OLTL: Discussion for the week August 17

[Scotty]

Discussion for the week August 17

[All My Shadows]

Okay, I get what they're trying to do with the random "friendship" scenes like today's scene between Cristian and Blair, but it just does not work for me. It feels contrived, almost like you expect Cristian to say, "Okay, Blair, now that we've spent the first thirty minutes talking about me, Fish, and Layla, now we're gonna spend the second half of the show catching the audience up with what's been going on with you, Todd, and Tea? Ready? Okay...GO!"

ETA: Also, I loathed Cris and Blair's conversation about Oliver all together. "Well, maybe he's bi!" "Hmm, maybe he IS straight, maybe he's not gay at all." Maybe people should just stop trying to force themselves into labeled boxes as far as their emotions are concerned. Feelings are way too spontaneous and unpredictable for people to keep trying to define themselves based on them.

Also, Stacy's friend reminds me of AMC's Rosa Santos from about 7 or 8 years ago.

[leevo64]

OMG, she does look like Rosa! Difference is she can act, LOL.

I actually liked the Christian/Blair stuff. They have always had a nice rapport.

Stars of the day are Fish and Kyle. I LOVED the dialogue between the two, especially when Kyle reminded Fish that he used to cry in Kyle's arms. Whoa. Seriously, eat that ATWT...

[Soapsuds]

It was good stuff. I was flipping back and forth between Nuke day and Kish day....LOL....Who wrote today's script?

[Laurie]

^I liked the Christian and Blair scenes as well

LOVED Fish and Kyle-especially the hand hold moment. Really loving them

[JinxxAvery]

I'm not seeing the big deal over them. Kyle was a creepy blackmailer that's turned into a creepy stalker who can't get over the one and only time he got laid in college. The lump Oliver is as inept a gay as he is inept a cop.

[Ann_SS]

I am with you on this one. I find nothing about their relationship compelling. Kyle is weird looking and still comes across like a stalker. Oliver is slightly better, but I am not interested in his angst. Oh well, it is diversity so that is something.

[DRW50]

I thought the scenes were very good, but there was such talk of agenda and such and anger at some boards when the plans for Kyle/Fish were announced, I know a lot of viewers are probably unhappy. I think this may just be a short term story over in a month or two.

The writing for them today I thought was strong, although when Kyle talked about Fish crying in bed, I flashed back to the early Desperate Housewives scene where Bree humiliated her first husband Rex at that dinner party.

[IcyOne]

Why should I care about the "love story" of Kyle and Oliver - two insignificant newbie characters, who aren't related to anyone special, and principally associate with boring backburner characters like Cristian/Layla/Roxy?

I also think that the show is being very manipulative and deceiving with these two. Just a few months ago Kyle was this seedy guy; more than willing to abuse his power and had no problem with callously blackmailing folks for his own personal gain. Now, with the exposing of his homosexuality, he is suddenly presented as this earnest, sincere, compassionate (and oddly high & mighty) "nice guy." Roxy went from being disgusted by him, and regularly trying to get him out of her hair, to suddenly being his hag. Does finding out someone is gay automatically make them sympathetic? To let OLTL tell it, it does.

And Oliver. This guy is a liar, a coward, a user, and a dork. He knows that Layla has been unlucky in love, and is using her desperation and naiveté to play her. And the worse part is that when she finds out the truth, she'll probably only be quasi-upset (with a carefully worded and blatantly inoffensive reaction) at him for about 20 seconds before she turns into Roxy to his Kyle. Furthermore, I just don't understand how someone who is so worried about other peoples opinions would try to boastfully present a black woman as his beard. Wouldn't his conservative parents—as well the same officers at the LPD who he claims are so insenstive towards gays—be almost as likely to make a disapproving or snide comment about his and Layla's skin tones not exactly matching? I know all the white women on the show are currently taken, but this is still somewhat out of sync.

I think the Kyle+Oliver thing is amongst the weakest s/l on the show. It is harrowingly playing on television audiences general interest in gay characters and storylines.

[DRW50]

Strangely enough I think their lack of history on the show helps. OLTL's recent attempts at love stories for more longstanding characters like Rex or Todd are disastrous. They rewrite major parts of histories and personalities in order to shove this out of nowhere instasoulmate status at viewers.

[Ann_SS]

I thought about this also today. It makes no sense that Fish would consider Layla a good beard for his white conservative parents. Those kind of people don't like gays, don't like black people or women who wear red shoes (last one courtesy of Maxine on True Blood). The whole thing is so contrived and insulting which may be the point on some unconscious level. I never thought this story was a stunt, but the more I see on the screen, the more I am beginning to think unfortunately that may be true.

[DRW50]

It depends on the conservative. Some conservatives don't have a problem with interracial relationships. There are so many different brands of prejudice out there. I know some white parents who are more OK with it if it's their son and a black woman. If it was their daughter and a black man, they get more upset.

[Marc]

The problem with the Kish story is that it came so mid hist. Methinks the writers saw the pre-hype Y&R was getting after it announced they were planning a gay story...and they either caught wind of how some were inferring the weird vibe between Kyle and Fish during the KAD story...or they figured they could just play on SE's homosexuality...and decided to get a piece of the pie. Either way it all came about very abruptly. The Kyle of the past 2-3 weeks is NOT the same Kyle of 2-3 months ago. He went from being a sleazebag to someone who you just wanna hug. lol I bet the Kyle of today probably isn't even still a stripper. If he is it's probably not for ladies. I also have to call BS at how Fish hesitated to have sex with Layla...seemingly BECAUSE he's gay...but back in February he had ZERO problem with sexing up Stacy at the drop of a hat. 6 months ago Fish's being gay was totally unreadable. Now you can read him like a book. They are rewriting personalities and creating innuendo where there was none before for the sake of making this story work. Which IMO is lazy and halfassed!

[MichaelGL]

Wow I think you guys are beingway too critical of the Kish story.

I loved their scenes today, well written. I also liked Blair and Cris's conversation as well.

LOL at the Tuna or Salmon conversation Stacy and Kimberly had today. Just about the only nice thing I can say about those two.

[leevo64]

I feel like every time a show attempts a gay story, half the audience is hooked and the other half are adamantly against it. The story is NOT poorly written. Yes, Kyle and Fish have changed in the past few weeks but that is only because we're getting to know them more. And anyone who uses Fish's one-nighter with Stacy as an example of how Fish used to be straight has clearly not met anyone who struggled to come out of the closet. It's called overcompensating.

Look, I really can't find the so-called "agenda" everyone seems to be declaring. There has not been one speech, one line about "it's okay to be gay." There has not been a gay bashing. This is a love story about two men who are in love but are at completely different places in their lives. Can't we just enjoy the story for what it is?