Melrose Place

[Huntress]

Alison didn't actually come between them. It was Jane who pushed Jake away after she got raped by Richard. Both Jake and Alison tried to be there for Jane, but she didn't care and secretly plotted Richard's murder. That's when Jake and Alison grew closer and eventually kissed in the season 4 finale.

[Cheap21]

Like I said, F Alison....lol. If she had been a true friend, Jake would have been off limits. The breakup with Jane was too fresh. She shouldnt haved moved in on him

[will81]

I never understood why they broke up Jake and Alison in the season 5 finale. It seemed so unnecessary. Both actors were leaving and the departures seemed so rushed, like the break up was a last minute decision. They could have easily had them be happy and leave together to start a new life. Didn't make any sense.

Not to say I was that invested in them as a couple, but it seemed strange.

[KMan101]

I agree. It was strange. I guess the writers maybe wanted to leave Alison available for Billy and thought fans would rather see Jake trying to get to know his kid. I never thought Alison and Jake would ride off in the sunset together, though I didn't mind them together, looking back on it. I think the writers lucked out because it was evident that Jake and Alison were thrown together because everyone else had already been thrown together in some form.

[Cheap21]

Im glad Jake and Alison broke up. They were each other's worst pairing. Alison in season 5 was a complete mess. I hated her trading her corporate skirt for greasy bar jeans. Her stories that season just werent interesting and the character did feel kinda "done" by this point.

[Gray Bunny]

ITA. It made NO sense for her to be content as a Shooters waitress. She was definitely done-for by this point. That whole Jane/Jake/Alison/Billy story in early season 5 definitely seemed like musical chairs. Didn't Jane even pretend to be interested in Billy for 5 seconds there?

I would sooner call out Jo for getting with Richard than Alison and Jake falling for one another. Ugh, the smokers voice Jo taking up Richard instead of being content with Jake after all their ups and downs. Sigh. Those randy Melrose residents.

And a LOL to when Jane put a restraining order out on Jake & Allison. That scene when they were doing nothing more than getting the mail or something completely innocent, and Jane pops up in a trance-like state, saying "stay away from me." Unintentionally hilarious stuff

[Cheap21]

Jane wanted Billy to help her get Jake back (and in turn she'd be helping him with Alison). He wanted nothing to do with her scheme

Oh I definetly hated Jo as well! She was worse than Alison as she was so smug and bitchy about it. She definetly looked like an idiot with the way she kept defending Richard, while backstabbng someone who used to be her friend. One of my favorite moments was Jane punching her in the face.

LOL...Jane sure did turn into a hot mess there. Who would have thought the sweet and innocent girl from season 1 would become such a bitch in season 4 and 5. She was borderline psychotic in the first few episodes of 5. Another favorite moment was her throwing the brick through Jake/Alison's window and when they went to confront her about it, she had a towel on and pretended like she was ready to shower. When they left, she dropped her towl to reveal the clothes she was wearing instead....lol. Man I loved her

Edited April 12, 2012 by Cheap21

[YRBB]

I just watched the episode where Jane is held at gunpoint and decides to leave L.A.. Flimsy and hastily devised reason for leaving the show and I kinda disliked how they wrapped up everything in a nice little bow (Sherry and her man get engaged! Mom 1 and Mom 2 hold hands and thank each other!) but the character-based stuff worked wonderfully: Sydney being there for Jane, calling their parents over, evoking the very complicated sibling relationship they have. The last scene unexpectedly got to me, not because it was well-written but because, damn it, I've been watching this bitch for nearly five years. Her goodbye with Syd and her walk down the corridor was heartbreaking.

[YRBB]

Early Season 5 is the apotheosis of Jane... I just loved every single moment of her spiraling out of control.

[Huntress]

And I always thought I was the only one who really liked Jane Of course Josie Bissett was one of the weakest actresses on the show, but she was good at playing rude and bitchy. She also had great chemistry with Thomas Calabro and Laura Leighton. It's too bad they turned Jane into such a whimp again once she had returned in late season 6. Megan already fulfilled that role sufficiently.

[DRW50]

I wonder why they didn't do more with the story where Sydney accidentally caused her to have a stroke. That whole time was so odd.

[Huntress]

I think they played that story out well with Sydney unwillingly having to take care of Jane; Michael trying to have sex with Jane while Jane was living at the beach house (she smashed a vase on his head); Jake rescueing Jane from drowning which eventually led to their relationship; and Jane wondering who drugged her with Sydney trying to put the blame on Jo and Richard. Later on, Jane found out the truth and blackmailed Sydney into helping her with Richard's murder.

[Soaplovers]

Totally unrelated post.. but I think gosh for netflix so I can relive the show again

After watching most of season 1, I had forgotten how down-to-earth the show once was. It kind of reminded me of old school Knots Landing. I do agree with writing off Rhonda as the show evolved into a prime-time soap because while she fit in perfectly during the first half of the season, once it started evolving, she didnt fit. Now if you had Halle Berry and/or the other Vanessa Williams in the part, they would have so fit in.

I do agree that Jo's arrival was the initial spark that gave the series some life.. and Heather Locklear was the gasoline that lit that spark. What is done to both of their characters in later seasons is very sad, indeed. WIth that said, I think the one aspect of the first episodes that worked was the vast amount of interaction between the characters.. once the 2nd half of season 1 starts, everyone is seprated into their own story orbits with very little interaction, imho.

I'm wondering if the season 5 story where Jane goes crazy and stalks Allison/Billy intended for Jo? I heard somewhere that Daphne Zuniga wanted a stronger Jo.. and the producers basically said that for that to happen, Jo would have to go crazy so she quit.

[Huntress]

No, I don't think so. I remember that Josie Bissett also asked for a change in Jane's character, which is why she became more assertive and manipulative starting with season 4. However, they redeemed Jane a few episodes into season 5 with her becoming "normal" again and finding out that she was adopted. This was probably done because Bissett became pregnant and it was clear that this pregnancy couldn't be written into the show's storylines. They had to usher her out and leave the door open for a return.

I think Bissett, Lisa Rinna and Alyssa Milano were the only cast members that left the show on good terms and actually wanted to return (Rinna also left because of her pregnancy and Milano because of "Charmed"). Everyone else wanted out of their contracts (for example Show, Thorne-Smith, Zuniga, Charvet), demanded too much money so they were fired (Leighton, Cross) or were simply written off because they weren't needed anymore (Williams, Davis, Langton, Shue, Ashby).

[Cheap21]

really? I didnt know that. I thought she was leaving bc she wanted out, not bc she was pregnant. I was glad when she returned bc I thought like all the exits from that season, we wouldnt see her again