Soaplovers

Robin Wright auditioned for Jade originally before getting Kelly...maybe she wouldn't have been so bored if she'd played Jade..who was more spirited. And I always thought Melissa Reeves should have been Laken instead. I did watch some episodes with Susan Marie Snyder as Laken..and she wasn't bad. The writing was the issue there...she could play vulnerable and rebellious...but it seemed like each episode had a different Laken in it. No consistency..imho.

When Dylan parachuted into Santa Barbara, he met Julia..while the two bantered and had chemistry before he became obsessed with Kelly. It's odd that Julia's intended pairings with Jack, David and Pearl didn't pan out...yet the random scenes she had with Brick, Dylan, and Mason had chemistry. Glad the show opted to go with Julia and Mason. Kelly was Santa Barbara's answer to Cricket Blair..or Lily Walsh..where all men wanted her. Of the brief characters that came and went...I thought Courtney had potential...and I liked Heather Donnelly (god knows the show needed a therapist). And of the dreaded Pam Long era...Lisa was a promising vixen and could have lasted long term had the show continued.

Julia was slated to be with Pearl as end game...they had scenes in early 1986 where they bantered a bit. Oddly, she and Brick also had chemistry as well.

I viewed the stripper part as a way for her to put the trauma out of her mind. To take back control after what had happened to her. Wasn't Casey originally stalked by Edward before he fixated on Nikki? Was that always the plan, or did the actress playing Casey opt to leave so the focus went to Nikki? And I think I read a synopsis where it sounded like Casey was moving to get away from Edward...he spies her packing, sees Nikki helping her and refocuses his obsession on her.

The one thing Pamela Long did as head writer was the Sophia/Ken thing. Sophia was always about her looks and being desired...so it would make sense she was taken with Ken. And the actor playing Ken had a sincere vibe so you could buy Sophia being drawn to him. It was one of the storkes during Long's 10 month stint that worked. I also thought the Angela/CC/Ted story had potential. It played up on CC's weak spot..being hurt by the women he dated/loved cheating on him (Sophia and Gina in the past)...and CC/Ted always had an undefined relationship...so having Ted be the one to hurt him (who he least expected) could have been played out. I think the cancellation of the show cut it short...by throwing Ted in Lily's orbit, while Angela/CC were in a holding pattern till the Sophia/Ken story wrapped.

So some people believe that the writing for Donna went downhill in 1986..in the last months of AS stint and remained when Philece played the part. However, I don't totally agree. Donna came in 1983 as a cold, controlled snob where appearance was everything. Given how happiness was robbed of her as a teen, it made sense she was like that. 'Little sister' Marley coming home in 1984 was the first dent in Donna's armor. This was her daughter, but had to view and interact with her as a sister. Having Marley in boarding school allowed Donna to repress things...but having her in Bay City would make that hard. Than Vicky comes along in 1985..who Donna had no idea about. Causes internal issues for Donna..leading her to realize she has 2 daughters, not one. Then Michael comes back in 1986..but both are different people from when they were teens..but agree to start again. So Donna's icy exterior is starting to melt because she has her daughters and her 1st love back in her life. However, her dad Reginald appears again...the one who sent Michael away and took away her babies. So she loses it because she never dealt with what her dad did..and since he 'passed', she figured she was free of him. Not so...and she loses her mind literally. And lastly Donna becomes pregnant with Michael again...her 2nd chance...but her father also takes her baby away by being the cause of her miscarriage. Had someone like Harding Lemay been writing long term, he would have had a field day with Donna and Marley. However, most writers viewed Vicky as the easier character to write...and Marley as a throwaway. Marley had more to play to..imho.

I thought Tonio hit his head during the struggle with Duncan in 1993/4 and died.

I don't think Ana would want to be full time since her home base is in Florida, and from what I read, there is a mandate to return to the studio come fall. That's the theory as to why Meghan opted to leave since she seems settled in Washington D.C and probably didn't want to return to NYC. Haines has 3 small kids... none of which are eligible for the vaccine.. so I can see why she probably wouldn't want to go back into the studio again. Debbi was in her early 20s when she was on originally.. and was kind of ditz. However, time and wisdom have probably matured her.. and Home & Family seems like a toxic place (though so is the View LOL).

I do wonder if Dickson would have toned down the acting... because she was told to camp it up by producers.. which went against what Bell wanted. I do think Jill vs Nina would have gone vastly different had Dickson stayed in the part. I don't think Kay/Jill would have teamed up against Nina had Dickson stayed in the part. At the same time, Jill vs Kay changed once Jess Walton took over. Dickson was more controlled/sarcastic in her interactions with Kay.. with Kay acting angry. Once Jess walton took over.. Jill became more intense and likely to get physical.

I actually think the 88 to 90 period was not only well balanced, but had a sense of fun and whimsy along with the kitchen sink mentality NC spoke of. I was a kid during the Adam Malick period...and my mom knew it was Roger the whole time..but went along for the ride because only Roger would do something like that. So it sounds like Long came up with the Adam Malick angle..which NC didn't care for...but I think it all worked...imho. I think Curlee and Long made a good team..each balancing one another out. While 1991 to 1993 were quality years, there lacked excitement. Everyone seemed too earnest. Nadine lost her original spirit, Holly became too neurotic, Maureen became a tad too judgmental (and she didn't have Chelsea there to occasionally call her out, nor had as much humor as did under Long).

Ashley should learn that she maybe messy...but Candiace will verbally destroy her. Has done it since season 3. Ashley just focus on the babies and your hair...and egg on Robyn. Karen/Gizelle has always fascinated me. I think both hold some affection for one another...it's why they needle one another. Karen/Gizelle...and Luann/Ramona are the frienimies (sp?) we needed in our lives. NY Leah can have a seat with lecturing anyone. Anyone that uses the elite to get their kid into a private school needs to sit down.

And she was also in a horror movies movie Sleepaway Camp 2..named Mare. I was hoping she'd come do these reunions. Carly always felt second rate to Julie..imho

I kind of think both Eboni and Bershan find Ramona to be fascinating, frustrating, and harmless. God knows I've found her to be someone I'd love to observe and also go inside her mind.

New York: Leah keeps projecting with her insults. She's a Karen that is hostile, judgmental, tattles on everyone, and jumps to conclusions. She's what is wrong with people nowadays...same with her stick up her butt sidekick Eboni.

I say fire Michelle Stafford (who doesn't come cheap and has been a huge fail since her return).. and use that money for Mishal and other performers with spark/potential.

Philece being too young to play a mom to Vicky and Marley never held water with me since Donna was 15 when she had the twins. What others said before, her Donna was more emotional, and in trying to make Donna comedic..made her seem like a ditz. Anna's Donna was more regal, snobbish, and kept her emotions in check. After all, she had to remove her all emotions when dealing with Marley. And I often think Harding Lemay would have had a field day writing for Marley because of her backstory. Anyway, in the last few months of Philece playing Donna..she acted more like Donna..but not quite. And I agree with others that Nicole love would have been perfect for Philece. Nicole was always more prone to emotion, being her own worst enemy. Similar to Renee from Days.

I guess since Rinna isn't stirring the pot...yet....that she is hosting an event as her way to contribute

I remember after that first stint, McTavish went to helm Guiding Light, and everyone was excited to see what magic she would do on that show.. only for the show to suffer under her pen. That showed how apparent it was that she needed a strong writing staff to make her ideas work, or to make them fit the character vs making the character fit the idea.

@FrenchBug82she explains what happened in this interview in 2016 (1st in person interview in years)

I actually kind of liked her as Donna..once the show wrote Donna like Donna..she played the part well. However, Renee was her signature role...and from what my late mom told me... Renee vs Julie was as epic as renee vs Anna in those golden years of Days.

I'd keep Eboni for another season, I see some hints of someone that has a fun side. Leah, on the other hand, had such misguided reads on people. Calling Heather a Karen (yet she's one herself)..and next weeks preview with her saying Ramona is what's wrong with the world (um...think she means herself). Ramona has her faults...but she's honest to a fault..and quirky. Leah and Eboni have fallen in line with praising Ramona off season..because they know she isn't going anywhere unless she opts to do leave. She's the OG of NY.

I do recall Kathleen and Grant being tested, and I did like how she served as her cousin Jake's conscience during her 1991 return. At least she was allowed to leave with her dignity, even teasing her meeting a guy on the plane.

Bershan needed to hold that apple...she seems fun. She and Ramona would make a fun duo. Eboni and Ramona conversation...i get where both are coming from.

https://news.yahoo.com/map-shows-many-people-had-175902942.html I bet a lot of people had Covid in those early months without either realizing it, or unable to get a test because they weren't at deaths door. If you recall, it was difficult to get a test for weeks/months unless you had severe symptoms. With that said, there might be a small portion of the US population with some natural immunity... but what I've read about variants (especially the Delta variant) is that natural immunity effiacy is knocked down quite a bit (not as drastic as what happens with a 1st dose of pfizer though).

Marisa always seemed like she was embarrassed by how bad she was on the show, not about doing the show. Plus, she and Julianne have kept in contact to some degree. Meg Ryan did talk about ATWT some in the 80s and 90s... describing her experience auditioning.. and how she viewed Betsy as the most gullible character known to man LOL And she did talk about Paul Schaeffer (of Letterman) and how he was in the band playing during her wedding to Craig. And Robin Wright in recent years has talked about how the technical aspects of soaps trained well (i.e. blocking, pacing, going by instinct when acting since it was only 1 take, and memorization). I wish I could find the episode where Chelsea handler was fan-girling Robin Wright based on being on Santa Barbara (even calling Santa Barbara to find Kelly Capwell in real life).