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.

Guiding Light airdate September 3, 2009

Olivia in her office. Her first line while she's doing paper work is, "Great, I did it again." It was tossed off like an ad lib, casual and light, although laced with frustration, and it might have been an ad lib, but it was also a clear sign that Olivia is not able to concentrate on work, as this isn't the first time she's made a mistake while doing paper work. She's so flustered and preoccupied thinking about Natalia, that she can't concentrate on work.
Now, what did she 'do again' I wonder? I'm guessing write Natalia's name, write 'baby' or sign something as 'Olivia Spencer-Rivera' like she's been doodling their names together, Olivia Spencer-Rivera, Mrs. and Mrs. Spencer-Rivera, Olivia and Natalia Spencer-Rivera, Mrs. Olivia Spencer-Rivera, trying out the feel and sound of the combined names. At least that's my fun romantically inclined mind's guess.
Natalia is being cute, but also speaks the truth in telling Olivia that she knows that she'll want to be there and that she can't make family moments happen again once they've happened the first time.

Company, the Coopers really have just decided to take this foreclosure lying down. Buzz literally as he's basically lying in state on the bar with a wash cloth over his face. Natalia walks in and says. "Hi." like she's expecting everyone to spring to life once they notice she's there. When they don't so much as move more than a head or a finger a couple of inches she looks more like, let's get this over with so I can get out of the twilight zone. I like that she told Frank the time of the sonogram and that Olivia had been invited. She didn't make a point wanting him to be there, just letting him know that he was invited.

It's fun seeing Ashlee and Blake and Cyrus working together to write Coop's book and save Company.

When Frank is talking to Olivia, she's got her back to him, but she doesn't walk away from him. She stays and listens. She wants to not hurt, to be there for Natalia, but she's so scared of the what-ifs.

Oh, Ashlee, you may not have meant it to be hurtful, but at least Doris heard it. You might not know anything about her today, but that's going to change soon.

Amazing scene with Phillip and Olivia. We didn't have to see him telling her, and I'm glad that we didn't he reaction was enough, it was subdued and powerful. Such a far cry from the Olivia that told Phillip if he didn't go to prison that she was taking Emma and leaving. I think in addition to Natalia's influence that Phillip's unwavering support of her and Natalia and his insistence that Emma had the best most stable home life possible with them was a big factor. Phillip not only said repeatedly that he was happy with how she was raising Emma, but he showed her by always respecting her decisions since he's been back. Trusting Olivia goes a long way with her. The camera cutting between long shots of Phillip and Emma and close ups of Olivia crying was the prefect way to handle that scene, again we didn't have to see/hear Phillip telling Emma, and in the end the telling isn't what's compelling, it's the dealing, the aftermath, the grieving and comforting. Grant and Jacqueline and Crystal were all great here.

James and Rick, excellent scene! Wow. James has never looked less like a petulant child and more like a young man as he did in that scene.

Natalia loading up on the pickles. :) I love how Doris was a little stunned that Natalia was talking about raising a family with Olivia even after Olivia had said she couldn't do it. Doris had fully expected Natalia to give up, but Natalia surprised her with, "She means too much to me." Doris gets almost the same look she had after Olivia's speech in her office back in February, "Wow. SO you're just gonna hang on like that?" She envies what Olivia and Natalia do and can have. That they each have someone who loves them so deeply and completely and fiercely. She never expected Natalia, seemingly meek, Catholic, good-girl Natalia to be so bold and open and unashamed and sure of her relationship. She seems to think that if Natalia could be that confident, surely Doris could find that in herself, and maybe allow herself to find a love of her life too.

Love that Emma isn't afraid to ask for Natalia when she needs her. Beautiful scene with Olivia and Emma. Kudos again to Jacqueline Tsirkin

At the farmhouse, just, aawwww. I mean think about the fact that Olivia wants to always protect Emma from everything, even things that can't be fought against. Then instead of going into the farmhouse she trusts Natalia to be exactly what Emma needs while she's grieving, she doesn't have to be there to chaperon. What could be seen as just another attempt at avoiding being around Natalia actually plays as a show of trust and a gift because Olivia has a beaming smile and is looking Natalia over rather appreciatively when she shakes her head and declines the invitation to go inside. Olivia's taking baby steps. This is the first time that she's allowed Emma to be alone with Natalia since she's been back. The first time since she said, "You can't bake cookies with her and make dresses for her and be a mother to her and then just disappear on her like that because you get a little scared or you aren't sure about something." By not going inside she was still protecting herself, but she was also making a small statement that she trusted Natalia not to run again. She just needs a little more time to be able to trust her with her heart. I think it was a huge step for Olivia.

Company, Buzz and Daisy are at the bar reading newspapers and the article title on Daisy's paper looks like it says, "Never Diet Again" at the same time that Frank is walking behind them eating the sugar straight from a sugar packet. Heehee.

Ugh! Such a tough situation with Phillip and James. You can see both of their points, but Phillip soooo shouldn't have yelled like that. When he goes off like that I actually feel bad for James.

Seriously what's up with Buzz and the washcloth over his head? Is it his version of the ostrich in the sand? What statement does it make that the three people who helped the Coopers and saved the day were "not blood" family as Frank would say.

Cute scene with Natalia and Emma feeling the baby kick.

Doris and Olivia talking about taking risks and making choices. Wow. I simply adore the friendship that these two have forged.

I really like the relationship between Daisy and James too. He sought her out when he needed someone to talk to. They are great for each other.

Rick telling Phillip that he was wrong and that James just wants to be a son. Amazing scene yet again. Michael and Grant did a fabulous job!