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UPDATED 8-18-08
CRAZE
Stuck in the Past

As
the current storylines start to feel stagnant and drag on, OLTL seems fixated on
repeating itself.

Hello
again from Soapland. Many of you have been writing me in order to get
my two cents (or give yours) on the Carolyn Hinsey firing and the
subsequent online hysteria, including some rather harsh commentaries
about a couple of One Life to Live's leading ladies. I'm not going to
address it really, other than to say that if the things being said
about them are true, it's a very sad day indeed. However, I'd also
like to assert that, regardless of whether any of that is true or not,
the ladies in question remain two of the best actresses on the show
and deserve to have storylines. I
have had some personal contact with one of these ladies, and she made
a wonderful impression on me and seems genuinely kind and generous. I
don't see why she would have taken the time to interact with me if she
was the horrible person these posts claim she is. The gossip going
around right now is so very juicy, but we have to remember that at the
end of the day, it's just gossip. I won't judge anyone based on
gossip, or on other peoples' opinions of them - especially in an
industry driven by shallowness, jealousy, and bitterness, where
everyone blames someone else for their unhappiness. No doubt, this
gossip is extra-juicy, but it shouldn't really affect the fans'
relationships with the actors. And that's all I am going to say about
that.
The show this week was dominated by the ongoing time travel storyline,
which probably should have been wrapped up by now but instead, is
going to continue on for the foreseeable future. While I admire the
bravado and commitment of all of the actors involved in this story, I
am starting to feel like I've accidentally tuned in to Passions. Only
Jim Reilly could create an entire week's worth of episodes revolving
around finding a "portal" to another dimension - right? I think
Reilly's influence on Carlivati is undeniable. Being a fan of
Reilly's work myself (it's the only reason I ever watched Days of Our
Lives to begin with), I do not mean that as an insult - though to
acknowledge that Reilly has his detractors would be a severe
understatement. But I do mean to express my confusion over the
direction in which Ron Carlivati is taking One Life to Live.
OLTL is becoming interchangeable with the outrageous, science
fiction-based storytelling of the 1980's (Eterna, Casey the Alien on
GH), and of Jim Reilly's creations on Days and Passions (satanic
possession, psychics talking to spirits). That is not the show we
need right now. The 1968 story is really pushing the limits of the
show's integrity - I'd say, to a point of no return. I feel bad
saying so, because 1968 is more entertaining than many of the stories
in the show's history, such as the recent Mendorra fiasco, The OPP, or
the Santis (again, this is thanks to the extraordinary commitment of
Lea Delaria, Bob Woods, John-Paul Lavoisier, and the rest of the cast
involved). But I must ask... what is the point of taking such a huge
bite out of the show's believability?
The main point of 1968 seems to
be finally getting Rex and Gigi together. But that could have been
done in a much cleaner and more believable fashion. In fact, it could
have been done weeks and weeks ago. Instead, the boring Brody/Shane/Gigi
saga continues on, as well as this ludicrous inter-dimensional story
which will now send Rex Balsom (trapped in Bo's body, supposedly) off
to the Vietnam War. Inventive, creative, and ballsy? Sure. Practical, believable,
riveting? No, no, no. Using the 1968
time-travel as a skit meant to honor the show's 40th Anniversary was a
great idea. But what we now have, essentially, are two separate
shows.
The 1968 show is not believable - yet Gigi and Bo of the
modern, realistic Llanview are now believers in time travel. So the
Jim Reilly mentality is seeping into the main portion of the show and
turning characters (especially Gigi) into morons. This would have
worked well on Jim Reilly's Days (remember the island where people
went to live after they died, which they traveled to in their coffins
through the tunnels of hell?) or Passions. But this type of
storytelling just doesn't fit One Life to Live. This isn't 1986, and
I don't think turning the show backwards is a very progressive
solution to its problems.
Furthermore, we seemingly have David
Vickers being re-positioned not as Asa's son, but as Bo's. I think at
this point it would be better to make David not be a Buchanan at all. David as Bo's son? Really? Then considering the constant emphasis on
the Bo-Rex bond, I would not in the least be surprised if David
Vickers turns out to be Rex's father, thus making Bo's mentoring of
Rex a grandfatherly bond (and turning Rex into the future anchor of
the Buchanan family). But even if a paternity switcharoo is
Carlivati's motus operandi, why must we suffer through weeks and weeks
of this ultra-confusing writing?
I am concerned that this sometimes
entertaining mess is going to wreak havoc on the continuity and
long-term relationships on our show - not just between characters, but
also between the audience and the characters. It's difficult to
relate to people who hire psychics to help them time-travel through
cell phones while standing on inter-dimensional portals and being
voluntarily struck by lightning. At the end of the day, isn't that
what we fans are supposed to do - relate to the characters? Right now
the most believable stuff on the show is the budding romance between a
rapist and his victim - the writing staff might want to ponder that
for awhile.
One more question for the writers: Why are all of the
current storylines replications or homage's to the show's history? The
show's history should be used and honored - not copied.
Monday,
August 11
- There's something about Susan Haskell's smile that just
lights up the entire room. I'm addicted. - Interesting to see Brody
and Blair in scenes together. That would be hot, I think. - Llanfair
is suddenly Grand Central Station. - I found it jarring to see
Cord and Clint together there is not enough of a believable age
difference there. They look like brothers. - The Clint/Nora/Cord
scenes were really boring. - Blair continues to embarrass herself in
front of John with her obsessing over Todd.
Tuesday, August 12
- Oh
NO, there's that annoying Noelle again! Please pass the ear plugs! - The Marty/Todd scenes are amazing today.
- How on earth does Rex
know about the shower scene from Dallas? He's not old enough to
remember that. Great reference, though. - Enough with this "finding
the portal" crap. I can't stand it. - Is it me, or is Dallas a huge
bitch all of the sudden? Was she always like this? - For the second
week in a row, I have to give a shout out to Nora, this time for calling Dallas out on her manipulations. - I had to roll my eyes when
the magical cell phone registered a call from the year 1968 oh, puh-lease!
- Am I to understand that Noelle is related to Maria Roberts, and
therefore to Cord and Sarah? Her mom was Maria's aunt? Am I trippin'?
- This surprised me a bit, but I thought the Tina/Cord scenes were EXCELLENT probably the best scenes of the week. - I'm glad Cord's
not taking her back. Tina needs to stay adventurous and unpredictable. Cord is boring.
Wednesday, August 13
- I enjoyed the
Brody/Layla scenes, but I'm not sure why, exactly. - Another Cat Hickland appearance! She's really good as the psychotic Olympia. - The 1968 storyline is starting to have preachy
anti-war overtones. I'm the biggest anti-war person you could ever hope to find, but I
don't really want some sterilized political viewpoint present in an
absurd time-travel storyline. - If Delphina is so damn psychic, then
perhaps she will be the one to bring Marty's existence to John's
attention. - Layla's threats to Brody were surprising and
interesting. - The Olympia versus Renee bitchery was nice. - And
the reference to Olympia (Lindsay) wanting to kill Spencer was very
clever. - Lea Delaria is a bit over the top, but my goodness she is
memorizing pages upon pages of dialogue and wiping the floor with most
of the regular cast. She deserves an Emmy. - I liked the little
twist of Gigi saying "I love you" to Shane but Brody hearing it and
confusing the intention of it. - Why did Adriana send Gigi Rex's DNA
sample? That makes no sense. - Today I noticed that John Brotherton's version of Clint is starting to incorporate some spot-on
Jerry ver Dorn impersonating. Nice!
Thursday, August 14
- Loved Roxy
talking to her beaver... you know what I mean. - I don't think
Dorian would tell Blair about her conversations with Mel. That rang false for me. - Natalie and Jared haven't had sex in over a month? Huh??? - Just days after telling John that their affair was just "our
business," Blair tells DORIAN, of all people? - What was that
bizarre conversation between John and Roxy, with all of that sexual
innuendo? John is not himself lately. - Dorian is ON CRACK! What
was that insanely funny British accent? Of course she is meddling in
John/Blair already. - I don't like Natalie the Victim or Natalie the
Ingénue. I like Natalie the Bad Ass. Where is she? She's M.I.A.
Friday, August 15
- Matthew is in HIGH SCHOOL now? Oh my LORD, I
feel old. - Nora lets Matthew and Cole keep liters of soda in their
bedrooms? Gross. - I can't believe Todd made a voodoo doll of Cole
and gave it to Starr if he believes in voodoo, then why doesn't he
use the doll himself? - I'm convinced La Boulaie has sound-proof
walls. Todd was shouting at Starr on the same floor as Blair when she
was talking on the phone with John. And her door was cracked open...yet she didn't hear a thing. This has happened before at La Boulaie.
- Dang - Starr really hates Todd, doesn't she? The Todd/Starr
scenes made me sad. - Why is Gigi in 1968 as herself, instead of in
the body of someone else like Rex and Bo were? That makes no sense.
HE SAID IT, NOT ME! A guest commentary by Louis.
Thank you for a
passionate and insightful column. I am absolutely stunned by the swift
decline in quality of OLTL. For a while there it was firing on all
cylinders and then suddenly began sputtering. While there are some
segments which are riveting, there are also some which are so awful
that they seem to overwhelm the experience of watching the show.
As
usual, you have correctly identified the weaknesses we are presently
subjected to. When the character of Sarah returned after having been
presumed dead and Tina blurted out "Oh My God!", I yelled the same
exact phrase but in a different spirit. My "Oh My God" meant "Oh My
God - are you telling me that they had a chance to lose this
character, or at least recast it, and they didn't take advantage of
it?".
It's not as if any of the characters seemed too all-fire
concerned about her apparent demise anyway. The whole Mendorra mess
has been a disaster with no redeeming virtues. I was embarrassed to be
watching the show when it was being played out. The same goes for the
1968 storyline - a terrible idea, horribly executed. I suspect it's
supposed to be a bit camp, but it is really falling flat.
Once again,
you have correctly seized upon the only bright spot - Melissa Archer
as Maria could not be more unintentionally hilarious if she tried. The
fact that this story is dragging on and on is like watching someone
determined to finger-paint with dog poop - there can be no art from
this excrement.
I sometimes wonder if anyone is directing this mess,
as I watch individual performances become rudderless and
idiosyncratic. The worst offenders are Farah Fath, Bree Williamson and
Andrea Evans. Fath has developed the most annoying habit of acting
with her face, pursing her lips and rolling her eyes, particularly in
the final fadeout shot of a scene. Evans is doing the same thing, but
mainly bulging out her eyeballs to denote God-knows-what. Williamson's
portrayal of Tess is devoid of all subtlety, although I suspect that
part of the problem here is the material. Lately, watching these
actresses is like watching a cartoon, as their performances are not
rooted in any reality that I recognize.
One minor point on which we
disagree is the performance of Lea DeLaria in her dual role. When
portraying the character of Professor Fina she seems to be channeling
Pat, the androgynous character from Saturday Night Live of years ago.
Whether this is unconscious or an "homage", I find it irritating to
the extreme. When it comes to my soaps, I hate "wacky" and her
performances seem to be nothing but. Wackiness doe not equal comedy.
The real comedy on OLTL is rooted in character and not behavior, as
evidenced by actors like Robin Strasser and Tuc Watkins. They can be
hilarious because their characters are multi-dimensional rather than
contrived.
Like you, I am relishing the Todd and Marty scenes which
brim with solid writing and superb acting. I am also enjoying the John
and Blair scenes, as they are revealing subtle qualities of both of
the characters, each of whom was in danger of becoming a cliché at one
point. Every other storyline is simply treading water and losing any
interest it may have had.
I just love reading letters like this. Whether you agree or disagree with any of the points I bring up from
week to week, I love getting such well-written and passionate
responses! I have to say that I agree about the three actresses Louis
chastises here, although Andrea Evans will always be a legend in my
mind and she did redeem herself this week with the Cord/Tina scenes. But the eye-bugging was really getting on my nerves as well. Both Fath and Williamson have been resorting to surface acting lately. Williamson has always been a surface actress, who somehow delivers an
Emmy-worthy performance once or twice a year when the material is
extreme. The rest of the time, she seems to be merely posing for her
own benefit while struggling to remember her lines in a timely
fashion. Her current incarnation of Tess is one of the most
annoying
failures I have witnessed in eons. I loved Fath's subtle portrayal of
Gigi for the first few months of her OLTL tenure (though I thought she
was weak on DAYS), but she has been hamming it up these past few
months with the most bizarre facial twitches and overdone
expressions. I'd rather watch Melissa Archer's remedial portrayal of
Maria any day. At least that's entertainment.
MAIL
REPORT "I
haven't been able to put my finger on this current writing regime; the
ratings are falling, but the storylines are supposedly
character-driven. What I find unbearable about the reign of Ron Carlivati is how his audience remains split down the middle. He seems
to be catering to half the audience at one time. I know the writers
can't please all, but I don't see this kind of divide within the
audience with any other soaps. I think RC could benefit from another
writer working with him. He needs someone to keep him touch with the
overall vision of the show, and not just his and half the audience's
favorite parts. I don't think he's a horrible writer (even though he's
had plenty of issues in the continuity and creative department), but I
don't think he has a good grip or handle on the show." - Mia
I
actually think this is a great idea. But as a writer, I can admit
that very few of us would want to be co-head writers on a project with
anyone else. It's very limiting. The end result could very well be a
superior product - but only if the two writers working together are a
unified team balancing each other out and allowing for one another's
unique vision and taste (highly unlikely to happen). For instance, if
I were writing a show I would probably come up with some extreme
storyline ideas (such as killing off half of the cast in one fell
swoop) which could then be put in check by a more practical (if
perhaps less imaginative and daring) writer. Jim Reilly perhaps could
have used a practical co-head writer on Passions...but then Passions
would not have been Passions. Blurring a writer's vision, however
misguided, can easily lead to a foggy, directionless show that's stuck
catering to two groups of people instead of just one. Then we get
stories that flip-flop more than presidential candidates, because
there is no singular vision taking the show in a specific direction.
In essence, a writer loses his balls when he has to share. He or she
has enough limitations to put up with from the big brass (Brian Frons,
for instance) as it is, without another writer coming in and wanting
to put their own stamp on the canvas. I think the best answer to Carlivati's (or any writer's) problems would be a sort of appropriate
checks-and-balances system that the Executive Producer should be
available and able to fulfill. It seems to me that when a co-head
writer is brought on board, it's only a matter of time before that new
co-head writer stands alone. At this moment in time, my feeling about Carlivati's tenure is that he's gotten too wrapped up in the show's
past. Now that is a very strange problem to have because most writers
ignore the show's history - and that is a far worse crime. But...most of Carlivati's storytelling so far has been a direct copy of
previous stories; sometimes as homage (Viki going to heaven, time
travel), and sometimes not (Natalie and Jared's "incest"). I feel like
there is no NEW vision for the show, only a rehashing of the past. And in many cases - most notably Mendorra - the rehashed stories are
just awful. I have a sinking feeling that the latest rehashed plot, Tess and the secret room, isn't going to fare much better than
Mendorra. THAT, in my opinion, is what's wrong with Ron Carlivati's
writing: There is no originality to speak of.
"What if Talia was
in on the whole plan with "daddy" Carlo and went to Llanview just to
set up the Vega brothers? I doubt that could be written coherently,
but would be kind of interesting and fun." - Patricia
Would it be
well-written and believable? Probably not. But...if it were written
properly, this scenario could be JUST what the doctor ordered.
"Jeremy, while I mostly agree with your assessment of the Layla/Vincent
debacle (story wise), I must tell you that I am furious with your
comment about Vincent’s “other Ho. It’s so disrespectful to the
character of Layla, and all black women in general. Does this mean
that you regard Layla as a Ho also?" - Saundra
I would like to
apologize for that comment. When the column came out and I read it, I
cringed at myself. Not because I think of black women as "ho's" (far
from it), but because I did not have time to properly edit my column. I did not explain the sarcastic intent of that comment, so that it
wound up reading like I was actually calling Vincent's little secret a
"ho" The "ho" reference was meant sarcastically from TPTB's point of
view...that that's how THEY see the character and subsequently how
they wrote her - as a generic, stereotyped pawn, in another attempt to
turn Layla into something other than wallpaper. But I should have
either clarified that or not used it at all. I felt that the Vincent/Layla
subplot was yet another example of racist storytelling from OLTL. In
the context of my anger over this, I called the other girl a "ho"
because that, I feel, is how TPTB intended her to be seen. She was a
"ho" to them, and Vince was suddenly a "playuh" They became generic,
two-dimensional characters in order to "free" Layla up as a way for
TPTB to claim they have at least one black character on the show who
ISN'T a manservant to one of the rich, white characters. In essence, Layla distanced herself from the other black characters by lashing out
at the suddenly soulless Vince and dismissing his mistress as a piece
of meat not worthy of having feelings or a story of her own. I found
it telling that in this latest attempt to make us care about her, TPTB
had Layla rage out against two other black characters who were barely
more than ethnic stereotypes.
"Although I find my finger on the fast
forward button more often than the play button lately, I always watch
the Todd/Marty deal. It's my favorite storyline going on right now.
But I feel a little bit dirty when I get excited about the prospect of
the two of them being together. What do you think RC is trying to
"say" with this whole bit? Are we supposed to hate Todd more or are we
seeing a glimpse into his MIA soul? It doesn't help that Trevor and
Susan have amazing chemistry together. I really hope that this isn't
another twist on coming back to the Blair and Todd relationship. Blair
finally admitted Todd abuses her and that should seriously be the end
of it. I agree with you as well; we should explore why Blair let Todd
treat her that way and maybe why she always uses the sexuality card as
her go-to plan to get what she wants. I flinched big time when she
confessed to John that she tried the nightgown on for Keyes." -
Rebecca
I find all of the Todd/Marty scenes to be absolutely
electrifying and by FAR the best thing Trevor St. John has had to work
with since Evangeline went into her ridiculous coma. Todd/Marty works
for two reasons: The chemistry between Trevor and Susan, which is
beyond my wildest expectations (though I knew they'd look great
together, I really had no idea that they would spark like this), and
the writing. While the writing for most of the rest of the show is
downright awful at the moment (if I hear the phrase, "We have to find
the portal" one more time, I will be sick), the dialogue and
situational writing for Todd and Marty is perfection. Through this
story, newer viewers are getting a history lesson AND getting to
realize what kind of person the REAL Marty is (caring, gentle,
sensitive, intelligent, brave), and we're all getting to see the
softer side of Todd Manning for the first time since Renee Goldsberry
was let go. Now apparently, lots of people out there are hating Todd
just as much as ever, and the reasoning behind that hatred is
perfectly reasonable. But I am liking Todd for the first time in over
a year. Yes, he's still a terrible person, but at LEAST HE'S HUMAN
again! AND he's witty, AND he's intelligent. As of a few months ago,
he was nothing but a brute. I must confess that I have been picking
up little signs that a Todd/Blair reunion may be more likely than I'd
like to imagine. I think putting them back together would be
creatively devastating. I have been wondering whether TPTB may create
a Todd/Blair alliance whereby they help each other to keep John and
Marty apart, which would undoubtedly be juicy... but also undoubtedly
lead to another Todd/Blair reunion since John and Marty are "too good"
to put up with that level of manipulation and lies. That's my fear -
that at the end of the day, Blair is going to lie to John. If she
does, he will assuredly kick her ass to the curb. I don't really care
that much about Blair and John as a couple - though I'm enjoying them
together, John McBain can only go so far in a romance because he
doesn't emote. However, as painful as it is for many people to
consider, I do believe there is potential between Todd and Marty for a
super couple in the making. At the very least, they could compel me
together for a very long time. Todd and Blair couldn't compel me as a
couple for another second, unless they are fighting.
"I disagree
with you on the Blair being the abused wife angle. Sorry - Blair
asked for the shit she gets. Who told the whore to sleep around with
Todd's enemies and then want him back? This character has every
opportunity to stay out of a relationship with Todd. Hell, whenever
it looks like he is moving on (i.e.Tangeline/Tea) she starts to stalk
his ass. After he returned and recovered from his abduction she
practically stalked him all over Llanview, forcing her help upon him
to find his son. So her abuse is repeatedly self-inflicted. There have
been times when she has forced her way back into his life even when he
objected. So I don't buy this "Poor little me abused Blair" bullshit
at all." - Tina
Okay, here's how it is: Todd definitely abused
Blair...AND, Blair both tolerated it and sought it out when it was
not around. So the real issue here is Blair's horrible self-image,
which is a golden storyline waiting to happen if treated right. Not
that I want to watch hours of therapy with Blair (although if Marty
was her therapist it might be worth it), but I WOULD love to at least
find out WHY she is the way she is. What exactly happened to her in
those foster homes? And why won't Addie discuss her conception or who
her father really is? That is the storyline I've been waiting to see
for years. If that storyline played out, THEN maybe she could end the
cycle with Todd. MAYBE they could even become best friends or at
least let their relationship evolve in some way beyond their vicious
cycle of love/hate. The simplest way I can describe Todd and Blair's
relationship is this: She doesn't love herself, so she chose to be
with a man who doesn't know how to love anyone. Even John, while
honest and accepting, doesn't know how to love. Also, I think Addie's
reawakening into sanity has been a HUGE missed opportunity to tell
Blair's story. Instead, Addie is treated like another comic relief
character in the vein of Roxy, Nigel, and David Vickers. I still
don't see why TPTB took her out of St. Anne's since they haven't
incorporated any Cramer history or given her a purpose beyond comic relief.
"Blair just traded one emotionless man for another. At
least with Todd, she had a little variety of moods every so often." -
Sean
I would say John is in a permanent state of vague nostalgia or
just plain vagueness. Todd has very intense emotions, but they
usually only include rage, hatred, jealousy, anger, and mistrust. That's why I like him with Marty, and why I liked him with Evangeline
- we get to see something ELSE about Todd, something we don't even see
much between himself and his children.
Please send your OLTL thoughts, complaints, suggestions, and
desperate pleas to:
Robert Iger, President of Disney (ABC Parent Company)
robert.a.iger@disney.com
Anne Sweeney, President of ABC
anne.x.sweeney@abc.com
Brian
Frons
brian.fron@abc.com
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to
e-mail me.
Until next time - don't forget to feel the Craze!
Jeremy in Chicago
LAST WEEKS
COLUMN
Comments and Feedback??
JeremyInChicago@soaptownusa.com

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ABCWEBPIX and soapteens.com
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