Passions Discussion Thread

[Marlenaphan]

Two of the backers contributed $5000 each! Daaaaamn!!!

[Marlenaphan]

I would love to see a Passions revival for its 20th, but I don’t know who could write it as well as the late, great, genius Jim Reilly.

[John]

Im sure a writer could be found to do this justice and without the bigotry that came from JER

[Marlenaphan]

 

There wasn’t any bigotry on Passions, lol 

 

The black, Hispanic, and Wiccan families were major players on the show.

Edited June 10, 2019 by Marlenaphan

[John]

The show had women as victims of Violence and rape as a constant. The LGBT representation. Vincent/Valerie were Villians and so was simone's GF, Rae

 

Sorry there was a very catholic stance that Women and the LGBT are non equals

Vincent as valerie had sex with his own father

JER did DAYS well but he wasnt in control of that

 

Passions was his and it was a mess and not always a fun mess. In fact not much fun at all

[Khan]

Quantity is not the same as quality, and visibility doesn't necessarily guarantee dignity.  A series could be filled wall-to-wall Black characters (or Hispanic characters, or Asian characters, or whatever) and still be considered racist or derogatory if the characters are depicted in negative ways.  Case in point: "Amos 'n' Andy."

[John]

Passions just relied too much on negative streotypes and tropes

[Khan]

Not to mention, cheap humor that no one past the age of 9 would find funny.  (An elderly woman who can't control her bladder is funny to you, JER?  Really?)

Edited June 10, 2019 by Khan

[BetterForgotten]

Passions was never as tightly run of a ship on JER's end as some would want to believe. There have been numerous stories of JER giving his breakdown writers only enough information for one episode, with the direction to "stretch it out for a week or more" and nothing else. 

 

With that kind of lazy management, is it any wonder why this show was the way it was? There were talented people on that writing team (many of whom wrote for JER/Curlee/Demorest on GL's early 90's team), but they were given piss poor direction, and JER clearly had no idea what he wanted to do with his own creation after a while. 

[Marlenaphan]

 

Nothing you listed was problematic for me. Vincent giving birth to his own father’s baby was entertainment GOLD! Now that’s why I watch soaps!!

 

I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. Passions was always entertaining, and stretching things out was part of the fun. Passions was JER’s pure wild imagination unleashed, especially on DirecTV where he didn’t have to deal with standards and practices. Eve stitching Julian’s penis on upside down and backwards remains one of my single most favorite tv moments of all time.

Also, Vincent was a hermaphrodite, and last I checked, they are not part of the LGBTQ+ acronym. Besides, I don’t think lgbt characters should be forbidden from being villains. For example, Days’ best gay character is Leo, who is way more edgy and interesting than the puritanical Will, Sonny, and Paul.

 

Vincent as the he/she blackmailer complete with the amazing costume was like heroin for me. Loved it! No one’s imagination should ever be reined in, even if it’ll offend people.

 

[BetterForgotten]

Passion was a poorly plotted mess, stretching things out for the sake of of doing it with absolutely no long-term goal (this was very evident past the first two years or so). 

[Marlenaphan]

 

I don’t agree, but I guess it doesn’t matter. I got what I wanted from Passions, and it remains my favorite television program (not just soap opera) of all time. I just clicked with JER. We clearly rode the same creative wavelength. 

[John]

Yeah I feel they had a plan maybe til around Josh Evans' death in 2002 then they threw long term plot out and went shock value

 

All the recasting of main characters didnt help

[Marlenaphan]

 

They never recast anyone important, and many of the recasts were great (Heidi Mueller, Blair Redford, Andrea Evans, Cathy Janeen Doe, Jade Harlow, Eric Martsolf, etc).

[Khan]

 

 

Agree with both these statements.  I think JER (and NBC) were well-intentioned at the start, but once they saw how no one was taking the show seriously (how could anyone take a show that has a witch and her talking doll as part of the cast!?), they just decided to go all Jerry Springer in order to appease the few 12-17 year olds who gave a damn.