Interesting, Eric. Any insight (that he'd be ok with you sharing, obviously) as to why he wasn't interested? Corley is great... and it's nice to hear he agrees with the choices AMC went with.

I cannot speak for the man, but I think it was an issue of how much time he'd have to commit.

That's a good point I handn't considered, Marceline - the effects of the legal wrangling with ABC.... overall, I guess that could negate their direction with the story. But it doesn't explain how there's something missing in the tone of the writing, nor things like the uneven responses of some characters to Victor's return. Viki & Clint shrugged as if he should have shown up months ago, lol.... and Sam didn't seem to know he'd ever been "dead!"

And then there's the writer's approach to "edgy" and "real" young characters. I still can't wrap my mind around Danielle telling the guys not to use her moisturizer to masturbate, even if it was "joking" - unless the writers are working overtime to show us that Dani has descended into a trashy, wannabe Ke$ha. I get that she's doing drugs, and that Matthew says "sh_t" every other sentence with various inflections and foreign accents... But in the process, the writers have been making those characters vacuous, unlikable, and worst of all, one-dimensional. I don't blame the actors at all... Hopefully the new writers see that deficit and have a plan to repair it.

Oh dear, lol. That's pretty much how my friends and I talk when parents aren't around...

Oh dear, lol. That's pretty much how my friends and I talk when parents aren't around...

Uh, YEEAH! But unlike you and I, Eric, Dani is not among a group of other gay men...

(Or is she?? )

I honestly just feel it's something the American daytime audience isn't so used to seeing day in and day out, that kind of casual youthful debauchery and foolishness, and navel-gazing, all of which I think is very realistic - I see it on the UK soaps from time to time, though I haven't much time for them these days, and I think both the new AMC and particularly the new OLTL are striving for more of that feeling of an episodic, semi-contained story every half hour, with vignettes like that for the youngsters and so on. That may have contributed to the new writers at both shows, and a few of the people at OLTL both in the HW slots and the corps have some impressive other credits. But it eventually builds to something bigger, which I think is obviously coming here. I just like the stuff a lot, and I can easily watch them everyday so long as equal time is meted out to other stories and characters I enjoy. But I can see where it's alienating some viewers.

When we get to, say, four days of Cutter and Natalie romping naked around her apartment, then I'll be really happy.

Edited May 26, 201312 yr by Vee

Uh, YEEAH! But unlike you and I, Eric, Dani is not among a group of other gay men...

(Or is she?? )

Ha! Well you know that we usually agree.

I will agree that while I think OLTL as it stands sincew this week is on extremely solid ground, I have wondered where some of the stories were leading--if anywhere--whereas the show did seem stronger out of the gate (than AMC.)

Well, again, they're not high schoolers. They're twentysomethings who are ostensibly 'adults,' but in the case of Matthew and Dani (unlike Jeffrey and Destiny) they're clearly barely ready for it. Everything is partying and sex and new experiences, the real world's not something they know how to cope with yet. I think that's something a lot of people can relate to. I don't know why it would be disenguous for them to sexually desire one another and have those kind of carnal fantasies. At that age, only network soap kids are dreaming of settling down, getting married and popping out babies.

I agree that the OLTL youth dialogue is quite realistic and doesn't make them one-dimensional or vacuous. However, I have to disagree that only network soap kids are dreaming of settling down and getting married. Five years ago in Texas, I took over an apartment from a 20 or 21-year-old college junior who was moving out to marry his fiance in a few months, who he had gone to high school with, and not because they'd created a baby by "accident" either. They then had a baby a couple years ago.

When we get to, say, four days of Cutter and Natalie romping naked around her apartment, then I'll be really happy.

Vee, I didn't know you were straight!

Edit: Ok, my comment is too vague ... What I mean, albeit jokingly, is that surely you must be referring to Natalie only!

I remember being underwhelmed in 2011 by Josh Kelly in his motel boxer-briefs, thinking that there wasn't much going on downstairs whether it was in front or in back, lol....

(Now you've got me talking like Dani & Matt! Thanks for the influence... )

Edited May 26, 201312 yr by YurSoakinginit

Vee, I didn't know you were straight!

Oh, I'm not, at all, ever; I just like the idea of things being equal-opportunity in other age groups, and Natalie is one of my favorite characters. I also don't mind JK or Cutter at all, he's great.

how to use print screen

Not anymore.

I don't think that's Ke$ha and I don't think they're unlikable or vacuous. That's how young people talk, and that's what they talk about. They're sometimes reckless or selfish, they sometimes shirk their responsibilities or play drinking games but that's all pretty real. And it's on course for them to develop and grow.

My kids are that age and although I realize my observations of their behavior come from a different vantage point, I still think OLTL is displaying them at their worst. Selfish, superficial, irresponsible and lacking depth. Matthew shirking fatherhood. Dani apparently having nothing to occupy her other than sexual fantasies and where to find her next high. I could be naive or in denial, but I really hope that's not an accurate representation of my own kids and their contemporaries.

Edited May 26, 201312 yr by rhinohide

My kids are that age and although I realize my observations of their behavior come from a different vantage point, I still think OLTL is displaying them at their worst. Selfish, superficial, irresponsible and lacking depth. Matthew shirking fatherhood. Dani apparently having nothing to occupy her other than sexual fantasies and where to find her next high. I could be naive or in denial, but I really hope that's not an accurate representation of my own kids and their contemporaries.

I think the characters are more complex than you give them credit for. Matthew isn't just shirking fatherhood ... He is conflicted and wants Drew to have a good life but is immature so he doesn't know how to go about it. We've seen him asking after Drew, insisting he can babysit, looking in on Drew through a window, and looking like Clint's lecture got through to him a bit. Dani is also not just occupied with sexual fantasies. We saw her consoling Tea after Victor left, and volunteering to babysit for Destiny. Jeffrey is also far more responsible and clear about his values and his career than either of the other two.

how to use print screen

Not anymore.

she might be again at Days if Meng and Corday are dumb enough to do that

I think the characters are more complex than you give them credit for. Matthew isn't just shirking fatherhood ... He is conflicted and wants Drew to have a good life but is immature so he doesn't know how to go about it. We've seen him asking after Drew, insisting he can babysit, looking in on Drew through a window, and looking like Clint's lecture got through to him a bit. Dani is also not just occupied with sexual fantasies. We saw her consoling Tea after Victor left, and volunteering to babysit for Destiny. Jeffrey is also far more responsible and clear about his values and his career than either of the other two.

Where do you get that Matthew is conflicted? Other than when Clint is chastising him, I don't see him conflicted or concerned about Drew in the least. Especially when he was blaming Destiny for not terminating the pregnancy when his child was sitting right there. I think you read too much into very minor portions of their story, when most of their screentime is devoted to showing them in fairly shallow pursuits. Destiny and Jeffrey are far more interesting than dani or Matthew to me. because they are shown to have real conflict.

Where do you get that Matthew is conflicted? Other than when Clint is chastising him, I don't see him conflicted or concerned about Drew in the least. Especially when he was blaming Destiny for not terminating the pregnancy when his child was sitting right there. I think you read too much into very minor portions of their story, when most of their screentime is devoted to showing them in fairly shallow pursuits. Destiny and Jeffrey are far more interesting than dani or Matthew to me. because they are shown to have real conflict.

I think the show has done a lot to show that he cares about Drew and just has no grasp of how to step up and be a father. That's why he was all hypocritical as early as the first episode and hounded Destiny about why she was out at night and who was looking after Drew, her brother? In addition to the babysitting, there is also when he was all "hi ... hi Drew" when Destiny and Jeffrey came to the door and caught him and Destiny on the couch. If he didn't care, he wouldn't bother. Also, I don't think there's anything "minor" about anything shown on a 25-minute soap.

Edited May 26, 201312 yr by jfung79

My kids are that age and although I realize my observations of their behavior come from a different vantage point, I still think OLTL is displaying them at their worst. Selfish, superficial, irresponsible and lacking depth. Matthew shirking fatherhood. Dani apparently having nothing to occupy her other than sexual fantasies and where to find her next high. I could be naive or in denial, but I really hope that's not an accurate representation of my own kids and their contemporaries.

I think it all comes down to "home training," for lack of a better word. All young adults are reckless and self-centered to one degree or another; they can't help BUT be that way as they struggle to find their own path in life. However, if you were raised by strict (but fair) parents who established boundaries from the get, your choices tend to be more grounded. (I'm not saying this is true for EVERY child raised in such an environment, by the way. There ARE exceptions even to this rule.) Ergo, when you remember how Matthew and especially Dani were raised, and all the drama that surrounded their lives and those of their parents, I think it makes sense on one level for them to behave as they do now.