ATWT: Week of December 29, 2008

[BinkyMimo88]

TRUFAX.

I'd probably like Noah if he was played by a different guy. It's happened before to me. Just like re-casting a character I used to like with a bad actor can make me lose all interest.

But I don't want to lobby for Jake's firing, that seems a little mean to be so direct about it. I mean, I know getting rid of the Noah character would result in his being let go, but saying we just don't like Noah, and want him gone, seems less malicious than, "Jake sucks", though we are basically saying the same thing.

Did that make any sense?

It's sad that I want Luke with a 50 something year old v. someone his own age, but LL is a way better actor, and Van's acting IMPROVES when he's around stronger actors. Likewise it plummets when he's around weaker ones.

[EastMA2]

Agreed. Whenever I email about Nuke, I always mention that it is the lack of chemistry between the 2 actors that I take issue with. I don't consider that hate mail and I always mention an alternative - such as that I see much more chemistry between the actors who play Luke and Brian so it is obvious that I am not against a same sex relationship. Or other times I have mentioned in emails that they should bring back the Kevin character and revisit his relationship with Luke. Even the Kevin/Luke stuff was much hotter than anything Nuke.

As for a Noah recast - that might work. I never really thought of that. Because like you, my biggest problem with the Nuke pairing is the lack of talent on Silbermann's part. He really drags Hansis down.

[Soapsuds]

Ditto to both posts...couldnt agree more!!

One thing I wanted to add was the writing for Nuke. Ms Q said if they got better writing she could root/tolerate them. But the writing is always bad for them. The writing has been so much better for Luke & Kevin and Luke & Brian. I am going to repeat this until I am blue in the face but Noah and Luke's setup was badly done. They never got the proper setup for a potential super couple as some at other boards claim they have. Seriously, Luke looked at Noah one day at WOAK and said, "Why can't I have someone..like him..yadda..yadda.... Then boom he was in love with Noah without a hello who are you...what are you wants..etc..etc...talk...we got none of that. They kissed first to please the Nuke fanbase. No real substance in their relationship. Their pairing is so unreal..meaning their courtship..and not them being a same sex couple.

[All My Shadows]

Luke is a Stewart, I tell ya! He and Ali should so switch families, if they want to make Ali a goody girl all of a sudden.

Right. It's important to let them know that you aren't against Luke with anyone, you're just completely upset (or disappointed by or whatever) with Luke and Noah as a couple. There are indeed some of us out here who don't buy into all the hype and would rather see Luke in a relationship that is actually built on something.

Soapsy, we are soulmates when it comes to this Nuke stuff! You say exactly what I feel! And it's true! Luke and Noah came from nowhere. The only "build up" to Nuke, the only "anticipation," it didn't exist on the show. It existed in magazines, on message boards, and in other media. There was no build up to Nuke on the show at all, it was all on the outside. It was all about how ATWT was gonna do a gay couple. And so ATWT threw them together to say "Look, we did it!" and that's it. It's bull [!@#$%^&*]! As a person who doesn't believe in labels for sexual orientation, it appalls me that they are proud of what they're putting out there. Luke was a total bitch to Noah in their meeting, and then all of a sudden he's falling for him? WHY did he fall for him? WHAT reason? They are the EXACT same thing as ANY other insta-couple, but because they're gay, it's quite okay! People have fucked up double standards, let me tell you.

And you take the story with Kevin. We had scenes were Luke explained to people WHY he had feelings for Kevin. We knew it! We saw it! We saw that his attraction to Kevin was not only physical, but it was also in the inside. THAT is the coupling that we should be celebrating right now. NOT superficial, out-of-nowhere Nuke. Nuke is complete clap trap and I'll no longer have a part in supporting them. Okay! Thank you! Good-bye!

[Faulkner]

I started watching ATWT regularly again a few weeks ago, and Oh. My. God. What has happened to this show? It is just dreadful. There isn't a single story that seems to work (or last longer than a week or so). And it seems like every other actor is a recast, and none of them are particularly good. Jon Lindstrom as Craig is a calamity.

The Brian/Luke thing is entertaining in a seedy way, but it doesn't really make sense. And it's really depressing to see Lucinda Walsh go from this powerful, forceful CEO to this sad rag of a woman. If anything, this should be her story, not Luke's or Brian's.

[P.J.]

Yep...and boy, oh boy, does Nuke Nation hate it when you point out that most of the commotion over Nuke was generated by their campaigning and whining about the "kiss ban". Do they REALLY think anyone in the press was just itching to write about a couple of characters on a soap opera??? No one had even heard of the group threatening to protest Luke coming out or getting a boyfriend, until Nukers spread the news far and wide. I remember the days when the Moral Majority or little ol' housewives would start complaining about shows they hadn't ever seen (like Soap or I think Married with Children was targeted too...) and this certainly wasn't that.

Yep...another ABC refugee that sucks. Yeah, he's not helped by the writing at all...but there is something utterly bloodless about Lindstrom's portrayal that just leaves a sour taste in my mouth whenever I see him on screen.

As for today's show....other than Ali and Casey...a complete waste of time. I'm wondering why they even bothered bringing Maddie back, she's a pathetic heap of a girl. NuJade is so bland, she makes Elena Goode look good, and OMG, Luke wandering around town drunk after two glasses of champagne and literally stumbling into a bench...path-et-tic. It was so bad...I actually loved it when Noah screamed "DON"T TOUCH ME!!" and slammed out of the house. The writing for Luke continues to suck...I think my eyes rolled completely around when he dramatically told Jade he was "sick of being called a LIAR"....like...HELLO, you little twit....you rigged an election, and you're drinking again...what are people supposed to do, clap you on the back and praise your honesty???

[All My Shadows]

Exactly. The press couldn't care less about Nuke. Nuke captivated no one! They only made mainstream (i.e. not GLAAD's site, not AfterElton) media because a bunch of folks wanted to see them kiss. As if those folks hadn't already watched the first kiss 15893450 times each. It bugs! Bugs!! Nuke is going to make me drink.

[Soapsuds]

P.J., I love your posts. You always say what's on your mind whether its popular or not.

[P.J.]

LOL....I often prove I have no filter between my brain and my mouth. Here's an opinion that's not popular, I think Jake Silbermann has potential to improve his acting. I think if he got away from Hansis, and out of that storyline (one I think it's obvious he's uncomfortable in), I think he'd be a decent actor. I always thought it was a shame he was immediately pigeon-holed as "Luke's boyfriend", instead of testing his chemistry with Alex Chando's Maddie first.

Hansis, OTOH, needs someone to kick him out of his hammy over-acting. I don't think they bother to, because TIIC want Luke to be seen as "emotional" aka "non-threatening" to viewers that just don't want to see gay characters.

[Soapsuds]

Why did Jake take the job then if he is so uncomfortable in the role?? I would have rather seen him with Alex Chando's Maddie than Luke.

Oh boy has Hansis acting gone over the top. I dont know why it has gotten so over the top.

[All My Shadows]

I can agree with this, I think. Silbermann isn't the worst that the show has gotten in the last couple of years (Lorenzo Lamas's son, anyone?), and there's always room for improvement, but like you said I get a feeling of discomfort sometimes with him as Noah. And you know, maybe it's because he, as an actor, doesn't know what to pull Noah's attraction to Luke from. We complain about not knowing where it came from, imagine how it would feel to be under pressure to play this amazinggreatfabulouswonderfulgroundbreakingincrediblehotterrific relationship without knowing exactly why your character supposedly loves the other character.

quartermainefan talked in the other thread of some YouTube clips of Jake in a play or something, but I haven't come across them, so if anyone finds them, please post a link.

That's why I love it when he's with Liz Hubbard. It's like she wordlessly tells him...Look, boy, there's room for one diva in this room, and if anyone's gonna slur through their lines and be fabulous, it's me. Got it!?

[Soapsuds]

[P.J.]

Well, yeah, I'm not saying Silbermann would win any awards. Look how Zach Roerig and Billy Magnussen have grown in the role of Casey. But the pressure of being in "the big gay story" and then not getting consistant airtime to develop the character, along with shitty writing....I think it hampers young actors more than we realize.

[Soapsuds]

You are getting too soft now that the New Year is coming around. I've actually had forgotten about Zach in the role as Casey. I prefer Billy's version better. Zach's Casey was always a whiner...LOL.

[DeeeDee]

Liz is like that with everybody.