Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[Liberty City]

Firing Dane Witherspoon was a major mistake. One of the first major ones the Dobson did, along with pushing Ava Lazar out. Joe & Kelly should have been the ultimate supercouple from Santa Barbara, and they instead became an after-thought.

[Wendy]

It's all about individual taste, as - while nice looking - I didn't think Joe and Kelly were all that compelling.

As much as I wanted Kelly (at one point) with Ric, as the flirtation seemed to be going somewhere, I think her relationship with Robert bore more fruit, especially since it also involved Eden and tested the Kelly/Eden bond.

(Robert becoming Quinn ultimately messed with that dynamic, IMO, but with Roscoe Born's animosity with Paul Rauch, I doubt things would have ended satisfactorily, anyway.)

Carrington Garland's Kelly seemed to spark with anyone, be it Robert/Quinn/Craig, and if there was a huge mistake the Dobsons did, I think it was firing her for Eileen Davidson.

I think Carrington's Kelly and any pairing could have - along with Mason and Julia - weathered the loss of Cruz/Eden, but the damage was done.

[Beach Climber]

While IA that ED’s Kelly was the worst Kelly, I didn’t find CG all that impressive and found myself tuning her out during my rewatch (and she was on nonstop). She also looked younger than her age where RW looked older. I don’t know, I just don’t think her Kelly did much other than annoy me and I never sympathized with her character or was interested in her stories. Her getting a new guy every couple months probably didn’t help matters. 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Beach Climber

[Keri]

I'm with @Wendy I guess. Witherspoon was AWFUL. 

Much as I prefer Eden, I like CG's portrayal and she did have chemistry with RB. 

I could not watch any Kelly storyline before she came bc I wasn't into the boyfriend of the day stories she was inevitably in. And often cut off from what was going on with the rest of the Capwells.

ETA well she still had boyfriend of the day stories lol. So I could see the irritation with that but it was a throughline regardless of actress. 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Keri

[chrisml]

Getting rid of Carrington Garland, Louise Sorel, Roberta Weiss, Frank Runyeon, Roscoe Born and Justin Locke was ridiculous. I think getting rid of Carrington Garland was the beginning of the end for the show. The departure of Martinez cemented it. Marcy Walker's last few months were horribly written. It was a relief in a way to be rid of Eden/Suzanne because the storyline was so horrendous. Garland did have chemistry with everyone, and Davidson did not. The Dobsons and Rauch gutted the show for what? Warren and Katrina? Two characters who added very little although I know some liked Warren. I was annoyed by them especially in how Moncrieff's Cassie was sacrificed to booster Warren and Angela who had no chemistry. 

[Marissa Gallant]

Cruz and Eden are in Paris. But Cruz is being stalked because he's a shaman now. He gets attacked in his hotel room and his shaman powers allow him to toss the guy trying to strangle him right out the window. Ok, I'll go with it. The policeman shows up. Cruz says I'm an inspector too. That doesn't mean a thing in Paris, Cruz. 

The policeman asks if Cruz is the reason there's a man resting on the sidewalk outside his window. 

Eden asks,Is he going to be alright?

No, Eden. He was just tossed out a window. He probably won't be alright. 

Lol this show!

The orphan storyline just keeps getting more and more stupid. Now, Sophia was around when they adopted Cassandra?

[Keri]

I'm coming up to 1990 and I've never seen it before. It seems kind of like a dud. Other than what happens with Robert/Quinn etc.

Like I won't watch that shaman story lol. 

I'm interested in the orphans and Cassandra but it also kind of sounds like a big nothing Burger.

[Marissa Gallant]

I keep repeating to myself "It’s just a reboot of your show, like Batman and you liked that." 

The shaman thing is weird. Like really weird.

The orphans is actually a decent story- that has zero basis on anything we know of these characters before.

Lionel just "died". So he'll be back in 11 episodes. Lol! But at least THAT is inline with what we knew. Lionel loved Augusta. Sophia chose CC. CC still isn't thrilled with the affair, but now he truly knows. 

[Carlos Abad]

I'm watching again the beginning  and it's very enjoyable but bad in some parts.

The teenager's story is separated from the rest of the stories and it feels like another show.

There's some bad acting.

Ava Lazar, Dane Witherspoon and Julie Ronnie were my favorite Santana, Joe and Laken but they are bad in some of their scenes.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Connelly

[Marissa Gallant]

LIONEL!!!!!! HE'S BACK!!!! I'm so happy. And the scene with Augusta when he comes back is almost as good as 1986! There was even a Brick mention 

[Marissa Gallant]

I have a new favorite Augusta line. "Between  Gina and Sophia, it's an embarrassment of witches."

[Jdee43]

Ava, Dane and Julie were all very pretty people.

What Ava and Dane had, and what Julie didn't, was charisma.

What Dane had, and what Ava and Julie didn't, was chemistry with everyone.

They should have given Dane more of a chance, and Ava too. Charisma and chemistry can overcome bad acting, especially on a soap. 

Watching the first 14 weeks, it's hard to believe Mason would ever become a popular, lead character. He's given absolutely nothing to do. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Jdee43

[Joseph]

Did Marj Dusay And Louise Sorel Share any scenes Together on SB??? I'm realizing that it's about to be 30 years since Marj Temping as Viv Alamain on DOOL, and while looking it up I remembered her Pamela was On Around The Same Time as Louise's Second Run as Augusta

[Liberty City]

I don't believe so. 1991 was the only time they were on the canvas together, but never shared scenes. And it was during Louise Sorel's third and final stint; Marj Dusay left in July 1998 and Sorel started her second stint in November of the same year.

[Marissa Gallant]

I find myself preferring Kelly and Craig over Kelly and Robert. By a lot.