B&B: Sadism in the Afternoon

[marlenadlc]

Remember the Dark Knight in Monty Python on the Holy Grail? The character who had his legs and arms cut off and still whistled a happy tune? That's to whom veteran critic Marlena De Lacroix compares Bridget Forrester on B&B, after dozens of painful characters abuses such as losing her man to mother Brooke and having secret love rival Katie perform her new marriage to Nick. Is she the most tortured soap heroine ever? And can we the audience stand her humiliation? Ouch!

http://www.marlenadelcroix.com

[Sylph]

Oh, Bridget... My favourite B&B character. I'm going to read the column now.

[Toups]

This Bridget/Nick/Katie storyine is so incredibly bad.

Great column, Marlena.

[BlairNLorenzofan]

I disagree,Bridget is a grown woman,if she was smart sh´d moved on a long time ago.

[Cat]

I personally think Ashley Jones is better, sweeter and more relatable an actress than snooty Jennifer Finnigan. There, I've said it.

As for Bridget, I would love it if B&B took the time out to showcase a Bridget meltdown -- complete with psychotic episodes which she manages to hide from her loved ones (at first). I'd like it to culminate in Bridget threatening to cut off Ridge's balls, slicing Brooke in the shoulder and then going after Nick and Katie -- all with a rather large machete.

Then we would have psychiatric reatment and a slow rebuild of a stronger yet more fragile Bridget. Back to the heroine who has been through a lot but come out stronger as she steels herslf not to make the same bad choices she keeps making. Unfortunately, Bradley Bell cannot seem to envisage the Bridget character without that blowhard Nick to save her poor widdle self.

[Darn]

The problem is that no one really cares about Ashley Jones' Bridget, that's why she been so abused and very little uproar has resulted from it. When Jennifer Finnigan's Bridget was reeling from Brooke affair with Deacon we felt her pain, we rooted for her, we wanted Brooke to hurt. Because JF was an amazing actress, the same can't be said for this also-ran.

[Sylph]

I like Bridget. I care for Bridget. And Ashley Jones is great.

[David V]

I agree. Ashley Jones isn't the worst out there but she can't hold a candle to Jennifer Finnigan, who put in sterling performances all through her time on B&B. Finnigan brought some kind of charisma to the role I don't find with Jones.

[Sylph]

Ewww... Jennifer Finnigan was the worst!

[brimike]

Man, I could have easily guessed that you hated JF, Sylph.

I don't know why. It just seemed so like you.

(ANd no... that's NOT a veiled insult. Just an observation.)

[nicknack]

IMO, Bridget is where she is largely because of JF. I think Bell never cared about Bridget and instead tried very hard to make first Deacon and Amber and then even Deacon and Brooke are serious supercouple, but JF held her own and therefore people didn't just forget about her and didn't accept all these characters just walking over Bridget unscathed. JF made Bridget into a fixture, somebody who had to be respected at least a little bit rather than ending up like Kimberly (remember her? The "good girl" in the previous Amber triangle?).

I think AJ is doing a decent job carrying on the character. Her Bridget seems softer, both in the good and the bad way. On the bad side, well, she is even more of a doormat than JF's Bridget was, but on the good side she fits better into romantic storylines.

JF sometimes had a similar quality to Heather Tom that a lot of her romantic pairings didn't feel that believable. Her and Deacon worked because SK was a strong actor and she played it as Bridget's first, naive love. But most of the other pairings they tried to put her in, it just didn't feel believable that JF's Bridget would ever bother with a guy like that (remember Ozzie?), that she would be trusting enough to let herself go again.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Jennifer Finnigan is the ONLY Bridget to me. There was a certain raw and emotional element to her portrayal that made me not want to take my eyes off of her. I've never cared for Ashley Jones, I didn't like her on Y&R, and I don't like her on B&B. In find her dull and boring. I also don't think she has chemistry with anyone on B&B.

[nicknack]

IMO JF had a raw strenght to her. Susan Flannery has it too. Heather Tom also had it. It's fascinating to watch, but usually it is just that strenght that makes these kind of actresses not work in romances.

[JackPeyton]

Very true. I never thought about that. But i dont think i have ever cared for any of them in a romantic storyline. Intersting...

I love Ashley Jones. I think she is doing great as Bridgett, but Jen will always be Bridgett to me.

[Cat]

That's a very interesting perspective because that's not the vibe I got at all! I never got the impression that Bell never cared about Bridget and JF -- quite the opposite, actually! She was like Amber during her first few years on the show. And pimped in promos and by the show as the new female lead. Heck, they even paired her with her daddy/brother Ridge -- and before Jack Wagner showed up, Ronn Moss was B&B's one-and-only Leading Male.

In my personal opinion, I found JF to be a scenery chewer on B&B. And gave off a rather snotty vibe. Ashley Jones is less Little Miss Perfect and therefore a lot more relatable, IMO.