The Good: If you haven�t seen the show yet, you probably get the impression from the posts on the board and the lack of posts that most of us are at a loss for words when it comes to Manny�s screen time today. I�m still at a loss but hope in that putting words to paper, so to speak, it will enable me to clear my head and crystallize those thoughts that I�ve been mulling over for the last several hours.

I really did love the set up to the renewal of vows. Manny communing with nature at Laurel Falls (hey old timers like me, why couldn�t they go outdoors like when Morgan and Kelly got married? but I digress ...), talking about how much they have missed each other, kissing. I have been waiting for this sickly sweet junk for a long, long time, and this scene delivered. I was and remain a bit miffed that we learned once again that what seems to me an important conversation (Michelle�s wedding fantasy ... Laurel Falls, the daisies, etc.) is handled off screen, but I�m okay with this, really I am. Got a huge grin when Michelle says "You are so amazing" and Danny or was it Paul Anthony Stewart ad-libbing? responds "I know" ... quintessential Dannyism and I gobbled it up as did Michelle obviously. I am just eternally grateful to TPTB that they didn�t drag in that damn white horse because I would have had to turn off my set. By the time Danny brought out the rings I was misty-eyed; by the time Ray showed up, the tears were welling, by the time Danny was saying his vows to Michelle I was crying with her.

Man, but I love a good mush scene. For me, there was no Velveeta here. Finally we got to hear Michelle pledge eternal love and fidelity and we got to see Danny get all goofy over her again. I thought their vows were truly lovely and although I begged for the recitation of the traditional vows, this fit and I bought it hook, line, and sinker. I love it when when Manny communicate on the same wavelength and they so clearly were connected today ... I love it when they get me goofy and by the time Danny turned on the Burt Bachrach theme music and they started dancing I was goofy. I even started to get a little flushed when he started kissing her cheek, her eyelid, her shoulder -- three times people, three times he kissed that shoulder! I swear for a millisecond I thought that left hand of his was about to move down her chest, but then I think Danny/Stewart caught himself and moved it right back up to its favorite resting place on her neck.

If Monday can live up to the pre-bed scenes today, I�m going to walk around on the afternoon of the 5th with a really stupid smile on my face and I�ll probably drift off in my mind while I burn the dinner, and sleepwalk through reading my kiddoes their bedtime stories, and then ... well never mind. At any rate, if Monday continues at the pace of the dance scenes, I�m going to be singing many Manny praises.

P.S. I loved, loved, loved when he called her Mrs. Santos and she responded in kind. Aaaaaaaah

The Bad: Okay, here it goes. And I must say I feel enormously guilty typing this because I feel and know that Stewart and Joie Lenz did a supreme job with what they were given. I am sincere when I say that I found a lot today that I loved and will be reliving again. Having said all that, here are my question marks for today:

*When Michelle said to Danny when they first arrived at the now indoors Laurel Falls (what-- was the entire outdoor budget blown on PR?) when Michelle echoed Danny�s "Shhhh" from the church/bomb scene, I waited in fear for her to repeat Danny� "Bells, bells, bells" spiel. Good save writers, good save.

*Ummm guys, the bride goes on the groom�s left and the groom goes on the bride�s right. Does this mean that Michelle was the groom and that Danny was the bride? Or, does this mean that we�ll find out due to this technicality that Manny was never actually renewed?

*Waaaaaaaah ... no tent. *Sigh*

*Private note to TPTB: I can�t believe I�m saying this, and I do not presume to think that I or anyone here knows your craft better than you, but please lurk here and read the posts about the way in which we would like to see scenes played, words that should be spoken, and background music we would like to hear. Because can I share something with you? The Ferrante and Teicher / Burt Bachrach / Yanni elevator music that Manny danced to was a misfire. And I don�t mean the target was a near-miss ... I mean that in trying to hit Tokyo you struck Pakistan instead. What would have been so wrong with some Etta James, some Billie Holiday, some Peter Gabriel or even Dave Matthews? For pete�s sakes even Drew and Jesse get Aerosmith. I�m counting on you for Monday?

*Last bad ... When Michelle pulled on that rope and the bushes parted in a V and then we heard the little twinkling music as the bushes parted my head hit the desk with a thud. Guiding Light people, people, people, work with us here for the love of God, work with us! I waited in anticipation of Tinkerbell flying out of the bushes whereupon she would circle Manny three times for luck, kiss them on the heads and then fly off with Peter and Wendy back to Never Never Land. (Hint: watch DOOL ONLY for the type of camp you should avoid in the future, not what you need to emulate.

The Ugly: Big �ol Rant ... An Open Memo to the GL PTB ... Watch out, because now I�m really on my broomstick. Give me a freakin� break. This day has been nine months coming, okay seven if you count when I thought Manny should become a couple, and for all of this patience, for us bringing you new viewers, for us propping up the show as a whole and telling our friends and posting on other mean-spirited boards that things, ALL things at GL are back on track 100%, this is our thanks? This is our reward?

To quote Rose, you pulled the rug out from under us, and it was quite frankly rude and in my opinion, poor daytime drama in the making. Essentially you bookended Manny again and gave us our standard thirteen minute Manny fodder. Was it too much to ask to focus this show on Manny as you did two days ago? I would have gladly traded a few of those scenes for more exchanges, more vows, more sweetness today.

While I realize that there are a dozen other stories on the canvas, and I am coming out of the closet to say that I do indeed enjoy most of them, I am a Manny fan and Manny has been the thing which has pulled me back into enjoying GL more than I ever have in the almost twenty years I�ve been watching. I didn�t expect an entire hour of Manny, but I certainly didn�t expect the crumbs I was thrown today in order to showcase one of the weakest Jeva days I�ve seen in their history. To go from Manny in yet another almost make love scene and then end with Jeva back at the hotel relieved their reservations were straightened out was purely poor storytelling. And I�ll go one further here, if you were trying to draw in new viewers with this today, I don�t think it worked for you.

Kristie