13 hours ago, soapfave06 said:

PS - I really always thought Erika Slezak faded to the background from the stroke story through Victor Lord murder trial, but between what I am seeing in Fall 1991 and Maxim’s recaps, she’s still very prevalent.

She does have a little faded period where Malone is not sure what to do with her and she's just a MOTHER and nothing more... the character looks so matronly at one point in early spring. But then as soon as summer 1992 hits and Sloan Carpenter comes into town... it's like Viki is 10 years younger... there is new life breathed into her. And she's been center stage non stop since then. The first half of 1992 is very Dorian heavy while the second part... Viki heavy. I can't wait to read your thoughts on that. So far I'm enjoying your takes very much. You are still not even in the good parts, so if you are enjoying it now... then you will LOVE it in couple of months.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by Maxim

P.S. I just saw Cassie's wedding... and I'm still a bit sweaty from these 3 episodes. THEY WERE INTENSE. Marty's nervous breakdown... while Cassie was saying "I do" - so dramatic... (even though they did repeat themselves a bit with yet another man who has a near stalker like Bo did with Alex... this time it's better though and more organic) Viki, parallel to that... also having her own personal FALLING APART moment... Clint telling her "You are in love with another man!" and deciding to sit away from her. The SHOW IS BACK. I can't wait to gather my thoughts tomorrow morning before work... for the review.

Edited 8 hours ago8 hr by Maxim

About Blair and recasting her with a white blond woman... Well did the writers forget that Blair was interpreting Japanese when she and Cord were at Jaba city? Did the new Blair forget she knew Japanese when she suddenly became white?

I prefer Mia as Blair. It's a shame she wanted to leave the show.

3 hours ago, Maxim said:

About Blair and recasting her with a white blond woman... Well did the writers forget that Blair was interpreting Japanese when she and Cord were at Jaba city? Did the new Blair forget she knew Japanese when she suddenly became white?

IIRC, Michael Malone envisioned her as a blonde white woman originally, so that probably made the decision easier for him. I may be wrong though.

12 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

IIRC, Michael Malone envisioned her as a blonde white woman originally, so that probably made the decision easier for him. I may be wrong though.

I never realized she was imagined this way originally. Thanks for telling me.

Wow... just imagine how social media could have changed things back in 1993... how people would have reacted. Do you think anyone would have lost their jobs over it? If the outcry was so bad.

It’s a new thing that this part of the show is now easier to find online and on YouTube... This means more people will start talking about this particular issue. Those who never got to see the original Blair... Now have the opportunity to do so.

24 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

IIRC, Michael Malone envisioned her as a blonde white woman originally, so that probably made the decision easier for him. I may be wrong though.

He said he always envisioned her as a Scarlett O'Hara type, yes, and that his ideas surrounding Blair, Max and later Todd were heavily influenced by his love for Gone with the Wind. IIRC he also said they simply cast whoever they found best for the role initially, namely Korf. I don't know if Mia Korf was another example of Gottlieb finding an interesting face and asking Malone to create a character. (As she did with Mark Brettschneider.) I do think both Blairs have elements of that GWTW archetype.

1 hour ago, Vee said:

He said he always envisioned her as a Scarlett O'Hara type, yes, and that his ideas surrounding Blair, Max and later Todd were heavily influenced by his love for Gone with the Wind. IIRC he also said they simply cast whoever they found best for the role initially, namely Korf. I don't know if Mia Korf was another example of Gottlieb finding an interesting face and asking Malone to create a character. (As she did with Mark Brettschneider.) I do think both Blairs have elements of that GWTW archetype.

I think Mia Korf gives film noir (and femme fatale) more than Kassie DePaiva did. I don’t see why they needed Blair back when Kassie could have simply played an additional Cramer character with the same vendetta (and Kelly was pointless IMO)

Ohhh what could have been. I would have been infuriated at the time just based on the little I’ve seen of vicious Blair in 1992 and her first full month.

1 hour ago, Maxim said:

I never realized she was imagined this way originally. Thanks for telling me.

Wow... just imagine how social media could have changed things back in 1993... how people would have reacted. Do you think anyone would have lost their jobs over it? If the outcry was so bad.

It’s a new thing that this part of the show is now easier to find online and on YouTube... This means more people will start talking about this particular issue. Those who never got to see the original Blair... Now have the opportunity to do so.

I don't want to spoil too much but the show has a wink at this in 2002, so I guess even then it was infamous.

1 hour ago, Vee said:

He said he always envisioned her as a Scarlett O'Hara type, yes, and that his ideas surrounding Blair, Max and later Todd were heavily influenced by his love for Gone with the Wind. IIRC he also said they simply cast whoever they found best for the role initially, namely Korf. I don't know if Mia Korf was another example of Gottlieb finding an interesting face and asking Malone to create a character. (As she did with Mark Brettschneider.) I do think both Blairs have elements of that GWTW archetype.

Oh right it was the Southern belle part, not the blonde part. Thanks.

@Maxim , you might also be interested in knowing that Mia Korf's first gig after One Life to Live was David Henry Hwang's Face Value, which never officially opened on Broadway. It's also related to infamous casting.

1 hour ago, Franko said:

@Maxim , you might also be interested in knowing that Mia Korf's first gig after One Life to Live was David Henry Hwang's Face Value, which never officially opened on Broadway. It's also related to infamous casting.

I know about that flop! I think she left explicitly to do that play. Tough break.

1 hour ago, soapfave06 said:

Ohhh what could have been. I would have been infuriated at the time just based on the little I’ve seen of vicious Blair in 1992 and her first full month.

I would just use Mia Korf today to introduce an Asian family tied directly to Blair's foster home past, lol. Her old partner in crime. It's the best you can do.

I am glad Malone was committed to the character he created, but it's just a messy and unfortunate situation all around looking back through 2025 eyes. Kassie's Blair was rightly beloved and popular over time (and she got some seriously unsympathetic story in that first year) and thanks to Malone's work the core of the character remains the same, but Mia Korf's Blair was something entirely unique for daytime then and now. It helps that unlike the future Blair, Korf's never got to be totally shackled to an obsession with a man like Todd (though Max came close).

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Vee

8 minutes ago, Vee said:

I know about that flop! I think she left explicitly to do that play. Tough break.

Closing in previews is especially rare, so Face Value must have been a total turkey or had absolutely no advance ticket sales.