Yesterday marked an  important anniversry in the daytime soap world: one year since Luke and Noah were allowed to start kissing again on As the World Turns. The fact that they were not for weeks then months then more than a year – even on Valentine’s Day and under mistletoe on Christmas – reminds is of the hang-ups some folks seem to have about two men kissing. So guess what: Luke and Noah start lip-locking regularly again and the Earth did not stop spinning on its axis.

Anyway, I would have missed this milestone had I not been reading one of my new favorite sites: We Love Soaps. It is a daily must-read for any soap fan!

Okay, onto the present-day action: as kidnapped Luke and Noah remain tied up, they watch as Zoey talks to a shrine of her dead mother telling her they are finally going to have the family money she died for but that Damien gave to Luke.

It’s all starting to make sense. It’s far-fetched and stupid but ya know what? It’s a helluva lot better than the Ameera plotline!

Here are scenes from Thursday’s episode which has Lily and Damien working on freeing the boys while Holden whines to his mom about how Damien is sucking his wife into his world. And it’s true. Next thing we know, Lily is in some get-up that is supposed to make her look like Zoey’s dead mother. Oh, brother. There’s a ransom drop-off, confrontations, escape attempts. Everything goes wrong!