Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[Wendy]

 

Well, it certainly didn't help (IMO!) that Carmen Zapata was ushered off suddenly and replaced with Karmin Murcillo for Ric's daddy story. Why would anyone care that this sudden recast was lying about Ric's paternity? I get Carmen was de-aged for this story, but if you had to go through all sorts of hoops to sell it, maybe it wasn't meant to be told to begin with.

[pdm1974]

I agree, and it was sort of disorienting when Cruz's mother was suddenly 20 years younger. I don't remember the recast lasting past this story either.

 

I forgot how they eventually wrote Ric out. Did he just quietly leave town?

[Wendy]

 

Ric became involved with Harlan Richards' daughter, Tawny. (And, IMO here, had absolutely zero chemistry together.) Once they discovered they were half-brother and half-sister, they broke up and Ric quietly left town. Like I said, I really liked Ric/Kelly. Once Robert/Quinn ended, I wish they had been revisited. Oh, well.

[pdm1974]

While I did, overall, enjoy the last year of the show, it just wasn't the same with sooo many new characters and families.  I feel after the Dobson's last stint the show tried to go very "mainstream" and that took away what had made it so special and a cult favorite.

[chrisml]

I had a question about Roberta Bizeau's Flame. Why was she fired? I vaguely remember reading something about Roscoe Born sending a f.u. videotape to Rauch and that this caused Rauch to fire Bizeau in retaliation. Flame and Michael were just getting together and I believe Flame was also in Dash's orbit so the Dobsons had plans for her, but Born's actions got her fired since they were a couple.

[pdm1974]

I'm not sure what the reason for her firing (and the short-term recast that followed). She was easily one of the most dynamic actresses/characters the show had at the time. It was a big loss for the show!

[pdm1974]

Favorite specific episodes...

SB had so many excellent individual episodes...I was wondering which ones others remember.

 

My top one is the Capwell dinner when Mason brings Pamela. The dialogue was so sharp, the performances on mark, and I loved all the wonderful backstory of CC/Sophia/Pamela and how their relationship caused Mason so much pain as a child. We also get hints that Eden's losing it, and Pamela drops the bomb that Cassie is actually a Lockridge. Plus, we get the pure pain Mason feels when he realizes his mother is not mentally stable...and he's losing her all over again.

[j swift]

I just read the January 1991 recap and you can't help but notice that it was a herculean task to write around Marcy Walker from 1989-1991.  Much like Michael E Knight whose frequent absences from AMC in 1990 made his exit seems convoluted, Marcy Walker obviously wanted out but backstage drama prevented good planning for the series to continue after her exit.   She was vital to the 1990 Robert Barr story however, she was in a coma twice in order to facilitate her outs for filming, after being out for months the year before while she was on maternity leave.  She came back in winter 1990, they shoot Robert, she goes into her second coma, awakens for Christmas, and then two weeks later is having flashbacks to being a cat burglar.  With the exception of some cute family scenes during the holidays, Eden and Cruz didn't share many significant scenes in those two years; given their super couple status.   Then, at the beginning of 1991, the Dobson's return after their lawsuit (which I would guess has something to do with the Flame recast/firing).  Eden-the-sleepwalking-jewel-thief (with a French partner who had a German accent) was already in place when they returned to write.  So, I would argue that it was impossible to turn a metaphorical ship which had gone so far off course.   

 

The aforementioned Capwell Dinner party/CC's trial is an amazing episode.  However, just like the dining room that was never used again, it didn't move the story forward.  Sophia finally gets to yell at Mason for being a brat after Pamela left and then they never speak about it again.  I think @pdm1974 may misremember the  Cassie part because Minx hired Michael the priest/cop to find Cassie a few years later.  Mason and CC don't really resolve anything; including Mason alcoholism.  The Capwell Dinner party ended when Pamela once again tried to kill Kelly (because of Jeffrey which is why I think it was before Cassie) and she was sent back to the sanitarium.  It is a very entertaining re-watch although the availability of the video on YT is highly variable.  If you go back to watch, see if it doesn't bug you that they set the dining table in the rear of the Capwell living room rather than in the center under the skylight as it had been for years.  Obviously from a production standpoint not only had they rebuilt the set at that point, but the prior table only sat four people.

 

It always has always been a symbol to be of an Emmy episode, because everyone gets a great monologue (even the recast Mason gets redemption, it explains how Pamela's illness left CC open to Sophia), but just like the table, their words are soon forgotten.  

 

BTW, talk about good luck, both Sophia and Pamela were declared dead but really married European royalty? 

Edited January 23, 2019 by j swift

[teplin]

 

Indeed. I remember watching it and wishing that it was still Lane Davies playing Mason.

[pdm1974]

Yes, that would have been amazing to have Lane Davies play it. Although, I think Gordon Thompson played it well. If I remember correctly, the Dobsons had taken control again around this time, and they believed Mason had gotten far off track. So, they designed the episode to sort of reboot the character and remind the audience of his backstory. I remember watching the episode recently on YouTube and really enjoying it.

 

There was also a dropped interesting subplot that was launched at that time that never developed into anything. A few times Mason speaks about Rosa and her family having some of their land, which became quite profitable, stolen or bought by CC in a bad deal for the Andrades. Rosa mentions not wanting to dig up old history, but Mason assures her that her family will get justice. Then, after a few episodes it's never mentioned again. it could have been compelling if developed especially Santana returns not too long after. What if the Andrades all of a sudden came into some real money? It's a shame that Wanda DeJesus didn't get along with Jed Allan, or the rest of the cast. Santana was such a viable and interesting character.

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Very true! I should be so lucky.

[j swift]

It is such a great "I told you so" story because part of the Dobsons' whole fight was around the casting of Pamela.  The legend is that they wanted Marj Dusay, but network wanted Shirley Anne Filed (for no apparent reason).  So, when they came back in 1991, after the lawsuit, Pamela was already off the canvas and the whole Mason/Sonny story did not get critical acclaim.  Then, they wrote the single episode to show the change in direction.  It is a testament to their script that it worked because Gordon Thompson had just assumed the role in November so there was very little history played on screen.  My only quibble is the ludicrous foreshadowing of Eden's breakdown.

[pdm1974]

And Pamela was such a wasted opportunity, too. She should have been a real powerhouse of a character. Marj Dusay would have been terrific to have in the role from the start, and the end result for the character might have been quite different.

 

I don't remember much from Terry Lester's time as Mason besides when Julia and he put Sasha in the freezer after finding her dead. I'll never forget seeing Sasha in the freezer with ice on her while the actress sung "Am I Blue?" in the background. It was that bit of dark humor that only SB could have done...and done well.

[slick jones]

Was Pamela's husband Michael royalty?  I think he was wealthy, but having checked the SB homepage and my Santa Barbara notes there was no title attached. Sophia's husband was definitely royalty, he's often referred to, Count Armonti.  

 

 

They wanted Samantha Eggar for the role, but she backed out, that is why Shirley Ann Field was cast. Marj was cast after Capitol went off the air, as she was Myrna Clegg until the finale.

 

[pdm1974]

I can't remember Pamela's husband's backstory. I'm assuming he was supposed to be Jeffrey's father, too.

[slick jones]

His name was Michael, but as far as I know, he was British and wealthy--possibly an actor.

 

Actor Ross Kettle (Jeffrey) was royalty on ATWT though, Lord Stewart Markham Cushing.