There’s a new face in town, sort of, kind of. Must have signed one hell of a contract to be thrust into the spotlight so fast, not to mention wonder who they bleeped to get such a cushy job -  front and center among all the, er, veterans.    

Cheap too, no hair and make-up, no wardrobe, no complicated lines for writers to conjure up – sounds like ABC’s dream character.  Oh sure, there’s always a chance for a re-cast – ABC is expert at barely giving new hires a chance to get their feet wet before determining “the actor just wasn’t right for the role”, or letting actors go left, right and center for “story line dictated” reasons but I have a feeling this one will be sticking around for a while. 

What’s the character’s name you ask?  Why “The Ring” of course.  And here, silly me, I thought we were done with the “all tricks no substance” plots of arcs gone by.  I don’t know about you, it’s only two weeks into THE GIFT and I’m sick of “The Ring” already.  Unless someone wishes the characters back to the two days or so in the opening moments of this arc that were actually relationship driven episodes that sparked my expectations again, I wish someone would just throw it in the river and wish it away.  Off with its head.

Okay, I’ll admit the idea is fun, each character gets a whirl with Mr. Ring and a shot at  making all their fantasies come true.  It could be interesting to see who wishes for what, an opportunity to get inside a character’s head so to speak, see just what their hearts desire.  So why isn’t the device exactly having that effect?  Maybe because we know all too well that device alone just doesn’t work. 

The Ring gave Jamal a purpose finally.  It brought a new character to town, a real live girl for him to pine after, with her own set of secrets, so far so good.  Problem is as this ring guy hopscotch’s from one character to the next we’re going to go through the same thing time and time again – find the ring, talk to it, take a few days to figure out it grants wishes, make wishes, lose ring to the next in line.

With Caleb hot on its heels. 

Talk about turning a multi-faceted, exciting, sexy, mysterious guy dull.  Caleb the great, could care less about anything else in his life right now except getting back that precious ring and the power he thinks he can assume with it back on his finger.  What is the freaking point to all this? 

I realize its early on, and I do believe we will see more of the inevitable conflict between Rafe and Caleb as they try to co-exist without killing each other – not that they can anyways; if that’s not the perfect device, plot twist, whatever you want to call it I don’t know what is.  I love watching these two in any situation anyways – Brian Gaskill and Michael Easton are definitely PORT CHARLES’ most satisfying super couple these days.  Their uneasy truce  of tasty confrontations and handling of ridiculous situations (Alison and Livvie changing personalities anyone?) proves that they have more chemistry together going on right now than any other couple, and I of course use that term loosely (please don’t get any ideas here).  They’re explosive together, just about the only ones.

Rafe and Alison, as Queen of Hearts would say, on the sizzle scale are at the bottom of the mercury right now.  Yes they’ve been to hell and back once more, no one expects fireworks or either character to pretend none of it happened but again there’s that nagging little point of intimacy that is so sorely lacking with this duo.  There’s more emotion between Rafe and Caleb than there is between Rafe and Alison.  Shouldn’t they be ecstatic that they’ve opened their gym together in record time, and I mean faster than a speeding bullet, shouldn’t we see their excitement together?  Rafe is more concerned with The Ring staying out of Caleb’s hands than anything else it seems.  Not that anyone would blame him -  Body and Soul (catchy name for a gym) is not exactly the gym I ah, believe Rafe envisioned running – a serious place for serious workouts with a martial arts / self defense studio right in the middle.  (This gym looks like a cross between a beauty salon and a playground, but I digress.)  And Alison, is, well Alison. 

This Ring fellow is doing a helluva bang up job keeping the focus on him and nothing else don’t you think.

Caleb and Livvie, same story.  Bottom of the mercury as Caleb’s preoccupation is fast turning into an obsession. I’m surprised he even noticed Livvie in that pink track suit; well it was kind of hard to miss, baking muffins.  Definitely kind of fun though, Kelly Monaco was dead on as Alison.  Again this Ring guy is sucking the excitement and life out of this couple too.  I just know Livvie is going to turn her insecurities and jealousy of Alison into even bigger insecurities and jealousies of that piece of jewelry.   It’s happened already.  My guess is its only going to get worse. 

Ian and Lucy have been sweet the last few days.  At least Ian isn’t huffing and puffing anymore and Lucy has rediscovered some of the wonderful characterizations she had always been written with. They seem to have more of a focus on their future now and less on the “Ian being a vampire, Lucy trying to save him” tack.  Long way still to go, but at least she’s not whining on and on about it anymore.  So far I see no triangle developing love wise with a newly restored to humanity Kevin, that little scuffle over Christina is about as far as its been taken.  Livvie behind him egging him on might help, remains to be seen if the story takes a turn back with some semblance of a PORT CHARLES historical reference or not. 

As for the rest, file it all under pointless points. Casey appearing in visions to Ricky?  Frank prostrate on Karen’s grave? Reese all of a sudden annoying Jack (oops say bye bye to that character)? Chris in a preposterous get up, literally and figuratively story wise, to help Elizabeth?  A woman he barely knows and probably can’t stand? As talented a comedian as Nolan North is, the actor deserves better. Sure it’s funny for a quick laugh, but again, what is the point? Can’t the characters just get together as lonely outcasts finding something in common without all this nonsense muddying it up? Couldn’t they come up with a better way to infuse humor and levity back into the show than turning Chris into a cartoon? 

Which brings this musing back to The Ring. Jamal had it.  Now he lost it.  Jack found it, or picked Jamal’s pocket (whatever).Now he has it. Here we go again. 

Same shit. Different day.

 

...until we muse again Port Charles Fans









*** Please note the views expressed here are those of the author and not the site.