…but I’m a GL newbie, admittedly. I confess to being influenced, heavily, by one of my FIRST and still-FAVORITE Otalia videos: Broken and Beautiful.

It’s also influenced by what I believe was the first Otalia clip I ever viewed: the Post-M2M dinner/ice-cream at Towers incident (under the harsh, judgmental gaze of two other mommies).

As Olivia was mouthing-off her lil’ schtick, my impression was (other than lustily agreeing re her “She’s a hottie” assessment of Natalia ) “This bitch is Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrazy!”

In short (and in my short-term estimation), Olivia has always seemed “broken” to me (though her beauty HAS grown on me, to be sure!)

Without Natalia, and in a pre-rockbottom condition, the question was only HOW LOW will she go? :-0

As far as the handcuffs, drunkenness, etc., ditto to Lana. I wish I was smart and insightful like that.

This “rock bottom Olivia” shtick is getting out of hand. The only tiny thread of logic I can find is that in destroying Natalia’s character so completely with her incommunicado departure, you have to do the same to Olivia. How else do you justify the Olivia we’ve come to know taking Natalia back when Nat breezes back into town? You can’t. So you have to fundamentally alter Liv’s character as well. Take away any semblance of strength, pride, sanity and basically strip her of her essential “Olivianess.” We’re left with the relationship equivalent of two wrongs making a right.

What’s worse is I’m totally sucked in! I can’t believe I’m actually still rooting for this couple! I can’t freakin’ wait for Natalia to get back and so I can celebrate the glorious reunion of two co-dependent weaklings. So sad! I’m kinda ashamed.

I sure do miss JL’s presence. The chemistry/verve her and CC have whenever they are onscreen together, regardless of the context or emotions of the scene, is sorely missed. I’m thinking that intangible quality they bring together will be the only saving grace in whatever resolution they are contracted to play out.

OK, another thought or 3, re the whole “Olivia needs to hit Rock Bottom.”

The thing is this: on the one hand, PART of me would love to see “Natalia saves Olivia.”

…but the 12 Stepper in me sez, No, no, no: you can never be saved by another person: that’s what a HIGHER Power is for!

In short, they’re two distinct, but interrelated things. If for no other reason than Jellybean, Olivia needs to find her center, her Higher Power, her Big Whatever, and begin getting it together.

But there’s no reason that can’t happen simultaneously w/ Natalia’s Return.

In the same way, Natalia needs to Make It Up to Olivia (and the Bean), for pulling such a disgraceful BAIL. And as much as I would like Making Up to include Making Out, Natalia needs to make that “Grand Gesture” with NO hope of anything in return…

…it’s just that I hope Olivia will return It (to include Making Out), Big Time, anyway!

i also think that if olivia slept with josh it would be for comfort only but she would hate herself for being so weak .

Lana – I get that sadness/loneliness might precipitate sex. It makes sense for filling that void, but I’ve never gotten used to the overuse of grief sex. I can’t count the number of times when that happens on soaps (usually directly after a death or something) that everyone in the room watching the soap groans and is like “really? that’s just gross.”

It’s not so much “just hold me” as it’s…”let’s get it on nasty on the floor of a cabin.” or some such thing.

Now revenge sex, that’s a whole different beast..

Liz – I’m holding down the fort!