The phoenix rises again

Stefano is back! For real this time, not just some hand popping out of an oxygen tent with a fake sinister laugh!

Stefano is back! For real this time, not just some hand popping out of an oxygen tent with a fake sinister laugh! The second I saw Joseph Mascolo's face with that salt and pepper beard, I let out a big "Yay!!" Now this show can finally get back down to business.

I hate to say anything negative when I LOVED this week's shows, but I just have to say something about the timing. This is the week I that would have liked to see at the beginning of sweeps. I think the show is moving in a fabulous direction, I just wish they could have wrapped up all that island crap a little sooner to best maximize on potential ratings. With NBC only being down to one soap after September, now is the time to bring out all of the big guns and get those ratings up so NBC doesn't decide to get out of the soap game altogether.

But enough of my complaining, how great was this week? Not only did my favorite villain of all time return, but Willow had an unfortunate accident and bit the dust. Anybody who's been reading this for the past few months knows how much I hated Willow's character and how much I wished her gone. I didn't even care that she died in the absolute lamest way possible. It must be a million dollar injury to trip and fall, bashing your head exactly the wrong way, causing instant death. I'm not saying that it is not possible, though it was a helluva stroke of bad luck. Poor Willow has now joined the Jan Spears club. Note to any new villianesses in town: If you are going to have an argument with someone you are blackmailing, make sure that it is in a padded room or pit of feathers with no sharp or blunt edges. I am sad that Willow's baby didn't make it (even though it didn't seem that the paramedics were in all that much of a rush to help Willow) although I have a sneaking suspicion that the baby will end up not being Shawn's. As of this writing, I don't know for sure, but that would be the best way for TPTB to absolve themselves of the mess that was Willow Stark. I do have to say kudos to Annie Burgstede, she made me hate Willow right up to the end, and did an admirable job of doing so. I hope to see her around in another role somewhere.

Onto Philip, Shawn and Belle. After being chased by psycho Philip almost literally all over the globe, Shawn and Belle are "temporarily" moving into the mansion now that Claire is missing and everyone has kissed and made up. Shawn, of course still doesn't trust Phil as far as he can throw a Mack truck, but Belle thinks that it is a good idea. I loved when Marlena called her out about her feelings regarding Shawn and Philip. Shawn is "the Love of Belle's Life" but she feels safer and more protected with Philip. She feels bad about feeling that way, but I can understand that because Shawn has a ... how can I put this nicely? Shawn has a tendency to not think things all the way through before he does them. And he also has a nasty habit of going off half-cocked with nothing even vaguely resembling a plan in his brain. Philip may have been a raving lunatic for minute there (and may still be for all we know) but he is very calculating. I don't even mean calculating in a bad way, he plans and plots and doesn't move until he has examined all his options. I can respect that, even if I don't always agree with his goals.

I thought that the stupidest thing I had ever heard in my life was the bright idea for "Touch the Sky" airlines, but oh no. Apparently, Claire has been kidnapped. Okay fine, it's a soap, so it's like initiation for babies to be kidnapped. That isn't the stupid part. Based on the information on Friday's show, Claire Kiriakis was kidnapped in the middle of a raging typhoon by someone who wants to [drumroll] enter her in a kiddie beauty pageant. Okay. Claire's a cute kid and all, but am I honestly supposed to believe that one of the rescue workers was so enthralled by her that they just decided that she was just too USAdorable to pass up. That loud thud you just heard? That was me in Ohio banging my head into a wall.

Okay, back to the good stuff. Sami and EJ have formed an unlikely alliance in trying get the mystery of the Brady/DiMera feud solved and have a truce called. Sami suggested that EJ call 911 and pretend to be Stefano in distress, which he did in a very bad Italian accent. By law, the paramedics had to take Stefano to the hospital and have him checked out, which really ticked Tony off. Sami and EJ were able to get into the ambulance and see Stefano. Stefano opened his eyes, looked at Sami and said "Colleen, you're alive!" Oooooh, now the plot has thickened. Stefano told Sami to ask her Grandpa Shawn who Colleen was, because Shawn has known all along. Shawn, as we know, isn't telling. Julie and Doug are also back, which is also completely awesome. Hope showed them the letter that Sami and Lucas found and Julie, who can read Italian (which isn't a stretch considering how much time she and Doug spend traveling), was able to translate it for them. Apparently, Stefano's father, Santo DiMera, had a love affair with a woman named Colleen. He claims that the Bradys took Colleen away from him and implores Stefano to make the Brady's suffer for all eternity. Hope remembers that there were some old tunnels under Doug's Place leading to the DiMera mansion, and believes there may be some answers in there. I am loving this so much. All the vets are in there, and they brought back the best people it was possible for them to bring back for this story to unfold. It's like the perfect storm of characters brewing. In my perfect world though they would throw an Alamian in there and we can get down to who John Black really is while we're at it. Vivian, anyone?

Last week I asked where da hell was Roman. Well, he was sure back this week! After Willow's unfortunate accident (which I will probably always refer to it as) Nick was taken down to the police station for some questioning, because hey, if they find you with a dead pregnant girl with a head injury, you've got some 'splainin to do. Nick told most of the story, leaving out the crucial detail of him stealing the hairbrush of Chelsea's that Willow planted at Bo and Hope's house the night of the fire and Willow blackmailing him because of it. Nick asked Chelsea to return to the beach and retrieve the brush, which she did, getting caught super-red handed by Bo. Chelsea told Bo and Roman the truth and the craziest thing happened: Not only did they believe her, but by-the-book Roman took the brush with him, saying he was going to throw it in the dumpster across the street, go home, have a very large drink and forget they ever had that conversation. Bo, Chelsea and Nick's mouths weren't the only ones hanging open. I couldn't believe that happened, but once again, it was awesome. I really expected Roman to have a fit and throw the proverbial book at them. I really enjoy it when a twist I am not expecting happens.

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS

I loved John and Stefano's first meeting when John and Lucas went to the house to find Sami. The crazy thing about it is if you turned down the volume and knew nothing of their history, you would have almost thought they were friends. When John told Stefano that Marlena and he were waiting to dance on Stefano's grave, there were just smiles all the way around. Stefano even gave John a playful nudge on the chin. Their interaction was just off the charts.

Lucas is beginning to annoy me, and I hate that. It's like the second he married Sami he lost his mind and now he believes that he is her dad. The way he keeps talking to her and dragging her around like a little kid doesn't sit well with me, but maybe the writers are doing this on purpose to get us on board about a Sami and EJ relationship (after they finish redeeming him of course). I did enjoy him trashing the DiMera mansion and it was really funny how John wouldn't let him bust that bottle of wine.

Don't send me hate mail, but I have to say that if Philip is actually not nuts anymore, that I prefer him with Belle, especially now that Jay Kenneth Johnson is back. I'm just not a fan of Shawn and Belle together and I really never have been. They need to find someone else in their age range who is not related to Shawn (which is exceedingly difficult considering that he is a Brady and a Horton) to pair Shawn up with. I like Belle with Philip better because, even though she spent her whole marriage pining over Shawn, she treated Philip like an equal. Now we all know that Shawn is not the brightest crayon in the box, but she treats him like a naughty, not-so-smart little kid sometimes, and it's just annoying to watch. Just my opinion.

Shawn didn't seem too torn up about Willow's death did he? I mean he seemed surprised, but it just was kind of a non-event. Maybe he was just going through too much with Claire and was just stunned, or maybe it was just an acting choice. Or heck, maybe it was just me.

So what will happen next week? What will Stefano say when Sami and EJ go to see him? Will Willow's baby turn out to have been Shawn's? Is Lucas going to implode when he finds out Sami has left with EJ yet again? What revelations will be made regarding the feud next week? Tune in and find out!

Until Next Time!

Melissa

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