Resolved

Here are my resolutions for a new year of Zen.

1. I resolve not to let "Spoiler" ruin every story before it even airs. Things are seldom as bad as spoiler would have us believe. Which begs the question: why does spoiler want to torture us, the loyal fans? Because, as has been said many times, spoiler is a lying bitch! It's been proven over and over.

2. I resolve not to get twisted every time my beloved Zendall is used to prop another couple and/or storyline. Hey, it's the way things are done in soapland. I don't like it, but that's the plight of the soap fan. I will just have to keep reminding myself of all the times other characters have been used to prop The Slaters.

3. I resolve not to climb out onto the ledge whenever Zach and/or Kendall are forced to do something we all know is totally out of character. This one will be the hardest to keep, simply because most of these cases could be easily avoided. I don't know if the culprit is lazy writing, or just incompetence. (I do know there is an acute lack of fresh ideas in daytime as a whole. "Been there, done that" reigns supreme.) Take our current situation (please!). Having Zach father Bianca's baby is the height of character assassination ... for both of them. And now the baby has become an afterthought. It's like the whole purpose was to set up some "deep bond" between Zach and Reese. So much so that he would agree to such a horrible thing after one meeting, just because she's so damn cool. Now the baby is insignificant, but we are all left with the fallout from such a monumental decision. Problem is, the fans are the only ones to see it as monumental. Everybody else shrugs it off like it's insignificant. Why couldn't Reese and Bianca have arrived in Pine Valley to check on Kendall? Or to celebrate Christmas? Then Zach could have fallen under Cool Reese's spell and it would set up the same end result ... Bianca's insecurities over Reese. No baby to cloud things. And no destruction of a beloved character.

Oh wait, I'm not gonna let that stuff bother me anymore. Right?

*climbing in from the ledge*

Okay, I'm past it. Why? Because I don't watch the show because of the quality of the writing. If that was the case, I would have tuned out a long time ago. No, I watch because of the quality of the acting. Thorsten Kaye and Alicia Minshew are why I watch. Period. The amazing chemistry between them keeps me coming back for more and more and more. Even when most of that "more" is in the form of more heartbreak and more frustration. They always make it worth the pain.

So what will the new year bring? Another year of heartache for soaps' most tortured couple ... and their fans? Maybe. But even if that is the case, I'll be there. I'm resolved.