Susan Haskell.....wow she's hot.

I wasn't shocked about Todd/Marty sleeping together because someone spoiled it for me.

I wasn't offended at all. It must be I didn't watch the actual rape and the aftermath.

Maybe that's why I'm not upset with this happening. I'm not emotionally connected to that storyline.

Also, I'm thinking of the aftermath too and it hasn't "crossed the line" for me yet. My line is if Marty gets her memory back and she still wants to be with Todd.

Never saw Jean Randolph before so that was interesting to see her for the first time.

Today was a very good episode and tomorrow looks like it's gonna be better: Viki finally realizes where Natalie/Jared is, John broke out of jail and is heading to Todd's place, something is "wrong" with Starr's baby, looks like Tess/Jess' baby is dead. Looks like things are heating up for sweeps! It should be a November to remember.

They're getting kinda lazy with the look of the alters, Jean has never looked cooler than she did in her first few scenes... chic, minimalist wardrobe with a short mauveish-grey wig. They ditched the wig like they ditched Niki's signature red wig... I digs the wigs.

I don't think you need to have watched the original story to be repulsed by a rape victim willingly sleeping with her rapist after months of psychological torture (and that's what this is, he denied Marty her child and her freedom). I was 9 during the rape story, I just barely remember it. I'm still disgusted.

It doesn't help that the stories have been stupid and boring for months now.

Maybe it's because I'm twisted, but as long as she doesn't have her memory, I don't mind watching Todd mind raping her. I'm eagerly anticipating the climax of this story and I'm enjoying the darkness of it all.

I just had a nasty thought. What if Todd got her pregnant there? OMG, I think OLTL might actually go there bc it would provide some drama for Marty and would be a parallel to the Cole/Starr story.

OK what's with the show recently using all these fantasy elements? Don't get me wrong, I love when soaps have weird dreams, etc. But to have Nicki drinking apparantly REAL wine and delivering Tess baby?? Even Vicki talking to her alter in the hospital in daytime, last week Marty, apparantly all sane, seeing a ghost baby... I dunno. It's a fine line to tread and sometimes can just seem lazy IMHO. I don't like it...

The PSA made this episode even more disgusting to me. It was as if they were admitting they went too far, when they didn't have to, so they added a PSA as bandage.

What was the PSA? It wasn't shown in Canada...

The PSA was a turn off (they should have just stuffed that in the hole their integrity went in when they wrote this) as was the sex and the prelude to it. It wasn't gothically dark, IMO, DAYS was gothically dark in 1994-1996 - this was just disgusting and unnecessary. I wonder how much better the episode would have been as a whole if OLTL didn't sink to the lowest common denominator with that story.

They're was something off-putting about all the multiple personalities as well. I don't know, it felt like a little too much - like they were laying it on too thick.

It just feels like lazy writing to me and (RIP) JER ish. To use the multiples as real people conveniently (why the Hell didn't Jean come to Vicki till now if she had a lesson to teach her? Why did it take this long for Nicki to come to Tess and change her ways??) whenever they want.

As for the rape story--I dunno I do think the actors make it sorta work for me, yet I totally get the backlash. However when fans of the story defend it as "gothic" and "wonderfully dark" it makes me kinda guffaw. Again it's EASY soap writing--it's far from brilliant, again in my mind, but Carlivati taking the easiest possible storyline, one other writers have managed to avoid for a decade, and just wallowing in it. It also makes me wonder if people really know what gothic means or if it's just a term they like to shuffle out to make it sound classier

The PSA was a turn off (they should have just stuffed that in the hole their integrity went in when they wrote this) as was the sex and the prelude to it. It wasn't gothically dark, IMO, DAYS was gothically dark in 1994-1996 - this was just disgusting and unnecessary. I wonder how much better the episode would have been as a whole if OLTL didn't sink to the lowest common denominator with that story.

I couldnt agree more.

I really loved this story at the start. It coulda been amazing and brilliant. if it had played out correctly, but it didnt. If they told some gothically dark story and dived into how sick and twisted Todd is i think it would have been an amazing storyline. But they didnt, and it fell flat. And furthermore it seemed like the show was trying tos ell the Todd/Marty romance to the audiance, instead of showing todd "romancing" Marty. If anyone egst that, i hope someone does because i cant think of how else to break it down.

I totally get it. That's one way they're playing it wrong I think--they're trying to show it as these two people who have had hard lives falling in love with each other--Marty helping Todd deal with his emotions, etc. And that really rings false.

Carlivati though has OLTL fans talking. It does not matter because there is so much debate/talk about this storyline. People love it or absolutely abhor it but they are still talking. During the Higley days people did not even talk about it or care about anything. The worst thing networks want to see is complete APATHY. That means you do not care one way or another about anything. It goes back to the JFP quotes of yesteryear. JFP had an infamous quote when she was at OLTL. When she split Bo/Nora up and made all those fans mad. JFP's motto is, " AN ANGRY FAN IS AN INVESTED FAN". Do you agree with JFP's quote?

Carlivati though has OLTL fans talking. It does not matter because there is so much debate/talk about this storyline. People love it or absolutely abhor it but they are still talking. During the Higley days people did not even talk about it or care about anything. The worst thing networks want to see is complete APATHY. That means you do not care one way or another about anything. It goes back to the JFP quotes of yesteryear. JFP had an infamous quote when she was at OLTL. When she split Bo/Nora up and made all those fans mad. JFP's motto is, " AN ANGRY FAN IS AN INVESTED FAN". Do you agree with JFP's quote?

talking is one thing.

watching is the important one.

talking is one thing.

watching is the important one.

BINGO! And I'm willing to bet that there are fans who watched the original s/l who are so put off and disgusted that they aren't watching now, my mom being one of those people.

Maybe it's because I'm twisted, but as long as she doesn't have her memory, I don't mind watching Todd mind raping her. I'm eagerly anticipating the climax of this story and I'm enjoying the darkness of it all.

Did you HAVE to use the term "climax". I just threw up in my mouth a little.

It just feels like lazy writing to me and (RIP) JER ish. To use the multiples as real people conveniently (why the Hell didn't Jean come to Vicki till now if she had a lesson to teach her? Why did it take this long for Nicki to come to Tess and change her ways??) whenever they want.

It's either too clever for me, or incredibly lazy. Made worse by the fact that one of Jessica's splintered personalities is hallucinating about one of Viki's splintered personalities. It's not even the real Nikki Smith! (which I admit is yet another oxymoron).

Edited November 7, 200817 yr by rhinohide

I'm the worst kind of viewer...sporadic. I didn't even realize yesterday was a "special" episode when I turned to Soapnet last night.

OH. MY. GOODNESS.

Riveting television. Edge of your seat. Those births everywhere. That freaky alter with Tess/Jess. Viki seeing an alter. Dorian in that hat. Todd and Marty, with flashbacks to the rape to REMIND us how bad it was. (They are NOT trying to sugar coat this, folks...or they wouldn't show the old rape....they are getting us ready for a massive Todd downfall. And it will be EVEN MORE devastating to Todd, because having felt Marty's love, he will see how much he squandered decades ago in that frat house...and ever since. THAT is the point. Kudos to TSJ for playing everying tortured beat on his face).

Without having watched regularly before, and not really being spoiled, I can STILL see where I think all this is going. You better believe I will be watching Friday.

If you can step back from this a bit (which I can, since I'm not a regular viewer), you will see that this is one of the most engaging, entertaining, mind-captivating episodes of any soap in ages.

For those who cannot tolerate the rape story, believe me when I say...I totally believe that yesterday was meant to telegraph just how destroyed Todd will be at the end of this. RC has a point...an endpoint...that is going to make this all worthwhile. You can feel it!