My View of Llanview: June 30 Edition

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Rex Balsom proves in one day that he is more of a Buchanan than he will likely ever admit.

The more Rex (John-Paul Lavoisier) keep trying to prove he is nothing like his father, the more they seem to have in common. Rex, like Clint, and Asa for that matter, has proven that he can be ruthless, selfish, and take drastic action in order to get whatever he wants. And he has shown that he that will go out of his way to protect his family and seek his own brand of justice if any one of them is placed in harm’s way. Based simply on those facts alone, Rex has more than proven that he belongs in the Buchanan fold.

However, don’t think that just because he is a “chip off the old block,” that he has suddenly become one of my favorite residents of Llanview. The boy has always been a scheming, convening little punk that was constantly up to no good in my book. He is no better now than he was when he first arrived in Llanview and tried to steal his sister Jessica’s inheritance.  And no, I don’t buy this sudden interest in his own family (Gigi and Shane). Judging by what is coming up in the next few weeks, it is clear he is much more intent on hurting those who hurt him than being there for his son Shane and properly mourning Gigi’s passing. And don’t even get me started on his taking his late grandmother Olympia’s wedding ring.

Although I suppose the scenes of him saying good-bye to Gigi on Wednesday’s episode where somewhat touching. I know I found myself shedding a tear or two alongside Rex — only my tears were because he continue to be on the show until it ends in January. Now that nearly had me all chocked up, even more so after watching the scenes with Baz, Nate, Deanna, Dani, Starr, and James.

Speaking of the teen scene, how odd it was to watch Lenny Platt, who is nearly as old as I am (I’m 31 by the way), playing an 18-year-old just graduating high school in scenes with his girlfriend Dani, whose portrayer Kelley Missal is only 17. I find that more than a little creepy. And exactly why is it that “One Life to Live” seems so persistent with this “Deanna and Nate do porn” storyline? It’s disgusting, idiotic, and nothing more than a stupid plot point. This show is obsessed with porno movies, shirtless men, strippers, and suggestive dialogue that leaves absolutely nothing up to the imagination (aside from, of course, how exactly the writers dreamed up these plots in the first place).

While on the subject of the teens, what purpose exactly does Baz serve? I say that as rhetorical question, of course, because I know he was brought on to prop Starr and James. However, he is nothing more than a plot point, and a bad one at that. And why are the writers already trying to drive a wedge between those two, when they just recently come together? Why not just give the kids a break and let them be happy and in love for a while and make the fans happy and place both of them on the back burner for a few months. That would be the best thing for everybody involved.

And lastly, I wish someone would smack that damn smug smile off of Jack Manning’s face permanently. He really is his father’s son if he can bully Shane, publicly humiliate him, leave him to die from an asthma attack he himself was responsible for, push him to the brink of suicide, and set a trap for him that resulted in Gigi suffering carbon monoxide poisoning, yet barely show even the tiniest bit of remorse for his actions. One would think that, even on a soap opera, Jack should get what’s coming to him, but not on “One Life to Live.” Knowing how this show has been lately, it should only be a matter of time before the redemption of Jack begins (oh wait, that already happened) and all his misdeeds are just swept under the rug and forgotten about, just like nearly every other character on the show. They say justice is blind. But in Llanview it is also deaf, mute, and on vacation.

Moving on, congratulations to “CBRVA83,” who correctly identified last time’s mystery “OLTL” celebrity guest star, which was singer/musician Hazel Scott, who sang at the wedding of Ed Hall (Al Freeman, Jr.) and her onscreen cousin Carla Hall (Ellen Holly).

In case you missed the clues, here they are:

This accomplished jazz singer and pianist stopped by Llanview back in the ’70s, when she sang at someone’s wedding.

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 from “OLTL’s” past. See if you can figure it out. Good luck!!!

This famous millionaire’s ex-wife played an Atlantic City casino owner in 1991, where she shared scenes with a handful of Llanview residents, including one with a gambling problem.

So who is this mystery group from the past? I’ll have the answers in the July 15th edition of My View of Llanview. Bonus points if you can tell me the names of the of her famous ex-husband, as well as two main characters she interacted with. 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 July 18th. Two people go missing. Someone is attacked. A clue is found. And one man goes to great lengths to keep a secret.

Well that’s concludes yet another column. Have a great 4th of July, and stay safe! And until next time remember, we only have “One Life to Live”…