Nuke Day: The Doctor Is In

Today's Nuke scenes on As the World Turns opened with Luke pacing the floor, waiting for the celebrated Dr. Oliver to call him back regarding Noah's case. Noah himself was sitting on the sofa, complete with his blind man's walking cane. At first I wasn't sure if it was really Noah because he didn't seem to be arbitrarily lashing out at Luke at all, but then I realized that he was probably just on a break.

After Lily came in and helpfully supplied the news that Dr. Oliver's waiting list was a year long, the man himself finally called Luke's cell phone. After mentioning that Luke had called his office about three dozen times, Dr. Oliver wasted no time in being a complete jerk, first sneering at Oakdale itself as if it were some hill town in the Ozarks, and then telling Luke that he wouldn't be taking Noah's case because it 'bored him to tears'.

Wow. That was kind of awesome. Dr. Reid Oliver is an arrogant jerk and yet somehow I want him to get into Luke's pants as soon as possible!

After Dr. Oliver hung up on Luke, our Mr. Snyder assured Noah that he wouldn't be giving up and neither should Noah. Lily suggested finding another doctor, but Noah told her that there was no one else who could do what Dr. Oliver could do.

Noah was clearly discouraged and now that he isn't acting like Rage is his middle name, I feel for the first time like we're seeing our Noah dealing with this, rather than someone else who happens to have the same name and face but a completely different personality.

Lily took Luke aside and pointed out that there was no one who knows how to call in a favor like his dear old Bio Dad Damian. Luke headed for Damian's office, keeping Noah in the dark about his intentions so that he wouldn't get his hopes up.

Damian suggested offering Dr. Oliver more money, but Luke had already tried that. Damian then said that Luke should make the good doctor 'an offer he can't refuse' instead. With Damian looking on proudly, Luke called Dr. Oliver back and bluffed about having his medical license revoked with documented proof of just how often he'd bent the rules in the name of healing people. The doctor immediately folded, asking Luke what he wanted.

You know, if I were Luke I'd be worried about entrusting my boyfriend's health to someone who gives in that easily to a very vague threat like that. It might just make me wonder what medical mishaps the guy was worried about covering up.

Luke, of course, had no such worries (that would require a bit of intelligence and common sense, something this pod person version of Luke is lacking at the moment) and told Dr. Oliver that he had his father's jet waiting at the airport to bring him to Oakdale so he could examine Noah.

Damian told Luke how proud he was of him, while I mourned for the real Luke, lost the day that he inexplicably decided to go to work for his biological father.

There was some small vestige of the old Luke remaining, though, as he expressed guilt to Damian for the way he'd just blackmailed Dr. Oliver. Damian told him that the end justified the means and that you do anything you have to when you love someone.

When Luke later filled in Lily about his actions she was far from pleased. By that time, though, Luke seemed to have had enough of Damian's Kool Aid to be comfortable with having threatened someone.

Meanwhile, Noah's ex girlfriend Maddie showed up to talk to him about a new Vlog she's doing about relationships for an online newspaper. He greeted her with bitterness and self pity turned on full force, but Maddie didn't let him push her away or wallow in his feelings and suggested going out for something to eat. I'm so happy that Alexandra Chando is back in the role of Maddie, by the way. I always liked her and she and Jake Silbermann seem to have very good chemistry together as onscreen friends.

Noah, Maddie, and Maddie's co-worker/potential love interest Hunter had lunch together at Al's and Noah was actually relaxed, smiling, and having fun for a change. Afterward they went somewhere to listen to really loud music, which was supposed to be about testing Noah's other senses to see if they were actually heightened, but which really didn't make any sense at all, unless they expected Noah's head to explode from being able to heard loud music more loudly than the non-blind do.

Later, at the hospital, Luke and Dr. Oliver came face to face. Luke acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them, but the doctor wasted no time in saying that he hoped Luke would choke on the big silver spoon in his mouth and proceeded to add that most people wait their turn for his services, rather than thinking the blue blood in their veins made them more deserving.

Wow, it's even hotter when Dr. Oliver insults Luke to his face! I'm not sure why it's so hot seeing this guy being rude to Luke, but it really is. The Nuke storyline has been bogged down in boredom for so long, and the introduction into the story of the wet blanket that was Mason did absolutely nothing for it. I really think Reid Oliver could shake it up, though, and make it watchable again.

Many a great soap relationship has started with one or both of the people actively hating the other. I think I could get behind a Luke/Dr. Oliver pair up. You definitely get the feeling that the arrogant doctor would enjoy taking the spoiled rich boy down a peg or two, which makes for some interesting chemistry between them.

Anyway, Noah finally showed up at the hospital and Dr. Oliver pulled him into an examining room for fifteen minutes alone, which sounds kind of naughty but probably wasn't. When Dr. Oliver came back out he told Luke that he didn't like him, but that Noah hadn't asked for this, so he'd help him on the condition that he never has to see Luke again once he's restored Noah's sight.

Luke agreed to the deal and then Dr. Oliver got a bit creepy and said that Luke had better agree, since Reid was the one who'd be cutting open Luke's boyfriend's head.

Luke went in to see Noah and told him what he'd done to get Dr. Oliver to come to Oakdale. I expected Noah to be upset by Luke resorting to blackmail, but instead he thanked him and they had kind of a nice moment, I guess, not that they touched or kissed or did anything but stand there and awkwardly smile at each other.

That was all for today. I'm liking the introduction of Reid Oliver, hating the way Luke is being written, but feeling better about the way Noah was acting today, both with Luke and definitely in his scenes with Hunter and Maddie.