Van Hansis signs new contract with As the World Turns

There has been a ton of speculation over what is going to happen with Luke and Noah on ATWT now that Noah is getting hitched to Ameera. And a lot of that speculation has centered around whether Nuke was getting dumped from the show altogether due to the controversy. Part of that speculation is fueled by the fact that Van Hansis' contract is about to expire and supposedly hasn't been renewed by the show. Well, good news then — according to a source very close to the show, Van has re-signed with the show and won't be going anywhere.

Jake Silbermann, however, is still a recurring character and will continue as such for now meaning he isn't signed to a contract like Van. But my source says there are no plans at this time for Jake to exit the show either.

I want to again emphasize I've been told repeatedly that Noah isn't going back into the closet and won't suddenly develop romantic feelings for Ameera. But, just as I said w-a-a-y back when Luke came out and again when Noah joined the show, this is a soap opera and the very nature of soaps is conflict. Lovers cheat, get addicted to drugs, are possessed by demons, kidnapped, have fights, etc. And I don't expect Nuke's storyline to be any different.

In fact, I'd be annoyed if they were. My litmus test for how a show treats its gay characters is that it handles them the same way as the others on their show. That means, of course, that ATWT has failed when it comes to matters of Nuke kissing and consummating their relationship — no small thing. But I don't have a problem with Noah marrying Ameera or any of the other complications that will ensue. And I'm told they will ensue and things will get complicated for our guys.

But for those, like me, who think the show has done more things right than wrong, the news that Van is sticking around is great news indeed. Long live Nuke and their problems.