Your usual superb job! And now, a year later, the Euro-soaps really have sunk with the exception of Fisica o Quimica. Y & R really gypped us today - although we did get the wet chest of "Adam" although in a "get the gay cooties off me" slant. But on OLTL Kyle getting man-handled by that semi-scruffy guy was sort of hot.And kudos for picking Paulo as the pick of the week - he has been a fave of mine in other flix as well.
"And now, a year later, the Euro-soaps really have sunk..."
Let's hope euro soap Good Times, Bad Times will be doing a good job with their gay character Lucas. I've been watching that show for YEARS and this current season has been great, so I'm optimistic about Lucas' storyline.
I wholeheartedly agree with you about Kyle Lewis, a gay character rarely if ever seen on TV (daytime OR primetime): a slimy weasel, an utter cad, but who is also unbelievably charming and oh-so-fun to watch. That he carries a torch for the true-blue Officer Fish has the makings of a truly classic soap romance. Brett Claywell is doing a magnificent job and his chemistry with Scott Evans is off the charts.
Not one, but two out gay men portraying gay characters on the same show? How . . . novel. Imagine that. ;Þ
It tickles me how the pacing of Y&R bugs you, Anthony. I was raised in an NBC-soap household, so I have just the opposite problem. I remember the year that Jennifer Horton's mother made her (temporarily catatonic) return to Days. Their New Year's Eve party lasted all the way up until a day or two before Valentine's Day.
ATWT isn't too bad, but I think (for this and many other reasons) the show suffers for the lack of time invested in telling their story lines. I can't even watch soaps like GH that move at a breakneck pace. How am I supposed to care about couples that don't stay coupled for longer than a week?
It's worth pointing out that there have also been a lot of people complaining that Nuke are in their own little bubble, not interacting enough with the other storylines. It sort of goes with the territory that if they're going to show up in other people's stories, they're going to be in a background roles.This was far from a perfect story, but the fact that Nuke can come on the screen without being the Stars! isn't really one of the flaws, IMHO.In fact, I think the Casey/Margo/Adam side of things has been pretty well handled, if a bit too predictable. The problem for me isn't that they show up as background characters in the Casey storyline, but that the parts of the story that did focus on them (the film mostly) were so lacklustre.
..... was not so much that they were background characters, but in the way they were used. For all the drama about Noah's movie, we heard very little about the movie itself. and even as recently as yesterday, it was still hazy as to what the movie was about. Plus, to bring back Noah's believed dead father and make that more about other characters and turn his return into a one day arc for Noah really seemed pointless and showed an utter lack of investement in the character of Noah. Don't get me wrong, Noah is far from my favorite character and watching Jake Silbermann struggle to emote goes from being painful to laughable, but the show could have given Noah a few days in the sun to give the story beat a little more room to breathe. Or rather they could have kept the boys in their supportive roles, but not use major beats in the lives of Luke and Noah as throwaway plot devices in the Adam/Casey saga.
hey, Anthony, I always enjoy reading GOOL. Thanks for keeping it entertaining. I'm puzzled about something, though. You just mentioned that "watching Jake Silbermann struggle to emote goes from being painful to laughable" but back on page 3 you said:
"There’s just far too much talent in Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann to be wasted as mere supporting players"
Heh! I think one is plenty. Like any performer, they have some talent or something to show for themselves. Jake does and everyone once in awhile, a great while, we see tiny glimmers of it. For example, he's good at the light, romantic scenes or the comedic stuff (which they rarely do with Luke and Noah). I can give him that much. The heavy stuff, not so much, which is what I refer to above. The show needs to be taking advantage of those strengths. And the show isn't doing that. Nor have they for quite some time.
Eastenders, as you said, already did some of this story last year with Steven and Christian. They have given viewers no reason to care about this story, and they have said this story won't be about a romance. Other than getting attention, I don't see the point of any of this. EE veers between lazy and gutless most of the time.
Y&R also seems afraid of an attempt to make viewers care about the story. There was no buildup between Adam and Rafe, we have no reason to be invested in Rafe, their "sex" was so tame that we got face-touching circa 1969, not 2009.
I'm glad some of the other soaps have more interest in actually telling a story.
I believe the producers of EE have described this as a 'love story' or a 'full blown affair of the heart'. They never said this would not be a romance. They did say this would not be about their physical relationship, which is something else altogether. IOW (or as I see it) it's more about their feelings than seeing them hit the sheets.
When does the talented Maura West go on maternity leave? Carly and Craig are the main things I'm tuning in for, and I dread her imminent departure, assumably for rehab.
I believe next week is Maura West's last before going off to maternity leave. And I think it's safe to assume Carly is headed for rehab, though there are spoilers hinting at a tragedy for next week caused by Carly. So either she's the victim of a tragedy or it's the tragedy that sends her off to get help to deal with her drinking problem. My guess is the lattter.
Most of the time the Soap Stud is some guy I've never seen before in my life, much less heard of, which is fine since I mostly only watch ATWT (and the Forbidden Love clips on Youtube), so when I see someone I recognize, I get all giddy. The recent LOAH storyline is a little shaky, but I have noticed that Damian looks better then ever, so I was so happy to see him profiled here today. That accent, that charm, that face, that body, that sophistication, the money, those few and far between little Italian words he manages to slip into every episode, him calling Luke "Luciano", what's not to love of the man/sexual beast that is Damian Grimaldi!! And if it doesn't work out, I hear his son is a total knock out!
On a sadder note, I'm not happy ATWT has basically given up, but I'll repeat what I said last week in that I hope some of the cast (in particular Noah, Luke, Damian, and Casey) find themselves on another soap if the show gets cancelled next year. Why they took on the GL writers that ran the show into the ground, I don't know, b/c I watch GL sometimes (b/c it comes on after ATWT) and it is AWFUL!!! I don't wish the same fate for ATWT, but with them giving up, I also fear cancellation is soon on the horizon, though I would love to be proven wrong.
will be competence to Nuke, Kyle and Fish probably, but Rafe and Adam no. First of all because what made Nuke so popular (apart from the fact that Luke was popular and a main character even before Noah arrives) is the fact that they are a romantic couple, Kish are destined (or at least it seems to be destined) to be a romantic couple too, saving obstacles, and the great chemistry between both actors make me believe that they could reach the status of supercouple. But Adam-Rafe storyline is interesting but not in that sense (and the physical interaction was a big disapointment, maybe because this storyline is too overhyped).
About the Col Mayer storyline, i'm not disapointed. Yes they weren't the main focus, and all Adam/Riley was predictable, but at least it wasn't another attempt to kill Luke, Noah solved (or at least start to solve) his daddy issues, and it was an opportunity to watch Luke and Damian interaction (without asking him money). I only hope that Mason stoyline will be more character driven (and no plot driven) and that till Mason arrives, the boys have something to do (even if they are in the background)
... the actors may have chemistry and those scenes were fun while lacking physicality, Adam and Rafe were/are never intended to be more than a story beat in the overall Adam saga to spin it in another direction. I loved the twist when I first heard about it and I still love it.
From what I gather, Rafe and Adam's affair will continue, but the show is going to make it clear that it's not a romance or a love story, but more of a game of cat and mouse. As for who is the cat and who is the mouse remains to be seen. The show is reportedly planning an actual gay love story and I would assume that will involve the newly returned P3.
And just because Adam and Rafe didn't kiss on screen this time around doesn't mean they won't in the future......
I think the point you're missing is that they don't want or expect Rafe and Adam to be comparable to Nuke or Kish. That's like saying they shouldn't have written the Carly-Holden affair because it can't compare to Holden-Lily or Carjack. It wasn't SUPPOSED to. It's supposed to be an entertaining story, which so far it is.
My turtle will never, ever be as good at math as my calculator, but I'm not planning on flushing it down the toilet for that reason.
In the article said literaly: Look out, Nuke! There’s buzz that the folks at The Young and the Restless were taken aback by the sizzling chemistry between Micheal Muhney (Adam) and Yani Gellman (Rafe) during their recent romantic scenes together
It's not something that i said right out of the blue. The truth is the chemistry between nuAdam and Rafe is better than with CE, but i don't like it that much, maybe because so much overhyping usually only get deception
That doesn't mean that they are planning on making it one of the great romantic love stories of the ages, or a permanent relationship. or whatever. They're a short story, not an endless series of novels. Is there another part you failed to quote where they then went on to expect them to become a fixture supercouple like Nuke? I'm going to go out on a limb and say no, there wasn't.
Just because a soap reviewer said "Look out, Nuke!" doesn't mean that the show creators are placing them similarly. All you've actually said is that they were taken aback at the pair's chemistry.
Yes i know, all people say that this is the best soap, but as everyone has different tastes and i am not exactly a soap fan (i only starting to watch this kind of show when i improved my internet conection speed a couple of years ago, and i recognize i only watch because the gay storylines), i have some problems, not just with this storyline but with the show. I don't like the darker light of the show, and the pace is too slow for my taste.
I know this is not to be a gay couple Nuke style, wich i find a good idea because we have to remember that Jake Silberman's contract was for only two months, if the couple wasn't a success he would end unemployee in no time, and force a couple it's not always a good idea. I think when in Física o química introduce David as Fer's boyfriend, they don't have any intention of make him a regular, but the couple was a success. My problem with all this is the level of comitment of the show with Rafe, wich seems minimum, Rafe is a barely there character and i don't see any intention to make him likeable or make him a three dimentional character. He seems to be there for the shock value. And the spoilers about his future love life don't seem very promising either
And about the chemistry, to be honest i don't see in Rafe-Adam anything near to Nuke or even Kish, when Nuke storyline began, Jake Silbermann had some painful performances, i know there are a lot of terrible actors on soaps, but i'm pretty sure that without the great chemistry between Jake and Van, nowadays Jake probably would be filming comertials again
It's not my favorite soap either; that would be OLTL. And certainly, you and I have agreed on many other things, and I respect your right to your opinion on this. But I'm also a loudmouth who can't be quiet when I disagree with something. :)
I honestly think you're just having trouble letting go of some of your preconceptions with this storyline. It's easy to do with this show, since it's fans set expectations it to the roof. I had a lot of trouble with it at first, but once I realized it wasn't the "Shakespeare of Daytime" I'd been led to expect, but rather lightweight, outrageous trash much closer to my beloved Melrose Place, I was able to let go and enjoy it. I'm even reassessing the dreaded Chipmunk, now that I'm free from the constraints of seeing it as Serious Character Drama.
Try an experiment. We can both agree the lead-up to this story was not what it should have been. Others might disagree, but WE agree. Try to put the build-up aside, and watch the story from last Thursday forward with fresh eyes, not through the lens of previous disappointment. It's done wonders for my appreciation for the show, and it might do the same for you. If not, at least we'll have something new to argue about. :)
Expectations sometimes kill the enjoyment because usually are not filled in the reality.
I'll try to follow this storyline (as i'm trying to follow OLTL), but my vision it's partial, because i only follow the gay storylines, so i soap could be great but if the gay storyline isn't great my perception will be based only in that storyline.
Sometimes it's a question of time, when i start to follow soaps i begin with Hollyoaks, ATWT and VL. I follow the three, but the only one i watch with attention was VL (i start ATWT withe the Ameera storyline and Hollyoaks after Craig departure). Right now, i pay more attention to ATWT (i know the soap has a lot of flaws, and everyone here could write better stories for Nuke but i get used to them, and i think i'm developing a crush on Van) and VL is a big dissapointment this year. If Ollian have some steamy scene people tend to forget what kind of lackluster storylines they have to deal this year (a total waste of Jo and Thore's talent) and almost no screentime.
So maybe in the future i end to enjoy the darker light and the slow pace of Y&R, specially right now that i low my expectatives around the show
The Rafe/Adam thing is such a small piece of the show. If that is the only thing someone is watching, then yeah, I think one would find some things to be desired about the show.
What I like about OLTL is that they have smart, smart dialogue. There is a natural flow with how the characters talk to one another that really engages the viewer. It is kinda frefreshing to see characters talk like actual people. Good job by the writing team.
Once upon a time I died. And like my namesake I got better.
This is why I think immediately coupling gay characters (by the viewers, not the writers) is so problematic.
Luke and Noah was meant to be a couple before Noah entered the show. That was one kind of "love" story. Classic overcome obstacles to be together kind of story. I loved it and I still do and I hope that Van and Jake continue in their roles.
OLTL
But with Kyle and Fish, we are supposed to be focusing on their journey. Their entry into the show and the trajectory of their characters before it has even been revealed that either of them is or might be gay and might have a romantic past.
Right now, Kyle is Kyle and Fish is Fish. There is potential possible Kish but that's it. I think that's great.
I think it takes something away from the characters and their current storylines if all anyone is doing is waiting for them to become a couple. It will happen, what's the rush? I think spoilers are a blessing and a curse because while it may bring in new viewers to have everyone know that Kyle and Fish are gay, it also means you now have all these viewers waiting, waiting for either of them to "do" something "gay" rather than just watching their stories unfold.
Y&R
Rafe and Adam are not a coulple. They aren't going to be a couple. They aren't meant to be a romantic couple. I think it ruins the story to think of them as such. They are both using sex to try to get something they want. I think it is GENIUS! This kind of storyline has been done a million times with men and women and it makes perfect sense is just so "Oh No He Didn't!"
It's more like sexual warfare or espionage. It's so good. I love it. They should just play "Poker Face" every time those two are in a room together. I'm not anxious for Rafe to get a love interest or a boyfriend as long as he gets to be on screen doing interesting things and letting the viewers get to know him a bit better (even though this is really Adam's story right now)
Every gay character on each soap doesn't have to be compared to the other gay characters because these are such different guys with different contexts and experiences and backgrounds.
I know folks will compare because it's human nature, but I think the comparison can only go so far and we should really try to see the new characters within the contexts of their own show.
Rafe is the one character who's just "out", no biggie, no drama. I think that makes him a lot more than "the gay guy" which is great.
I can't wait to see how Y&R and OLTL's stories unfold and I think they were smart NOT to do the "big giant romance" right from the second the gay characters were revealed.
"That's our job today: to control the extent to which people can publicly manifest antigay sentiment."(Bayard Rustin) ** "Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common" (Dorothy Parker)
The main point of the character seems to be to shock viewers when Adam has an affair with him. We know nothing else about him, aside from he's the maid's nephew, and he's a lawyer. Would Rafe be on the show if they didn't want to show Adam's desperation or try to draw interest in the story?
It's great Y&R isn't telling a love story, but they are barely even telling a story with Rafe. I can't imagine how many viewers even have an opinion of Rafe besides, "He's that gay lawyer who looks like a teenager."
Well, we know he's the kind of guy who would sleep with someone as part of psychological warfare. Given the fact that he seemed so squeaky-clean before, I'd say we're learning a lot about him. He can be ethically questionable, he has a vicious streak the way he's making it as squicky as possible for Adam.
I complained as much as anyone about the timing of bringing him out just before dropping him into limbo for weeks on end, but I don't really agree with this idea that they have to make us care about him before they tell a story about him.
I think it's totally legitimate to let the story MAKE us care about him. That's how most novels do it.
The Rafe we're watching right now is radically different than the Rafe we thought we were watching a week ago. That's real character progression, and we're... what, three days into the story proper? I'm sure there will be more over the years weeks this story goes on.
.... to judge where the Adam/Rafe story is going, IMO. I admit the show has faltered on letting us get to know Rafe before the story began. However, Dave you do have a point that in novels and other works of fiction, we learn about the characters while the story plays out. The one thing I do know is that the affair with them is going to continue and we'll get more of it next week and I've heard buzz that there may be some interesting things happening in that 'relationship'. But we'll see. All in all, it's a different twist on a plot point we've seen a thousand times and I'm loving it. I just know that between Rafe and Adam and P3's return it's going to be a big gay week on Y&R next week.
I've recently started watching OLTL so I can get to know the characters before Kish starts, and it seems to feel like OLTL is mor willing to exploit the bodies of the men on the show for the delight of viewers. I really can't remember the last time we saw Noah shirtless, and Holden hasn't been shirtless since last summer - CBS soaps don't seem to require much of their characters.
In the week I've been watching OLTL, they've had Rex spend an entire episode in his black boxer briefs, even arresting him and marching him to the police station in handcuffs that way, with nobody around him seeming to notice he wasn't dressed. Then he's in the gym, arguing with Brock, in the steam room, both just in towels, often standing literally toe-to-toe with each other, then breaking and moving away at such speed I was sure the towels were going to drop.
Is this common for the ABC soaps to exploit their male actors' bodies more than the CBS soaps? It's really jumped out at me.
Passions used to be the best/worst about this. The writing and acting were completely pathetic, but it was still worth a watch when nothing better was on because the guys on that show practically ran around naked all the time. Whereas Days has no problem dipping into the well of shirtlessness, but has never come anywhere close to being as gratuitous about it as Passions was.
I saw that steamroom scene on OLTL, too. I missed all the dialog, cuz I was busy shouting, "DROP THE TOWELS! DROP THE TOWELS!" at my TV. ;Þ
Of all the soaps I have watched and do watch, really OLTL seems to do this the most often. And I'm not complaining!
8)
These scenes are (part of) why I voted for John-Paul Lavosier in the Hot100. Maybe now that more gays are watching, he'll actually make the list next year...? 8)
In fact in the adonis competition for soap hunks, Jake and Van make the final this year. In the web page anylize the probabilities and they mention in the negative ones, that they are never shirtless.
Some other soap actors get shirtless almost for no reason, just like that boyfriend that Monica (i think it was Monica) had in Friends
I use to follow the show very closely...back when Roman was bashed and Deniz stood by..but not so much anymore.
Where does Deniz's sexuality fall right now? Is he still a mess as far as his orientation or did he settle on being bisexual? Formerly confused and now straight? Formerly confused and now gay?
Where is his character going?
The show doesn't actual label Deniz sexuality at all which I don't think a US or British show could get away with.
In the last year he has stated that he was "Gay" "maybe Bi" "Straight" depending upon the situation and who he's talking to.
Deniz has been single since Vanessa (though he kept making out with Roman which is part of the reason Vanessa broke up with him)
Roman is also single but he and Deniz seem to keep falling into bed with each other any time one of them has a bad day. A couple weeks ago Deniz put the moves on Roman and Roman refused (though he clearly wanted to go there again)
Roman and Deniz have not had any significant love interests (not counting Vanessa) since they were together. Roman has done some dating off camera and has had some sexy dates (a few on camera, most off)
Deniz had a crush on his skating partner Stella who has never given him the time of day and isn't interested in him but he hasn't dated or slep with anyone else (except for when he was a "rent boy".) Even Stella thinks Deniz is gay and just not ready to deal with it.
All of the characters on the show (including Marian, Roman's father) seem to thing that Deniz is confused or bi but definitely not straight but he hasn't recently made any statements one way or the other.
Deniz is 19 so maybe that's just what they think makes sense for some 19 year olds in this day and age to not be so focused on labels but Deniz' coming out as gay (not bi) was heavily focused on and is often referred to by the other characters.
I find it fascinating. The show is great. So campy and hi drama but funny and swee and lots of romance.
Check out the Eskimokissproject Channel (they have two playlists, from the beginning of Denro and from the present going backwards)
I don't think that the viewers are supposed to accept the issue o Deniz' sexual orientation as having been "settled" as yet.
"That's our job today: to control the extent to which people can publicly manifest antigay sentiment."(Bayard Rustin) ** "Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common" (Dorothy Parker)
This couple is giving Ollian and McDean a run for its money as one of soap's gay power couples.
Excellent chemistry, good acting and writing. And I agree, David is just frickin adorable. Love his cheeky personality.
Thanks for finding this gem, Anthony. Never would've known about it otherwise. When does the next season start? And what are those rumors for next season? I don't think I can wait. :)
had any intention to make David a formal boyfriend for Fer. In fact i have the sensation that he would be like any other Fer's love interest and last four or five episodes. But the truth is the guy become really popular in no time, and the Fer-David couple, it's the first supercouple (in the Ollian, Nuke sense) that i watch in spain. Teen girls love them
Anthony, I'm used to disagreeing with you about FL and to you misspelling the name of my channel but to attribute the clips to someone entirely different?
I think that you're missing the political POV when it comes to FL. I think it's great that a gay couple has been the only stable, sane and sensible couple on the whole show for over a year now. That's a great message to the viewers and if that's boring, I can live with it.
eskimokissproject are the people responsible for the AWZ (Alles Was Zahlt/ ALL That Matters ) clips, but he referenced you instead on their clip and referenced them on your clip
I agree with you that it's nice that the only stable relationship on VL/FL is the gay one, but that doesn't mean that they can't have exiting life events while maintaining the stable relationship. Nuke, for example, solve a new crime on a monthly basis...
That being said, I completely disagree with Anthony about Annette and Ingo in AWZ/ATM
I'm an avid AWZ fan and I don't understand how could anyone in the world not like Ingo. He's the funniest and most spontaneous character that has ever existed.
And as for his pairing with Annette, how could anyone say they don't have chemistry? They were practically made for each other. Watching old clips would be a good idea to see some of their history and the development of their relationship
Honestly, the only way they could fit together more is if Annette was a dude...
I appreciate your comments. I really love the input from readers. Though I have to say I have seen enough of the couple and the relationship to know how it's played out over time. And well, I still don't 'get' them. But like everything else chemistry is in the eye of the beholder. And one man's funny and spontaneous is another's annoying and irritating. It's one of those things where I'm watching and wondering what I'm missing that everyone else is getting.
Sorry about the mixup! I'll be careful not to make that happen again.
As for your other comments, here's the thing about stable, sane and sensible couples: they don't make good soap opera, or good drama which is what I'm watching and what I'm commenting on. And they don't get any airtime and the airtime they do they makes them talk-to's, which is what Christian and Olli have been for far too long now. Personally, for me, this couple were at their most interseting last year during all the drama in their lives. I don't get excited about giving advice to other folks about their romances or having flimsy conflicts that are resolved in a pair of episodes. I really would like to think we'd be past sending a message to the viewers and concentrate on entertaining them. I compare them in some respects to Luke and Noah (though with a lot less sex and worse writing). The show has seemingly fixated on making them the happy gay couple that they've failed to make them an interesting, compelling couple. And like Luke and Noah, C/O can be cute at times, but I don't find myself anxious to see what happens to them next.
that Ollian (or Nuke) problems has nothing to do with the fact that they are a happy stable couple. In Nuke case, the problem is the bad writing and the rushing storylines, in the Ollian case is directly the lack of storylines.
Ollian were a happy stable couple last year, and their storylines were great, but this year they are missing in action.
I think that introduce a third in this relationships will be lazy writing, and specially in Nuke case an unforgivable mistake. Because Ollian relationship is a very passionate one, and they could introduce an passionate unfaithfull romance. But in Nuke case, how can they do that, if Luke or Noah cheat, and have steamy sex with other character, the fans will be balistic because the affair wiould be more explicit than their romantic relationship, if the cheating is off screen, that don't make any sense.
In my opinion, Ollian only needs more screen time and some good storyline, and Nuke needs a better writing and some funny storylines (they are 20, and all their storylines are dramatic)
I completely agree with you nanna. I loved anthony's column, but when it comes to his opinion on VL, I do disagree with his POV.
I think that Olli and Christian's storyline was phenominal last year, but so far this year it's been more supporting of other characters, still, I can live with that when we are treated to such strong performances from Jo and Thore every time they appear on screen.
IMHO, Jo and Thore still have the most amazing chemistry, superb and beliveable acting as a couple that i've ever seen play out on TV. And when they have that special two or three episode focus on them, you realize just how brilliant they are as Olli and Christian . Now, Ollian may not be all drama involving crimes and family constantly returning from the dead like a zombie movie, but at least we have realism in their storyline. Also, least we forget...quantity doesn't always equal quality, which I find to be a major problem with the few gay storylines past and now emerging here in America.
And whats quite amazing is Jo and Thore are so respected in terms of their powerful performance as Olli and Christian, that we as fans will sit through a good 6 month stretch of them supporting, yet cherish every second when they are on. So I for one still feel previlaged to watch their beautiful story on your channel nanna, just like the many tens of thousands who flock to your sight no matter how brief the clip. And I wait in anticipation for what appears to be a pretty interesting storyline coming up for them in a couple of weeks.
Still...I do love and appreciate your blog every week Anthony. I really look forward to it, even if your love for Ollian is in short supply these days. And I appreciate your honestly regarding nuke, since I know you're a big supporter of their storyline.
On a scale of Anthony to Nanna, how do you feel about Ollian?
I feel "Anthony" about Ollian. I ate their storyline up when they actually had one. Then I followed religiously for a while when I got to the end of it. Then I watched the clips with decreasing attention. Then the clips piled up while I told myself I'd get to them. Then I said I'd start watching again when they got a story. Then they got a brief story and I didn't watch.
Obviously, there are people who would watch them simply sit on the couch holding hands forever, but I'm not one of them. Not just soaps, but all storytelling is based on conflict. And the conflict for months now has been either absent or half-hearted.
I'm fine with slow periods where the characters are either missing or backburnered, but if they can't be bothered to do anything interesting with them for 6 months, I can't be bothered to hang around waiting for them to remember they're there.
(Pause. Check for they're - there accuracy. Okay, resume.)
And yeah, a lot of people flock to the clips, but there's also enough people bitterly complaining about the state of the show that they had to create a "bitterness" thread to keep it from taking over the main thread.
Maybe the upcoming major story will bring me back, but I'm not going to feel bad about wanting something to actually happen for them to keep my attention.
I have to admit to doing the same thing. VL had me gripped to the computer screen last year; since Olli's Ibiza trip, I've let the clips pile up, only viewing the occasional resurgence (such as the recent jealous blow-up of Christian), which really isn't a "story" so much as a "moment." I do so hope some soapy goodness starts happening soon--somebody cheats, somebody gets blackmailed, somebody gets framed for murder, somebody gets a drug addiction and starts doing porn to support it, etc.
By the by, thanks so much for continuing to sub the VL clips with Ivan and Tikhon... we are forever in your debt :)
I admit that for a very long period of time Ollian have been in the background only in supporting roles. But I think people should keep some things in mind: this show is NOT about Ollian, it is about Forbidden Love; there are other characters on the show who need juicy material, and to center the show on this couple too much might piss other viewers off which could have nasty consequences. I don't think anyone would be happy to hear VL's overall ratings going down at the risk of losing the couple altogether.
I would much rather have these two characters together, happy, and just being happy whilst dealing with everyone else's bull, than to have the writers come up with a ridiculous or poorly planned out storyline just to drive up some drama. I also disagree with some of the opinions on the new Ollian storyline... it's tame in the sense that it's a common problem--how do you handle the work-relationship balance when one partner is the boss and the other is an employee? But it's still got the relationship passion and you can see it in the actors' eyes when they play their parts; they are still the most realistic couple in gay daytime entertainment for me. And can you really complain about the amount of skin we've been seeing from Jo and Thore? Hardly... it's still a lot more than you'll see in North America. Finally, I bring it back to what Nanna said: it's great that the only stable couple on the show is the gay couple and I can live with that message even if some consider it "boring."
Jago87...I agree with what you say regarding Ollian in terms of them being a part of a larger picture.
The Olli and Christian storyline took up a BIG portion of almost a year and a half of screen time on VL. Other storylines must have their time, it's only fair. The present Gregor/Louise love story has many follows. Carla also has a huge fan base, yet their fans are still waiting two years later and growing for a major love story for her. Instead they have been given the forced and unrealistic Stella/Charlie storyline with their beloved Carla still hovering in the background. And the actress is scheduled to leave in September. So Ollian are truely a previlaged couple. If the focus was Olli and Christian all the time, there would be some serious consequences for the show, as it would be with any other couple if they commanded episode after episode.
Ollian may not be in the forefront at the moment, but the fact that they hardly have a storyline, yet are still on screen so often is a testement of respect the writers have for their characters, because this is not the norm for supporting rolls. There's quite a few supporting characters right now, and no way do they have the amount of screen time awarded to Ollian, instead, they are hardly seen. Trust me...Ollian are being treated pretty well.
Again, I agree with you Jago87...I much prefer to have the characters happy and stable whilst awaiting for their turn in the spotlight than for the writers to throw up any sh*t on screen and hope that it sticks.
It's been almost a year since Ollian's last major storyline ended, and all they've gotten is bit little min-stories. Do you honestly feel it's unreasonable for people to become bored and disinterested after 10 months of waiting? If you're not bored, that's fine, but I think disinterest is a perfectly logical reaction to 10 months of producer disinterest in the characters.
But I think the thing about the "message" may be the real focus of the disagreement: I tune in to TV to watch engaging stories, not to receive "messages." Any thoughtful ideas ought to be explored through engaging stories, not through sitting around doing nothing patting themselves on the back for being progressive.
Plus, this is a message I already know. I KNOW that gay couples can be happy and stable. If that's all the show has to offer, then I guess it's best left to people who need to learn that lesson.
by 
Great
Thanks Anthony
Let's hope
"And now, a year later, the Euro-soaps really have sunk..."
Let's hope euro soap Good Times, Bad Times will be doing a good job with their gay character Lucas. I've been watching that show for YEARS and this current season has been great, so I'm optimistic about Lucas' storyline.
Kyle Lewis
Another great column, as usual, Anthony!
I wholeheartedly agree with you about Kyle Lewis, a gay character rarely if ever seen on TV (daytime OR primetime): a slimy weasel, an utter cad, but who is also unbelievably charming and oh-so-fun to watch. That he carries a torch for the true-blue Officer Fish has the makings of a truly classic soap romance. Brett Claywell is doing a magnificent job and his chemistry with Scott Evans is off the charts.
Nathan - River City
I wouldn't know
You don't say.
Not one, but two out gay men portraying gay characters on the same show? How . . . novel. Imagine that. ;Þ
It tickles me how the pacing of Y&R bugs you, Anthony. I was raised in an NBC-soap household, so I have just the opposite problem. I remember the year that Jennifer Horton's mother made her (temporarily catatonic) return to Days. Their New Year's Eve party lasted all the way up until a day or two before Valentine's Day.
ATWT isn't too bad, but I think (for this and many other reasons) the show suffers for the lack of time invested in telling their story lines. I can't even watch soaps like GH that move at a breakneck pace. How am I supposed to care about couples that don't stay coupled for longer than a week?
Nuke as Background Characters
It's Not....
Which Jake are we talking about?
hey, Anthony, I always enjoy reading GOOL. Thanks for keeping it entertaining. I'm puzzled about something, though. You just mentioned that "watching Jake Silbermann struggle to emote goes from being painful to laughable" but back on page 3 you said:
"There’s just far too much talent in Van Hansis and Jake Silbermann to be wasted as mere supporting players"
Is there more than one Jake Silbermann?
Heh!
Pacing or fright
Love Story
Maura West
Next Week
I'm Happy Damian is the Soap Stud of the Week
Most of the time the Soap Stud is some guy I've never seen before in my life, much less heard of, which is fine since I mostly only watch ATWT (and the Forbidden Love clips on Youtube), so when I see someone I recognize, I get all giddy. The recent LOAH storyline is a little shaky, but I have noticed that Damian looks better then ever, so I was so happy to see him profiled here today. That accent, that charm, that face, that body, that sophistication, the money, those few and far between little Italian words he manages to slip into every episode, him calling Luke "Luciano", what's not to love of the man/sexual beast that is Damian Grimaldi!! And if it doesn't work out, I hear his son is a total knock out!
On a sadder note, I'm not happy ATWT has basically given up, but I'll repeat what I said last week in that I hope some of the cast (in particular Noah, Luke, Damian, and Casey) find themselves on another soap if the show gets cancelled next year. Why they took on the GL writers that ran the show into the ground, I don't know, b/c I watch GL sometimes (b/c it comes on after ATWT) and it is AWFUL!!! I don't wish the same fate for ATWT, but with them giving up, I also fear cancellation is soon on the horizon, though I would love to be proven wrong.
Kitty
There's no way that Rafe and Adam
will be competence to Nuke, Kyle and Fish probably, but Rafe and Adam no. First of all because what made Nuke so popular (apart from the fact that Luke was popular and a main character even before Noah arrives) is the fact that they are a romantic couple, Kish are destined (or at least it seems to be destined) to be a romantic couple too, saving obstacles, and the great chemistry between both actors make me believe that they could reach the status of supercouple. But Adam-Rafe storyline is interesting but not in that sense (and the physical interaction was a big disapointment, maybe because this storyline is too overhyped).
About the Col Mayer storyline, i'm not disapointed. Yes they weren't the main focus, and all Adam/Riley was predictable, but at least it wasn't another attempt to kill Luke, Noah solved (or at least start to solve) his daddy issues, and it was an opportunity to watch Luke and Damian interaction (without asking him money). I only hope that Mason stoyline will be more character driven (and no plot driven) and that till Mason arrives, the boys have something to do (even if they are in the background)
Even Though....
... the actors may have chemistry and those scenes were fun while lacking physicality, Adam and Rafe were/are never intended to be more than a story beat in the overall Adam saga to spin it in another direction. I loved the twist when I first heard about it and I still love it.
From what I gather, Rafe and Adam's affair will continue, but the show is going to make it clear that it's not a romance or a love story, but more of a game of cat and mouse. As for who is the cat and who is the mouse remains to be seen. The show is reportedly planning an actual gay love story and I would assume that will involve the newly returned P3.
And just because Adam and Rafe didn't kiss on screen this time around doesn't mean they won't in the future......
Rafe-Adam
I think the point you're missing is that they don't want or expect Rafe and Adam to be comparable to Nuke or Kish. That's like saying they shouldn't have written the Carly-Holden affair because it can't compare to Holden-Lily or Carjack. It wasn't SUPPOSED to. It's supposed to be an entertaining story, which so far it is.
My turtle will never, ever be as good at math as my calculator, but I'm not planning on flushing it down the toilet for that reason.
In fact no
In the article said literaly: Look out, Nuke! There’s buzz that the folks at The Young and the Restless were taken aback by the sizzling chemistry between Micheal Muhney (Adam) and Yani Gellman (Rafe) during their recent romantic scenes together
It's not something that i said right out of the blue. The truth is the chemistry between nuAdam and Rafe is better than with CE, but i don't like it that much, maybe because so much overhyping usually only get deception
Well, YES
That doesn't mean that they are planning on making it one of the great romantic love stories of the ages, or a permanent relationship. or whatever. They're a short story, not an endless series of novels. Is there another part you failed to quote where they then went on to expect them to become a fixture supercouple like Nuke? I'm going to go out on a limb and say no, there wasn't.
Just because a soap reviewer said "Look out, Nuke!" doesn't mean that the show creators are placing them similarly. All you've actually said is that they were taken aback at the pair's chemistry.
I have some problems with Y&R storyline
Yes i know, all people say that this is the best soap, but as everyone has different tastes and i am not exactly a soap fan (i only starting to watch this kind of show when i improved my internet conection speed a couple of years ago, and i recognize i only watch because the gay storylines), i have some problems, not just with this storyline but with the show. I don't like the darker light of the show, and the pace is too slow for my taste.
I know this is not to be a gay couple Nuke style, wich i find a good idea because we have to remember that Jake Silberman's contract was for only two months, if the couple wasn't a success he would end unemployee in no time, and force a couple it's not always a good idea. I think when in Física o química introduce David as Fer's boyfriend, they don't have any intention of make him a regular, but the couple was a success. My problem with all this is the level of comitment of the show with Rafe, wich seems minimum, Rafe is a barely there character and i don't see any intention to make him likeable or make him a three dimentional character. He seems to be there for the shock value. And the spoilers about his future love life don't seem very promising either
And about the chemistry, to be honest i don't see in Rafe-Adam anything near to Nuke or even Kish, when Nuke storyline began, Jake Silbermann had some painful performances, i know there are a lot of terrible actors on soaps, but i'm pretty sure that without the great chemistry between Jake and Van, nowadays Jake probably would be filming comertials again
Y&R
It's not my favorite soap either; that would be OLTL. And certainly, you and I have agreed on many other things, and I respect your right to your opinion on this. But I'm also a loudmouth who can't be quiet when I disagree with something. :)
I honestly think you're just having trouble letting go of some of your preconceptions with this storyline. It's easy to do with this show, since it's fans set expectations it to the roof. I had a lot of trouble with it at first, but once I realized it wasn't the "Shakespeare of Daytime" I'd been led to expect, but rather lightweight, outrageous trash much closer to my beloved Melrose Place, I was able to let go and enjoy it. I'm even reassessing the dreaded Chipmunk, now that I'm free from the constraints of seeing it as Serious Character Drama.
Try an experiment. We can both agree the lead-up to this story was not what it should have been. Others might disagree, but WE agree. Try to put the build-up aside, and watch the story from last Thursday forward with fresh eyes, not through the lens of previous disappointment. It's done wonders for my appreciation for the show, and it might do the same for you. If not, at least we'll have something new to argue about. :)
You are right
Expectations sometimes kill the enjoyment because usually are not filled in the reality.
I'll try to follow this storyline (as i'm trying to follow OLTL), but my vision it's partial, because i only follow the gay storylines, so i soap could be great but if the gay storyline isn't great my perception will be based only in that storyline.
Sometimes it's a question of time, when i start to follow soaps i begin with Hollyoaks, ATWT and VL. I follow the three, but the only one i watch with attention was VL (i start ATWT withe the Ameera storyline and Hollyoaks after Craig departure). Right now, i pay more attention to ATWT (i know the soap has a lot of flaws, and everyone here could write better stories for Nuke but i get used to them, and i think i'm developing a crush on Van) and VL is a big dissapointment this year. If Ollian have some steamy scene people tend to forget what kind of lackluster storylines they have to deal this year (a total waste of Jo and Thore's talent) and almost no screentime.
So maybe in the future i end to enjoy the darker light and the slow pace of Y&R, specially right now that i low my expectatives around the show
One piece of the pie
The Rafe/Adam thing is such a small piece of the show. If that is the only thing someone is watching, then yeah, I think one would find some things to be desired about the show.
What I like about OLTL is that they have smart, smart dialogue. There is a natural flow with how the characters talk to one another that really engages the viewer. It is kinda frefreshing to see characters talk like actual people. Good job by the writing team.
Once upon a time I died. And like my namesake I got better.
Being too quick to "couple" gay soap characters
This is why I think immediately coupling gay characters (by the viewers, not the writers) is so problematic.
Luke and Noah was meant to be a couple before Noah entered the show. That was one kind of "love" story. Classic overcome obstacles to be together kind of story. I loved it and I still do and I hope that Van and Jake continue in their roles.
OLTL
But with Kyle and Fish, we are supposed to be focusing on their journey. Their entry into the show and the trajectory of their characters before it has even been revealed that either of them is or might be gay and might have a romantic past.
Right now, Kyle is Kyle and Fish is Fish. There is potential possible Kish but that's it. I think that's great.
I think it takes something away from the characters and their current storylines if all anyone is doing is waiting for them to become a couple. It will happen, what's the rush? I think spoilers are a blessing and a curse because while it may bring in new viewers to have everyone know that Kyle and Fish are gay, it also means you now have all these viewers waiting, waiting for either of them to "do" something "gay" rather than just watching their stories unfold.
Y&R
Rafe and Adam are not a coulple. They aren't going to be a couple. They aren't meant to be a romantic couple. I think it ruins the story to think of them as such. They are both using sex to try to get something they want. I think it is GENIUS! This kind of storyline has been done a million times with men and women and it makes perfect sense is just so "Oh No He Didn't!"
It's more like sexual warfare or espionage. It's so good. I love it. They should just play "Poker Face" every time those two are in a room together. I'm not anxious for Rafe to get a love interest or a boyfriend as long as he gets to be on screen doing interesting things and letting the viewers get to know him a bit better (even though this is really Adam's story right now)
Every gay character on each soap doesn't have to be compared to the other gay characters because these are such different guys with different contexts and experiences and backgrounds.
I know folks will compare because it's human nature, but I think the comparison can only go so far and we should really try to see the new characters within the contexts of their own show.
Rafe is the one character who's just "out", no biggie, no drama. I think that makes him a lot more than "the gay guy" which is great.
I can't wait to see how Y&R and OLTL's stories unfold and I think they were smart NOT to do the "big giant romance" right from the second the gay characters were revealed.
"That's our job today: to control the extent to which people can publicly manifest antigay sentiment." (Bayard Rustin) ** "Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common" (Dorothy Parker)
How is Rafe anything but the gay guy?
The main point of the character seems to be to shock viewers when Adam has an affair with him. We know nothing else about him, aside from he's the maid's nephew, and he's a lawyer. Would Rafe be on the show if they didn't want to show Adam's desperation or try to draw interest in the story?
It's great Y&R isn't telling a love story, but they are barely even telling a story with Rafe. I can't imagine how many viewers even have an opinion of Rafe besides, "He's that gay lawyer who looks like a teenager."
Rafe
Well, we know he's the kind of guy who would sleep with someone as part of psychological warfare. Given the fact that he seemed so squeaky-clean before, I'd say we're learning a lot about him. He can be ethically questionable, he has a vicious streak the way he's making it as squicky as possible for Adam.
I complained as much as anyone about the timing of bringing him out just before dropping him into limbo for weeks on end, but I don't really agree with this idea that they have to make us care about him before they tell a story about him.
I think it's totally legitimate to let the story MAKE us care about him. That's how most novels do it.
The Rafe we're watching right now is radically different than the Rafe we thought we were watching a week ago. That's real character progression, and we're... what, three days into the story proper? I'm sure there will be more over the
yearsweeks this story goes on.It Is Early....
ABC soaps more exploitive of their male stars?
I've recently started watching OLTL so I can get to know the characters before Kish starts, and it seems to feel like OLTL is mor willing to exploit the bodies of the men on the show for the delight of viewers. I really can't remember the last time we saw Noah shirtless, and Holden hasn't been shirtless since last summer - CBS soaps don't seem to require much of their characters.
In the week I've been watching OLTL, they've had Rex spend an entire episode in his black boxer briefs, even arresting him and marching him to the police station in handcuffs that way, with nobody around him seeming to notice he wasn't dressed. Then he's in the gym, arguing with Brock, in the steam room, both just in towels, often standing literally toe-to-toe with each other, then breaking and moving away at such speed I was sure the towels were going to drop.
Is this common for the ABC soaps to exploit their male actors' bodies more than the CBS soaps? It's really jumped out at me.
It depends on the soap more than the network
Passions used to be the best/worst about this. The writing and acting were completely pathetic, but it was still worth a watch when nothing better was on because the guys on that show practically ran around naked all the time. Whereas Days has no problem dipping into the well of shirtlessness, but has never come anywhere close to being as gratuitous about it as Passions was.
I saw that steamroom scene on OLTL, too. I missed all the dialog, cuz I was busy shouting, "DROP THE TOWELS! DROP THE TOWELS!" at my TV. ;Þ
For those who missed it...
...Rex and Brody in the steamroom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXWo6jCMRj8
OLTL anyway...
Of all the soaps I have watched and do watch, really OLTL seems to do this the most often. And I'm not complaining!
8)
These scenes are (part of) why I voted for John-Paul Lavosier in the Hot100. Maybe now that more gays are watching, he'll actually make the list next year...? 8)
Adonis
In fact in the adonis competition for soap hunks, Jake and Van make the final this year. In the web page anylize the probabilities and they mention in the negative ones, that they are never shirtless.
Some other soap actors get shirtless almost for no reason, just like that boyfriend that Monica (i think it was Monica) had in Friends
On All That Matters, what does the show label Deniz's sexuality?
AWZ and Deniz -
The show doesn't actual label Deniz sexuality at all which I don't think a US or British show could get away with.
In the last year he has stated that he was "Gay" "maybe Bi" "Straight" depending upon the situation and who he's talking to.
Deniz has been single since Vanessa (though he kept making out with Roman which is part of the reason Vanessa broke up with him)
Roman is also single but he and Deniz seem to keep falling into bed with each other any time one of them has a bad day. A couple weeks ago Deniz put the moves on Roman and Roman refused (though he clearly wanted to go there again)
Roman and Deniz have not had any significant love interests (not counting Vanessa) since they were together. Roman has done some dating off camera and has had some sexy dates (a few on camera, most off)
Deniz had a crush on his skating partner Stella who has never given him the time of day and isn't interested in him but he hasn't dated or slep with anyone else (except for when he was a "rent boy".) Even Stella thinks Deniz is gay and just not ready to deal with it.
All of the characters on the show (including Marian, Roman's father) seem to thing that Deniz is confused or bi but definitely not straight but he hasn't recently made any statements one way or the other.
Deniz is 19 so maybe that's just what they think makes sense for some 19 year olds in this day and age to not be so focused on labels but Deniz' coming out as gay (not bi) was heavily focused on and is often referred to by the other characters.
I find it fascinating. The show is great. So campy and hi drama but funny and swee and lots of romance.
Check out the Eskimokissproject Channel (they have two playlists, from the beginning of Denro and from the present going backwards)
I don't think that the viewers are supposed to accept the issue o Deniz' sexual orientation as having been "settled" as yet.
"That's our job today: to control the extent to which people can publicly manifest antigay sentiment." (Bayard Rustin) ** "Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common" (Dorothy Parker)
I love David and Fer
This couple is giving Ollian and McDean a run for its money as one of soap's gay power couples.
Excellent chemistry, good acting and writing. And I agree, David is just frickin adorable. Love his cheeky personality.
Thanks for finding this gem, Anthony. Never would've known about it otherwise. When does the next season start? And what are those rumors for next season? I don't think I can wait. :)
I don't think the writers
???
Anthony, I'm used to disagreeing with you about FL and to you misspelling the name of my channel but to attribute the clips to someone entirely different?
I think that you're missing the political POV when it comes to FL. I think it's great that a gay couple has been the only stable, sane and sensible couple on the whole show for over a year now. That's a great message to the viewers and if that's boring, I can live with it.
switch
actually he switched the references
eskimokissproject are the people responsible for the AWZ (Alles Was Zahlt/ ALL That Matters ) clips, but he referenced you instead on their clip and referenced them on your clip
I agree with you that it's nice that the only stable relationship on VL/FL is the gay one, but that doesn't mean that they can't have exiting life events while maintaining the stable relationship. Nuke, for example, solve a new crime on a monthly basis...
That being said, I completely disagree with Anthony about Annette and Ingo in AWZ/ATM
I'm an avid AWZ fan and I don't understand how could anyone in the world not like Ingo. He's the funniest and most spontaneous character that has ever existed.
And as for his pairing with Annette, how could anyone say they don't have chemistry? They were practically made for each other. Watching old clips would be a good idea to see some of their history and the development of their relationship
Honestly, the only way they could fit together more is if Annette was a dude...
Thanks!
We fixed the switch.
Stable, Sane and Sensible
Sorry about the mixup! I'll be careful not to make that happen again.
As for your other comments, here's the thing about stable, sane and sensible couples: they don't make good soap opera, or good drama which is what I'm watching and what I'm commenting on. And they don't get any airtime and the airtime they do they makes them talk-to's, which is what Christian and Olli have been for far too long now. Personally, for me, this couple were at their most interseting last year during all the drama in their lives. I don't get excited about giving advice to other folks about their romances or having flimsy conflicts that are resolved in a pair of episodes. I really would like to think we'd be past sending a message to the viewers and concentrate on entertaining them. I compare them in some respects to Luke and Noah (though with a lot less sex and worse writing). The show has seemingly fixated on making them the happy gay couple that they've failed to make them an interesting, compelling couple. And like Luke and Noah, C/O can be cute at times, but I don't find myself anxious to see what happens to them next.
I don't think
that Ollian (or Nuke) problems has nothing to do with the fact that they are a happy stable couple. In Nuke case, the problem is the bad writing and the rushing storylines, in the Ollian case is directly the lack of storylines.
Ollian were a happy stable couple last year, and their storylines were great, but this year they are missing in action.
I think that introduce a third in this relationships will be lazy writing, and specially in Nuke case an unforgivable mistake. Because Ollian relationship is a very passionate one, and they could introduce an passionate unfaithfull romance. But in Nuke case, how can they do that, if Luke or Noah cheat, and have steamy sex with other character, the fans will be balistic because the affair wiould be more explicit than their romantic relationship, if the cheating is off screen, that don't make any sense.
In my opinion, Ollian only needs more screen time and some good storyline, and Nuke needs a better writing and some funny storylines (they are 20, and all their storylines are dramatic)
I agree with you nanna!
I completely agree with you nanna. I loved anthony's column, but when it comes to his opinion on VL, I do disagree with his POV.
I think that Olli and Christian's storyline was phenominal last year, but so far this year it's been more supporting of other characters, still, I can live with that when we are treated to such strong performances from Jo and Thore every time they appear on screen.
IMHO, Jo and Thore still have the most amazing chemistry, superb and beliveable acting as a couple that i've ever seen play out on TV. And when they have that special two or three episode focus on them, you realize just how brilliant they are as Olli and Christian . Now, Ollian may not be all drama involving crimes and family constantly returning from the dead like a zombie movie, but at least we have realism in their storyline. Also, least we forget...quantity doesn't always equal quality, which I find to be a major problem with the few gay storylines past and now emerging here in America.
And whats quite amazing is Jo and Thore are so respected in terms of their powerful performance as Olli and Christian, that we as fans will sit through a good 6 month stretch of them supporting, yet cherish every second when they are on. So I for one still feel previlaged to watch their beautiful story on your channel nanna, just like the many tens of thousands who flock to your sight no matter how brief the clip. And I wait in anticipation for what appears to be a pretty interesting storyline coming up for them in a couple of weeks.
Still...I do love and appreciate your blog every week Anthony. I really look forward to it, even if your love for Ollian is in short supply these days. And I appreciate your honestly regarding nuke, since I know you're a big supporter of their storyline.
I Smell a Poll
On a scale of Anthony to Nanna, how do you feel about Ollian?
I feel "Anthony" about Ollian. I ate their storyline up when they actually had one. Then I followed religiously for a while when I got to the end of it. Then I watched the clips with decreasing attention. Then the clips piled up while I told myself I'd get to them. Then I said I'd start watching again when they got a story. Then they got a brief story and I didn't watch.
Obviously, there are people who would watch them simply sit on the couch holding hands forever, but I'm not one of them. Not just soaps, but all storytelling is based on conflict. And the conflict for months now has been either absent or half-hearted.
I'm fine with slow periods where the characters are either missing or backburnered, but if they can't be bothered to do anything interesting with them for 6 months, I can't be bothered to hang around waiting for them to remember they're there.
(Pause. Check for they're - there accuracy. Okay, resume.)
And yeah, a lot of people flock to the clips, but there's also enough people bitterly complaining about the state of the show that they had to create a "bitterness" thread to keep it from taking over the main thread.
Maybe the upcoming major story will bring me back, but I'm not going to feel bad about wanting something to actually happen for them to keep my attention.
VL clips piling up
I also have to agree with you Nanna
By the by, thanks so much for continuing to sub the VL clips with Ivan and Tikhon... we are forever in your debt :)
I admit that for a very long period of time Ollian have been in the background only in supporting roles. But I think people should keep some things in mind: this show is NOT about Ollian, it is about Forbidden Love; there are other characters on the show who need juicy material, and to center the show on this couple too much might piss other viewers off which could have nasty consequences. I don't think anyone would be happy to hear VL's overall ratings going down at the risk of losing the couple altogether.
I would much rather have these two characters together, happy, and just being happy whilst dealing with everyone else's bull, than to have the writers come up with a ridiculous or poorly planned out storyline just to drive up some drama. I also disagree with some of the opinions on the new Ollian storyline... it's tame in the sense that it's a common problem--how do you handle the work-relationship balance when one partner is the boss and the other is an employee? But it's still got the relationship passion and you can see it in the actors' eyes when they play their parts; they are still the most realistic couple in gay daytime entertainment for me. And can you really complain about the amount of skin we've been seeing from Jo and Thore? Hardly... it's still a lot more than you'll see in North America. Finally, I bring it back to what Nanna said: it's great that the only stable couple on the show is the gay couple and I can live with that message even if some consider it "boring."
Ollian are not the entire show!!
Jago87...I agree with what you say regarding Ollian in terms of them being a part of a larger picture.
The Olli and Christian storyline took up a BIG portion of almost a year and a half of screen time on VL. Other storylines must have their time, it's only fair. The present Gregor/Louise love story has many follows. Carla also has a huge fan base, yet their fans are still waiting two years later and growing for a major love story for her. Instead they have been given the forced and unrealistic Stella/Charlie storyline with their beloved Carla still hovering in the background. And the actress is scheduled to leave in September. So Ollian are truely a previlaged couple. If the focus was Olli and Christian all the time, there would be some serious consequences for the show, as it would be with any other couple if they commanded episode after episode.
Ollian may not be in the forefront at the moment, but the fact that they hardly have a storyline, yet are still on screen so often is a testement of respect the writers have for their characters, because this is not the norm for supporting rolls. There's quite a few supporting characters right now, and no way do they have the amount of screen time awarded to Ollian, instead, they are hardly seen. Trust me...Ollian are being treated pretty well.
Again, I agree with you Jago87...I much prefer to have the characters happy and stable whilst awaiting for their turn in the spotlight than for the writers to throw up any sh*t on screen and hope that it sticks.
I've Got the Message
It's been almost a year since Ollian's last major storyline ended, and all they've gotten is bit little min-stories. Do you honestly feel it's unreasonable for people to become bored and disinterested after 10 months of waiting? If you're not bored, that's fine, but I think disinterest is a perfectly logical reaction to 10 months of producer disinterest in the characters.
But I think the thing about the "message" may be the real focus of the disagreement: I tune in to TV to watch engaging stories, not to receive "messages." Any thoughtful ideas ought to be explored through engaging stories, not through sitting around doing nothing patting themselves on the back for being progressive.
Plus, this is a message I already know. I KNOW that gay couples can be happy and stable. If that's all the show has to offer, then I guess it's best left to people who need to learn that lesson.