OLTL: A Different View on Marty/Todd

[rangethatrover]

I think OLTL has been pretty damn good. Gothic, dark, violent, and character study-ish.

[Vee]

You're right, dear. It's not that serious, and I don't actually take it (or how I post here) that seriously. But you made one mistake: There is nothing moral about the way I behave here and I would never affix a 'moral arbiter' label to my attitude. I don't think I'm superior, either. My take is just what's expected from me. Don't take it personally.

I don't think it's wrong to enjoy this story or how it is currently playing. I am enjoying it at the moment. I simply do not think the run-up to where we are today was worth it. Now, if Sedrick has been watching the storyline throughout, I apologize for my presumption, but he initially gave the impression that he had just joined us after some time away from the show. No matter who it was, I would call bullshit on anyone (and I'm not saying Sedrick has) who came in saying, "well, I haven't watched in a long time but I just tuned in yesterday and I think the whole fuss over this Todd and Marty thing is no big deal. Look, they're already in the hospital!" Yes, it's all well and good that they are in the hospital now but did you watch during the afternoon delight picnics, or the makeout sessions, or so on and so on? That is my issue and I think anyone who tried to make that case would be full of it. There were real reasons for the feelings of outrage and disgust that this storyline has produced, throughout the scenes before John busted Todd, and no soap story exists in a vacuum; to say that those things are irrelevant to what happens this week means one must ignore how serial dramas work. And yes, I think such a person's opinion would have less validity. If I'm the only one who wants to say it out loud, then okay. However, if Sedrick has watched throughout, then I apologize to him.

[rhinohide]

I may have misunderstood. Please accept my apology.

[DeeeDee]

Pretty much!

[Dale]

Sedric, add me to the list that is enjoying OLTL. In fact, I can't remember the last time I was so invested in this show. No matter what you think of it, OLTL is certainly a hot topic these days and has people talking.

[SteveFrame]

I know that I am in the minority here, but I have spent an afternoon of skimming many of the eppys I have missed the last few months that I have on tape.

But I can now at this point in the game say that I understood why Ron did the things he did. Without those makeout sessions and the utter sickness of them the pay off would not have been as dynamic as it was. I am not sure I would have been as brave as Ron was to go for the extra punch and have Todd sleep with Marty but in the end it makes the payoff better too in that the fallout is going to be even greater due to that.

As I said somewhere else, I just don't even see how Vicki can whitewash this one. Todd stepped over the line - way over it. But this is so in character for Todd. I mean he took Blair's baby and sold it and told her the baby was dead. And most likely still to this day the baby would still be out there somewhere if he didn't find out the child was his.

All I know is I heard about these other things and read about them and I was angry even then - but after seeing them I was disgusted. And now I hate Todd even more than I ever did before.

It has been a long time since I have hated a villian on a soap opera as much as I do Todd right now and back in the 70's and on it was a normal feeling to feel for the victim and not for the victimizer.

For years now it has been the opposite. The villians are written in such a way that many root for them and make excuses for them - and root for them over the victim.

This time it is hard for anyone to feel sorry for Todd. I have not heard any of the Todd fan base weigh in on how they feel toward Todd other than them being mad at Ron for writing Todd this way. But this is really the way Todd has been written for years. He constantly does bad things. I guess there are those out there that will make excuses for Todd this time too just like they did when he gave Blair's baby away.

[Aaron]

I've had faith in this storyline all along. As a matter of fact, I made a post very similar to what Sedrick said a few weeks back.

It's SUPPOSED to be disturbing and difficult and complicated and uncomfortable. THAT'S the story. It's not a romance, it's a psychological drama, the kind of stories soaps used to excel at. And I've loved every minute of it.

And I totally expect, when the dust settles, that Marty will have some kind of romantic feeling toward Todd. I can't WAIT to see what she does with that, and how that will tear her up, emotionally. This whole situation takes the Todd/Marty relationship to new heights of disturbing, and adds a layer to one of the best long-standing rivalries soaps has ever had.

This story has always had enormous potential, I just wish more people had faith in following it through instead of abandoning the story in phase one.

This is the kind of soap opera I've wanted for years... the kind that is provocative, intriguing and emotional.

[dragonflies]

There was no need at all to go as far with this storyline as RC did, no reason AT ALL. The fallout still would have been just as good. Marty getting her memory back and finding out Todd kept her away from her son, and was manipulating her and feeding her a bunch of lies all that time. That'd be some damn good fallout.

There was no need for him to have Todd RAPE Marty AGAIN. This storyline has turned me off of OLTL for a long time to come. Unless Todd pays by losing Starr, Jack, Blair and everyone he loves, and is penniless and living in a cardboard box, then Todd hasn't paid

[daysfan]

I have been very on/off with the Marty/Todd story since it began in June. One minute, I just didn't care, I wanted Marty to leave again, one minute, I hated it, thought the story was pretty disgusting as much as I loved Ron. But then, it got intriguing, and there were some episodes that actually drew me in. I watched the story the whole way and I will sya some of the story actually had some very intriguing scenes, I mean I feel it really did. It was such an interesting dynamic.

Then later on, the news about the sex came. I was sick then, I had no problem displaying my disgust. Then, I watched the episodes leading up to it, and where Marty was in that revealing outfit in front of Todd, and my stomach was turning. I literally almost got sick at the end of one episode, and then later I saw them naked in bed. I felt it was too much at the time, in a way I still do. However, I won't lie and say that some of the scenes weren't intriguing. But I was overall disgusted.

And I still hold to something I've said for weeks: NO payoff will ever make up for this. None. Any HW can come in but no payoff will be enough.

However...the payoff that we did get? I feel that was excellent, I felt it was at least close to classic soap if not classic soap itself. Susan Haskell, TSJ, and even to some extent Michael Easton really pulled it off SO well. I will never forget Marty yell "ITS TRUE?!!?", it was breathtaking. The only regret I have is that(though maybe it was rightfully so) I was still so disgusted by them having sex that it downsized my enjoying of the scenes but I still loved them.

Was the payoff enough to make up for them having sex? No, but maybe thats the point here: I don't know, but maybe the point is is that there's not gonna be payoff that would make up for Todd basically raping Marty again, mentally and in a way physically.

But I stick to my statements that all of those episodes last week was soap at its BEST. OLTL has not been that good in MONTHS. Maybe not since the BE takeover, in fact probably not since the BE takeover. And combined it with all the OTHER good stuff that has been going on on OLTL lately, I know I personally loved it. Again, the sex was disgusting, but in my eyes that didn't take away from the greatness and powerfulness of those payoff scenes.

[Kstaff]

Well, I agree with the originator of this thread. Although I did cringe at the lovemaking (I just thought it was too much for those against the whole story), I think this whole fallout is well written. As more come to light for Marty, the uglier it seems it will get for Todd. He's at rock bottom. He has NO champion. Vicki probably won't even stick up for him anymore.