B&B and Raya Meddine

[MarkH]

So, I seem to be one of the few who liked Y&R's Sabrina from the beginning. I liked that she was cultured, gracious, knowledgeable about art and the larger world. I never for a second believed she was a gold digger.

I think strategic mistakes were made at Y&R, in terms of rushing her relationship with Victor, the "french" thing, and the ill-conceived (pun intended) pregnancy. Had they allowed Sabrina to exist in GC for a year BEFORE her romance with Victor (half a year as a supportive friend to Victoria; half a year with interactions with Victor that grow slowly closer, BUT WHERE FRIEND AND FATHER BOTH FIGHT THEIR ATTRACTION FOR VICTORIA'S SAKE), neither of the "icks" would have happened.

The French thing, I believe, emerged out of the Eric-Raya dynamic...but unfortunately what they found charming between them, the audience found affected and irritating. (Not me, I must confess: I thought it showed one of the many bases for their compatibility. Plus, I liked practicing my French by listening to them).

Finally, the pregnancy. Sigh. Here they lost even me. Since most of us KNEW Victor could not father a child, Sabrina's pregnancy smelled rotted from the get go. Was she cuckholding him? If yes, had Victor FORGOTTEN his sterility (an epilepsy byproduct?). Or was the regime at Y&R SO history-bankrupt that they had FORGOTTEN two vasectomies. If yes, as Sara Bibel, it signalled DEEP creative problems at Y&R.

In the end, the retcon (Victor had a "quiet" vasectomy) COULD have worked, but it should have been explained right away. (The obvious gambit: After Nick "died", when Victor left to look for Victor Jr., he realized he needed another chance and impulsively had it done...he could never tell Nikki, because by the time he returned from points unknown, he had spied Nikki kissing Chow on the internet).

These three mistakes (rush, Friench, pregnancy) killed the show. I agree that killing Sabrina has turned out to be a better choice. But....

I like Meddine. I like her grace, her European chic, her serious sincerity.

And that got me to thinking....we have all been calling for the return of "camp" to B&B. Return of the House of Spectra I have said (and others) many times.

Maybe that is the wrong direction...maybe that is reheated leftovers.

What if a new adversary for Forrester, in the form of a SERIOUS French fashion house seeking to expand into the US, was introduced. And what if the CEO and head designer was a French former fashion model played by Meddine?

And what if Meddine played her role DEADLY serious? Not a campy rival for Forrester, but a SERIOUS contender, maybe with an unexplained grudge. Without violence or psycho, this could be the contender that totally made Forrester sweat.

This would introduce a darkness and sobriety--in the corporate sphere--that B&B needs. Meddine could also help ground the often untethered show.

I suppose my idea would get an audience of one?

[Cat]

Meddine is Lebanese! I just found that out yesterday and thought I would share (I thought she was Tunisian or Algerian).

I think a fashion family of Persian or middle eastern descent would be new to Daytime (GH:NS excluded). LA has a very dynamic and family-oriented Persian community. Many of them are or were in the textile business before leaving Iran (usually cosmopolitan Tehran), and a lot were educated in France, sometimes in that very trade.

I think Raya could work brilliantly with an actress like Shohreh Aghdashloo playing her mother. The name may mean nothing to you, but she was on the TV show 24 as part of a husband-and-wife terrorist cell and had a guest spot on Grey's Anatomy. She has a VERY distinctive look, like an older Catherine Zeta-Jones, and a gravelly voice that purrs. She would make a great, seductive, older femme fatale. She could also pass for French.

But I definitely agree with you about the need to bring "sobriety" to B&B and have a counter-balance to Forrester-Logan Creations. Raya, coupled with one or two members of her family PLUS Clarke and possibly CJ as the "Meddines" gobble up Spectra/Jackie Fashions in a bid to settle a long-standing grudge against those clueless US upstarts.

[Greg's GL]

^^^ I'm not a regular viewer of B&B, but as far as RM goes, I never hated her on Y&R either. I made several posts that her relationship with Victor and Victoria were interesting to me.

That being said, I think you have a great idea Mark. She could work on B&B in that type of role (some other good suggestions as usual by Cat). It would probably make me tune in more often...

[MarkH]

Yes...she did live in France though, right?

Oh, what a terrific idea. Aghdashloo is still too hot in primetime and films...she wouldn't do it...but I LOVE her. What was that film she was Oscar nominated for? BREATHTAKING. And she fronted my FAVORITE season of 24.

Except now I'm all hooked on the idea of CJ becoming flamboyantly gay...Sally's TRUE heir. So he won't work in the "serious" Spectra mode for me anymore .

[Cat]

Don't know. Lebanon was a French mandate for a long time -- Beirut was known as the Paris of the east -- and many Lebanese, both young and old, speak French fluently.

House of Sand and Fog with Ben Kingsley? She was a force of nature in that film.

I only saw the first episode of "that" 24 season but I got shivers at the scene where the TV news announces a bombing in LA -- and she continues eating, a small smile playing on her lips.

Yes, she probably is too hot in Primetime to ever lower herself to Daytime. And good for her.

It could still happen. CJ as Raya's executive assistant. He can be flamboyant *and* the new Spectra outfit could still be serious boardroom stuff. That balance would be a good way of melding the past with the future. Plus Mick Cain struck me as a thoughtful actor -- I doubt he'd over-ham.

[DavidEvanSmith]

I love every single idea in this damned thread!