As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I don't even know if Rita Lloyd was still able to act by then but it's too bad Edwina wasn't around to trash Rosanna during her late 90's bitch years or the early 00's - I think this would have been a nice use of history.

Sadly a few years ago OLTL was even uglier regarding misogyny - if you never saw 2009, you're lucky.

I like a lot of returns, I like getting the chance to say goodbye. In the cases of both ATWT and OLTL I feel like I never really got a chance to say goodbye to the characters I missed the most, or those who were the most screwed over by bad writing. It's not the same, as I had a much stronger emotional connection to ATWT as I did to OLTL, but the same lack of resolution is there for me. In both cases there was one big return I was glad for (ATWT - John; OLTL - Cord/Tina).

[P.J.]

Honestly, if either GL or ATWT were still on, I'd never watch OLTL. There is really an underlying vibe of hostility that I don't really get or like. I don't know if that's just the difference between CBS(P&G) vs. ABC or if it's specific to OLTL. I used to wish we'd get more bitchiness/catfights/swearing---now I'm glad we didn't drop "bitch" or "piss" every episode.

[DRW50]

I think Labine or JFP started that hostility and bitterness in OLTL, and it's sort of hovered ever since, aside from a year or two here and there. There's often a feeling that the show is skirting going to some kind of insane hell - they've had about 50 serial killer stories in the last decade. Generally I never got that feeling with ATWT, aside from the Sheffer years.

OLTL is a very unique show, and I always feel a little odd watching it because the years I enjoyed most are from before I ever actually started watching it. But writers like RC IMO tend to have a lot of built up resentment for soaps or soap viewers and it seeps through to the entire canvas.

There are occasional episodes which have some community and fun which isn't built around sexual perversions - the last was Bo and Nora's 2010 wedding.

Edited January 6, 2012 by CarlD2

[P.J.]

For a show seemingly built on a certain "we know we're on a soap" *wink, wink, nudge nudge* lighthearted mentality, there's an overwhelming (at times) coarse and dark hopelessness embedded into it's core. There's really very little happiness on this show.

[DRW50]

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It tells you how much I was watching at this time - for some reason I thought Mick Hazen was already playing Parker. Clearly not.

[DRW50]

Wow, there's that OTT camp queen Barbara which is one of the things that drove me away from ATWT. It sounds so silly to say Barbara is too OTT, but there's a certain line where you still know you're seeing a character, and where you see an actress playing hammy writing.

Bailey Chase isn't as old as I remembered him looking at the time; perhaps I was just put off because Dunphy looked so young.

Still don't like Jen.

[P.J.]

They recast the part with Cimmino just before Jack's "death" in 2004. Hazen took over the role just before Christmas 2006, just weeks before Maura's maternity leave when they had Carly fly off with Simon.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzIZQGttaZI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLhcM-Pdiik&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

[Soapsuds]

Cimmino was great as Parker! I was crushed when he was recast with Hazen.

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df2vIOCyOFY

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGfhWCjBnwI

[juppiter]

I love Jessica Dunphy as Alison. I really thought she would've done more with her career by now. The recast Alison was awful.

I hated this Chris Hughes too. I wish they had kept Paul Korver.

Edited January 7, 2012 by juppiter

[P.J.]

So was I. And to be fair, I was crushed when they recast Kalchoffer (little red-headed parker) with Cimmino. Knowing what I know now, I'm glad they did...but had the show continued, I'd argue they aged Carly's kids too quickly. Even as much as I admire Hazen in the role.

[DRW50]

Did anyone at the time laugh when Lily (of all people) called Molly a professional victim?

Did Carly and CC Molly have a lot of scenes? Did Carly blame Molly for Jack's "death"?

[P.J.]

Lily called any woman who crossed her either obsessed with men or a victim. Lily rarely got called out on her own tendency to play victim or lose any spine she had to whatever man was in her life. At least to her face.

CC and Maura had a handful of scenes after she replaced LK. The most memorable was on the bridge where Jack died. Carly ripped into her---but CC looked lost in them up against Maura. It just wasn't the same given all of Carly and Molly's history. CC's did better with JH, but it was clearly a mop up job to ship Molly out of town. I'm not even sure Molly told Carly she was leaving town.

Carly most definitely blamed Molly for Jack's death, but between Molly's departure and the fact Carly didn't really believe for very long Jack was dead, it kind of got swept under the rug. When LK returned in '09, she and Carly pretty much picked up where they left off, kind of avoiding the subject of why they'd been estranged but reaffirming that they'd missed each other.