| "Reflections by Jill" - A Weekly Commentary on One Life to Live | |
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REFLECTIONS BY JILL….Sorry I haven’t seen all of you in a couple of weeks…but life always seems to “happen” and sometimes it happens when you least expect it. Anyway, I’m back and I don’t even know where to start as far as One Life To Live is concerned. Could things get any crazier? Could TPTB anger the fans any more than they already have? Could they bring on any more people we don’t care about while ignoring the ones we love?
I’ll start with Joey and Jen. What’s with this couple? I don’t know how these two got thrown together so quickly and I think it’s ridiculous that if the big guys upstairs insist on keeping the character of Jen around they don’t give her some time to lament over all the things she’s done wrong…and why she’s done them…before they have her unrealistically fall in love with a minister who should have done a lot more thinking about EVERYTHING before he got involved with her. I don’t see the chemistry and Jen is in no way ready to make a selfless commitment to a man that has to split his attention between her and his calling to the church. She will probably never be ready. She may be showing some signs of becoming the “good girl” her dad would have wanted her to be, but she’s not through with the immaturity and wildness that she had with that “good for nothing” Rex.
On to the next weird couple…Kevin and Kelly. When Tracy Melchior first came on the show, I kind of liked her as Kelly. Now I’m not enjoying the way she seems to accept all that Kevin has become. He has become the hardest character on the show for me to watch because he’s just too obnoxious. Even though Kevin always did have a wandering eye when it came to women, he always had a decent side. I don’t even see a trace of the man that Viki raised and in whom she instilled so many decent values. I also think there is more to the problems behind Kevin and Kelly’s relationship. Some think that she did something to hurt the marriage when they were in Texas. I don’t know if that’s true, but I was appalled the other day when after Joey and Jen’s wedding, Kelly asked Kevin if their wedding was the most wonderful moment of his life and he said it was definitely “up there.” What a thing to say! Someone please have the aliens bring back the real Kevin Buchanan. Could this be the same guy who was so in love with his brother’s wife that he risked losing his brother and best friend to be with her? What the heck is going on?
Then we have Marcie and Al, the one realistic and enjoyable couple to watch and what happens? I am still mad over the release of Nathaniel Marston and I wonder if we’ll ever know the real story behind that. It does seem that the character of Marcie has been developed to the point where she can stand on her own. She’s a wonderful character and I love the way she stands up for herself no matter what. I also love the way she has always been Jen’s conscience and some of it has finally sunken in with Jen. I was in awe of Marcie the other day when she was forced to sing for those horrible sorority sisters. The power of Kathy Brier’s voice is unbelievable and the way she was able to sing that way and at the same time show so poignantly Marcie’s terror and anger was amazing. Broadway is lucky to have Kathy Brier….One Life To Live is luckier that she decided to hang around.
One more note about Marcie’s storyline. Although it is a wonderfully acted storyline and very moving, I don’t think it’s all that realistic in this day and age. This story about Marcie being hated and abused all started because she hung a peace sign outside her dorm room window. Now call me crazy, but I just don’t see how that act by a student on a college campus in the year 2003 could instill such hatred and desire for revenge in college students. Young, intelligent people today pride themselves on being accepting of all viewpoints and lifestyles. This storyline would be more realistic to me if it were based on some other catalyst for the hatred against Marcie. The fact that it went so far as to affect her family, their jobs, and their place in their community in another town is silly to me. It would have been more realistic if Deke and his band of hoodlums went after Marcie simply to hurt Al over the drug situation, in my opinion.
So…Hank Gannon is practically non-existent and we have Daniel Colson to grace our television screens. As if he weren’t obnoxious enough already…now we know he’s Riley’s father and a drunk. Are they going to keep creating families like they did with the Rappadavidsons just to rip them apart in a year or so? At least Sam, Ben and Will were decent people who fit beautifully, in my opinion, into the canvas of the show. I think Riley is ok…but how much do we care about this new budding family in Llanview. I don’t care nearly as much as I did about the dynamics of the relationship between Hank and RJ. And what about Riley and Flash/Sara? I don’t care very much about Sara at all since the writers made the horrible mistake of having her fall for Joey when she knew she was his cousin and no one else had a clue who she was. That was totally ridiculous!
Now call me crazy…I know you will…but for some reason I still root for Antonio and Jessica. I know, I know, he’s got a temper like Hurricane Andrew and Mt. St. Helens all rolled into one, but I am still rooting for him to be with Jessica. I am, however, sickened by what was done to the character of Keri. I read that Sherri Saum wanted out of her contract a year early because she didn’t feel she was achieving what she wanted at OLTL as far as her acting goes and that she wasn’t actually fired…I always wonder how true these statements are, especially when they come directly from the actor. I have to say, though, that Sherri has been wonderful at making Keri a very sick girl. She’s made Keri a chip off the old RJ block and is very convincing. That devious look in her eyes when she’s pulled one over on Antonio is downright creepy. Good job Sherri!
I like Walker as Todd. I know I may live to regret that I said that when it comes out that he really is Todd and starts really acting like Todd…lol. Somehow he’s easier for me to take than Roger was. Roger just got too weird sometimes and who knows, Trevor might do the same, but I’m willing to give him a shot. I already love the way he interacts with Kristen Alderson’s Starr and it’s going to be fun to see him interact with Blair.
And just when I was getting to like Max again…BOOM…James DePaiva is let go from the show. Why should I be surprised? I would have loved to see him entangled with Roxy for a while…it would have been a hoot…too bad!
Well, I have saved the heaviest part of my heart for last. Viki is going to somehow tell Ben she has to let go and move on with her life. I don’t know how she’s going to do it, logistically and emotionally, but I know I haven’t figured out how I’ll be able to watch it and the fact that she’s supposed to be involved with the governor sickens me. I can’t help it. It doesn’t appear that Ben will be killed off and I don’t see how they can write Viki moving on with a romantic relationship with Ben still alive. Of course, I don’t want Ben killed off…NEVER! I know I should feel encouraged that they’re not killing Ben off and leaving the possibility open for him to return in the future, but I’d rather see a recast of Ben any day than have Viki move on romantically with him still alive. What are they thinking? I hear that Dorian will also have some connection to the governor and I can only hope that he winds up with her and not Viki. I know all the true lifelong Viki fans don’t want to hear this because they want her to have a life at any cost, but I say they give her a fulfilling life without a new man until they resolve the situation with Ben. I adore the character of Viki and have said a million times that I am amazed just watching Erika play her in any scene, but I don’t see Viki being able to put aside her love and loyalty to Ben and be with another man at this point.
Well, I guess I’ve ranted enough for one week…enough out of me…lol!
See ya next week...
Jill Berry
FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS
Jewell writes: “What's going on? Just when OLTL was getting good again; just when I began looking forward to watching it each day; some of the best actors are being fired (pardon me, they have been "let go"), and with them go some of the best and most intriguing characters, along with their potential for good exciting storylines. It looks like unnecessary and ridiculous changes are being made in Llanview. Why? Are we going back to having weightless and wishy-washy plots again, with vague and unoriginal solutions to problems, with characters making out-of-character choices instead of, for once, showing they have a few brains and doing the smart thing? I know! That would be too normal, too predictable! But it might be interesting. What are they (TPTB) THINKING??”
Dear Jewell: Obviously, from my commentary above, you can see that I couldn’t agree with you more. I think our mistake is asking, “What are TPTB thinking?” I don’t believe they really are thinking. They sure aren’t thinking about what the majority of fans want, even though they think they have their finger on the pulse of the true soap opera viewer. Let’s hope this changes before they lose so many viewers that soaps become a thing of the past.
Sharon writes: “I watched the show today, when Viki came into Crossroads. I was okay until she played ‘I've Got a Crush on You!' then I cried like a baby! I miss Ben so badly! Viki looked so lost without him. It was almost like he died! And of course they didn't show any flashbacks! That doesn't surprise me! Hope you watched it, too. He was such a sexy guy! *SIGH*.”
Dear Sharon: Yes, of course, I did watch that show and I can tell you that I cried way before you did. I cried when she was telling Max about the spot where they first kissed and first danced. I could hardly bear her sadness. That’s why I find it so hard to see her moving on romantically. I, too, was waiting for flashbacks…good thing we weren’t holding our breath.
Susan writes: “I have a suggestion about who could be recast as Ben, Viki's husband, on OLTL. Since Port Charles has been cancelled, how about recasting Jon Lindstrom as Ben? I think he favors our "old Ben" is about the same age, and that Lindstrom is just hunky enough to fall right into the role. After all, Viki has been alone way too long, and needs a man in her life. Since "Bonnie" has been renewed, maybe OLTL brass had better snatch up Lindstrom before it is too late.”
Dear Susan: I really like Jon Lindstrom. I was a really big Kevin and Lucy fan when I used to watch General Hospital. I’m not sure I see him as Ben, but I wouldn’t totally rule it out. My personal favorite for a recast, who I know would never be available, is David James Elliott from JAG. He resembles Mark’s Derwin’s Ben, he’s built like Derwin and he has that boyish charm that is so much a part of Ben’s personality. I know it could never be, but he’d be my first choice.
John writes: “Where did the new lawyer Daniel Colson come from? He looks so familiar...what soap was he on before and what was his character name?”
Dear John: The actor who plays Daniel Colson was, to my recollection, most recently on Guiding Light. He played the character of Noah in the storyline where Reva was blind.
© Copyright by Katherine Thurston, 2003
