All My Children -- July 22, 2013
A very meh episode
This was the first real meh episode since the show returned online. As I said before, the Hubbard family story is what's fueling the show and the other stories just aren't that riveting. And unfortunately there was no Hubbard family member on today.
I really think they badly miscast the JR character. When Jacob Young played the part, he played it with a vulnerability that made you actually feel some sympathy for JR when he was doing horrible things. This guy plays JR as a rich spoiled selfish jerk who thinks it's his god given right to skate on all his crimes.
Hearing him whine because he isn't part of Chandler is particularly repulsive as we've watched this vile little creep trying to steal another child from David. The other child of David's he killed. Because David doesn't have Martin family ties, he's being barred from practicing medicine at Pine Valley Hospital. JR also still has his kid, while he's off stealing someone else's kid. And we're supposed to be feeling sorry for this punk and his whining about how Chandler is his birth right? Dude, you have to pay in some small way, even though your Mama is trying her best to make sure you skate on everything. Besides, you bankrupted the company when you were in charge. That's a prime reason for you to have nothing to do with that company.
Anyway, Dixie apparently guilted Brooke into agreeing to let Junior do something so the poor wittle thing doesn't self-destruct. So Brooke lets him do a sizzle reel for the launch party, and he isn't working on it few minutes before he isn't bullying an employee and yanking his phone out. Dimitri offered to get JR what he needs so he can work at home and they can have peace from the jerk. I know they're going to claim this is because of the coma or the steroids, but this is normal JR behavior as he's exhibited most of his adult life.
When he's at home, the DVD won't play on his laptop so he throws the laptop on the ground and breaks it. Mama Dixie comes out and he rants and raves about how he shouldn't have to prove himself because the company is his birth right. Once again, Junior, the only reason there's still a company is because Adam has been spending years repairing the damage you did, so no you have no god given right to be a part of that company. I got an idea for you. You got money. For once in your life be a man and go out and start your own company. It's not like anyone will hold against you what you did five years ago, since everyone placed all the blame on David and gave you a free pass for it.
We also had more of boring Big Hair Colby after a guy that has said every way he can that he doesn't want her. Further, she knows the one he really wants is Celia. But she convinces Celia that she and Pete are friends with benefits. Then she tried her tired old routine on Pete again and he once again told her no thanks. Enter David who claims to want to help her get back at his own partner, Pete, for the way he's treated her. That really doesn't make any sense, but she's all for it.
Celia has a dream about Pete telling her he loves her and then wakes up to it just being a dream. Then she has some strange flashback as a child where blood is splattered on the floor that freaks her out. Why is Pete never around when this happens?
Billy Clyde is living comfortably in Palmer's house, and now he wants a portrait done of him just like Palmer had. If he still has a thing for his Dixie Bird, does he think by morphing into Palmer is going to make her want him. Sorry, dude, but that's just yucky. Do you really think someone would want a romantic relationship with their uncle?
We also had the usual AJ and Miranda stuff which is getting old fast and Heather arriving and ruining the moment. AJ leaves to get an ice cream with Heather and enter Hunter the Horrible. He gets a couple of Miranda's friends to desert her telling them they'll be dirt if it's known they're friendly with Miranda. Then the punk starts on his crude remarks. I think it's worst having this punk harassing a girl, because she has no way of beating this little punk up.
I'm guessing this story is in holding patten until the truth about Miranda's conception comes out. But this whole thing has just gotten old and not very interesting to watch.
That's why I labelled this a kind of meh episode. Big Hair Colby is playing her tired lame stunts and Pete and Celia are too stupid to see through her garbage. Junior is going around whining about how unfair it is he's been shut out of Chandler when he should be shut in a prison cell to pay for his crimes. Celia is having flashbacks, presumably of her guardian, and we still don't even know who her guardian is yet. AJ and Miranda are crawling all over each other pretending they're not into each other while AJ might also be getting interested in Heather, but hes not as interested in Heather as he is in Miranda. And Dixie is going around trying to pull strings so her baby boy gets everything he wants, saying he deserves another chance, but if anyone dared suggest David get another chance she'd become so enraged spitting virago. Basically, we've been there and done that and something new needs to happen to move these stagnating stories along.
The Hubbards can't carry the whole show on their backs. These other stories need to start to show some progress. At least tell us who Celia's guardian is and it's time for Miranda to learn just how she came to be.
