22 minutes ago, j swift said:

You make a good case for Jason.  At the time, there were so many ponytailed male character that I disliked in daytime (Rocco, Edge Jerome, Zach Hamilton, etc..).  So, I may have dismissed Jason unfairly as a member of that pack of actors.

He's my favorite male on the show. I absolutely ADORE him. His storyline arc has been so heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. Here was this rebel... bad-on-the surface guy with a scar on his face (that we later found out was given to him by his abusive stepfather), who is so troubled, yet capable of intense empathy and compassion. Capable of change and growth. Leanne's ONLY saving grace was teaching him to read. I cried so much during these scenes. The rare... hard-to-describe... tears that you can't say if it's pain or happiness. And then we had his love for Leanne turning him into a criminal again... With the best of intentions... wanting to help her be with her child, he sank deeper and deeper into darkness.

Not to talk about how charming and talented Mark Brettschneider is. His chemistry with all the ladies he's been tried with... is intense. Even Dorian Lord works for me. Her mid-life crisis younger guy situation was a bit erotic novel-like, yes... but also relatable. I know so many women like that...  

I just love Jason. He's a like a character from a Dostoevsky novel. From the highest of highs to lowest of lows... he's captivating all the way.  

Edited October 31Oct 31 by Maxim

Thanks again @Maxim for the very wise description of Jason, and the writeup and video for Viki. I appreciate the moment with Tina and Viki, Tina fully supportive and understanding in a way she often isn't capable of being. The conversation with Kevin and Viki is just as good as you can feel the mix of love and disappointment Kevin has toward his mother. I like the choice of having him put his head on Viki's shoulder.

One positive I'll say about the Death scenes is I adore Mary Kay Adams. Someday you may be able to see her strong work on GL or ATWT. 

I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere in the story but I would think Megan's death also affected Viki. Were there any scenes with Viki and Sloan about losing their children and how they have coped? 

I remember watching clips from Megan's ghost episode. I was just happy to see Megan again and I didn't mind the concept, although I've never been entirely sure on the ending for Jake.

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks again @Maxim for the very wise description of Jason, and the writeup and video for Viki. I appreciate the moment with Tina and Viki, Tina fully supportive and understanding in a way she often isn't capable of being. The conversation with Kevin and Viki is just as good as you can feel the mix of love and disappointment Kevin has toward his mother. I like the choice of having him put his head on Viki's shoulder.

One positive I'll say about the Death scenes is I adore Mary Kay Adams. Someday you may be able to see her strong work on GL or ATWT. 

I'm sure it's been mentioned elsewhere in the story but I would think Megan's death also affected Viki. Were there any scenes with Viki and Sloan about losing their children and how they have coped? 

I remember watching clips from Megan's ghost episode. I was just happy to see Megan again and I didn't mind the concept, although I've never been entirely sure on the ending for Jake.

Oh yes, there were plenty of scenes with Viki and Sloan bonding over losing their children. If I didn't clip them, it was probably because other storylines were climaxing. I think I have one scene like it somewhere waaay back in the pages before. I'll have to check later and update you if I find it. But I did appreciate how natural their relationship began and how that bond grew stronger in stages. 

And about the Megan scenes... I get 💯 percent why you did like them. It's one of these disadvantages that come up from time to time... connected to me starting the show with the October 1991 episodes and having zero history with it before that. Since I never knew Megan or her storylines, I had never bonded with that character and I didn't care. She was to me just one of the actors I had to part ways with in the initial purge. I liked the actress, but I didn't see anything other than her feeling sickly and cold and waiting for a call from some long haired hot guy that I remember watching in Dr. Quinn The Medicine Woman. 

Edited October 31Oct 31 by Maxim

11 hours ago, Maxim said:

Oh yes, there were plenty of scenes with Viki and Sloan bonding over losing their children. If I didn't clip them, it was probably because other storylines were climaxing. I think I have one scene like it somewhere waaay back in the pages before. I'll have to check later and update you if I find it. But I did appreciate how natural their relationship began and how that bond grew stronger in stages. 

And about the Megan scenes... I get 💯 percent why you did like them. It's one of these disadvantages that come up from time to time... connected to me starting the show with the October 1991 episodes and having zero history with it before that. Since I never knew Megan or her storylines, I had never bonded with that character and I didn't care. She was to me just one of the actors I had to part ways with in the initial purge. I liked the actress, but I didn't see anything other than her feeling sickly and cold and waiting for a call from some long haired hot guy that I remember watching in Dr. Quinn The Medicine Woman. 

Thanks. I figured they had talks and I just forgot about them. 

I totally get you with Megan. I think what helped me was I first saw her in the curated Megan's death episodes A Daytime to Remember ran in 1997, rather than watching the episodes in full.

I think Megan is pretty vibrant from the jump, including in the '80s and earlier in '91. Watching her decline is very difficult as she's such a kinetic, witty character.

3 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks. I figured they had talks and I just forgot about them. 

I totally get you with Megan. I think what helped me was I first saw her in the curated Megan's death episodes A Daytime to Remember ran in 1997, rather than watching the episodes in full.

I would love to see her initial storyline some day. Go back in time. I know the episodes are there... It reads very good on paper. (on wikipedia) And since it sounds very Viki-centric... I think I will enjoy it.

P.S. - a nice surprise that made me smile today. Viki and Joey back together for a few seconds. 

Up to November 13th, 1992.

  🦩

"The kiss of the vampire."

🔷

Happy Halloween, y'all! 👻

🔷

Sloan Carpenter turned out to be even more manipulative than I ever imagined. He’s playing this like a game of chess. Every single move is planned in advance, and the only thing that matters is the goal - Viki's heart. It’s true that there are no rules in war and love. Sloan's so-called "bringing peace" visit to Clint was anything but that. He just went there to gather more ammunition against him. He was smirking and serving Brooke Logan in her most savage mode - gaslighting Clint to the max, telling him he is delusional if he thinks that anything is going on. Sloan forgets one thing, his rival may not be as bright and calculated as himself, but he has one huge PLUS - a heart of gold. The guy is an open book compared to the games and machinations of the general. Of course... everything Clint said about Viki... Sloan later twisted in front of her to his advantage.

🔷

And that brings me to part 2 - the HUNT. Sloan Carpenter decided it's time for the REAL PUSH. The NOW or NEVER moment. He knew that Viki's marriage may never be this fragile again. So he went ALL IN. It was like a scene from old school opera. Not just soap opera... it was like opera period. His felt like a vampire (@DRW50 - that pose in the pictures Dorian took... was not accidental 🧛‍♂️...) circling around Viki, waiting for the right moment to sink his teeth into her neck. Not taking "No" for an answer, looking for any weakness in her armor.  Viki was running around the room almost hysterical, Sloan chasing her... I even started laughing at one point. The manipulation was hardcore - he wanted to portray Clint as this hardened... not taking any responsibility guy... who was allegedly putting all the blame on Viki. Again, I've only seen Brooke pull stunts like these. 

🔷

And if you think this is the full extent of Viki's troubles... you are mistaken. Now that Clint KNOWS about her and Leanne violating the restraining order... she went to warn her and tell her those visits have to end. Leanne, being the selfish POS that she is... was not having it. She'd rather ruin Viki's life than miss out on time with her kid. In that moment, I thought - this is just a classic case of the saying - No good deed goes unpunished. Viki should have never... I mean, NEVER helped Leanne. I know why she did it - it was more than just playing the Saint... she saw herself in Leanne... she recognized her own tragedy with her daughter Megan and wanted to change that little boy's fate. She didn't want him to go through what Megan did, living without her. But now? It's too late. Kevin, who was just about to start trusting Leanne again... opened the door to find her with Duke. I don't think... I KNOW sh-t is about to hit the fan. And all of this is going to ricochet into to Viki... totally FINISHING off her marriage.

 🔷

 The Death fiasco is in full speed, and it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it will. Still... I just don't care. I don't know why. I don't care if Max will live or die. And that makes all of this so pointless for me. Still, this is my subjective opinion influenced by my limited time with the character of Max. I care a little more than I cared about Megan dying... but not that much more. Max has never been one of my favorites. I just think they've given him too much machismo cliches in the characterization... And... all I've really seen him do is chase Blair. It's so disappointing that they've paired him with Luna now... when it was so clear she was his second choice for months. Luna deserved something MORE. I'm not talking about a man. She could have been the only one NOT defined by a man. A character that can be a different point of view, something a lot more modern and bold. And they started playing with it a year ago... only to completely assassinate her and turn her into a typical "waiting for my man to wake up" cliche. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, but I thought she would be something much more. SAD.

 🔷

Last, but not least... I've decided to talk about this bizarre quirk of the show... you know those scenes on the telephone with characters who are totally out of the picture... like, they've been MIA for ages. First, it was Megan's husband, who she was always talking on the phone with... or waiting for a call... and now it's Bo having these short calls with Sarah while she's off in New Zealand or whatever. They've completely dropped the ball on Sarah, btw. Her storyline was a mess - she came back from the dead... only to sink into this unbearable drug addict storyline and then she just VANISHED. We haven't seen her for more than 20 seconds in the last MONTHS. Now we just hear she's chilling somewhere with her dad and that's the end of it. Meanwhile, Bo is getting all flirty with Nora and his pants are starting to feel a little tight in the front if you know what I'm saying. What blows my mind is that they think tossing us a 1-minute scene every 2-3 weeks where the character chats with the MIA spouse... is sufficient. It's downright hilarious. But hey, at least they're making an effort. If this was Bradley Bell... he'll just forget that the character was married in the first place. 

 Overall -  9.5/10 - again, 0.5 removed for the Max scenes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Clip of the day

Sloan corners Viki.

Edited November 1Nov 1 by Maxim

@MaximI hope you become a big Bo and Nora fan like me lol

1 minute ago, mar4331 said:

@MaximI hope you become a big Bo and Nora fan like me lol

I hope so too! I mean... why not? ❤️ I've been loving Nora so far. She's the type of woman that likes to challenge a man... And come to think of it... Bo needs someone like this. Cassie... made him looks so much older and Sarah is an absolute mess. Maybe if they just clean-slate him and try him out with Nora... it will work. I can't wait to see what the future holds! They just shared a scene... and Bo was grinning from ear to ear again. That man can't hide anything he feels. I liked him before he dumped Cassie over the phone for Sarah. I've been holding a grudge since then. 😂

Thanks again @Maxim 

As you said, you can definitely feel the vampiric tendencies played up in this exchange, with Victoria in full...Victorian heroine mode. Of course, for all the theatrics, Viki does want Sloan, she's just clinging to the shell of her family, as the story would be completely alienating otherwise. What we have here is a classic soap formula.The manipulation and pull between the two men is much more interesting than when Clint was just bellowing homophobia. 

I did laugh at Joey and Jessica walking in and Joey looking pissed off. 

You're right about Max - the Luna relationship does come across as second choice to me, and Max wasn't exactly a catch so I just felt little involvement.

It's been mentioned a few times in here over the years but supposedly there were issues between Grace Philips and the powers that be at the time which explain why we barely see Sarah.

13 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks again @Maxim 

As you said, you can definitely feel the vampiric tendencies played up in this exchange, with Victoria in full...Victorian heroine mode. Of course, for all the theatrics, Viki does want Sloan, she's just clinging to the shell of her family, as the story would be completely alienating otherwise. What we have here is a classic soap formula.The manipulation and pull between the two men is much more interesting than when Clint was just bellowing homophobia. 

I did laugh at Joey and Jessica walking in and Joey looking pissed off. 

You're right about Max - the Luna relationship does come across as second choice to me, and Max wasn't exactly a catch so I just felt little involvement.

It's been mentioned a few times in here over the years but supposedly there were issues between Grace Philips and the powers that be at the time which explain why we barely see Sarah.

Great description of the Viki storyline, @DRW50 .

I believe there's a delicate line between trash and quality. If this storyline had just one less nuance of complexity... or even if different actors were involved... it could have easily turned into a disaster, IMO. In its current form however, it works flawlessly. I worry that many who just read (from my recaps) or hear about it (my husband) might dismiss it as a cliche. It isn't. For instance, when I talk about how incredible this storyline is, my husband initially reacted with - "Isn't this what soap operas are 99 percent of the time... cheating and triangles... What's so special about it?" My reply was that - IT's all in how they present it - the dialogue, the acting, the music, even the editing. Moreover, the character of Viki faces unbelievable stakes and tremendous pressure, largely self-imposed. This is what sets it apart from all the cheap triangles and cheating storylines. I'm grateful I had a year to watch her... witnessing the Saint of Llanview-act, because if I had started watching now, it wouldn't have resonated with me at all. That buildup was crucial for me to understand what this character represented. And now... they are masterfully unraveling her, layer by layer... revealing hidden aspects in such a dramatically entertaining way that I know I will rewatch this storyline countless times in the future. It's truly a guilty pleasure type of thing. ❤️ We'll see if they'll keep it on the side of quality or it will sink into trash in the future. 

Up to November 17th, 1992.

  🦩

"Family - DIVIDED."

🔷

 It happened... Viki's family has now been divided. Her children picking sides. Where they want to live. The worst possible situation is now a reality. 

🔷

They wanted the truth. Clint, Kevin... even the smaller children. All of them were watching in anticipation... waiting to hear from Viki what the "real truth" was in the hopes that the dark cloud sitting over Llanfair will pass. And she finally said it. It was like removing a band-aid. She just couldn't take being interrogated and harassed in this sort of emotional witch hunt every single day. The latest situation with Kevin and the baby just pushed her one step too far. And Viki did the unthinkable. She stood in the library of the mansion and told her entire family, including the children... that she has feelings for Sloan Carpenter. I didn't expect this. I really didn't. I had to rewind couple of times to see it again and again. I don't know if this was a good decision, because it opened Pandora's box. But it was what they all wanted from her for months.

🔷

And that brings me to "the consequences". It was not easy lying and distorting reality, but living with the truth is even harder. If not impossible, even. Clint and Kevin reacted as expectedly - this was a no return back scenario. Once she said this in front of her everyone, including Joey  and little Jessica... there was no denying how deep Viki has gone in betraying Clint's trust and love. And in his eyes - betraying the entire family. Now we are sitting in front of yet another classic situation - in soap operas... and in real life too. A mother and a father breaking up and their children FORCED to pick sides. This is how hardcore trauma begins, people. I've been there, lived through it... made to choose and pick the same way Clint asked his children to decide WHICH house they'll stay in. I started tearing up. It was like reliving my own childhood.  

🔷

Another person dealing with consequences of lies and secrets is Leanne - she has now not only lost the ability to see her child, she's made Jason angry too. Her tears and sobbing were just the background noise of the entire horror story unraveling in Llanview. But even then... in their worst hour together... Viki and Leanne had a bonding moment. Left alone... they were talking like mother and daughter... Who could have thought that Viki would be so close to this girl of all people. Not me. They surprised me again.

🔷

Cain and Tina are officially over. Well, in soaps this could mean that they are broken up for good or just for next week. Cain has a new woman in his life... and you would never guess who it is - Alex f-cking Olanov Hesser. That's right. The duo got drunk and ended up ALMOST doing it on the floor of Alex's tacky mob apartment. We saw a glimpse of old Alex - raw, real, talking about her past and how she became what she became. How does someone go from the light to dark like this. From an agent helping bring justice to a dangerous mob queen. Her response - MEN. We heard her signature dark soundtrack while she was telling about her father and Bo betraying her. I almost started missing the old Alex, before they turned her into cartoon. This reminded me how much capable she is when they tone her down and give her drama.

 Overall -  10/10 - If you ever have a chance... you must watch this period of the show.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Clip of the day

Viki confesses to her entire family and all hell breaks loose.

 

Edited November 2Nov 2 by Maxim

I just finished a 2 episode watch. And my eyes are still sore from crying. This show just overdid itself in so many ways... and is officially stepping into the place only The Bold And The Beautiful has ever been since my childhood - my favorite soap opera of all time. I'm lost for words. I'll leave the emotions to ripen till I write it down tomorrow. All I'm gonna say it - Viki, you did it, girl!❤️ 

 

Thanks @Maxim . They really were trying to run Cain through the various "complex" or "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way," women in Llanview, which never quite stops. I suppose this is also down to the apathy Malone often seemed to feel for Tina. I can't see Alex ever going for Cain, even if Chris Cousins is easy on the eye and charismatic.

All of the turmoil at Llanfair is agonizing to watch yet you can't look away. A family tearing itself apart, and there's no easy person to blame. A strong yet divided family for Viki had so much potential, even if it rarely worked out beyond these few years. 

5 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks @Maxim . They really were trying to run Cain through the various "complex" or "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way," women in Llanview, which never quite stops. I suppose this is also down to the apathy Malone often seemed to feel for Tina. I can't see Alex ever going for Cain, even if Chris Cousins is easy on the eye and charismatic.

All of the turmoil at Llanfair is agonizing to watch yet you can't look away. A family tearing itself apart, and there's no easy person to blame. A strong yet divided family for Viki had so much potential, even if it rarely worked out beyond these few years. 

Apathy is a great word to describe his attitude towards Tina, @DRW50. She has been given only 2 or 3 more interesting scenes in the year he's been writing the show. I was surprised by how supporting she felt... given how legendary this character was. The actress is talented... charming and funny and sometimes I speculate... that this might be the issue. Malone struggles with comedy, and her natural humor clashes with the odd Woody Allen-style material he gives her. He should focus on drama and suspense, where he excels. Perhaps he'll prove me wrong as a comedy genius in the future, but I doubt it. I don't need that either... I'm here for the drama. For good comedy, I'll just watch my favorite stage version of Gogol's The Government Inspector. 😁