Reflections by Jill - A Weekly Commentary for OLTL for January 7, 2008

REFLECTIONS BY JILL for January 7, 2008

FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS

Meldebmom writes: “You have such a deep prejudice against Todd that he cannot do anything right. If he stayed home with his kids, you would probably criticize him for not looking for his son. He loves his children, no one can doubt that, but he also loves his son Tommy (Sam). Starr and Jack are not horrible kids for having Todd as a parent.”

Dear Meldebmom: You’re absolutely right. I can’t stand Todd because when he does something decent it lasts about five minutes and when he’s scheming it lasts for months, which causes his family hurt and devastation. I agree that he does love his children in his own way. It’s just not what I consider a healthy way because he loves satisfying his own wants more than being there for his kids most of the time although he swears it’s the other way around. And I never said that Starr and Jack are horrible kids because Todd is their father. Honestly, Todd wasn’t ever around them long enough to be a real father. Starr got part of her personality (the tough part) from her father and her “not always there” mother, but she learned compassion and got a ton of support from her Aunt Viki whom she always knows she can run to. Even her Aunt Dorian was there for her way more often than her father was. Jack knew his father so slightly that he wanted Spencer Truman to be his dad when Spencer gave him a little attention. Gee, Todd’s love must have made a real impression on that kid. I can’t even count the number of times Todd has been missing in action and if you’re going to tell me all about how Margaret was responsible for the mess in Todd’s life the past few years I will say that yes, she was a raving lunatic, but let’s face it; if Todd hadn’t messed with her in the first place to make trouble for Kevin, she couldn’t have had any impact on his life at all. And let’s face it; even Viki, who loves Todd and always does the right thing, had a hard time hitting that “Send” button on her phone when she realized she has no choice but to let Todd know about Marcie.

Vickie writes: “Sorry Jill, but Ben yuck! David is a hunk. The new guy isn't a hunk, but he is cute and I'd rather watch him than Ben!”

Dear Vickie: Although I seriously worry about the sanity of anyone who could use the words “Ben” and “yuck” in the same sentence, I painfully respect your opinion. I would just like your explanation for why the writers are giving us so many parallels between Viki’s new romance with Charlie and her great love affair with Ben if they didn’t think that was what worked for Viki. Let’s face it; they couldn’t make it work between Viki and Clint, even though they hired a more appealing Clint in Jerry ver Dorn and they couldn’t even get a spark out of the attempt at pairing Viki with Governor Brooks a while back. So if you ask me, they are going back to what works for Viki and if you don’t think her relationship with Charlie is the writers’ attempt to recapture what she had with Ben, then I humbly ask, “Are you freaking kidding me?”

Kathy writes: “Will John and Natalie be getting back together? I hope so. They make such a good couple and the chemistry between them is great. I didn't think at first I would like them together but seeing them get back together I think they make a good couple. I do not think Natalie and Jared make a good couple.”

Dear Kathy: I’d like to think that one day sometime in the future (the not too distant future) John and Natalie could get back together. I’d love that, but I don’t think it’s in the cards right now. I agree that they make a good couple and I hated it when they broke up. I think they have a very special relationship because they are great friends who care a great deal about each other underneath everything else and that’s always going to draw them to each other. The fact that they are combustible in the “love in the afternoon” department is a most wonderful plus as far as I’m concerned.

Tami writes: “I just wrote to Mr. Carlivati. It’s so sad to see how far down OLTL has gone in the last five years. There's no character development or growth. Everything has become so predictable and oftentimes ridiculous and annoying such as Marcie's shrill rants. Characters are put together not based on compatibility but on who's available at the time. As long as it’s a boy and a girl they're happy! Worst of all characters are created, used then left to languish such as Nash. They must be paying him by the word these days, because he never has much to say and always looks pissed off! Why not? His world revolves around Jessica, who now monopolizes every conversation. Do you feel that the writers and producers are aware of how people like us feel? Is there anything that can be done to influence them and/or wake them up?”

Dear Tami: I, too, have a problem with how some of the characters are handled. I think for the most part the story lines are plotline driven instead of character driven. Lots of times I see characters behaving a certain way and I think it’s ridiculous because from past history, they would never react that way. I agree with you about characters like Nash. I really like this character a lot and I hate the way he has been relegated to being wallpaper while Jessica plots how to get back at Jared. Nash is being wasted and all the writers can think of to catch our interest is bringing back more of the Tess personality in Jessica. This is a bad move. The Tess side of her is a little too dominant sometimes for my liking. As far as the writers, producers, etc. listening to the fans, I have heard that they do pay more attention to the snail mail than to what is written on line, but I’m sure some of them read the on-line comments of their fans. Whether or not they want to really listen and do what we want is possibly another story.