Jump to content

As The World Turns Discussion Thread


edgeofnik

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 17.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • DRW50

    2970

  • DramatistDreamer

    1958

  • Soapsuds

    1716

  • P.J.

    823

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

  • Members

I've always thought this as well.  There should have been someone to be friends with James, kind of like Maureen and Roger on GL.  James would have been a great character to redeem and I think didn't get the chance - he was always just the villain.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

He tried to kill a plane full of people, that's pretty hard to come back from, in terms of redemption.

 

The problem is that what made James such an intriguing figure was the fact that he was so singular, he thought he was smarter and better than anyone and that his way was the only way. 

Behind the power grabs, deep down, Roger wanted others' approval. James wanted power and he was convinced that those closest to him, Paul and Emily, would see that he was right, if only they would listen and see things his way. As brutish as Roger could be (rape etc.), I don't see him pinning a fake murder on Holly and letting her be imprisoned, the way James did with Barbara, or Roger torturing Holly the same way James did to Barbara. James claimed that he loved Paul but his love manifested itself as control and dominance. Also, I just cannot see James genuinely confiding in anyone-- the moment he starts pouring his heart out to someone, that intrigue is gone.

 

One thing that I appreciated about ATWT, until the wheels fell, that is-- they let villains go when it was their time to go. For the most part, when someone had done something truly heinous, like, kill maliciously someone--they had to go. James was somewhat of an exception, and I still think the mistake was bringing back the character after he was shot by Paul in 1989.

Edited by DramatistDreamer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Marland also chose to emphasize seedier aspects of James that didn't seem to be there before him (and weren't after, I believe), like his preying on underage girls. There's a steady journey of sickness and depravity James takes from 1986 to 1989, followed by Marland going out of his way to make it clear to viewers that James really was dead (his corpse shown on the floor for an extended period, an autopsy being done, etc.). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Roger could be funny also.  I remember one of the funniest scenes was Roger with Amanda sitting on the couch in the Spaulding mansion.  Annie had escaped from a mental facility or jail (don't remember which)....but they were sitting on the couch at the mansion eating a bowl of cashews.  Alan runs in frantic...have either of you seen Annie!?  Have you seen ANNIE!?  Amanda raised the bowl toward Alan and Roger and she said, "Nuts?" I remember my family watching and we died laughing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Yeah, James, Doug Cummings and Tad Channing were meant to stay dead and gone. I think, in his way, Marland might have been pushing against the romanticization of the charismatic villain that had taken hold of soaps in the 80s. You can call it a somewhat Puritanical view, but this is probably why when characters schemed and engaged in wrongdoing on ATWT, they usually paid such a hefty price. This wasn't just an occurrence in Marland's ATWT, Craig's going to prison and becoming a parolee preceded Marland's tenure, so obviously, there was something in the show's DNA that saw the long-term villain that always got away with wreaking havoc on the rest of the town without ever really paying the price, as anathema to the storytelling. In addition to those villains who were killed off and meant to stay that way, Marsha Talbot and Denise Darcy were meant to be incarcerated. Denise was the only possible redemption story I could see happening out of that entire bunch--her, they should have brought back, after she served her murder sentence by the late 90s, especially seeing that the show really needed a boost at that time.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Ha..ha..."Now dear..you only know me as a caring grandmother but I once was hard core and took no [!@#$%^&*]. Now, do me and the rest of the women in town a favor and arrange..an accident for a certain female doctor with incredibly low morals...a biscuit with your coffee?"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Recent Posts

    • Tbf it's not unusual for a family when they are dealing with some bad news that changes a life to use song to give out hope.Especially black families. I personally had to deal with that very thing this weekend. Partly off putting, but at the same time, I did get the point and it gave me a bit of hope in the moment.      MM is definitely acting. But Smitty is just so passive. It could turn into quiet strength at some point, but for now...passive IMO. 
    • Am I remembering correctly that the Madison's lived in a Spanish revival-style house? I have a vague recollection of the fireplace looking especially Spanish in style. It is unusual that Montecello had so many architectural styles.  Obviously, that might occur IRL.  But, look at other east coast soaps and there is a definitive style that is throughout (because it was styled by a set decorator) regardless of the income of the occupants.
    • @kalbir MSW was a powerhouse for CBS. Angela Lansbury was a superb actress. In 1985, TV viewers were tiring of the primetime soaps and the like. People wanted storytelling and MSW was great at that and had great guest stars. Storytelling -- an amazing and novel concept. CBS Daytime by 1985 was beating ABC so CBS was on the upswing.
    • I'd say just the opposite - conflict means they will find out and then be at odds. For the limited amount of time people on this show have conflict (if they aren't named Nina or Ric, I guess).
    • Totes mcgoats (aka I agree). But, now the character needs to move forward.  Clyde's exit was 12/11/24.  It is May.  She and Chad have been on one date. I don't think they've slept together. And she was only planning on sticking around for a year.
    • That is one of the best insults I've heard in a long time.  I burst out laughing when Kat called Eva that.  LOL Their scenes, of course, were really good.  Colby and Ambyr have so much chemistry.  The only thing I'd change is Kat saying "you're dead to me."  That's a phrase usually said about someone you care about.  I would've preferred something like "You will never be my sister," or something similar to that.  Nice contrast at the end with both mothers/daughters:  Kat comforting/consoling her mother, and Eva being locked out by her mother.  Yeah, I wasn't a big of fan of the singing either, especially after your daughter's life has been destroyed.  What?  LOL And I also agree with those that thought Dana/Leslie's scenes with the Dupree's didn't feel right since Eva is not a Dupree....unless she is.  But as of right now, she's not. 
    • Trisha Mann-Grant, Ambyr Michelle, Sean Freeman are destined for bigger and better things. They need to move on as soon as their initial contracts are done.
    • Daphnée Duplaix and Trisha Mann-Grant on Instagram live, 5/5/2025 just concluded, saved here https://www.instagram.com/p/DJSsYb7PDv8/                
    • I really need to see Anita in a scene that isn't with a family member. In fact, I would have preferred that she would have gotten rid of the mob and had a one on one with Leslie to lay down the law with her.  I'm going to say it, Mike Manning has been completely lifeless on this show. Other than people's superficial fondness for him, I don't get what they see in him as an actor. I never saw him on DAYS though. The show had another really strange cut right before the opening credits where it looked like they almost cut off Nicole mid-sentence.  Kat/Eva are carrying this show on their backs. Lock them in for lifetime contracts, I beg.
    • There's a 1980 scene of Victor and Katherine in the Chancellor Estate living room where they went over a contract that would put Victor in charge of Chancellor Industries, but it was rewritten that Katherine brought Victor to Genoa City so he could run Chancellor Industries.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy