OLTL: Discussion for the week October 19

[Juliajms]

Because that went over so well with Gl fans.

?

[EricMontreal22]

UGH I dunno why I even bother, but today in the Rex and Gigi story we had a perfect example of the one thing I really hate in RC's writing.; I am not even REMOTELY convinced that Rex, after how badly lies have ruined his life, promises not to keep secrets, etc, wouldn't tell Gigi that he had to do very important business for his sister and simply not to mention it to John--and that she couldn't keep her mouth shut. It's such a piss poor, obvious way to make them again at odds with each other and have Gigi take off with Sky Yes it's just one tiny plot point but it feels to me like a tiny repeat of the whole hated plot contrivance that got us here in the first place--Gigi's lie to Rex.

[DRW50]

They took the Leah Bauer route!

When they did this with Leah, it was crazy and insulting to fans, but Rick had not had any real storyline for years anyway, and the son he had who was born several years before Leah was not seen oncamera.

This girl is now quite a bit older than Jack, who was born over a year and a half before her, and she's only a few years younger than Starr, even though the custody battle over infant Starr was the entire reason Todd and Tea got together in the first place. So now are we supposed to believe that Todd and Tea and the island happened only a year or two into their relationship? Is this a way to whitewash more of that ugly history between Todd and Tea (the punch and the glass coffin and all the rest)?

Then we have Rachel repeatedly refer to Todd as this child's "real" father. I'm not going to claim this is an insult to Ross, because he's not a good father either, but like with the Rex/Shane stuff last year, it's kind of sad to repeatedly get the idea that being a sperm donor is all you need to be a great dad. Look at how much good Rex has done Shane since then. They also did this with Starr keeping her baby even though she's really not in a great position right now to raise a child. OLTL was one of the few shows which for years presented a picture of adoptive parents as truly being a parent, not a temporary solution or an interloper or a distant memory. I'm sorry that daytime no longer allows that.

[alexisfan07]

Well, the kid is Danielle, who IS 15, haha. They did some major SORAS messing up this time. However, I'm going to believe that she had twins or something and Tom is also Tea's child, but possibly with Ross. Or the other way...either way, they're each kids of Tea's with different fathers.

I actually think it's funny how absurd Kim is. I thought the Matthew line was supposed to be endearing, not sickening.

And yea, Tea and Rachel are good together. But since when were they roommates? I thought Rachel's only roommate was Marty...unless they've swapped Tea with Marty for whatever reason, or she had two. Tea and Rachel as roommates was never shown, right? Either way, Rachel and Tea look closer in age than Rachel and Marty.

[DRW50]

They're probably not going to let any of Todd's women have children that aren't his.

Tea and Rachel were roommates for a few months before Tea married Todd.

[Chris B]

I haven't watched todays episode yet and was wondering are we 100% this girl (who I don't believe I've seen yet) is the child? I thought it was going to be up in the air whether the boy or girl was the child, but everyone seems sure it's her. I'm confused.

[Doyen]

Yes.  Today's episode confirmed that Tea's child is a girl who attends Matthew's boarding school, and that Todd is the father.

[Juliajms]

Ugh! I could not agree more. I'm not adopted and I don't know anyone who is, but the way soaps portray adopted parents is so offensive to me. I think if I were an adoptive parent I wouldn't watch any soap at all, I would be so pissed at the insensitive, unrealistic portrayal they receive. I just don't understand wth these shows are thinking.

[Cheap21]

Blair is PATHETIC. I cant beleive she threw herself at Todd. Her lie was so dumb. Tea doesnt love Todd and was only trying to scam him for all his money. Tea has her own money! She's not bleeding for cash as she's a very successful lawyer and is independetly wealthy. I cant beleive she was really trying to convince Todd that Tea was out for his money. Bitch please

nah we saw the girl today. She called Tea. Danielle came across as a brat and little b-tch, not the sweet little angel she described to Rachel. In fact Id describe her as the teen we all thought Starr would have grown up to be!

I have no issues with SORASing but they must ALWAYS keep it in order, espicially when it comes to siblings. Any child of Todd and Tea's concieved on that island should be younger than Jack. If they wanted Todd to have a 15 yr old daughter, then they should have SORASed Jack to 16, which is bad in and of itself. This girl should have been no older than 8. Todd JUST went through the teenage daughter storylines with Starr; another isnt needed yet.

I didnt realize this either but it all came out during Matt's trial when Tea had her on the witness stand. Their past friendship was brought up

[DRW50]

Which is strange, since she has the most propped parents in all of Llanview. We'll be getting more of those Tea tears when her daughter calls her a whore, or whatever.

I guess they will have her come to town, clash with Starr, try to make a play for Cole.

On the roommate thing, I think Georgie moved in when Tea moved out, right?

I'm surprised they've never considered bringing Georgie back, at least in Rachel's nightmares. I guess she moved on to giving Port Charles residents nightmares.

[marceline]

I know this is a OLTL thread but I always thought the best example of an adoption situation was Joe, Ruth, Tad and Jake Martin on AMC. But the Buchanans came in a close second.

[Juliajms]

I think OLTL has it right with Jess/Clint, although that's not exactly an adoption. I've only been watching the show about 5 years and I don't even know which of Vikki's children are biologically Clint's because he acts like they all are, which I really like. I even like Natalie/Roxy's relationship. Roxy wasn't the best Mom in the world, but Natalie still loves her and she still considers Rex her brother.

[DRW50]

The Buchanans, but also Cassie, Andrew, and River, and then more recently, Dorian and Langston.

Over the past few years OLTL has moved further towards the whole "real parent" cliche. They tell us that biology means you're a brilliant parent. They really pushed this with Rex and Shane, even though the only lesson Shane has learned from Rex that calling Gigi a slut and a whore is perfectly acceptable.

I guess this is more of the Frons narrative. We got the same garbage over at AMC, where Julia was brutally murdered for the "happy ending" of Tad being reunited with Kathy, only for Tad to neglect her, expect Krystal to raise her singlehandedly, and dump her off on Opal.

I don't even really get how Todd's storyline is enhanced by bringing in yet another child. Do they think a child somehow validates a relationship? He has two children with Blair and that relationship is beyond dead.

[Cheap21]

A big part of why these have worked is bc the bio parents are dead. Almost all of the negative adoption stories on soaps, involve the bio parents being alive. Without them in the picture, its easy to ignore

[DRW50]

GL managed to do it with Susan on GL, she still loved her adoptive father Jim Lemay. They ignored all that, and took about 5 years off her age, when they brought her back as Daisy.

Even when stories aren't about adoption, OLTL still ends up turning it into some "he's a good parent because he's the biodad" contortion. I guess they think if we see some third party that we obviously aren't supposed to root for, like Brody with Shane, Ross with this girl, then we will be reminded of the "real" parent.