It has become very sad, disturbing, and painful to watch Marcie disintegrate right before our eyes. I am shocked at how seriously she has fallen apart. Knowing the character as we do, I would never have thought she would go so far as to hold Viki hostage and continue to stand her ground even when Viki was in serious danger of losing her life. I can’t imagine how Marcie is going to come back from this.

I guess she doesn’t think she’ll have to worry about it because she’s going to have a driver, a plane, passports and still thinks she’ll hang on to Tommy. Of course she’s going to realize she has to finally give up the fight, but I can’t imagine what her recovery from this will be like.

Poor Viki. Do you just sit in awe of Erika Slezak like I do when she so amazingly transforms Viki? It showed just how far over the edge Marcie has gone when she tried to convince herself that Viki was faking her illness to get her to give up and turn herself in. I could feel Viki’s pain when she was lying across that table and begging Marcie to get her pills from her motel room. I think one of the hardest things to watch was Marcie delaying getting Viki help. Honestly, I wanted to smack some sense into Marcie for letting Viki suffer like that. Viki only wanted to help her and Marcie could only let herself believe that everyone but Tommy has lied to her. I guess once she realized that she didn’t have her money and her passports and that the diner was surrounded by police, she just totally lost it.

She couldn’t even let herself listen when Viki tried to tell her that she was being selfish and that Tommy would have no life if she kept him in hiding. It did hit me in the gut when Marcie told Viki that Tommy had been orphaned twice; that when she and Michael took him in he didn’t eat and didn’t sleep and that she and Michael had to teach him how to smile. She loves him more than anything and feels that he needs her and won’t get what he needs from Todd. She was also right when she told Viki, “With Todd it’s always me, me, me.” I can’t say she’s wrong about that. To this point, Todd hasn’t yet considered what taking Tommy from Marcie and Michael will do to that child.

At least Marcie finally let Michael come in with Viki’s pills. It was amazing that Michael could keep his head through the ordeal and convince Marcie that Viki was in worse shape than she really was. She could have fooled me. At least they finally convinced Viki to go to the hospital to be checked out.

Michael’s scenes with Marcie were heart wrenching. I just have go say here that I have never seen a recast go so smoothly as the recast of Michael McBain. I can’t say enough about the job that Chris Stack is doing after stepping into this role. I haven’t heard a lot from the Michael fans lately and maybe even though they are devastated by Nathaniel’s removal from the show, even they can see what a wonderful job Chris Stack is doing. I think he’s wonderful and when I see him I see Michael and not a replacement. It is unbelievable that this could happen so quickly, but it has for many fans I’ve heard from.

It was good that Michael finally got to talk to Marcie and that she could see how hurt he has been by her running away with Tommy. She could see how heartbroken he was to lose his son and how much he had missed him since she left town. He had to be so strong when he told Marcie that it is a blessing that Tommy is so young that he will forget them and have a good life with people who love him. That had to be so hard for him, especially since he wanted Tommy as much as Marcie does. It finally hit Marcie that she was at the point where she had to make a decision when Michael gave her wedding ring back to her and convinced her that she would have him and they could still have a life together. It’s just all very sad for everyone involved.

I had to laugh when Blair finally got Todd on the phone and she was very worried because he was so calm. I was thinking the very same thing. Except for a few nasty comments about Marcie being a crazy bitch (which, let’s face it, Todd can’t help himself and Marcie is pretty much a crazy one), Todd was eerily calm outside that diner. You could tell how worried he was about his son and you could see the fear on his face at the thought of something happening to Viki. Todd needs Blair and he needs his kids, but he would be equally devastated to lose Viki. She is his touchstone, even though he rarely listens to what she tells him. Right or wrong she loves him and he can’t say that about a lot of people. And above all else, he trusts Viki to be there for him no matter what. I did have to laugh when Todd was so calm with Blair on the phone and told her that Michael was there and he said, “For a McBain, Michael is okay!” Hey, if Michael is okay, then John is a saint for having put up with Todd all this time.

I can’t imagine how Viki feels knowing that all of Llanview and especially her entire family have found out what she’s been doing for the past five months. It stands to reason that her family would think that Niki is back because who would believe that Viki would opt for an extended vacation as a waitress in a small town café? Didn’t you love all the people from the café coming forward and defending and protecting THEIR VIKI? How cute are they?

And of course there is Dorian, not caring that Viki is being held hostage, but once again jealous because Viki has found herself in the spotlight. I don’t think I can wait much longer for someone to wise old Charlie up to exactly who Dorian is. And what about when he finds out who Viki really is? Honestly, if Viki were smart, she’d hop on the next plane out of Texas to someplace else where nobody could find her. By the time she finishes explaining herself to her family and everyone at the café, she’s going to need another trip to get away.