OLTL: Week of July 29, 2013 Discussion

[EricMontreal22]

TATTOO PEOPLE.

Finally caught up. Again, at this point I don't have too much to add (though I'm a little surprised this thread is still so anemic--the episodes were pretty strong, I thought.) However, a few random comments.

Drunk Clint is *wonderful.* Seriously I loved his line at Shelter something like "Is it a crime to just wanna dance?!?!" ! For a door guy/bouncer, Diego's a bit of a whiner though (although, if I had a bloody mouth the last thing I would want to feel better would be cocaine...)

I really liked the interaction between Jack and Dorian--actually the interaction between Jack and David, and the comparisons between the two, in general. The teacher plot is one I'm still not sure about--climbing in her window? ANd does she live in a baording house or her parents house or something? Cuz it does feel like aside from that bedroom set, she has nothing else there. I do like the dynamic though that Jack's increasing puppy love and openess about this relationship is going to cause issues--and is being played out while his parents are virtually ignoring him (since they're trapped in the Hotel Room of Doom.) Actually that's true of Dani too (and God knows what Sam's up to) while the adults, specifically Todd and Blair and to a lesser degree Tea, are fretting about the safety of their children, they're completely oblivious to the more everyday issues they are falling prey to. I like that element...

But speaking of--this tattoo mystery still is just not really working for me--even knowing they had to rush to film the Todd/Blair stuff. It's the pace, or the fact that nobody seems to notice that Todd and Blair are holed up in their hotel room, or, I dunno *something.* But I really didn't feel as emotional as I would have liked at the latwest card left for Todd--instead my reaction was more "Oh--ANOTHER card from who knows who,? Victor is captured again? And this is how Todd'll leave the show, I guess. *shrug*" It's not that I hate the story--I still find elements intriguing but it's just played out at this level that has left me fairly apathetic. As well as the fact, perhaps, that it seems tonally so different from the rest of the show. I hope it can be salvaged and it doesn't just end with a whimper, however.

Michelle really is crazy. I would have thought she'd at least kinda try, initially, to keep control and act nice to Matthew and his crew, but he's so blinded by her, I guess it doesn't matter.

Love Arturo and Dani (though I was surprised their "love" couch scene had romantic music playing--most soaps would telegraph what I assume is going to happen with at lreast slightly sinister music.)

[DramatistDreamer]

I've watched both episodes but I think I've just been too tired by the day's end to comment much lately. Excruciatingly full days now.

I have been appreciating the fact that the scenes are tighter and even more focused now.

Clint exclaiming 'I want to dance!' was just to much. There is something about the mix between pathos and comedy that I like although I don't want Clint to be Arthur (Dudley Moore) or anything but those scenes where Bo went from brother concern to hauling Clint down to the drunk tank with Vicki and Nora all in the middle of it was priceless.

Has Corbin Bleu had an onscreen kiss before? I wasn't watching the HSM series so I am genuinely curious. He looked like he wanted some more of where Destiny's lips came from I was more interested in that kiss than I thought I would be.

I kind of like the fact that Matthew seems a bit conflicted in his jealously where both Destiny and Dani are concerned. Since they're all relatively young, it works to have a tangle of feelings. Now if they were older characters, I might not have the patience for that but since they're young--it kind of works for me.

There's something about Michelle that has me wondering if she is an escapee from a cult or something. Just a vibe I get. I'm probably way off but there's something intriguing and off putting about her. Hopefully, it'll be fun.

For some reason, I would like to see Dorian and Jack go for that hike. I did enjoy their scenes together. It's nice that Jack is becoming a more nuanced character with different sides to him.

One thing I have to give credit to these new iterations of OLTL and AMC is that we're not seeing things/characters as just one way or just black and white. There are more sides and nuances than I remember seeing toward the end of their respective runs on ABC.

[EricMontreal22]

I agree with you completely about drunk Clint. So far they've managed to play just the right mix of comedy and pathos in his drunkenness. (I actually had a friend in my student days who went through a spell where her drinking and partying were spiraling out of control--which in her case is only kinda funny in hindsight now that she's come out of it ok. But I did run into her once by chance, trying to get into a club and she actually DID scream at the bouncer something similar to "I just want to dance!" and tried to take a swing at him until we got her to come with us--so as over the top as that scene was, it was recognizable for me. Of course, with Clint, for a variety of reasons, the thought of him drunkenly getting down to Shelter's music adds another element.)

"One thing I have to give credit to these new iterations of OLTL and AMC is that we're not seeing things/characters as just one way or just black and white. There are more sides and nuances than I remember seeing toward the end of their respective runs on ABC."

Absolutely. For the most part (and this is true of both shows,) character motivation makes complete sense to me--even when I don't necessarily like it--which often wasn't true in the last years of ABC when I had to work hard to justify a character's action or reaction.) When a character like David, while still keeping his humour (which sometimes I like and sometimes I find grating) actually seems like a *real* human being, you know there's a big change. And I agree that the stuff with the younger set is written very age appropriate, and so, works.

[Cheap21]

Episode 45

I was puzzled why Jack was talking to David and then it hit me that he's married to his grand aunt. Was this the first time he's referred to him as Uncle David? Because I don't recall that before.

Me no like drunk Clint and hate whats become of he and Viki. I did like the words of love he said to her when she closed the door.Oh boy, his old drunk ass tried to go to Shelter. Makes me miss how ABC had various sets so he'd have made his way to the Palace bar or the old Capricorn instead. Oh boy, they plan on holding the Man of the Year Gala at that small set of Shelter?

This Destiny is awful. I thought she was a bit charming at first and I gave her time to improve but its been 3 months and she is a bit cringeworthy to watch trying to act. I wish they'd recast

"Screw you! At least I didn't have to order him off the internet" ZING! I cant stand Michelle

Again, does anyone understand the point of Todd's plan? Over a month ad I still don't get how faking Victor's death solves anything

Episode 46

Michelle, STFU! Why is she speaking? I hope this is leading up to an inevitable catfight with Dani with Dani kicking her ass. She also looks like a bootleg Natalie

Natalie and Cutter

Diego is pretty cute. I want he and Nikki to hook up.

[Winchester91]

Is Shenell available?

[EricMontreal22]

"Again, does anyone understand the point of Todd's plan? Over a month ad I still don't get how faking Victor's death solves anything"

I prob have this wrong, but I think it was because he was ordered to kill Victor. Now that they apparently re-caught Victor, they want Todd to disappear... umm this better be going somewhere.

[Dee41]

I think the show is going to keep her at least till end of the first season (all 110 or however many episodes). I don't think the show is so love with her that they wouldn't fire her if she doesn't show improvement. I do think we're stuck with AT.

[CBRVA83]

THEY ARE NOT TATTOO PEOPLE!!!!

[Antoyne]

Maybe, maybe not.

[~bl~]

I wonder if anyone we know is a tattoo person and we just haven't seen a tattoo.

With the casting, I think they will keep people for the year, does either show have the ability to drop every 13 weeks?

[Cheap21]

[Vee]

I'm afraid they are.

[EricMontreal22]

I believe they actually have more flexibility to drop people than the networks due to how the contracts work (?) But, due to how these shows are filmed in the cycles, etc, I see recasting as much less likely--except between cycles, I suppose. SOD did some random leak a while back that an AMC cast member was let go, but to my knowledge nothing became of it (and it was never clear if it was a lead character, or a recurring, or...)

I'm gonna have nightmares about tattooed people like The Illustrated Man.

I do think, to make the tattoo story move a bit faster, that I hope we find out more about the connection to the Shelter drug/prostitution scene sooner rather than later.

[cher1989]

With the tattoo story, I'd just like to know who's behind it. What is the tattoo organization? What is the tattoo supposed to represent? Are they rogue agents? Let me see them. Why are Todd and Victor targets?

[EricMontreal22]

I kinda agree, I'd like more answers. I actually was more intrigued when it seemed like they were watching the Buckes on those monitors and it wasn't just Todd being super high tech.