Welcome Back, Dusty!
It is absolutely wonderful to see Grayson McCouch back as Dusty Donovan! Oddly enough, he looks much younger than when he left World Turns. And maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me but with that mop top of curly hair Grayson looks like a slightly older version of his character Morgan Winthrop on the late Another World.
However as much as I've been enjoying the return of James Stenbeck, there is a problematic element with how Dusty's return has folded into the larger narrative. Once again we are subjected to executive producer Chris Goutman's love affair with compressed storytelling where events move at such a rapid pace there is no breathing room. As a result, tension and a sense of impending danger does not have the opportunity to build. When Emily held Dusty hostage a while back and as unsavory as the story was, it played out over the course of a little more than a week onscreen. As we witnessed the deterioration of Em's mental state, the stakes rose to such a degree that even if we knew that she wouldn't kill Dusty there was no telling how far she would go.
But over the course of the last day or so Meg finds Dusty alive and with barely enough time to let the enormity of finding her ex-lover being held in a cage by James Stenbeck, we get a rushed explanation for Dusty's faking his death in order to look for Lucy and Johnny. Then Meg breaks Dusty out of the cage and they are running for escape. Like too many stories on ATWT, everything moved far too fast.
Memo to Goutman: the danger of compressed storytelling is that in an effort to maintain a breathless momemtum of events and plot points one sacrifices potential audience investment in those events.
On the plus side, Marie Wilson and McCouch were great as Meg & Dusty. There was always good chemistry between them and they picked up right where they left off before Dusty became a horndog.
On the minus side, it didn't make a lot of sense for Paul to automatically jump to the conclusion that Meg had betrayed him with Dusty. Maybe it was the drugs. To be fair, it is in character since the writers haven't had Paul make much sense in a long time.
On the major plus side, Barbara instantly figured out James was behind sending the videos to Paul's laptop.
On the minus side, both Paul and Jack should have figured out it was James as well, given their respective histories with the villain.
On the plus side, Bonnie and Dallas actually shared a decent scene together although it was an argument. They are cousins, after all.
On the minus side, James did become a bit more cartoonish.
On the plus side as a nod to history, James always gets cartoonish as all his schemes (and story lines) come to a head.
Brad/Katie/Mike: These scenes played well among all the actors and made a bit of sense given recent developments, yet they also lacked a certain punch since we here know Mike is not long for Oakdale. And what a shame, too, because Jon Prescott plays very well off the women on the canvas. (Why couldn't Mike have gone after Lucinda?)
Kudos to the production staff for the outdoor location scenes. Although everything from the beach to Derek being conked on the head in the middle of the street all seem to have been shot within a two block radius of each other, the cinematography was nonetheless very effective. It ain't Lost, but it's still enjoyable. Sure beats the hell out of Guiding Light's Peapack Afghanistan!
LINE OF THE DAY goes to James Stenbeck to his newest hostage Derek: "I do hope you've eaten, because in the present economy the prison meal plan has been cut."
What say you, gentle folk? How do you feel about Grayson's return? Is his story arc here moving too fast or would a more deliberate pace bore you? Does any soap character look worse in a hospital gown than Paul? Who needs rescue more, Meg Ryan from James Stenbeck or Sarah Palin from Katie Couric? Inquiring minds...
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Comments
16 August 2007
8 hours 38 min
I'm trying to decide if Dusty looks like Moses, the Bible's Noah, Tom Hanks in the Vollyball on the beach movie or Pa Ingles from Little House on the Prairie.
23 July 2008
7 weeks 4 days
So help me God, Luke! I was just thinking oh snap, Moses is alive and living in Oakdale! Stop reading my mind!
_________________________
//**It's the writing, stupid!**\\
22 January 2008
30 sec
Don't give Goutman any ideas. Next thing you know he'll be parting Snyder Pond!
16 August 2007
8 hours 38 min
LMAO!!!! That's Dusty looks like Charlton Heston's Moses....I'll bet Nicki and Melodie are LOVING it.
9 September 2008
17 min 42 sec
You guys have no idea how many mental gymnastics I played trying to come up with something about Moses, Castaway, Lost, Grizzly Adams, Robinson Crusoe, even There Will Be Blood.
Alas, I had to settle on something simple. LOL
23 July 2008
7 weeks 4 days
Thanks alot BP for mentioning There Will Be Blood! Now I'm gonna be thinking about milkshakes all day!
________________________
//**It's the writing, stupid!**\\
21 April 2008
3 years 6 weeks
Oddly enough, he STILL doesn't have as much hair as he did on Another World. His afro almost upstaged Linda Dano... almost.
22 January 2008
30 sec
Maybe he can take a staff and head to New Jersey and tell Ellen Wheeler "LET MY PEOPLE GO!!!!!!!!!"
16 August 2007
8 hours 38 min
Dusty's Milkshake brings all the girls to the yard,
And their like "It's better than yours"
Damn right, It's better than yours,
I can teach you, but I have to charge
22 January 2008
30 sec
Hairy milkshake is NEVER a good thing...gets stuck in your throat.
9 September 2008
17 min 42 sec
"Hairy milkshake is NEVER a good thing...gets stuck in your throat."
___________________________
Hold my mule! ROFLMAO
16 August 2007
8 hours 38 min
Dusty knows you want it...
The thing that makes me,
What the girls go crazy for,
They lose their minds, The way Dusty wind,
Dusty think it's time...
(La-La-La-La-la)
Warm it up,
(La-La-La-La-la)
The girls are waiting,
(La-La-La-La-la)
Warm it up,
(La-La-La-La-la)
The girls are waiting,
Dusty's Milkshake brings all the girls to the yard,
And their like "It's better than yours"
Damn right, It's better than yours,
Dusty can teach you, but he may charge
Dusty can see you're on it...
You want him to teach the,
Technics that freaks these girls,
It can't be bought,
Just know theives get caught,
Watch if you're smart,
(La-La-La-La-la)
Warm it up,
(La-La-La-La-la)
The girls are waiting,
(La-La-La-La-la)
Warm it up,
(La-La-La-La-la)
The girls are waiting,
Dusty's Milkshake brings all the girls to the yard,
And their like "It's better than yours"
Damn right, It's better than yours,
Dusty can teach you, but he may charge
Oh, Once you get involved,
Everyone will look this way so,
You must maintain your charm,
Sametime maintain your halo,
Just get the perfect blend,
Plus what you have within,
(La-La-La-La-la)
Warm it up,
(La-La-La-La-la)
The girls are waiting,
(La-La-La-La-la)
Warm it up,
(La-La-La-La-la)
The girls are waiting,
Dusty's Milkshake brings all the girls to the yard,
And their like "It's better than yours"
Damn right, It's better than yours,
Dusty can teach you, but he may charge
12 February 2008
3 weeks 6 days
Dusty looks old as hell with all that hair. I'll be glad when he shaves it off, already...
***///The Hunt 4 Dixie Martin Is On!\\\***
8 May 2008
4 days 16 hours
I think that Dusty needs to shave of heads beard and trim the hair. I do agree with J. that the writers has move this s/l so fast to the point that it will be another plot point for Paul and Meg to be seperated, even if that is a great idea. I take Dusty and Meg than Peg anyday and have Paul died for real this time and if Meg characters is not working, I say send her away for a long time. Paul can go with Stenbeck for all I care or have Stenbeck here and have him send Paul away. I just so sick of Paul Ryan.
siomonstuart2003
3 October 2007
15 weeks 1 day
OMG LMAO Luke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have not watched this show in a while, but Grayson....yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Although the Grizzlie Bear look is just not doing it for me.
12 May 2008
7 hours 31 min
Oh silly little Luke! How long did it take you to do that song? It made laugh though.
Oh so HOT Grayson and your beautiful hair! However, he could take a bit off the top and the beard. He's still gorgeous!
16 August 2007
8 hours 38 min
It's what you call copy, paste, tweak baby....LOL
22 August 2008
1 year 23 weeks
I actually called him Morgan in conversation with someone today and figured it was the hair (which I like).
The most non-sensical part of the plot is that Dusty planned his fake death to look for Johnny. It would have made much more sense to say that Evan Walsh was working for James and didn't know the real plot was to abduct, not kill, Dusty.
10 October 2007
43 weeks 6 days
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! *does happy dance*
Okay now that I've gotten that out of the way lol...I'm so happy that Grayson is back AND that he has more hair. Do I think he needs a haircut yes but just as long as it doesn't go all the way to the buzz cut he had before he left cause that cut is terrible for him and made him look old and tired. Either way I couldn't be happier. AND as a Lusty fan can I tell you how happy I was to hear that he left to go find Lucy and Johnny cause that means that Lucy could be showing up and I would be in heaven if it was in the form of Peyton List. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
As for your song Luke *shakes head* Dusty's milkshake is bringing all the girls to the yard hell yes we all have eyes don't we *wink*
23 July 2008
7 weeks 4 days
Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on who you ask), Peyton is on Mad Men challenging Joan's authority.
________________________
//**It's the writing, stupid!**\\
12 February 2008
3 weeks 6 days
I want Dusty & Meg!
Paul can go shuck oysters.
***///The Hunt 4 Dixie Martin Is On!\\\***
8 May 2008
4 days 16 hours
siomonstuart2003
Hey, thebest, Paul can just die and I couldn't care less.
20 November 2007
16 hours 10 min
I already FF through his material he is that interesting! Enough said!
12 February 2008
3 weeks 6 days
Yeah, Paul is a horrid character, but I don't want Barbara to go without any children in town. Can't she adopt a brat to mix it up with Parker & Liberty? It could be a girl, ironically, with the name Jennifer.
***///The Hunt 4 Dixie Martin Is On!\\\***