Sad @ soapcentral.com

Yesterday my dad's cousin's husband Max died.  I have talked about him a couple times before.  For the past 2 years, he had been battling cancer of the kidneys, spleen, lungs, pancreas, and lymph nodes.  So it was all over the place so his death was inevitable, but it's still very sad.  I can only imagine the pain his wife Julie must be feeling right now.

 

Max was 59 years old.  He and Julie had 4 kids and a few grandkids.  Those little grandkids are gonna grow up with no memories of their grandfather.  It's very sad.  Max was a very successful realtor in New Orleans.  Even after he was told his cancer had spread, he still went to work on a regular basis, despite the lousy side effects of the chemo.  That's how strong Max was...he didn't let the cancer get in the way of what he wanted to do.  And just last week, the doctor told him he had 2-4 weeks left to live, and guess what Max did afterwards?  Went to lunch with his friends.  I find that very admirable.

 

Just a few weeks ago he was on a terrific streak.  He was up making breakfast for everyone.  Isn't it amazing how health can decline over such a short period of time?

 

So this is all very sad.  I've only met Max a couple times and when we got together, he and I really hit it off.  And we're leaving for New Orleans in a couple weeks.  I was really hoping I'd be able to see him one last time.  I hope we'll still be able to see Julie, my great-aunt Alice and her husband John.  They're all really nice people and it sucks that this happened.

They killed Emily? Killed??? OMG! I'm a cynic and predict deaths for half the cast every crisis, but even I didn't see this one coming. Wow. Oh, but I liked Emily :-( This is so sad! She was one of the few sweet women characters on the show. Aww . . . just . . . SAD!

But the scenes have been exceptional. Everyone is playing it well, and it is one of those deaths that kind of really hits hard (which is great drama, have to say). Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) is fantastic in this crisis. I'm confused, though. I thought it was Nikolas that killed her? They're saying it was Zaccara, but . . . wasn't it Nikolas? Hmm . . .
Moment of silence for Emily *now that a commercial is on*

. . . . Is she really dead??? Is that the point of the Quartermeines these days? lol To kill them one by one? Jeez, that's . . . messed up. But after AJ died, I came to terms with that fact :/

September 11th...6 years ago today the most devastating catastrophe of this country took place.  I remember the day it happened.  The day began just like any other.  I was in 3rd grade.  I got up in the morning, had breakfast, got my clothes on, brushed my hair and teeth, and my mom drove me to school.  I arrived at school, and it was just a normal day.  I didn't expect anything too exciting to happen.  But then my teacher, Mrs. Nei, gathered us around and told us everything.  It took me a while to comprehend it, because the news was so shocking.  When I got home, my mom had the TV on and we both sat in front of that TV for the longest time.  I saw the planes crash into the towers, then a whole bunch of smoke came out from the towers, then they collapsed.

 

This time of year we should think about the people who died in this catastrophe and the people who lost their loved ones thanks to this catastrophe.  But I also get angry.  Here is a video I wanna share with you guys in case you need a refresher on why as many terrorists need to die as possible.  Watch the whole thing.

Today, the Buchanan family, and really all of Llanview, lost a patriarch, Asa Buchanan. Asa was the head of the Buchanans and really was "larger than life" as Bo said today. I am sad about Asa's death for more than one reason. The thought of Asa never being on the show again saddens me, but the reason why infuriates me. After almost 30 years on One Life to Live, the people at ABC Daytime decided Phil Carey wasn't going to be a contract player anymore. They offered him recurring status, and Phil Carey decided to leave. I find it hard to believe that ABC Daytime couldn't have accomodated him in some capacity, considering that he plays such a pivotal character. However, they chose to let him walk, and here we are.

 

On the other hand, I was thrilled to see so many old characters return. The Buchanans have been all but obliterated in the past few years, so to see them all in the same room again was a sight for sore eyes. Nathan Fillion has always been my favorite Joey, and Dan Gauthier is my favorite Kevin. I wish they would return on a regular basis.Viki needs her sons, and it was a touching moment when all 3 of them visited Joey Riley's grave together. All too often, important characters are forgotten on this show, so I applaud the writers for remembering Joe Riley at all!

 

I was also happy to see Max Holden return to support Renee.They have shared a close bond for years, and I am relieved that it wasn't forgotten! I was sad when James DePaiva left the show, and I realized today how much I've missed his character. He and Blair reminisced about Asa in a way that only they could. Blair remembered that Asa always called her a "she-devil," and Max reminded her how Asa used to say "Woman watch your backs; men watch your wallets!" about Blair. I was surprised by Blair's reaction to Asa's death, but maybe underneath all of that hate, she cared about him in some way. After all, some people believe that you can't hate without caring!

 

When I saw Cord with Sarah today, it was the first time I actually thought of her as Sarah Roberts. She's had scenes with Clint and others, but something didn't feel right until today. Cord really brought it together, and if Sarah is going to stick around, so should Cord. It's not like her life is exactly wonderful right now!

 

As for the funeral itself, it was extremely rushed. I am not sure if it's ironic or sad that Asa had a more elaborate funeral when he faked his death a few years ago. At that funeral, all of his wives (ex and present) showed up, there were several montages, and we heard a eulogy. This time, when he really did die, it skipped directly to the cemetary while the priest was in mid-sentence. What?!  How could all of these character be brought back just to stand silently as the camera glossed over the burial? This was not a fitting tribute to Asa Buchanan OR Phil Carey. The funeral easily could have taken up two episodes if it had been written correctly. Surely the teenie bopper nonsense could have been eliminated to make sure Asa got the funeral he deserves! This has been in the works for months, but it had the feel of being slapped together in a hurry. I am SO glad we have a new headwriter on this show. That fact is the only thing that brought me solace while watching the funeral portion today!

 

However, getting back to the positive stuff, Joey and Dorian's scenes were dynamite! I remember when Dorian took up with Joey just to get back at Viki, and the chemistry was still there after all of these years. I don't want them getting back together, but Joey and Dorian's scenes were a glimpse of what the "old" One Life to Live used to be!

 

I also liked how Nigel quietly grieved throughout the entire episode. He was probably Asa's best friend in many regards, even if he was Asa's employee. Nigel put up with a lot over the years, including Asa's stubbornness and grumpiness, but he stood by Asa's side loyally for years and cared about Asa very much. I hope he remains on the show after all of this. Nigel is a great character!

 

I knew Viki and Dorian would be locked in the wine cellar as soon as I saw Dorian enter. How many residents of Llanview have been locked in there over the years? Yikes, that's too many people to count. However, if the previews are accurate, Viki and Dorian will "have it out once and for all," and that will be worth watching! My money is on Viki winning this fight, especially since she was humiliated by losing $10 million to Dorian in a bet! I wouldn't mess with Viki if I were Dorian, but we all know Dorian never backs down! As an aside, I am thrilled that the CHERI women (Cat, Hillary, Erika, Robin, and Ilene) were all in the SAME SCENE 2 days in a row! Viki and Dorian's scenes in the wine cellar should nicely end a stellar week for the CHERI women!

 

Finally, after an hour of sadness and grieving, I loved when Alex appeared and hugged Renee. Matthew's reaction was priceless. He looked stunned and frightened by the sight that is Alex Olanov! I can't wait to see how Alex is explained to Matthew. There aren't words to describe some of things she's done!

 

 

Well, my great-uncle Phil's battle against cancer ended this morning at 4:45.  He was 68 years old.  I'm assuming he died in his sleep 'cause sleeping was pretty much all he was doing those last couple of weeks.  It was a blessing 'cause the last year of his life has been very hard for him.  First he had his operation for prostate cancer, then he broke his hip and arm while playing basketball with his grandson, and then the cancer came back and spread to his liver and lungs and eventually the bones.  I will miss him very much, but in the future when I think about him there will always be that part of me that's sad but I'll probably be happy too when I think about him 'cause I have so many good memories of him.

 

Have a good weekend everyone!