Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[Marissa Gallant]

So, this kills me. Mary is Mary, but every other nurse is just "Nurse". Lol. Couldn't they at least name them all Gertrude?

[Lex S]

So Mason and Mary were fun and lasted about a year, and it is common knowledge in the soap orbit even to non-SB watchers that everybody mourned her loss. But let's think of the possibilities - if she had stayed she would have had to have been the only saintly person on the show. They would have to make her do things that we would not have approved in order to move the story along. So, in a way, it's good that she was written out the way she was - her death is pretty iconic and symbolic of the show all these years later

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Lex S
Grammar

[Marissa Gallant]

I definitely prefer Mason and Julia. But I think there could have been a place for Mary. 

Lionel/Augusta/Sophia continue to dominate the show for me. So many complex feelings there. How many times does Sophia have to tell Lionel no? Augusta brought some of this on herself, but I don't blame her either. Especially since Lionel obviously still pines for Sophia. But is he wanting the past or a present? It's all just wow. 

I also wonder what could have happened if Louise would have stayed. Would Pamela have brought onto the canvas? 

And after Kirk, it is sort of amazing that Eden was redeemable. But somehow, I still feel for her. But poor Cruz.

[Forever8]

 

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August 12, 2021 at 3:00 PM EST. 

[Marissa Gallant]

I will say, of all of the jarring things about this show, the temporary replacement of Lionel was one of the biggest. So glad THAT wasn't permanent. 

[AbcNbc247]

Now that he's getting A Martinez and already had Nicholas Coster on, I hope we see a Santa Barbara reunion in the future.

[Wendy]

I preferred Mason and Julia by a mile, too. But I didn't hate Mary. I think she and Michael Donnelly may have been interesting to try, especially since they both had the religious backgrounds, with Mary being a former nun and Michael being a former priest.

And the fact that both were involved with the respective halves of Mason and Julia, it could have been a jumping off point into their own stories.

And Michael, while a good guy, did seem to have a darker streak (see his involvement with Flame, his career as a cop), so there was the possibility of conflict, etc.

[Marissa Gallant]

I like the thought of Mary and Michael. I like that a little more than maybe I should have. But how would they have broken Mason and Mary up so that we could have had that?

[Liberty City]

For a temporary replacement they've done worse (a.k.a. the Amy recast).

[Wendy]

Maybe simply have Mason realize that, while a part of him would always love Mary and be grateful to her for making him realize he could love and be loved, time has changed him and he was IN LOVE with Julia. (Assuming it would be a back from the dead deal.) I could see Mason at first choosing Mary, but still feel intellectually/emotionally drawn to Julia [M/J had the wit/intellectualism and their profession as lawyers in common to keep them in each other's orbit naturally, not to mention Samantha!], and have to fight to win Julia back. Heck, I could see Julia involved with Michael and Mason having to compete.

Then, when Julia and Mason reunited, Mary and Michael could at first just commiserate together, and have things progress from there.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Wendy

[Soaplovers]

I know that Mary was killed off due to the actress being too expensive, but I wonder if a Mary/Julia/Mason was in the plans...and it was eventually changed to Tori/Julia/Mason?

[Wendy]

I don't think so, but I do recall that Tori was supposed to remind Mason of Mary. I have read over the years that TPTB realized they screwed up in killing Mary, but Harley Kozak did not want to come back, so it seemed like, for a while, they tried to "Mary-ize" (yes, my term!) any woman Mason got close to except Julia. Hell, I remember when the Dobsons returned for Round #2 in the early '90s and their plan was for GT's Mason to become enchanted by the Capwells' German house guest, Katrina, and have her...you guessed it...remind him of Mary. It was in some SOD issue. I guess the audience had well moved on, because it never happened. And thank God. Maria Ellingsen looked like Gordon Thomson's daughter.

Of course, Katrina ending up with rapist Dash and defending him to the Capwells did the character no favors.

[FrenchBug82]

Was she really unusually expensive? I mean I know she had a movie career of sorts but this is interesting. I wonder why they invested in her if she was more expensive; it is not like she had a following that would boost the show or did I miss something?

[Soaplovers]

She was on the Locher room..and she explained she had signed a one year contract..and the production company didn't want to pay her more..so they let her go.

[Beach Climber]

What was the reception to Katrina back then? I don’t remember her very much but I’m in the middle of a rewatch and she’s prominent. She’s the classic girl who comes to town and everyone loves her but I can’t get into her character because of Dash. I just finished an episode where she blindsighted Julia into having dinner with Dash because she’s convinced if Julia forgives him for the rape, the Capwells will finally accept him. Julia is a lot more graceful about that interaction than I would have been.