As I watched Monday, I couldn't help but think about how I would have felt seeing the recent honeymoon scenes, on Fran's tapes, instead of watching it in real time. Would I have had *any* problem with it, seeing it back to back, and eventually leading into the next phase of the story? I concluded, that no, I would not have, I would have been flying off the walls, watching them connect, for a brief passage of time, until the next crisis. Of course, I say all of this assuming, that there is story yet to come for Manny, from all the little hints, with the actors hedging their bets about how happy Manny can stay before some new problem occurs, and the obvious slow build of new stories for them, involving Josh and Reva and themselves (the bond smuggling for one), I don't doubt that there is. Maybe that's just blind faith, but honestly I'm not concerned.

Now you're probably thinking, didn't you just say you were sick of the "I love you's" and that reasonable expectations weren't met, in the Manny story, and that they felt like they were on auto-pilot. Well yes, I did, and no, I'm not crazy ... I'm a Libra, it's written in the stars, that we're allowed to change our minds, every ten seconds, so take it up with the universe. :-) However, I *do* maintain that I don't need to or want to hear "I love you" every other sentence, that's just ... yech ... *unnecessary.* I also still maintain that Manny fans have a right to reasonable expectations, and that some of those expectations were simply not met. I don't think that's a criticism so much as it is, a statement of a certain truth. A criticism would mean that somehow it lessened my enjoyment of Manny, and that hasn't happened for me. And even if it is a criticism, per se, it's a constructive one, not a "you all suck, and nothing you say or do will make me happy" type criticism.

I have considered, long and hard, many of the points people have made regarding Manny, agreeing with some, shaking my head at others, and thinking "are we watching the same show" at some things. For instance, I agree with the point about the lack of airtime or on air passion, but with a few caveats. Manny may not have a lot of airtime per show, but I can't remember many other couples who were shown on screen doing positively nothing and being happy, three or four days a week. The big one, is of course, lack of passion, but I'm not disappointed by what's actually shown on screen, more that I'm disappointed by what I expect to be there. So is the problem what's actually transpiring, or simply not seeing what I want to see happen? Did we even need to see Manny at all yesterday? No, we didn't, but we were spoon fed a treat, Manny happy and lusty with a mushy center to roll around our mouths and savor.

This is the point, I've come to, that took me a while to reconcile, because this is so far from the norm for Manny, but guys, much like Michelle's wedding fantasy, I think this honeymoon was seriously meant to be complete fluff, fun and teasing, but fluff, nonetheless. In the history of soaps, I don't recall a couple going on a two week honeymoon, being on almost everyday, and nothing life threatening happening to them. Their sole purpose for being onscreen seemed to be to give them sometime alone and in love, and happy. Isn't that a good thing?

Yes, they dropped the ball on some conversations (especially the one about their future), yes I understand that it could have/should have been written better, using the time Manny got, more productively. But we got whole scenes of Danny lathering Michelle up with aloe, for no reason, of Danny carrying Michelle out of a restaurant, for no reason, of them contemplating doing it right there on a royal couch, for no reason, of Michelle modeling the native wear, for no reason .... I'm seeing a pattern here. We got this, because, in my opinion, as backwards as some may think it is, I think TPTB wanted us to have something fun, something sweet, something that came with no strings attached.

There was no threat of Carmen coming down from Springfield, no mob talk (other than jokes), no Rick, no Pilargh, no guns, no bombs, NOTHING. This was "bliss" to quote Michelle. After all isn't this the reason we root for Manny? Isn't there some reason we want them to be happy? If we didn't see things like this, what would be the point? Don't they have to have moments that are worth the angst to achieve? Couldn't they just have worked around Joie Lenz's schedule, given Paul Anthony Stewart a vacation and sent Manny off to San Cristobel, for two weeks offscreen? But they didn't, and that's the important part.

Instead they chose to send them, and spend money on that gorgeous set, a whole new wardrobe, and start to involve them in the lives of other Springfield citizens, namely their flagship couple, Josh and Reva. Unfortunately Manny had to be put on hold, in the time prior to San Cristobel, while Jeva's story could fall into place, and they could cross paths at some point. Do I think they spent that time wisely, before San Cristobel? No I do not, but I don't think the honeymoon has been a waste at all.

When I realized, I wasn't unhappy, though others were, I just sat back and reevaluated, trying to find the fault, everyone else was seeing, in fact I felt like I was strange for not being unhappy, like maybe my critical eye had gone blind, or I'd simply lowered my expectations for scraps. I don't think that's it though ... because I saw things happening, building, even amongst all the fluff, and I saw themes still at work.

Look at what's been achieved on this honeymoon, we now have Josh calling Danny, someone whom he'd never even met, two weeks ago, asking for his help and we see the helper Michelle emerging again. The young woman reconnecting with longtime friends, and showing us the reason why Danny admires the goodness in her. We see the setup of Carmen and her handiwork, once again, ready to pounce all over Michelle, attempting to manipulate the situation. I don't know what kind of trouble she's going to get Michelle into, with this bond smuggling, and I'm so happy I don't, because it gives me something to look forward to.

I don't know where this Josh and Reva connection is going to go, other than to imagine it's not being done for no reason (particularly with the news of the Spauldings/Santos' being involved story, knowing the Spauldings have Lewis Oil, and Danny is trying to legitimize) and that makes me happy as well. I mean, God, Michelle could be Drew's (the shacked up, unmarried, pre-marital sex having saint) sounding board as she "gets religion" right about now, and I'd have to choke myself ... eeewww ....

And while Manny is away, the new story is being planted for the cops taking more of an interest in bringing down the Santos family (just think, they might bust Michelle and she'll be responsible for all the skeletons coming out, purely by accident! Remember the FBI only needed one thing in order to investigate the rest, hmmm...). Even while Manny is doing absolutely nothing, there are tons of things happening to set them in motion, for the future.

And the themes, oh the themes! They say every joke has a grain of truth to it and Danny was certainly making plenty of those, on this trip. The joke about "all that dirty mob work" almost hit me in the head it was so glaring. I mean, yes, even mobsters have a sense of humor, but there was that certain underlying truth to what he was saying, about his dirty, rough hands, possibly hurting Michelle. All of the exasperated stares, and tossed off lines about him outranking her, her being cloying and manipulative, him always being right, etc. they were all part of the control freak in Danny.

I said a long time ago, that the issues of clashing cultures and values needed to be addressed in this story, and I have to say I love how subtle they were about Danny's traditional values butting heads with Michelle's independent spirit. While I was busy smirking and shaking my head at Danny, thinking he has no idea just how much his wife will continue to surprise him and rock the boat, I couldn't help but actually admire how true to Danny and Michelle they were being in simple lines and scenes. These are the little things in a marriage, that could either make you stronger and make you learn from your partner or chip away at your foundation slowly, until it's totally eroded. It'll be interesting to watch which path Manny takes, and how they get there. Even the simple things like Danny being disappointed that Michelle didn't want to risk getting caught in the palace said something about them. His sense of living life close to the edge, combined with her more practical, respectful approach to life, and how they may yet learn from one another, how to be more like the other.

Speaking of which, the theme of Michelle's little girl fantasies, continues to evolve in the form of these honeymoon scenes and in a surprising manner. I say surprising because there seems to be a concentrated effort to paint a picture of Michelle as a little girl, and how she's adjusted the little girl in her, to fit the young woman she's becoming. There seems to be a focus on the maturation of the character, in a way that wasn't there previously. She was stoic and strong, but now we see the vulnerable side of her evolving along with her defenses. The one that can be -- perhaps, will need to be -- more emotionally mature than her husband, to be the strength that holds them together, instead of Danny doing it constantly. And in her maturation, we see the little boy side of Danny come out over and over, because he doesn't have to be so on guard, and so life and death, if Michelle is taking the reins every now and then.

I was dreading, I mean absolutely *dreading* the possiblity of Manny playing pauper Brits, admiring the castle (it was my fear over the romantic tour spoiler), but I'll be damned if I barely even noticed, because I *LOVED* Monday, completely and utterly *loved* this episode, and I loved how it was tied into the theme of Michelle's fantasies and how Danny keeps trying to make them come true (hmm, maybe he'll hire "ladies in waiting" to do her med-school homework, ha ha...).

Which brings us to SEX! Wheeeeeewwww! This has been something I've admired the last couple of weeks, but most especially on Monday. These two are sexier, completely clothed and in the same room together, than some couples could be with twelve love scenes back to back. We all know part of Danny is attracted to the soft, sweet, good little girl version of Michelle. The chaste, romantic, dreamy side of her, that's so different from his world, but when Danny the man is lead by Danny the little man, he will say or do anything to get what he wants, and he's just too freakin' much for me when he gets like that!

I literally had to stop the tape and take a breather, and find something to chew on, or I may have bit right through my lip, I was chewing it so hard. And what of her fantasies? Here's Michelle trying to explain the innocence of them, trying to remain the proper young woman, but who is more than tempted by his powers of persuasion, which somehow turn her nine-year old fantasies into romps on the castle's thrones! Was that Michelle *Bauer* who was referencing her royal NEEDS, and his servicing of them? HELLO! Ms. Bauer-Santos, sex-kitten at large!

What made that line fly so easily, was that, in the back of my head, all I could think was she probably did fantasize about these things, but would have never, ever, EVER, said it outloud, until meeting Danny. There was the angel boy, the vegetable who she had to say vows before God to before she could do anything with him and then held it up like some sacred sacrifice, and now there's a man, her husband, whom she's equally as in lust with as she is in love, in my opinion. The emergence of the physical craving one can have for a person, in this story has been setup so wonderfully, from the lighthouse, to the almost love scene, to the dreams in Michelle's head (gosh if she only told him about that *risque* fantasy) that I'm not the least bit surprised that it's all they can think about the last two weeks.

And Danny, oh Danny, how do I adore thee and the way they capture you so effortlessly. I don't think the references to Michelle being a Queen and Danny her King, with him serving her, were all that far off the mark. How many times have we discussed the Prince ascending. I don't think he's an actual prince, but he's the crown prince of the Santos family, who's rising to the throne and will one day rule the entire kingdom, and Michelle is his wife, hence her need to ascend into the role of Queen, at his side, and everything Danny does is to serve her.

To see him with his chest puffed out, foot up, like many a portrait or sculpture of great men, joking though he may have been, seemed almost natural, it suited him to be aggressive, trying to get what he wanted, with his natural charms, but turning on a dime, at his wife's suggestion. He's a born leader, with great charisma and magnetic appeal. He could have cajoled Michelle, if he was really trying, in my opinion, since she was the one pushing him towards the couch before chickening out, but even his little attempts were enough to almost throw her off balance. She responds to that power and the allure of him, is attracted to his 'take what he wants, and living life to the brink' attitude, including loving her until it's overflowing in him. I don't think there's one part of her that's left feeling, emotionally speaking, unsatisfied by him, and that includes sex.

Just the aura of sex, is a powerful one between these two characters, a hint of a tongue and we're all lapping it up with our own. I don't think Paul Anthony Stewart and Joie Lenz have displayed their chemistry and connection as actors better than they have before these past few San Cristobel episodes. They're getting into a groove, the natural groove that acting partners find, eventually, since you work with someone day in and day out, and the characters are so emotionally involved that the performances should be as natural as possible, as in the moment as possible.

They've been wonderful together from the beginning, but at some points in staged scenarios, especially since Manny was distant for so long, now they just flow, even when they're tripping over one another with tangled feet. They actually feel comfortable with one another, now, in a way that they didn't before, thanks to time and lots of getting used to one another, no doubt. And they're bringing this to Manny, bringing Stewart's thought about Manny always being connected, even when they're fighting, and the audience picking up on that, to the fore. I don't simply watch this couple, I feel them, thanks to their performances.

They've just managed to turn them up several notches for these non-love scene love scenes, with little touches and little glances. And of course Monday was the payoff, of several smaller scenes from the week before, we're they'd start, get a little further, and then be interrupted. The sexual tension in that palace was almost as high as the almost love scene, for me. It didn't matter to me whether they actually had a love scene, the pure haze of raw lust, was enough to do me in.

And I thought the dialogue, sparse though it may have been, was pretty high on the innuendo meter, without falling completely off the darn thing! But I keep coming back to whatever is in Stewart and Lenz that gives them the ability to convey sex, without having sex on screen (Manny that is, not Stewart/Lenz, oy you people... ;-)). Is it that Joie Lenz has become more comfortable, and therefore Michelle more agressive in her own moves, and accepting of some of his? Has Paul Anthony Stewart become comfortable enough, with a young Lenz, to make some of these bordering on lewd (in as nice and non-chauvanistic way as possible) motions with his hips/groin/lower region?

I know I've mentioned the tongue already, but, well it just deserves another solitary mention. I'd just like to stare at the word a little longer, and relive the memories! But that takes a certain level of trust, between actors, in my opinion. Hell it takes a certain level of intimacy, period, much less in front of millions of people. And the hands, constantly moving to and fro like magnets drawn to skin. Where does this all come from? Is it each of them individually, or is it the combination of them? I'm baffled and totally enamored by this fact, all at once.

So you see, I saw Manny tongue, and it licked my heart, and set my whole Manny viewing world at ease. :-)

Tracee