Soapbox1 by Michele Dargan » Farah Fath

OLTL: I’m Just Not That Into You!

soapbox1 — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:35:40 +0000

By Michele Dargan

First off, let me say that OLTL has always been my favorite soap opera – always!

But over the past month or two – and I don’t really know how to say this delicately – it’s been one big hot mess!

I am not invested in why any of these characters are doing what they’re doing.

And isn’t that the key ingredient of a good soap?

I’m just saying….

I mean, really. Can anyone tell me ONE storyline on OLTL that is even remotely interesting??

Even the (faux) baby reveal was a letdown – and it just keeps getting worse.

Everybody on earth knew how Stacy (Crystal Hunt) was going to die thanks to the infinite spoilers on the internet…and btw, I try to avoid spoilers at all costs, but there was no dodging that one.

Stacy Morasco (Crystal Hunt) tries to reach her baby before falling through the ice. Photo: Donna Svennevik/ABC

But the drama surrounding the aftermath is really a yawner.

I must say that the writers finally humanized Stacy – right before they killed her off!

That happens so often in soaps….they write a character that is virtually unredeemable and then make the viewers like the character before killing them off.

I did like the fact that Stacy and Gigi (Farah Fath) got their sisterly bond back during the birth of Stacy’s baby.

Gigi, Stacy and the Sierra Rose after the birth. Photo: Keysha McGrady/ABC

And then – poof – Stacy’s dead!

Although is anybody REALLY dead on a soap? Remember, Kim’s boots were gone…

Scott Clifton as Schyler has given some really good performances as he struggled with the realization that he wants to be a father to Sierra Rose.

Now I hear Clifton’s leaving the show. Big loss if that’s true.

I guess that means that maybe Oliver Fish (Scott Evans) finally opens the DNA envelope and realizes that HE is really the father….Just a guess.

Another big loss is Daphnee Duplaix as Rachel. Word is that she’s been let go from the show. She has been a great addition to the show as Nora’s daughter. The onscreen mother/daughter relationship between her and Hillary B. Smith as Nora has been wonderful, not to mention the chem between Duplaix and Terrell Tilford as the luscious Dr. Greg Evans. One thing for sure: Tilford better be staying….I’ve loved watching the evolution of his character.

The whole thing with Jessica almost being raped by her “father” Mitch Laurence (Roscoe Born) AFTER he zapped her memory with electroshock treatments….That could possibly be the WORST storyline in history. Totally repulsive!

Is is me or does it seem that each time Mitch returns to Llanview from the dead that he becomes more and more evil???

Now they have Allison Perkins thrown into the mix lurking around and getting ready to do the work of “The Messenger.”

How many times can they recycle that premise???

And let’s not even get into the fact that now Jessica (Bree Williamson) thinks she’s back in high school pursuing Christian Vega (David Fumero), who’s now a teacher.

Jessica and Christian. Photo: Heidi Gutman/ABC

The only partially saving grace is Williamson’s performances….she is absolutley amazing with every facet of Jessica that she has taken on (Jess/Bess/Tess)…She physically transforms herself into the separate characters. And now she has physically transformed herself back to a high school age girl. Suffice it to say, Williamson is uber talented!

Having said all that, the storyline itself is hard to watch, given the fact that they have essentially broken up Brody (Mark Lawson) and Jessica.

Lawson has also been giving it his all these past few weeks (Love him!) and it’s difficult to watch Brody stand by while Jessica chases after her high school crush.

I think the writers are trying to be cute….but it’s not working for me.

Free Jessica and Brody!!!

Todd (Trevor St. John) and Tea (Florencia Lozano) need to be reunited, because they’re just not as interesting apart from one another.
Now that everyone knows about Dani being Todd’s daughter, why not put the family together and explore the possibilities?

I HATE the fact that Viki and Charlie are splitting….After all these years, Viki FINALLY found love again for what…..five minutes??? Viki (Erika Slezak) and Charlie (Brian Kerwin) are so good together. They need to stay together. Have at least ONE couple on that show that stays together – PLEASE!

And what the heck happened to Moe (John Rue) and Noelle (January LaVoy) ? They were two of the best things to hit that show in a long time. They provided the voice of reason as well as some levity to the show. We need them back, pronto!

Then there’s the Langston cheating on Markko storyline – How much do ya hate THAT one!

Being a Larkko fan, that s/l is the pits!

It’s so predictable….Langston hooks up with a player who’s just using her for sex.

And now they bring in Cole’s study pal, who just happens to be the jilted lover of said player. It may be remotely interesting if she decides to seek revenge on him….

As far as John (Michael Easton) and Natalie (Melissa Archer) getting back together….I love those two together and have always been a big Jolie fan….BUT I’m not liking HOW they’re getting them back together. The storyline is just sleazy with Natalie having just lost Jared. And John and Natalie, to me, are above that. Especially since Marty (Susan Haskell) is now preggers.

Which brings me to the top of the heap of reasons WHY I’m not liking OLTL….the Kim marrying Clint storyline. It’s totally nauseating….really.

Multi-billionaire Clint Buchanan (Jerry ver Dorn) marrying an ex-stripper?? Seriously???

Is this the best they can do?

Word on the internet is that Amanda Setton, who plays Kim Andrews, chose not to renew her contract. So she will be leaving the show.

But I still don’t get why we’re even watching this storyline.

The only reason that I can think of (yet another recycled storyline) is they are trying to recreate the Asa/Renee storyline in the sense that Renee was an ex-madam.

Is this really why they destroyed Clint and Nora’s marriage?

Oh no, that’s right.

They had Nora cheat on Clint with his brother and her former husband Bo (Robert S. Woods) in order to reunite Bo and Nora, whom I absolutely adore.

Clint, Nora and Bo. Photo: ABC

What I don’t adore is the way they got them back together….No matter now…water under the bridge.

Bo and Nora ARE iconic and so much fun to watch.

Trouble is…..where the hell are they?

Since Bo and Nora got back together, we hardly see them at all. They’re only used to prop the other storylines!

As an aside, Hillary B. Smith has established a charity to benefit pet owners who cannot afford medical care for thier beloved animals. The Willie-Coppee Fund is auctioning some of her memorabilia to benefit that cause. Click here to find out more.

So here’s what we need to do on OLTL….

Let’s push this baby daddy story to the side…..get Jessica and Brody back together…reunite Viki and Charlie…bring back Moe and Noelle…

And PLEASE give Bo and Nora a frontburner, sink-your-teeth-into storyline that we can care about!

OLTL Storylines That Need to Move On

soapbox1 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:21:14 +0000

Have soap opera storylines always dragged on for what seems to be FOR-EVER??
I know it seems like a rhetorical question – because, historically, that is sort of the nature of the beast.
However…..
It seems like these days, soap storylines r-e-a-l-l-y d-r-a-g on much l-o-n-g-e-r than I remember from, say, the 70′s or 80′s.
At least as far as I can recollect.
Case in point.
The baby swap storyline on One Life To Live, where Bess, Jess’s alter, switched Jess’s stillborn baby with Starr’s live one.
I thought (for a fleeting moment) that when Natalie and Jared discovered the truth, they would spill what they know and everything would be right with the world.
But, no-o-o-o-o.
So I ask…..How LONG will this go on?
Judging from the photo below, it looks like at least until the christening.

ABC/DONNA SVENNEVIK
If I remember correctly – going back a few years – there was that crossover baby swap storyline on OLTL and AMC when Paul Cramer stole Babe’s son on AMC and transported him to OLTL and gave the baby to his sister Kelly so that she could pass him off as her own.
And she did for about a year as I remember.
Oh how I hope this doesn’t go on that long.
And then there’s the matter of Stacy passing herself off as Shane’s bone marrow donor, blackmailing Gigi to break up with Rex and making Roxy go along with the aforementioned blackmail or she will reveal the identity of Rex’s father.
HOW long has the “Who’s Rex’s Daddy?” storyline been going on, anyway?
So long that I can’t remember when it started. When will that reveal happen? It doesn’t seem like anytime in the near future.
And if his father is Mitch Laurence then I’m really not looking forward to the havoc that revelation will wreak.
I hate to say it, but I knew that when we left Gigi (Farah Fath) on Friday – supposedly getting ready to spill her guts to Jessica about her secret with Rex secretly listening in – that something would stop her from confessing the truth.

Rex eavesdropping
But, on some level, as I was listening to her Monday getting almost to the point of no return, I was hoping that I was wrong, because I so want the secret of Stacy’s blackmail to come out.
(Me and everybody else on the planet!)
So, yeah, I was distressed to say the least when Rex burst into the kitchen before Gigi could get to the truth.
And what really ticked me off that he was defending Stacy!
Ugh! I can see where this is going!
Even though this storyline hasn’t really been on our screens very long, it seems like an ETERNITY because I so can’t stand Stacy.

Please OLTL writers…..release us from this misery and get Rex and Gigi back together ASAP and expose Stacy for who – and what she is!
Unfortunately, I have a feeling, this isn’t happening anytime soon…..

OLTL: A Love/Hate Relationship

soapbox1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I’ve been having this love/hate relationship with One Life To Live lately.
First of all, there’s been WAY too much sadness and doom and gloom,…i.e. Wes killed, Blair stabbed, Matthew paralyzed, Cole arrested and hooked on drugs.
Then there’s poor Shane fighting Leukemia.

It doesn’t get much sadder than that.
And let’s not forget Starr and Cole thinking that their baby is dead, when, in reality, Bess switched Jess’s dead baby with Starr’s live one. So Starr’s baby, Hope, is living under her nose as Jess’s baby Chloe….Whew!
Although….Now Jared and Natalie know the truth, so it will definitely come out. The question is – how long will it take for them to spill. I really, really like them both – separately and together.
Then, to top it all off, there’s the despicable Stacy Morasco, who would let her nephew die if she doesn’t get what she wants – namely Rex!

She is leveraging Shane’s life against Gigi’s willingness to give up Rex.
Stacy is one cold, evil bee-otch!
What I can’t figure out is how she will donate her bone marrow, when, in fact, it’s the mysterious comatose man – aka Rex’s father – who is really the match.
Another hmmm.
btw, I’m going out on a limb about Rex’s father.
l think it’s Mitch Laurence.
I mean, who else could be so evil that Roxy wouldn’t want Rex to know…..
Yeah. In my book, it has to be Mitch, who’s supposedly dead.
On the upside of things, I’m liking the Brody-Jessica pairing! Mark Lawson and Bree Williamson are great together and I would like to see more of that….
But I’m wondering – judging from the previews – if Brody will swoop in to rescue Gigi from her diabolical sister and put his relationship with Jess in jeopardy….hmm. Hope not!
Then again, Jess/Tess/Bess, has a whole set of issues to deal with…
Can you say integration?
But, for me, Friday’s ending made my whole week.
I Love the fact that Tea is switching sides against Todd. Love It!
And I particularly loved the surprise ending in court, when John McBain (Michael Easton) stood up [dramatic pause] and said he was Blair’s new husband.

Oooo La La!
This presents a whole new realm of possibilities, that I, for one, am looking forward to.
Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

Mark Lawson as Brody on OLTL: Enjoyable to Watch

soapbox1 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:02:18 +0000

You know who’s really evolved as a character in a relatively short time?
Brody….
Brody Lovett (Mark Lawson) on One Life To Live.
Let’s flashback to April, when Brody first appeared on our screen as the bearded, boozing, fighting, womanizing neanderthal.
Well, here……take a look for yourself at this first visual of Brody.

It was a stark contrast to Gigi Morasco’s portrait of Brody as the brave, honorable, Navy Seal and the “father” of her son, Shane.
But within a month, he showed up at the action-packed wedding of Rex and Adriana. Brody was clean-shaven in his dress whites looking like he stepped out of “An Officer and A Gentleman.”

Quite a difference, eh?
And he’s committed to Gigi (Farah Fath), wants to build a life with her and keep up the pretense that he is Shane’s father.
Although he looked a lot different on the outside, he definitely still had some “issues” on the inside.
His drinking for one.
But, because he wanted to make things work between him and Gigi, Brody went to an AA meeting.
So he is trying.
What has really warmed my heart, though, is Brody’s growing relationship with Shane (Austin Williams).
I love the recent bonding scenes with Shane, while Gigi is off trying to get Rex back from 1968.
Meanwhile, back in 2008, there is a real solid relationship building between Brody and Shane.
It’s really great how Lawson has developed Brody and has shown his gentle, loving side.
My spies at the OLTL Fan Club events last weekend tell me that Lawson is super nice and that he really appreciates his fans. The word “awesome” was used in reference to him.
It seems he went above and beyond and really spent a lot of time with his fans.
And you gotta love that!

Rex Balsom, How Far You’ve Come

soapbox1 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:00:00 +0000

There are so many riviting performances lately on One Life To Live lately, that I must give kudos all around.
But there’s one person who never fails to entertain, whether it’s a light-hearted moment or a serious situation…
John-Paul Lavoisier as Rex Balsom.
Rex came onto the scene as a kind of a scammer…a bad boy always looking to make a quick buck….a younger version of David Vickers (Tuc Watkins).
But over the years, he has grown and matured into a loyal, do-the-right-thing kinda guy…
This, in large part, due to his close friendship with Bo Buchanan (Robert S. Woods), who has always been one of my favorites.
Bo is the epitomy of do-the-right thing.
I also think Jen’s murder turned a corner for Rex on a path to being a better person.
He really loved Jen and her murder was devastating for him.
He also bonded in grief with Marcie and Lindsay – friendships that have lasted and flourished over the years.
In fact, his friendship with Marcie led to his pact with her husband, Michael, keeping the secret that their adoptive son, Tommy, was really Todd Manning’s lost son.
And, boy, was Rex ever loyal to Michael during that entire situation.
But it really struck me just how far Rex has come during the past few weeks and particularly during Monday’s episode, when he told Adriana that their days-old marriage is over.

Rex – who was known to lie and scheme during his early days in Llanview – tells Adriana he can’t overlook her scheme to bring Brody to Llanview in order to keep Gigi Morasco (Farah Fath), Rex’s high school sweetheart, away from him.
He also is brutally honest – telling Adriana (Melissa Fumero) that he was having doubts about marrying her before the wedding.
Rex and Adriana have gone through a lot to be together, that’s for sure.
Remember when Dorian set up that whacko stalker and made it look like Rex? She almost got Adriana killed that time.
Rex and Adriana talked through their tears Monday as they neared their final split.
I’m sure part of the sadness was real…
Fumero is leaving the show and these were some of her last scenes.
Much luck to Melissa in her new endeavors.
As for Rex, he still needs to find out that Shane is his son – A.S.A.P.

Jared on One Life To Live – Redeemed?

soapbox1 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0000

I can-not believe it!
I actually liked Jared Banks yesterday.
Really! I never thought I’d ever write that phrase.
I was so not liking him from the jump on One Life To Live.
Jared (John Brotherton) seemed sort of dark from day one. Maybe because we first saw in prison. That’s never really a good setting for anyone.
Then there was that whole thing where he underhandedly bought control of Nash’s vineyard from Antonio as revenge against Jess/Tess.
I guess I can kinda understand that. After all, it was Jess – as her alter Tess – who set Jared up to go to prison for something he didn’t do.
But one thing I really couldn’t stand about Jared is the way he started getting involved with Natalie only to jump at the chance to masquerade as her uncle in order to gain money and power with the Buchanan name.
The other thing I didn’t like about him is how he didn’t treat his real father, Charlie Banks, with respect.

So Jared was a lose/lose situation in my eyes…..Until yesterday in his scenes with Gigi…He actually showed humanity.
Humanity! Not a word I would have associated with him, previously.
First there was the scene where she spilled coffee and he helped her clean it up.
They were so cute together and he seemed to be really concerned that something was bothering her.
Actually it was two somethings bothering her – that freakazoid police commish, Ramsey, who tried to kill Gigi and her son, Shane, and Rex, her high school sweetheart who is Shane’s father.
But the thing is, Gigi (Farah Fath) never told Rex about Shane and visa versa.

So when Gigi was upset about Ramsey’s threats and her secret about Rex, Jared comforted her.
And he was sincere and caring.
The topper was the cliff hanger, when Rex walked in on Jared and Gigi kissing.

Hmmmm.
I think I see some possibilities here.

One Life To Live’s Rex – Is He A Balsom Or Isn’t He?

soapbox1 — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:00:00 +0000

There’s lots going on in Llanview these days.
I mean LOTS!
And there’s some heavy-duty questions that are hanging in the air on One Life To Live.
For instance….
What’s going to happen to Marcie, now that she’s in jail for babynapping?
And Gigi.
What’s going to happen to her now that she’s been arrested for aiding and abetting Marcie?
Will Adrianna and Rex also be arrested for keeping the secret that TJ/Tommy/Sam is really Todd’s kidnapped son?
And that sleazy FBI agent Lee Ramsey. He keeps threatening Gigi and her son, Shane.
What is the always chivalrous John McBain going to do to stop Ramsey?
And speaking of Shane.
Who exactly is his father?
Is it Rex?
They’re alluding to that scenario since Gigi Morasco (Farah Fath) and Rex Balsom (John-Paul Lavoisier) were high school sweethearts and haven’t seen each other since. We now know that Gigi left Michigan shortly after Rex – Gigi going to Paris, Texas and Rex to Llanview.
I seem to remember awhile back that Gigi told Viki she hadn’t dated anyone since she was with Shane’s father — but she’s never, ever mentioned the father’s name and the guy is supposedly dead.
Hmmmm….
Perhaps the most intriguing question on OLTL is the mystery surrounding Rex’s father.
Rex’s mom, Roxy, and his aunt, Corinne, who raised Rex, are keeping some kind of family secret and it may have to do with who is Rex’s father. After all, on Friday Corinne said she’s not sure if Rex is a Balsom.
There is some speculation on message boards that Roxy was raped by the evil Mitch Laurence and that Rex is Mitch’s kid.
Again, it’s just speculation.
But that would be an interesting twist….That would mean that Rex and Jessica would really be brother and sister, when Jessica’s twin, Natalie, was raised as Rex’s sister….Of course it was later discovered that Allison Perkins stole Natalie for Mitch Laurence and gave her to Roxy to raise.
Whether or not Rex is Mitch’s son, remains to be seen.
But it is awfully coincidental that crazy Allison shows up Friday, after being gone from the canvas for a few years.
When she sees Jessica at St. Ann’s, the local mental institution, Allison tells Jessica that she has a secret.
Hmmmm….could it be about Rex?