Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[Marissa Gallant]

It honestly doesn't track with me either. He basically forced Mason to marry Tori. Then blasted Mason for having a relationship with Julia before he got married. I honestly can't see CC doing less than giving Tori a bunch of cash to leave town. CC and Mason had issues, but 1986 CC would not want Tori around, no matter what. I feel like 87 is when the characters start to change. Of course, this show was pretty swift with the personality changes for the characters. 

[Lex S]

I wanted to post about how I appreciate the background music in a lot of the scenes in the first few years of SB. I'm not talking about the sickly sweet Eden and Cruz theme songs but just general instrumental music that is in many scenes especially when a crime is happening. I believe Dominic Messenger is responsible for many of those. There are some really memorable tunes. I feel like nowadays music in soaps is pretty forgettable

Edited December 29, 2021 by Lex S
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[Marissa Gallant]

Help me keep going here.Will I get to see Cruz's sister Carmen (that ANNOYING character) eat crow when they all find out Elena is a super psycho?

[Lex S]

So you must be in the 800s then? Wow, you're going fast! I am nearing the 500th episode and I am watching about 1 per day. So far so good. I can't comment on your storyline as I don't remember Carmen was even on the canvas.

Yes, this show has a lot of ridiculous stuff, but I am watching it for what it is. A piece of daytime history with some super good acting and some super good storytelling with very obvious flaws at times. I think Marcy Walker is a terrific actress and probably one of the best in this industry, even though I don't always like or root for her character. There was a bit too much Cruz and Eden for me, but I'm glad they changed it up a bit and focused on other characters even though they dropped them as easily as introduced them. 

I do remember from all those years ago that Cain was a bore as was Father Michael. I think their characters just dragged on for too long.

I'll be sticking around here for a quite a while and I'm slow at watching, but it is my goal to finish in a few years

Edited December 29, 2021 by Lex S
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[Beach Climber]

For as much as the show rightfully gets the criticism forgetting about characters who weren’t tied to the Capwells, I think they also tried to hard to make the wrong characters happen. Both Caine and Father Michael should have been dumped way earlier than they were.
 

They worked for the initial summer storylines that they were cast for as well as a foil to an established pairing but there was no reason to keep them around afterwards and give them more storylines. They were boring and frankly I think they brought down the female characters they tried pairing them with. Michael, especially. I felt like they threw the kitchen sink at him post Julia and the priesthood and he was so dull.

[Wendy]

Scott Jaeck (Cain) actually went on to a recurring role on ER from its beginning in 1994 until 2002 as Dr. Flint. One memorable scene of his was when he caught then-medical student John Carter (Noah Wyle) getting some action with a former patient played by Liz Vassey (ex-Emily Ann Sago, All My Children), complete with a little medical humor as he told Carter:

"S1, S2, S3, S4, keep your pelvis off the floor!"

Here is a picture of him in the role. He was virtually unrecognizable versus his Cain role on Santa Barbara:

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[j swift]

My issue with Cain was that his motives were always so ill defined.  When he held Eden at the cabin he seemed very mentally unstable, but then after getting shot and recalling his past he seemed stable, but then once the rape storyline was introduced he was suddenly unstable again.  He mental health crisis was attributed to PTSD, but the recurrence of his symptoms was never explained.  I mean he went from a recluse in a cabin to having a full social life without much intervention. 

Also, his relationship with Elena was never well explained.  Was he just a paid accomplice, or was he somehow devoted to her cause?  And how did she find him and convince him to take Eden hostage?  Then, was he keeping Eden because Elena paid him or was it because he was delusional?  It would have made more sense if he was being treated by Elena's adoptive father who somehow concocted the trio of Elena, Pamela, and Cain.

It seems like he was side character who somehow gained audience support, so the writers found a reason to keep him in Santa Barbara, and then when the Dobsons were fired he became a victim of the new regime. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by j swift

[Marissa Gallant]

I know this one! Cain WAS a patient of Alex. And that's how Alex and Elana knew him. Elena hired him to make sure Eden was dead after Elena knocked her on the head and shoved her off the cliff. But Cain couldn't do it and helped Eden instead. Then he fell for her. And kept her in the cabin partially to keep her safe and because he was delusional. 

As for the PTSD, having the woman you love brutally murdered and raped could throw you back that. I liked Cain back in the day, but I didn't see too much of him then. 

[j swift]

I recall watching the inciting incident, because it was well hyped, but the weeks of Eden in the cabin bored me so I did not keep up with it until Elena was shot.

That's interesting that Cain was treated by Alex.  I just read Alex's entry on the French SB site and I never realized that he was also involved in Caroline's fatal illness storyline and dated Gina.

So, Elena must have chosen the spot to knock out Eden based on its proximity to Cain's cabin; pretty tricky.

Wasn't Alex's clinic in Europe?  Which does leave the question open of why Cain sought treatment there, as well as how long he owned the cabin, how he afforded his life without funding from Elena, and what was Alex's specialty given that he treated infectious diseases and psychiatric patients,  but I guess those are details that we're supposed to over look.

[Marissa Gallant]

Well, this is the same show that had that bizzaro world Marcello is Sophia's stepson storyline. 

About Alex, yes, he was involved in a lot. He even fell for Sophia. Jeffrey warned him about Gina and he said he could handle her. Then he discovered Gina isn't easily handled. Lol! It was funny. 

[Wendy]

Found this in the In Memoriam thread:

 

[Marissa Gallant]

First episode of Justin Gocke. Gina and Brandon play camp. Kudos to the writers who named it Camp Ginawannamullah

[Marissa Gallant]

Ah Victoria. Her finest moments: holding a prop gun on a guy to force him to confess he is lying. Firing Julia during her trial and getting her a$$ handed to her by Keith. The rape of Cruz. Having Mason and treating him like garbage. The list is practically endless with this "paragon of virtue"

[MichaelGL]

Tori was such a odd character, just looking at her on paper. And I've only delved in and out of SB, and read synopsis/character summaries.

[Marissa Gallant]

She really was awful and TPTB really tried to force us to love her. Only each time they tried, it made us hate her more.