Passions

[j swift]

This has been said before about Jim Reilly, but I took issue with the restrictive morality that drove every single plot.  Characters were literally thrown into pits, assaulted, or sent to hell, because they merely kissed someone out of wedlock.  It lacked any sophistication or nuance.

During all those days of repetitive dialogue, endless monologues in rooms with one's enemy right outside the door, and numerous recaps of recent events, just once I wanted a character to gain some self-awareness or question the ethics that guided their beliefs. 

People went back and forth from good to bad but nobody really evolved.  I mean if Erica Kane and Rachel Cory could grow to learn from their mistakes, I would hope Dr. Eve Russell could show a little progress over the almost nine years she was on screen and begin to wonder why she was constantly being punished for loving someone other than the father of her children.

However, I am still amused that everyone in town use the full hyphenate of Lopez-Fitzgerald, when referring to anyone in that family.

Edited December 23, 2021 by j swift

[Manny]

It's amazing how terrible they were. Al least in the beginning. 

My favorites from those first few years were Kay (Taylor Anne Mountz and Deanna Wright; was not a fan of the Kay which was in between the two); Luis & Sheridan; Whitney & Chad; Timmy & Tabitha; Julian. 

On the other side, I absolutely hated the whiney Charity, Grace and Theresa. My God, all of them were so annoying. I hated Jesse Metcalfe's acting. He was better later on when he joined DH. I found Eve and TC to be boring. 

All of this! Plus flashbacks! So many flashbacks. I would cringe every time when they would flashback to something that happened yesterday... so annoying.

[amybrickwallace]

I think TC and Eve together were supposed to be dull, because they were never meant to be endgame. 

Ethan was indeed a clueless drip under Travis Schuldt (not really his fault, just the way the character was written), but I never saw much of Eric Martsolf in the role so I really can't comment on what Ethan was like under him. I still find it laughable that Ethan was supposed to be a lawyer!! 

Edited December 23, 2021 by amybrickwallace

[Manny]

Re: TC&Eve - Yeah, possible. Whatever happened to TC? I forgot... he did not stay until the end, right?

I did not like Travis Schuldt in the role of Ethan. I found him to be bland and it did not work with the clueless character as you mentioned. I liked Martsolf on DAYS, so maybe I would have liked him as Ethan, had I seen him.  

[MichaelGL]

Was the character of TC anything more than just a stiff bore? Did he have depth as a character at all? I remember even being a bore after he and Eve split up, and apparently when he and Liz (Ameilia Marshall) were paired together.

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by MichaelGL

[AMCOLTLLover]

I prefered the first Ethan. He really seemed like that typical rich and spoiled mommy’s boy. He had chemistry with Thereaa and Gwen! 
 

i swear TC could have been such a great character. I really blame the writting on his part

[Manny]

Didn't TC have some anger issuer towards the Cranes and there was a shed which he stared at for a long time, but we were not shown what's inside? lol

Thats as far as his character development went, I think

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[AbcNbc247]

Yeah, TC just disappeared in the final months of the NBC run. Later it was revealed that he moved to New Orleans with Whitney and Simone 

He was angry and bitter because of the car accident that ruined his tennis career. And yeah, it was pretty obvious that they forgot about the shed for a while. When the reveal finally happened, it was so underwhelming 

[Manny]

Ah yes, I remember it now, this thing about his tennis career. The shed I don't know if they ever showed while I was watching. Or maybe I erased it from my memory, if it was so underwhelming

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I always hate when prominent characters just disappear without ever being seen again. I think each main/contract character deserves at least some kind of an ending.

[amybrickwallace]

I think TC was modeled after Richard Williams (who Will Smith is getting massive praise for playing on film). In the months before the show was canceled, Rodney Van Johnson was taken off contract and it was announced he would be recurring, but I don't think he was ever seen on the soap again.

[Manny]

I think you are right. I did not see the movie, but it sounds like a fair comparison. 

[amybrickwallace]

I think RVJ said so in an interview. For whatever reason, the writing was never there for TC. He had potential to be an interesting character and RVJ always gave good performances, but he was thrown under the bus for Julian.

[Darn]

I'm pretty sure TC was storing the car from his car accident in the shed/garage. That was the big reveal.

[Franko]

Having TC store the car he was injured in seems kinda silly. If I remember right, the car was struck by Julian's. It's not like TC was responsible for what happened. If he was, I could see the case for having him keep the car out of guilt. Maybe that was a factor as what aired on screen played out. I seem to remember that it was implied Grandpa Russell died from a broken heart over TC not getting to be an Arthur Ashe-level star).

Another thought. @Bright Eyes commented a few days ago that Passions had good actors, actors who were good enough for the show and actors who were just plain bad. Where would you categorize some of the cast? (I disqualify myself on the grounds of nostalgia glasses).

[Khan]

I think Andrea Evans in particular was good, regardless of the show's quality.  Same goes for Kathleen Noone and Kim Johnston Ullrich.