B&B: December 2013 Discussion Thread

[Juliajms]

[DaytimeFan]

That's the thing though, it just doesn't! He's being pretentious trying to find 'motivations' for Ridge and not wanting to be 'fluid' in the storyline, wanting Ridge to do things out of 'principles'...it's total thespian nonsense that just doesn't fly at B&B.

Susan Flannery, one of the best actresses to grace the medium, always said, without exception, that she never questioned the writing and just played whatever Brad Bell wrote for her. When she could have that attitude and not be a snob about anything, there's no excuse for anyone else to do otherwise.

[Juliajms]

Oh, I don't disagree. I only laughed because you said the truth so directly. Can you imagine if KKL tried to find Brooke's motivation from day to day? I mean, If TK has to have an answer to what Ridge's motivations are, I think it would be something like a stereotypical Hollywood narcissist who does what feels good in the moment, but why even think that deeply about this type of camp?

TK may catch on, but I'll admit I felt a little bad for him when I saw he had signed up for B&B. I remember seeing some Emmy piece they did on him and I always got the feeling that he felt he was letting self down by being on soaps. Then he ends up on the ultimate fluffy daytime drama. Obviously, there are greater tragedies, but I do feel for people who want to do meaningful work and then end up doing quite the opposite.

[ChitHappens]

[Vee]

He does seem incredibly grim about it, doesn't he?

I've gone hot and cold on Thorsten Kaye many times. He can come off as a prick, but he's all about the work. I loved Patrick on OLTL when I was a kid, of course a lot of adults hated him. I got tired of Zach on AMC on ABC real fast. But I thought when AMC returned on PP he seemed energized and excited about the job, and willing and interested in playing a lonely, semi-broken-down sort of man - a Zach who had all his ego and swaggering machismo from the ABC years stripped away from him by Kendall's divorcing him and taking their sons, and was only beginning to come out of that when he returned to Pine Valley for the Hubbards and Miranda. He still had some of the artifice of a macho pig, but he knew what he'd lost by his own design and he was a decent person beneath that. It was an unusually demystified male lead for a lot of soaps today.

All things considered I think he'd much rather still be on Hulu. But B&B and this peacocking mess pays his bills.

[Juliajms]

Exactly right. When you get to be a certain age and you have a family, "the craft" has to take second seat to reality.

[DaytimeFan]

Oh definitely, I'm glad you enjoyed my directness, no harm done at all

You nailed it, B&B is a campy show, that's what makes it great, it's FUN, it isn't that serious and it isn't pretentious. It isn't art, it's cotton candy television and there's nothing wrong with it.

I can sympathize with Thorsten Kaye to a point: as you rightly point out he wants to do meaningful work and he is doomed to do just the opposite at B&B...where he loses my sympathy is being anything less than glowingly positive in his first press interview about the show when there are plenty of actors in daytime who would love the regular work and that part in particular. Unfortunately, Thorsten Kaye is being an actor and a humourless one at that. His first scene wad dubious, he can't be written off quite yet, but I don't have high hopes and it doesn't seem he does either.

[DRW50]

I thought Susan did complain about the story where she facilitated Brooke's rape. I can't remember though.

I do think the show needs Steffy, but when they had a closeup of JMW I was dismayed that she still had the death mask, or verging on death mask.

[Juliajms]

Well, if that's the only time she did, she gets a pass from me. What woman could be thrilled with such a story? I can see why SF would have found it offensive.

[sheilaforever]

This was indeed the only story LaFlannery EVER slightly criticized. But she was very diplomatic even with that. In general, she always said, "I act the material I'm given as writing the show is not my job."

[Maxim]

KKL just finished a photoshoot at Bell's home. Stunning.

[DRW50]

She looks a little like a mix of Joan van Ark and Maura West, and herself of course.

I like the outfit.

[Aback]

Wow! She's such a beauty.

[Sapounopera]

KKL is gorgeous. This type of photo would be great for B&B's original (and best) opening sequence, which I miss up to this day.

I can't stand Quinn and Wyatt. Quinn's role could be more or less be given to Felicia and Wyatt is just bad in every single way.

So happy to see Steffy back. I know this will not sound good, but I miss her character more than Ridge and Stephanie. Taylor is also missed. She has so much history (maybe too much) with everybody and cannot be replaced by Quinn.

Is it crazy to think that DD would make a better Ridge and TK would be a better fit for Bill? Perhaps they can switch roles in the middle of a scene during a heated argument between the two men.

[DRW50]

I don't think it sounds bad. There's still more left for Steffy. There was nothing left for Ridge or for Stephanie. I didn't even recognize Stephanie in her last ten-fifteen years on the show.