The action continues this week on All My Children, both onscreen and off. In big casting news, Michael Nader will be reprising his role as Dmitri Marick, beginning June 3. This comes hot of the heels of the report that Susan Lucci will soon be in talks to return as well. Looks like the population of Pine Valley will continue to grow. Now, on to this week’s recap. Brace yourselves Minxians, there is a lot of Marissa processing ahead.
Bianca and Zach meet up at Jane’s Addiction, because since Kendall and Erica aren’t around, he’s the only person left to talk to in Pine Valley. Oh, and I guess he is the father of one of her children and stuff. Anyway, Binx needs a shoulder to cry on and Zach offers his designer suited one. She tells Zach about the things Hunter said to Miranda and how her daughter was humiliated. Zach, of course, offers to “talk” with Hunter, but Bianca isn’t in the mood to deal with a homicide, so she politely declines.
She tells Zach she didn’t think anything could be harder than coming out, but watching her child deal with the fallout, well it’s more than she can bear. Zach, in a gesture of comfort I suppose, rubs Bianca’s thigh. Whoa buddy, you already got handsy with one lesbian in Pine Valley and look how that turned out. Bianca doesn’t act like anything is weird, so I guess I should move on. I’ve got my eye on you, Zach.
Apparently, Bianca must have been reading AfterEllen last week, because she echoed our concern about Miranda finding out about her real father online. It turns out, Zach and Erica worked to get a gag order in place during the trial to protect Bianca and her children. Bianca says things are different now though, and the internet is the worlds worst secret keeper. Even worse than Gretchen Wieners. She dreads Miranda finding out the truth one day from some guy named TrollBoss79 on Reddit. She tells Zach that she needs to say something to Miranda before someone else does, and Zach offers to support her when the time comes.
Bianca meets up with Miranda, and despite their recent pleasant conversation, things are back to being tense. Miranda tells her mother that she isn’t like her, and can’t keep up the “tradition of strong, fearless, in your face Kane women.” For once, I understand where Miranda is coming from. Sometimes, you just want to hide under your covers and cry. It’s hard to forge your own identity when everyone expects you to be just like your stoic, benevolent mother or your dynamic, ruthless grandmother. She just wants to be a kid and let the chips fall where they may. Speaking of things falling, Miranda drops the emotional equivalent of a piano on Bianca’s head. JR is out of his coma. Bianca looks like she’s going to be sick.
Bianca begins to panic. JR has taken away a piece of her, and now he’s free to dismantle her fully. In a rare showing of parental fortitude, Bianca forbids Miranda to be anywhere near JR. Since JR will be recouping at the Chandler house, that means no hanging out with AJ either. Miranda flips out. AJ has always been there for her when she needed him, and she’s not about to abandon him now. Bianca tries to calm the situation down and change the subject, but Miranda just up and walks away from her.
Later, Dr. David stumbles upon Bianca, who is holding a daffodil, just like the ones on Marissa’s grave. This doesn’t go unnoticed by David, who thinks perhaps he can gain an ally in Bianca. They did both lose Marissa, after all. Bianca, however, is not exactly happy to see him and she and her daffodil try to get the hell out of there. David stops her by appealing to their mutual pain, and asks if she’d just like to sit a moment and talk about Marissa. Bianca’s head tells her to keep on walking, but her heart, oh her heart, says “yes, I would love to talk about Marissa. You have no idea how lonely I’ve been.” David looks off into the sky saying, Marissa loved days just life this. Bianca wistfully replies, “cool breeze, hot sun, summer just around the corner.”
For a moment, both of them are lost in their thoughts of Marissa, feeling just a little less alone than they normally do. David spoils the moment by bringing up JR and Bianca’s mood changes dramatically. She asks if she’s supposed to be grateful that David shot JR? Well, Bianca is all out of patience and cookies for the day and she launches an attack on David. If he loved Marissa so much, how come he always lied to her? If she was so important, how come he was never around when she needed him? David takes it all, punch after punch, because he knows Bianca is right. He tells her, “I’m a first class son of a bitch…doesn’t mean I didn’t love her.” Bianca softens, because even first class, delusional, Machiavellian masterminds have the capacity to love someone. David senses her empathy and tells her that he could see how much she and Marissa loved each other. Bianca smiles the saddest smile I’ve ever seen.
David reminds her that she and Marissa could have had a beautiful future ahead of them, but that was violently taken away. There is only one real villain here. JR Chandler.
Elsewhere in Pine Valley: The search is still on for Jesse and Angie’s daughter, Cassandra. I truly hope they find her soon, because this storyline is incredibly unsettling. Zach, doing some sleuthing on his own, goes incognito to an underground sex club where he just misses Cassandra. He does find an FBI agent named Lea, who is working undercover there as a stripper. She wants him for money laundering but Zach and Jesse convince her to join the fight against these traffickers instead. The traffickers want to expand their business by taking over an old pimp’s territory. It turns out the old pimp is none other than AMC supervillain, Billy Clyde Tuggle, who was supposedly killed off 20 years ago. Cue the organ music! Pete and Celia continue their romance, but Opal nearly ruins it when she tells Celia’s watcher about their new love. Next thing you know, Celia is ordered off to Europe for the spring and summer. Pete manages to literally steal her away by dressing as a chauffeur. AJ visits JR who doesn’t recognize him at first. JR still doesn’t remember the night of the shooting, but Dr. David makes sure to fill him in. JR reveals to Cara that even though he was in a coma, he could hear things. Like the fact that she actually gave birth to her and David’s daughter!
All My Children and One Life to Live announced this week that they are changing the format of the shows. All My Children will air on Monday and Wednesdays now, with One Life to Live on Tuesdays and Thursdays. What do you think about the change?
