SOD Headlines

[rhinohide]

Back atcha Zendall Fan.

Except drunk Mary is impaired and unable to give consent to ANYONE! Marty just can't have consensual sex with Todd.

That's where I start to get bogged down and that's where I think RC got carried away by his own fantasies. You have to admit that on some level it's a really interesting dilemma (come on Zendall, you know I am getting to you just a little bit). As Marceline suggested, what if Marty never remembers the rape (although I certainly don't think that will happen.) No one is suggesting that this so-called impairment should prevent her from leading a fairly normal life and falling in love and re-establishing her relationships with Cole or Nora or John. She still has the capacity to make decisions, and feel emotions. It's only an impairment because it's taken down this wall that would prevent her from developing a relationship with Todd.

That's what chemistry junkies do. That's why I always have a problem with people who think stories should be changed just to accommodate perceived actor chemistry. TSJ and Bree have incredible chemistry. What if they deLorded Todd just so they could tell a romantic story with Jess and Todd? The story is paramount to me. Sure they can take note of actor chemistry and down the road when they're transitioning to new stories take that into consideration. But tell the dayum story you're telling and end it before you switch to a game of "follow the chemistry" because first of all, chemistry is subjective (I see no chemistry between SH and TSJ, or SH and anyone to tell the truth), and secondly, you find that these storylines shifts usually fail in execution. That's why taking two actors that have proven to have tremendous chemistry and success in a pairing on one show, and just moving them intact and pairing them together on another show so rarely achieves the same level of success. The chemistry is there, so it should work, right? But it doesn't, so how effective is chemistry as a measure of how successful a pairing will really be.

[Vee]

Only insofar as they both have been victimized by it.

You are not the only one who has watched and analyzed Todd for a long time. We all know he has a loyal and diverse and passionate fanbase. I think we both agree this undoes his character evolution on a disastrous, cellular level.

But if I really wanted to examine this in a profoundly partisan fashion, as you seem hellbent on doing, we could play tit for tat: You could say the endless T&B break-up come here/go away cycle led to the writers turning to more profoundly twisted or demented stories in desperation to sate a divided audience, which I think is what you're trying to say but I can't even begin to parse that logic and I think it's total bullshit. I could then say that Todd and Tea played a mutually tragic role in the "upping the ante" and perversion of Todd's character with increasingly outrageous schemes and actions: His faking of DID and feigning a history of childhood sexual abuse, a issue integral to his beloved sister Viki and a profound violation of her emotions, just to beat a kidnapping rap; his repeated physical assaults on Tea, including his punching her in the face and then romancing her as a "swarthy Frenchman." These kind of stories then led into Todd topping himself over and over: The Baby Jack story, outing Blair at their wedding, faking a mob threat, posing as Walker, trying to kill Margaret Cochran, assaulting Starr and Cole, re-raping Marty. You can make a case for this trend starting with Tea; his actions in 1998 make his previous "big deception," the kidnapping of Starr, look benign.

If I wanted to go at you with this - and I really don't - I could make that argument, and personally, I think it stands up. But the truth is, I don't believe in it. As far as I am concerned, neither of these female characters and neither couple is responsible for this state of affairs. Nothing Blair or Tea did to Todd's character, or how their romances developed with him, "made" the writers turn on their stories in the way they did. Nothing in Todd and Tea's early romance justified the ugly turn it took in which he threw her out naked into the street, or socked her in the jaw, or faked childhood abuse and DID to try and win her back. Nothing in Todd and Blair's romance justified the dead baby story, or the mob hit or the Walker fraud or anything else. And if we're looking at this story, this is just another "big Todd lie" in a long series going back over ten years. It has abused several female characters and exploited their fanbases. It is a global show issue, not a fanbase-centric one. It was none of their faults. It is on the production. And pointing fingers to claim it is about Blair or Tea is petty. It's not about them. It's not about us. It may not even be about Todd. It's about a show grappling with a character where they seem to always have to recalibrate "the line."

[marceline]

LOL! Imagine if you had wanted to go at me with that.

[Antoyne]

I don't feel bad for liking the story. Call me and others chemistry freaks or whatever you want, but just as much as you're allowed to be "disgusted" and however else you feel about this story; those of us who enjoy it are allowed to.

[AddictedToSoaps]

Exactly. Don't let other people's opinions or comments ruin your enjoyment of the story.

[Heatherhcb]

I have to laugh at anyone who thinks that there will be payoff for this...

Was there any payoff for the BE takeover. No is was resolved in 2 seconds by Nora.

Was there any payoff for Rex finding out that Shane was his son, no again instant forgiveness.

Nash is killed and we are subjected with Tess for weeks with nothing learned, gained, or revealed. Now Jess will lose her baby for the sake of Starr/Cole crap drama. Where is the payoff?!!!

I bet anything that Marty will forgive Todd and want to be with him.

Sorry I gave RC a chance- he just doesn't know how to write an interesting and complex storyline with payoff and consequences. I feel like I am watching a cartoon or painting by numbers when I watch OLTL. I don't see any drama or character struggles- I just see endless plot points and dumbed down characters.

I remember when I was compelely sucked in to OLTL, I felt what the characters felt. I understood why they did the things that they did and I actually sympathized with them. Sadly, I haven't felt that way in a long time. Soaps are dying because they are failing to connect with the audience. They choose shock value over substance and in the end they loose.

[Ms. Chandler Quartermaine]

Im sorry but...I miss Dena Higley..at least she never tried to pull this crap.

I dont care what anyone says, at least when DH was writing, although I was annoyed sometimes with her storyline choices...I was never disgusted or offended, and I was never bored.

Although Evangeline was my favorite character and even though im still pissed that she was comafied off the show, Im now glad that shes not on the show under RC, Im afraid of what he would have done to her (my head is spinning even thinking of the travesties he would have brought down on her). I bet RC would have put her & one of the " One Pure People " TOGETHER...lol...I can see it now, Evangeline fights for one of the members freedom although he was apart of the OPP that tried to kill her. He would probally kidnap her and torture her, but she would fall for him despite because she sees the good in him..lmao..thats the kind of bullshit I could see him trying to pull on Evangeline.

[Angela]

From Daily News

Tune in tomorrow: "One Life to Live" will go back to promoting the next day's episodes next week. "We have an amazing story coming in November, and we want the audience to get a sneak preview every day," says executive producer Frank Valentini.

[rhinohide]

I miss the previews. I feel like I have been ambushed each day when I tune in with no warning of what's going to be on. I need the previews so I can avoid certain things. Unfortunately, it appears they've stopped segmenting (I don't know how else to say it) the stories. For a while it seemed they aired the same storylines on the same days. Now they've begun mixing it up more.

Antoyne, you shouldn't. I hope my comment about "chemistry junkies" isn't what you were referring to. I think we're all entitled to enjoy whatever entertains us, and we're all entertained by different things. And even those of us who are entertained by the same things often have different reasons. It's unreasonable to make judgements about people because of their preferences about a soap opera.

[daysfan]

Oh, I'd never take Higley over Ron. NEVER. Her tenure on OLTL was one of the worst. While I still despise Todd and Marty having sex so much, I'd never take Higley back. I don't even want Ron fired, but if he ever is, OLTL could do better than her.

Edit: Not to mention, Dena's fond of rapists falling in love with the people they raped, too. Look at EJ and Sami on Days. Yes that may have not been a historic rape or anything, but its in the same boat IMO.

[asa]

One of the complaints I keep reading is that Todd will be beyond redemption. Isn't that the point?

It's alright to have characters that are beyond redemption. OLTL has truly lacked a true villain--someone so vile and repulsive that most everyone in the fictional town can't stand to be around them. There are moments of redemption for those characters that make their fans hope for the best but in the end that person is a villain.

I can't think of one time that Todd has ever been written as a straight-up nice guy. So I suppose my puzzlement over some of the negative reactions are due to people thinking Todd has ever been good. He's done some good but for the most part it's been all apart of something bigger and badder.

As for the payoff, I think most of Ron's storylines haven't hit the point of payoff. Gigi/Rex/Shane/Brody isn't over. Tess/Jared/Natalie isn't over. The payoff to all these storylines has yet to happen. We've been teased those payoffs but it's just bait. I'm not saying the payoffs will be satisfying nor am I damning/praising Ron, I'm just stating that it seems some of you think that these frontburner storylines are over or pretty much over and I'm telling you they aren't. Come back in December once November sweeps are done and state your case that there was no payoff when these storylines will most likely end and new ones will start up heading into the new year and February sweeps--which may be when these storylines have the ultimate payoff anyway.

[rhinohide]

Todd has become "grey" in the last few years. While never the hero he's certainly not a villain and I like him in that transitional role.

I thought this quote from TSJ was interesting/confusing

Todd Braces For The Worst!

Trevor St. John says that though the character is thickheaded, there is a line he wouldn't cross. TSJ (Todd)says "I don't think he'd rape anyone again;it was too traumatic for him. They've tried to work it in that it has caused a lot of issues-a lot of sex issues. He hasn't slept with anyone but Blair...since I've been on the show! And although "taking care" of amnesiac Marty is Todd's twisted way of making amends-both with her and himself-for his horrible crime years ago, TSJ knows the story won't end well for the character. TSJ says "It could be a really interesting task for the writers to figure out how to justify Marty sticking with me because she has to figure out the truth. If they could, it would be a wonderful story," he says of a Todd/Marty romance after the truth comes out. TSJ concludes "But I have know idea where they're going or how far they're going with it."

[Dan]

Since Roger and Holly were mentioned and me being the real-GL fan that I am, let me tell you that the GL story was far more realistic. entertaining and tasteful than this (or Luke and Laura for that matter) in quite a few ways.

1) Roger and Holly had always been played with equal parts love and hate. It was a passionate relationship on both sides of the divide. Not to mention that they were lovers and marrieds before the rape and although is does not negate the action or the feelings that it caused, neither Holly or Roger could completely forget the "good ol' days." Just watch that AMAZING scene at Cliff House before the "big" moment.

2) Roger and Holly made love 14 YEARS after the rape (almost 20 in storyline time). Holly had been softening toward Roger for four years before this because Roger had changed. Although he still did despicable things, he was more in control of his emotions. Even Ed admitted to Holly that it was almost impossible that this was the same man who raped her.

3) Michael Zaslow expertly played Roger's guilt at the event and his love for Holly. Sure he did horrible things, but when he told Holly he was sorry, you believed him. When he told her he loved her, you believed him.

4) Of course, Holly was also herself and not suffering from amnesia.

5) The rape was never forgotten. Holly NEVER got over it completely and it sabotaged any chance for them to have a meaningful relationship. In fact, the day AFTER the sex, Roger kisses a sleeping Holly, who waked up and shouted NO!

[Tishy]

Todd raped a woman named Carol Swift before he raped Marty. It came out in the trial. Plus, he tried to rape Marty again after he raped her the first time. Luna hit him with a pipe or wrench and that is how he got his scar. I don't buy this crap that it was too tramautic for him. If raping a woman was too tramautic for Todd, he would never have raped Marty in the first place. She was raped at the Spring Fling, she was raped when she had to relive it at her trial, she relived it when Todd attempted to rape her again and when she finally gets her memory back it will be like she has been raped again. Unless she has an alter named Marly who is friends with Niki Smith and Tess. At this point, I would believe anything

[jcar03]

Well to be fair she only continued what was already started over there.