Santa Barbara Discussion Thread

[CMS]

Totally agree with you about Julie Ronnie as the best Laken. The teen story lines were quite dull, but there was a sweetness about Ted and Laken at the time that I really liked.

Recasting characters makes sense, but if you change them completely, why not just bring in a new character?

Speaking of recasting - with some characters I have no problem with recasts, e. g. the two Ginas. Very different actresses, but both brought so much to the table that I really enjoy both eras.

With CC I can't stand Peter Mark Richman and Paul Burke, but both Charles Bateman and Jed Allen are fantastic and I enjoy their scenes, although they differ in their approach to the role.

Bateman's CC had a cruel streak, especially towards Mason and also Sophia for a while. Jed Allen was larger than life, but had more warmth. From a looks perspective I also thought that Jed Allen looked more similar to Lane Davies, so this whole concept of CC and Mason constantly at each other's throat because they were so similar worked very well.

[victoria foxton]

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Edited January 9, 2023 by victoria foxton

[Marissa Gallant]

I think there should have been a Laken, Amado, Tawny, Rick quadrangle. And no Rick is Tawnys brother because Carmen can't recognize Tawnys dad thing. 

[Keri]

Julie Ronnie always sounded just kind of nasally and irritating to me. 

[Liberty City]

LLOYD BOCHNER! First time I've seen him as C.C., and I've got to say: it WORKS! And Ava Lazar!! But weird that they chose Jade as the third character to highlight!

[Keri]

That's awesome. Is that Jade kissing Danny?

[Marissa Gallant]

I think it is Jade and Danny. 

I like Shell. But they're handing her sucky stories. So that isn't helping things.

[j swift]

I think the problem with Jade and Laken is that they were always going to be made redundant by Kelly.  Sure, the show had a bifurcated story for the first summer with a teen plot and an adult plot.  But, after the first year what stories could Laken play that weren't better told using Kelly?

Yes, the show needed different class structures and Jade served as the ingenue who aspired for upward mobility.  But, Laken had no definite personality or role (as a character, actress aside).  She wasn't a professional like Julia who could try cases, she didn't have any chronic stressors like Mason or Gina which would haunt her future relationships.  She loved and admired her parents, so she was never rebellious even when her grandmother killed her bird.  They set up the character for failure by never giving her any distinct obstacles regardless of who they cast.

Edited January 9, 2023 by j swift

[Marissa Gallant]

I see your point, but I disagree. Laken had issues with both of her parents. Her dad was a cheater and her mom was too. Her mom could also be downright cruel. That could have led to rebellion. She could have had all sorts of stories. Yes, Laken was a good character- not a nymphette type, the archetypal "Good girl". However, the inner good vs need to rebel against those two could have played a LOT more.  She could have been the one discovered during the teen summer of fun instead of Jade. This caused friction between her and Jade. Or better yet, she didn't get discovered.  But the time with Peaches caused her to WANT to be a star. She takes acting in college. When she graduates, she turns to Sophia for advice, not Augusta. Augusta freaks because Sophia had her husband and now has her daughter. 

Kelly couldn't have been any of that. 

Jade can run off to Salem to be Jennifer Horton because I needed that. 

[Marissa Gallant]

Back to Julia and Mason. I'm getting better at accepting Terry Lester as Mason now that he's about to leave. But as I watch the beginning of the end of their first marriage, I have to admit it is written well. They are both trying. But Julia really is ignoring him. I don't think that you should necessarily fuss over a man, but maybe make a point of staying in town on his birthday. Given a choice, she is choosing Dash every single time. Wrong move, Julia. 

Then the flip side is that Mason shouldn't have been so insecure. And he's really a jerk when he's drinking. He fell off the wagon hard. So I don't blame Julia for saying Nope.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Marissa Gallant

[Joseph]

30 Years Ago Today 

Santa Barbara Ended

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[CMS]

With the worst last scene imaginable... F... you, Paul Rauch!!!!

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[Keri]

Yeah what is the point of that? Just seems contemptuous.

Is there a point to this storyline with Sophia getting into acting again? Or does it start and fizzle.

[dc11786]

Part of the issues with characters like Jade and Laken were so much of the foundational storytelling and characterization of other characters (and Jade) seemed to shift between the story bible and what appeared on air in the first few months. From what I've seen, Jade is initially suppose to be a vixen, or at the very least a rebel, not a heroine. I believe casting Melissa (Brennan) Reeves was a mistake as it wasn't really a role that suited her. In the early weeks, Jade used her sexuality to get what she wanted from the boys her own age and even was able to win over her own father with doting words and affection. It was an interesting contrast to Marissa and Joe's relationship where Marissa was so desperate to keep Joe away from Kelly that it caused strain in her own relationship with John. This all seemed to fall away though pretty quick. 

What is interesting to me is Ted was not originally the sort of goofy All American kid that Todd McKee played. He was a bit of a darker character and casting McKee, like Brennan, seemed to change the direction of the character a bit. This is why Ted was suppose to become involved with the Jackie Baldwin character, who I think had a different name or no name in the bible. Motherless Ted going after an older woman played into some of those intimacy issues he had due to the absence of his mother from his life. The one thing I noticed about McKee's Ted is there seemed to be very little impact in terms of Channing's death on who he was as a person. 

With that said, the original outcome of Channing's murder would have definitely impacted Jade and Laken's dynamic and not in a way that could be replicated with Kelly, who was originally much more of a neurotic in the bible. Once Eden, original more of a bitch, and Warren were married, it was to come out that Warren had in fact killed Channing Capwell, Jr. before Warren himself ended up dead. Laken's brother being the reason that Jade's brother went to jail surely would have had reprocussions for both women and Ted if they were all involved together.  

Laken definitely lacked dreams and desires, but I'm not sure if anyone really worked in the Lockridge family. Lionel was off on excursions, Augusta pampered herself, and Warren was a lifeguard so he could go shirtless all the time. Maybe if Laken had been interested in financials and became interested in that world it would have been something.

[Sapounopera]

@dc11786 I have never heard of a Santa Barbara bible. Do we know anything more about it?