Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[amybrickwallace]

That whole thing still squicks me out. I guess the only not-totally-negative thing I can say about it is that Robin Wright had long departed SB. No way can I picture her paired up with A Martinez after they had played the big brother/little sister vibe for so long - even at the beginning of the show in 1984 before Eden came on.

[j swift]

An oft repeated sentiment, but if Eileen had been cast as another character, perhaps a sibling of Madeline from Grant Capwell's side of the family tree, I think the fans might have accepted it a bit more.  Until Eileen went to DAYS, she was stereotyped as a wealthy daughter, so it might have been more appealing to allow her to play against type, and then lure Cruz into a romance with someone who did not so closely resemble Eden as a character (I always felt the various writers failed to differentiate Kelly and Eden's personality in a significant way).

However, Reese and Jody were so unpopular, and really changed the tone of the show.  They were reflective of the de-glamorization of the soaps in the 1990's that was such a poor fit for SB.  It felt like in response to the success that GH had in its reinvention in the 90's to be more grounded and tell more human-based melodrama, SB desperately wanted to keep up with the times when they shifted to Pam Long's style of storytelling.  Yet, as a fan, I still wanted to see Sophia descend the stairway of the Capwell mansion in a gown for dinner, the Lockridges at the polo club, and Gina striving for money and success.  By the time nu-Kelly came around, along with nu-Ted, there was so much less focus of Capwell Industries and the manor, even the lighting became more sepia toned and dark, it was not what I wanted.

[amybrickwallace]

The last year of the show, from an aesthetic view, doesn't even fit with the previous years. It looks like an entirely different show!!

[Beach Climber]

Soap characters hook up with their exes’ siblings all of the time but it didn’t help matters that the show kept pushing how similar ED’s Kelly was to Eden when they never were before. It just made it more creepy. 

Edited September 20, 2021 by Beach Climber

[amybrickwallace]

No matter how they tried, Eileen just never fit at SB. Maybe they should have cast her as Jodie Walker instead. Maybe Krista Tesreau (who played Andi in the show's last months) would have made a better Kelly if they were that determined to recast.

[SFK]

@amybrickwallace posted an Etsy link in the Capitol thread which got me to clicking around. Perhaps it’s already been posted in this thread, but here’s a link to the script for the first episode: https://www.etsy.com/listing/866729714/santa-barbara-script-ep-1-1984-nbc?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=capitol+book+soap+opera&ref=sr_gallery-6-3&organic_search_click=1

[amybrickwallace]

Cool!!

[SFK]

The script for the final episode is also available. I wonder if it includes the stage direction of Rauch stomping out his cigar.

[amybrickwallace]

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[Beach Climber]

You know they never gave Cruz a chance for a decent romance post Eden.  Eden was really omnipresent while he was with both Suzanne and Kelly.
 

I assume that had A not left, they would have hooked him up with Jodie Walker but I saw some potential problems there as well. First was this whole backstory and this giant connection with someone that we didn’t know. Second was that she was the female Cruz. Same occupation, big hero moments, everyone loves her, spouse with flaws. 

[Soaplovers]

Oddly I think Jodie and Reese plus family could have fit in..had the Capwells maintained focus.  The show needed a middle class family to balance out the wealthy element.

 

[amybrickwallace]

Maybe...but had the show gone on, the Walkers probably would have gone the way of the Perkins, Duvall/Bassetts, DiNapolis, Donnellys, etc.

Not to mention that Cruz's high school backstory had already been established with Joe and Santana.

[Marissa Gallant]

In fact, he often said that he thought of her as a little sister, especially because he was Joe's best friend. 

[j swift]

As well as Keith Timmons and Victoria Lane, everyone went to high school with Cruz, except Eden and Robert Barr

[amybrickwallace]

You're right; I had forgotten that.