ALL: You couldn’t imagine THEM playing THAT story

[Soaplovers]

 

She was the better Ashley.

 

She could be sarcastic like Davidson, but was more likable/warm.  And she did play a breakdown scene before she left.  rivaled Davidson's breakdown scenes.

 

I couldn't imagine the whole Adam gaslighting plot being played by her nor going back to Victor over and over..nor spermgate either.

 

I will say I could have seen her play the Brad marriage, cancer and reaction to his affair with Olivia.

[titan1978]

I loved Brenda’s Ashley, but Davidson’s has that extra spark, especially in regards to her family dynamics.  Her Ashley has enough bite to take on either version of Jack, Nikki or Victor.  And she was always so great in scenes with Dina, because the betrayal was always right there.

 

Brenda’s was softer, possibly more mature and did not really have that mean side that Eileen’s could sometimes bring out.  I did love her in the role too though!

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Though I would have loved to seen Robin Strasser’s Rachel on AW, I can’t see her as Redeemed Rachel 

[YRBB]

 

+1

[Broderick]

 

Brenda was a mighty pretty girl, and she exuded a certain WARMTH, like you'd find in a traditional soap opera heroine.   And she ultimately did manage to develop a certain level of sophistication and sarcasm.   But I just never bought her as Ashley Abbott.   She was just too sweet and patient and down to earth.  Nothing like the assertive, elusive "Daddy's Princess" that Eileen had created.   

[amybrickwallace]

 

I don't think they ever did. Maybe they were both in some big group scenes at the same time, but I don't recall any direct interaction.

[carolineg]

 

Funny, I was just watching 1998 and Jax and Brenda did interact with Carly a tiny bit.  Jax was in the background more or less.  But they did talk at the docks gala.  It was more Jason/Brenda focused stuff, but they at least knew one another existed.

[John]

Going by what Ive seen of Elizabeth Savage's Gwyn Alden on YT, I couldnt see her playing the Loving Murders killer like Christine tudor did as Gwyn.

[amybrickwallace]

 

Who would have guessed then that Carly would go on to win the hearts of both Brenda's main men? The mind boggles!!!

[Vee]

They tested Ingo and Tamara a little in the horrid JFP/McTavish era of 2001, when those two were throwing stuff at the wall and trying to pair Sonny with Angel. They went into business together with the shortlived Club 101, and had a flirtatious energy. I didn't think Jax and Carly worked at all back then, I thought it was painful and did Tamara no favors in her still-early attempts to make the role hers (which didn't fully click until Guza returned with the Carly fake death arc in '02, IMO), and I thought it was anathema to the two characters and their history as individuals, so imagine my surprise several years later when Laura Wright took over and suddenly, in a few weeks' time after Courtney's death, LW and IR clicked completely. I think a big part of it was not just Laura but the fact that Carly had distanced herself so much from Sonny and her past life by the end of Tamara's run. Jax and that world became a new island for Carly and her boys for a long time, and I thought he was good to her in those years and she made a big mistake losing him the way she did by involving herself in Sonny and Brenda's marriage. Of course, it didn't last - now she's surgically attached to Sonny again. She never left the orbit completely, but in the Jax years Carly was about more than that and had evolved a bit.

Edited July 6, 2021 by Vee

[carolineg]

SJB's Carly worked with Sonny, but I just couldn't see her with Jax back then.   She was too rough around the edges for Jax.   She had a trashiness that just wouldn't work with Jax's character back then.  But, yeah, I never thought Carly of all people would be Brenda's #1 rival for Sonny/Jax back then.

I was going to say I liked TB and Ingo back then lol.  I thought they had decent chemistry.  I remember thinking the show was going to go there, but they quickly threw Carly back with Sonny and she ended up stealing money from Jax.

I will say I agree that Jax/Carly don't make sense as far as the history of their characters go.   Why on earth would Jax want to get involved with another woman so closely tied to Sonny?   And why would Carly want to be with Sonny's enemy?  

Anyway, you're right it worked during that period where it never looked like Carson were getting back together.   The show really is lazy with the Carson stuff.  They both moved beyond that, but the show was lazy and just put them back together because I guess they couldn't think of anything better lol.

[amybrickwallace]

Yeah, I can't see Vanessa Marcil and Sarah Brown facing off over the same man - or men, as it were.

[FrenchBug82]

They had shared a few scenes and they were fine but I wonder if they would have gone full-bore on Nikolas and Ava if Tyler C. was still in the role.

[Vee]

They clearly planned to go there with Nik and Ava when Tyler was still around. His issues led to his exit.

[FrenchBug82]

Interesting. I do remember they put them in the same orbit then but I don't recall the chemistry jumping at me the way it did with Marcus. But hey not complaining. Would have been interesting.