Gays of our Lives (March 30, 2009)

GOOL THEATRE

Starting this week, we’re beginning a new feature:  GOOL Theater where you can find all the latest clips on many of your favorite soaps and dramas. This week, the bisexual triangle on Hollyoaks takes new twists and turns while a similar bisexual drama unfolds (but is done much better) on Clara Sheller. Plus, the latest clips from Forbidden Love!

First up, Clara Sheller. In a dazzling piece of storytelling, the complex and always emotionally moving drama between Gilles, Clara and JP gets even more complicated. The story unfolds in a very special way, with flashbacks revealing the ongoing events from all sides and the use of therapy sessions was a great way to tell this story. However, please note there are a few NFSW moments in this extended clip.

THANKS TO ZTUBE31 FOR THIS CLIP!

What I continue to like the most about this ongoing saga is that there are no villains or easy answers. Nobody is intentionally out to hurt anyone else, destroy a marriage or wreak havoc on someone else's life,  The fact of the matter is, these are three people who love each other deeply, but have made the tragic mistake of crossing boundaries that should have never been crossed. But now that they have, they have to deal with emotional wreckage caused by doing so. More importantly, their feelings for each other are not depicted as wrong.

The show is not telling us Gilles shouldn’t be attracted to a man or that JP shouldn’t sleep with his best friend's man. They are simply presenting the story and refreshingly not slanting it one way or another. That is for the viewer to decide.

I also like that they’re not making it about sexuality or Gilles struggling with his sexuality. Gilles knows how he feels about the two people in his life and he’s not ashamed of those feelings. He’s rightfully ashamed of the lying and deceit that comes from his behavior. That not only makes it dramatically powerful, but also quite real. 

One scene in particular stands out: the moment during which JP lays himself bare and tells Gilles how he feels about him and that he’s willing to be with him under any circumstances is touching and heartbreaking. And I even loved how Clara finally put all the pieces together. She might be self-absorbed, but she’s no idiot. I was also glad the show avoided the clichéd moment where she had to walk in on them to finally see what was right in front of her.

The moment of truth…

Still, I loved it when the truth comes out. That’s the kind of juicy cliffhanger that has an old soap fan like me screaming — literally! — for more!

Now, we turn our attention to the less than exciting events on Forbidden Love. It’s more drama of the tedious sort as Olli and Christian watch while Olivia and Gregor play out their assorted dramas with the respective love interests.

THANKS TO ICHGLOTZUTUBE FOR THE FOLLOWING CLIPS!

The main problem I have with this is not that there’s really nothing here for the fellas to do, but that the two romances that they are advising about aren’t very interesting. Don’t get me wrong; I love to watch a bitchy woman at work, which is what we see Olivia doing to get Sebastian. I just think the fella in question really isn’t worth the effort.

Besides, Olivia is better than this; childish pranks does not a schemer make. As for Gregor and the princess, the entire helicopter storyline seems rather pointless and having Gregor being obsessed to the point of ruin makes the character seem idiotic at best. And some kind of chemistry between Gregor and this dull, dull woman might help. But probably not.