Bailing out

We’re starting a period for Steve and Kayla where the story itself basically sucks: Kayla’s trial and conviction. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s just too much suffering piled on for Kayla, and way too many legal travesties during the trial.

Still, there are moments worth watching, like some of these scenes around Kayla’s arraignment. There’s a good twist when the judge sets Kayla’s bail abnormally high (2 million dollars), not because of Kayla, but because of Steve. Steve is presented as a shady character and a bad influence who might induce the law-abiding Kayla to skip bail. It’s a callback to Steve’s bad guy-days, which I always like. And Steve’s intense guilt about the whole thing is a way for the whole Marina thing to come back to haunt him. (Not as much as it’s haunting Kayla, of course—but that’s pretty much a given during this whole section.)

Steve has been staying admirably calm, for Kayla’s sake, but when Neil tells him that Kayla’s pregnancy could be endangered unless he finds a way to remove all stress, he freaks out:

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I like seeing Steve break down here, seeing his desperation and anger over his helplessness to do anything to remove Kayla’s stress when she’s been arrested for murder. And I love that Kayla seems to understand that. Steve’s emotional outburst doesn’t seem to be stressing her out, instead she’s looking at him with almost a ghost of a smile, like, “this is the Steve I know and love.”

The high bail also allows for an interesting subplot with Victor and Caroline, when Victor offers to help Caroline out by posting the bail. (Caroline doesn’t know that Victor was largely responsible for Kayla’s arrest to begin with.)

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This scene is feels a little bit off, because it seems like Caroline should be more preoccupied with Kayla than taking a walk down memory lane with Victor. Also, it kills me that Caroline is worrying about Victor’s feelings and thanking him so sincerely, when he’s the one who caused all this to begin with. But despite all this, I kind of love it anyway. I love the reference to “We’ve kept secrets before,” and the look they share after that. John Aniston and Peggy McKay really make me feel that these two have had a past relationship.

And for a tiny moment of happiness, here’s Steve and Kayla finding out her bail was posted. Steve and Roman persist in looking a gift horse in the mouth, but at least Kayla is happy for a minute:

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Mr. Simple

It tickles my funny bone that Jack, the man who was introduced as the uncomplicated nice guy foil for Steve, now has a uncomplicated nice guy foil of his own. It’s also amusing that that uncomplicated nice guy is a former gang member. I love soaps.

The nice guy foil usually ends up being either a doormat, or an oblivious prig constantly saying “I know what’s best for you.” (Usually a little bit of both.) But initially, when it’s done right, the nice guy foil is genuinely nice: straightforward where our bad boy is secretive, considerate where our bad boy is moody. He might think the girl should forget about the bad boy, but because he sees how much he hurts her, not because he has a superiority complex.

Jen sees Jack at the hospital visiting Isabella (who is in a coma). From the way Jack is acting, she thinks he has feelings for Isabella. Still upset, she runs into Emilio:

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Poor Emilio! I can’t help feeling sorry for him. But there’s a really good dynamic here, that perfectly sets up Emilio as a foil, not a rival. When Jen asks him out, we can see her heart isn’t fully in it. When Emilio agrees, he’s not quite sure what he’s getting into. It’s obvious for these two, even when they’re not talking about him, that Jack is the elephant in the room.

Then on their date, they do talk about Jack. Jen is evasive on her feelings for him, and Emilio’s jealousy comes through, but somehow it doesn’t feel as though Jen is being unfair. She’s been hurt by Jack again and again, and she doesn’t know what else to do but try to move on. She clearly wishes she cared about Emilio, and even hopes that someday she will again. I like the way Melissa Reeves plays the lines about Emilio being her “best friend” (Billy Hufsey does a great reaction shot to that line, showing his disappointment) and how he makes her happy. She sounds like she’s trying to convince herself too. But, it’s also clear that Jen isn’t wholly pretending: she does like being with Emilio, she is happy.

And of course, in perfect soapy timing, Jack comes in just in time to witness this heartwarming exchange. Jack’s decision to suddenly show up with flowers isn’t really explained, but his feelings for her are well enough established that I think it still works. And the “you make me happy” line is perfectly pitched to discourage Jack, because that’s what he wants for her. Jen has tried to tell him that she wants him, not Emilio—but he’s hearing right from her own lips that she could be happy with Emilio.

 

Wedding Day, part two

I’m off on a business trip tomorrow morning, so I won’t offer much commentary, but as promised, here is the wedding itself:

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And the aftermath:

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A few points:

I love the end-of-the-episode suspense Kayla appearing at the end of the aisle, with Abe hovering in the background, as the wedding begins. Just a good old-fashioned soapy cliffhanger.

After the wedding has fallen apart and the truth comes out about the “new evidence” linking Kayla to Marina’s death, I love the way Steve stares at Kayla will so much meaning as he says “you have nothing to be sorry for.” Stephen gives that line an extra intensity, meaning, “I don’t care if you killed her.”

Mary Beth Evans breaks my heart with her reading of the line “there isn’t going to be a wedding today.”

Steve and Kayla’s heart to heart upstairs is wonderful, and the closest we’ve gotten so far to an actual hash-it-out scene regarding Marina. (It deserves more analysis than I have time for right now.) Mary Beth has shown in her performance (even though the dialogue didn’t really convey it) that Kayla was afraid of Steve’s reaction to learning she might have killed Marina. That’s wonderful because it helps explain why Kayla was keeping the tape a secret. Also, it connects to a tiny element of doubt for Kayla with how this whole triangle turned out. Did she “win” over Marina just because Marina died? Steve’s reaction here lays it to rest, when his primary concern is helping Kayla, not figuring out what happened to Marina. He reassures Kayla that she wouldn’t leave someone to die, but there’s also the strong implication that he doesn’t really care either way. It ties up that loose end very nicely.

 

Wedding Day

The second, aborted wedding isn’t a favorite among S&K fans, and I can understand why. It is thrown together hastily, Mary Beth Evans is eleventy months pregnant, Kayla is keeping a secret from Steve (that tape of her and Marina fighting), and the ceremony is interrupted when Kayla gets arrested. It is a far cry from the Big Payoff Supercouple Event that their first wedding was.

There are, however, some consolations, like Steve’s morning-of-the-wedding outfit:

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Mmmmm.

Rewinding a bit, I also really like this scene from the day before the wedding. Given that the real wedding isn’t going to come off, I’m glad the show gives us this moment. It’s especially nice, after Marina, to hear Steve say that he learned more about love from being married to Kayla for one day than he ever knew before. It shows, not that Steve never loved Marina (or Britta) but that the love he has with Kayla is so much deeper and more meaningful:

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And putting couple expectations aside, I do think this wedding is pretty damn good soapy drama. It may not be a Supercouple Event but it is an Event nonetheless. I love the way the show ties together the threads of everyone else’s plots. In addition to the yummy scene above, we get this moment for Jack and Jen:

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When she says that she’s trying to picture him as Steve’s best man, I get the feeling she’s trying to recapture the moment they had a few days ago, when he confided in her. And I really like how it works, but only to a point. He acknowledges that it’s pretty unbelievable and lets her see how much it means to him again. But when she pushes further by hinting she’d like to see him in his tux, he pulls back. That makes her mad and she starts throwing shoes.

Then of course the classic soap wedding fantasy sequence, and poor Jen trying to follow the “script” from the fantasy afterwards and having it all blow up in her face (again).

There’s another great Jack and Steve scene when the best man arrives:

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All the wonderful nervousness and awkwardness is still there in full force. They both have their defenses up, afraid to show what it means to both of them. (Stephen and Matt really do play the “best man” thing so well! It makes me feel churlish to say it’s a step too far.) Then when Victor arrives, suddenly the Johnson boys are on the same side. I especially love the visual of the two of them blocking the door together, presenting a united front. And then Jack gets to play the big brother role for once when he holds Steve back from attacking Victor. I love his explanatory aside just before he closes the door: “Nervous groom.” Hee!

And, in addition to these scenes I’ve posted, the show uses the wedding to draw Justin closer to Adrienne and Shane closer to Kim (both couples are currently estranged), by having the men accompany the women to the wedding. And for soapy suspense, intercut with all of the above we get Roman listening to the tape of Kayla and Marina, which Victor has sent to him anonymously. First Roman, and then Abe, have to decide if they are going to rush right over to question Kayla, or wait until after the wedding. Victor too seems to have something up his sleeve, smiling with satisfaction and saying he’s going to a wedding today. We also see Kayla eying her reflection nervously as she waits to walk down the aisle. Will Abe or Roman arrest Kayla? What is Victor’s dastardly scheme? Will Kayla get cold feet and call the whole thing off?

Next time: more soapy drama with the wedding itself!

 

Best Man

You may have noticed that I have a real fetish for watching stuff in order. It can make what seems to be an ordinary scene exceptional: for instance, a light, humorous scene can seems incandescent in a period of heavy angst. Payoff scenes are better if I’ve suffered through the worry and stress preceding it, and breakthrough scenes are more exciting if I’ve seen the baby steps and the false starts leading up to it. I’ve found that seeing scenes in context almost always makes them better.

This scene is an exception to that rule. A few years back, I violated my going-in-order rule and watched this scene by itself, and I absolutely loved it. It’s the scene where Steve asks Jack to be his best man at his second wedding to Kayla:

Part 1:

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Part 2:

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As a stand-alone, this scene really is fantastic. But in context, though I still love it (and I say this with regret), it hasn’t really been earned. Steve has just barely begun to thaw towards his brother. I believe that Steve would relent to the point of inviting Jack to the wedding, and I think they could have done a great scene just with that. (In fact, could have hit a lot of the same notes as this scene does.) But Steve asking Jack to be his best man just seems a step too far, beyond what Steve would be prepared to do at this time. There’s also the issue of Kayla, and whether she should have to stand up next to Jack (her ex-husband, her rapist) on her wedding day. It doesn’t help that the show doesn’t give us a setup scene where Steve clears this with Kayla (though Steve does have a line to that effect, and that helps).

But, Stephen and Matt are wonderful playing all the awkwardness, and also the underlying hope and tentative connection that this move represents. The way they play it sells it to me … ninety percent, at least. They don’t make any of it seem too easy, or wrap all their problems up in a bow. I love how Steve arrives looking a bit grim, like he can’t believe what he’s about to do, and how Jack’s attempts at banter—which stem from Jack’s own nervousness—almost chase him away again. It’s too much like Jack’s mockery from his evil days.

When Steve stops by the door, and mutters that maybe Jack could be the best man, along with all the strangeness and discomfort we see how much Steve is afraid of being rejected. That’s a really nice touch. And Jack’s utter shock and disbelief and pleasure are pretty wonderful too. Steve’s guarded, almost sour look turns into a slight smile as he sees Jack’s reaction.

That thaws them out for the next part of the conversation, but even then the awkwardness remains, especially in the handshake at the end. Steve hold out his hand and Jack slaps it. He’s still trying to put on a jokey manner to cover up how much it means to him. But Steve picks up his hand to shake it for real (with a big brother “quit clowning around” vibe), but then pulls away. It means so much to both of them, but they are both still uneasy about it too.

Then a nice coda with Jack and Jen:

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This is a good way to show how truly happy Jack is about this, and to give him a moment of connection with Jennifer about it. I love that he actually tells her about it (after some hemming and hawing): it’s a mark of how happy he is that he actually manages to open up about something. Then Jen takes the opportunity to throw out that hint that every relationship has to take a first step, but then she just leaves it at that. She really is happy for him, and she isn’t going to ruin this moment by pushing too hard.

And then a good aftermath scene with Kayla too:

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Steve is still trying to play it cool as he tells her about it, but Kayla can see how much this means to him. When he tries to scoff and say “Do I look happy?” I love the way Kayla walks away and says, “You can’t fool me.” Seeing Steve’s happiness about Jack touches a sore spot. The way Mary Beth plays this reminds me of Kayla’s nightmare during the rape storyline, when Jack and Steve were laughing together at her expense. But then Steve asks her if she’s happy, and he does it with such concern and sincerity, it shows that Steve understands that this is difficult for her. This scene helps address the “rapist as the best man” issue, because we see how Kayla feels about it: accepting, happy for Steve, but not necessarily thrilled.

 

Unhappy Days are Here Again

Hope everyone enjoyed that ray of sunshine, because it’s gone, gone, gone.

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All right, this isn’t too bad. But it marks the beginning of the next angstful story, because we see Kayla obviously feeling guilty and hiding something. (Kayla thinks she might have killed Marina, because Marina collapsed and hit her head when Kayla was struggling with her that night. Marina got up again, but Kayla is worried she might have collapsed again after she left. This is all a bit strange because Marina died months ago and we’re only just starting to see Kayla worry about this.)

But that’s not what makes this scene worthy of a blog post. It is, of course, Jack and Kayla. I say it every time I talk about the two of them, but I really love the physical and verbal awkwardness Mary Beth and Matt always play when they share a scene. The history of these two characters is always there between them, preventing them from ever feeling at ease with each other. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel strange that Kayla chooses to confide in Jack here, regarding her doubts about remarrying Steve. He was her only confidant during the worst of the Marina mess, and is the best position to know how hard it was for her.

Matt brings an interesting vibe to Jack this scene. I really love the line about Steve being a knight of the round table in a past life. I think Jack is not only comparing himself to his hero brother, but remembering all the times that Steve rode to his rescue—and those are painful memories for many reasons. He also sounds a little wistful, maybe for what he wanted to be for Kayla but wasn’t, maybe because he’s written off ever getting a happy ending for himself.

I also like the way Jack is a little put out that Kayla is hesitating to marry Steve. He’s been working for their reunion for months, so he’s earned this reaction. Matt does a great reading when Jack says, “I thought you loved the guy.” It’s a little fillip of irony, like Jack is thinking that if there’s one thing he knows, it’s that she loves Steve. He banged his head against it all through their marriage, he got his heart stomped on because of it, he changed into a horrible person because of it. If he doesn’t know that she loves Steve, then he knows nothing. It’s a great layer.

Mary Beth’s best moment is at the very end, after Jack says he wants her to be happy and he was just trying to help it along. Kayla really knows that’s true, and I love the way Mary Beth says “I know,” so softly. Her manner totally changes for that final line. This is where the constant awkwardness and instinctive defensiveness pays off, when we see it drop away, just a moment, before she leaves.

 

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Sigh. This is really, really lovely.

Don’t you love how Days used to give couples a happy reunion after a separation? This is what used to keep us hanging in there through all the angst and the soap rage:

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There is so much fun banter here, but my favorite is Jo saying “He is a man,” about Steve, and Steve saying “She noticed, Mama.” Oh yes, she noticed.

A slow dance, Steve being romantic, and Kayla finally getting to enjoy looking forward to the baby. What more can you ask for?

Oh yeah, a love scene:

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Well, at least an implied one.

I really like the moment when Steve gets serious and says he didn’t know if he would get her back, and he isn’t just talking about the thing with Kiriakis. It shows that Steve isn’t taking this reunion for granted (even though he’s already gotten her into bed, hee). I love his uncertainty about going too fast for her, and the return of sexually aggressive Kayla when she says, “Who said anything about too fast?”

Afterwards I find the talk about Kayla’s insecurity about her pregnant body to be realistic and refreshing. I only wish they had fixed the timing on it. Coming right after the implied love scene as it does, it almost seems to suggest that what just happened was … less than stellar. And I’m sorry, that is something that just doesn’t belong in my happy universe. But, we get another implied love scene right afterward, so I won’t complain too much.

Unfortunately, the angst begins again almost immediately. But, damn, this was a happy interlude.

 

Thank you

I don’t know how to introduce this except to say that I really, really love this scene:

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I could go through this line by line, I think, elaborating on every nuance and undertone, but I’ll try to restrain myself. First there’s the scene-setting conversation between Jo and Jack, where she praises him for his actions helping Kayla. But Jo’s approbation is not what Jack is looking for (it’s almost too easy for him to get it). It’s when Steve comes in and says that he believes it too, that we see Jack’s shock—and hope.

I love Jack’s studiedly casual manner as he says, “You actually believe me, huh?” And when Steve falters halfway through his speech, Jack prods him to continue. He wants to hear the words so badly. (There also might be a hint of brotherly rubbing-his-nose-in-it, forcing Steve to say the words even when he doesn’t want to). When Steve continues, saying it’s not going to kill him to admit Jack did a good thing, both his tone and the line reveal that, while it might not kill him, it certainly isn’t easy. I really love the awkwardness here. They each don’t know quite how to reach across the divide, but the attempt is being made.

If the scene had ended there, it would be great enough. But then the show complicates this lovely step forward and shows how tentative it really is. Jack asks about Kayla, and Steve doesn’t like that. All his prickly defenses come back, and that leads nicely into Steve’s suspicious reaction when Jack won’t repeated his muttered statement (about Isabella’s mother’s diary, but that doesn’t really matter). Steve says Jack is the “same old Jack” and Jack just looks resigned and says he guesses he is.

I think that resignation gets to Steve, perhaps because it’s so reminiscent of Steve’s own sense of hopelessness and futility during his bad-guy days. Perhaps he senses he’s being unfair. Or perhaps not, but he doesn’t want to leave this conversation on a note of suspicion and blame. Not when he started out trying to thank Jack.

I love the way Stephen Nichols says, “Jack …” and then, rather helplessly, tells him stay out of trouble. Whether Steve likes it or not, Jack has engaged him again and he cares what he does. Not that he ever stopped caring, of course, but he’s been pulled closer to Jack and his actions again. Whether Jack is up to no good or not, Steve can’t pretend indifference as easily. Then Steve makes an even greater effort and says that Jack really helped him get Kayla back, he appreciates it and he won’t forget it. I love the awkwardness again here, it shows again how hard this is for Steve to say, and that makes it even more meaningful.

Jack doesn’t say anything, but we can see he is moved. I like how Matt plays Jack as very guarded through all this. He doesn’t throw himself sobbing on Steve’s neck. He’s been working to help Steve for months without any encouragement or thanks, and now that it’s finally coming he doesn’t quite know how to respond. But mainly, I think, he’s afraid. He’s afraid to trust this step forward precisely because of how much it means to him. If he were to lose it again now, it would be devastating.

 

Smokescreens

Since the world-rocking events of the key kiss, I’ve been dying to see Jack and Jen interact again. Is Jack’s rejection going to make Jen give up on him, or is his kiss going to inspire her to keep pushing? How much did she believe him when he said he didn’t want her? If she does keep pushing, is Jack going to be able to keep holding back?

Enquiring minds want to know!

So, of course, the show makes us wait. Jack is off in Miami … then Italy. Jen is missing from my DVDs, which is frustrating because it’s mostly Jen I want to know about.

Then, finally:

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The show takes a sideways approach to this by making Isabella the topic of conversation. No one has thought to tell Jack where Isabella has been hospitalized, and Jen is helping him out trying to locate her. Jen starts pressing him about how he feels about Isabella—in a series of long run-on sentences, very cute—asking if it’s just gratitude or if there’s something more. Jack finally says that there’s a lot more, but he looks uncomfortable. Since we know how Jack feels, we can see he’s having trouble lying. But, to Jen it isn’t so clear. Jack never talks about his emotions, so his discomfort could also be read the other way, as a mark of how much he cares about Isabella. Is he awkward because he’s lying or awkward because he’s telling the truth? We see Jen’s hurt as she tries to process that.

Then Jack decides to go a little further, and Matt Ashford does a good job introducing an artificial note to Jack’s tone, when he moves away and says Isabella is “quite a girl.” That note of artificiality leads nicely into Jen rallying and deciding to push a little more. She points out what we know is true, that Jack is hiding behind his feelings for Isabella, and insists he say straight out that he cares about her. Jack continues to look uncomfortable and shifty-eyed. He finally shouts, “I care about her!” Jen backs off.

Jack says after she leaves, looking rueful, that it’s the only answer he could give. So we see clearly Jack’s state of mind. In the past, he’s allowed Jen to believe that there is something going on with him and Isabella, but this is the first time he’s outright lied about it. By taking this extra step, we see that Jack feels the need to keep throwing up walls and smokescreens in order to keep his distance—showing indirectly that it isn’t easy for him to keep that distance.

But what about Jen? I think Melissa Reeves most clearly conveys Jen’s state of mind with her look by the door: uncertainty. But it’s an uncertainty with multiple layers. What does Jack feel? Jack does care about Isabella and he is legitimately worried about her, that lends credence to his words. And we see Jen hurt by that. But there are enough false notes too to give Jen reason to keep pushing, if that’s what she wants. But does she? That is the real question. Even if Jack does care about her, as she suspects, what is she going to do about it?

Enquiring minds want to know.

 

Reunion

Well, the exchange is made, with plenty of plot shenanigans—Jack making a copy of the key and getting to the diary before Victor, Roman and Isabella and Marcus and Grace meeting for the first time, and Isabella getting shot by Victor’s henchmen. But … let’s talk reunion!

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(Sorry the audio is off from the video. This clip was already up on YouTube.)

First is your typical moratorium scene, where everyone reflects on what just happened. They discuss whether it’s possible to convict Victor based on what they know. (This scene makes me laugh because I’ve seen a blooper reel of Mary Beth flubbing some lines and cracking up. And if anyone has a link to that, I would appreciate it!) I love seeing Steve agree to drop his normal desire for payback against Victor, just because Kayla asks him to.

After Marcus and Grace leave, Steve and Kayla are alone at last. This is what we’ve been waiting for, through more than just the kidnapping. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen our couple together. Steve and Kayla were growing closer before she was kidnapped, but things weren’t resolved and settled. In that light, I find some of the dialogue here frustratingly vague. It’s like the writers knew that Steve and Kayla hadn’t yet reunited, but they couldn’t be bothered to go back and see what their issues actually were. I get that Kayla probably wouldn’t be up for a long hash-it-out conversation, but something less obviously generic than “we’ve both changed and things are different” would have been nice. Maybe a reference to Kayla learning to trust him again, or to Steve not hiding problems when they arise.

But, Mary Beth and Stephen, as usual, make the most of what they have. They do a good job conveying their awkwardness when they are finally alone. I really love when Steve asks if they can start over. They’ve had to set their problems aside as they dealt with this crisis, and now that the crisis is over he doesn’t know how things stand. Will Kayla’s walls come back up? I love that he doesn’t take anything for granted. At the same time, the mere fact that he’s asking, that he’s leaving the decision to her, shows that he feels on firmer ground now. During the worst of the Marina separation, Steve wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving it up to Kayla—because Kayla might have made the wrong choice.

And even though she doesn’t reply to this right away it’s a lovely moment when Mary Beth shows by Kayla’s expression during the hug how much she loves being in Steve’s arms. I think we know what she’s going to decide from that moment.

Then—Steve asks her to tell him what she wants, and Kayla says she just wants to go home, and to just hold her all night. I love her vulnerability, and that Steve doesn’t push her any further. Then they just go over to the bed and lay down together. End scene. Sigh.