Ironically, I'm just catching up on ATWT as well (I leave for vacation in a few hours so have been working double time to have next week's content all ready) and I have to say, the difference between the two shows is rather stunning. I'm wondering if part of the difference is because VL is actually more of an evening show in Germany and therefore can't be fairly compared to ATWT when it comes to terms of writing, acting, etc.

As much as I truly like Van and Jake, their storyline, etc don't hold a candle to Olli and Christian who have become my second favorite couple after Kevin and Scotty. Thor and Jo deliver such fantastic performances that half the time I don't even need the subtitles to follow what's going on or to get caught up in the story.

As for the story, the whole boxing thing is something that feels very fresh even if solely because it's because gays and sports are hardly ever shown as being in the same room. But the way the writers are using the issue of steroids to illuminate Ollian's relationship, to create conflict that isn't about being gay, but also having the homophobic coach works remarkably well. It's depressing as hell to say, but this is probably the best gay story us Yanks are going to have to watch all summer.

Oh shit... Busted!

Aww, this was such a sweet episode, despite the ending of course. Luke and Noah have nothing on this relationship, even if there hasn't been much kissing for a while, it's still so damn believable. 

 

Comparing Olli and Christian to Luke and Noah is like comparing a gentle breeze to a hurricane because they both involve wind. Or a slap to the face and a sledgehammer to the forehead because they both involve a hit to the head.

Luke and Noah fell in love and had to keep their love a secret. Olli and Christian fell in love and have to keep it a secret. That is where the comparison ends. The love triangle was even handled differently.

I think the best scene in that clip was the exchange at the table. The ending was sweet and a great cliffhanger, but the way they talk to each other, look at each other and understand each other is what sets them apart.

The Luke and Noah story is just stagnate, it’s hard to care what happens to them because they make stupid decisions with no discussion about what brought that decision on. Take for example the latest crap about Noah being upset. You just have to accept that Noah is pissed. The writers could have had a great scene where they discuss how they feel…one of them admitting fault, or neither admitting fault…exchanging ideas as a boyfriend. Plus…the story on VL (and Hollyoaks) seems real. You watch ATWT and you can’t help but focus on the holes. In the other two shows you notice the holes later…after you’ve enjoyed it.

Plus..."I'm not gay but my boyfriend is" That's a strange title for this great episode. Neither one of them is happy with the fact that they have to lie. Olli is more upset that Christian is lying about the roids. Both of them are denying that they are gay to certain people. The bottom line is that they are totally in this together...both on the same page...both making the decisions.

I think it’s a combination of factors that make this story more compelling than Luke and Noah.

As I mentioned elsewhere, this story is more character-driven than plot-driven; yes, we still have our melodrama, but it’s realistic, believable melodrama. Instead of a cartoonish, mustache-twirling villain killing women and attempting to kill his son’s boyfriend and then scheming to kidnap his son’s green-card wife, we have just a regular schlub from the world of sports management who is a bigot. The former is a ridiculous fantasy (or nightmare); the latter is something that we encounter every day.

When I first started watching the Ollian clips, I, too, compared it to Nuke, feeling that it was doing much the same. But as I continued to watched, I gradually realized how superior it is. It isn’t just the writing, which, as I say, emphasizes character to motivate plot rather than having the character be pawns of a hare-brained narrative, but also the acting: yes, Van Hansis has been great as Luke, but the past few months he doesn’t seem to be trying at all (I suspect his frustration with the story is coming through) and Jake Silbermann is very erratic, sometimes good, but often wooden and unconvincing—with the result that I don’t think they have very good chemistry together (Matt and Casey had more chemistry on ATWT).

By comparison, both Jo Weil and Thore Schölermann seem thoroughly committed to these roles, both have created strong, deeply felt characters, and their chemistry with each other is simply dazzling—they do little things that make you believe that these are really two people in love, a comfort level that isn’t present in the awkwardness of Van and Jake. 

Finally, I think because VL has a history of portraying gay relationships, they don’t feel a need to be hesitant or worry about the audience’s response—they have more freedom to portray the relationship as deeply and realistically as possible, something which P&G and CBS don’t seem willing to do..

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Kissing is great, but with scenes like these, you don't even need it. When Olli said, "One more word like that and I'll cry," and Christian said, "Me too," I yelled at my computer, "Me too!" I swear I was already watery-eyed. That was just so sweet. I love that Christian is so torn up about keeping their relationship secret, and Olli is the one who, despite being out, keeps telling him, "This is your dream, and I want you to have it, even if it means denying me." They just make your heart ache.

If you want to compare C & O to ATWT in boxing terms (Comparing pure emotion, quality of acting, writing, chemistry, esp. the kissing the kissing scenes), ATWT boys would be KO'd before the 3rd round bell rang.  This is coming from someone who actually likes Luke and Noah.  It's just a shame the writing sucks.  The ATWT writers should really take some time and watch some of C & O episodes and learn how to really create something worthy. 

I loved today's storyline even more than yesterday's (well aside from all the gaybashing via Wolle and play along Christian). It might not have been as forward romantic, but a great way to see them in action as a couple.

I can't help it! When it's time for VL, I lock myself in my room. I do NOT want to be disturbed, and such mundane tasks as eating and even breathing become irrelevant.

This episode was breathtakingly beautiful. The part where he says, "I love you" drew the inevitable sigh from me. The way Christian holds him tightly, as if trying to shield him from life's harsh realities, and still draw strength from Olli to face his ugly world. All I can say is that I can't stop watching it. My heart's overflowing with love!

Ok, that's enough of the sentimental stuff; I need to get a grip on myself. Perhaps I'll wade in this cosy feeling for a few more precious minutes before returning to the real world of.....

To compare Olli and Christan of VL to Luke and Noah of ATWT is a true insult to VL. I'm sorry, but the Luke and Noah storyline is so bad on so many levels. The writing, acting and production are incredibly infantile compared to what we see on VL. Least we forget the insult of the Christmas episode, which is were I threw the towel in on Luke and Noah. Then of course there was the seven month wait for these so called lovers to kiss. And when they finally did kiss, it looked so forced and awkward. When Olli and Christian kiss, they really kiss.

And LoLaRuns...I respectfully disagree with your comparisions of the Nuke story being similar to Ollian. The comparision stops at the struggle of one of the characters (christian) coming to terms with his sexuality and love for another man. As soon as Luke and Noah kissed, it was down hill from there. After Olli and Christian kissed, it's been a growth of their love story. We are two months after the unforgettable confession scene in Christian's bedroom, and their relationship has never been stronger. And from a spoiler picture which was posted right on AE a week ago, it shows Olli and Christian still going strong into mid August.   

As for yesterday's episode...it was one of the best i've seen. The scene at Nolimits had Christian opened his soul to Olli. And when Olli paused in the park and looked into Christian's eyes and said 'I love you' I exhaled. And although Christian may not have repeated those magic three words back, it didn't matter, since all was said through the way he held onto Olli and his facial expressions with tears in his eyes. That scene was breathtaking. 

You know why Ollian are so popular right now...because you believe in them. Jo and Thore make you believe that you are getting the real deal. They act as though they care about their characters. Unlike Jake and Van, who seem to be living a nightmare thorugh the mess which has become Luke and Noah. I truely feel story for both actors. 

I was brought to tears watching yesterday's episode. And I heard todays is just as good and quite heartbreaking. I'm just waitng for the YouTube translation to be posted.  

  I prefer Ollie/Christian because the storyline is about their relationship; Nuke is about Noah's relationship with his Father and his wife. Also every scene in Verboten is very well light. Someone sets the light carefully with a consideration for shadows; Nuke's lighting is bland and washed out. I feel there is a passionate conection between Ollie and Christian but feel no such thing between Luke and Noah. Watch both shows.

VL's storyline makes sense to why they aren't kissing in public. We know that Christian is not out yet and he is trying to start a boxing career. Olli supports him 100%. They save their intimacy for their apartment. We have even seen them in bed on several occasions.

The ATWT storyline was stupid. Luke and Noah were both out and head over heels in love. Why didn't they kiss? Oh, because people kept knocking on doors, walking in, having a crisis, and displaying mistletoe that just had to be on tv. It didn't make sense. The storyline still doesn't make sense.

At least VL gives us the courtesy of having a plausible storyline to back up the lack of affection. And I love watching clips where Olli and Christian stare at each other or make innuendoes that no one around them gets.

Hi!  I'm new to VL and what you people call Ollian.  I stumbled onto VL.  I was amazed.  The relationship of Christian and Oliver is simply a beautiul love story that anyone can appreciate no matter who you are (orientation).Real problems, real struggles, real challenges and real love. You can identify with all the real feelings this couple is going through. I'm hooked and I don't speak German.  Great acting -it's all about relationships.  I could care less if this is a gay couple or straight- this is a riveting couple.  I am shocked at my reaction.  I've never seen such character devlopment.  So much "said" without words or actions.

I wish I could write the actors.  I am encouraged about how we should treat all people

 

VL summary clip (with subs, including Friday):

 

For the lazy ones, here is a summary clip that cuts together only the most interesting scenes of the last few episodes (including bits of Friday's episode): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLULnt9T0XU

Michael is absolutely correct in the first post. VL is just so far ahead of ATWT in both story and character quality that they're not even in the same category anymore.

The contrast between the two have now gotten to the point where you just can't watch VL without realizing how horrible ATWT really is. It goes right down to Thore and Jo's performance as Christian and Olli. They go above and beyond to work in all the little details so that even when they're just doing something like jogging or walking outside, as in the Thursday and Friday episodes, they look like a couple. Their entire interaction, body language, eye contact, just screams that there's deep feelings between them.

Van and Jake haven't managed anything even close in a long time. Mostly they're extremely wooden around each other and their facial expressions rarely match the emotions they're supposedly feeling. Indeed, a lot of why it seems like they're not really in love is because you don't see any evidence of it in their faces when they look at each other.

The storylines are also just not on the same level. Christian as a boxer in a relationship with a man is, as Michael pointed out, very fresh and different. Gays are rarely depicted as being involved in sports of any kind. But the storyline, with the added drama of the steroids thing, makes for a really solid plot. As opposed to Iraqi mystery girls and psychotic fathers involved in an international conspiracy.

Then of course the clincher is that Christian and Olli are lovers, which cannot be said of Luke and Noah. There's dramatic weight to Ollian's relationship because we know they've been sleeping in the same bed, having sex and, let's be honest here, sometimes kiss for the sole purpose of kissing rather than as an attempt to convince the dubious audience that they really are a couple.

Nuke, despite having been together longer than Ollian (at least in apparent relative soap opera time) are not lovers. They've barely gotten in a few rather tame kisses. Indeed, they barely ever touch and when they do it looks awkward. Add in Noah's fierce devotion to his (supposedly) sham marriage to Ameera and it's not even clear that they are together or indeed even should be together. The main reason they kiss at all is to convince the audience that they're really gay, not to develop their romance.

Watching Christian agonize over how his homophobic manager is hurting Olli is frankly very satisfying after watching Noah casually brush off Luke's feelings in his zeal to protect Ameera. Ollian's story is more romantic because the two men are very clearly determined to have their relationship in defiance of the obstacles that get in their way. Nuke (or more specifically Noah) seem like they're only just barely interested in being together because they don't know what else to do with themselves.

The winner is Ollian by a knockout punch! Nuke is down for the count and probably needs to be hauled away on a stretcher!

I love this show as well but I don't think it should be compare to ATWT. I do think ATWT has broke some grounds but the culture of these two shows are different.  VL come on in the late afternoon around 6:oo or 630 I believe and from what I read it's no big deal for two men kissing on TV there. If I'm wrong about what I have written I'm sorry. I love watching both shows and will always watch ATWT and I still love the show. Yell the whole Ameera S/L we could have done without. I also believe we will be seeing a bedroom scene in a couple of weeks around July 3.

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