Melrose Place

[Gray Bunny]

Yes, it was basically a re-write that Matt had some sort of closeness with Amanda that she divulged her big secret (or at least, her big secret *that* season) about Eve and the killer cheerleader incident.

[Huntress]

That was so far-fetched. Matt had little to no contact with Amanda throughout the whole run of the show.

I only remember one scene in the season 2 opener when Matt was sad that Rhonda had moved away and Amanda said one of her bitchy one-liners to him.

I did like Matt's friendships with Michael, Jake and Jo, though. Although especially the latter came out of nowhere during season 3 or so.

[Cheap21]

I still hate that bitch Jo for the way she backstabbed Jane with Richard. Same as I hate Alison for doing the same with Jake. Friends do not sleep with friends' exes! At least not their most recent ones. Those two really started the destruction of friendships on the show and there was little to no loyalty after that

[cuzIsaySo]

If the friends-dont-sleep-with-a-friend's-ex rule applied in the MP universe, most characters on this show would have been monks and nuns by the end of season 2 lol

I didnt like Jo towards the end of her run becuz they made her such an island from the rest of the show just like Jake & Alison (this pairing i really really really loathed). Actually thats something they did to pretty much every member of the old guard when it came time to write them out.

[te.]

I didn't mind the fact that Jo and Richard got together as much as it was written and how Daphne Zuniga suddenly seemed to play Jo like a high school mean girl.

[cuzIsaySo]

I can't say that i particularly enjoy Jo around that time either but i still found her better than towards the end of her run.

Most of the longtimers were written out after becoming such an island character that removing them from the canvas left little to no impact overall.

Most characters involved in the Richard Hart arc became unwatchable and meaner that they needed to be. Somewhere along the way the producers mistook spiteful with edgy and bitter for vulnerable.

[te.]

That was a huge problem with the writing of the older characters on the remake too. It's really too bad that the LA Complex didn't take off because I think that was by far the "truest" in spirit to Melrose.

[Mathewson]

Daphne Zuniga is a competent actress but she's rarely had any real screen presence. She's dull for the most part. Amy Locane and Josie Bissett were the same way. I never, ever, liked Lisa Rinna but she did have some screen presence back when she was on MP. The cat fights with Amanda and Taylor were entertaining, even though I can't stand Lisa Rinna and have heard many bad stories about Heather Locklear.

[cuzIsaySo]

I beg to disagree about Dz. I saw her as Bitchtoria on OTH and she basically made the later seasons worth watching for me.

I think DZ'S jo was interesting at the beginning and her romance with Jake certainly was something i enjoyed. But towards the end she became a watered-down version of who she used to be. I blame the writing not the skills of DZ as an actress.

[te.]

Writing had a lot to do with it, but in season 4 it was obvious by her acting that she wanted out of the show. She didn't even try to sell the material during that season (then again it was mediocre, but I've seen actors sell mediocre material before).

[cuzIsaySo]

I dont necessarily disagree with the end of her stint but overall I feel that DZ was one of the stronger actresses the show has.

I dont think Merryl streep would have shown up for work either with the garbage they threw at DZ's character in her later years.

Who did you think was the strongest performers and the weakest, regardless of the plot?

[Khan]

Oooh, can I answer this one? Please?

I always thought Marcia Cross (Kimberly) and Laura Leighton (Sydney) were the show's biggest assets, cast-wise. Neither needed to do anything more than enter a room to get your attention. Unfortunately, aside from perhaps Thomas Calabro (Michael), MP's male actors never rose to the challenge. Jack Wagner (Peter) was...a'ight, but Andrew Shue (Billy) was so damn wooden that he left splinters in my TV set.

[Mathewson]

I think Marcia Cross, Laura Leighton, and Heather Locklear were the best actresses. Kristin Davis is up there too, even though Brooke was a plot driven harpy who got written out quickly. I'd say Marcia is the best. She did very well as vulnerable, yet psychotic insane, Kimberly. Lisa Rinna was a competent actress but she has always come across as so obnoxious and smug especially in recent years. And yes, the lips have NEVER helped! I never liked Amy Locane at all. Very little acting talent and no screen presence. And now she's in prison! I also never liked Vanessa Williams. I'm glad they left in the first season.

Thomas Calabro and Rob Estes were the best actors. It helped that Estes had a lot of charisma. And nice to look at too! Andrew Shue and Jack Wagner were the worst. No charisma and so unlikable. David Charvet was really awful too even though he was nice to look at. Doug Savant and Grant Show were OK.

[Cheap21]

IA on Shue, but not on JW. Those two shouldn't even be put on the same level.

[John]

I was so excited for ths show back in 1992 because I had seen Amy Locane in Cry Baby & School ties, Courtney Thorne Smith in Day By Day and Josie Bissedtt in Hogan Family

I was also intriqued that Elisabeth Shue's brother was playing Billy but now I wonder how Billy would have been with original actor, Steven Fanning

Sandy had no purpose but I thought Amy was a diva and Spelling said get out

I wish they would have kept Vanessa as Rhonda a least one more year to see what would have happened

The writing in S1 was so choppy. Jane saus when she learns about her pregnancy that she is an only tried but just episodes later Sydney comes to visit. LOL