OLTL: Why is the David is a Buchanan storyline being dragged out so long?

[dragonflies]

Seriously why? I read that Tuc Watkins said he knew back in 2003 they were going to make David a Buchanan, and the Buchanans have known since, what Mid 2007?

Why is this being drug out?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It doesn't help that Tuc comes and goes as he wants. He's OLTL's Eden Riegel. He needs to either stay or go, I hate it when people treat soaps as their fallback plan. I find it funny that he doesn't seem to get nearly as much flack as Eden gets.

[dragonflies]

LOL yeah true. They can still do the revelation of it on David's end though

[SteveFrame]

I just don't get why people want things to wrap up neat and tidy so quickly these days.

I am a firm believer in what Agnes Nixon said when she said to make them wait. The biggest problem on most soaps right now is things happen way too fast. I am personally glad that they are using this for a long period and letting more people find out about it slowly.

In the past I have waited 10 years for some stories to climax. It took almost 9 years for all the parties to find out Mike Horton was not Mickey's son on Days. And the true parentage of Phillip Spaulding was a big secret for many many years. With both of those each year more and more people learned about it. The story got the mileage it deserved and the treatment it deserved.

[daysfan]

I like how the storyline has been written, but I think it would have been finished *LONG* ago if Tuc was here full time. I thought it was over last Summer when the Buchanans found out, but they decided to continue it at the very end of the year.

It has been going on for a loooong time now, since like 2005 or 2006. For awhile Spencer thought he was Asa's son and was on the rage against the Buchanans, then it was revealed David was the Buchanan heir in mid-07, then in November of 07 the Buchanans found out there was a hidden heir and Jared found out who it was through Nigel and Alex and impersonated the heir until Summer of 08 when Dorian revealed Jared was a fraud and Natalie and Jared told them that it was really David, then it was actually forgotten for awhile until Asa's will came up again.

[SteveFrame]

Look how long the search for Asa & Renee's true son took though. It had quite a few turns too.

[jcar03]

Probably because David is more entertaining then Bianca is.

[dragonflies]

Where did I say I wanted it wrapped up neat & tidy?

Tuc coming and going, I'm sure he'd stay longer if they were gonna have David find out, he sounds like he is looking forward to it.

[All My Shadows]

That's how I wanted the story with Shane's paternity to play out. I wanted Gigi and Brody to play house with the kid for years and then have the truth come out. If Brody and Gigi had gotten married, it would have no doubt destroyed their marriage. Shane would be in his late teens or early 20s by then (depending on the degree of SORASing they'd do), and so he'd be hell on Earth. It wouldn't be that the storyline itself would go on for 5-10 years. There simply wouldn't be a storyline, no constant hush-hush about who Shane's real father is. Gigi would get comfortable with her life, and other storylines would happen. Extramarital affairs, maybe? Medical issues with the kid? And then, when it's the right time, something compels Gigi to tell the freaking truth. And the ish hits the fan. That would have kicked ass, but nooooooo. Every storyline has to have a definite start and stop. You know, just like how everything in your life starts and stops at definite points.

The David storyline wouldn't feel so dragged out if there wasn't constant hush-hush/nudge-nudge/wink-wink (feel free to insert your own term here!) about the truth. If they just let it go...just let David stay away for several years, let the Buchanans go on with their lives, let Dorian go on with her life, etc, it would be much more interesting to see the truth come out. And, plus, it would make more sense if David became a hardcore Buddhist over several years as opposed to several months. I don't know what's more ridick...that he became a full-fledged Buddhist in just a couple of months, or that he became the star of a TV show in just a couple of months. And they say that David Vickers isn't a joke! HA!

[Dr Neil Curtis]

David is way more entertaining than Binky. Also I don't think Tuc Watkins or Eden Riegel treat soaps like its their fall back, I look at it as true commitment to return to a soap everytime they call them back, especially with Tuc being on the successful Desperate Housewives. The longivity of the story is awesome to me, it reminds me of the old days when stories took forever to come out instead just short weeks or months. I don't know the problem people have with OLTL, but I love every storyline, character, setting, etc. Ron is doing a marvelous job to me. complete 180 from Dena Higley S***!!!

[DRW50]

I think the big reason some fans get fed up with the pacing of some stories is because the beats are wrong. If people keep secrets for illogical reasons, then viewers stop feeling invested. Or if there's no payoff after the secret is revealed, because everything has become about the secret, viewers stop feeling invested.

I don't know if there was a big reason given for the secret of David's paternity to last this long, beyond the Buchanans telling us that David is evil. David has been put in comedy storylines to mark time on each of his last returns. By this point, since Tuc only returns for limited runs, viewers may know that there will never be any real payoff to the story. And if the story has a cute ending like David turning out to be Bo's son (since Rex/Young Bo slept with David's mother in 1968), then all this was for nothing.

There are other stories which seem to have no payoff, like Marty's return or what Todd did to her, or Rex being Shane's father, but that's not to say the show isn't entertaining. The day to day episodes are entertaining more often than not. The long-reaching arc of the show is more murky. That's why I don't know if "make them wait" works for the current OLTL, because I think viewers end up waiting for exploration they're never going to get.

[Cheap21]

I was fine with the story up until this stupid Buddha stuff. It needs to end already bc this latest incarnation of it has shown what can happen when you drag something out to long. It seems as if they are now dragging it out just for the sake of dragging it out and thinking up silly and stupid ways to do so.

[Toups]

I'm enjoying David Vickeroshi and all the Buddism stuff. OLTL is only show that provides humour on a steady basis, and that is something I miss from Passions. I find Carlivati's silly humour a bit similar to Jim Reilly's.

I'm actually going to make David Vickeroshi edits when I get the chance.

[RoseVioletDaisy]

The Buddhist stuff has gone on way too long. It was good for four to six jokes, not four to six weeks worth of them. It might have been more interesting if David had become grounded in a less stereotypical and silly portrayal of Buddhism. He just went from one extreme of behavior to another, with no genuine self-actualization in between. This would be far more compelling if his transformation had been more realistic and sincere and there was a serious question as to how he'll eventually react to the big revelation and to Dorian's manipulation of him. As it stands, it looks like the reveal will be handled as a big joke rather than as an earth-shattering bombshell that's been simmering for years.

[DeeeDee]

Yep.