Reflections by Jill - A Weekly Commentary for OLTL for February 18, 2008

FAN FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS

Adrienne writes: “I can’t stand Jared Banks. He is a great bad guy asset to OLTL, but I wish Natalie would stop drooling over him. Regardless of whether he is related to her or not, he is definitely not good for her. He has had plenty of opportunities to confess to Natalie and to stop pretending he's Asa's son, but he continuously wants to get into the Buchanan money. He believes money is more important than love. The writers need get Jared out of the picture. Too bad Charlie will probably get caught in the crossfire when Jared is found out.”

Dear Adrienne: Most of the time I can’t stand Jared either and I could definitely live without Natalie drooling over him. Right now, he is definitely not ready to give up all that being a Buchanan means to him so that he can come clean and have a chance with Natalie, but he certainly is contemplating doing just that. Will he be able to do it? He’s miserable every time he sees her, but not miserable enough to give up the chance to be a Buchanan up to this point. As for Charlie, he will probably regret keeping Jared’s secret, but when has keeping a secret done anything good for anyone? Never on soaps, that’s for sure.

Rosalie writes: “What was the name of the actor who played Joe Riley?”

Dear Rosalie: The role of Joe Riley was played by the late Lee Patterson.

Linda writes: “I don't like how snide Nora is being these days. She always did everything with humor before. JESSICA please! I'm fast-forwarding most of her speeches. I just can't take the stupidity anymore. You hit the nail on the head as far as how she hurt Nash and now she is off on another nutso scheme. Does she ever learn?”

Dear Linda: If you ask me, Nora is still pretty funny. She gives Lindsay back as good as she gets and let’s face it; Nora has every right to doubt that Lindsay has an honest bone in her body. Nora is the only one these days that isn’t blinded by Lindsay’s declaration that she has changed. Nora always has a great comeback for Lindsay and I love that. And as far as Jessica goes, I couldn’t be more disappointed with the way this character is being written these days. It’s like she’s 90% Tess and 10% Jessica which I never wanted to see.

Vicki writes: You say that Clint is a "horn ball", but Viki is a saint? Give me a break! I adore Erika Slezak and her portrayal of Victoria Lord Reilly Burke Reilly Buchanan Buchanan Carpenter Davidson soon to perhaps be Banks, but I think you are either biased regarding the character's history or forgetful of her past! Fans so often seem to have that character on a pedestal and it’s unfair, unwarranted, and unrealistic not to mention devoid of history. It's too bad that everyone neglects the complexity of the character not to mention the character's human elements of being by far less than perfect. I guess that's why I for one really like the character of Clint Buchanan. Not only has the character been less than perfect over the years, the supporters of Saint Victoria always neglect the human elements of both characters! As for Charlie, the actor who plays him is indeed handsome, but the Viki of the past would have literally had a fit and conniption over his willingness to lie and accept Jared's betrayal of the Buchanan clan. Though the majority of fans will probably be happy if Charlie becomes another Ben, I for one will be disappointed because it will be too one dimensional for my taste.”

Vicki writes: “Hey, I never called Clint a horn ball; I called him an “aging” horn ball. Please, we need the adjectives. And as long as you’re quoting me, I would love it if you could point out when I ever used the name “Saint Victoria.” Yes, I love the character of Viki Davidson (thanks for giving everyone a refresher course on all of her married names) but I have never insinuated that I thought she was a saint. I think she’s a very brilliant, caring and compassionate woman who has gone through everything life could possibly throw at her (good and bad) and has handled it with grace and dignity. I don’t believe that she is a saint. She has done plenty of things she is not proud of but what I love most about her is her compassion for others and her way of giving people a second chance. That’s why she’ll always get a second chance from all her fans and me. What I love most about her these days is that she believes she deserves a second, third and fourth chance at happiness and she’s reaching out to grab on tight. Good for her! I haven’t cared for Clint much in years but I respect your right to like the guy. And by the way, Charlie could never become another Ben. There was only one Ben and to say that he was a one-dimensional character in whose footsteps Charlie will follow just makes me laugh, especially when what scares me is that you might think Clint is multi-dimensional. Thanks for the chuckle.