I'm totally ho-hum on the whole Amanda-as-model concept, but one thing I am not lukewarm about is the return of Kate Collins as Amanda's heart-in-the-right-place/everything-else-in-the-wrong-place mama, Janet. I'm delighted every time she comes back to the show not just because I love the fearlessness and zest of her performances but because I love, love, love getting to talk to her, which I got to do recently for her entrance interview. Kate is a real friend to this magazine, never more than an e-mail away when I need something (most recently, a quote for the David Canary tribute piece I wrote), but chatting with her is even better. She left AMC full-time to raise her two boys in Chicago (my own provenance) but lo these many years later, she's still a devoted viewer and intelligent critic of the show. It's always a delight to catch up with to hear what she has to say about the state of the show. Here are some of her recent impressions: "I would love to see Julia [Barr, ex-Brooke] back because I just love watching her work. I'll turn on the TV any day to watch Julia. She really is brilliant and always was. I think having her back made David [Canary, ex-Adam/Stuart] leaving palatable. You think of the two of them off together and go, 'Okay. All right. I can live with this. I can do this.' And the strength of those young people in the Chandler family, JR and Scott, those characters have been so well-developed. They're fantastic."