Eye on Soaps

By Sandi Showalter

The Sandbox is ready to open, so let’s dig in! I had a bit of a soap marathon the past two days so I could catch up and write intelligently about our shows. Well, at least I hope it’s intelligent–my husband always questions my intelligence for watching soaps and sometimes I question it too. A few of those times happened this week. Like AMC blaming Damon not taking his meds for ALL of his actions. That’s responsible storytelling. (sigh) Or Natalie saying to John she needs to tell him something really, really important, looking like she is going to cry, but then dropping it and he buys it. Some detective he is. I guess we’re supposed to buy (or choke down is more like it) that the great love of Rylee is back. I guess I’d better get those red hot pokers ready, so I can gouge my eyes out for their inevitable and numerous love scenes. I’d rather drink bleach than have to watch those two in a romance again.

AMC

ADHD is a real medically recognized condition. My daughter was diagnosed with it in the third grade. We put her on medication, but didn’t see much difference. We took her off medication and just decided to deal with it. She will be a Junior in high school in the fall. All A’s & B’s, student government, part-time job and no medication. Is she forgetful,disorganized and scattered at times? You bet! Would she forget a party in her honor or steal cash from her job? No way! I know there are different levels of ADHD, and some kids are helped tremendously by their medication, but for AMC to suddenly blame all of Damon’s issues on undiagnosed ADHD and now, on his not taking his meds, is not only lazy writing, it’s irresponsible writing. If AMC wants to tell a story about ADHD, they need to do more than just Google it and find out the symptoms and a treatment. Kids with ADHD are not stupid or criminals because of it. They know the difference between right and wrong, especially at 19. Their disorder does not give them a free pass when it comes to individual responsibility. Why would Damon need to steal from Krystal’s anyway? He knows Tad will give him money. If you forget a party thrown in your honor, then you have a lot more than ADHD. The other part of this storyline that really drives me crazy is that Hillary is not involved. We’re supposed to believe that the same Hillary that left Tad, because he told a lie, is a) going to sleep with him right before she gets married, b) not get her child medical or psychological help for NINETEEN years and c) ignore her child when he tells her he needs her. Although the writers would like to believe the viewers are stupid and have the memory of a gnat, it’s just not true. I watched Hillary and Tad. I know what she was like. This is not Hillary. At. All.

If I’m interpreting the dreams caused by Ryan’s aneurysm (which is apparently somehow David’s fault…I can’t figure out how, but Greenlee and all the other PV residents are blaming him. Grrr!) correctly, then he is still in love with Greenlee, and this whole Madison build up has just a been a place holder until the return of Rylee. It doesn’t matter that he and Madison had good chemistry. It doesn’t matter that the vast majority of the viewers despise Rylee. All that matters is that he wuv’s Greenlee and she wuv’s him. I didn’t buy their great love the first or second time around. I didn’t buy it when he put his fist up and almost punched her. I didn’t buy it when he let her think he was dead. I didn’t buy it when he jumped into bed with Kendall a few days after she “died.” And I don’t buy it now. I’m not looking forward to the longing looks and passionate denials about their feelings for each other, as Evil Dr. Dave schemes to keep them apart. I don’t want to see their stolen kisses or watch their fantasies play out. I hate that the never even have Ryan mention Gillian, a woman he actually loved and was devestated over when she died.  They also brush off Leo and Greenlee, but at least he gets a mention every once in a while. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Rylee has more fans than I think. Maybe there is a legion of AMC viewers begging the writers to bring back the couple to end all couples. Somehow, though, I get the sneaking suspiscion that I’m not wrong and that viewers matter very little to anyone in charge. I guess the positive in all of this is that it will cut down my soap watching time, because I’ll be fast forwarding more.

Greenlee and Leo- A couple I could root for

Scott and Annie are engaged. Annie loves wants to love Scott. Actually, I think she does love Scott or the idea of her and Scott, but Annie is drawn to JR. I am torn. I like her with Scott and JR. I like that Scott loves her for who she is and recognizes her faults, but looks past them…a lot like Stuart would do. I like that she and JR seem to get each other on a level neither of them have ever experienced with another person before. When she is with Scott, she’s more carefree and fun, but when she is with JR she opens up and really connects.

Fun and safe or hot and passionate? Which should Annie choose?

I think Jake and Angie need to stand still, while we all line up and slap some sense in them. Angie was forced into a treating a serious medical situation when her sight disappeared. Rather than admitting to David that she couldn’t treat Ryan, she decided to risk Ryan’s life. When she told Jake it was time for her to step-down, he talked her out of it and somehow still managed to blame it on David. I’m guessing they passed on the Hippocratic oath and took the Hypocritical oath. Jake has always been somewhat of an ass, but not Angie. I don’t know or like this version of Angie and I am kindly requesting the writers go back and watch some shows from the 80’s and 90’s and bring back the REAL Angie.

OLTL

Natalie has a bun in the oven. Unfortunately for her, she doesn’t know which baker was sharing the kitchen with her when they started making the bread. I must say, I was quite surprised to find myself enjoying her scenes with Gigi. She was open and honest and took responsibility. Gigi was not judgemental and the conversation happened quite naturally. Natalie doesn’t really have any female friends her age, other than Jess and this was definitely one situation she couldn’t go to her for, so Gigi was a great choice, in my opinion. Her scenes with John, however, I didn’t enjoy so much. He’s supposed to be this great and powerful detective, able to sniff out clues when no one else can see them. (Eli?!) Yet, he buys Natalie’s BS story that she was just being dramatic. Way to detect! I really can’t understand why the writers would want to do TWO “who’s the daddy” storylines at one time. To give Jess credit, she no longer realizes it’s a WTD storyline, because she and Kelly were too stupid to consider that Ford wouldn’t immediately share with Kelly that he needed to get tested for Hep C. My theory is everyone will think Brody is the Daddy to both babies and later on it will turn out he’s the father to neither.

They went from this to sex?  I thought they were starting to write Ford as a good guy now.

Charlian and Chiki. I think it’s cute that OLTL acknowledges the message board names for the character couples sometimes. I loved Charlie’s expression after he combined David and Viki- ”Dicki??”  Although Charlie and Viki’s planwas stupid, it did provide for some light hearted moments. The “My Face” exchange, while entertaining, was out of character for somebody who is supposed to be as politically savvy as Dorian. Didn’t she manage to keep Charlie from going after his job with threats of taking it to the media? She’s really going to act like a 12-year-old and update her status that she never loved David Vickers? I know Dorian acts rash and impulsive sometimes, but that was just plain stupid.

Well this will do it for me for this week. I hope everyone has a great week and to all of you that went to the GH fan event, I hope you had a great time. Let’s shake the sand our of our shorts until next week.

Sandi 

July 25th, 2010 | Tags: Sandi Showalter | Category: All My Children, One Life to Live | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL