Monday, November 15, 2010 at 12:01 AM ET by Scotty Gore

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(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Is “One Life to Live” starting to get its groove back?

I have to say that, after watching the show the past few weeks, it seems as if “OLTL” has turned the corner…finally. And the reason for the sudden is, oddly enough, Kim Zimmer. Yes that would be the same Kim Zimmer that was the butt of weight jokes, scenery chewing claims, and sub-par acting abilities.

As strange as it may seem, Kim Zimmer is one of the biggest things “One Life” has going for it right now. She has really stepped up and is knocking it out of the park with her scenes with other veteran soap stars like Erika Slezak, Jerry verDorn, Brian Kerwin, and Robin Strasser. Imagine that. People who can actually act. Who would have thought that it would have taken something like that for “OLTL” to be the highest rated ABC soap just a couple of weeks ago?

Could it be that the brass at “One Life to Live” and ABC are finally getting a hint about much of their audience wants to see? Eh, probably not considering the Ford brothers (along with their momma and daddy) are still hogging up way to much airtime, Langston continues to serve no real function, and Starr remains as overexposed as ever, but hey, at least it’s a start.

The only real downside to all of this is that they just had to make Rex be her biological son. The character of Rex is way beyond played out and John-Paul Lavoisier’s facial expressions leave absolutely nothing to be desired. Rex Balsom is an annoying one-note character that has no real range and couldn’t be anymore of a clown if he were Ronald McDonald himself. And he isn’t even good for comic relief the way David Vickers was before Tuc Watkins wore out his welcome by coming and going literally every few months for the past several years.

So it’s a shame that this dumbass of a character is one of the few blemishes on what has otherwise been a fairly entertaining storyline. Notice I didn’t say great….but it is the closest I have seen to that on “One Life to Live” in quite some time, and believe me that is really saying a lot. The only other thing that bugs me about all of this is how they seem to keep changing around the timeline from all those years ago as to who knew what and when. For example, just exactly when did Clint realize without a doubt that he was really Rex’s biological father? And at what point did Echo hook-up with Charlie after she left Llanview? The basic details of this storyline seem to change almost from day-to-day. But I suppose it’s not as bad as some of the reasoning the writers gave for Eli’s motivation for all his evil deeds. Now that got be downright painful after awhile.

Despite all of that however, I must say that I have rather enjoyed watching Echo, Viki, Charlie, Clint, and Dorian all mix it up these past six weeks. It was a welcome relief after the summer when it was easier to find Waldo than to locate anyone over the age of about 23 or 24 in Llanview.

So for now I will remain cautiously optimistic that this improvement in the overall status of the show will continue, even though history doesn’t appear to be on my side with regards to that. Chances are this show will take another nosedive just when things start to get really, really juicy again. Honestly, sometimes I think this show is bipolar, considering how it often seems to go from good to bad at the snap of a finger. It’s like riding on a roller coaster with all the ups and downs…which is especially bad for me, considering as how motion sickness is one of the my burdens in life.

Anyway, moving on, no one correctly guessed the identity of last time’s mystery “OLTL” guest star, which was former WGNO-TV ABC26 news anchor Liz Reyes.

In case you missed the clues, here they are: This former New Orleans television television news anchor popped up in Llanview in early 2009 in a bit part that put her in scenes with David Vickers.

Now it’s time to play another round of “Llanview, Who Am I?,” a new feature where you have to use the clues to figure out the identity of some mystery celebrity guest stars from “OLTL’s” past. See if you can figure it out. Good luck!!!

This Canadian country music breezed through Llanview nearly a decade ago playing herself and promoting her debut album. While in town, she asked for Al Holden’s help and caught a break when Al’s mother Gabrielle Medina helped her land a singing gig at the Llanview Country Club.

So who is this mystery celebrity from the past? I’ll have the answers in the November 30th edition of My View of Llanview. And don’t forget to check out my Twitter page for all the latest “OLTL” news and information at SON.

Now, before I wrap up this column, I’m going to look into my crystal ball and give you a quick sneak peek at a few things coming up a few weeks down the road. These are for the week of November 29th. One woman agrees to to shocking proposition, but with strings attached. Two old flames are caught kissing by an unlikely person. A young couple decides it’s time to take the next step in their relationship. One man seeks the assistance of someone in a position of power. A father is handed a gun and sent on a secret mission. Two mothers from different generations release their pent up hostility at one another. And someone finds themselves in a precarious predicament.

Well that’s wraps up yet another column. I have spent much of the past week trying to catch up with my chores — both at SON and in real ife. The recent election closed one chapter of my life when I was re-elected to another term as a city commissioner in my hometown, giving me another two-year break from campaigning. Now with the change of seasons comes the laborious job of raking leaves and dragging out the Christmas decorations once more. But I love it. It is the most wonderful time of the year after all, according to Andy Williams anyway. So take care, have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving, and until next time remember, we only have “One Life to Live”…

“One Life to Live” airs Weekdays on ABC. Weeknights on SOAPnet. Anytime on ABC.com and SOAPnet.com. Check local listings.