Organization: Penn State University
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 11:54:48 EDT
From: <MZ6@psuvm.psu.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps
Subject: Y&R: Nathan (Was Re:Y&R:Scott's using little Scottie! Also Dru/Nathan)
Distribution: world
 <1992Jul26.031220.16299@news2.cis.umn.edu>

In article <1992Jul26.031220.16299@news2.cis.umn.edu>, mmoore@epx.cis.umn.edu
("None of ya Bizness") says:
>
>In article <1992Jul25.194107.25440@cs.wayne.edu> faa@athena.cs.wayne.edu
>(Felicitas A. Atabong) writes:
>
>Was it me or did anybody else find stunning how Nathan just BUSTED on Dru
>in Olivia's office on Thursday?  I think Dru had EVERY RIGHT to bust on
>her sister.  Black Barbie forced Dru to be her maiden of honor, and go to
>her various wedding showers, and now she can't spend time having a cele-
>bration with Dru cos she's "tired."  When I saw this scene I was throwin
>punches at the TV talkin about "Git her Dru!! Git her!!"
>

I don't really agree with Malcolm in the above statement.

Yes, I thought it was cruel that Olivia forced Dru to participate in
her wedding--especially when Dru so deeply cared for Nathan at the same
time.  My favorite moment of the wedding was when Dru ran out of the
church weeping, and a very sympatico Neil followed after her, hugging
her through her sobs.

But I like what is happening with Nathan and Olivia.  The story between
Nathan and Olivia has always been weak--originally because two poor
actors were playing the roles.  Olivia would be okay in a more haughty,
selfish villainess role--but her sweetness comes across as saccharine.
The new Nathan, in the present story, is making great strides in
building this relationship with his smouldering, glowering love for
Olivia.  It was an inspired bit of writing to have Nathan find out
about the cancer...but be convinced not to let Olivia know he had
found out.  That permitted Nathan to be motivated by a deep and silent
concern for his wife--and to know the depth of sacrifice she was making
to build a family with him.  This Nathan plays that understanding of
her sacrifice beautifully--even when he smiles, there is pain behind
his eyes.  Watch him--his performance is quiet, understated and
therefore comes across as sincere.

What Olivia and Nathan both know--and Dru doesn't--is that her "tiredness"
may not just reflect pregnancy, but may also reflect cancer-stress or
the cancer itself.  This is CERTAINLY an adequate justification for
for Olivia not to want to go to the engagement party.  Nathan was
ABSOLUTELY right to chastise Drucilla (but only in the context of knowing
about Olivia's cancer), in my opinion.

Of course, but Nathan and Neil have had strong protective reactions
for Olivia now--reactions that are too strong for mere pregnancy fatigue.
For Dru, this has raised the question of what Neil knows and is not
telling Dru--and she will be hurt, ashamed and pained when she finds
out.

For Olivia, she already senses that Nathan has been too protective.
That's going to eat away at her, and the two characters are going to
have a very moving and cathartic moment when they finally admit the
truth to each other, their love for one another, and their fear for
the future.

(By the way, Olivia's "love" for Nathan has been more convincing lately
too.  I think this is a combination of a) she doesn't have to play
wracked-with-secret-love-for-Neil anymore, b) the storyline itself
gives her a concrete set of acts to hold on to, to convince the actress
that "yes, my character really does love Nathan", and c) the actor who
plays Nathan is so good in playing his sincere love for Olivia, it is
bound to give the actress who plays Olivia enough emotional feedback
to play love in return).

My prediction:  The fatigue will lead to the test result that the cancer
is growing.  The baby will be taken by C-section as soon as possible,
and Nathan will be torn by the prospect of two tragedies...losing his baby
and losing his wife.  The child will survive, and Olivia will have a
complete hysterectomy.  Unfortunately, the cancer will have spread and
Olivia will just have a short time to live (specific prediction:  Olivia
dies in May, when the actress' contract expires).  We will get to see
VERY moving scenes of Olivia saying goodbye to her husband and baby.

Torn by grief, Nathan will not be much of a father to his child.
He will secretly blame it for his wife's death.  Motivated in part by
the guilt of how horribly she treated Olivia, Dru will come in and
act as mother for the child.  Long term consequences:  a) custody fight
(unlikely) or b) Nathan will begin to feel love for Drucilla--beginning
an emotionally charged triangle between Drucilla, Neil and Nathan.

What do I get if I'm right?

Mike