OLTL: Discussion for the week of June 13

[Soapsuds]

Todd, Tea, Bo, Nora,Vicky, Rex,Jack,Gigi,Clint, Natalie, John, Shane, and Roxi.

[Antoyne]

Wow sounds like it would've been a great episode minus Fess..

[Vee]

Not to state the obvious, but I think ABC and OLTL often mishandled Rex and Gigi after the first year. I actually liked the couple when they worked (for me), and I think what Farah Fath lacked in dramatic chops she made up for in grit and an absolutely hilarious deadpan delivery of comedy. They never should've made them a constant A-story. I think Fath's always had an irreverent edge, even on Days, that seems more realistic than most women in her age range on soaps. You can believe she worked retail and waited tables for years to support a child, and her whole character as Gigi is, I think, a classic example of the kind of characters OLTL has often done so well throughout the years, going back to Marcie at the diner or the Vegas or the original Woleks, or Wanda Webb or Katrina Karr. Was the creative execution in the last several years anywhere near that level of skill? No, not at all, but the ingredients were there, and I actually believed it and cared when she talked about saving money or making ends meet or going back to school.

Regardless of Fath's offscreen conduct in terms of fan reaction, which admittedly has been horribly ill-advised, I think she's often refreshingly honest when something doesn't work. Her interview during the Stacy fiasco was so hilariously blunt. I've heard rumors that she blamed a lot of stuff on the Kish boys, which I hope isn't true. The truth is that none of these people are gods, they're all human and flawed, including Fath. Bob Woods offended fans ages ago for making some rather harsh comments when the audience was not enjoying the JFP era, but he's still a decent man who has done well for the show. Robin Strasser is not exactly the world's greatest diplomat and sometimes appears to be missing a partridge in her pear tree, but she is soap royalty and I love her to death. James dePaiva's tantrums, Clint Ritchie's rodeo of personal issues, you name it. I can only bring so much of that to the table when I judge a character versus the actor. Just because Fath has made a fool of herself a couple times doesn't mean I don't like some of Gigi on the screen.

I will say that I thought FF and JPL failed miserably throughout frontburner stories in most of 2009. She did well with Schuyler, but they didn't play that out, and the poor story and the deification of Rex only made people hate Rex/Gigi, something they only barely began to recover from before now. I thought making Rex Clint's son was a smart move, but I also would've been fine with them sticking with Mitch and not going through all this bullshit for way too many years. Also, I think FF worked hard to improve, and I actually did love her scenes on the roof with Shane. Hell, I would've tested her with Sean Ringgold, with Shaun as Gigi's classmate at LU. I think you could've done any number of things with her in Fath's range, where she lives, which is I think as a second or third-tier player who can do both comedy and some drama at times.

Anyway. Long post is long.

[Soapsuds]

Farah Fath is a limited actress. She is better in small doses. She can't carry a story. JPL is even worse. His acting today was just laughable. I still wonder how in the hell he got hired. The only thing he does well is comedy. Those goofy faces he makes is not acting.

[matthewson]

I'm in the minority who thinks that Gigi nags too much and drains the life out of Rex. But their stories have improved. They're actually my favorite part of the show right now. But considering how horrible the other stories are, that's not even damning with faint praise, much less a sincere compliment.

I'm sure Jack and Brad will get away with what they did. The story will become all about how Shane and his mean parents forced Jack to defend himself. They already do this with Todd, Ford, Nate, and Tess.

I still think they wanted us to be appalled when mean old Rex dared to put his hands on Todd Manning's precious son, especially in front of his own mommy. And when Shane dropped a barbell on Jack's foot.

Not me. Especially not after seeing Farah Fath in "flirty" mode. She was at her all time worst in those scenes with David Fumero when their characters were in Paris. Her real life boyfriend JPL is the only person I've ever seen Farah have chemistry with. If I wanted to test Sean Ringgold with someone, it would be Florencia Lozano. That way, Tea could finally have a story and life outside of Todd, but I know that will never happen.

[Cheap21]

I dont care if Gigi leaves, but thats an awful way to go and IA with those that said that Jack killing her is despicable. I hope she does survive this

[Vee]

I suspect they will go with some angle where Jack becomes suicidally guilt-ridden. The problem is Andrew Trischitta can't play that. I'm not saying Carmen LoPorto was some well-rounded young actor, but we didn't know his range and he showed signs of ability.

Years ago, OLTL did the same thing with Powell Lord in order to redeem him following Marty's gang rape. Marty stepped in to save him. Those scenes were very well-written but I never bought Powell as being acceptable to society again. To me, I always found it most insidious that he was the "weak" one who raped her anyway, then went on to be re-assimilated into the community. It was a vindication for me when that was smashed up and he turned out to be the hospital rapist. Jack, OTOH, I think they could play such a story with.

The truth, I think, is that the Jack/Shane/Gigi story here is no different from what used to play out in classic soap eras like the Bells' DAYS or even some Irna Phillips stuff, where it seemed like the heroines used to constantly kill their men in blind rages over minor slights and get off. Susan Martin kills her husband because a boy fell off a swing or something, Brad Vernon inadvertently causes his girlfriend to suicide and gets off, then rapes Karen Wolek and reunites with sister Jenny, Bill Horton rapes his wife. It's just that this domestic-turned-up-to-eleven scenario is poorly-written and often poorly-played, whereas those were not.

Also, the story was dumb as hell but I actually thought Cristian and Gigi were fun in Paris. I wouldn't pair them though.

[DRW50]

I think they're going to write it in a way where Jack will just be a minor part of why she died, or they will just say that he's suffering over what he did, which means he's the real victim (the Todd writing).

I don't think Gigi/Rex ever had any chemistry - the show just demonized other people for their sake. This could have worked - that's what soap couples are about today, after all - until the Stacy story, where the show made it clear that Rex was the prime stud who was more than justified in sleeping with Stacy and in calling Gigi a whore and also getting Shane to hate Gigi. Once that played out, Gigi/Rex were pretty much DOA, because there was always going to be this power imbalance, never addressed. Gigi ceased to exist as a character.

I think Gigi would have been gone in early 2010 if not for JPL and FF being a couple in real life and if not for JPL's unerring ability to ruin any story he's been in. That makes it just about impossible to write for a character. So Gigi has been there just as a support for him. I would like to know what story plans they had for Rex - beyond kicking the corpse of Clint - if the show hadn't been canceled.

[SFK]

I would really love it if they just went the, *Wow, you are an awful little [!@#$%^&*] and you deserve to be punished* route. I am sick of redemption, this show just loves that. I am sick of people getting their dirty behavior wiped clean and given an encouraging smack on the ass and sent shiny and new to ride the front burner. Cant anyone just stay bad and not be awarded for their behavior by becoming a hero/heroine? God forbid the Dorian Lords and Asa Buchanans and Alex Olanovs ad Carlo Hessers had their evil slates wiped clean so they could play more palatable protagonists. But they also weren't *hot lil young thangs* either.

[SFK]

double

[DRW50]

I think the biggest problem is that there's no real belief that any of the actions by "bad" boys are actually bad. The show does this stuff to shock and thrill viewers, then there's a half-a$$ed "redemption" so that they won't be too blatant in supporting sleazy sociopaths. This is just winked at so we will remember they're not TOO nice, because nice men are losers.

The way the show tends to do this is to have a "good" man as a contrast to the bad boy, to remind us that the "good" man is actually a boring, pathetic hypocrite who is jus jellus because he can never be a real man.

Back when someone like Alex Olanov was bad, she did a lot of ridiculous OTT things which we were told not to take seriously. That didn't invalidate the pain she caused heroines like Cassie, but they never went too far.

Now you have Todd, or Ford, or Jack, doing ugly stuff which blurs the line and seems more real or offensive, because they want to get a reaction out of us. So once they're done shocking people they just trivialize the victim (Marty's a nut, Jessica doesn't really exist and Tess, the true heroine, wants Ford, Gigi is just kind of there and it's her own fault for standing up for Shane).

If OLTL was staying around I have little doubt that within a year or two Shane would be the new Brody/Sky/Joey and Jack would be the new Todd/Ford.

[Vee]

I think the show actually wants very much for us to root for Shane, not Jack. That said, it's all been poorly done of late. And yes, I fear it would've turned out that way you describe in a year or two.

What I wouldn't have minded seeing - cancellation or no - was another Irna-style "crime of passion" story. Jessica integrates, but is forced to share custody with Ford, her rapist, who throws his summer romance with Tess in her face and says she will never be the woman her alter was. In a blind rage that he is walking free and can treat her like this while having custody of Ryder, Jessica - very much sane - unloads one of Asa's guns into Ford in public, and goes on trial for it. Maybe she even plans it with forethought.

That would be a major controversial story, but it would also very clearly re-calibrate OLTL's moral scale. It would say it doesn't matter what Ford claims he wants or feels, he is still a rapist, and he still must die by Old Testament-style Irna Justice.

[JackPeyton]

Long post is a great post! I agree with everything written here. FF isnt an amazing dramatic actress, but as you said she can make up for it. The show should have written to her strengths, as they did when she first came on, not against them.

I would LOVE to see that storyline. I love Jessica, she is in fact the only character on OLTL i ever truly cared about actually. I hate how weak they make her and blame everything on her alters. it would be great to see Jessica, in full control/clear minded, kill Ford after months of his verbally attacking her and throwing Tess in her face. And then confess, go onto trial, and use her mental issues as a way to get off. Have her knowingly lie to get off. Let Viki in on it. That could create a huge moral discussion and debate.

[Vee]

I think the controversy and debate in town would come simply from her standing trial. And I'd take the step of having Bo removed entirely from handling of the case, but Nora would still have to prosecute her. Tea would probably defend her, because that's where Tea works best.

Of course, I liked the other story I came up with better - Viki conspires to break Mitch out of prison in order to kill him, does so in secret, tells no one, gets away with it, then months later is found out and goes on trial. You can't go wrong with Viki On Trial.

[SFK]

I love Viki, and my love for her only grows. She is a character who I am always willing to forgive even when the writing does her no favors because Erika Slezak knows what the [!@#$%^&*] she is doing. I am very critical of this show because it has brought me the most fulfilling soap watching experiences I have ever had. Experiences that have transcended the warmth and nostalgia factor of my home soap AMC and given me MY perfect soapy blend of fine acting, dark psychological intrigue, glamor, and use of rich history. Mid-nineties DID era all the way.