OLTL: Has anyone else given up watching this show?

[dragonflies]

I was all excited about OLTL not too long ago, it seemed like the show was heading in a good direction.

But now, the Todd/Marty stuff is the reason I've stopped watching. Sorry but yes Carlivati is a hack, the Todd/Marty ish is disgusting on so many levels I can't count.

How long before RC is fired? He sure isn't setting the ratings on fire

[DavidEvanSmith]

I've not been glued to it like I was for the BE takeover and Nash's death.

However I wouldn't go clamoring for Carlivati's firing. He's shown he understands the characters and their flaws, but somewhere along the way for the anniversary, he lost his way and has been struggling to get the show back together. So I'm going to wait and see if it can pull me back in. It hasn't today.

[YRBB]

One bad story doesn't mean the writer's a hack!

[DrewH]

I completely agree. And I wouldn't even say this is a bad storyline. I think it's a truly f*cked up storyline, a controversial storyline, and when's the last time that was shown on a soap opera? You know, there was a time when soaps were all about controversy. I know some can say that Carlivati is going for the shock value by pairing Todd and Marty together, which is what some have said, but I don't think that's what's going on here. I don't think he's trying to shock us at all. I think he's telling a very interesting story that shows how f*cked up Todd really is. He's lost everything, which he considers his family. That's everything to him. He has nothing else and is grasping at strings. At first, yes, taking Marty was about revenge, but from the time that he's spent with her, he's grown close to her. She has essentially become his family. And since that's missing, he'll accept that and go along with it because it's all he has. You do see him resisting at times and I think it's a good thing that they show that resistance rather than Todd just going in for the kill and romancing Marty. He knows this is wrong, but he wants to have someone in his life and right now, the only person giving him the time of day is Marty.

And then you have Marty, who has no idea what's going on, so it works. In a normal situation, Todd and Marty could never work. It should never work. But this isn't Marty right now. She has no idea about the rape. Until Marty's memory comes back, she's a completely new character with a clean slate.

Now, once Marty's memory comes back and she still wants to be with Todd, then I'll be on board in saying that this is a bad storyline.

But as of right now, I'm intrigued. Carlivati is giving me something no other writers are. Controversy.

I'm not giving up. I can't.

[Adam]

Exactly....

I am kind of disturbed on how fast people have turned on this guy. It kind of proves the daytime industry right. They are damned if they do damned if they don't. They actually go and promote someone from within, someone who knows the history and isn't burnt out, and then the minute something goes wrong they are ready to crucify him. I kind of sympathize with TPTB to a certain extent on that regard. I am not watching so I can't comment on the storylines, but I find it very hard to believe he has went from saviour to devil in all of a month. Some fans just need to give things some time....

[Toups]

Great post, Drew. We're on the same wavelength with this story.

I'm still watching the show everyday.

[dragonflies]

It's NOT 1 bad story, the whole 1968, Mendorra stuff, Tess ish, combined with the Todd/Marty stuff

I'm not, but many other writers have gotten their walking papers when they did NOTHING for the ratings the way RC hasn't........

[DrewH]

I also want to point out that I didn't watch the rape live like a lot of other viewers did. I watched the clips on YouTube, but I'm sure it was much more effective to those that actually saw the rape and saw the aftermath of the rape for years to come. So I cannot fault any of you guys for being disgusted by this storyline. That is your personal opinions based on your own values and such. That's fine.

It's sad, really. It's like, even when the daytime industry tries to give fans what they want, time passes and fans are still unpleased.

[Toups]

Many writers haven't gotten their walking papers either and they've been HWs for what, 4+ years? Guza, Passanante, Kreizman.

Carlavati has only been HW for about 9-10 months.

[DrewH]

Exactly. Even Hogan Sheffer, who had DAYS at the bottom of the barrell in ratings (although I enjoyed the stories at the time it was there) was given over a year before he was canned.

[operagirl1]

Between Todd & Marty and the tru wuv of Rex & Gigi being shoved down our throats every frigging day, I've just about had it. Maybe if the actors playing Adriana & Brody weren't wiping them off the screen, or the fact that Rex & Gigi are the smuggest assholes that ever s-mugged.

At least I know when Marty finds out Todd has been keeping Cole away from her she'll rip him a new @$$hole.

Gigi/Rex? Making Brody the bad guy is not a bad idea. He's too sympathetic, the love he has for Gig & Shane is more real to me than anything I'm seeing from Rex. And Rex being angrier at Adriana for not telling him about Shane, and giving a pass to Gigi about it is total crap. Gigi wouldn't even tell Rex until she had assurances from Rex that he loved her. Talk about selfish - Rex had a good relationship with Shane - but Gigi didn't care about that, it was only about her relationship with Rex. She should have put her son first - SEVEN MONTHS AGO.

Gigi not telling the truth - to her son, and Rex - Is like Babe keeping Miranda from Bianca. She is ruined forever for me. And Rex being such an entitled ass - and he still hasn't paid for keeping Tommy's secret, taking Todd's money, and getting Todd stabbed in the process - has ruined him forever for me too.

[Toups]

I agree that putting Gigi/Rex together so fast was a big mistake. They should've put Gigi/Brody together first and play the Gigi/Rex angst/longing for many more months.

[dragonflies]

I'm sorry Toupsy, but so? So because RC doesn't have the experience that makes him different somehow? The lack of experience is showing when it comes to OLTL IMO

I truly hope so, but I won't hold my breath, Marty has lost her tits and I don't see RC giving them back to her soon. I don't think it was RC's intention to have people turn on Marty the way they have Todd, but that's exactly what's happening.

Way to go Carlivati, you should be so proud

[DrewH]

I disagree. In today's soap world, couples are usually brought together in 3 months, and in that three months, they've made love, proposed and are usually married, and then on the brink of divorce.

With Rex and Gigi, Carlivati spanned this storyline out for almost a year. It's been so long since it has taken a whole year for a couple to come together.

But how can anyone truly turn on Marty? This isn't Marty, people! She has freaking amnesia. She doesn't know Todd Manning from Joe Stuart. That's why the storyline works.

[Sylph]

Well, yeah. I mean, the guy barely lasted a year or whatever. Take a look at Bill Bell: for decades he's been writing two shows simultaneously and did it splendidly for most of the time. Lorraine Broderick didn't falter after a year, Clarie Labine didn't... So what I'm trying to say: it can be done, people don't want a good six months or a year. They want at least two years.

This was like seeing a train plummet off a bridge so fast with such intensity it was barely believable.