October 17, 1999
What a difference a week makes. AMC was vastly improved this week over the previous week! It just goes to show you that there are reasons to keep watching and Monday and Tuesday were proof of that for me. There were so many great scenes and so many stand out performances this week, especially on Monday and Tuesday. I'll start with David tracking down Erica in NYC. David really let us see his insecurities this week as he took Erica to task for leaving town and not telling him. Well excuse me, David, but I think the last thing we heard Erica say to you is... "I never want to see you again," so why does she have to clear her travel plans with you? Anyway, when he does find her and goes to her hotel room, she is very standoffish and nonchalant about her plans to see the opera with another man, Eduardo or Enrique or some exotic type name. But this doesn't sit too well with the Devious Doc and he starts to make some plans.
Enter Donald Steele. You remember Donald Steele right? The ghost writer that Nessie hired to pen the tell all book about her good friend Erica? Well, David has the goods on the guy and he won't let old Donald forget it. So he bribes him into helping him trap Erica in the hotel. As they are discussing their arrangement, we are treated to a terrific LINE OF THE WEEK! Donald says, "The doctors at Oakhaven said I have some unresolved issues with my mother." It's David's priceless reply that snaps up the award this week when he says, and totally matter of factly I might add, "Hmm, haven't we all."
Together, David and Donald convince the manager of the hotel that Erica's room has to be quarantined and the rest of the floor has to be evacuated because of a severe case of the uh... Galloping Globootz. This was vintage AMC! They were always a soap that liked to throw in elements of comedy and it worked! It even showcased yet another side to the extremely talented and diverse actor, Vincent Irizarry (David). After they actually do convince the hotel manager to block off the floor, David heads back into Erica's room and she is in one hell of a stunning dress! Wow, they may shop at K-Mart for the rest of the cast, but Ms. Kane has been in some real knock-out outfits lately! Well, Erica is none too pleased that she cannot leave the floor, and even more annoyed when she realizes that the phone in her room and her cell phone are gone.
What comes next has me totally mesmerized. Erica calls David on his insecurity and the scenes these two share while they discuss their relationship, what it means, where it's going and how they feel is incredible. Neither wants to show the other that they really do care and are falling in love. I even had to laugh as Erica called David on his jealousy over her date in the city. She says she thought they were above jealousy then tosses out this blatantly jealous and snippy remark, "You're free to debase yourself with the ferret-faced Ms. Coulson if you choose."
Erica pushes David to admit his feelings and David fights it for all he's worth. I have to say, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if David would actually break down and admit to being in love with Erica. I even found myself yelling at the TV, "SAY IT!!! SAY IT!!!" Erica wanted to hear it so badly, but wouldn't say it first. Boy, these two are stubborn. David was so vulnerable, so full of emotion that he could not express. He looked like he was going to cry even. And he is so very jealous of Dimitri, it's so clear. He wants Erica to feel for him the way she felt about Dimitri. But in the end, he could not admit to loving her. He did admit to caring though. David was outstanding, and gets one of this weeks PERFORMER OF THE WEEK awards. He has a real issue with closeness, love and affection. The question is, can Erica actually change that? Is he ready to let his guard down and let himself feel love for all it's worth? Time will tell..
And then there was the Tad/Adam showdown. After reading the note that Junior left, saying no one can stop his father, Tad and Dixie find Snobville Prep soccer jersey and soccer card that Adam got for Junior. Tad races right over to Adam's and bursts in, accusations flying. Tad calls Adam on his controlling nature, the way he went behind his and Dixie's back to enroll Junior in boarding school, and driving the boy away because he felt he had no other choice. Adam tries to defend himself, but is doing a rather piss poor job of it. All the while, Liza stands back in stunned silence as she listens to what Tad is saying. The facial expressions that she shows as she realizes that nothing Adam does is spur of the moment is incredible. The tears that silently roll down her cheeks as she understands why Adam planned a little family getaway to New Hampshire is riveting. Liza gets the second of this weeks three PERFORMER OF THE WEEK awards, with the third going to Tad. Tad and Adam's intense confrontation also earned this weeks SCENE OF THE WEEK award. Dixie arrived at the house and let Adam have it too. I am surprised however, to see how angry Dixie is as opposed to being upset. A cooler head prevailed for Dixie for the most part as she didn't let the situation escalate into an all out cryfest. Kudos to her!
Tad and Dixie tell Adam to NOT try to help find Junior, that it was his influence and control that drove him away in the first place and if he knew Adam was looking for him, he'd continue to run. After they left, Liza finally spoke and called Adam on his plans and his jealousy over Tad. Liza is so angry and really lets Adam have it. What can he say? Nothing, so he doesn't say much at all. I can't help but wonder why this multi-million dollar mogul entrepreneur international businessman is so intimidated by the Martins. It's crazy! He's so jealous that Junior looks up to Tad? He's so annoyed that Jake gets to be Colby's father? He does what he does best and undermines everyone and instead of honestly trying to win his child's love, he tries to eliminate the competition. This gets Adam this weeks I NEED TO BE SLAPPED award. Why? Well.. for being Adam!
After leaving Adam's, Tad and Dixie, who for once don't have Jamie with them, go looking for him. You'd think Tad had full custody of the kid the way he's always with them! Well, this once he's with Brooke and they are at Pine Valley's newest hotspot, the former Holidays, now BJ's. Jamie orders a huge meal, then decides he doesn't want any. Funny how no one thought that maybe he was taking food to Junior. Duh. Instead they interrogate him and he lies, saying he doesn't know where Junior is. Jake, who still doesn't know how to hold a baby, is there with Gillian. Jake decides that he's got to give his two cents worth to Adam too, and leaves Gillian at BJ's. Everyone wants to help in the Junior search so Jamie suggests he go back to Wildwind with Gillian. Funny how no one thought that was odd either. Off they go though.
Jamie brings a big bag of food to Junior at the mausoleum then leaves so that Gilly doesn't get suspicious of his whereabouts. Junior is really scared to be in there. You know, Edmund should really put an alarm in there or at the very least, a lock on the door after Marian was held captive there by Lee Hawkins for goodness knows how long! After he falls asleep, Junior has a nightmare about Ray Gardner and calls out for Tad. I think it's really great how AMC has called back Gil Rogers a few times this year to scare the hell out of Tad and Junior in their dreams, ala Freddy Krueger.
Back at Adam's, Jake arrives and refuses to leave Colby there. Adam is less than happy by this, but Liza isn't helping matters at all. She agrees with Jake. Liza is so disgusted with Adam's behavior that she walks out on him with Jake and Colby. I guess Jake deserves a smack right about now too, for actually presuming that Liza would just leave Adam and get a divorce. No wonder the guy can't sustain a relationship. You don't just walk out and never try to work things through. Of course, it is Adam we're talking about so maybe he's right. Jake talks Liza into letting him keep Colby overnight for the first time.
Over at the Dillon house, Amanda is having a slumber party. Hayley, Ryan and Scott arrive so that Scott can videotape the festivities. Hayley brings a bunch of fun stuff for the girls to play with and they have a fashion show. Hayley plays emcee and introduces the girls while Scott tapes her. The wheels are cranking away in Ryan's brain and he plans on showing the tape to Liza as an audition for the new fashion show that WRCW is putting together. As a side note, Janet has sure come a long way huh? I guess the kids mom's aren't worried about her anymore and allow their kids to spend the night in the crowbar killers home. Anyway, during the party, Brooke calls and tells them that Junior is missing and Trevor, Scott, Hayley and Ryan rush out to join the search.
At Wildwind, Brooke, Dixie and Tad question Jamie again. This time the kid cracks and tells them that Junior was going to hide out for a few days so he wouldn't have to go to boarding school and that he's in the mausoleum. When Dixie, Tad, Adam and Trevor get to the mausoleum, Junior is gone. Dixie cracks now, and breaks down into tears. The cops are called. Tad comforts Dixie and vows revenge on Adam.
When Liza arrives back at Adam's house, she finds him in the living room, weeping. He's so upset by the turn of events and can't really face that he is to blame although everyone keeps telling him that. He was just trying to protect his son from the evil Tad menace. Well the news gets worse for Adam as Liza tells him that Jake kept Colby for an overnight. Adam and Liza have more discussions about his controlling ways, his jealousy of Jake and Tad, and through it all, Liza tells Adam she won't leave him, but she also won't let him control Colby that way. Liza admits though, that she wishes Adam were Colby's father and it almost looks like Adam is going to spill. But he doesn't.
Adrian had a whooping three minutes of airtime this week when he went to SOS to tell his new best friend Mateo that Junior is missing. Realizing that Hayley is probably freaked, Mateo rushes to be with her. Well duh, Ryan is already with her! And being the lapdog flunky he has become, Ryan talks to Hayley about the 12 steps and she is moved that he actually knows them. Suck up!!! But still, Mateo and Hayley did have a nice scene and bonded somewhat. He was civil to Ryan and very much less like Assholeo, for once.
The next day, Derek calls Adam and tells him that he needs to get to the Boathouse. Adam calls Dixie and they all meet there. Seems there is an overturned rowboat out in the water... which is now a lake, not an ocean, and they think that Junior may have drowned. Dixie rips into Adam for driving him away, and just then, Junior shows up... no worse for the wear. After hugging Tad and Dixie for awhile, Junior tells them about his dream about Ray Gardner and Adam hears it. I think old Adam is getting the feeling that he is Junior's own Ray Gardner and doesn't like it much. When he tries to hug his son, Junior backs away.
It's codicil time and Alex finally got a big dose of her own medicine! Jack could not tell Alex about Dimitri calling him or putting the codicil in the will and she got a big surprise. Seems Dimmie decided that he would establish a medical foundation that would research and try to find cures for rare diseases like his. Alex was thrilled until she heard that she is to head up the foundation and must run it out of Pine Valley Hospital. Alex at first says no, but Eddie goes for the guilt and asks her if she really wants to refuse Dim's dying wish. Alex is not happy about it, but she decides she will go back to Pine Valley and head the foundation until Jack can find someone else for the job. She decides to stay at the Valley Inn, but Edmund insists she stay at the Hunting Lodge.
Palmer is getting very suspicious of his new bride and Nessie is definitely nervous about it. She snuck down into the dining room to call her mysterious young man/son/whatever to tell him that Palmer is getting suspicious and not to call her there, when out of the shadows appears old PC himself! Nessie screams and when Palmer questions her about what she is doing in the dark in the middle of the night, she says she called her good friend Bunny Wainwright and didn't want to wake him. Palmer wants to bring old Bunny to Pine Valley so he can finally meet her, and Nessie is fake thrilled at the idea. David walks in and when Nessie leaves, PC asks him some questions about Bunny. David gives him some insight into the Bunny/Nessie friendship ala Thelma and Louise, then leaves when Nessie comes back. But not before he can get in one of my favorite little Davidism's, "good night Pops," to Palmer.
Some psycho landlady shows up at SOS and calls Tina a bunch of names and kicks her out of her apartment. It's Super Mateo to the rescue!!! He pays her debt, he gives her a place to stay rent free and he acts like a really nice guy. What is wrong with this picture? Where did the real Mateo go? Be afraid, be very afraid.
This weeks AMC gets a B-. Some great scenes Monday and Tuesday and some great performances, but then the rest of the week went downhill fast.