When Did Your Soap's History Stop Mattering... To You?

[AbcNbc247]

Didn’t they say Stefan was born before either Stefano or Vivian came to Salem? I don’t remember. 

 

To me, Stefan’s existence still isn’t as bad as Paul’s existence. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Paul, but John literally went from woman to woman until he settled down with Marlena. Paul’s mother was never one of those women. 

[Bright Eyes]

Remind me, at what time was Stefano using the Rudolpho moniker?

[Gray Bunny]

 

He used it from time to time apparently, having rendezvous with Vivian pre-Salem years (which could be anytime before 1992 when Viv first arrived) using that name, as well as during the Princess Gina years when he was with the real Gina. So I guess anytime before 1992. 

 

I specifically remember they first introduced Vivian and Stefano sharing a past together in 1996 when he was hiding out (post-Aremid / pre-Paris) and she called him Rudolpho (apparently she never saw news headlines regarding a Stefano DiMera anytime beforehand?). And they were involved and married in 1998-1999. No mention of a child. Weird. 

 

Side note: Who the eff was Quinn (Viv's other never-before-mentioned son) and who was the baby daddy? I guess that question, like the question of Greta's father, will never be answered. 

 

[Aback]

On B&B history is re-invented every six months so there's literally no point in trying to remember it.

Also, ever since 2005ish, soaps have tried to squeeze so many "happenings" or movements of characters in every single episode (still managing to be incredibly boring) that it's impossible to keep up. It's all so pointless.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

And no mention of that Australian son of hers.

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[titan1978]

 

Yes it should matter, especially to those behind the scenes creating the shows.

 

But I also hate when people like us, devoted fans that are dedicated to their shows, think everything should be brought up all the time.  There is such a thing as strip-mining these character’s histories.  And placing too much importance on mentioning everybody that is not on the show anymore.

 

I just want them to move forward and tell me a good story today, with the casts they have.

[Paul Raven]

Well there have always been character inconsistencies and events that contradicted what had gone before eg Jack Abbott Vietnam vet - but we gave the likes of Bill Bell a little leeway (even though it was frustrating)

But when this started happening regularly eg Jill & Katherine mother and daughter., Katherine switching Phillip, Katherine having a child, Paul and Nikki parenting Dylan etc it just became ridiculous.

Especially when history was referenced but only to be used as a means of further messing things up.

[juppiter]

Having a "head canon" is an absolute must these days, otherwise they're not watchable. There are things people on this board tell me about the last years of ATWT, and even though I was watching, I don't remember them at all, because I never let them enter the head canon.

So to answer your question, for me it was probably around 2006/2007 that I allowed myself to just selectively forget things.

[Gray Bunny]

 

Coincidentally, that's when I started being selective in my memory for GL (especially) and DAYS (moreso post-2011).  Or hell, maybe I'm just getting old . I can remember what happened on DAYS month-by-month for the year 1996. 

[lucaslesann23]

Probably now on YR rn with adam

Ignoring 90% of JHs stuff aside from the ocasional "YOU USED TO BE NICE BEFORE YOU BLEW UP" and christian. Im not even sure if he even has gabes face anymore 

[Bright Eyes]

DAYS: I was born in '89 so I grew up with JER. In retrospect there are things I would change from his tenure and thereafter, but Peter Brash & Paula Cwikly's tenure was the last time the show worked on multiple fronts. It was from then on that I started disliking choices made on the show, more then I enjoyed them. After multiple disappoints, I'd say once EJ the redeemed rapist was in full force I pretty much disassociated from any connection to the current product.

[Planet Soap]

Currently GH appears to be pulling things out of no where such as Drew being Jason's twin or Franco being Scott's son. OLTL kept inventing things from David Vikers being Asa's son to Mitch fathering Jessica. 

[Planet Soap]

Straight facts!

[Fevuh]

Not history that stops mattering because if I like the characters I just choose to ignore some things that happened.  One for me was ATWT and the crazy stories in the early 80's.  I remember them trying to send Tom and Margo on crazy adventures - one involving an evil little person, Mr. Big played by Billy Barty.  I was glad when that stuff ended and they stopped trying to make them Luke and Laura.  So I still liked Tom and Margo no matter who played them.  But I forget those storylines.   Similarly GL and some of the crazy stories - starting with The Dreaming Death.  I still liked the show after that but I try not to remember that.  But the history of the show and characters always matters to me.

 

Oh and I'd agree with Katherine is Jill's mother.  I wasn't watching then but I would read articles and thought - this makes no sense at all.  I don't know how they're going to explain that one after all of the history of the 2 characters and I don't want to find out.  Then I heard they ended up reversing it...good choice.  

 

That said, if I ever were to start really watching Y&R again - I can't think of much in the last 8 months to a year that has mattered as far as history goes.  I have trouble thinking of anything I couldn't do without or is having any real long term effect.  Chelsea and her kid could have stayed gone, Chloe and Kevin and kid could have stayed gone, Rosales, don't care about Adam's alive and the  secret Spider life in Vegas - I can't think of anything I could do without.  Lily going to jail and killing off Hillary.  There is a mess that has been done I could forget.

[Khan]

Brent Collins played Mr. Big, not Billy Barty.