OLTL: Evangeline Spoiler

[jjjg]

I love what TSJ has done with Todd. I do not want RH back.

[David_Vickers]

That's absolutely sick IMHO. There's no way in hell I want to see the woman Todd and others gang-raped to "hook up". NO F'ing way!

I agree. I thought it was reported that Trevor St. John has agreed to a new contract. I guess that report was wrong?

[ZaraB]

From that Carolyn Hinsey article (take it for what it si), it sounds like TSJ and TPTB had an agreement, but then REG's contract hit snags and TSJ decided to ask for more as well.

I find it incredible that I actually have sympathy with ABC on this side (not complete). TPTB have created this situation by the Micheal Easton precedent, and the very unbalanced airtime/priority/episodes. However, I don't doubt revenues are shrinking with the household numbers and demographics. After watching them let DG go most likely for ME's pay raise, I am far from eager to see THAT repeated.

We don't have a clue what their salaries are or what they have asked for, but I'd guess they are making comfortable money. Do they deserve a raise? Probably. Some time off for other endeavors -- these really can be PR for the show. On the other side, after years of the 'accommodations' for RH and the contract negotiations playing onscreen, I would love to see them able to tell ONE STORY from start to finish (of course ABC doesn't do that ANYWAY.) Even that there had been a tentative agreement makes me question this tactic. When Phil Carey can't even get a modified one-year contract, I wonder what is going on. And I start to think ME SHOULD have walked like he claimed was his intent.

[Pilar]

I can't stand this sniveling wimp Podd. Either kill him off, or bring back Roger Howarth's Todd. TJS and REG aren't worth the hassle. They haven't done enough time to ask for the stars and then the moon, imo.

Todd's an animal and this sappy version of Todd has ruined the character.

[CRPEMKE]

I actually like Nu-Marty much better but do not want to see her and Todd hook up ever. Doesn't matter who is playing Todd, just won't fly for me.

[David_Vickers]

Trevor St. John's Todd is not sniveling nor a wimp or nor a pod. He's just as good as Roger Howarth, if not BETTER.

[dragonflies]

LOL he's not? All he does is whine. REAL Todd is not a whiner Not!Todd is

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

Todd is a Fictional character as written By Dena Higley. Just because he isn't acting like he was, as written by Malone, it doesn't mean he is not Todd.

[Vee]

Works for me.

She is a mediocre actress with a lovely singing voice whose constant frontburnering means costing better black actors of screentime. And before you say "there's room for all of them," I totally agree in theory that that's absolutely correct and it's disgusting that that's not the case, but it isn't - on ABC Daytime, there's only room for a select few, and we all know that. Evangeline is OLTL's only real concession to a black lead; they seem to think she covers all the bases. Except she doesn't, and she blows. Van can get a taste of what Nora did when Van took over her entire role on the show. Friends my ass, their relationship never made sense.

As for Todd, oh baby that is a whole other kettle of fish. I supported the recast wholeheartedly. I admired his candor about not just being slavishly subservient to the memory of Roger Howarth, and I believed in him for feeling that way - I feel the same way, it's a recast, take it on and do it. The magazines acted like he should go put flowers by the man's nonexistent grave. But I was fed up at that point. I thought TSJ did a great job in his first two or three years of bringing back things to Todd that Roger Howarth had long since stopped playing, like, oh, emotion, intellect, passion for the people around him. These things are the essence of Todd. Todd was smart, Todd could be sexual, Todd could articulate his feelings. Claire Labine is a brilliant writer and [sITE NAME NOT ALLOWED] who daytime has treated like [!@#$%^&*], but she was wrong about that. Todd had no problem wrapping Rebecca around his finger or facing down Llanview high society back in the good old days, and neither did the Todd recast in the first few years. I had given up on Roger giving a real performance again somewhere around summer 2002 and had given up on making excuses to myself for his nonsense, but then of course, when Malone came back, he woke up a little and gave a handful of his best performances in like five years (especially when he learned Mitch raped Viki) , but it seems he couldn't work for Malone, so he left out the back door. And while I think RH is laughably miscast in a role not his speed on ATWT, and the audience has borne that out - they were not interested in Paul the dark prince as he and Todd are not interchangeable - and I find it to be a bit of karmic justice (especially this "psychic Pied Piper" thing) , I really don't think he minds it that much. Why? Because I think he's just happy not to be playing a rapist that women still love, and I think he enjoys just being a standard male soap lead. And that's fine, man, as long as you do it off my show and stop wasting everyone's time tanking Todd. Which he did, so I'm happy for him in that respect.

On the other hand, TSJ has now caught some of the same bug. He seems to want to be playing Paul Ryan too, the real Paul Ryan, the lovesick, somewhat conflicted, sensitive young man, or Jack Snyder, or Holden, or whoever. He's been tanking it like he's Roger Howarth and it's the dead baby story for like a year and a half. All the edge and bite he gave the role early on with his unpredictability has now been turned towards a lot of stupid bullshit that is just not amusing at all and not nearly as funny as he thinks it is. I get it, you want better story for Todd, we all want better story for Todd. This ain't it, Evangeline ain't it, and Todd isn't Todd anymore, the same way Todd with the Mexican mariachi band fantasies or the horseshoe crabs or the nun's habits wasn't Todd. He's just this bland soap guy. TSJ said before he enjoyed playing this monstrous man in all his glory, so why not keep playing it? What's changed? He and Dan Gauthier carried the day in the mostly awful Summer of Ace a few years ago as the two sides of the same coin, they were spellbinding together. People actually said Todd was "too cruel" to Kevin about his child's death. Christ, does that seem like a long time ago.

I have plenty of issues still simmering with old Roger, and I'm starting to have serious issues with Trevor St. John. I would rather see Trevor stop acting a fool and go back to what he's good at, ideally with new writers. Failing that, Roger could only come back if he ate some serious crow and agreed to attempt, you know, acting again. He might want to watch his old tapes. Oh, and no outs, son, you know you ain't getting any more work.

/rant

[greekgoddess]

I adore Renee Goldsberry. She is the only reason I watch OLTL. Tangeline and JoVan are my two favorite couples, so if she leaves, I will bolt also.

I part of me believes that ABC wants to get rid of her because from what I"ve read, they aren't even considering a counter offer for her. Either their way or NO DEAL.

[greekgoddess]

SOC is reporting that TSJ has just inked a new contract. But, REG is at an impasse.

[dragonflies]

If they give TSJ or REG the "moon and stars" I'm going to be PISSED! They haven't been on the show long enough to even warrant that

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

Well this is just my take on what you said. I dont think, it really has anything to do with longevity, well no in this case. Any actor can ask for the moon and the stars, and they will either get it or not. TSJ has carried this show, and in my opinion, hes deserves the moon and stars much more than Michael Easton. TSJ is the reason that the show is being Nominated for Best Drama Series, at the Emmy's. REG has done some great work too, but I dont think she deserves the moon and the stars as much as TSJ. Sure he's been there for about 4 years, but he's carried that show more in 4 years, than say Kassie Depaiva has in like 12. If he is asking, I think he deserves it.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

I think you mean Higley is the biggest Candyass in daytime. When Malone was writing, Todd was Todd. Every Writer has their own vision of certain characters. Higley's was a softer Todd.

[Pilar]

No need to interpret my opinion. DH has destroyed and sugarcoated the character of Todd into a weak imitation and I find him spineless, weepy and weak-minded in other words a sniveling wimp.