Soaplovers

Oddly...I thought Dixie during the brief online run was written as a 3D character... the first time in several years. She showcased her compassionate side, her sarcastic side, her ability to forgive and her judgmental side. It was the best shed been written since the 90s..imho.

It does seem like after the first two years...the show just focused on a small number if characters...with other characters only lasting 1 to 2 years. In some cases, like with the character of Amy...the actress chose to leave and the show wisely didn't recast...but I didn't get why the show spent a good year building up a new family for Lional (wife and two step daughters) only to write them all off after a year or so. The show banked too much on the Capwells...but once they were recast or left...the family was basically non existent by 1992...so I don't blame Pam Long for what she did..cause the structure was gone...and I did think the Walker family was a good idea. With that said, you had the perfect Santana in Ava...yet she only lasts a few months. Color me confused..because she had chemistry with Cruz..and good antagonistic vibes with Eden...so the whole cruz/Santana marriage to regain Brandon..would have been even better with Ava in the role. Plus her opposite robin mattson...would have been awesome. Oh well

If I were watching Santa Barbara when the Gina recast happeed...it would have been jarring...since RM didn't have the essence or resemblance to LG. Over time, Gina became less crazy and more comedic. The santana recast was more seamless..at least from #2 to #3. Gina G doesn't seem weak willed or clingy in the first episode...when did Santana veer in that direction?

Melbourne needed a little house cleaning...there were too many (8 is excessive). Chyna opted to go and I can't blame her especially with her businesses being at stake if more slanderous stuff got out...pettifleur had no redeeming qualities and shouldn't have been asked back for season 3...and Susie seemed too ordinary Since Chyka is gone...they need a more level headed housewife to come on...someone warm and logical..with a nice family life and business..but not afraid to stand her ground. If Tamra hasn't gotten her just desserts by season 12...I doubt she ever will sadly. Heather got raked over the coals more in season 9 then Tamra did...and Heather and Shannon got more flack in season 11 then Tamra..which was odd. I'm curious to see the season 12 line up...will Lydia make the cut as a main housewife? I know Tamra said in season 8 that she wouldn't want to cross her...which intrigued me.

Funny you mention clarissa... I remember in 2003 or 2004...Ross and Holly had a conversation about the kids...and Ross remarked that Clarissa was very spirited for a child..and a handful for blake/ross...but that Holly was great with her...and Holly said in her dead pan way..that she and Clarissa had an understanding. So the show looked to be hinting that Holly would be the buffer between Blake/Ross and a spirited Clarissa.

I forgot about Craig taking Kelly hostage when Eileen played her. I found a clip of that...and it didn't work cause eileen was too strong willed to truly be a damsel in distress. Plus...Eileen was so wrong for the part of Kelly. I noticed when Pam Long wrote kelly...that damsel in distress thing went from Kelly to BJ. Which made more sense..imho. I do wonder how Pam Long would have written for Flame...the Dobsons didn't know quite how to write for her...and I think Flame was unique in a way that Pam Long could have handled..imho

Ironically...Kelly stopped being the damsel in distress when Robin Wright left the show. Ironic considering how so not a damsel in distress her House of Cards character is.

Gloria....an interesting character right up till 1995 before the show seemed unable to figure out what to do with her...she briefly was in the Dr. Kinder story as his assistant...briefly flirted with jack...then tried to be Tad's quirky girlfriend before becoming Dimitri's stepford wife. Ironically..the last few weeks of her stint..she was more like the Gloria of 1991 to 1995...instantly figuring Ryan as a con artist...before opting to move to sunny California. I liked Dixie's hair in the online version of AMC the best.

Watching the early episodes...Kelly is so the damsel in distress...with Eden the confident dare devil. It's a shame once eden/Cruz got popular.... that Eden took over the damsel in distress role.

Kings crossing seemed more sunny and bright (based on promos)..yet from what I read..it looked like some good old fashion Peyton Place activities were going on.

Can we get in writing that Rinna will never speak of Kim again?

I believe Carolyn Colliton was his co headwriter during the 1st year or so of his stint...which might by why the 1st year wasn't too bad of his stint.

The Dobsons in their second round side create Angela Raymond...but I didn't like that they made Mason/CC tread water in their relationship or that Mason suddenly didn't like Sophia again. Katrina was written a bit better under Pam Long..but by then..the character was beyond saving.

Heck Cohen has wanted Eddie to be gay...and you can bet Cohen spotted it right away...and just let it go in order to build to when it is revealed their a bearded couple lol Season 11 hinted at it. Maybe season 12 will out Tamra with vicki responsible...then maybe the two will go away. Time to clean house on that show

I liked the episode where Jenna went to visit vanessa, alex, Holly, Harley and finally Buzz. It was a great good bye episode. I did love in that episode where India said she wished she'd known Jenna better...with Alex saying they'd have a lot to talk about... And I do agree once Jenna married Buzz...she lost what made her unique and memorable. She was the 90s version of India/Helena...yet was her own person so she wasn't a carbon copy.

I liked how frank and outspoken JC was about her departure. Based on the summaries I read in late 1975/6...Willis was pursuing Alice and she kind of fell for it...but within a year...the story shifted..and she then started interacting with Ray and his mother due to Sally...with Rachel thinking that Sally should go back to the grandmother. I imagine how JC would have played the mid to late 70s material...I think she and Rachel would have remained hostile though civil with one another..but I think Alice wouldn't have lost her importance to the show had JC remained. And JC obviously won because she ended up on OLTL for about 8 years..and did quite well playing a character not quite like Alice.

I was surprised it took Julia/Mason so long before they became a couple. I always wondered if when julia asked Mason to be the father of her baby...that the writers intended for them to become a couple...or, like eden/Cruz, they had such chemistry that the story shifted to them as end game.

Buzz coming on (thus leading to Maureen death since money was needed to hire Justin Deas) was the start of the demise of the show. He basically isolated Nadine and later Jenna from the rest of the canvas in so many ways. Pre buzz...Nadine had connections such as an odd couple friendship with Holly, rival in Vanessa...dated Ross, Alan, and was married to Billy...so she had connections to not only the Coopers...but to the Spauldings and Lewis clans...so I was confused why the show had trouble finding story for Nadine (the reason she left). Jenna had ties to the Spauldings, Thorpe, and to the Chamberlains...but once she married Buzz...she was isolated in a lot of ways...

I do recall one scene during the 25th anniversary where Sharpene was telling Donna and Michael that she was as surprised at them about Gwen..that she isno acting like the Gwen she remembered....so I think even the writers knew this wasn't really Gwen...which adds more credibility to the rumor that she was a last minute addition.

Can I say that I thought both kim and Rinna were in the wrong. Kim should have given the present back off camera....she just did it to stick it to rinna...which tells me she isn't truly recovering at all. I did think her reasons were valid though..just think off camera would have been better. Rinna needs to move on...I thought kim being demoted would cancel out a long running feud...but maybe Rinna needs to go.

My theory on julia being killed was because the show probably thought Julia and Marley were interchangable...and since the show by 1984 preferred the loves over the Matthews..they figured offing Julia wouldn't damage the showorld long term. My only thoughts on Sally and Zane were to showcase the tragic nature's of both Felicia and Caitlin...which really serves to undercut both characters especially Sally. Even though Sally was recast a lot...I thought both jennifer Runyon and Mary Page Keller each made Sally their own..and both were quite popular as the character.

One Thing I wish the show had done was bring back India for a visit again before the show ended...with Philip back from the dead...beth/Alan having a child together....imagine the sarcasm coming from India. She and Philip had a fun banter...and man could she get under Beth's skin lol

Out of all the deaths on SB...this ranks as the most memorable.

Even though Alice wasn't used well during her year long return, you have to admit she gave it her all. It was like the show was trying to find a place for her during her first months...even testing a Donna/Alice rivalry as well as being a mentor of sorts to thomasina. I liked that the show didn't resort to Alice/Rachel fighting over a man....but as a doctor...you'd think she'd be in the thick of things. I think maybe 1984 was the wrong time to bring her back...I think the late 80s would have been better... the show had some stablity...and Donna S wrote her quite well during her 2 brief visits in 1989.

Not only did it kill off a viable veteran..it also wrote a complicated character into a corner.