OLTL: Discussion for the week August 30

[MontyB]

Cheap21, I'm co-signing with you. I don't think David Gregory is a bad actor, I simply think the character was taken in the wrong direction. Yes, they should have cast him as CJ. He sort of resembles John Lopreino and I think that would have worked, but most of all he would have been part of a core family.

[DRW50]

Being part of a core family didn't work out too well for Sarah.

My guess is if her were CJ he would still get the same sleazy writing. They would just say, "He's just like Tina!"

[MontyB]

Being part of a core family doesn't work for a lot of characters. That's apples and oranges. If he were CJ, maybe they would have thought up something different for him. Maybe?

[DRW50]

My guess is if he were CJ he'd probably be dead by now.

[Cheap21]

The actress in the role of Sarah was all wrong. I really didnt care for the direction the character took and they rarely played up her connection to her family. She seemed too seperate from the Lors and the Buchanans. She was only at her best when Tina was on bc she interacted with her family more, but that story was a mess.

As for making him CJ, like you said, sleazy writing. I think the actor is fine. He's just been the victim of terrible writing which has done him no favors

If he were CJ, for one, he'd be portrayed as older and most likely wouldnt be messing with the kiddies.Unfortunately I think they'd have probably put him with Gigi as she's the only one in his agr group, he wouldnt have been related to. Either that or they would have made Blair a cougar and done a May/December pairing.

[HeedTheMessenger2.0]

When I read about Clint taking an interest in Inez- I just assumed it had solely to do with Bo, but now I realize its killing two birds with one stone. Clearly Clint wants to take Matthew under his wing- what better way than by helping get revenge against Nate (and his mom)?

While I don't enjoy the Ford influx, I think this has the makings of an interesting story. I'm looking forward to Clint/Matthew/Bo, and subsequently using Nora more in the meantime. We'll see though how it plays out.

[Cheap21]

Why did John have to drag Blair out of the house? Why couldnt she simply walk out the door herself? Its not like she was injured or that her path was blocked by the flames. He sees Eli is on the floor unconsious with smoke and fire around the room, yet he walks Blair out of there , telling ehr he'd go back for him and decides to have a conversation with her about what happened and how he got hurt. He couldnt tell Blair to walk outside, as he dragged Eli out and THEN asked her about the details?

[TeamEric]

Eli's story went that Melinda subscribed to Llanview paper and spotted in there a picture of Blair and Eli together. Don't know how that could be since B&E were sneaking around in January/February not out as a couple. Writers no longer even attempt to make a timeline work. Anyways, Rodney spotted the picture in Melinda's paper and recognized him as Bennett Thompson from Boston. Melinda called Blair's cell phone to alert her of the other identity. Eli intercepted that call and learned she knew the truth. He flew out to California to kill a crazy woman in a mental institution, to shut her up. Very stupid move for a supposed mastermind.

As for Fords, smarmy fits the disgusting pig of an older brother. NR has some natural charm but the rushed Starr & James show was already a huge flop so don't get why writers believe his stalkerish behavior pleasing viewers. Nate is USELESS and LP is totally wooden. Kelley Missal's too talented to be stuck with that dead wood. Repair Matt & Dani, EA and KM were so appealing together and there's an emotional vulnerable quality to both their acting styles that worked. I never liked SE's Destiny with Matthew but enjoy her bickering vibe with the Darren dude. I like the Prices a whole lot more than the Fords.

[TeamEric]

Blair's too stupid to live apparently without Super hero John to rescue. She confronts and shoots a serial killer then sits there useless as place goes up in flames around her. I'm very tired of McBain's heroics but he did have the right attitude, save woman FIRST, serial killers SECOND.

Anyways, it's all plot, plot, plot, John conveniently gave Eli some precious minutes to wake up and crawl out the back door. He'll live to annoy us for months.

[TeamEric]

I don't like the Nate/Inez angle because I feel Clint/Matthew/Bo/Nora have enough angst and conflict already for a strong story. Clint after all paid for Greg's original diagnosis and I always felt Matt woke up too ready to forgive his parents. Matthew's strong attachment to Dani is more about them sharing an emotional crisis that his parents never related to, than teen love so much. I see Matthew's resentment against Nate as more displaced feelings against B&N. Matthew flinging back in Bo's face how he stole Clint's wife is also part of complicated feelings he has. B&N were major hypocrites and exposed themselves as deeply FLAWED individuals to Matthew... they fell OFF the pedestals he had placed them and he doesn't quite know how to deal with it YET.

Consider that in Mathew's mind Bo=Nate and Clint=Matthew in the teen's minds.

Wily Clint smells this out and played on the we have a lot in common, nephew, to tempt Matthew who right now DOES relate more to uncle than father.

[HeedTheMessenger2.0]

Too bad John couldn't have perished in the fire. Sigh.

As for the comments about CJ- Sarah didn't really work because the "Flash" bit was just annoying. In the end, I think fans started to come around and then she was attacked by the MBK and left the show... by then, I really liked her. But she didn't work on the show without Cord or Tina- it just fell flat.

Not to mention the fact that she wasn't even planned to be Sarah- remember the incest stuff with Reverend Joey? Gross.

[SFK]

What a convoluted mess. On behalf of every actress who ever played Melinda, "I died for that!? "

There are days I wonder if even KDP likes Blair.

Oh, and Ford wants to learn y'all, he wants to learn to be good. I would have MAD respect for this show if Ford was like, "Fukkit, I enjoy being a d-bag playa." I can't stomach forced redemption.

[DRW50]

I thought that they always planned for her to be Sarah. Sarah and Joey were not blood relatives -- on soaps that means it's OK.

I think that those at ABC simply do not care about building up Buchanan relatives. I think they see this as a drag because it means featuring veteran actors more. Any time a Buchanan DOES come on the show, they are quickly written into a corner and stay there. Since we are probably never going to see Tina or Cord again, I'd rather CJ stay away than be played by David Gregory who often reminds me of the Church Lady when she was doing her superiority dance.

That would be an interesting angle but I think the show sees it as Danielle being incomparable and Matthew, knowing he is a loser unworthy of her, lashes out because she is gone. Matthew stopped existing as a character when they shoehorned her into his story. That story was the best on the show until she started.

I wonder what this Eli stuff would be if they did not have to include John or Todd...a lot of stories they are in seem unnatural because they are all inert characters. They just have to sit around and wait for stories to fall into their laps, which they continue to remain barely aware of.

[SFK]

And I thought Markko was coming back at some point... is that still happening? If Ford and Langston get together I hope they leave the show.

[DRW50]

I am still assuming she's not actually dead. Not that we will ever see her again, but the decision is even worse if the character was killed off for good just for this stupid non-story.