Click the link to read my full article General Hospital:Why Elizabeth Webber Needs a Reset.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
General Hospital: Why Elizabeth Webber Needs a Reset
General Hospital fan favorite Elizabeth Webber has been on the sudser for 16 years. However, despite the popularity of the character, it seems as if every time her story is about to move to the front burner, it fizzles out. Why is the she stuck in the perpetual state of the non-story story? I wanted to take a closer look at the character and share my thoughts for potential story lines.
‘Tainted Dreams’ Review: The Soap Opera Behind the Soap Opera Brings Sex, Scandal and Intrigue
Tainted Dreams has everything one would want in an online soap or any soap for that matter. The sudsy webseries is full of sex, scandal, mystery, and intrigue. The brainchild of Emmy-winning producer/director Sonia Blangiardo is all about the sexy outlandish happenings behind the cameras of the fictional New York soap Painted Dreams.
Not only does it include some of the genre’s favorite actors but it provides its audience with a nice tongue in cheek peek at what it may or may not be like on the set of a soap opera. The concept of a soap about a soap works because of the knowledgeable writing and acting. Blangiardo’s creation doesn’t over indulge in pretense. While there are several nods to the real soap industry, Blangiardo clearly understands that the soap fans are her target audience.
Click the link to read the full article ‘Tainted Dreams’ Review: The Soap Opera Behind the Soap Opera Brings Sex, Scandal and Intrigue.
Click the link to read the full article ‘Tainted Dreams’ Review: The Soap Opera Behind the Soap Opera Brings Sex, Scandal and Intrigue.
‘The Inn’: Season 3 Premiere Review
Originally published at TVSource Magazine.
The third and final season of the web series The Inn launches on October 7 and I couldn’t be more exited. After binge watching during a lazy Sunday afternoon, I was instantly hooked on the thriller. Unlike many horror series, The Innrelies on good storytelling rather than gore and special effects to create its spooky atmosphere. I highly recommend giving this series a view.
The series may already have two seasons but don’t worry about being able to get caught up. While the idea of watching multiple seasons may seem daunting, The Inn is structured for easy viewing. There are only a handful of episodes per season and each episode is around five minutes long. You can easily watch it all in one sitting.
Despite the length of the episodes, the story isn’t rushed. Secrets are revealed at a good pace keeping the audience intrigue as the mystery unfolds bit by bit. I was genuinely surprise by what was learned about the main character Jane (Crystal Chappell) as the story moved forward. The Inn begins with Jane’s car breaking down outside a small desolate town and she is forced to check into The Inn. In perfect Alfred Hitchcock like fashion, things are more sinister than they appear.
Besides The Inn, there is also Lola’s Coffee Shop which is owned by the no-nonsense Lola (Denise Alexander). (Fans of the web soap DeVanity will get a little treat the first time we see the coffee shop) Although Lola seems to have a good nature, it is apparent that she knows more about The Inn and its blind owner Teddy (Ray Proscia) than she lets on. At times she even seems a bit concerned for Jane. This concern doesn’t seem unwarranted as there is something definitely very off about Teddy.
Adding to Jane’s predicament, the local law enforcer Riggs (Chuck Sloan) doesn’t seem to like outsiders in his town and is instantly distrusting of her. He doesn’t believe her reasons for being there and he’s correct in his assumption that she is lying. At the end of Season 2, it’s not yet clear how much he knows or doesn’t know.
Jane’s reality begins to blur between what is real and what is not as strange occurrence continue to happen. With continued appearances from a creepy little boy (Stuart Allen) and an even creeper man (Kyle David Pierce), one wonders how much of what is happening may be occurring inside Jane’s fragile mind. Is there truly something supernatural about The Inn or is it all in her head? My guess is a little bit of both.
The Inn also stars Mark Gantt as Jeffrey. I’m not going to tell you about Jeffrey. You’ll have to watch to find that out. Episodes of The Inn are available for viewing at theinnseries.com and on VoiceAmericaTV.
The Curious Case of ‘One Life to Live’s’ Todd Manning
One Life to Live’s Todd Manning is one of my favorite soap opera character despite the fact that he is a horrible human being. Why does this character appeal to me? I wanted take a look at one of daytime most notorious villians and exam the popularity of the anti-hero archetype.
Click the link to read my full article The Curious Case of ‘One Life to Live’s’ Todd Manning.
Click the link to read my full article The Curious Case of ‘One Life to Live’s’ Todd Manning.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
All is Quiet: A Year in Sudsy Review
A little bit about me
The year 2013 was eventful. Can’t say it was boring at all though at times I wouldn’t have minded that!
For me personally, I accepted a new job in the spring. Though still learning and settling into my new environment, it was one of the best decisions I made. I love being able to go into the office without the feeling of being overwhelmed and being able to leave my work at the office when I go home at night.
I also got to go on my first trip outside the USA when I visited Mexico. It was a blast. I got to try out local cuisine, climb on Mayan pyramids, and drink fruity cocktails with umbrellas in them while laying on the beach. I always wanted to be a world traveler and now I feel like I started that chapter of my life.
I started writing for TVSource this year in addition to my blog. It has a been a wonderful experience. I feel like I am working with a good team and have learned a lot. I am working on some upcoming articles that I hope readers will enjoy.
My year in soaps
2013 was a big year for soaps. Unfortunately not all of it was positive but I think in the end everything has fallen in place for a great 2014.
All four daytime soaps are doing well in the ratings and it appears they will be sticking around for awhile. No more worries about cancellation. It's a pleasant change of pace to just be able to watch the stories without wondering if they will disappear from the screen.
Unfortunately, Prospect Park’s revivals of One Life to Live and All My Children were the complete opposite. When they seemed to go into panic mode very early on and started moving episode counts around, the feeling of impending doom made it difficult to enjoy.
Although I did enjoy watching All My Children for the very first time, One Life to Live was pretty painful to watch. Many of the complaints about Brian Frons’s style were prevalent in the new version such as half naked young women and male dominated story line. It seemed that Prospect Park’s idea of modernizing the shows was to repeat past misunderstandings about audiences but with added curse words. There were also some really great moments in the shows but in the end I feel the failed attempt was not worth the losses. I am left feeling very disenchanted by the experience.
Some good things did come out of the failure though. I was introduced to some new and possible future soap stars such as the talented Corbin Bleu. Watching the reboots online also did lead to me checking out a few other online soaps which has been a real treat for me. I do see a future in online soaps just as long as they are done with proper planning.
With the shelving of One Life to Live and All My Children, I decided to add Days of Our Lives to my soap viewing. It was my first soap addiction and it’s nice getting acquainted with it again. The story line with Eric and Nicole is currently a favorite of mine.
It had been a bit of a bumpy year at times but, General Hospital has remained entertaining for me. The relish wars were overdone and the rewriting for the three actors whose roles were repossessed by Prospect Park was a bit wobbly. The good outweighed the bad though and it was always fun for me to watch.
Some good things I learned this year
Make it a habit to always say “good morning” to your co-workers when you arrive at work and wish them a good night before you leave. People will appreciate the small gestures.
Sometimes letting go and moving on feels like the hardest thing to do but in the end it can be totally worth it.
Don’t be afraid to give yourself a day off.
Perform a random act of kindness every so often. It can be something as simple as buying your friend a cup of coffee when she has had a rough day.
Don’t take things so seriously.
Social media is a lot of fun. If you’re ever not having fun, turn off your computer and do something else.
People are always more important than things.
The year 2013 was eventful. Can’t say it was boring at all though at times I wouldn’t have minded that!
For me personally, I accepted a new job in the spring. Though still learning and settling into my new environment, it was one of the best decisions I made. I love being able to go into the office without the feeling of being overwhelmed and being able to leave my work at the office when I go home at night.
I also got to go on my first trip outside the USA when I visited Mexico. It was a blast. I got to try out local cuisine, climb on Mayan pyramids, and drink fruity cocktails with umbrellas in them while laying on the beach. I always wanted to be a world traveler and now I feel like I started that chapter of my life.
I started writing for TVSource this year in addition to my blog. It has a been a wonderful experience. I feel like I am working with a good team and have learned a lot. I am working on some upcoming articles that I hope readers will enjoy.
My year in soaps
2013 was a big year for soaps. Unfortunately not all of it was positive but I think in the end everything has fallen in place for a great 2014.
All four daytime soaps are doing well in the ratings and it appears they will be sticking around for awhile. No more worries about cancellation. It's a pleasant change of pace to just be able to watch the stories without wondering if they will disappear from the screen.
Unfortunately, Prospect Park’s revivals of One Life to Live and All My Children were the complete opposite. When they seemed to go into panic mode very early on and started moving episode counts around, the feeling of impending doom made it difficult to enjoy.
Although I did enjoy watching All My Children for the very first time, One Life to Live was pretty painful to watch. Many of the complaints about Brian Frons’s style were prevalent in the new version such as half naked young women and male dominated story line. It seemed that Prospect Park’s idea of modernizing the shows was to repeat past misunderstandings about audiences but with added curse words. There were also some really great moments in the shows but in the end I feel the failed attempt was not worth the losses. I am left feeling very disenchanted by the experience.
Some good things did come out of the failure though. I was introduced to some new and possible future soap stars such as the talented Corbin Bleu. Watching the reboots online also did lead to me checking out a few other online soaps which has been a real treat for me. I do see a future in online soaps just as long as they are done with proper planning.
With the shelving of One Life to Live and All My Children, I decided to add Days of Our Lives to my soap viewing. It was my first soap addiction and it’s nice getting acquainted with it again. The story line with Eric and Nicole is currently a favorite of mine.
It had been a bit of a bumpy year at times but, General Hospital has remained entertaining for me. The relish wars were overdone and the rewriting for the three actors whose roles were repossessed by Prospect Park was a bit wobbly. The good outweighed the bad though and it was always fun for me to watch.
Some good things I learned this year
Make it a habit to always say “good morning” to your co-workers when you arrive at work and wish them a good night before you leave. People will appreciate the small gestures.
Sometimes letting go and moving on feels like the hardest thing to do but in the end it can be totally worth it.
Don’t be afraid to give yourself a day off.
Perform a random act of kindness every so often. It can be something as simple as buying your friend a cup of coffee when she has had a rough day.
Don’t take things so seriously.
Social media is a lot of fun. If you’re ever not having fun, turn off your computer and do something else.
People are always more important than things.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Prospect Theory: My thoughts on the shelving of One Life to Live and All My Children
The plan to continue One Life to Live and All My Children online was an experiment. One that had a lot of risk involved. Knowing this, I opted to be a little forgiving of some of the trials and errors. Or at least I was at first. There were a lot of trials and errors. Too many of them if we’re going to be real about it.
While Prospect Park seems to want to shift the blame to ABC, I feel that a lot of went wrong with rebooting the shows falls squarely on their shoulders. The gentleman with Prospect Park have reputations for being mavericks in the entertainment business however, their behavior seemed more uneducated than daring.
Before I dive into the what-went-wrongs, I would like to start by stating I admire the work and effort that the cast and crew put into One Life to Live and All My Children. It’s clear that they really wanted to make the reboots successful. The actors really shown in their performances and I’m glad that they will be eligible for Daytime Emmys. I enjoyed may aspects of both shows and my criticisms have nothing to do with the work that was put into them. I do not fault the cast and crew for what happened. The disappointment with the Prospect Park reboots that I am going to share is about what happened off screen and is from my perspective as a fan.
The Lawsuit
For me personally, the biggest mistake that was made (and continues to be made) was the filing of the lawsuit against ABC Daytime. I really hate that this lawsuit exists. If ABC did in fact violate an agreement, then by all means sue away! However, don’t insult me in the process. I did not need to read pages of General Hospital and the stories that I was enjoying being called trash. The whole lawsuit makes me feel that Prospect Park’s opinion of soap fans is pretty low. It coddles couple shipper trolls and uses terms such as “soap apocalypse” and “megasoap.”
To add more injury to this insult, the lawsuit attacks people in the soap business that I as a longtime fan care about such as my favorite actor for example. In all I felt it is not only bizarrely inaccurate but disrespectful to the hardworking individuals in the industry and their loyal fans.
I believe that the lawsuit didn't just hurt some feelings. It hurt One Life to Live and All My Children. It is a complete turn off for those who are not familiar with soaps. Try explaining this lawsuit to someone who doesn’t watch soaps and then wait for his or her reaction. I can only imagine how all this looked to potential investors and business partners.
The Weak PR and Online Interaction
Many were a bit skeptical when it was announced that Prospect Park was making a second go of its attempt to revive the soaps but they were also excited to have the shows back. Members of the soap press would have been happy to help promote had they been given the opportunity. Richard Sims from Soaps In Depth offered to assist with social media and was ignored. Entertainment writer Jeff Giles wrote a book about one of the soaps (Llanview in the Afternoon) and was directed to a non-working email address when he asked for comments. These are just a couple of examples. There was tons of opportunity for free promotion that was not taken.
Promotion and PR was left to the good people who were creating these shows. When the weekly episode count was cut in half, it was the actors who responded to customer complaints and tried to provide positive spin. This was not suppose to be their job but Prospect Park’s PR team seems to be as non-existent as the mighty unicorn. At the very least, if the actors were going to put their reputations on the line and try to spin hay into gold then they should have been kept informed by Prospect Park. Making employees scramble to respond to something on your behalf they know nothing about is just rude.
For a soap, General Hospital has a strong online presence. Their facebook page has over a million followers and their twitter account has over 100,000 followers. The creative teams and actors are active online. @soapsindepthabc has more followers than @soapsindepthcbs. All these accounts have more followers than TOLN’s various accounts. This is the audience that Prospect Park should have tried to snag. Instead they dissed this fanbase’s show and only interacted with a few fans, most of whom seemed bitter towards General Hospital for breaking up a fictional couple or something of that nature. This made me not want to interact with them. Playing nicely would have had a much better result.
After awhile the PR campaign slogan seemed to be “blame ABC.” This didn’t impress me for a number of reasons. I do blame ABC for not firing Brian Frons earlier than they did. I do blame ABC for allowing good programs to be neglected and then canceling them. I don’t blame them for actors finding other work. I don’t blame them for Prospect Park’s lack of soap knowledge. I don’t blame them for Prospect Park’s lack of follow through or communication.
Brand = No Clue
There seemed to be confusion when it came to the brands of these soaps, in particular One Life to Live. Logos and names aren’t brands. They are just logos and names. Brand is emotional connection. Folgers Coffee’s brand is not a tin can filled with coffee. It’s parents waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and coming down stairs Christmas morning to find their son has made it home for the holidays. “Peter, you’re home!” In other words, the brand is the story.
All My Children did a good job of going back to the brand it had lost during it’s last few years on ABC Daytime. There was a feeling of family and young love, a coupling of danger with innocence. You would not see this in any of the online ads for the show though. Just purple boxes with logos on them asking you to click here to watch. Watch what exactly?
One Life to Live seemed to have been taken over by one of Vicki’s alters. While it had some very entertaining moments and an amazingly talented cast, the focus was put onto a nightclub, the murder of a dayplayer hooker, and a strange tattoo toting evil organization that bored me to tears. Where was the family dysfunction and diversity?
The photo shoot that Prospect Park did was really cool but a picture is not going to make someone tune in for the first time. People needed to know what the shows were about and what kinds of stories they would be treated to. They needed to know how watching these shows would make them feel. They were never given this information.
Prospect Park ended up not being the soap savior many had hoped. I am a little worried that they may have hurt the genre a little bit. I don’t want those who really did put their soul into the shows to take the hit for Prospect Park’s poor decisions. Some of the actors had other opportunities that they did not take because of their contracts with Prospect Park. Many were counting on the steady work. Many more were hoping that this little experiment would be successful and bring a positive light to the soap genre. For me, that hope is now gone.
While Prospect Park seems to want to shift the blame to ABC, I feel that a lot of went wrong with rebooting the shows falls squarely on their shoulders. The gentleman with Prospect Park have reputations for being mavericks in the entertainment business however, their behavior seemed more uneducated than daring.
Before I dive into the what-went-wrongs, I would like to start by stating I admire the work and effort that the cast and crew put into One Life to Live and All My Children. It’s clear that they really wanted to make the reboots successful. The actors really shown in their performances and I’m glad that they will be eligible for Daytime Emmys. I enjoyed may aspects of both shows and my criticisms have nothing to do with the work that was put into them. I do not fault the cast and crew for what happened. The disappointment with the Prospect Park reboots that I am going to share is about what happened off screen and is from my perspective as a fan.
The Lawsuit
For me personally, the biggest mistake that was made (and continues to be made) was the filing of the lawsuit against ABC Daytime. I really hate that this lawsuit exists. If ABC did in fact violate an agreement, then by all means sue away! However, don’t insult me in the process. I did not need to read pages of General Hospital and the stories that I was enjoying being called trash. The whole lawsuit makes me feel that Prospect Park’s opinion of soap fans is pretty low. It coddles couple shipper trolls and uses terms such as “soap apocalypse” and “megasoap.”
To add more injury to this insult, the lawsuit attacks people in the soap business that I as a longtime fan care about such as my favorite actor for example. In all I felt it is not only bizarrely inaccurate but disrespectful to the hardworking individuals in the industry and their loyal fans.
I believe that the lawsuit didn't just hurt some feelings. It hurt One Life to Live and All My Children. It is a complete turn off for those who are not familiar with soaps. Try explaining this lawsuit to someone who doesn’t watch soaps and then wait for his or her reaction. I can only imagine how all this looked to potential investors and business partners.
The Weak PR and Online Interaction
Many were a bit skeptical when it was announced that Prospect Park was making a second go of its attempt to revive the soaps but they were also excited to have the shows back. Members of the soap press would have been happy to help promote had they been given the opportunity. Richard Sims from Soaps In Depth offered to assist with social media and was ignored. Entertainment writer Jeff Giles wrote a book about one of the soaps (Llanview in the Afternoon) and was directed to a non-working email address when he asked for comments. These are just a couple of examples. There was tons of opportunity for free promotion that was not taken.
Promotion and PR was left to the good people who were creating these shows. When the weekly episode count was cut in half, it was the actors who responded to customer complaints and tried to provide positive spin. This was not suppose to be their job but Prospect Park’s PR team seems to be as non-existent as the mighty unicorn. At the very least, if the actors were going to put their reputations on the line and try to spin hay into gold then they should have been kept informed by Prospect Park. Making employees scramble to respond to something on your behalf they know nothing about is just rude.
For a soap, General Hospital has a strong online presence. Their facebook page has over a million followers and their twitter account has over 100,000 followers. The creative teams and actors are active online. @soapsindepthabc has more followers than @soapsindepthcbs. All these accounts have more followers than TOLN’s various accounts. This is the audience that Prospect Park should have tried to snag. Instead they dissed this fanbase’s show and only interacted with a few fans, most of whom seemed bitter towards General Hospital for breaking up a fictional couple or something of that nature. This made me not want to interact with them. Playing nicely would have had a much better result.
After awhile the PR campaign slogan seemed to be “blame ABC.” This didn’t impress me for a number of reasons. I do blame ABC for not firing Brian Frons earlier than they did. I do blame ABC for allowing good programs to be neglected and then canceling them. I don’t blame them for actors finding other work. I don’t blame them for Prospect Park’s lack of soap knowledge. I don’t blame them for Prospect Park’s lack of follow through or communication.
Brand = No Clue
There seemed to be confusion when it came to the brands of these soaps, in particular One Life to Live. Logos and names aren’t brands. They are just logos and names. Brand is emotional connection. Folgers Coffee’s brand is not a tin can filled with coffee. It’s parents waking up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee and coming down stairs Christmas morning to find their son has made it home for the holidays. “Peter, you’re home!” In other words, the brand is the story.
All My Children did a good job of going back to the brand it had lost during it’s last few years on ABC Daytime. There was a feeling of family and young love, a coupling of danger with innocence. You would not see this in any of the online ads for the show though. Just purple boxes with logos on them asking you to click here to watch. Watch what exactly?
One Life to Live seemed to have been taken over by one of Vicki’s alters. While it had some very entertaining moments and an amazingly talented cast, the focus was put onto a nightclub, the murder of a dayplayer hooker, and a strange tattoo toting evil organization that bored me to tears. Where was the family dysfunction and diversity?
The photo shoot that Prospect Park did was really cool but a picture is not going to make someone tune in for the first time. People needed to know what the shows were about and what kinds of stories they would be treated to. They needed to know how watching these shows would make them feel. They were never given this information.
Prospect Park ended up not being the soap savior many had hoped. I am a little worried that they may have hurt the genre a little bit. I don’t want those who really did put their soul into the shows to take the hit for Prospect Park’s poor decisions. Some of the actors had other opportunities that they did not take because of their contracts with Prospect Park. Many were counting on the steady work. Many more were hoping that this little experiment would be successful and bring a positive light to the soap genre. For me, that hope is now gone.
Monday, May 27, 2013
A Little Rivalry Never Hurt Anyone: My thoughts on One Life to Live so far
If I had to choose one word to describe One Life to Live 2.0 it would be “rivalry." We have Vicki versus Dorian, Todd versus Victor, Matthew versus Destiny, The Banner versus technology, etc. While soap rivalries are always fun, there seems to be a little too much on the canvas right now for my taste. Everyone and everything is clashing with each other. These conflicts have been given so much importances that they appear to trump any emotional payoff that the audience may desire.
The misstep with Victor’s reveal has been critiqued a lot already but I really can’t talk about lack of emotional payoff without discussing it. It was a mess. After over a year of waiting for this story to conclude, fans were treated to lackluster performances and unanswered questions. This was the story line that had everyone watching One Life to Live during it’s final year on ABC and yet it has completely fallen flat on the online version. The Two Todds story line itself is ridiculous and it has always been yet fans cared about it because of the emotional connections we were given. That is what made the story good and the lack of it has made the story a miserable failure. The end result was a bunch of plot holes and slow moving story. I’m not sure I care if we ever find out what happened to Victor now. If this plot was just dropped I would be fine with it.
I really enjoyed the moments we got in Thursday’s episode and hope that this was the beginning of seeing more of the stories that appeal to me. I liked seeing Todd and Blair work together as parents of a troubled teenager back in 2011. It seems that story may be picked up again and it should be. One Life to Live needs more of families working together instead of against each other.
I am enjoying roommates Dani, Jeffrey, and Matthew. The actors are all very likable and play well with each other. I’m enjoying Dani as the the troubled lost girl type and hope that gets explored. I want to know more about her. What was her major in college? Is she artistic, athletic, or bookish? What are her desires other than drinking and ogling a shirtless Matthew? The answer to these questions would be a nice journey for the audience to go on. And can we get her a job at the coffee shop a la Rachel from Friends?
Jeffrey is by far the best new addition to the show. Corban Bleu is talented, charismatic, and handsome. The three most important qualities a soap star should possess. He is adding class to the younger set and holding his own with the veteran actors. I’m very interested in learning more about his character. I think he can be the show’s next leading man. He manages to be a good guy without being boring. He just needs the perfect leading lady.
As for Matthew, I’m not quite sure what my thoughts are on him yet. I like the actor but the character is spoiled, clueless, and a deadbeat. While unfortunately there are young men like this in real life, I don’t want to see them on my soap opera. I don’t want to root for him or even understand where he is coming from. More One Life to Live did hint at some interesting upcoming stuff for the character so hopefully I will change my mind.
I would have enjoyed seeing Matthew and Destiny struggling together as young parents as oppose to just Destiny as a single parent. Their arguments could have been more about trying to work with each other’s schedules to take care of their son, how they wanted to raise him, whose going to take time off work to take him to the doctor, etc. Instead Drew seems to be a unwanted burden on both his parents. Although Destiny is suppose to be the victim in this story line, I think the real victim is Drew.
One Life to Live does have a pretty good single mother story line with Natalie. We get to see her at work, trying to have a social life, picking up the dry-cleaning, grabbing a cup of coffee, cautiously starting to date after a broken heart, and pining for her son’s father. These are all very relatable things for many viewers. I wasn’t a big Natalie fan when One Life to Live was on television but the online version of this character is smart, sexy, and independent. My only complaint is that we are not getting enough of her. I want her to get together with bad boy Cutter and then have to struggle with her decision if John ever comes back to town.
It is nice to see Dorian and Vicki’s rivalry reignited. Dorian’s oust from the Senate and decision to lash out to Vicki seem very in character for her. It’s nice to see Dorian being a jerk. I am also intrigued on what the fallout from her revenge will look like. Vicki’s struggles with her family’s dying business are realistic and I’m glad that this story is being told.
Although One Life to Live has always been a darker soap (the original title was Between Heaven and Hell), it's lacking some of the humor and light elements it needs for balance. David’s reality show is cute, Todd still gets some delightfully snarky lines, and Bo and Nora make lovely empty-nesters but the fact that the majority of the characters seem to be making war instead of love can be too much of a downer. At least we are getting plenty of Todd and Vicki scenes to give the show some heart.
The online version of One Life to Live was suppose to be edgier and sexier. The first episode teased at this but so far the show hasn’t delivered. Cursing isn’t edgy. Dani’s drug problem seems a little forgotten. The Two Todds story line is uneven. The seediness of Shelter just makes Blair look like a bad business woman (I’d rather it be more of a place for characters to meet and interact like Roadies was in the 1990’s). The one love scene between Victor and Tea was really just Florenca Lozano in her underwear. Todd and Blair are being promoted as a couple in the opening and the show’s social media but not much has happened for the former lovers.
I love the characters and the first weeks of One Life to Live have felt like they have been a lot about the characters. This isn’t a bad thing because these are some of the greatest characters in soaps. I do want good stories though to go along with these characters. Right now it seems like the stories are slowly beginning. I’m hoping that the new writers will be able to effectively speed things up and still have the characters drive the story. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for the denizens of Llanview, PA. I know I’ll be watching.
The misstep with Victor’s reveal has been critiqued a lot already but I really can’t talk about lack of emotional payoff without discussing it. It was a mess. After over a year of waiting for this story to conclude, fans were treated to lackluster performances and unanswered questions. This was the story line that had everyone watching One Life to Live during it’s final year on ABC and yet it has completely fallen flat on the online version. The Two Todds story line itself is ridiculous and it has always been yet fans cared about it because of the emotional connections we were given. That is what made the story good and the lack of it has made the story a miserable failure. The end result was a bunch of plot holes and slow moving story. I’m not sure I care if we ever find out what happened to Victor now. If this plot was just dropped I would be fine with it.
I really enjoyed the moments we got in Thursday’s episode and hope that this was the beginning of seeing more of the stories that appeal to me. I liked seeing Todd and Blair work together as parents of a troubled teenager back in 2011. It seems that story may be picked up again and it should be. One Life to Live needs more of families working together instead of against each other.
I am enjoying roommates Dani, Jeffrey, and Matthew. The actors are all very likable and play well with each other. I’m enjoying Dani as the the troubled lost girl type and hope that gets explored. I want to know more about her. What was her major in college? Is she artistic, athletic, or bookish? What are her desires other than drinking and ogling a shirtless Matthew? The answer to these questions would be a nice journey for the audience to go on. And can we get her a job at the coffee shop a la Rachel from Friends?
Jeffrey is by far the best new addition to the show. Corban Bleu is talented, charismatic, and handsome. The three most important qualities a soap star should possess. He is adding class to the younger set and holding his own with the veteran actors. I’m very interested in learning more about his character. I think he can be the show’s next leading man. He manages to be a good guy without being boring. He just needs the perfect leading lady.
As for Matthew, I’m not quite sure what my thoughts are on him yet. I like the actor but the character is spoiled, clueless, and a deadbeat. While unfortunately there are young men like this in real life, I don’t want to see them on my soap opera. I don’t want to root for him or even understand where he is coming from. More One Life to Live did hint at some interesting upcoming stuff for the character so hopefully I will change my mind.
I would have enjoyed seeing Matthew and Destiny struggling together as young parents as oppose to just Destiny as a single parent. Their arguments could have been more about trying to work with each other’s schedules to take care of their son, how they wanted to raise him, whose going to take time off work to take him to the doctor, etc. Instead Drew seems to be a unwanted burden on both his parents. Although Destiny is suppose to be the victim in this story line, I think the real victim is Drew.
One Life to Live does have a pretty good single mother story line with Natalie. We get to see her at work, trying to have a social life, picking up the dry-cleaning, grabbing a cup of coffee, cautiously starting to date after a broken heart, and pining for her son’s father. These are all very relatable things for many viewers. I wasn’t a big Natalie fan when One Life to Live was on television but the online version of this character is smart, sexy, and independent. My only complaint is that we are not getting enough of her. I want her to get together with bad boy Cutter and then have to struggle with her decision if John ever comes back to town.
It is nice to see Dorian and Vicki’s rivalry reignited. Dorian’s oust from the Senate and decision to lash out to Vicki seem very in character for her. It’s nice to see Dorian being a jerk. I am also intrigued on what the fallout from her revenge will look like. Vicki’s struggles with her family’s dying business are realistic and I’m glad that this story is being told.
Although One Life to Live has always been a darker soap (the original title was Between Heaven and Hell), it's lacking some of the humor and light elements it needs for balance. David’s reality show is cute, Todd still gets some delightfully snarky lines, and Bo and Nora make lovely empty-nesters but the fact that the majority of the characters seem to be making war instead of love can be too much of a downer. At least we are getting plenty of Todd and Vicki scenes to give the show some heart.
The online version of One Life to Live was suppose to be edgier and sexier. The first episode teased at this but so far the show hasn’t delivered. Cursing isn’t edgy. Dani’s drug problem seems a little forgotten. The Two Todds story line is uneven. The seediness of Shelter just makes Blair look like a bad business woman (I’d rather it be more of a place for characters to meet and interact like Roadies was in the 1990’s). The one love scene between Victor and Tea was really just Florenca Lozano in her underwear. Todd and Blair are being promoted as a couple in the opening and the show’s social media but not much has happened for the former lovers.
I love the characters and the first weeks of One Life to Live have felt like they have been a lot about the characters. This isn’t a bad thing because these are some of the greatest characters in soaps. I do want good stories though to go along with these characters. Right now it seems like the stories are slowly beginning. I’m hoping that the new writers will be able to effectively speed things up and still have the characters drive the story. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for the denizens of Llanview, PA. I know I’ll be watching.
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