can't understand how Greg could have gotten himself into this life threatening situation and demands answers.  They want to see Greg, but John McBain is keeping them in the hallway while the doctors work to stabilize him.

John tells the Evans that Elijah Clarke is still alive and is somehow involved in Greg's lethal overdose.  He questions Shaun about whether of not Greg had recently said anything to him, that seemed out of the ordinary?  Shaun wants to know if the police have located Clarke.

Greg is stable, but still unconscious. Destiny is the first one to try to talk to him.  When her mother and brother come in, she says that Greg just hasn't been right lately.  She tells them that when she asked him about why he lied in court during Dani's custody hearing, he just shut her down.  Mrs. Evans does not want to hear anything about the possibility of Greg being mixed up with Elijah Clarke.

Shaun says that maybe there was something in Greg's past that they didn't know anything about; and that people like Clarke find out a person's weak spot and they use it.

Mama Evans goes in to talk to Greg alone. She tells him that if this person Clarke, had gotten Greg to do his dirty work, then she thinks she knows why.

At the police station, Ross is throwing a tantrum about Dani's disappearance. He is accusing Todd of master minding the escape. He argues back and forth with Todd and also Nate, who continues to deny that he knows anything. Todd realizes that Nate probably does know something, but to throw Ross off his trail, he threatens him and tells him to get out of there. 

He leaves and goes over to Todd's where he finds Starr and Cole arguing. He begs Starr to call James to see if Dani is alright. Cole gets steamed again, but tells her to do what she has to do. While Starr is on the phone, she hears Brody pounding on the Ford's door and demanding that they open it. Starr gets very upset, which further ticks off Cole. He says something rude to her and storms out.

Back at the police station, Ross isn't getting anywhere with the police, so, he finally leaves.  He goes down by the docks and makes a phone call to Dani.  Then, when he turns around, there is Eli.  Eli has on his very scary face and says, "Looking for me?"

Ross:  "What the hell are you doing here?"
Eli:  "I've been looking for you man.  You were supposed to bring Danielle to Caracas, remember?"
Ross:  "There was a problem. Everything went good with court, but I....."
Eli:  "Give me the play-by-play on the way.  We've gotta get out of town.  Where's Dani?"

Ross just stares at him like he doesn't know what he is talking about.

Dun, dun, da.....
          

OLTL—Monday–10/4—"Looks like I've slept with two of your husbands, Vicki."

Charlie is surprised to hear that Viki and Echo know each other and asks about their connection.  Viki tells Charlie, Echo had an affair with Clint.  Echo tells Viki she and Chuckles were lovers when they both lived in Atlantic City, and then adds: "Looks like I've slept with two of your husbands, Viki."  Charlie tells Viki, that was a very long time ago and then asks Echo why she has come to Llanview.  She says she just wanted to make sure he was doing okay, after all the wild living they did while they were in Atlantic City.

Destiny insists she wants to be involved in the Cherryvale exposé, but Shaun says no.  Darrell persuades Destiny they should just go to the airport so they can say goodbye to Dani. Shaun leaves for Cherryvale and Destiny and Darrell talk about Greg.  She just cannot figure out why Greg lied under oath about Tea wanting Dani to live with Ross, because she knows that couldn't be true.

John McBain breaks into Eli's room at the St. Kitts' hospice and finds Greg on the floor next to the empty syringe, which contained a lethal dose of morphine.  With a very faint pulse, he is rushed to intensive care to save his life, but there is concern about brain damage.  John asks a staff nurse about the patient who had been in that room, then shows her a photo of Eli, which she identifies as the patient.

Starr and Dani are upstairs at Todd's packing her things.  Nate causes a distraction outside of the front door while James climbs up to Dani's window.

Yesterday, Téa lifted the nurse's cell phone out of her pocket and called Todd.  When he hears her voice, he says, "Téa, is that you?" But then the nurse comes back into her room and takes the cell phone away and hangs up.  Todd calls the number back, but the nurse says she dialed his number by accident.

Todd tells Blair he knows it was Téa.  Blair tries to convince Todd his mind is playing tricks on him. But at the same time, Téa is asking herself, why did Todd seems so surprised to hear from her.

Shaun shows up in Cherryvale and talks to Téa's nurse as she is coming out of her room.  He tells her he is Dr. Evans brother and is looking for him.  She unknowingly reveals enough details for Shaun to learn, the woman in the room is the patient Dr. Evans is treating.  When he asks if he can speak with her, she says Dr. Evans doesn't want her to have contact with anyone.  Shaun wants to know "Why, is she contagious or something?" But she says he will have to ask his brother, because she doesn't know the reason.  Shaun calls Greg, and Detective Price answers his phone.  He tells Shaun, Greg has been injured and it is serious—he might not make it.

Just then, Téa calls out for someone to help her, but Shaun is so stunned by the news about Greg, he rushes off.  He returns to Rodi's to tell Destiny about Greg.

Ross shows up at Todd's to take Dani, and Blair begs and pleads with him not to take her.  Nate comes down the stairs and tells Ross he has said his goodbyes.  Then Starr comes downstairs and lashes out at Ross.  He finally has enough of the drama and goes upstairs to find that Dani has escaped out the bedroom window with James.  Todd is still bewildered by the strange phone call and just sits in the living room with Téa's urn.

To be continued.....
          

OLTL—Friday–10/1—"Chuckles! Long time no see."

Téa is awake and asks the nurse about her husband. She confirms he was there, but he left. Tea is confused and wants to know why, and says she needs to call him. The nurse wants her to relax and wait for Dr. Evans to return.

In St. Kitts, Eli and Greg continue their conversation about Eli's "condition." Greg shows Eli x-rays of a brain aneurysm and tells him he is a walking time bomb. He wants to schedule surgery immediately.

Eli seems to believe Greg at first and he starts asking a lot of questions as to why he feels just fine, etc. Greg insists that Eli could possibly have a stroke anytime, due to the location of the embolism, and wants to schedule the surgery right away. Eli says he doesn't have time for surgery because he has things he needs to do. Greg says he can't do anything if he is dead, and he is going to go prep for the surgery, then leaves the room.

In Cherryvale, Téa demands a phone so she can call her husband, but the nurse tells her she has direct orders from Dr. Evans that she is to rest. She says she will call the doctor and ask him. When Greg receives the call, his answer is, "no" to every request she makes for permission to call Tea's husband and daughter. He tells her that Téa is not to have any contact with anyone until after he is finished "here," then she can see anyone she wants. When she explains that Tea is agitated, he tells her to give Téa a sedative.

Eli figures out that Greg is planning to kill him during the surgery. When Greg returns to Eli's room, Eli reminds Greg, he has been paid very well to go along with all of Eli's schemes and in return, Greg's family will be spared "the ugly truth." Greg says it is no longer worth it, but Eli says, killing him would not have worked.

"Ross has his instructions."
"What?"
"My brother knows everything about you, Greg. And if he doesn't hear from me, he will make sure that your family and every paper in this entire country gets the dirt about Greg Evans."
"Then you have nothing to worry about. Let me fix you."
"Seriously? Give it up man."
"I can't."
"Why would I ever think you would want to help someone like me?"
"Because, I want the dying to stop. My job is to keep people alive."
"Save the hand wringing for your next AMA meeting. I have places to go and a teenaged girl to see."
"I don't think so." [Greg has a syringe in his hand.]
"What the hell is that?"
"The sedative for surgery."
"The hell it is."
"It's the poison you wanted me to give Tea Delgado."
"Wanted?"
"And now, it's going to kill you."

Greg lunges toward Eli and they begin to struggle. This is not going to end well for Greg. Eli is bigger and stronger.

John and Natalie talk to Shaun at Rodi's He is very surprised to hear that Greg has been back to St. Kitt's twice since Téa's "death." He tells John how he ran into Greg after the memorial service and he was pounding back a few drinks while reading Téa's medical records, but that Greg would not talk about his state of mind.

Destiny comes in to Rodi's to meet Shaun for lunch. They talk about how something is just not right about Greg. Destiny tells Shaun about the mysterious patient at Cherryvale Clinic. Shaun says, "Greg is standing in some deep shade these days." When Destiny tells Shaun she has a plan to find out who Greg is hiding at Cherryvale, Shaun tells her to leave that part up to him.

John and Natalie agree it is very likely Greg has Eli stashed in St. Kitts and John says he will fly down there immediately.  When John arrives, he finds the room where he is told Dr. Evans is seeing a patient.  The door is locked, so he decides to kick the lock.  He enters to room with his gun drawn to find...

Todd goes to Vicki's and tells her Ross has just been given custody of Dani and he wants Vicki to help him get Dani away from Ross. He explains he has his plane waiting at the airport and he just needs her to make the
arrangements for him. While he is babbling, Vicki says she wants to help him, but this is the wrong way to go about it.

She tries to reason with him, saying she will get him the rest possible lawyer, and he practically loses it when he tells her Eli Clarke has forged a Will that is iron clad, period.

When Todd leaves, Vicki admits she thinks he is right. Charlie is stunned, but Vicki says, "He is about to lose his daughter, of course he wants to do something desperate."

Vicki tries to talk to her attorney on the phone and only becomes more frustrated when she finds out there is absolutely nothing she can do. She tells the attorney she at least wants a court order that will prevent Ross from taking Danielle out of Tahiti after they arrive there.

Todd and Dani have a heart-to-heart and he reassures her, he would not have killed Ross because that would hurt her and he would never want to do that. He tells Dani he loves her and always has. Starr and Blair tell her how they feel and say their goodbyes. Dani tells Todd, if she had been given a choice, she would have chosen Todd over Ross.

After the dust settles at Llanfair, Charlie suggests they watch a movie to relax before bed, then the doorbell rings. He answers it and it is Echo DiSavoy. She chirps at him, "Chuckles—long time no see." She then hugs him, and Charlie is speechless.

When Téa's nurse returns with the sedative, she reaches for a glass of water, and Tea slips her hand into the nurses pocket and grabs her cell phone.

She calls Todd and he answers. In a very weak voice, she says "Todd, Todd."

Fade to black...
          

OLTL—Thursday–9/30—"I said what I had to say."

There was SO much action today, I had a hard time keeping the details to a minimum, so I went on and on.  Sorry about that.

After the judge's recess, everyone goes back into the courtroom except Greg and Destiny, who confronts her brother about whether or not he told the truth in court. He refuses to give her a straight answer.  She just keeps saying it doesn't make any sense that Dani's mother would want her to be with Ross, but he finally tells her "I said what I had to say.  I'm sorry if it wasn't what you wanted to hear." He tells her has to check on a patient, it's important and he has to go.

The judge in Danielle's custody case rules in favor of Ross Rayburn. Todd temporarily maintains his composure, but tells the judge he doesn't see how this decision could possibly be in Danielle's best interest, since he is her father and she would be uprooted from her stability.

The judge: "The court accepts that Danielle is your biological child, but you didn't make contact with her until very recently, and given that her mother's Will stipulates that Danielle is to be raised by Mr. Rayburn..."

Blair finally interjects:  "But that is NOT what Téa wanted Your Honor, please.  She wanted Dani to be with Todd, and if she said it once, she said it many, many times. And that Will, right there is a fake and Mr. Rayburn knows it.

The judge doesn't want to hear any further discussion.  She has made her decision and officially transfers custody of Danielle, effective immediately.  She gives Danielle ONE HOUR to pack her things and say her goodbyes.

Todd tells the judge he plans to write an editorial in tomorrow's Sun suggesting that she should be disbarred for her decision.  She asks, "Are you threaten me, Mr. Manning?"  And Todd says, "Oh, I haven't even begun."

Ross stands up and adds fuel to the situation by saying, "This is what I mean, Your Honor, Todd has a history of violence.  It's public record.  And if you grant visitation, I'm gonna fight it."

The judge tells him "that is for the court to decide."

Then Ross takes out a tape recording of the threats Todd made to him after Téa's memorial, where Todd threatened to kill him.  After that, the judge orders that Danielle and Todd must be accompanied by the police while she packs to leave with Ross.

In the meantime, McBain is explaining to Natalie that for some reason, Greg Evans has testified that Téa wanted Ross to have custody of Danielle, and neither of them can figure out why.

Natalie says she can't picture Greg aiding and abetting Clarke.  John says, he is not your standard accomplice, especially with "Doc" in front of his name. John decides to bring Greg in for questioning, but after a phone call, finds out he has left the country already!!  He decides to try to talk to someone on the staff at the St. Kitts hospice who may have had contact with Téa.

Down in St. Kitts, Eli is getting bored, restless and anxious to get out of bed and starts to fuss with the attending nurse.  She explains that his condition is life threatening and he needs to stay put.  He is starting to think he should have a second opinion.

Ford returns from the mall and tells James he didn't get the job at the camera store, and if he doesn't get a job soon, they are going to be homeless. James tells him that Nate said they are looking for waiters at the country club.

Ford goes to talk to the manager of the country club and realizes that since he doesn't have any restaurant experience, he is going to have to start as a busboy. [At this point, I am actually feeling humiliated for him.  To go from college professor to busboy is BEYOND mortifying!!]  But he accepts the job.

Clint and Inez are at the country club having drinks before dinner. He tells her he wants to talk about her son. She says James is so grateful to be able to have a second chance.

But Clint says, he wants to talk about her other son; the one who lost his job. Clint goes on to say, that L.U. has been trying to build a first-rate film school for quite awhile and hiring an award-winning director like Robert, is a first step. He impresses on Inez that he is positive the university did not want to let him go.

Inez asks, "Then why did they?" Clint tells her his theory:  that the student involved, just happens to be the daughter of the mayor, so that put the university under some unique pressure.  But he feels that with a little
incentive, which he would be willing to provide, they could be persuaded to reinstate him.

She stresses that she appreciates how unbelievably generous it is of him to offer his help, but Bobby has made it clear he doesn't want her help and since Clint is her friend, he would refuse to accept it.

Inez: "Don't misunderstand, I am overwhelmed by the interest you have taken in my family.  When my son James graduates from college he will owe it all to you.  But to try to fix things for Bobby too, is just so much."

Clint: "And you want to know, what's in it for me."

Inez: "I don't want to sound suspicious.  I'm just trying to figure out why you would want to do this for someone that you barely know."

Clint:  "Here's the bottom line:  You don't owe me anything.  Yes, I would like to get to know you better, but if you think we should go our separate ways, so be it.  I'll take it like a grown up."

Clint tells the waiter they are ready to order, but when he turns around, it is Bobby Ford and everyone has the same reaction:  What?!?!?

Ford tells them he will get their waiter and excuses himself.  Clint says "Guess he decided on a career change."

During dinner, Inez seems to be distracted. When Clint questions is everything is okay, she says it is hard for her to enjoy dinner when she sees how unhappy Bobby is. Clint coyly says, well, it's not forever, opportunities come along everyday. She says she wants that to happen and he assures, her "it will."

Ross texts Eli the good news about Danielle's custody just as Greg comes into his room.  Eli thanks him for his expert testimony and then says, now, he needs a clean bill of health, so he can get out of there.

Greg says, "No way in hell I'm letting you leave here."

Dun, dun, da.....
          

OLTL—Wed–9/29—I didn't know he would be nude!

Dr. Evans testifies that Téa's dying wish was for Ross to get custody of Danielle, according to her Will.

Todd jumps out of his chair in disbelief and protests: "What? No, wait a minute. That's a lie. What are you doing?"

Judge: "Mr. Manning, sit down or I'll have you removed from the courtroom."

Todd: "Ask him why he's changed his story."

Destiny and Dani are waiting outside in the hallway. Destiny reassures Dani that her brother will straighten everything out. She says, once he tells the judge that Tea asked for them just before she died, it will be, case closed. Destiny presses Dani to get real about how she feels about her two dads, and she finally says she wants to be with Todd.

Clint asks Natalie to stop by his office.  He says he is concerned about her "Buchanan baby" and wants to make sure John is not going to break her heart; because, it wouldn't be the first time.  She says everything is fine and they have not talked about marriage yet, since they just started dating again.

Nora comes by Bo's office while Inez is waiting for Clint to pick her up for dinner.  Nora is excited that she is dating Clint, but Inez says "it is just dinner."  Since Clint did her a very big favor, she felt it was the least she could do.  Nora wants to know, "What was the favor?"  Inez tells her about the grant he got for James and how much it has helped their relationship.  Nora continues to encourage Inez to date Clint because "...he really is a stand-up guy."

Back in the courtroom, Greg justifies what he had originally told Todd about Tea wanting to see them before she died, by saying he lied.

Todd: "Your Honor, if he just admitted to lying before, how do we know he's telling the truth now?"

The judge calls a recess.  Todd follows Greg out into the hall and threatens him if he doesn't tell the truth.  Dani and Destiny see the violent outburst and are completely shocked.  Blair gets Todd under control and tells him she is on his side.

Bo sees Rex at Rodi's and mentions that Rex had started to tell him something yesterday, but didn't finish the conversation.  Rex, says it was nothing and brushes it aside. Then Bo asks if Rex has had any luck tracking down David.  Rex says yes, but that David is just having way too much fun to come back to Llanview.

Later, Bo tells Nora that Rex is acting suspicious about something he wants to tell him, but keeps backing off of the conversation.  She says, if that is the case, he will tell him when he is ready.

Chris needs to run an errand, so he asks Gigi to help the life studies model get ready for class when he arrives.  Gigi is not familiar with term "life studies," so she doesn't realize the model will be nude.

When Chris critiques Gigi's drawing, he wants to know why it is not anatomically correct.  She hum, haws around and then Chris tells her, she will eventually view the human body as a form of inspiration and an object for study.

Rex shows up at the end of class, just when the model is getting dressed to leave and says, "What the hell?  OK, who the hell was that?"

Chris tells him that was the life studies model.  Gigi asks him, "What is your problem Balsam?"  He says he didn't realize she would be working with nude models, and she tells him that he shouldn't look at it as nudity.  The human body is a form of inspiration and an object for study.

LOL!!
          

OLTL—Tuesday–9/28—"Todd, is that you?"

Hannah asks Marty if she thinks she is a psycho. Marty says, "No, you're not a psycho, but, I think you're too focused on my son."  Hannah questions why Marty would invite her to live in her home if she felt that way.  Marty explains that she can relate to obsessive behavior because she had the same problem with a boy when she was Hannah's age.

Cole meets up with Starr and tells her the charges were dropped against Hannah. Starr is astonished that they have let her out and now "she's just loose, roaming the streets?" Cole says, no, she has been released under supervision. "Like in a half-way house?" "She's living with my mom." You can guess what Starr said, "What?!?!"

They get into a big argument about Hannah, and about Cole visiting her that morning.  Eventually, James' name comes up.  Cole wants to know if Starr has feelings for James. Starr wants to know if Cole has feelings for Hannah.  Starr says she and and James are no longer friends because he wants more than that and can't be just "friends" because it is too painful for him. She also tells him that James kissed her. Cole defends the fact that he went to check on Hannah. Then, they both admit they have feelings for James and Hannah.  As the discussion continues though, they both agree, they are together, they want to be together and they won't let anyone interfere with that. So, "We're good?" "We're good."

Jessica and Brody discuss a wedding date, but it soon surfaces that Brody is not anxious to get married right away.  He wants to wait until they can plan what he thought Jessica wanted:  a church wedding with all the trimmings.  He stresses, that will take more than two weeks to plan.  She says she doesn't care. She just wants to get married right away. Then she wonders if he has changed his mind or wants to wait until they find out the baby's paternity.  He says that's not it.

When Natalie stops by, Brody says he has some "wedding stuff" he needs to take care of and then leaves.  Jessica tells Natalie everything that just happened, including how guilty she feels about Ford.  Natalie reassures her, but you can see on her face she was freaking out and also feeling guilty, guilty, guilty.

Brody goes to see Marty because his doctor is out of town and she was referred to him.  He discusses the fact that he has been lying to Jessica about how he really feels about her baby possibly being Ford's, and that he is angry with Ford. He seems to want to tell her about Natalie, and almost slips a couple of times, but he stops himself.  However, Marty picks up on the subtleties, and deduces he is hiding something.

Over in Cherryvale, Todd is wandering the halls of the clinic looking for Greg Evans.  Téa is in her room looking at a family photo and saying, "You're gonna walk through that door any minute."  Just as she says that, Todd starts to open her door, but is stopped by Greg just in time.

Greg: "What are you doing here?"
Todd: "I think you know. I'm here because of Téa."

Téa hears what she thinks is Todd's voice, and very faintly says, "Todd, is that you?"

Todd explains he wants Greg to testify that Téa's dying wish was for Dani to be with him and not with Ross.  Greg says he is not going to do that, and their argument gets a little louder.  This time Téa calls out to Todd again and Todd thinks he hears his name.  Greg says he doesn't hear anything, but he knows he has to get Todd out of their in a hurry.

He tells Todd he needs to check on his patient because she is in pain.  Just then, Todd gets a call from Blair, so he is momentarily distracted.  Greg goes into Téa's room and she asks, "Was that Todd?"  He tells her "No, that was someone else."  "But, I heard his voice, I know Todd's voice."  He tells her she was dreaming and that "he'll be here later."  When he goes back into the hallway, Todd begs him to go with him and Greg says, "OK, let's go."

John McBain has Ross Rayburn brought into the station to try to coerce a confession from him.  He lays out all the evidence they have so far, including that fact that they did their own DNA test, and they know that the body in Tahiti is not Eli's. That can only mean that Eli faked his death and Rayburn help him.  In return, Eli promised Ross he would get custody of Danielle.

McBain promises to drag Ross in as an accessory in the deaths of all of Eli's other wives, and suggest he just tell him the truth. Ross is just about to spill, when McBain is informed that the judge in Danielle's custody case has issued a court order for Ross to appear in court. John tells Ross, he can tell the judge what he was just about to tell him.

Todd and Greg rush into the courtroom just as Ross is about to say something incriminating, no doubt, since McBain is standing next to him. The judge tells Todd and Greg to sit down, since they are late. Todd's attorney ask if it would be possible for Dr. Evans to offer his testimony because he felt it would be of value. The judge agrees. After he is seated to testify, she asks him if he knew Mrs. Manning's final wishes and he says, "Yes, Your Honor. Téa made it perfectly clear to me that she wanted Ross Rayburn to raise Danielle."

Dun, dun, da.....