OLTL Feb sweeps preview

[EricMontreal22]

The thing is electro shock has come back into use more as something use willingly as treatment (Carrie Fisher regularly gets therapy sessions that include the treatments and has credited them with helping her a lot). Like a lot of stuff in psychiatry the pendulum swings one way, then its over used--hello anti depressants--and it swings the other way--it was discovered, caused SOME good then was overused in horrific ways (like you say the gay brainwashing attempts being one--something I don't think it ever "cured" except that they'd be so messed up they prob didn't wanna do anything sexual with anyone lol) and lately they've rediscoeedt in helpful ways.

It could almost be interesting for a soap to do a story about that--someone wanting the shock therapy, their family being against it, explaining how it can do good, etc. But this is just a Mad |Scientist type story dealing with the horror stories most of us know about the rtaumatic ways it'sbeen used in te past. Which is kinda boring, kinda offensive, just meh. No more hommages. And no one wanted to see what Jessica was like in High School again--they make it sound liek fans were clamouring for that!

[Scotty]

Whenever I think of electroshock therapy I think the scene in the 1990s movie version of The Beverly Hillbillies where Cloris Leachman (as Granny) is strapped to a bed at a mental ward and zapped with electricity before being rescued by Lilly Tomlin as Jane Hathaway.

[DRW50]

I think the big problem with revisiting Jessica's life is you end up showcasing just how empty her life has been compared to what she could have been. Yes, she has found love several times and has a child, and that's important, but she has basically spent a decade being a victim, being defined by abuse piled on abuse and one psychological trauma after another. This character has been squandered so badly -- why put a big spotlight on that?

[You're Soaking in it]

It might have been more palatable (and a better homage to 1980's OLTL) if Mitch had used some kind of truth (as in Mitch's version of the truth) serum... Maybe he could have found Victor Lord's "Eterna teleportation chamber," and tried to transport Jessica with him to some other planet... THEN her brain could have fried from that crazy contraption.

Llanview spectators could have asked, "what the hell was that?" And Viki could have just shrugged and said, "it was the 80's."

[EricMontreal22]

Well to be fair that could be said of a lot of soap characters--particularly heroines even in the more classic times. (though I definitely agree she's been squandered)

At least Higley's not writing this, then I think I'd find it so creepy/offensive I wouldn't veen be able to sit through it. We'll see

[DRW50]

This could be said for a lot of soap heroines, but Jessica, who grew up on the show and who was eventually replaced by an actress who is, if not great, at least has her moments...it's just painful. From the time they had her lose her virginity and get knocked up by her stepbrother on a drunken bender, it's just been worse and worse. I couldn't stand what became of, say, Emily on GH, but Jessica is in this constant cycle of tragedy and abuse year in and year out. She's no longer a character. Now she seems to be almost a joke.

[EricMontreal22]

I'm blocking -- who was her drunk step brother who slept with her?

I do see your point and agree--I think after the whole Higley thing, first the child porn abuse all the way to turning out she had Hep B or whatever (I thinkt hat was under Higley not Carlivati) it's been too much. Also this new story is TOO similar to a DID story. When people thrilled to Nicki Smith coming back in 1986 or so it was partly because, some gas light attempts aside, she hadn't been back since 1970 or so. Lately we get an alter on One Life every other year it seems.

[DRW50]

Not long after Clint and Lindsay got married, Will and Jessica were alone at the cabin or at Llanfair and got drunk (Jessica was upset about something with Cristian). We next saw them the morning after, hung over, and they realized they'd had sex. This was Jessica's first time. The show had spent a year or so building up how Jessica had wanted to wait, wanted it to be special. It was all so crass. Then she got pregnant immediately, Dorian accidentally ran her over when she was going into labor, she lost the baby, she lost part of her memory, she went crazy, and aside from a few years break, it's been like that ever since. Mitch's return was what kick-started the trauma/victim role for her and it's gotten to the point where the whole Lord family has just become these shells waiting their turn to be victimized again.

[EricMontreal22]

HAHA was that under McTavish? I do remember it (forgot Will was her step brother) and really remember the Dorian hit and run story...

[DRW50]

Pam Long wrote the stuff where Jessica got knocked up. I believe the hit and run and mental breakdown was during the year or so that JFP acted as de facto head writer, but I can't remember.

[EricMontreal22]

No, I think you're right actually. Makes sense (though it wouldn't be too out of character for McTavish either) But the whole JFP era at OLTL was pretty dark (in every sense)

[Ann_SS]

This Jessica story is the kind of thing that make viewers feel stupid for watching soaps and change the channel.

[shadow]

Uh is RC 4 real with this?

I thought Jessica shattered into alters when she was a young child, before her high school years?

If anything this sounds like a homage to Roger/Vicki crap , young lovers and all, and there is also a rumor going around this will lead to a revelation that Cris/Jessica have a teenage child! RC is supposedly a big time Cris/Jessica fan and did flirt with them in 08 right before Nash died. But if Cristian is not gonna be involved in this, whats the point of it? Is Mark Lawson (Brody) leaving?

As for BF's comment, why state there is no SECRET plan to cancel OLTL, y not "there is no plan at all to cancel OLTL." Sorry I aint buying it!

[Vee]

That wasn't RC who did the Cris/Jess/Nash/Sarah tease in '08; that was Gary Tomlin and the scabs. It disappeared after the strike.

I would be mortified at some sort of arbitrary Cris/Jessica reunion. I hope that's not coming and they just play with it to make Layla and Brody jealous and cement those new relationships. As for the rest of the story it still sounds ridiculous. It does nothing to make Jessica's character stable or compelling again after years of abuse and neglect, starting with Michael Malone and Dena Higley. It's only going to make her worse, unless they have some major rabbit in the hat that they plan to use to somehow undo her DID or something - which I could more than live with, if not for the fact that I think it's not possible; there is videotape of Jessica being molested, and actual witnesses and perpetrators they met onscreen.

All in all this will do nothing for Jessica's standing on the show. 50% of the audience already looks at her like "no sudden moves, bitch crazy." This will make it an even 65%.

[SFK]

It all just sounds so embarrassing, for Jessica, for BW, for the audience. Jessica's "Strangers With Candy" storyline, I can just see her bopping around the high school all smiley with her neon airbrushed dolphin Trapper Keeper to her chest. BW tends to go WAY OTT with OTT storylines, I wish they would give her more *normal* problems, and I don't feel like watching Jessica cry for another year when this craziness begins to make sense to the *real* her. Ugh.