OLTL: Monday, May 6, 2013 Episode Discussion

[Vee]

Finally watched this. Solid show, just like AMC. Both tonally different, but as I said for that show - they are on more sure footing with a lot of exposition out of the way, but what they each retain is a really different, slightly more sophisticated tone and pace. The profanity was not as forced today as a couple instances last week - it was very natural. I loved how they showed realistic, slice of life stuff with the guys - stealing wifi and setting up the router first, which is what I always do in any new place. There just isn't a need for either of these shows to try hard the way the network soaps do, trying to emulate a reality they've lost touch with - they just do it, very easily, or so they did today and most of last week. The pace is still very akin to primetime, and I think it could slow a bit, but I also like the briskness.

I'm still hoping they explain exactly how Victor survived and who shot him, if not Todd. I liked all that stuff today. Tea's house is lovely and while the googling 'murder' stuff was a bit silly, the cutting and camerawork when Victor infiltrated the hotel room was very distinct and fresh. Shelter was also gorgeous as a dinner spot. RH and KDP were great, as was Tuc, but I do hope Todd and Blair can stop having the same conversation they have had for the last year soon. I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of the ex-OLTL GH dialogue expatriates defecting back to OLTL soon, though I like these fine.

My only wrinkle with pacing today was when they had Dani declare that she and Tea had patched it up over a text message we did not see. They should've shown that talk as an actual talk. The initial argument, and her edginess with Matthew was excellent - freed from overly broad, cartoonish cliche writing for 'youngsters,' Kelley Missal is easily the most vital and fiery heroine this show has had since Melissa Archer, or Susan Haskell in the '90s. She is just a revelation day to day - I always liked her and thought she had talent, but she never, ever got stuff like this on ABC. It does still make me wonder what Kristen could do if pushed, but not enough to want Starr back for anything but a guest spot.

Poor Andrew Trischitta got exactly one line. But he delivered it well.

I liked Natalie in her lab coat at her cluttered office, shooting the [!@#$%^&*] with Nora, even if I don't care much for Natalie at the LPD. I'm really intrigued to see where all this goes for her, but she looks amazing. I assumed that was Clint's home office - it looked exactly like Viki's, maybe the same room at Llanfair. I liked them picking up the Matthew and Clint connection.

They need to shape up another Angel Square set. That corridor is fine, but is basically just a very slight redress of the alley on AMC outside Jane's Addicftion. I understand why they've done this given the tight budget and the conservation, etc. but I do hope that if these take off and more capital comes in, they can give us a proper Angel Square set. More storefronts, less generic street - Angel Square was diverse.

[EricMontreal22]

Agreed on everything--particularly the Angel Square comment, and the filming of Victor infiltrating Todd's.

I am with you about the pace. Overall I prefer it actually, but it still has a few flaws I think--the main problem today being how quickly Dani came around due to an off screen text (I also admit I kinda laughed how Matt and Jeffrey said they'd watch over her andthen basically taking off and not even saying with their new pad was...)

[Vee]

Looking at them again after some earlier comments, I do think the pace on these shows is actually very similar to what I recall from Eastenders and some of Coronation Street - people bopping about within the span of a half-hour show, little vignettes playing out through the episode, from point A to B to C very quickly. I used to always be startled by that pace on those shows, but grew to accept it as a British soap thing. Now I'm having to accept it again - but I'm starting to think it works.

[Chris B]

I'm really in love with this! I think the OLTL really looks great and the sets are fantastic. I was hoping for more location shooting, but I think the sets stand out well enough that it doesn't bother me. It feels on par with a primetime production. I do notice that the sets are a bit smaller, but I also think the way they're filming them makes them look even more small. Not a big deal, but something I noticed.

Kelley Missal continues to impress me as Dani. I just can't believe I care about her at all. On the old show she was just useless and I honestly don't think she should've existed. Now I find she's even surpassing Starr and is on Erin Torpey's level in terms of being a fabulous young heroine for OLTL. Her acting has improved a million times! I like the balance they've struck with David as well.

So far every storyline and character has me wanting to "tune in tomorrow." I don't need spoilers or to know where it's going, I trust that it's going in the right direction. Of course there is always room to be better, but I'm so happy to see these writers knocking things out of the ballpark so far.

[Sapounopera]

LOL

So Nata works at the LPD? I thought she was secretary/assistant to a vet from the set and her clothes. What is she doing there?

I like the young group and the UK soap vibe A LOT.

I hated Dani the first time around and I can't believe how much I like her now.

[EricMontreal22]

It does feel more like that--particularly in how a character will pop up in a new location without any talk previously about "now I have to go visit Uncle Clint, etc. It can be disconcerting at first, when I'm so used to the standard American soap pace, but I agree, ultimately it works well.

I think she has imp-roved as an actress, but IMHO it was often the writing that let her down before. I am in the minority, I guess, but she always seemed better than most of the cast her age--you'd always see her, for example, *reacting* to what others said, and not just waiting to deliver her next line.

[Chris B]

I'll admit that it was difficult to even pay attention to her being surrounded by those Ford brothers. I do recall liking her in the beginning with Matthew.

[jfung79]

Great episode! The show seems very confident in its storytelling; has meaningful, layered, and relatable scenes that involve both character and plot; and mixes interactions across the canvas. All the actors are also doing well.

I, too, loved the realism of the wi-fi, the furniture setup (neither super hard and something they made an exaggerated deal out of, nor easy, but just something that took a lot of time and they put to the side), and the Facebook friending.

Yep, that was funny that Matthew and Jeffrey left Dani after promising to take care of her.

I love the suspense of Todd being poisoned as the cliffhanger -- and of Todd also being watched like Victor.

I agree that there's somewhat of a British soap approach to the pacing of the scenes (which I believe cassadine1991 predicted as far back as the first look trailer thing) and the intermix of characters, and I agree it works.

Glad I am finding some common ground on this show even while I disagree some of y'all on some of the other soaps.

[Michael]

Kelley Missal is reminding me of Chelsea on Days, when Rachel Melvin really hit her stride. That's a very good thing. I wasn't a regular OLTL viewer in the last few years, but she's impressing me. (And Dani is 21 now, I guess? Sure, why not.)

[Soaplovers]

Well she wasn't very good on OLTL when it was on ABC, but the show never really wrote for her character all that much.. especially when Starr and the Ford brothers were on. She was basically known as Starr's younger half-sister and Nate Ford's girlfriend, who was constantly wringing her hands over her relationship with Nate.

She's done a lot more in the past 5 episodes in terms of story and acting then she ever did when the show was on ABC

[Vee]

Pretty much. But that can also be said for virtually all of her youth set scene partners on OLTL, excepting maybe Eddie Alderson, who grew by leaps and bounds in the last 4 years of the show.

[Dale]

Question: Is Roger Howarth going to be doing GH and OLTL concurrently or was his current stint the end? I am confused by all the "reports" that I've read here.

[John]

He will be doing both at the same time

[Dale]

Thanks, John. How do you know this? Has it been officially reported?

[John]

Yes by SON itself

EXCLUSIVE: Roger Howarth Doing BOTH ‘GH’ and ‘OLTL’