Melrose Place

[Gray Bunny]

Haha that's a cute edit! I wonder if someone else has edited a season 7 scene putting a drunk Alison slouched at the bar of Kyle's upstairs lounge.

It is a shame they didn't bring back some of the original greats to usher out the series.

[YRBB]

Rewatching MELROSE season 3.

I always liked the D&D takeover story and I have a renewed appreciation for it--it was so well handled, considering this show never much cared to substantiate business stories. Bruce is SO obvious with his emotions and it's great to see a guilty Amanda. It all lays the groundwork for that lovely cliffhanger with Bruce that should be coming soon, and yet you can't predict it.

The storyline involving Kimberly and Jo faking Jo's baby's death is so batshit crazy and, yet, since Kimberly is demented, it makes sense--she would totally come up with such a crazy idea.

Kimberly breastfeeding Jo's baby must be one of the creepiest scenes I've ever seen and a huge MELROSE highlight.

How lovely when Jo shows up and screeches when Kimberly pretends the baby is hers and tells her she will gladly prescribe her with medication for postpartum depression--during regular hours, of course.

Classic stuff.

[Gray Bunny]

Everything of Kimberly season 3 is pure gold. So deliciously wicked. Scary almost, when I first watched it.

[DRW50]

I know this isn't any type of happy circumstance, I just wanted to say it in case any Melrose fans here wanted to read it - Andrew Shue is quoted a few times in the new People's cover story on Amy Robach (his wife) and her battle with cancer. There are also some photos of the family. They seem happy and he seems very supportive. I wish them the best.

Edited December 8, 2013 by DRW50

[soapfave06]

I've finally started watching season one and wow, its a completely different show. I've heard.it was awful but i have enjoyed some of these stand alone episodes. And I don't know if I completely missed this detail later on, but I had no idea Jane was pregnant and lost the baby in the first season.

I have also enjoyed the forgotten Rhonda and Sandy more than I expected, especially after Sandy lost that country accent. Sandy was well enough and i don't think it was a loss to write her out but I wish they had tried more with Rhonda.

Edited December 11, 2013 by soapfave06

[dm.]

I'm going through Season 6 slowly, and it isn't as horrible as I thought it might be. Maybe it's because I took a break almost a full year between Seasons 5 and 6, so I didn't get the attachment thing with the characters that left in Season 5. Still not must-see TV, but better than most of the stuff we see these days.

[cuzIsaySo]

While I think Jo, Sydney and Kimberly were welcomed additions to the cast within the first year Im not sure they should have gotten rid of Rhonda. I also kind of disliked how over the year the friendship element got lost. By the end of the series pretty much everybody hated everybody and it was difficult to root for anyone.

[Gray Bunny]

I agree, there were no real friendships by the end, not the way Jo & Alison, Alison & Jane, Billy & Jake were during the golden era (Seasons 1-3, IMO). It was funny when they briefly made Jane & Amanda friends during Jane's blink-and-you-miss marriage to Michael, only to have Amanda revert to her true self shortly after.

Dmarex, is that Ryan Phillippe in your avatar? :::swoon:::

Season 6 isn't the type of season where I could pop it in and watch any ol' episode any time. 1 through 3, even the stand-alone episodes in the first half of season one, are ones I can get into, no matter where in the story they are at.

I liked Vanessa Williams as Rhonda. It's a shame they could only find use for one "token" character on the show (i.e. Matt as "the gay one").

[YRBB]

I am. One of the best decisions they ever made.

Agreed! It felt kinda sad when every friendship on the show was trashed and backstabbing was all that happened, 24/7.

I loved all those friendships. The show would have been wished not to have destroyed all of them.

I have never in my life come across people who actually liked Rhonda before I highly, highly, doubt this had anything to do with them only finding use for "one token character." Not that Spelling shows were a hotbed for diversity, but Rhonda was cut for one reason: She was an insipid, boring, utterly annoying character played by an even worse actress. Truly cringeworthy.

[cuzIsaySo]

I thought sandy was definitely a waste of space but Rhonda had potential IMHO and kinda enjoyed that Matt had a fag hag. No one filled that void in his life. Kimberly came pretty close lol

And i admit that i thought some diversity other than the token gay guy was welcomed. Though thats not my main criteria for liking a character.

[cuzIsaySo]

They kept Andrew shue who redefined the term bad acting. And Billy was one of the most insipid character the show ever had. How anyone would fight over him was the biggest mystery of all.

So with a little help Rhonda could have found her place. I didnt find her boring but i admit that she didnt get strong material. Which she could have had if she had stuck around. And i thought she had good friend chem with just about everyone on the cast.

[Gray Bunny]

I think that Rhonda would've worked if the show had remained a self-contained topical show like it was in the first half of season one. Once it got all soapy and salacious, she would've sank. Probably for the best. A better screen partner than the dude playing Terrence may've helped too.

I would've loved if Jasmine Guy had stuck around, or came back like Jack Wagner did.

[Vee]

I liked Rhonda. They could've changed that character up; Vanessa Williams was an incredibly talented actress who I'd also seen in Candyman, among other things. But the early '90s, while often very daring, was not anywhere near progressive enough to go there, at least not on a Spelling show. It's still considered shockingly new to have primetime soaps like Scandal or genre shows like Sleepy Hollow starring black women on basic networks.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Vee

[cuzIsaySo]

I feel any moment now the Are we wasting bandwith on a character that last about half a season police is gonna bust this thread but...

Rhonda was just lost in the shuffle during the transition period but she could have been of great use as the voice of reason on a show that was going batshit crazy every five minutes. She could have helped Jane with her clothing line and be the one to point out the obvious hard-on matt had for Michael.

On her own she could have had just as mnay short term love interest and read Amanda a few times cuz seriously I would have loved that. I definitely thought Rhonda was an under estimated character but never saw her as a pushover. That kind of character could have gave many others a run for theirmoney without turning into a major bitch.

[Khan]

But at least you're staying on-topic about a character who appeared, however briefly, on MP. Which is more than I could say about 99.99% of my silly-as-hell posts around these parts.

IA that Rhonda could have served well as the voice of reason and calm in the constant, unrelenting storm of cray. IMO, a show like MP, where almost everyone seemed to be engaged in a never-ending game of "Can You Top This?", needed someone who spoke for the audience, in a sense, and just plain stood above the fray. If not Rhonda, then, okay, let it be SOME one.