OLTL: Discussion for the week of January 3

[OLTL_fan]

Not in NY. theyre airing Gov Cuomos press conference now.

But at least it wasnt pre-empted so it should air on SoapNet tonight in full.

[Scotty]

And it will be posted on abc.com later tonight as well.

[DRW50]

To go back to the Jessica discussion, this clip shows a bit of Erin's Jessica rebelling against her parents and losing her wallet in New York, being in the crosshairs of a pimp, only being saved by Rachel. There's a really good scene with Jessica/Rachel and later Jessica/Viki/Nora. To think that now the character's history says she had already been violated in so many horrible ways by the time she was this age.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6en0WfnYE2k

[EricMontreal22]

I know you dislike David--I'm more on the fence. Sometimes I find him funny--I thought yesterday's stuff was just too much. And I agree that it undermine's Clint. How are we meant to take any of this seriously if this Morocco Jail seems like such an over the top cartoon (which is why I thought it would make at least a bit more sense if ti was a Moldovian Jail or whatever that fantasy land they created is cvalled). And how are we ever to take any jail scenes seriously again (OK I know I'm way exagerating there but...) I agree it's tone probs though--Eddie was played as a cartoon, yet we ARE (I assume) meant to care and and feel agahst that he beats his children and see how upset Nora was that he almost raped her. But it's near impossible to do tonal shifts like that...

[SFK]

I thought Nora laying Inez out in the courtroom was awesome. (And I admit, I chuckled when David referred to her as StepNora. What is so bizarre is that when TW was yelling and getting all hysterical, there were shades of truth and good acting in there.) Dani wearing her smart glasses playing Lil' Miss Paralegal, I was like, "WTF!?" I still think she's a cute little actress though, she really delivers when it comes to reaction shots, even when she's sharing the frame with like four other actors. I like her a lot more than I like Starr or Jack (past tense, future tense remains to be seen).

Dorian also cracked me up a couple of times today, and I loved the leopard number she was in at the end. blair also looked really pretty in that robe (like Viki did a few weeks back, and WOW at Blair plastering her panties against Cris' face), and I liked Rex's jacket, so I guess I dug Susan Gammie's work today.

Clint, Clint, what are we going to do with you? It's funny how we've had so many theories on who's related to who, we even thought David would be Rex's dad at one point, but we were at least close... first cousins.

[SFK]

Eric, I agree, we were supposed to feel that way about Eddie, but he was played so broadly, comedically, and yes, even endearingly, it was hard to really get there emotionally. It's like the old sayng our teachers taught us in Writing back in the 3rd grade, "Show, don't tell" and we were constantly told about how he was such a monster but we kind of saw a charismatic guy whose horns were stick-on plastic. Plus, he was dead WAYYYYY too soon, no time to even flesh out the evil, the Nora scenes were too random and crazy to really even sink into. And hey, if Ford gets the pass for being an ass because of his psycho dad, why doesn't Eddie get a chance too, know what I mean? It's just all so convenient, anything to prop those boys, and him and Langston, ugh, move to Corinth already and just stay there. Are we going to be treated to a lovely Valentine's Day wholesome and pure lovemaking session? Looks like.

[SFK]

Oh, and as for David and Dorian, I just don't buy it, I never have. Why do they insist upon making that relationship out to be something that it's not? Mel or Herb, sure, but David? No way. I'd sooner buy that he and Blair or Kelly had a spark that wouldn't die, or Dorian's thing for Joe. But I always got the vibe that Dorian and David saw an accomplice in one another, they shared a dark past and they more than tolerated the other, they could tow the line of good acquaintances and casual friends, but I've never seen the true romance thing.

Carl, to a point you were making earlier, yeah, good question, I don't know that Viki and Dorian really need to rev the rivalry back up full speed anymore. From what I've gathered, they seemed to function well throughout the '80s when the hatchet was pretty much buried after Viki and Clint kicked Dorian's ass out of Llanfair and the two ladies weren't really involved in the same circles. But once it was clear that Dorian didn't murder Victor and that Viki didn't get Dorian fired from the hospital (Dorian does know that now, right?), the root of the rivalry was gone. Sure, there are people in this life who you simply do not like, no complex explanation needed, but it's obvious that they are capable of getting along as "a coupla white chicks sitting around talking." I LOVED DID and I would LOVE to see them team up to investigate the cryptic Victor (was-he-or-wasn't-he) stuff, but I won't hold my breath and I'd probably be more satisfied just coming up with something in my head. It's like the writers threw Robin a bone with that line in the anniversary show, and they'll propably never touch it again. Who knows...

[EricMontreal22]

No, I completely agree with all this. Again, they're all ways I think RC is lacking as a writer (although maybe to his credit, I thought he might keep Eddie around for EONS the way he did with Eli...) And yeah Ford gets a pass but Hannah, Eddie, etc are all *completely* unredeemable (in Hannah's case--and don't get me wrong I was no huge fan but--even when people go out of their way to give her the help she needs the lesson seems to be there's nop chance some psychiatric help, etc, could ever help someone). Of course on the other hand we have the eternally loveable psycho Todd, so... Don't get me wrong, I don't want my soaps black and white, but OLTL right now treats some characters completely black and white, and then wants ot have its cake and eat it too with other characters (cuz they're "complex")

[DRW50]

The only way a psycho will stay around on the show is if they can move the plot along. Eddie couldn't. The sooner he left, the better, because they could just use him to quickly ram home the idea of the Fords being innocent victims.

It's kind of interesting to me that Jessica Leccia is the only one getting any stick from the soap press for her bad acting. JWS was...odd...in his performances, and the melting face trio are wretched day in and day out, yet they either get praise, or no comment. I guess it's the hype machine. They are seen as the future of OLTL so that means they get more slack.

[SFK]

Yeah, I wouldn't call JL's acting bad, she is just playing one HELL of an annoying character, she's in a super tough spot. She's the proverbial female victim you feel no sympathy for (imo), her annoying qualities just get in the way. The guy playing James for example is definitely not a better actor than her, but he is spoiled day in and day out with a mouth full of lines that make teen girls swoon while his mom is written as an extremely poor decision maker/semi-schemer.

[~bl~]

JWS is well respected as an actor and it was short term. People gave him props for coming in making an impact and getting out of there. His acting choices may not have been to everyone's liking, but he has a very positive track record in daytime.

I think Jessica Leccia gets flack because she has experience, but it was at GL during its dying days. While Otalia had impassioned fans, until that story she was barely noticed in a positive way. People expect more from her especially considering who she is working with at OLTL (HBS, JvD, RSW) too. The trio of Bobby, James and Nate have only OLTL on their resumes and aren't acting with the "big boys", so the expectations are different.

BL (who felt the preemption was annoying and hopes ABC decides to rebroadcast this particular episode during one of their rerun days...if they want to save money and aren't willing to show older OLTL episodes, at least show ones that weren't aired completely for much of the USA.)

[EricMontreal22]

I do think JL is in a VERY unforgiving role, even more so than any of the Fords sons (OK, much more so). She's meant to be a woman strong enough to have left her PSYCHO husband and ran from him for years, raised a son, etc--but basically as soon as we meet her every scene emphasizes how needy she is for help--help from men. And then she has this whole seducing Bo thing (which frankly I wish RC would realize would be MORE interesting and make more sense if her character HAD been shown repeatedly as a strong woman and we REALLY got a sense she was forced into this--repeatedly the show seems to miss out on small character points that would make the show stronger, not weaker). I don't blame JWS for his acting choices, though I found them odd and frankly annoying (that accent? Or the way he'd strut and mimic girls actions which I'm sure have done nothing to squelch rumours of the actor's sexuality). But he's a talented guy who can do over the top or subtle, and so I'm pretty sure he did what was wanted.

[EricMontreal22]

One more rant--only one more for now I swear. The prob with the storytelling isn't just that we always need a resident psycho, or the wild shifts in tone (even within stories--which is the real prob) but right now it feels like 90% of the plots rely on secrets. Someone having results switched, telling a lie, keeping a secret. I find these stories, except when expertly told, just BORING--we know the truth is gonna sometime come out and are left just hanging. Rex's paternity, the whole Clint stuff, Bo didn't sleep with Inez, the babies fathers, even Aubrey who just came on has a secret. It's bottom level, James E Reilly storytelling and one of my least fave types out of the soap standard plots.

[SFK]

LMAO! But no, ITA with you, the writing has failed Whinez in showing her as a true victim. Soaps are geared towards women and all of the women I know would have a hard time sympathizing with a woman who escaped an abusive relationship and left two of her boys behind. You take your children with you no matter WHAT, just more points for the Bobby and James column, when they have a monster of a dad and a mom who saved her own ass but not their's. Then what's the deal with Nate, I feel like he isn't Eddie's anyway, and if my hunch is true, it would have been a lot more interesting to reveal that with Eddie still alive but now we'd get a, "So I didn't kill my own dad afterall. Whew! *wipes brow*" Bobby/James: No, but you did kill OUR dad and we can't thank you enough for it. We may only share half of our DNA, but you're all the brother we could ever wish for. Of course Nate didn't do it, but...

All right, I know you all are sick of me, I'm shutting up.

[Marco Dane]