VoyForums

[ VoyUser Login optional ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [8], 9, 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 11:56:31 03/15/11 Tue
Author: DWinPhx
Subject: OLTL thoughts (long)
In reply to: Ravenbeauty 's message, "Red Hot Spoilers, Rumors, News & More! Updated 3/14/2011!" on 09:29:26 03/15/11 Tue

Raven, it's always a treat when we hear from you early. The magazine spoilers can be found everywhere else anyway so i don't mind columns like this one that's all just "your" stuff.

Lots to discuss so this will be a long one!

Glad to hear that it seems most of the higher-ups still feel all three soaps are worth keeping as long as they can get away with it. AMC seems to be the problem child right now and at least it feels like OLTL is at least safe for the time being (even if "safe" means getting combined with AMC) This was a very good sweeps month for GH, but i'm sure they must have also taken note that OLTL also had its well-deserved week as ABC's #1 rated soap this Sweeps period.

I tend to think OLTL can also compete with the primetime lineup in terms of quality when it's at its best - and maybe in a couple years, that may be the last saving grace for these shows: to reformat them and move them to the primetime hours in the weekly nighttime drama format. What usually makes OLTL drop in quality is when they get micromanaged and there's more network interference. Had to laugh where ABC thought OLTL needed to be more "bold and daring" when it's typically the network interference that keeps it from being so - when ABC's more "hands off" is when the show is more bold and daring. However i must admit this may be one rare case where the network interference may actually help. The show could definately benefit from being a bit more streamlined in its characters and i am RELIEVED that the ones ABC views as essential are the vets. For "bad news", that's some of the best news i've heard in a long time! Gigi and the Fords have needed to be dropped what seems like ages ago. I love Marty and Brody (as well as their highly talented actors) but as much as i'd hate to see Marty, Brody and even Chris (who works well as a supporting, but not frontburner) character gone i concede their stories are all disposable right now and would be appropriate choices if OLTL does have to make drastic cuts (but the ideal situation would be to drop them to recurring rather than 100& out. Heck i'm still mad as a wet hen that after all of last year's lip service that Fish/Kyle would still remain in Llanview and may pop up on occasion that it hasn't happened yet a year later - and they SHOULD be there given the LPD stories and all the dna switches) I would LOVE to see more Alex and Tonja hasn't been shy about saying in interviews how she'd love to do more if the show asked her to. OLTL could benefit from having a smaller stable of contract actors but still maintaining a healthy group of recurring favorites - those characters that add flavor to Llanview and make it seem more like a community and having a wider selection of recurring characters that could ideally pop up at any time being more of a special treat when they do appear instead of them seeming more like "well, they're on contract so we HAVE to write this scene for them". My only concern would be if OLTL currently has the ability to use its recurring characters better when they don't use the ones they actually do have right now to the best of their ability (it's a crime that Addie and Renee have been all but locked in the attic when they should be included in current stories)

At this point i wouldn't be sorry to see TSJ gone. He's capable of brilliance when he wants to be but he's been mostly phoning it in over the last three years. He sabotages his scenes when he doesn't care for the story and the more he performs his scenes just shy of having an "I don't want to be here" sign on his forehead, the more I as a viewer just think "then GO already!". Though i wouldn't mind an RH return i also haven't forgotten that RH *also* had a tendency to color his performances based on how he felt about his storyline and played a fair of his scenes more as Goofus than Todd. However, at least when RH wasn't as "into it" he still at least made basic acting choices where TSJ doesn't even do that much. His offscreen attitudes affected his onscreen performance for way too long now and that's just unprofessional and shakes the viewer out of the universe the rest of the team works to set up. I don't think the show needs to reward behavior like that - if TSJ spends most of his time telegraphing his desire not to be there, then by all means, grant him his wish and bring in an actor (whether it be RH or someone else) who wants to be!

Bree clearly enjoys playing "alternate" versions of Jess whether it be Tess or teenageJess. I don't understand why OLTL can't see how easy a problem this is to solve! Whenever they try to "cure" Jess, they talk about having her integrated but the result always seems to instead be "back-to-normal" Jess with her alters buried rather than integrated (and thus dying to come out again at the drop of a hat) meaning that according to the show's own established definition, she's never really been "cured". So why not actually REALLY give us a truly integrated Jessica this time that still retains some of Tess' sass and spunk (and please - some of Bess' brains and logic) rather than box-of-hair Jessica only?

Finally, regarding a Clint/Viki reunion. I think right now both characters are at a place and too much has happened where a "reunion" in terms of romance-based is too much, too soon. BUT, especially with Charlie's exit - i do think there's OODLES of STORY potential with Clint/Viki that doesn't really have to involve a romantic angle. Jerry ver Dorn recently said in an interview (rightfully so) that the one thing Clint really fears is Viki's wrath or disapproval. I can see Clint having an arc where he takes stock of the person he's been turning into in the aftermath of all his recent losses(Kim, Nora, Asa) and how his coldness has done nothing but cause further losses for him. Viki's recent comments of "Who ARE you?" and "I don't recognize who you are anymore" weighing heavy on him and wanting to return to the type of person that would have Viki's approval. He might confess this to Viki but she would be skeptical and say that actions speak louder than words and your actions have been screaming at the top of their lungs. Finally, she softens a bit and says, "Clint, you know I loved you very much once enough to marry and have children with you. I miss that person and hope you can find him again. Our kids may be grown but thay still need both their parents. I think if you look deep down you know our ship has sailed so I don't want you to change for me. I want you to change for yourself." This in mind, Clint can make an effort to redeem himself but having tasted the kind of power that corrupts, he's continually challenged and tempted to make his darker choices - sometimes succeeding and other times failing - and doing his best to keep people like Viki, Bo and his kids from finding out when he comes up short (think earlier Blair/Todd). Or if they wanted to be more "soapy", they could even do a story where Jean Randolph comes out and being the type of controlling gatekeeper personality she is totally "gets" Clint. This leaves Clint torn between having an honest ally and a part of Viki back in his life and his knowledge that it's wrong and dangerous for Viki to be splintered like this (not to mention hypocritical that he's working so hard to get rid of Tess while enabling Jean). At any rate, there's a wealth of story material to be mined with Clint/Viki that doesn't actually involve a "reunion" per se. They can always save an ultimate reunion as endgame for whenever the time does come for the show to end.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> Thanks Ravey it's be intesting to see how they do it -- Tear, 12:15:14 03/15/11 Tue [1]


[ Edit | View ]

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT+8
VF Version: 2.94, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2012 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.