| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on OLTL | |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL….
There have been some very powerful performances on OLTL over the past couple of weeks and I would like to take this time to applaud them. I know I usually find plenty to pick on every week (and I will find some things to pick on this week, too…LOL), but fair is fair and when the television screen comes to life, it deserves special notice. I realize that ratings are down and I don’t completely understand why. Of course, there are lots of things that I’d like to see that I am not seeing….YET…but on the whole, I am enjoying the show a lot more than I was several months ago…SO…I’d like to start with….
Bo and Melanie – Now this storyline is very bittersweet for me because I was a big fan of Bo and Melanie. I liked them together from the start, in spite of the fact that it bothered some people that they slept together the night they met and didn’t even know each other’s names. To me it was great “soap stuff.” A lot of people say that Bo and Melanie never clicked because of the objections of the Bo/Nora fans, and I totally respect the feelings of those fans…I’m just surprised that people still think TPTB at OLTL are listening that intently to the fans. I get a lot of disagreement on this, but I have serious doubts about what they listen to and what they toss aside as junk mail. I can understand those fans still wanting Bo and Nora together, even though I am a strong supporter of Sam and Nora. I respect their feelings because for me it would be like putting Ben or Viki with someone else and I would probably want to throw TPTB off a cliff if they did that. I guess for me it comes down to the fact that after a while it was clear that Bo and Nora would not be reunited and they are two such strong and beloved characters that they both deserve to have lives, even if that means pairing them with other people. I balked at the pairing of Bo and Lindsay, because with someone like Lindsay, the writing is on the wall. Heartache is always lurking around the corner with that little dirty dealer. But with Melanie, I thought Bo had a chance at being with a nice woman who was sweet, honest and very loving. I liked Melanie from the beginning because of the way she took care of Viki and I felt for her because of what Colin had put her through. OH, and a word about Lindsay…you have to give her credit for never wavering from her true self, no matter what. As she lamented over losing her sister, the only relative she has left who will speak to her, she was still only concerned with Jenn finding out about her latest lie. Good old Lindsay…don’t go changin’ to try and please me…I wouldn’t know how to handle it.
So, I find it ironic that the most poignant and powerful scenes in all of Bo and Melanie’s relationship came on the day they said good-bye. Both of these actors turned in wonderful performances and I give special credit to Darlene Vogel, who in spite of being understandably bitter about the nosedive her character took, made Melanie totally believable and made us believe that she was more than a carbon copy of her sister. Bob Woods’ performance was equally moving as Bo went from being indignant about not being able to be with someone who could lie to him, to wondering if he was responsible for destroying the relationship because of his need for perfection in others. Sometimes I feel that when characters are leaving the show, either the performances feel like they are “called in” or the writers don’t do the departure justice. In this case, they at least gave Melanie a chance to reveal her true self and when she told Bo about her relationship with Colin and how it stripped her of her self esteem and feeling worthy of someone “good”, my heart was breaking for her. I was so glad they didn’t just let her leave thinking that her lying wasn’t so bad and that Bo was too judgmental. I could feel the pain on Bo’s face as she spoke to him and I lost it when she told him she wished him only happiness for the rest of his life. Kudos to Bob Woods and Darlene Vogel for tying up this story with at least some modicum of respect and dignity. What a shame that the best, in this case, was saved for last. I will miss Melanie’s cheerfulness and personality in Llanview and I hope that TPTB can find a way to keep Bo’s character alive and find him a relationship that lasts. Oh, I’m so mushy today (I’ll tell you a secret...that’s the real me...had you guessed?).
For those of you who couldn’t stand Bo and Melanie…and you know who you are…LOL…you can take heart in the fact that I won’t have them to rant about any more…but who knows…maybe they’ll pop up in a year-end article on my biggest OLTL regrets of the year.
I could not write an article about great performances without including Kassie DePaiva. Although I often wish she’d be putting that acting talent to better use with someone other than Todd (hold those tomatoes Toddians), I have to say that she has done some wonderful scenes lately. Now, lots of people I know on and off-line have said that yes, delivering a baby is a painful experience, but Kassie’s screaming and hysterics were over the top. Then others have told me that they screamed bloody murder when delivering their babies, so I have to believe that on some level, her performance was very real. All I can say is that I felt her pain, and the fact that she could throw in those little sarcastic jabs at Troy and Sam on the phone, and then at Todd, absolutely killed me. I was feeling the pain and laughing at the same time. And can anyone deny the power of her acting ability when she found out the baby was “dead” and then “thought” she heard him crying? When Kassie throws herself into the grief mode and that tear just pops out of her eye and falls to the floor, I want to stand up and applaud. She is wonderful and I can only wonder if her current performance will be overlooked when it comes time for awards again, just as it was last year when she shot Max and went into her “seeing red” stupor.
To be honest, Kassie DePaiva doesn’t get enough of a chance to shine when she spends most of her scenes arguing with Todd over whether or not he loves her, or what his next diabolical plan will be. If they do put Todd and Blair together….EVER…and I wish they would either (excuse the French) poop or get off the pot already…I hope that Blair isn’t just going to be a foil for Todd’s antics. I’d like to see her in some really interactive scenes with Starr and others as well. And I cannot wait until she finds out what he did with the baby…he’d better run and hide his sorry butt! I love that David Vickers is getting under his skin…he deserves to suffer for what he’s done to Blair….how cruel can one person be…seeing her in such pain and still perpetuating the lie.
NOW…of course, I saved the best for last…an entire group of Tour de Force performances by Erika Slezak, Erin Torpey, Mark Derwin, Barbara Garrick and yes, Melissa Archer. This storyline has me glued to the screen and each of these actors is contributing a huge part in making the whole dynamic come to life.
As much as I hate the thought of Jessica not being Viki’s biological daughter, this storyline is great because it is giving us some incredible acting from my favorite actors. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think there is anyone on daytime or nighttime TV that moves me like Erika Slezak does. Her acting is beyond description, but I’ll give it a try. To me, she is the epitome of grace under fire. She is magnificent in her stoic grace. She never gives us too much or too little. This blow that she has just been dealt is horrendous and will have so many ramifications in her life and so far, she has not even allowed herself to feel anything except pain for her beloved Jessica and what this has done to the daughter that she loves more than anything. And who wants to get in Viki’s way when she gets good and angry? Not me! Allison and Natalie have no clue if they think Ben is the only one with a temper who wants them crushed. Throwing Niki into the mix is going to be very interesting, especially since Viki is really being pushed to the limit. Wasn’t Niki’s Cat Woman get-up hysterical?
And Erin Torpey...what can I say? What a lovely and talented young actress she has grown into. She is such a pleasure to watch. Her reaction to all that has happened is hard to watch because it’s so real...all of the emotions were so purely portrayed by Erin...from finding out about Seth and Natalie betraying her, to finding out the even bigger truth. How lucky was she to grow up cutting her “acting teeth” with Erika Slezak as her example? The most heartfelt, raw and emotional scenes I’ve ever seen on the show are the ones where Slezak and Torpey show the depth of the wonderful, healthy, mother-daughter relationship that is shared by Viki and Jessica. Who can forget the scenes out by the gazebo when Jessica first realized she had lost baby Megan? I can cry just remembering those scenes. Putting these two actresses in an emotional scene together is pure gold. They are a joy to watch.
You know, of course, that this wouldn’t be an article about outstanding performances if I didn’t include Mark Derwin. Now, you may not like Derwin, and you may not like Ben Davidson (which, for the life of me, I will never understand), but if you don’t think that “Dave” is the most adorable and funny guy to hit the screen lately, well, in my humble opinion, you just have no sense of humor. What a great way to show off a side of Mark Derwin’s talent that many people didn’t know existed. I had seen him in a few funny situations on The Guiding Light, but nothing like Dave. It’s too bad Dave didn’t get to “live” longer. And we have to talk about Ben. How great was Ben telling off Natalie and Allison at the hospital? I love the way he protects and defends Viki and Jessica. I love his devotion to Viki and I love his relationship with Jessica. I was hoping he’d relate his feelings to her about finding out he wasn’t who he thought he really was…especially being Asa’s son…and the writers gave me what I wanted….miracles never cease.
Viki, Ben and Jessica are a real family...but don’t you think Jessie could use her brothers right about now? I DO!!!!!!!! And it sure is too bad that Clint Ritchie turned down the offer to come back for this storyline. I think Jessica’s dad belongs in the mix here, too, and having Clint there for Jessica would have been an interesting and integral part of this storyline. I would have liked to see him interact with Natalie…who as Ben said, “was probably raised by wolves.”
OK...I have to include these two actresses, because although I can’t stand their characters, I have to applaud their acting talent. Anyone who irks me enough make me want to scream and makes me want to pull their hair out deserves some credit for their performance...which leads me, of course, to Natalie and Allison. These two must have some heck of a plan brewing to be so brazen and to go up against Viki, who is plenty powerful, and Ben, who is ready to rip their throats out. I am amazed at any actress that can hold her own in a scene with Erika Slezak and I have to say, Barbara Garrick as Allison does a pretty good job of it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again….her eyes and that grin just give me the creeps. If she doesn’t belong in the cuckoo’s nest, I don’t know who does. Just watching her, even in the background of a scene is riveting. Her eyes are on everything that’s going on and she’s got that “I’m getting ready to rip your guts out” look behind every sick grin.
Then there’s Natalie. I have to say it…Melissa Archer is one very good young actress. To see scruffy little Natalie hold her own and get right in Viki’s face with no trepidation at all is amazing. I keep saying, “Who the heck does this kid think she is?” She doesn’t even care that the way she went about making her entrance had everything to do with her not being taken seriously. She doesn’t even realize how much of a puppet she is for Allison. And the fact that she’s not intimidated by Viki or Ben is very unsettling and like Ben said, she is a wild card and not to be trusted. I hope that when she moves into Llanfair she doesn’t send poor Lois running for the hills. I don’t think just any young actress could have made Natalie come to life. Melissa Archer doesn’t hold back and I have never seen her falter…not once…which is rare among young actors. She makes me want to slap Natalie right across the face so in my book, the kid’s got talent.
I am happy to see a few storylines that I look forward to following. I can see some good material coming up for Nora and Sam…for Jenn and Cris…and for Antonio, Keri and Hank. I think all of these actors are up to the challenge and I look forward to some good writing (are you listening PTB?) and less cop-out storylines. I don’t want to see Jenn move on to Al because she starts believing that Cris really doesn’t love her. I hear she’s heading for New York soon…so that should give us some interesting material. I also think Ty Treadway is doing a good job as Troy, and I am not so sure we have Troy’s number yet. Could he be some mad scientist who is obsessed with finding himself a guinea pig for him to try some unconventional medicine on? Could Matthew be the victim of Troy’s egomania? Hmmmm….I wonder. Who knows what tricks he picked up in Africa? I’m still deciding on how I feel about him. OK Ty lovers, what do you think?
One thing has to go…the Asa/Gabby/Max fake murder storyline. This is horrible and gets worse every time we have to watch it. The combination of these three people is totally uninteresting and needs to be axed. Throw Asa into the Allison storyline…Ben and Viki are going to need all the help they can get and we all know that Asa will “kill” for his family…or at least try…LOL! Throw Max back into the mix with Todd and Blair…I almost liked the way they had Max and Blair interacting the other day. Just keep going in the right direction and give the talent on the show a chance to do what we know they can do….make us want to keep watching!
See
ya next week…..
Jill
FAN FEEDBACK AND
QUESTIONS
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Andy writes: “What can I say? The fact that you managed to find Ginabobina and get her a room at St. Ann's in the basement is just great! Of course no one goes to visit her! After what she did to Viki, who would want to?! But all those people need to go to St. Ann's, all except Ben and Viki, and Asa! He's the best! Oh, and by the way, I do miss Dave!”
Dear Andy: Ah, so
you love Asa, huh? You know, sometimes I find myself liking the old coot again
and sometimes I still want to punch him out. I died laughing when he tried to
throw Max out of the house this week and said he was going to remind him why he
still wears steel-toed boots. What a crazy old cowboy! Alas, I miss Dave,
too….LOL…and so does wackadoo Allison. Is she a few fries short of a Happy
Meal…or what!!!!!!
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Mary writes: “Jill, I truly enjoyed your column on the two powerhouses in Llanview. I don't think it's ever been officially stated but that indeed is what they are, each representing a different end of the scale. I for one still do not appreciate that the writers have never written a hard-hitting storyline that brings this oaf to justice for what he's done, nor that they continue to have his character excused from everything he does criminally. Being concerned for one's family does not excuse ugly, intimidating behavior full of lies to get what one wants, fiction and soap story or not. Ben is just as concerned for his family and I don't see him acting this way, nor treating Viki the way Asa has treated Renee cause he's a "man" and in charge of taking care of his family. I have no desire for Ben to have anything to do with him, ever, and will never accept him as his father. He could have been from any family TPTB chose. The character of Ben never deserved to have the stigma and curse of being a Buke put on him, though I live with it cause I love Mark, and Viki never deserved to be another woman in a long line a women on OLTL shared by multiple male family members, one of OLTL's worst claims to fame.”
Dear Mary: I beg of you…..TELL US HOW YOU R E A L L Y FEEL GIRL! I sense
a bit of distaste in your comments…but maybe I’m wrong…LOL. I do agree with you
about the “oaf” needing to do some serious time for his misdeeds….no question.
As far as Ben being a Buchanan…does anyone really care any more? He’s still
Ben…he still a Davidson…and he’s a big enough “real man” to be a brother to Sam,
a brother to Bo, and have as little to do with Asa as possible. When it comes
to Viki being a woman in a long line of women shared by multiple family
members…Mary, come one…I’d go through 10 brothers if it meant I got to spend the
rest of my life with Ben! I don’t see it bothering Viki too much. The woman
has never looked better or happier….IMVHO!
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Ben writes: “Jill, love your site! Do you know what the actor's name is for the character known as Chad? Thanks, and keep up the great work!”
Dear Ben: I don’t know the answer to your question, but I will keep my eyes open when I watch the credits and let you know the actor’s name…unless someone else can catch it before I do and writes me…then I’ll post his name next week. I was surprised to see him at the University doing that nasty deed for Antonio the other day, but it does appear he’ll do anything for a buck, doesn’t it? Oh and by the way, be sure to write me again…I just love writing, “Dear Ben.”…..LOL! By the way Ben, this site gets credited to the woman who runs it, Katherine Thurston, who very graciously lets me spout off every week.
