Nuke Catch Up

The news of As the World Turns cancellation by CBS finally gave me the kick start I needed to catch up on the last few months of the Nuke storyline. I wish something else could have given me the impetus I required, of course, but I am glad to finally be caught up.

Watching the guys again after so long a break, and with the added knowledge that Luke and Noah won't be on my TV screen at all by this time next year (barring some unexpected pick up by another network or cable channel), was certainly bittersweet.

The sweetness came in the scenes I've always loved best, where it's just Luke and Noah on their own, talking about something, joking around, or sharing a kiss, and Van and Jake's chemistry is in full force.

The bitter came from the fact that the writing for them is as awful as ever and after so long a break it seemed even more painful than I remembered to watch someone as talented as Van Hansis try and make something worthwhile out of it.

In spite of that, though, I suddenly find myself in mourning for the show and for Nuke in a way I wasn't until now. I felt sad before this, but it was in a more general sense. It was easy to feel detached from it, I guess, since I hadn't actually watched in awhile.

Catching up not only reminded me of all the things that drive me crazy about this show but also about the characters that I've come to love and the wonderful actors who play them, and about the enormous potential for greatness that is being squandered. In the hands of a good writer, this show could so easily be amazing once again.

I think what I'm dreading the most is that Van Hansis may just stick to theater after the show is off the air and then I'll never get to see him perform again, since I don't live in NYC. Then again, maybe he could join the only soap that will still be filmed on the East Coast (after All My Children's move to L.A.). How amazing would it be to see Van on One Life to Live?

At any rate, I'm now caught up on Nuke. In order to bring us up to speed so that I can start writing about each Nuke episode in real time again I'll do a brief synopsis of what has been going on with the guys.

Mason kissed Noah- on the forehead!- and it was caught on tape. Luke and Mason got into a scuffle over this (Van is even hotter when he's playing angry, especially when he's punching someone!) and Noah basically told Luke to back off and trust him. Luke was upset, though, and showed the DVD of the kiss to Damian, who wasted no time in alerting the Dean of the college and showing him the DVD.

Mason was fired for sexual misconduct (for a forehead kiss!?) and promptly banned from Good Morning America, New Year's Rockin' Eve, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Luckily, the ladies on The View had him in for a pre-taped sit down where he explained that he just got caught up in the adrenaline rush of the moment.

Seriously, this was the best they could do with the first potential all male love triangle? What a waste of not only an opportunity, but of Forbes March as Mason! The only good thing to come out of this mess was the laugh I had when Luke yelled at Mason, after Noah had pulled them apart, "I should have torn your stupid scarf!"

Mason drunkenly told Noah that he was fired and that Noah's film was in danger of being canceled altogether. Noah was furious at Luke, who admitted that Damian had been the one to tell the Dean. Noah felt Luke was becoming a mini-Damian.

The two were fighting while Noah was trying to set up a shot for his movie that involved a fireworks display, so naturally it went off in his face and blinded him.

Luke couldn't give consent for the life saving surgery Noah needed, so like any hospital of good standing, Oakdale Memorial was willing to let Noah languish near death until they got the consent of Noah's only living relative, an Aunt no one could find. I know they're making a point about the ridiculousness of same sex partners not being able to give medical consent, but no one is going to let a patient without any biological family die because they can't find a blood relative to say yes to necessary surgery!

In the end, Noah had the operation and Lily and Damian (who are now married) decided to adopt Noah so that they could pay his medical bills (he's not insured, but couldn't they just, you know, pay them without adopting him?) and so that Luke could give consent in the future... as his brother! They really seemed to gloss over the fact that said adoption would make Luke and Noah's relationship legally incestuous!

Anyway, Noah was all blind and blaming Luke and angry and lashing out while Luke was all hot and patient and beautiful and supportive (I've really missed looking at Van Hansis on a regular basis!) until he realized that the best thing for Noah was to send him away to a clinic where he could learn to be self sufficient as a blind man.

That's pretty much where things stand at the moment.