Haven't we Seen This Already?

This month's rant faces a challenge that leaves many fans wondering just where AMC is headed. To date it seems like the years are repeating themselves where an evil villian steps in to fill the shoes of Micheal Cambias and try to out do him. While it is always a must to have an evil guy try to damage the oh so innocent Pine Valleyites, but do we have to have the same scene every year? The Greg Madden saga was no different. The same families were hurt, he died horribly, we still don't know who killed him, and he has a family member that will seek revenge but probably later give it up and fall in love.

Fall Previews

It's time for the season to change and cool down, but things in PV are just heating up as relationships are tested, murders revealed, and spoiled brats getting their way on AMC this fall.

Gregs Killer Revealed!

It's Michael Cambias all over again as viewers will find out who killed the evil doctor. However, the consequences won't end with the reveal who dunnit. The mystery messes with many people including couples. Kendall, Zach, Dixie, and Tad are of those set to suffer as the investigation continues through October.

Will Dixie Find Kate!

A point that is sure to make fans very angry is this little bit of info. Dixie and Tad may never find Kate. Dixie is at the point that she must find Kate, but may never actually be able to. All the while, JR manages to stay sober through his family downfall, but when Babe finds comfort in Josh because of it, JR may turn and do something that is even bad for him.

The Slaters Hit Hard Times

It appears that Zach and Kendall may never catch a break and enjoy the wedded bliss they so desperately crave. When Zach has to stay away from Kendall to help him stay out of jail, Kendall turns to Ryan. How far will mommy and daddy grow into a new bond? Ryan however, will have a growing friendship with Annie, and love could still bloom from it. What does this mean for Kendall and Ryan? Ryan has admitted to loving Kendall, and as she leans on Ryan, a new/old spark might ignite leaving a triangle for Ryan/Kendall/Annie.

Celebrations, Memorials, and Sparks

More romance will bloom this fall. Including Erin and Jamal, Di and Aidan, and Amanda and Jonathan. Also, Colby will have her sweet 16 party with an appearance by AMC alumn Jesse McCartney.

Special Memorial

AMC will also run a special memorial episode on September 11. While normal storylines will still play out, the show plans to put a mood on the entire episode to honor the fifth anniversary of September 11.

My two cents on the previews: Let's just hope this leads to some new and great stuff. However, if played the way our dear AMC is lately, we might as well rewind to the days when characters grew, families struggled, and murder was not the only shake up on screen.

Bianca's Back!

Will Trey Be Returning to PV?

A question this writer often wonders as the five years of Trey's prison sentence nears its close. Will another member of Kendall's distant family return to cause havic in her life? When he is released will he return to PV or move as far aways as possible?

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Customers at Lucky's Famous burger shop on 52nd Street in Manhattan aren't encouraged to sit on the counters. In fact, management kind of frowns on the practice. But AMC's Alicia Minshew has an in with the proprietor--her boyfriend, Richie Herschenfeld, owns the joint--so she climbs right up in the front window and wolfishly appraises in Lucky Burger and fries placed in front of her.

While photographer Yolanda Perez captures the action on film, Minshew digs in. "This is so good!" she calls out between mouthfuls, a fry held in one hand and a dab of Lucky sauce at the corner of her lips. Passersby slow to gape at the thin beauty eating fast food like it's her job; Minshew is undeterred. "Should I smear some ketchup on my face?" she asks eagerly, mid-chew. Herschenfeld catches her eye and smirks. Minshew cracks up. Perez gets the frame she wants and declares a wrap.

A few napkins and a stick of gum later, the actress slides up to a table to dish about recent changes in both Kendall and herself. Still goofy in love with Herschenfeld after two years together, her thoughts frequently turn toward the future. "I went through a whole period of time when I was feeling very maternal, especially when I was wearing the (pregnancy) bump," she says, echoing her character's about-face concerning all things baby. With a tentative smile that signals just how new the idea is to her, Minshew confides, "I think I'd like to be a mother someday."

A Nurturing Notion

Minshew explains her change of mind in terms that could have come straight from Kendall's diary. "For a long time, I was like, 'No.' But I don't know. Something shifted," she says. "I mean, it might also be that there are people around me who have children. Thorsten Kaye has a little girl. Cameron Mathison just had another baby. Terri Ivens has a little girl. I'm seeing they can do it. They work like crazy, and they can do it. So maybe I can too."

It helps that she's routinely exposed to some incredibly photogenic and good natured infants: the twins who play Kendall and Ryan's son, Spike. "They're just so good. And they smile at me when I talk to them," she says. "They seem very at peace with me, which makes me feel like maybe I do have the maternal instinct. I'm very much like Kendall in that 'I don't want to be a mom.' It's almost like I switched when she did."

Good Sports

Herschenfeld approaches the table to say good-bye, and the pair slip outside for a moment in private. You could power a city block wiht the glow Minshew's putting off when she returns. "Richie and I work," she says assuredly. "He's very independent. I'm very independent." Herschenfeld also happens to be Kaye's best friend---the actor introduced them---and his wry sense of humor about some of the odder aspects of his girlfriend's career bodes wel for their future happiness. For example, his reaction to the fact that Minshew's childhood friend, Maria Sosa, now manages Lucky's. "It's funny, because now Richie works with one of my best friends and I work with his best friend," Minshew says, laughing. "He said, 'Does that mean I get to shove my tounge down Maria's throat?' And I said, "Well, if it means that we're even, okay. Yeah!"