B&B: Bold from the beginning

[kalbir]

During the Bill Bell years, would we consider Bill Spencer to be a villain? I got the impression that Bill Bell wrote Bill Spencer as a more villainous version of Stuart Brooks.

[Maxim]

There have been hilarious fan fights under the classic episodes, day after day... it's so amusing... the show is so strong, it gets people so angry. There is absolutely no commentary like that over new episodes anymore. It sure is a blow to Bradley's ego to see his father's episodes from 1988 doing better than his. Haha.

[Videnbas]

Yeah, I noticed the fan wars too! I think it's a bit sad really when the complexity of a storyline is reduced to fighting over who Ridge loves - it's kind of missing the entire point of the storytelling.

I didn't know what a shadow ban was either, until I noticed my comments were only visible when I was logged in on YT and I started Googling why that could be. The funny thing is, I was not the only one who pointed out that the Christmas episodes had the wrong dates (because the uploaders didn't take into account the preemptions of 1987), and the uploaders never corrected the dates but just kept labeling obvious Christmas episodes as having aired early December. And fans were commenting on it like it was a bizarre 80s thing to have Christmas episodes take place on the wrong day... 

I do think the quality of the discussions is a lot higher here than on YT or any of the other B&B message boards. No fan wars and more people interested in having in-depth conversations about the show and characters. 

I wouldn't say Bill Bell wrote any of his main characters as clear-cut villains. But Bill Spencer is certainly a morally dark grey character. His motivations are not entirely villainous (usually either protecting himself or his daughter), but he does bend the rules quite freely to achieved his goals. 

[Broderick]

I'd say he was more of a "Ridge Antagonist", to make the (fairly shallow) Ridge character seem somewhat more sympathetic to the audience.  In the early episodes, Ridge is no one we'd be tempted to sympathize with -- proposes to Caroline to spite her father, cheats on her, gets photographed cheating, gets exposed, gets miffed because she dumps him, criticizes his father's designs, basically just acts like a whining brat.   He's not very easy to like.  But since Bill Spencer sits around plotting against him, it makes him slightly more sympathetic.  I'd say that was the initial purpose of Bill.    

[YRfan23]

The thing is Bill Sr would be considered the good guy nowadays because Ridge was and always has been an ass!

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[Videnbas]

I think Bill Spencer didn't have a lot of villainous traits at first. He was just an overprotective father and a powerful man. His grey sides were more developed later on, as we learnt about his secret magazines and the shadier side of Spencer Publications.

[Broderick]

Strangely, I'm finding that to be the case as I re-watch some of the old episodes.  I find myself thinking, "Get him, Mr. Spencer!  Kill him!"  

[YRfan23]

If only he  really did kill him 35 years ago…

[Manny]

Yup! Me too!

I was cringing as Ridge and Stephanie were trying to justify and defend Ridge's actions while trying to make Bill the bad guy there, when all he did was reveal Ridge's true self... a sleazy cheater. 

[Soaplovers]

I was curious about how season 1 ended with an episode titled in Feb 1987...and season 2 picked up in March 1988.

I'm surprised that Margo and Clarke had hardly any build or hint of an involvement until a recent season 2 upload.

A character like Margo is a prime example of a grey character.  Some good elements, some not so good elements. Bradley could never write a character with shades like Bill Bell wrote for Margo 

[Broderick]

Bill's only real "offense" was that he inadvertently hurt his own daughter.  And I guess that's what makes him somewhat villainous -- he damaged his own child's confidence and future plans in order to hurt Ridge.  But in Bill's mind, he was just saving Caroline from future heartache.  

[kalbir]

@Broderick Another Y&R/B&B character comparison for your insights, Stuart Brooks vs. Bill Spencer.

[Videnbas]

That happened because the uploaders don't have the correct air date for Season 1. Every episode from July 1987 and onwards in the Season 1 playlist has the wrong air date.

Agree about Margo! She is a truly grey character and quite an interesting one.

[Manny]

If someone told me that I am being cheated on, I would never be hurt by or upset at that someone. I would be upset at my partner who was cheating and got caught. I think Bill's timing was horrible, telling her just minutes before she was about to get married to Ridge. So Bill should have done it much earlier, imo lol

[DramatistDreamer]

A few years ago, I remember thinking how great it could be if the character could be revived and recast, until I remembered that Bradley Bell would be writing her and immediately thought "Nevermind".