| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on OLTL | |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL….
I can’t believe that Christmas has already come and gone and the year 2002 is upon us. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas and got what they wanted from Santa, and unlike me, didn’t partake of too many goodies. Well, even if you did, how often does Christmas come around? Right?
So now it’s time to review what we got for Christmas…and I do mean from One Life to Live. Did you get everything you wanted from Mr. Tomlin? I think I can safely say that everyone probably got at least a little bit of what they wanted. Of course, my list of wishes was quite long, but I always figure that if you wish for a lot, you’ll at least get some of what you want…LOL. This year I have to say, I got more than I wished for…not only for my favorites (who never get a fair shake), but for some other storylines as well, which are finally wrapping up….AND IT’S ABOUT TIME! That was one of my biggest wishes.
So let’s review what we got and what we still need and want. OK…I shall start with:
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Todd, Blair and Starr – Now what could I possibly want for the Mannings that they don’t already have? My biggest wish for them was that this baby storyline be over. It was a horrible idea by who ever dreamed it up. I wish for Todd and Blair that he tells her very soon about what he did with the baby so she can deal with it and move on (we all know she will). I’d like to see them consummate their marriage before their first anniversary, and at least I hear that they’ll do that soon. And for Starr….oh Starr, I hope you enjoy spying with your new telescope and I hope you got the other things you wished for…It looks like you got that upgraded cell phone…so enjoy. I am actually very happy for little Starr…she seems to be getting the family she always wanted. Starr, I also hope that your baby brother, whatever his name is, will be able to walk and run before you introduce him to his first tarantula. Be kind Starr, remember, his head doesn’t pop back on like Ichabod’s does. And for Todd and Blair…I have to admit…I can see the love there…however crazy it is. I’d like to see them try and be a normal family for a while. That, in itself, will give me hours of humorous viewing pleasure. (Is there anyone out there who did not die laughing at Starr with that stocking over her head? What will this child’s adult profession be? LOL)
Sam and Nora – Santa was very good to me where Sam and Nora are concerned. He hasn’t given them enough time alone yet, but I was very happy with the romantic scenes they had in the past couple of weeks. Now, if we can get Troy out of Nora’s hair and get Nora to stop giving a hoot about him that would make my day. This is not a triangle that anyone needs to see. It’s not fun to watch and it makes Nora into a person she was never meant to be and never has been. Nora would never be intrigued with Troy the way she is in this storyline and although I love Nora, I get annoyed at her every time she’s with Troy. So my wish for the New Year is that someone drops a big eraser into the hand of the writer who creates the next scene with Sam and Nora and throws Troy into it.
Troy – I know I’m going to get blasted for this comment, but Santa…you forgot to deliver those shirts to Troy that I asked for. He obviously lost all of his and needs a new supply.
Cris and Jen - I don’t know what these two need but they are falling very flat lately, in my opinion. The “pregnancy” storyline is already infuriating me and in the next section of this article, I’ll delve further into my discontent. I’m sure you can guess my feelings. One wish that I had for the holidays was that Jen would keep a hold on that “smart stick” and keep her mother out of her life. Jen, WAKE UP GIRL! The dumber they make Jen, the less patience I have for her and her relationship with Cristian. I mean, come on kid, your mother changed that pregnancy test with a pen, for Heaven’s Sake! I need an aspirin.
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Lindsay – Sorry, but I have no mercy in my heart when it comes to this woman. I hope Santa sent her an eighteen-wheeler filled with coal and I hope she had to carry it into her house with a teaspoon. That would have kept her occupied and out of everyone’s hair for a good long while. But I see that Santa wasn’t listening to me because once again, she was able to wreak havoc on one of her beloved children. I know some people are feeling sorry for her because she’s being used by Troy, but even though I’m not crazy about Troy and haven’t decided yet exactly what he’s up to, I don’t feel sorry for Lindsay. I could forgive her almost anything she’s done (in a decade or two), but the thing I will never be able to forgive is that in my opinion, she is a bad mother. Wait, I take that back…she is not even a mother. Her kids, whom she claims to love so much, have been nothing but pawns in her schemes. She was sorry to see Will leave town because SHE would be left with no one who cares about her…and she has done nothing but try to ruin Jenn’s life since she came back to town. Sorry Linz…whatever you get…you asked for it! And I would love nothing more than to be able to sit in my living room and cheer your demise after what you’ve just done to Jenn.
RJ and Keri – I wanted these two people to have a chance at a relationship and it looked like it was going in the right direction…but I can see a lot of ugly turns before they have smooth sailing. I don’t condone anything that RJ has done (and he better pray no one finds out that he gave Lindsay that drug for Nora), but I think with Keri in his life, maybe he can straighten himself out….maybe a little. He needs someone to care about who cares about him, but the writing is on the wall…if it doesn’t come out about the drug Lindsay gave Nora, it will surely come back to bite him in the butt that he almost got Cris killed by a hit man….and refusing to help the police is not going to score him points in Keri’s eyes once she knows the whole story.
Antonio – He deserves better than having RJ Gannon for a possible father in law, …LOL. I think Santa was kind to him, letting him fall for Keri before he knew RJ was her father, because if he knew that first, he might have stayed away and we’d have missed what seems like a really nice romance. I like Keri and Antonio together and you know me…any time I can see a little romance on the screen I’m happy. I was hoping that RJ would agree to help the police now that Keith has threatened Keri, but he’s probably going to do something stupid like go after Keith himself….DUMB! I sure can’t blame Antonio for wanting to lock up RJ, but at what price? My guess is that he goes after RJ, whether he loses Keri or not. Boy, talk about a Catch 22…what’s a good, ex-gang member, law-abiding cop to do?
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Gabrielle – Santa, I thank you…finally we got to see Gabrielle in something that doesn’t come from Frederick’s of Hollywood and I loved it. The maid’s uniform and the glasses were hysterical. And how happy was I when Asa blew her out of the water and revealed that she was in on his plan from Day 1? I loved it. I can only imagine what she’s going to do now. One thing I do hope is that Santa brought her is a looonnnngggg prescription for Valium to calm her down….she’s so over the top I can’t imagine what poor Fiona’s blood pressure rises to when she loses her mind in some of those scenes. Playing Gabrielle is like 3 workouts in the gym every day.
Max – I had a very selfish wish for Max. GET RID OF HIM! I know that won’t happen, but I can hope, can’t I? I have nothing against James DePaiva…I’m sure he’s a very nice guy…but Max is such a waste…he serves no purpose and hopefully if we can get rid of Gabby soon, he’ll be on the back burner for a while. I know GT; I know…you love Max….WE ALL KNOW!
Hank and Rae – Santa, I wanted you to sprinkle a little love dust on these two and see where it takes them. Separately, I like them both a lot…and together they definitely have possibilities as a mature, loving couple. Psssst…Santa…GT has a slight problem with mature, loving couples, so I hope you sprinkled a little love dust on him as well.
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Jessica – I wanted a little lightness for poor, sweet Jessie for Christmas and I didn’t get it. Instead, she had to hear that her “mother”, Roxy, called looking for her daughter, the one with the money. I adore Jessie and I would love for her to have a nice young man who is worthy of such a wonderful young woman. Now it may be Seth one of these days, but I want him to really have to work for it.
Natalie – Wow, this is a tough one. What do you give the girl who now thinks she has everything? Don’t you think Natalie is a perfect candidate for one of those “It’s a Wonderful Life” dreams? That’s what she should have gotten for Christmas. She needs to get into some real trouble and find that her new family will be there for her to take care of her and love her…and she needs to realize that she doesn’t have keep the wall up…that she’s worthy of love if she allows it to find her. I think Natalie was way too much for Santa to handle in just one Christmas. I see hope for her though. After all, how can you live with Viki and not be overwhelmed by her honestly, kindness, fairness and love?
Allison – Now this one I thought about long and hard. I’m hoping that Santa had a device planted in Allison’s index finger while she was asleep on Christmas Eve, so that from then on, whenever so goes to point that trigger finger at someone, it ricochets and pops her in the mouth. Oh, that was not nice, Jill…but it sounds like something I’d like to see anyway. Allison is out to make nothing but trouble for the people I love most in Llanview…maybe the only punishment serious enough for her is to put Lindsay on her case.
Roxy – Oh Santa, give this poor, washed out woman a break…LOL. First send her a cleaning lady for about a week…then get her a makeover…and then drop enough cash in her pocket to get her to Las Vegas and win a few dozen hands at the blackjack table. See if that makes her happy. I have my doubts, but for as long as the money holds out…who knows? Maybe she will hit it big and not come back.
Asa – Oh Asa….what are we going to do with you? I say give the old coot back his family and see if he can be a human being again. I know, I know…someone out there is wondering why I can forgive him and not Lindsay…LOL. Well, actually it surprises me, too, because it took me forever after Grace died to even be able to look at the old man. I do, however, think OLTL dropped the ball Big Time when they forgot all about delving into the relationships between Ben, Renee and Asa. I’ve read that GT even admits to having left those important storylines behind. I’d at least like to see Asa try to make amends to Ben and Renee…and he’d better start soon, unless he intends to live to be 150. I’m sure he does. Do you think Hank will remember to put Asa on trial for what he did to Will before he makes him pay for his current infractions? Hmmmm….NOT!
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Bo – Well, after he arrests his father, he’s going to need some comforting. I wanted Bo to find a nice woman under his tree this year…LOL…and preferably one who is not related to Lindsay…but that didn’t happen. I’d also want to see him spend some time with his brother, Ben and I hope that is coming up in the near future as the Buchanan relationships are explored. I love both of these guys and think their relationship could provide a lot of nice moments, as well as a lot of laughs. GT should explore this relationship…it wouldn’t even involve any romance…LOL…so it would be easy.
There are a few things I wanted to see and didn’t get much or any of. I wanted to see more of Dr. Larry. I’d like to see Carlotta do more than flip fajitas at the diner, however I do see her as a thorn in Lindsay’s side and if they write it correctly; Carlotta could be the one to finally blow Lindsay out of the water. I’d like to see Jackie and Harry come back…maybe they could help Ben take care of Allison…now there’s a couple of guys she might finally be afraid of.
Oh, did you think I’d forget….
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Ben and Viki – Silly you! I always save the best for last. Santa gave us a glimmer of the old Ben and Viki this week…you remember, the Ben and Viki who have fun together…who laugh together…who tease and banter…who have a beautiful romance. Someone at OLTL somehow slipped this stuff in this week after not giving it to us for months….more than months. Now either they had too much eggnog and didn’t remember to edit out the fun stuff, or someone is getting a clue as to how great these two actors are at bringing Ben and Viki to life. I guess I should thank you, Mr. Tomlin, since I think there might be a tiny chance that you’re listening to ALL of the fans and not just the ones who don’t like nicknames. I only have one small request where Ben and Viki are concerned….MORE!!!!!!! Please Gary, I promise I won’t ask for anything else. And since I wanted all of Viki’s kids home for Christmas and you let me down on that score, I think the only way you can make it up to me is to give me more of the old Ben and Viki. The scenes we’ve gotten in the last couple of weeks have been wonderful. Whoever wrote and directed them…I hope they got a big Christmas bonus!
OK…that just about wraps up my thoughts on Christmas. I hope you all got at least a little of what you wanted to see and I hope the New Year brings us all what we want to see.
In closing, I’d like to take this time to mention something I saw on the news the other day. Apparently there is a website called SantaOnLine.com…or something like that. It’s the electronic-age version of kids writing Santa a letter, telling him what they want for Christmas. Instead, they email their Christmas lists. The man who runs the website said that 70% of the children’s wishes this year were not for toys or for anything for themselves. 70% of the children who emailed the website wished for things like world peace, wiping out terrorism, and people helping each other. One 7-year old boy named Bill wrote:
“Dear Santa, I don’t want anything for myself this year, but please don’t forget all the kids who lost their mommies and daddies on September 11th.”
After a good cry, I literally stopped to count all of my blessings. This surely hasn’t been New York’s finest year, to say the least, but I’m grateful that all the people I care about are safe and with me during this holiday season. I’m surviving my new job, I’ve even made more new friends on and off line (I’m very fortunate to already have so many) and I’m having the most fun with this column that has given me such a great opportunity to vent all my crazy ideas. I thank Katherine Thurston for offering me the opportunity to write, which I never knew I loved so much. I’m extremely grateful to all of you readers who so graciously let me know that you enjoy it…and I’m grateful to those who disagree with the bull I throw out there…LOL. I hope we continue the give and take for a long time.
I wish you all a very Healthy and Happy New Year. May you be safe, warm, and surrounded by love….and may we all hold a special place in our hearts for those who have empty chairs at their tables this holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
See ya next week......
Jill
FAN FEEDBACK AND
QUESTIONS
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Sarah writes: “I
really liked what you had to say about Todd and Blair. I am a fan of Todd and
Blair because of their intense chemistry, but in order to enjoy their scenes
together I have to pretend a lot of things never happened. It was bad enough
when he was "just" a sadistic rapist, kidnapper, etc. And now this ... telling
the love of his life that her baby is dead? Anti-hero is one thing, but this is
just too much. I want her to forgive him because I've waited so darned long for
them to reconcile. But I'm afraid that if/when she does forgive him, it will
ruin it for me. Because how could any mother forgive that.”
Dear Sara: I know a lot of people agree with
you about Todd and Blair. I do, too. I don’t see what he did as something that
is forgivable. The only thing I can say is that in many storylines, I find
myself “pretending” or suspending my disbelief because it’s the only way I can
accept the stuff that’s thrown at us sometimes. There aren’t any excuses for
what Todd did and I haven’t heard from one Todd and Blair fan yet who can excuse
it. Well there was one who said it wasn’t so bad because he didn’t hurt the
baby. I won’t even get into that. Hopefully this storyline will pass quickly
and we’ll only have Todd’s regular craziness to deal with for a while.
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Christina writes: “Hey Jill .....buddy, girlfriend, amigo......you picking on my girl AGAIN, how many times do I have to tell you Linz is just misunderstood....LOL!! She tries, she really does. She just doesn't know how to go about doing the right thing, I mean she thinks she is, in her eyes she is, but it just comes out all wrong. But she's gonna make it, Troy is so gonna fall for her in his little scheme and I for one can't wait to see it.”
Dear Christina: Yikes….I fear after reading this letter from you that
you’re not going to take too kindly to my comments about Linz this week either.
I will agree about one thing…Lindsay is misunderstood…NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW
SHE CAN BE AS INSANE AS SHE IS! And Christina, if Troy actually does fall for
her, I will dedicate a huge apology entirely to you…I promise. Oh geez,
considering my track record on being right, I might want to think about starting
that apology now…LOL.
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Egidia writes: “Jill, I have one question for you. Why do you despise Gabrielle so much? She is a wonderful actress and you may find this hard to believe a fan-favorite. We have been clamoring for her return for 10 years and Gary Tomlin was smart enough to bring her back. I am sick and tired of your constant bashing of Fiona Hutchison. Gabrielle is a multi-layered and complex character and given strong material Fiona can certainly rise up to the challenge. Her Emmy nomination from her stint on Guiding Light is a testament to this. By the way Fiona and James have tons of chemistry and this is has been well publicized in almost all of the soap mags. They are a 'supercouple' in their own right and this is a fact. I know in my heart as their story unfolds, they will outshine everyone in Llanview. Too bad your obvious personal hatred for Ms. Hutchison clouds your judgment (and I do mean hatred). It cannot be clearer. Much to your astonishment, Fiona has many fans and we will continue to enjoy her despite your ongoing, repetitive spewing of negative commentaries. Quite frankly, I have little respect for your opinion and I wish you would disappear. I strongly believe she can do no right in your eyes no matter what whereas Todd can do no wrong.”
Dear Egidia: First let me say this. I respect your opinion, as I do everyone’s, however it’s quite obvious that you don’t read my column often, or you would know that I make a huge distinction between actors and the characters they portray. I NEVER express personal opinions about actors because I DON’T KNOW THEM. My comments are always exclusively about the characters. You seem to be the one having trouble making that distinction because it appears from your comments that you believe people can have a personal hatred for those they don’t even know. That’s pretty strange to me. As far as Fiona Hutchison goes, I know that she is a good actress and I, too, watched her and admired her acting as Jenna Bradshaw on Guiding Light. Gabrielle is a ridiculous character…her personality is over the top, and she’s a raving lunatic. That’s the character Fiona was hired to play….DUH! That has nothing to do with Fiona personally. I do thank you for writing. You are the very first fan of either Gabrielle or Max who has ever written me in the 10 months I’ve been writing this column. If they have tons of fans and are a supercouple, then I’d love to hear from their fans, as I do from all the other fans. One more thing, Egidia, in the world we live in today, don’t you think it’s a bit nasty to wish someone would disappear simply because they don’t agree with you? Isn’t that why we’re at war right now?
