B&B: Bold from the beginning

[j swift]

I agree with @Soaplovers that we need to watch the early episodes through the lens of the times. 

However, I cannot get over the unwavering confidence of Ridge.  He is written as completely omniscient, he knows exactly what Kristen, Thorne, and Stephanie need.  He is supposed to be in his late-20s, but he already has everything figured out and is great at everything he tries.  There is no business learning curve because his designs are universally adored and his father provides no edits or critiques.  From Kristen's bachelorette party we learn that he knows every successful unmarried guy in LA, and they all think he's great.  Bill Spencer is seemingly the only person in Southern California who doesn't buy into his cult of personality.

I guess I just wish that after Caroline dumped him, he was allowed one moment of negative self introspection or self-doubt.  Or, maybe a hipper guy like Rocco would make fun of his affinity for black speedos.  Instead the character is free of any conflict, except being loved too much by his mother and his girlfriends.

Edited January 17, 2022 by j swift

[DramatistDreamer]

Watching these early seasons, it's easy to think of alternative storylines.

What if Margo's baby had actually turned out to be Bill Spencer's instead of Clarke's? I think the writers would have gotten a lot more leverage out of that, especially down the road. The only factor would be Don Diamont playing $Bill decades later would be tricky considering Daniel McVicar's age.

Seeing Ethan Wayne getting scraps of storyline here and there, it's not hard to understand why he left. He was as capable as anyone else on the canvas not named Susan Flannery or Joanna Johnson. I keep wondering whether killing off the character, instead of it being an attempted suicide and hospitalization, was a mistake. It just seemed as if beyond a year, the storyline had little impact long-term. Whereas having Brooke, Donna and Katie have to make the devastating decision to put someone who, for much of their childhoods functioned as a de facto father figure in in-patient institutionalized care would have had painful repercussions, like an open unhealed wound. And it would have left things open for Ethan Wayne to one day make an appearance, for a anniversary episode, which many longtime fans might have gotten a kick out of. It's just a shame that the show cut off any chance of many of these actors from the early years coming back. When I watched soaps, I always got a kick out of seeing actors From the show's past "way back when", even if they had been on before I began to watch the show because the actors all genuinely seemed thrilled by it.

[Manny]

Oh I just got to the episode when Ridge and Brooke go to the Big Bear cabin and then Thorne and Caroline show up. Cannot wait to see what happens next, but gotta go to the hairdresser haha

And the scene with Eric and Stephanie when they realize both couples went up there and then they laugh.. so good haha

[Videnbas]

I know, that scene is priceless! I have to wonder if that was scripted or if it was a blooper that was just so good they left it in there. 

[DramatistDreamer]

From a writer's perspective, I am enjoying seeing Clarke Garrison try to extract himself from every predicament that he gets himself into. Also from a writer's perspective, I do take issue with the aspect of hiding that Margo and Clarke had consummated their relationship until the reveal of Margo's pregnancy. It seems like a cheat, especially on a soap opera where romance and betrayal are totems of drama. I get that they wanted to surprise, even shock the audience but it also undermines Margo's claim of having a loving, serious relationship (one in which she believed was leading to marriage) I saw no evidence of Clarke even pretending to have anything close to a serious relationship with Margo, so I don't even know where she draws that conclusion, other than she ran away with some fantasy. It made me wonder if the possibility of pulling out Bill Spence as a father were not under consideration and honestly, it would have added an interesting wrinkle if Bill were genuinely a candidate for Mark's father, but Margo didn't want to even entertain that notion due to her desire to have that long lasting tie to Clarke. Decades later, I think it would have been much more interesting if Mark were a Spencer rather than a Garrison.

[Videnbas]

I agree with you about Clarke Garrison! He is thoroughly enjoyable because his undoing is so clearly a result of his overconfidence (and this is a running theme in all of his storylines). I feel like he is an almost mythologically inspired character trope in that regard - the man whose strength (his arrogance, cleverness and charm) also is the root of his downfall. Seeing Clarke painting himself into corners and then trying to get out of them is a lot of fun. 

As for Margo's pregnancy, I believe the reason it was written that way was that Lauren Koslow was already pregnant and they had to find a way to write it in without shortening the pregnancy too much. I agree the reveal was something of a surprise but not entirely out of left field. 

[DramatistDreamer]

Clarke is the very embodiment of the word hubris.

I feel like very early 1980s Craig Montgomery (ATWT) was in a similar character vein- a cad who became mired in his own chaos, except Craig's troubles spiraled to the point of him going to prison, so it was more pathetic than amusing. Both were the architects of their respective misfortunes.

I know that it was done to accommodate Kozlow's pregnancy but I still think the story could have been written more artfully. I think it was a missed opportunity to add more complexity to the story by adding another thread. Margo and Bill had a pre-existing relationship that the writing revisits anyway, so it would not have taken much to add that connecting thread a little earlier.

TBH, leaving those scenes where Margo and Clarke would have consummated their relationship off screen, makes me wonder whether the writing wanted to leave things a bit open to a possible retcon, just in case but perhaps was dropped when the principal characters (Margo, in particular) left the canvas.

Edited February 21, 2022 by DramatistDreamer

[Soaplovers]

I actually thought tying Storm into the story was smart because of his unresolved issues with his father.  And he and Margo had a good rapport.

I'm wondering if the actor playing Storm opted to leave hence why he was quickly removed from the story and we ended up with Mick coming onto the scene.

[DramatistDreamer]

Ethan Wayne seemed have have good chemistry with all the actresses and could have had good romantic chemistry with Johnson, Linn and Kozlow but seems woefully underutilized. At least with the paternity case, he got a chance to see his character put in an active storyline, but it was weird that he was only ever teased as a romantic interest. Perhaps he made it known that his time on the show wouldn't be long-term? Or else, why wouldn't they have Storm at least date one of the main characters for even a brief amount of time? I always assumed Wayne got fed up with his character getting short shrift and left, lol.

[Chris B]

I’ve reached a point in my viewing where I feel the show is in a slump. Kristin is doing this never ending dance with Clarke, when it’s clear he’s only interesting in Margo. Then you have this weird secret to some that Eric and Beth are dating, which has gone on far too long. Now Stephen is back and incredibly boring. Donna and Katie are acting like egg heads trying to reunite their parents and worst of all: Ridge raped Caroline. The last story is what has really soured things for me. She just got raped last year and they do it again?!

I’m so disgusted by the Caroline/Ridge story and bored by everything else. As much as I loved 1987, I have to say that 1988 has been disappointing so far. I’m hoping the year picks up in the second half and that 1989 is a better year for them.

 

[kalbir]

@Chris B March-August 1988 was the writer's strike. I agree that Ridge taking advantage of an intoxicated Caroline was horrible, especially since she had been raped a year earlier.

Edited March 4, 2022 by kalbir

[DramatistDreamer]

There was a lot of filler in '88 for obvious reasons, but I feel like some of it continues beyond the strike into '89. I am seeing a lot of flashbacks in episodes and for a 30 minute serial, that is an awful lot of time. I get it, that this was a technique to get newer viewers up to speed but it has the effect of being somewhat of a drag, particularly for anyone watching in this day and age when you can watch back to back or binge.

Also, I am seeing some serious plot holes in my viewing and I am trying to figure out why.

Does anyone know what happened to Alan Hayes and why Nicholas Preston was unceremoniously dropped?

When Dave and Brooke broke off their engagement, we basically never saw Dave again. When Thorne shot Ridge, it would have been a perfect opportunity for Dave to be the investigating detective, which would have added some extra dramatic complications. Instead we get a detective that Stephanie easily maneuvered.

At least we were told Storm was going to San Francisco, though there wasn't even a farewell dinner with the Logan family. Soon Rocco will be unceremoniously "disappeared". 

My goodness, plot holes aplenty!

[Chris B]

That explains a lot. The pacing has been very odd and there’s lots of flashbacks. It definitely started to feel like something had changed. I may start jumping forward to the end of this writers strike. I’m going to try to find episode recaps and see if I’ll miss anything worthwhile. 

[sheilaforever]

I found 1988 to be more interesting than 1987 because the Logan angle is soon DROPPED. Donna and Nick had more potential than they got. Clarke & Kirsten were one of the draws for me...

[Chris B]

Clarke and Kristen are the main thing keeping me invested, although I’m not completely happy with the story. Them and any glimpse of Stephanie is the only thing keeping the show going right now, for me at least. 
 

The Stephen/Beth/Eric story is terrible and Eric is wasted in the story. Donna and Katie also come off terribly immature and beyond that are stuck in dead end stories. I was enjoying Brooke/Ridge/Caroline/Thorne, but the rape ruined that for me. I do love Brooke and Stephanie’s scenes as well. 
 

I’m happy to hear the Logan stuff is wrapped up soon. The writers just aren’t invested in those characters which is so obvious in any of their scenes. I’m ready to start seeing characters like Sally Spectra and later Taylor. I’m also beyond ready for Stephanie to have her own storyline.