SOAP DISH 12/08
PUSSS...@aol.com
The stolen diamond pops up again next week on "As the World Turns,"
causing big trouble for the ones who originally purloined it, Simon and
Carly.
"Simon and Carly threw the real diamond off a cliff into the Oakdale
River," says Maura West, who plays Carly. "The diamond went into some
kind of flowing Oakdale water. But of course, as only happens in TV and
movies, someone finds this gem and it ends up coming back around
through Carly and Jack's daughter Sage. She decides that it's going to
be the sun in her science project."
Next stop? The science fair, where the real diamond is front and center
for all the world to see. That includes Sage's daddy, Jack, who is the
cop on the case trying to find it.
"Some real twists of fate had to happen for this to blow up in Carly
and Simon's faces like this," says West. "They see the diamond at the
science fair and freak out: 'Here it is again!' "
All the bumbling duo can think of is try to get rid of it again.
"Simon puts it in a hazardous waste bin at the hospital," says West,
laughing, "but then a janitor finds it and gives it to Doctor Bob. Who
I'm sure gives it to Kim, which Katie sees and then ... you really have
to pay attention to this one!"
Speaking of Katie, she gets the bright idea to break into Carly's house
to search for the diamond, and ends up trapped while Carly and Simon
fool around on the couch. But she does indeed find what she thinks is
the sought-after stone.
"She steals the fake diamond," says West. "Simon had a fake diamond
made so that Carly wouldn't worry if somebody took it and tested it.
It's tested and it turns out to be fake, which helps Carly and Simon.
They're like, 'See? It's a fake. Leave us alone. We didn't do anything
wrong.' "
Oh, but they did. What will the James Bond-ish thief and his blond moll
have to do to get out of this mess?
"I have no clue," says West. "I'm always on the, 'Don't ask, don't
tell' policy. I never go and ask what my next story is going to be,
because I've always been happy here. I always have something cool to
do."
West goes on maternity leave soon to have her fourth child, so look for
the jewel-heist story line to explode in a way that will force the
popular character to leave town in January.
"I'm assuming something nice and juicy will fall into my lap when I
come back," says West. "Or maybe Michael Park [Jack] will fall back
into my lap. I loved Jack and Carly's marriage, and I miss it. I miss
working with Michael - and I'm not just saying that because he's
sitting right here."
Comings and goings: Paul Michael Valley (ex-Ryan, "Another World") is
joining "Guiding Light" next week as Cal, who meets Reva at a singles'
event for cancer survivors. ... Tracey E. Bregman crosses her "Young
and Restless" character, Lauren, over to "The Bold and the Beautiful"
in mid-January. ... Former "St. Elsewhere" star Bonnie Bartlett
(ex-Ellen Craig) pops up on "General Hospital" as Spinelli's
grandmother on Monday.
Don't touch that dial: Robin moves in with Patrick Monday on "General
Hospital" (ABC, 3 p.m.). Too bad it's to care for him after the surgeon
gets hurt in a fight with Coleman.