She did flip flop a bit. Just the same way a person with a missing loved one flip flops between hope and despair. I don't find it that unusual.
Not at all. I'm sure her first reaction was that MR had done something to him, harmed him in some way. And then when she had all of her friends and family around her helping to support her, they pointed out that he had taken the boys and kept them hidden in the past so they gave her some real hope that this could be the situation now.
I think most, if not all of that hope was lost during the Dr Phil taping.
MOO