Guiding Light airdate September 4, 2009

Emma knew that it was Natalia calling! How cute! Love that she's checking in on Olivia and Emma, and Olivia is talking to her, not shutting her out, and Olivia is great here telling Natalia to take care of herself. Letting her know that even if she isn't emotionally ready to go to the sonogram, she does remember it and it is important to her. So sweet!

Seeing Ashlee all excited and hugging Buzz and telling him, "I love you, I love you, I love you," hurt Doris, she wants that with Ashlee and she's regretting so very much of the way she chose to live her life.

I'm still bowled over by seeing Olivia and Phillip talking without Olivia being terrified of him. Just such amazing character development and of course such brilliant acting from Grant and Crystal.
Their next scene together, is wow too. I guess for someone who doesn't know the history between these characters or even of these characters separately, it might not seem like much. The easy and still uncomfortable banter and the dark subject matter handled with humour are expertly played. You can feel how much Olivia wishes Phillip weren't dying and you can feel how relieved he is that she's sad about it. Epic and intricate writing and phenomenal acting have
really brought this couple full circle when they end the scene with a hug initiated by Olivia.

Oh, Alan! He's so hurt and lost and confused. He's looking through Phillip's medical file trying to find something that's going to make up his mind for him, or at least show him a clear and easy choice. When some of the papers accidentally fall into the water, he can't even react right away, he's just so stunned and numb. Major props again to the writers and to Ron.

Nice little touch with Alan making sure that Rafe's enlisting was his own choice, something that he chose to do. Alan is being so attentive to other people right now. It's great to see.

Doris is so nervous with Ashlee, she's absolutely terrified about how things will turn out. Orlagh plays this brilliantly! Really now other words for her in this scene. Just perfect.
She's crying her way through the second scene, and Ashlee's reaction is all about being shut out for all of those years and she leaves Doris broken down on the bleachers. Seriously, Caitlin and Orlagh with the crying and the emotion and just everything about that scene was breathtaking. Who else wants to give Doris and Ashlee big hugs?

Natalia and Phillip. Awesome. Natalia says that Olivia told her, which I love since Alan actually told her first it illustrates how Olivia is really the most important person in her life. Her reaction to Phillip's "I am the dying guy. I think I'll get t-shirts made up that say that." is the same reaction she used to get when Olivia would use inappropriate humour, before she learned to call her on it. She's a bit uncomfortable and doesn't know how to react.
Great stuff. Grant and Jessica work well together and I'll miss what we might have been given in the years to come.

Buzz and Alan scene is another great one. Alan is tentative when he starts talking to Buzz, but he needs someone to talk to, someone outside of the family.
Buzz's line, "Who would choose to have someone else die instead of them?" hit Alan hard even thought Buzz didn't know or intend for it to. When Alan talked about his father paying to allow him not to go Buzz has another great line. "Lots of boys didn't go for lots of reasons Alan," Buzz says putting a comforting hand on Alan's shoulder. That's part of it all isn't it? Alan is still very much that 'boy' that young man from all those years ago trapped by his own guilt. He has carried that feeling of responsibility with him and in doing so has tried to control everyone and everything around him that he holds precious. A boy still grasping at anything might give him that sense of worth.

This scene with Frank and Natalia is another full circle kind of scene. He's brought her something that he thinks she needs, but he doesn't really know her and didn't ask her, and it turns out it's not something she needs after all. And the entire time she's talking about Emma, and Olivia and family just like in December of last year when she was talking about Decker and the money, or January when he kissed her thinking that she was looking to him to be her knight or February when she was so distracted when he was talking about the picnic or March when he proposed and when he did let her speak, he never noticed that her interest in Olivia wasn't to get an opinion or April when he tried to stay after the engagement party and do anything just to be close to her even though she repeatedly and gently let him know that she had other ideas. Frank and Natalia might be the only two people physically there, but Olivia and Emma are always at the front, back and deeply entrenched in the middle of Natalia's mind. This time though, they both acknowledge it. Neither of them pretend that Olivia isn't Natalia's main focus.

Olivia is a little cute trying to keep Phillip from seeing her cry. Sweetie, he's seen you much more emotionally exposed than that. I love his line, "You don't have to run. I'm not contagious." Again with the dead man humour. :) The pout she gets as she shakes her head 'no' when he says, "You don't want to talk about it?" is too cute. You just want to hug her. I love that Phillip is gently letting her know that she's not dying, she has a chance to not waste time to be with the person who loves her and wants a life with her.

Aawww, Doris thinks that she screwed up her talk with Ashlee. She needs a hug. Ashlee will be back. She loves Doris, she just needs a bit to deal with having been kept in the dark for so long.

Ashlee just inadvertently pegged Rafe when she said, "It upsets me that she thinks she can keep such a big secret from me. Like I'd be homophobic like she raised someone who would care." He kind of winces and swallows at that statement because that's exactly how he reacted. I wonder if we'll see him come to some form of acceptance before he leaves.

When Olivia walks into the exam room she and Natalia can't take their eyes off of each other and Natalia puts her hand up to her smile that she's trying not to let get too big lest is open her up to be let down, but Olivia gets that cute little nose wrinkling grin and both of their eyes sparkle with their joy. Frank can't help but excuse himself poor guy, there is just no room in there for him at that point. Neither of the girls can look him in the eye as he steps out, but look at each other, and can't help but come together. Olivia's line, "I had to. I can't waste anymore time." is not just for the sonogram, it's for their life together.

Yet another great episode and scene to end the week with.