IMO, it's hard to collect yourself after watching today's episode. I found it harder to watch than yesterday's because Zach's anger was there in spades, and Kendall had her moments, too.

We've seen Zach walk away from Kendall before, but today, he almost walked out on her, and that was very hard to watch. I liked his asking her what she thought he would do if she had told him months earlier--lash out at her? Leave her? I'm not sure she knew the answer herself.

I was proud of Kendall for taking Zach to the cabin and for using his words on him by challenging him to see where it all happened and "get it out there". But it was damn near unbearable to watch her blame herself and give him the opportunity to leave her for good. This was no bluff on her part. I was relieved (that's the word) that he said that he knew who she was, the light and the dark, and when he caressed her fingers, called her name with gentility and not contempt, and then gave her his hand, said, "Let's go home", and walked out with her, I finally took a deep breath of relief.

One word about what did Zach know and when did he know it: I thought AMC danced around this and the writing today was not clear. It seems Zach suspected that something had happened between Kendall and Aidan, and he sent them to L.A., trusting Aidan to protect Kendall and not to do anything with her. But AMC raised the issue of whether he trusted Kendall and whether it was a test and never resolved it, and that's poor writing. If that's what they're saying he did, that's a rewrite, IMO. If they're leaving it open to interpretation, I'll block it out of my mind and pretend I didn't hear anything about it.

But I do think they had to address her pregnancy scare, and they did do that today. Apparently, Zach wasn't sure who the father was, and we knew that Kendall's wasn't sure, either. But to hear them ask each other who the other thought was the possible father was like a punch to the jaw, IMO. That was hard to hear, especially said in anger like that.

Still, another excellent episode, and Aidan even admitted he forced Kendall to accept Zach's death when she had refused to, right before the ONS.

Today was a testing of limits. Quite often we tell ourselves and others how we would react in a hypothetical scenario. We can even prepare ourselves for it. But do we really know for certain how we will react? Do we know what we'll say or do when that moment arrives and theory becomes reality?

That was Zach's struggle. One where he was caught between how he said he would react and what he now actually felt. It was far easier to blame Kendall for not trusting in him, for not telling him. It was easier to use that as an excuse to walk away from her than to accept that his wife had been with another. It was far easier to blame her for not trusting in him, than to accept that he couldn't keep his word that nothing would ever come between them and he would never leave her.

She asked if he was testing her. He played coy. She asked who's baby he thought she could have been carrying. He turned the tables. He couldn't answer because he was angry at himself. For months, all the signs had been in front of him and yet it wasn't until that final moment before she confessed did he realize what she had done. In his mind, he was a fool. A fool for being a man who loved his wife so completely that he was blinded to all her faults.

And so he wanted to leave her. Angry at her, but more at himself. He couldn't be the man he always said he would be; the one he had hoped to be. She was right when she said he feared what was inside the cabin. She was right when she said despite him saying he wanted to know the whole truth, the reality was that he reality wanted to run from it.

Once inside, she told him everything. How she became a completely different person. A person she most definitely didn't like. And yet, he still fought seeing the real her.

"I know the light and dark." But did he really? How could he expect to know everything about her when he didn't really know everything about himself?

She opened her heart and let it bleed all over the floor. She accepted all the blame and put nothing on him. She gave him permission to walk away from her. Permission to not be that man that he always said he would be.

When she told him that she was a much weaker person than he believed her to be, the pedastal he had placed her on finally disappeared and he realized that she was just as human he.

With the blinders now gone, there was only one thing left to do. He had to be that man he had always said he would be. To be the man that would never let anything come between them. To be the man that promised to never leave her no matter what.

So he helped her up off the floor and took her home.

As yesterday the writing and the performance by both AM and TK was riveting. I found today’s show even more powerful than yesterday. Zach’s pain and anger was so evident. The man who so strongly told Kendall that no matter how ugly he would rather have the truth told to his face, now had to live that truth and it was painful to watch. I froze when Zach started to leave and my heart broke for both of them.

Kendall showed unusual strength and total commitment to her husband and their marriage. She was not ready to give up without proving to him that what happened with Aiden was a moment of despair, nothing more and that she will regret it for the rest of her life. Taking Zach to the cabin of her worst nightmare was a painful desperate act of a woman fighting to save her family. I loved it when she challenged him on his resistance to enter the cabin as negating his desire to face the truth no matter how ugly.

There was some riveting dialog between them. Kendall tearfully telling Zach that she will let him go if he wants to end their marriage. Zach telling her that she has given him more than anyone ever has. Then the final moment as he reaches out for her hand and says “Let’s go home”. It is a scene that is so hard to describe in words, because it’s emotional beauty is in the performance of these two amazing actors.

I agree with Jules that there is a gaping hole in the question of what did Zach know and when did he know it and was he testing Kendall when he had Aiden guard her in LA.
I’m going to leave that one alone, because I didn’t find today’s writing to have clarified that at all.

I would like to note that the writers have changed Aiden’s position in the ONS. I believe that they are trying to correct the crap that the interim scabs wrote during the past few months of implying that it was more of an affair than “grief sex”. Today Aiden finally took some responsibility for what happened and Kendall was allowed to explain to Zach quite accurately what we saw on 12/19. However, I would have preferred that they had given the flashback when Aiden broke Kendall down and convinced her that Zach was dead.

[SIZE=1][COLOR=purple]GREAT analysis so far ladies.......the scene that got me, was Kendall telling Zach, that if he wanted out, she wouldn't fight it, but, that she wanted to........beautifully acted by AM.....and when she was about to collapse from the pain, I got misty eyed........yes, today, the writing and editing did not support some of the story being told...I feel like somethings were left out, or conversations happening off screen........


I appreciated Aidumb, taking some responsibility, but, am still failing in seeing remorse......and I think Tad, is also having trouble seeing remorse or guilt from Aidumb, or dare I hope, he finds what Aidumb did just as disgusting as I do..........

....and Diva, I am so glad that they did not run those freaking flashbacks......they get on my nerves as much as the constant talking about them did before the reveal.......

Today was another WOW day. So where do I start. I actually thought today showed how very strong Kendall is. I know she thinks of herself as weak but it takes a lot of courage to say what she did today and, to be honest, I think she is stronger than Zach. Not that Zach isn't a strong and powerful force because he is but when it comes to Kendall he is definitely not.

I said a while ago that when this came out this would be like when Zach cleansed his soul to Kendall after the Madden mess and this time it was Kendall's turn but in both instances Kendall is the one who made it happen. Kendall pushed and pushed and pushed until Zach finally opened up to her and today Kendall pushed and pushed and pushed until Zach heard EVERYTHING that happened. When they arrived at that cabin you could see the fear in Zach. He was afraid to hear the whole story much like he was afraid to tell Kendall his whole story. Kendall knows Zach and she knew that if she just dropped it they would never move on so she had to save her marriage. That's also what she told him when she made him open up to her about his dark past. Kendall was also the strong one when dealing with Alex Sr. When Zach was on his knees Kendall gave him the words he needed to find his strength. This is what I love about her. Unlike GB she takes responsibility and she does not blame everyone around her. She could have very easily pushed the whole blame on Aidass (I know I do) but she didn't. She owned up to what she did just like she did in court and this is why she is so much better than GB will ever be. He saves her all the time and she saves him right back. Total equals.

I was absolutely stunned that the writers had Aidass admit what he did to Kendall (I still can't believe it) but you and I know, coward that he is, he will never come clean until someone beats it out of him (can you say Zach).

I am totally spoiled by the past two days and only hope it continues.

MinKayefan, I was not referring to the flashbacks we were getting during the past few months. I was sick and tired of them as well. I meant the scene where Kendall is beating Aiden with her fists and crying out for Zach.

Zendall - Could they get any better? TK and AM are absolutely stunning. I can't praise them enough. They just killed me today.

Zach wanting the truth so badly for so long, and then not wanting it when he got it, and Kendall wanting to tell the truth so badly for so long, and then not wanting to tell it when she had to . . . just so painful, so real. This is really the first time a big issue has come between them and Kendall has been in the position of secret-keeper and Zach in the position of forgiveness (MGB, MMM, etc. were all the other way around). I thought today's scenes were amazing. I was so proud of Kendall today as she didn't back down, took responsibility, and told Zach she would understand if he wanted out of their marriage--it must have killed her to do it, but there was no wavering, there were no excuses, and no histrionics. Zach's forgiveness--or his willingness to keep working at it--was incredible. His ability to see past the moment, to see what really matters, has always been one of his most phenomenal qualities. I hope things continue to get better for them!

Zach should remember, though, that he's been shutting Kendall out too--keeping everything about the hole and the post-hole Hannah stuff a secret, and has discussed how it's okay to keep secrets to protect the person you love as well. And Kendall really needs to rebuild her trust in herself so that she's capable of confiding in him. I'm bothered by the fact that she never told him about the near-rape in LA. I don't know what to make of that--just another dropped plot point, or another opportunity for trouble in the Slaters' marriage? I also wondered about her telling him that it was when she was scrambling for her clothes that she found the bomb shelter plans. . . .

Tad/Aidone - Wow. I was shocked--shocked, stunned, and really, really, really grateful--that Aidone told the truth about what actually happened. I'm so glad that the person he told was Tad, and that Tad wasn't wearing his hypocrite pants today. If there's anyone who should understand sleeping with someone under inappropriate circumstances and with a messed up state of mind. . . . I really liked Tad today, and Aidone almost took a step out of DeadToMeVille--almost. I'm so glad the writers are having the truth come out like this. (Who would have ever thought that I'd ever say a thing like that?!)

DFS1/DFS2/Ryass - UGH. You all know why. I just hate all of them right now.

Jesse/Angie/Frankie/Creepy Uncle Rob - Bored with the Hubbards. Going back and forth from being the uber-horny to being the uber-shrieky is getting really, really, really old. Creepy Uncle Rob is soooooo freaky, and I can't stand him. I just shudder every time he speaks.

GO TEAM SLATER!!!

I have just rewatched the clips and I am still amazed at these two actors - wow I'm breathless again from watching their magic.