Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[FrenchBug82]

I am still pretty early on of my rewatch but the first episode contained both Kelly flying out on the copper "crossing eyesight" with Joe arriving at the bus station which was both kind of COME ON and fine, symbolism, I get it.

But also Perkins remembering Kelly monologuing on how she likes to touch his muscles and that was neither hot nor romantic but pretty cringe.

[j swift]

Also Joe was the janitor at Kelly's high school which is a little sketchy. 

[FrenchBug82]

I am half of mind to start a "soap plot points from the 80s-90s that wouldn't fly today" thread  and yeah, that definitely would make the list.

 

[pdm1974]

I thought Laken #3, Shell Danielson, was quite good, but they struggled writing for her. The struggled writing for all of the Lockridges which I never understood because I thought the family as a whole was quite fun to watch.

[j swift]

Today I re-watched the ep where Kelly pushes Dylan out of the window.  It is a particularly odd story that doesn't age well.  First, Dylan was a threat to Kelly's safety.  Others were aware of the threat, (including her brother-in-law and member of the police, Cruz) so the fact that SB police needed video evidence to believe that Kelly was not a murderer is unbelievable.  Second, it was clearly an accident.  Kelly was 30 lbs lighter than Dylan soaking wet, so there was no way that she could have actually thrown him out of a window.  Third, it all occurred in a well occupied hotel, so the idea that nobody heard or saw anything strains credulity.

 

BTW, between letters falling on nuns and rapists falling out of windows it is a blessing that the Capwell Hotel burnt down before it killed any other cast members.

 

From the French SB website, Page Mosely who played Dylan noted that he was not well liked by Robin Wright, so I guess they needed to write him out quickly.  Also, this story was the excuse for Robin to leave the canvas to film Princess Bride.  Of course, Kelly on the run led to her meeting Jeffrey, Pamela, and lots of other memorable stories.  However, it left a bad taste in my mouth that the SB court system would be willing to be influenced by CC in Brandon's custody trial, but not willing to allow justice for a clear case of self defense. 

Edited May 3, 2021 by j swift

[FrenchBug82]

Was there anyone at SB that Robin Wright DID like at that point?

[Soaplovers]

I don't understand why the show didn't move his character out of Kelly's orbit?

 

I'd forgotten that he first encountered Julia when he showed up.  Not sure why that angle didn't get explored more.

[Wendy]

I think Carrington Garland was a better Kelly Capwell than Robin Wright. Yep! I said it! The Dobsons firing Garland for Eileen Davidson was a huge mistake.

[DRW50]

 

I think Robin was fine, and she was a good physical match for what Kelly would be - she was also a strong dramatic actress, and for however difficult she may have been, she worked well with the other Capwells. But I think there was something very special about Carrington. She lit up the screen and she worked so well with just about everybody. I was just a kid when I first saw her on SB and I was immediately fascinated by her, along with Eden, Sophia, Julia, and Gina. I'm sorry that SB was her last (or one of her last) real roles.

Edited May 4, 2021 by DRW50

[pdm1974]

Huge mistake! CG would have done a much better job filling the hole the MW left.

[Carlos Abad]

I don't care if Robin Wright likes or hates the show. IMO Kelly is a very damaged girl since Joe's death and Robin Wright is so good in the dramatic dark sad stuff like Marcy Walker who is also amazing.

Meanwhile, Carrington Garland is so weak in that sad and tragic scenes. 

You mean better writing? Because in the acting department Robin Wright is so much better than Carrington Garland.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Nomada

[Chris 2]

Robin Wright brought that elusive star quality to the show, something that none of her successors had. Even early on, I knew she was going to go on to have a higher profile career.

 

Carrington Garland was OK. Eileen Davidson was a complete miscast. Kimberly McArthur was alike a bad carbon copy of Robin.

[amybrickwallace]

 

Dane Witherspoon and Robin Wright were both pretty green, but the writing was the main problem there (and for most of the rest of the cast). Their chemistry was undeniable (both on and off-screen) and that made Kelly and Joe's love believable to me.

 

Exhibit A!

[Sapounopera]

Back in the day I could not accept any Kelly recast after RW. Now I see that what CG brought to the table. I could not see her as Joe or Jeffrey's Kelly, but that character would not have survived in the 90s as a tortured princess. CG's Kelly was like Kimberly Simms as Mindy. Just perfect. TPTB were crazy to recast, especially with ED.

[FrenchBug82]

That's actually a brilliant right-on-the-money comparison. Both for the dynamic of the recast with the fans vs the original and what they brought to their roles and what the roles were.

This is why I love these forums. Even though it is thirty years old stuff, brilliant commenters still manage to make myself think of things in a different light.