Romantic chemistry that survived recasts

[Vee]

I think the recast is better on every level tbh. I felt SM was a lot more green. I think it's the writing for Trina because when TA shows out she has plenty of fire.

As for the topic, I think both Todds on OLTL had plenty of chemistry with their two leading ladies (Kassie DePaiva and Florencia Lozano) but in Trevor St. John's case he was scorching with FL.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Vee

[titan1978]

I thought Missy had great chemistry with Mark Valley on DAYS, and Matt.  Stephanie Cameron was such a blank slate to me.  They were so focused on someone that resembled Missy that they didn’t factor in her personality and the fire was just gone with that recast.

Didn't Sherry leave GL rather abruptly?  She had a real edge that Liz just doesn’t capture.  Really a great marriage of Roger’s ambition and appetite, mixed with some of Holly’s neurotic personality.

I agree Jason had great, although different chemistries with each Carly.  Liz only had a spark with JJ and GV though.

[Liberty City]

Oh yes! I noticed that, too!

[Faulkner]

I totally agree that TA is much more seasoned whereas SM could feel like she was reading a bit (although when they asked her to step up, I felt like she really did). That said—and agree that writing is having an impact, as the show’s investment in Sprina feels unusually noncommittal vs. literally EVERY other pairing on GH for reasons we’ve discussed—there was something that really stopped me in my tracks about NC/SM where NC/TA feels… really sweet and they’ve found a nice rhythm. But nothing that wows me. More of a comment on their couple energy than a diss on TA, and I know I’m in the minority on the topic.

NC has grown a lot in the role, and I wonder if SM would have kept up with him under different circumstances.

[Vee]

You'd be surprised, lol. People on Primetimer got real heated when I began to suggest TA was a superior recast and still do (not that I care). But yes, I think a large part of the issue is the show being very reluctant on them (and preferring to center Joss). We'll see what happens though.

[NothinButAttitude]

Vicky and Ryan. I know most might agree but I think Paul Michael Valley had stellar and strong chemistry with both Anne and Jensen. Yes, nothing will compare to his chemistry with Anne (as that was out of this world), but he did have solid chemistry with Jensen's Vicky. 

[Faulkner]

That’s the thing. You can tell by the way they treat Portia/Curtis/Jordan that they prefer That Black Storyline vs. characters who can mingle and potentially become romantically involved with other non-black characters. (TJ/Willow feels very odd too.) But they put themselves in this mess by introducing Spencer to the canvas through Trina and having them flirt. Maybe they thought they’d pivot and make them besties, so that Trina could know her “place” on the canvas, but they continue to fuel the fire by keeping them connected yet… not. It’s absolutely clear that they’ve gone well beyond the Agnes Nixon ethos of “make ‘em wait.” There’s more going on. I guess they know they’ve created a monster, and they’re trying to kill it (death by a thousand cuts).

Yeah, I started watching AW long after AH left and I thought PMV and Jensen were really good together. It’s interesting to watch AH and PMV in scenes. Ryan felt like a much looser, funnier character back then. 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Faulkner

[Forever8]

Sonny and Carly with Sarah Brown and Maurice Benard to Tamara Braun and Maurice. Though I think Tamara had more romantic supercouple chemistry with Maurice's Sonny than Sarah, they were more sexually charged and tempestuous.

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[carolineg]

Not sure if this counts exactly, but Marlena & Roman with Wayne and Drake.  Obviously Josh Taylor ruined the streak, but that was excellent casting for the first two.

I thought Austin/Carrie on Days had good chemistry with both PM and AP.

PR and RKK had really good chemistry with CC's Carly even though I loathe Carly.

You described the way I feel about the 2 Carly's and Sonny perfectly.

[kalbir]

@Liberty City @Faulkner Victor/Ashley worked w/ ED in her original run because Bill Bell saw that EB was a match for ED's acting style. I didn't feel EB had the same connection w/ BE as he did w/ ED in her original run.

[Darn]

It's very odd because usually by this point they would have brought on a love interest for Spencer. And kept Trina in a go-nowhere relationship with Rory. Spencer is their hot young male lead and Nicholas Chavez is an Emmy winner and future star, I'd expect them to have him with some pretty young (white) thing or Joss god forbid (she hated him for a while, that could have lead to an enemies to lovers thing easily) by now but they're still pushing Sprina.

[Faulkner]

Totally. It’s very confusing, but I wonder if they feel torn and know it would be a bad look in 2022-23 to not feature Sprina, so they’re a touch half-hearted about it. Playing both sides. Unless there’s some BTS issue we’re not privy to. They’ve really promoted Spencer’s relationships with his family and Ava, which is not a bad thing. But, for so long, Spencer and Trina barely had scenes, and they kept having reasons to not show them together. Very different from, say, the traditional tortured lovers who would share desperate glances across a room but know they can’t be together à la Craig/Sierra on ATWT (which happened constantly for months and months). Things have improved for Sprina more recently, I know, but it’s still odd. Even the most cautious writer would have had them kiss a lot sooner, if only to tease the audience.

Still they went through the trouble of recasting Trina and continuing Sprina when Sydney Mikayla leaving for college could have given them an easy out.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Faulkner

[Faulkner]

Definitely not the same. And while folks have had this argument many times on this board, let’s be real: Eileen is Ashley. That hardness/harshness/almost-masculine vibe is who she is, and no one could thread that needle like her. Brenda could summon Ashley’s inner strength but, as an actress, she couldn’t cool her natural warmth. Bad writing really hurt Ashley when ED returned and a lot of people had gotten used to BE’s less abrasive portrayal even though who she was playing wasn’t really “Ashley” as we knew her to be.

[Vee]

It's how Frank always handled 'the ethnic/other characters' on OLTL - sidekicks to the white teens. I said at least a year ago this had gotten beyond his control and they're trying to keep it tamped down. It may not be what he feels personally IRL as an out gay man, but at this point it's hard not to conclude it is what he and/or ABCD feels is best for preserving his shows' audiences, which he clearly feels is predominantly old, white and conservative.

I think Maurice and Tamara were great together for cementing the couple even more romantically, but I think Sarah and Maurice also had it all in a more visceral way. And you're right about heat. I always go back to the scene where Carly finally seduces him out of pure rage and spite and they play off each other; it is still mesmerizing. I still can't believe they were broadcasting material of that quality (both content-wise and writing quality) at 3 PM right after school back in the day. And at that time, with that writing team, it was commonplace.

I think they are flailing now because they know it can't be ignored in this current culture and climate, so I think they're just trying to slow-walk it as long as possible. I think the show is terrified what will happen to their fragile numbers if they start showing regular interracial love on the frontburner, so they're trying to run out the clock on Chavez or tread water. In the meantime they'll do as little as they can get away with doing - maybe a kiss here and there, but tamped down onscreen for the most part even if the characters get together. I would love to eat my words.

And yes, I absolutely think they would move Spencer to Joss or Emma if they could.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Vee

[Liberty City]

Brenda Epperson's Ashley & Don Diamont's Brad had some pretty decent chemistry, too.