Arianna & Ben

Arianna's story is sketchy at best. We're a month into it and it's still cloudy (leads one to believe there are more surprises in store, huh?). It is a story laced with great potential, which many fans fear will never be explored. Raped and her family wants her dead? Where are she and Ben from? They have no accents--another script problem! Why would Ian help her after she ran over Eve, dashed away, and then subsequently broke into his home? Goodness knows she hasn't convinced the fans that we should care about her situation. Although it is a serious one in reality, Arianna's done little to convince us of that. All of these questions and the speculation that Ian will have to marry her to keep her in the country is ludicrous. Why would he do that, when there are many institutions and organizations worldwide, that Ian must know of, or at least can locate, that support and deal with such issues as rape and honor killings? Then to lose the baby she was so attached to only a day after finding out she was pregnant, and to be equally as unaffected by its demise--that surely left every fan cold and bewildered. As for Be ...what a thug! A by-product of his country and religion, not that we know anything about either. All we know of Ben is his mantra, "My sister must go back to my country. She has dishonored our family name and must be punished." It's pretty hard to become a fan of a character or storyline when there isn't enough information to make a decision. So, fans are screaming loudly at their sets daily. There are so many paths these 'heavy' issues can go, but fans aren't holding out much hope. Frankly, fans are over this plotline and its character additions. And I can't say I blame them.

Alison & Jamal

Now onto our younger characters Alison and Jamal, whose budding relationship encountered a hiccup when a drunk mistook Alison for a lady-of-the-evening and Jamal as her pimp during an innocent exchange of Alison's tip money, which they were planning to use for a romantic night at a hotel. After an altercation, the drunk left only to later return and destroy Jamal's bike. Jamal's pessimism and stereotypical views got in the way of his looking at the situation clearly, creating a rift between him and Alison--one of many more to come, what with Jamal's personal hang-ups about his station in life and the way he views himself the "'man" of the house and has to "take care of"' Alison. His frustrations were mounting, creating tension as they learned more about one another and about what touches each of them. But Alison loves Jamal and she knows they are meant to be, so she fights him every step of the way. PC viewers are absorbed in this feisty couple and look forward to seeing them wade through the troubled waters before them.

Chris, Livvie & Jack

Still confused over finding her father, Livvie reneged on the Thanksgiving bash to meet her "new family," although she did make an appearance. After all Livvie's been through, it's amazing she can trust anyone. She has a long way to go before she can accept the Collins family as her own, not that she's making any grand effort to. Of course, who could blame her, given her twisted past courtesy of Rachel and her grandmother? Not necessarily a good judge of character, Livvie continued to see Jack, the rebellious newcomer to PC, as well as Chris Ramsey, who of all things is Jack's long lost brother. Livvie seems to have a magnet for trouble, and these two spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E loud and clear.

Chris continued to use his powers for evil, doing his best to discredit Jack in front of Livvie. Livvie's a lost soul right now, so Chris's efforts are working in a typical soap opera way. But don't count Jack out just yet; he's fallen hard for Livvie, and as all PC fans know, those Ramseys are a tough lot and will do whatever it takes to get what they want--like having your brother arrested for theft and masking it as a coincidence. Sounds like Chris Ramsey is back. To keep Chris from going "soft," the writers completely eliminated his reaction and any ensuing effect from Eve's presumed death. Chris is definitely the one we love to hate. And he's helped us tremendously with that. As for Jack, well, the jury's still out. There's something more there than meets the eye. Perhaps one day the writers will fill us in.

Gabriella/Joe/Karen/Frank

Joe and Gabriella continued to struggle with their flourishing relationship and considered how to take it to the next level without compromising Gabriella's health. Joe loves Gabriella too much to put her at risk, something the audience knew, but ittook Joe until Christmas to tell Gabriella (by accident, no less). The scene was touching and well done, as opposed to the typical "I love you" exchange that leaves little interest. Karen was thrown into the mix and she witnessed the closeness of Gabriella and Joe and felt awkward. After all, she and Joe were to be married. Frank, who has had a secret crush on Karen from way back, spotted Karen's discomfort and lured her outside to talk. A poignant scene where their friendship is evident, and a sparkle in each of their eyes and a hug confirm what fans have guessed: a future pairing is in the air. Perhaps they'll be part of the spotlighted characters in the next arc?

In Closing

So as the end of February draws near and the first story arc threatens to close, all PC fans are passionately cheering for their favorite character(s) and scenarios to meet with a happy ending. The only way to find out is to stay tuned, because if there's one thing for sure, "Fate" has had a way of bringing out PC fans from the woodwork. They're passionate, they're interested, and they're dying to know what fate's "Destiny" has in store.

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