Help! I don’t know what’s happening, but it appears that my fondness for NIGHT SHIFT’s Claire (see, I’m even using her name) is growing in direct proportion to how much my interest with the rest of the show is waning. The pacing for this week was SO slow. I only cracked a smile a few times, like when Patrick and Jagger had an über-awkward conversation at the beginning of the episode, and when Epiphany called a pestering Claire “Miss CSI Flower Unit.” Oh, and when Leo reached up and tousled his “little brother” Kyle’s hair in the locker room. Aw! I did love Epiphany and Robert’s heart-to-heart about their kids and Kyle talking to Patrick about wanting a family someday, but the rest of the time, my mind wandered. I don’t want to be bummed about this show. Stop it!

On the plus side, GH: DAY SHIFT drew me in for about 2. 5 seconds yesterday with angry Nikolas hauling Nadine against him to kiss her…and then lost me again when he proceeded to do his impression of a face-hugger from Aliens. Ick.

Luckily, I’m still enamored of ATWT, especially with their peapacking (to peapack: verb; to film one’s show outside, a la GUIDING LIGHT, in Peapack, N.J.). The outdoor scenes on the Snyder farm development site and out by the barn and pond are the perfect balance to their indoor shots… even if, sometimes, they can’t keep track of evening at Metro and afternoon outside. Oops! Plus, I have to give Marie Wilson (Meg) and Kelley Menighan Hensley (Emily) massive props for navigating that terrain in heels. I can’t even walk on a sidewalk in flats without tripping.

originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com