NAKED EYES, Book 9, Chapter 1 started with a bang, pardon the pun, the reunion of Rafe and Alison on the Love Train and certainly appears to be ending with an even bigger bang, a seductive, mysterious Halloween party casting its spell over Port Charles, but in between the two big bangs, it limped and whimpered its way along with the only strong showing being the Tess/Jack/Livvie developing triangle.

Longtime viewers faced a reality check this chapter trying to come to terms with a story line whose appeal is definitely aimed at skewing a younger demographic.  ABC’s new head of daytime, Brian Frons, has made no secret of his desire to pattern PORT CHARLES after the “successes” of the WB network’s younger skewing programming, in fact he would like nothing better than to have PC walk in those shoes. 

While we can all certainly appreciate the need to attract new viewers, the state of daytime being what it is, new viewership its lifeblood, but will those viewers stay for the long haul or will their limited attention span prove to be a short term fix.  Is it wise to alienate core viewership, driving them away in droves in search of the illusive “fountain of youth”.  Of course not.  In all fairness here, PORT CHARLES is making an effort to strike some balance between the two camps but by focusing so strongly on the younger set at the expense of well loved, well established characters, and younger ones at that too, the scales tipped dangerously  in the wrong direction this whole first chapter. 

The rock band scenario shaking up PC is an admirable attempt at balance but its just not quite working.  By focusing so closely on two characters that no viewer finds believable, interesting or intelligent in any way, any investment we might want to make in this plot has been seriously compromised so far.  Marissa and Ricky are nothing more than MTV wannabes trying to play in the big leagues, MTV being the operative word here and I guess the whole point.  Even Ian Buchanan and Michael Easton are having trouble making this plot intriguing at this point.  Pairing PC’s weakest characters with the likes of Michael Easton as Stephen Clay and all the baggage he brings to the game is ludicrous.  No age group is buying this one.  We need to be afraid, very afraid if this dynamic continues in this vein. 

Rafe and Alison fans are wondering what happened to the romance once this couple got off that train.  Oh that’s right, real life set in, novel concept and things aren’t so swell in loveland at the moment.  Did we need to be sledge hammered over the head to have the point driven home that the angel is just a mere mortal now and the bloom is off that particular rose.  Rafe on basically back burner status and not much of anything going on  between Rafe and Alison has not sat very well at all with fans who suffered through 6 months waiting for these two to reunite. 

Again where’s the balance here, it went from hot to frigid in the blink of a naked eye.  Started off with that bang, fizzled along the way. 

Same thing for Lucy and Kevin.  Kevin’s been stashed out of sight at a clinic up in Canada never to be heard from again since week one. This whole scenario is not sitting well with longtime fans of the couple either. Are we supposed to forget that Livvie is the one who  put him there by shooting him full of personality changing drugs as a device for Lucy and Ian to hook up.  I’ve made my opinions pretty clear, I love the Lucy and Ian pairing, evidence the heat being generated by these two at the Halloween party, but in all fairness again, putting Kevin on another back burner is just delaying the inevitable and is not fair one bit to the character.   At some point Livvie will have to pay for her terrible crimes and Lucy will have to pay the piper for her transgressions with Ian. 

Huge holes remain, leftovers from past arcs that none of us wants to revisit.  This first chapter of NAKED EYES, more than any other book that has preceded it, begged for some resolution to some of those holes.  We got zip.   Livvie and her crimes, Frank wrecking havoc as the Avatar and why he’s told no one all he knows about Livvie’s secrets, a satisfying resolution to  the deal struck between heaven and hell, where was the Ed and James showdown, Kate and Ian fizzled quicker than you could say coma, Ian and Rafe’s budding friendship, what happened to it and on and on.  TPTB have run so far and so fast away from the last 6 months it’s as if they are trying to erase it from our collective memory.  As if they ever could.  You make your bed; you gotta lay in it, at least for a little while.  As successful and fun as the arc format is, if it stands any chance of surviving less holes need to be left out there from arc to arc and at least some attempt should be made to close those gaping ones that split open every 13 weeks.  At least give it a shot, we deserve that much before moving on to the next  adventure while our heads are still spinning from the last. 

November sweeps kicks of Chapter Two with TPTB hoping to strike ratings gold.  Wild Halloween party ensues sure to shake up the whole town.  Something wicked this way comes – could it be any more obvious.  At least it looks like a fire has been lit under every character at that party, everyone caught up in the rush of what ever aphrodisiac, real or imagined, is being pumped into that room through the vents.  Seductive music playing, bang.  Semi-concealed identities casting off enough cold-hearted vibes to wake the slayer, bang.   Sex undeniably in the air.  No one is immune. Hot as hell.  Reeled me back in.  Bang. Bang.

Okay PORT CHARLES, show us your chops.  Let’s really get this party started, enough pussyfooting around.  The big bang set-up at the end of the chapter is great – now take us there.