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Two ATWT Romances Have Fans Talking Monday, May 12 2008

May/December romances are nothing new in the land of soaps, but in nearly every case, it is older man/younger woman. Two budding Oakdale romances certainly have fans buzzing. Is it the age difference alone or are these two pairing simply too much of a stretch? Several As The World Turns fans have weighed in on their opinions about the Sofie/Paul, Emily/Casey pairings.

Sofie began hanging around Paul soon after she finally gave up custody of baby Hallie. He offered friendship but from the beginning, several of us thought Sofie wanted more than a friend to talk to. When Aaron realized the same thing and told her to get lost, Sofie made a beeline for Paul, finally making her move to seduce him! And then, late last week, Casey - who has been working with Emily for a couple of weeks - made an overture toward her by telling her not to think of him as a kid any longer. Are these two romances doomed from the start? Or is there potential for a new Oakdale Super-Couple in the mix?

We'll begin with the Sofie/Paul pairing.

Now, so far, Sofie seems to be the character who is really into the relationship. Paul has repeatedly told her that he loves Meg. Sofie, however, won't accept that and keeps telling Paul that she has enough love in her heart for both of them. Some fans think they know why. Paul is very secure financially while Sofie is not. Paul is mature (in his late 30s/early 40s) while Sofie is not (she's early 20-something). Paul has big shoulders to cry on - and crying is something Sofie does a lot of. Here are a few comments from the Soaps.com message boards.

ErleeBird wrote, "Boggles my mind! Who does Sophie really want? She throws herself at Paul, Chris, Aaron at any opportune moment. I think she wants someone to sponge off!"

"I watch ATWT daily," wrote OhLovey. "I must have missed it, when did Sofie fall in love with Paul? She was just out with Aaron, Ali and Chris! Tell you the truth, at this point I'd rather have Paul with Sofie than with Meg."

Briar_Rose wrote, "I like Sofie and this pairing."

Covergirl wrote, "Sofie and Paul were so disgusting today! Paul told Sofie it was a mistake about the kiss and he also said he didn't love her. It was clear to me today he used her and she let him. What a stupid girl!"

SamuraiJediSentinelL, "I've always liked Roger Howarth's version of Paul. Not sure why the brass is creating POFIE, but I'll take a wait and see approach."

What seems to bother most fans, though, are the similarities between Paul and Cole, Sofie's ex. Both men are obviously using her and she is letting them. Fans what to know - where is the character growth for this girl? Why is she ready to toss her wants and needs out the window for a man?

The next pairing that has fans talking is the Emily/Casey match. Besides the age difference, which seems to be a theme with the writers' latest romantic storylines, some fans are irate that Casey wants to begin an affair with the woman who nearly broke up his parents' marriage! So far, Emily is holding him off, but how long can she withstand Casey's efforts at romance? Here are a few comments from our message boards.

"There are a lot of older women, younger men couples that are good together. Em and Casey have a great chemistry, plus the bonus would be that it would bug the heck out of Margo. Which is great in itself. Margo's husband and her son like Emily. WOW. Now that would be a great story," wrote OhLovey.

Oldturn wrote, "Come on! [Emily] is way old enough to be his mother! And had an affair with his dad! And his uncle Chris. And his uncle Craig. And, and, and..."

"I like the way these two interact. Why does it have to be sexual?," wrote Calliope. "[Why not have] a friendship where they watch each others back and have some adventure doing it. Can't anyone have friends without jumping in the sack on a soap anymore?"

So far Emily is being the mature party in this and she's trying to keep the relationship on a professional level. But, how long will that last? She just exited a romantic relationship with Chris - another younger man. Are the writers turning Emily into a cradle-robber, or are May/December romances simply a hot item?

We don't know exactly where these romances are going, but one thing is for sure: as we roll into the hot summer season, Oakdale is going to heat up our TV screens!

What are your thoughts? What makes a great, hot romance for the soaps? Should more couples begin as friends (like Alison and Chris) or should couples have that immediate zing of attraction (like Carly and Jack)? Drop us a note in the comments section and your answer could make it into one of our future articles!