OLTL: The OPP Story - My Idea

[leevo64]

I know we're all happy to see the OPP over and done with, and I know everyone is just glad that another Higley story is now safely secured in the "never talk about again" file in the OLTL history offices, but can we just take a minute to think about how the story COULD have gone? Here's my take for what could have turned this clunker into a much better story for the show:

The story would start out exactly the same - Tate Harmon comes to Llanview, romances Adriana, ticks off Rex, acts suspicious. Layla thinks he's a great guy, too - Vincent's a little suspicious. After Nora's house is burnt down, though, a familiar face returns to Llanview: the biracial, Jewish Rachel Gannon. Now a hotshot defense attorney, Rachel mingles with the fair town of Llanview, getting to know everybody including striking up a friendship with Tate. Meanwhile, the arsonist continues to haunt Llanview and does everything that was in the original story, right down to the near-murder of Evangeline Williamson. However, Evangeline doesn't initially go into the coma - she's alive but weak. She also happened to see the arsonist - Tate. She whispers Tate's name to Layla just as she codes and goes into a coma. Layla, shocked but suspicious, goes to Tate. When she tells him that she knows the truth, he knocks her out, makes it look like she took some drugs and sets fire to her apartment. He runs, but messily leaves some DNA evidence for the police to find.

From here, things change ridiculously from the original story and snowball into an umbrella story involving much of Llanview. Layla is saved, and remembers everything. Tate is arrested; Kirk Harmon comes to town. Llanview becomes split on the situation: would the famous Tate Harmon, a wonderful role model sports star do these HORRIBLE things? Nora isn't sure, but she doesn't want her kids anywhere near the situation. Tate professes his innocence: "I don't hate anyone!" Rex, Layla, Vincent, Talia, Bo, Christian and John all believe he's guilty. Adriana, Kirk, and the sympathetic Llanview crowd believes he's innocent. After all, Layla was on drugs that night (courtesy of Tate) and mourning her sister's coma. Who better to accuse than someone like Tate, who would attract attention to the arson case? However, there IS DNA evidence around the crime scene. Tate does need a lawyer.

Enter Rachel Gannon.

Much to her mother's chagrin, Rachel decides to defend Tate. After buying his convincing story of innocence, she takes on his case and makes it quite compelling. The story begins to unfold eerily like the gang rape story involving Marty during the 1990s. Marty and Nora have a heart-to-heart; Starr and Todd have a discussion on morality; Matthew is torn between siding with his mother and his big sister; Rachel begins to see the tears in Tate's story. Finally, right before she is about to give her closing statement, she overhears a conversation between Tate and Kirk that incriminates Tate, proving that he was indeed the arsonist. Rachel ends up delivering a vicious, emotionally charged speech to the jury that destroys Tate and her career, much like Nora's in the 90s. Sadly, a mistrial is declared. Tate is free to walk the streets and smirks at all those who knew the truth. Suddenly, a shot is fired; Tate falls to the ground dead, shot at the hands of his ashamed and horrified father, Kirk. Kirk is arrested, albeit gently by the police, and Llanview is free to heal. Rachel Gannon is now a major character on the show, and positioned to be a fixture in Llanview for some time to come.

It's not perfect, but after today's eye-roller of a trial I just thought of all the melodramatic trials of OLTL past.

[Ryan]

Bravo Leevo....I think your version would have played out better....especially if you did a better job of masking Tate as the arsonist than Higley's regime did.

[TC]

Very good Leevo. Too bad this PTB regime would rather eat broken glass than bring back viable, historic characters like Rachel Gannon.

[mr. sweet]

That sounds really good. Though I missed how most of the OPP storyline unfolding. From what I've been told, the vesrsion on TV did not sound good.

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

Yeah, it sucked.

[EricMontreal22]

I love it actually!

Yah what a waste of good actors and some good ideas (I'll admit it) in the way it played on tv. Hideous--especially when we got characters just making NO sense (ie Tate persues Adriana for MONTHS and we see not one inch of him not being all over her and suddenly we see him flinchign adn grimacing everythign he "has" to kiss her)

[TC]

Eric, I have to ask, who is that person in your avatar? He's cute but looks so glum and sad. Is it you?

[EricMontreal22]

HAHA it is. I tend to be a bit morose it was taken with a webcam last Spring at like 3am after being up all day/nigth studying for a final lol--my brother's old webcam no less. only online pic I have currently

E

[TC]

You've got that sad puppy dog look; the kind that breaks hearts.

[EricMontreal22]

Maybe that's the idea Thanks!