OLTL: Discussion for the week June 30th-July 4th

[Ripley Todd]

I think the thing that intrigued me the most about today's show was Langston. I am so curious about the 'you aren't alone' comment...

[Cheap21]

I can feel for Jessica but Tess will be a huge hypocrite coming out now trying to get revenge on Jared and Natalie for what happened to Nash. She's going to blame their lie for killing Nash? Well Tess is the reason why Jared even came into their lives. She was the one whoring herself around sleeping with any guy she saw and then proceeded to set Jared up for a crime she commited and just let him to go jail for it. I hope she can look in hte mirror and take responsibility for what she did there and realize that she brought Jared to town. If she's going to blame people then she needs to look at herself and realize that her actions ultimately set things in motion

[Toups]

Same here. I wonder who she's going to be connected too. The Bank's? Talia's sister? Brody? Gigi?

[Juliajms]

Maybe she and Talia are half sisters? We don't really know that both of Langston's parents were bio parents.

[rhinohide]

Exactly! ICAM Jack!

I am a bit annoyed (I already mentioned bored). Originally when Jared decided to be a Buchanan, his motivations were very clear. Even his own fantasy in which he and Natalie were making love, he told her it was about money and ambition. Then, I don't know whether it was RC or the scabs, they started making him more "sympathetic". His motivations became about being a part of this family he'd so long admired. Now, suddenly out of nowhere, Jared confesses that he seized the opportunity to be a Buchanan to get back at Tess? When did that get introduced? I never saw that coming and I don't even understand how Jared's fraud was designed to pay back Tessica. How was it designed to hurt her? By now his motivations for the fraud are so muddled I don't know what to think. I really didn't mind that he did it for money and power. It was consistent with his character, and I always like the grey characters. A lot of my favorites on the show have done worse, for less. Max faked being a Buchanan before Jared was even a blip on the radar. David faked being a Lord long before that. So I for one didn't have a problem with his duplicity. When they started trying to make it about his miserable childhood with an alcoholic dad, and just wanting to belong, I was irritated. It was like they were trying to make this character appeal to somebody besides me, and whoever that was needed him to be more sympathetic. I didn't need that, and I don't think it achieved its desired purpose because the people I know who didn't like Jared already didn't buy into that myth, but I understood it and kind of just filed it away. But now in less than a year, they've changed the character's motivations yet a third time? And the only purpose I can think this serves is to make the story more about Tess -- and I don't like that. Don't get me wrong. I really don't mind that it's a TESS/JESS centric story, but I do object that almost every other character is being distorted in the process. It's not just limited to Jared and Natalie. Bo and Lindsay getting married on the day they bury Nash, and acting like Jess would just be so happy for them, that they might have just grabbed the minister at the graveside if they wouldn't have interrupted Tess's almost necrophilia. Viki not having a moment's concern upon finding Jess with loud rock music blaring and broken mirrors that just perhaps Jessica had some sort of break? And Viki and Clint just going off and leaving "Jessica" alone all the time. There's more, but you get my drift?

I am more than willing to take leaps if need be to promote a story, but it seems that these leaps are getting more and more herculean each day. I don't like the way the story is turning. I wanted to see a story that was about the entire (onscreen) Buchanan clan dealing with losing BE and recovering, and restoring the family. Maybe that's ultimately where this will lead, but at the moment, all I am seeing is a transparent effort to give BW emmy reels for 2008, and I am disappointed.

[chrishntr]

Exactly!! But I have no doubts that Tess will NEVER admit her part in what happened.

[Khan]

Looking at this from your perspective, rhinohide, I certainly agree with you. And I agree with you here, too:

Like you, I had no trouble accepting Jared was just in it for the money, so to speak; and while knowing a little about his dysfunctional background helped clarify his motivations, I certainly didn't need that to become a whole story unto itself with Charlie and Pamela. Just as I didn't need all the bull-corn that Michael Malone, Josh Griffith and Dena Higley concocted about the Laurences once Mitch was resurrected.

Ugh, don't get me started on Tess' scene at the cemetary, lol. That was a little too Dena for my taste. However, IA with you about Bo and Lindsay's actions today. I always question Bo's I.Q. Whenever he gets around Lindsay, though, he literally makes his own son, Matthew, look like a MENSA candidate (no small feat, IMO). Why on Earth would anyone believe getting married on the same day you lower a member of one's family into the ground would be a good idea?!

I didn't understand that either. Viki, of all people, should be aware that her daughter's bizarre behavior (especially when you compare it to how she was behaving when she still was Jess) is more than just grief over the loss of her husband. If nothing else, Viki should have expressed to Clint a fear that this trauma might cause Jessica to revert to her Tess persona, the way she (Viki) would revert to Niki Smith whenever the stress in her life became too terrific. Instead, it looks as if Viki will have to play dumb along with the rest.

Frankly, I'm not convinced yet that Tess was "needed" for this story. I'd still much rather see Jessica take on her sister and Jared and avenge Nash's death "herself". IMO, it would be more compelling to see the lengths Jess would go to in order to exact revenge, and then face the consequences of those actions (and the more devastating those consequences, the better). As it is, though, Jess, as Tess, can do just about anything to anyone, but all will be forgiven at the end because, "hey, don't blame me, blame my crazy, slutty alter-ego!".

[DavidEvanSmith]

Oh, I agree so much with this. Furthermore, when Jessica is "back" will any of her feelings about Nash's death be resolved, or will acting out through Tess have been Jessica's grieving period and she will feel so bad for whatever Tess did that she ends up apologizing to Natalie and Jared?

Wish we'd just seen this awaken Jessica's OWN dark side, rather than the Tess persona.

[Khan]

It just occurred to me, too: this is the second time "Tess" has emerged while she was pregnant.

This is strictly my guess, but I suspect Jessica's grief over losing Nash has been...suspended for the time being. Once "Tess" is finished again, and Jessica re-emerges, she might feel guilty for the havoc her alter wreaked in her "absence", but there'll be residual grief, too (which means, of course, more crying, and more depression).

[rhinohide]

Thanks for all your thoughts Khan. This in particular struck a chord with me. I remain totally unconvinced that Tess is needed for any other purpose than to allow Jess to remain above reproach. I think good soapy stories need all kinds of characters. Heroes (heroines) and Villains. Scoundrels. Ingenues. The total broad spectrum of characteristics need to be represented to develop well rounded stories. But individual characters need to transition among those traits. Shift positions relative to one another and develop layers. What a missed opportunity for the character of Jessica. The simplistic solution for all of this is to allow Tess to resurface to preserve Jessica's "rightful position" as the twin who can do no wrong. How tiresome and boring.

[Cheap21]

the way Im seeing it is that Jessica subconciously let Tess out to do what she doesnt have the guts to do and thats to go after Natalie. Deep down she does care about her sister so I dont think she could fully get revenge on her, but Tess has no loyalties to her and will have no problem destroying her and Jared

[Khan]

ITA. However, I should emphasize that, despite my initial impressions and misgivings, I have adopted a wait-and-see attitude about this storyline (and several others running currently on OLTL). I'd like to believe that RC has a purpose in bringing back Tess other than letting Jessica off the hook. I know one thing, though: these events have returned MA's Natalie to the position of anti-heroine, like her aunt Tina, and I am enjoying every minute of it.

[Khan]

If that's true, though, then OLTL is suggesting that "Jess" can become "Tess" at will, which is another, perhaps lesser issue I have with the storyline thus far. IIRC, Viki never held any control, for lack of a better word, over any of her alters. That is what always made their re-emergences so terrifying to her.

[baller]

I heart Langston. She needs a storyline of her own.

So I was working on some clips and dude seriously this has to be the worst angle and outfit for Melissa EVER

[Juliajms]

^^ She doesn't look bad to me. I think some people are too hard on MA. She just happens to be blessed in certain areas and isn't rail thin, which makes her look bigger than she is, which still isn't big anyway, imo. It's just the camera is an unforgiving bitch.

IA that it would have been interesting if Tess hadn't emerged and Jess was the one going for revenge. At the same time, I think Tess is going to do things that would be so far out of character for Jess that it wouldn't have been believable for her to change that much so fast.Also, Tess has a tendency to hurt Jess just as much as she hurts anyone else, and I think that will probably happen again this time around. I would be in favor of Jess developing a darker side after she is reintegrated this time around though.