Knots Landing

[FrenchBug82]

Ironically Falcon Crest has my favorite last scene of a primetime soap so there you have it. Their last season was considerably worse than even KL Season 13 had been. An embarassment. 

The KL finale was actually decent enough. Abby being behind the takeover attempt was a fun twist and her visit was definitely the highlight. The last scene worked too with the right tone.

All the things that were wrong with the finale are the things that were wrong with S13-14. Some of these side characters needed their stories wrapped too, whatever we thought of them, but I would have wrapped them up in the penultimate episode and let the last hour be fully on the "Major Cast" and give us longer scenes between them.

One really stupid thing that has driven me nuts for twenty five years: the Abby/Paige interaction in the finale is great. But when Abby asks Paige if she is still sleeping with Greg, Paige responds: "Once every morning, once every night, twice on Saturday".
Color me stupid but if she sarcastically says she sleeps with him every morning and night then she is already saying she is sleeping with him twice every day, not just Saturday. It is supposed to be a clever line but it makes no sense.
Yes I am nitpicking.

[DemetriKane]

@Soapsuds I plan to watch some tonight.

 

[Chris 2]

Me too. I watched a little this morning, and realized how the show kind of lost me in season 4, what with the quick wrap up to the Nazi treasure plot, sexy Connie Giannini going after Chase (note to Connie: you can do way better!),  and new Big Bad Anne Archer delivering every line through pursed lips.

Not sure I can make it through a season with Melissa’s slutty cousin, Emma’s “Dukes of Hazard” boyfriend, and Abalonia.

[Soapsuds]

I don't recall anything from season 5.  The premier episode ff six weeks ahead after the explosion... What a waste! They skipped the beats to the cliffhanger ......lazy writing.

Edited March 1, 2022 by Soapsuds

[Chris B]

I seem to remember that season being in two parts with the story pivoting at some point. I remember loving one half of it, but I can’t remember the particulars of it.

[Soapsuds]

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[Khan]

When I think about why I still love KL, especially its' early years, I think of moments like that.  KNOTS could gut-punch you with drama in ways that the other primetime soaps couldn't.

[Soapsuds]

I loved it too. The days before the spoilers. A very good cliffhanger.

That episode ranked #19 for the week with a 18.5 rating. The next episode which is the fallout ranked #11 with a 20.3 rating.

[Chris 2]

Now, Lilimae, I know you meant well, but that wasn’t the right thing to do.

That said, if you had aimed for Diana, that I could get behind.

[Soapsuds]

Haha..I hated Diana!  Didn't Lilimae slap her once?

[Khan]

I think everyone slapped Diana at one point or another.

KL really miscalculated how much the audience cared about that brat.

[Chris 2]

Diana reminded me of Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) on One Day at a Time. The rebellious, antagonistic daughter who was irritating.

[Soaplovers]

KL should have made her a mini Abby in training.  Imagine Karen raising a mini Abby (Diana) and Abby raising a mini Karen (Olivia).

The idea was touched on some with Diana going to Abby for advice/comfort...while Olivia would go to Val and, to a lesser extent, Karen.

I'm glad the show remembered Olivia and Val's bond...where Olivia went to Val for advice on her marriage.  A small scene..but showed how close the two were even if not in scenes as much in later seasons.

I also liked seeing the day to day things all the characters did...Lilimae and Val at the grocery store...Abby/Gary taking Olivia and Brian to a fast food restaurant.

Also one time Abby knew how to make fries..and Greg asked how she learned it..and she said 'I worked at a fast food restaurant' when I was young.  Showing Abby still had a bit of working class in her.

Those little moments made them more relatable.  Could you imagine Blake or Krystal at a fast food restaurant..or Alexis at the supermarket?

[Cat]

I remember watching that episode back in 2014, when I started watching Knots Landing for pretty much the first time ever (though I was aware of its existence growing up). The scene was shocking because it was an unplanned, impulsive act that came from left field. While Chip was a serial killer in the making (and therefore no loss to anyone except knowingly-self-deluding Diana), Lilimae was one of the fundamentally decent characters. Not a great mother, yes, but she wasn't evil or plotting to destroy someone. But she did have this impulsive, untameable heart under that church lady exterior. And her hitting him came from a decent place in the sense that she couldn't fathom this man (who had initially charmed her) was going to get away with killing Ciji.

I love early Knots Landing: David Jacobs' opus. I wouldn't have appreciated it as a kid: the shades of grey, the unpredictability of life suddenly striking someone out of the blue, bad things happening to good people. Watching it older, as someone who works in finance & economics, I was struck by Ciji's story, how she was this beautiful girl with an amazing singing voice but who had no true agency, no money nor power. How she was exploited economically by various people on the show for her voice. And then cast aside. And then brutally, shockingly murdered while pregnant. I appreciated that Jacobs wanted viewers to be shocked, to care about Ciji's fate. Even in this charming suburban cul-de-sac, these things happened, reminding you of what some people are capable of. Especially when money or status is involved. 

As for Diana, I felt this was someone who wanted to be deluded by Chip. She was 100% committed to him, to the lie, like a devoted cult follower. She'd be by his side right through to the end, the loyal henchwoman making sure the acolytes would be literally drinking the kool-aid!

[YRBB]

That is easily one of the top 10 best moments from any of the Big 4. A triumphant culmination of unexpected drama, acting, shooting, editing, and music. Its execution as thrilling and unexpected as what was happening. And those little details like Diana's scarf floating into view as the camera pans to Lilimae which you can't imagine happening on any of the other soaps. I will never get over it.