Marching On (to the Inevitable)

Okay, so now Greg is in on all of Evil Eli's Dastardly Deeds?  And the Deeds involve Tea?  Or does Eli just have something on Greg?  Does Greg know who Eli is?  I don't get it and I don't want to get it.  And I have a headache.

However, I maintain that Tea and Greg still have some serious chemistry.  Meanwhile, I could've done without the whole Tea-watches-the-same-meteor-shower-as-Todd-and-Dani business.  Laying it on a little thick there, One Life!  All we needed was a little Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram duet swelling underneath the images.  ("And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome... lullaby...")

Also, it's become unbearably obvious that she's not actually going to die.  I am spoiler-free, but please.  So they can cool it with the sap since it'll turn out completely unearned.

Shaun appearance!  I do so adore him.  But somehow even though he's been in back-to-back episodes in a major way and having a big ethical dilemma, I doubt we'll get to see much more of him.

I just love that teddy bear.  He'll be heartbroken when he learns his brother is in cahoots with the Most Evil Living Human.

Oh yeah, speaking of He Who Evils The Hardest, more and more people are finding out, John has had his suspicions confirmed by Hannah and is taking action, and even Blair is starting to have a doubt or two.  This perhaps means this story will be wrapping up soon?  I think September has a little mini-sweeps, but really the next one that seriously counts is November, so I imagine they'll find more ways to make this snowball (I'm guessing a fugitive complication?) for a while longer.  Um, yay.  Because really?  Why wouldn't they want to ruin this?

 

Happy people having fun!  Good sparks a-flyin'!  A dynamic and surprising new couple!  Let's kill it.

This happened.

Are we supposed to be invested in this, knowing Tuc Watkins will be leaving the show again shortly?  Do they think this is cute to run in this circle every year?  Because it's not. 

Since Viki and Charlie have returned from whatever their trip was, they keep telling people they had a wonderfully relaxing time, rolling their eyes and saying how necessary it was after what David and Dorian "put them through."  What?  What David and Dorian put them through?!  I remember Viki and Charlie inviting Dorian and David very closely into their lives (and home) and trying to seduce them both in some infantile ploy to make them admit they're in love.  And now we have the unfortunate "payoff" of Viki and Charlie continuing to be smug since they turned out to be right about David and Dorian's feelings for each other, which I assume we're supposed to think that justifies Viki and Charlie acting like 12-year-old assholes.  It's rough going, people.

And as I'm sure you've all heard by now, Kim Zimmer will be joining the cast.  She'll be playing Echo, a character she played on the show back in the early 80s, and I missed the "Echo" era by about a year, so I confess I know nothing of her history.  What I do know is that we already have two grand dames of daytime television in Robin Strasser and Erika Slezak, and neither one of them gets nearly enough screentime as it is.  This could be good news as far as a storyline for oft-ignored Clint, though.  What do you guys think?  Is there room for her?  Is she a bit much?  Will she help ratings -- is it even possible at this point?

Destiny out!

Comments

[Bourgeois Nerd]

I just don't have the strength to watch OLTL right now. It isn't like with GH, where I bear grudges and vitriol; I'm just bored and disappointed and "WTF?" Who knows, they may lure me back, but I think this break is necessary right now.

Oh, and I know you didn't mention it, but I just want to say that RC's interview where he said that all of this stuff with Eli, The Evilest Evil to Ever Evil was planned all along? Total BULLSHIT! I hate writer interviews, because they can't tell the truth anyway ("Yeah, this is all bullshit we threw together at the last minute because Frons had a 'spiritual experience' on the toilet.") and it just makes them sound delusional and asshole-ish.

About Kim Zimmer, my only thought, "Wonder who is going to get cut to accommodate her salary. Is there any diversity left?"

[Louise]

Oh dear, this interview sounds unfortunate. Who interviewed him?

[Bourgeois Nerd]

I think it was one of those Soap Opera Digest or Soaps In Depth fall preview thingies or something.

[LadyBug]

When Eli first came to town he was real mysterious and then we found out his connection to Ross.

RC - We all know that Frons is the one telling the writers what to writ, so I will cut him some slack.

Eli is smoking hot!

One of the problems that I have with John McBore, is the actor is a Frons pet and has to be pushed front and center, every freaking time their is a police story!

Shaun! Oh, how I love Shaun. Where is Roxie?

As for KZ, pfft. The Echo story was a real snooze the last time the actress was on the screen. My fear is that they give KZ a contract and we end up losing someone that we love, like Roxie, Addie, Rene, Nigel, Shaun...etc.

[Knope]

I wonder what Eli has on Greg? I was finally warming up to Greg and I agree that he and Tea have some chemistry.

Blair has to be the biggest dumbass on the show right now. I can't believe she told Eli everything. What an imbecile.

Not sure how I feel about Kim Zimmer. If it gives the vets some grown-up story, I'm all for it. On the other hand, I care less about Echo than I do Melinda.

[Jennifer]

I love that you are doing these columns. I rather enjoy reading what people have to say about the show than the actual show. I feel as if I am about to talk out of both sides of my mouth, but...

As much as I have railed against this couple and have held TW in disdain, as well as the management that continues to bring him back, that last scene with David and Dorian --I loved it. I loved them. I thought RS was awesome in response to "getting married tomorrow." I saw and felt the magic of this couple.

That said, anyone, whether online or not, knows David is never long for this show. No matter how they decide to have him leave--it needs to be for the long-haul. It must be until TW is able and willing to stay full-time; NO MORE episodic contracts or only for the finale of the show. The producers and writers need to have the guts to let this character go.

It is not fair to tease this couple only to have it end so abruptly. More importantly, RS, Dorian, fans of the character and actress deserve to see her in a romance like the one that was blossoming with Ray Montez.

As to Kim Zimmer, not thrilled with this move and hope it is a short stint. We get Echo, but not Ray, not Joey, not Cassie, not Kevin? However, if it means they fire every one of the useless Fords and Kelly to bring her on for a few months, I'm game.

[spazzo47]

My biggest fear about Kimmer coming to OLTL is that they will try to pair Echo with Clint. I'm all for more JvD on my screen in any form or state of dress, however, as a former GL watcher I would see them not as Clint and Echo (echo), but as Ross and Reva and that just seems wrong somehow.

[KatT]

Clint and Echo have a history, she was all up in one of his marriages to Viki, so maybe we will get to see all three of them a lot more. Cause I'm paying no attention to the show right now, I can't tell any of those new dudes apart. Which is a shame, cause it's usually the best ABC show.

[Louise]

I confess I'm entirely ignorant of all things Guiding Light -- save the Emmy reels over the years, the only episode I ever saw was the series finale. So Jerry ver Dorn's character and Kim Zimmer's character were a couple on GL? So are they trying to recapture that or something? (Always such a failure on ALL shows!)

[Emily]

JvD's Ross was never paired with KZ's Reva on GL (of which I'm very grateful). That's why it seems so weird to think of their characters on OLTL sharing a past. I've accepted JvD as Clint, but put him in scenes with KZ and I'll see Ross and Reva instead of Clint and Echo.

His longest screen partner on GL was Liz Keifer's Blake. She also played Connie O'Neill on OLTL.

[Michaela]

Her name was Echo? Seriously?

[LadyBug]

Countess Echo diSavoy..... I'm guessing the last part since it's been over 20 years since the character was on the show. I have a nasty feeling that Echo is going to turn out to be Rexx's mama and Clint his papa...blech. The last thing OLTL needs is more long lost Buchanan's since we already have known Buchanan's that should be on the show like, Kevin, Joey, C.J. Cord, Sarah and Zane. As for David being a Buke, who cares since he blows in and out for a few weeks every year.

[KatT]

Ah, the cheesy 80s names. I hope they make that Echo thing a nickname and her real name is Emily or something.

[V]

"He Who Evils The Hardest"

Hahaha, I love that.

Echo? Seriously, that was her name? Wasn't that also Elisha Dushku's name on Dollhouse? (I can't believe I watched that show either.)

I'm not looking forward to KZ and the fact she'll expect a big paycheck and we'll lose characters we love. It's not worth it, to me. I know she's a goddess of vets, but for goodness sake, they HAVE Viki and Dorian. I'd love to see them spend time on the vets they have, including NORAH, and the wealth of others.

As for Clint, I was really looking forward to them bringing back Kim (the ex-stripper Kim, haha). She had chemistry off the charts with Clint.

I'm going to make a comment, that no one will like, since I'm a big Jessica Leccia fan, but I like the Fords (despite her birthing them at nine-years-old, hah). *cringes in wait for the flying tomatoes*

I've settled into having them around. I just think that the one moment James spent with Langston in the La Boulaie (?) foyer showed WAY more chemistry than he ever had on the run with Starr, and Starr was more of a verbal spar mate with Robert, than the melt-in-my-arms stupidity of teenage infatuation Langston shared with him. Keep them - but rethink the pairings.

I'm also madly in love with Hannah as a character. She's been doing great and her acting, to me, is better than the other teens, save Destiny and Dani (who I am loving).

And here's a possibility and I wondered what you thought, Louise:

I'm hoping, since Hannah worked so well in the scenes with John, and the odd way the two look SO MUCH alike, she will be his daughter. I think that would be awesome if John had a long lost daughter from somewhere in his past. They never went into her family background very deeply, and I could see John finally becoming more human with a teen daughter on the canvas. Just an idea.

I also think Cole and Hannah have chemistry and I've wanted him away from Starr and her psycho father for a very long time. Plus, I wish they would bring back Marty - Please. I miss her and she also had fantastic interaction with the character of Hannah.

That's just a distant hope for me.

Thanks, once again, for your excellent post, Louise.