Well, You Take The Good, You Take The Bad, You Take Them Both And There You Have....

....the Facts of One Life to Live.

Some of the bad:

• First of all, Kim is the real Aubrey and actually Cutter's real sister. Bad enough in itself (can any character on this show be unrelated to someone else ever?). And so now the Wentworths were poor? I thought part of the whole deal with the back story was that Joey wouldn't believe Aubrey (aka Christine) was after his money because she came from the well-known Wentworth family. Didn't we hear phrases like, "She's a Wentworth, why would she marry for money?" several times?
• Just after they seemed to be giving Jack Manning some sliver of a conscience about his past misdeeds, they did a complete reversal. What a DICK, y'all. On top of everything else? He grabbed adorable little Sam and yelled at him that his father is dead.

Get your hands off little Sam, you little sociopath turd!

• Watching Cris try to reconnect with Jessica made me incredibly uncomfortable. There was something very sweet about it because there's something very sweet about Cristian, but it was a little cringe-inducing.
• Dani has already spent more episodes grieving over Victor than she did over the man she thought was her father for fifteen years. I realize Ross was just a recurring character and this was a male lead being killed off so it's obviously going to get more screen time, but I might still be bitter about Ross. It's not that I think this reaction is inappropriate, it's that that one lasted a day. And her big speech about how she's barely even met her biological father and the man she thought was her father is now dead? Eh, that should be old hat by now for her, right? 
• Hints continue to be dropped fast and heavy that stupid effing Stacy Morasco is still alive.

Some of the good:

• The look on Blair's face when Jack said Todd should be dead. Here's how Blair feels about that idea --

Horror! Because she lo-o-o-oves Todd, y'all!

• The "Kim used to be way less hot" back story was kind of cute because the girl they showed us in that yearbook photo long ago isn't actually completely unconvincing as a less-hot Amanda Setton.
• Todd said Blair's name multiple times today. Multiple! I am easily pleased on some fronts.
• Todd mentioned several now-defunct Llanview landmarks.
• Cutter referred to Vimal as "the Vimster."
• Kim freaked out on Cutter for trying to scam Clint's family and also referred to Clint as "a genius." She got made a lot less fun today, but I still enjoy her loyalty to Clint.
• Starr and Dani are not going to be enemies just because Starr doesn't loathe their biological father the way Jack does.

You may have heard by now that Prospect Park, the producing organization of the planned online version of One Life to Live, finally released some information today about who they're speaking to (and who has agreed) regarding making the jump to the internet. So far we've got Erika Slezak (Viki), Kassie dePaiva (Blair), Ted King (Tomas), and Michael Easton (John) all having actually made agreements with Prospect Park (pending union approval). I'd say this is very promising news! What do you think?

Remember how last week I said I'd try to do a little "Memory Lane" addendum on my posts when time and energy permit, and then promptly left such a post-script off of every single post after the first one? Well, they may be more rare that I'd like (and oh yeah, I'm still trying to muster up a post for The Bold & the Beautiful, which is currently a television program about a girl who wants to wait till marriage for sex and a boy who doesn't want to wait and an entire town of people who discuss it at length), but here's one that I stayed up late for last night:

 

Babes Behind Bars! (This is just Part 6 here, but you can start the whole sequence at this YouTube channel.)

It's really remarkable to me that they managed to pull this off in the same year that they did a week of live episodes and an on-location "stranded on a desert island" storyline (as well as several more of the Starr cartoons I re-visited in my first Memory Lane stroll). What a great cast, and what a difference a budget and more rehearsal time makes. Go figure: a jukebox musical episode of the show that doesn't focus entirely on the teens!

Comments

[C]

I liked the idea of Kim being Cutter's sister, but the convoluted retcon took a lot of the wind out that sail. Whatever, she'll always be Kimberly Andrews to me. Now, let's get her back in scenes with Clint, huh?

Jessica thinking Ford sent Cris and that he and Cris are friends just shows how disconnected Jess and Cris are from each other. Ford and Cris haven't been friends in eons. But I guess Jessica isn't allowed on screen unless she's saying that scum bucket's name.

[Dandesun]

I kind of see Jack as having the qualities of his parents ie: going from tolerable or 'gee, I can understand his pain' to raging asshole in 0 to 60 except without the blazing charisma and charm of either.

Todd not killing Victor because of Blair made the show for me. The way he says her name is beautiful, for crying out loud.

Also, his dislike of Carlotta's diner being turned into a cantina made me giggle.

I want there to be a way for Dani to have a new father every couple of years because I think it would be hilarious. At the same time, I'd have to hear her whine about it. I need to rethink this.

Blair needs a tazer for Jack. That might learn the kid some manners.

Beyond thrilled about the PP signings that were announced today. I was a bit surprised at the male side of the line up but I rather love Ted King and Michael Easton may now have the opportunity to play an actual character as opposed to a Fronsian mandate so I'm interested. Llanview without Queen Victoria would be unacceptable to me... but only slightly less unacceptable than a Llanview without my beloved Blair.

And are they kidding me that they left that hideous blood-stained cow-print rug behind?! What the fuck?!

[Louise]

And isn't the whole reason Cris and Ford aren't friends what Ford did to Jessica? Didn't Cris hate him for that and kick him out? How would Jessica have completely missed this? You'd think Ford would have cried to her about how big mean Cristian didn't understand what a good man he'd become.

[C]

I remember Cris and Layla kicking Ford out of their apartment after they found out he had been sleeping with Langston behind poor Markko's back. But yea, I doubt all the Jessica stuff won him any points with the Vega.

I'm convinced that all this Cris/Jess stuff is really somehow about propping Ford and Ford/Jess some more. Can't Clint pop out and call him a rapist again?

[LoriK]

Ford didn't need to whine about how mean Cris was to him. The show isn't turning Cris evil, they're just writing him off.

I'm one of the people who never really cared about Kim as a character or Clint & Kim as a couple. The backstory they've given her and the fact that Stacy is apparently still alive has totally killed the minimal interest I had. She can go any time now and take Stacy with her.

I'm fine with the people that have signed with PP so far. I was sort of hoping ME wouldn't make the jump so that we could finally see the end of Nat/John, but oh well. As long as ES & KDP are around I guess I can continue to tolerate Jolie if I have to.

There are people I would really love to see stay on the show that seem unlikely to sign and I'm worried that they'll keep some characters who series need to go, but I've decided not to get upset one way or the other until the final cast list is in.

[Leanne]

Soooo, is it just me, or could Cutter and Kim not possibly look less alike? And what the fuck happened at the Spotted Pony??? There is nothing in the world THAT bad that anyone would be talking about it like that.

[C]

Watching Cris adorably ask Jessica if he could kiss her was such a contrast to Ford slamming Jessica against a door and sticking his tongue down her throat.

Yet, Cris got the boot and we're probably supposed to cheer on Ford.

Pass.

[guilty pleasure]

I thought we were supposed to find out Cutter's secret regarding what happened at The Spotted Pony today (at least from what I was told from the spoilers I read!), but Cutter and Kim didn't divulge what happened at The Spotted Pony!!! WTF?!?!?!

[waiting for wow]

Not only did Todd say Blair's name several times today, he says it in this way that just sort of breaks my heart, and then there is always this litle pause like he can't quite say what he really wants too... But Roger, I love you Dude, but your Bieber hair has to go, Now although Blair's hair is not at it's best right now either, That's T&B their hair always matches.
Loved Blair's look when Starr was saying she always missed Todd..
Jack truly is the vilest of the vile, sure he's grieving but being a jerk to Blair, Starr, and Sam Somehow he seems to vave inherited all of Victor Lord, Sr and JR, and Irene DNA and none of the awesome Cramer and Todd and Viki DNA.

[Louise]

We may see the end of Nat/John yet. I'd be perfectly happy with John just being a bitchy, funny cop on the new version. (Oh never mind, he has a damn kid.)

C, isn't the Cris and Jess stuff to kind rev up our memories for however Erin Torpey's return is going to play into Cris' departure? That seems to be its only function right now. I may be a fool, but recent episodes have given me faith that Jess and Ford aren't going to be a couple. (My friend just emailed me: "I refuse to believe that someone could kiss Cris and not want to marry him right away." I'm pretty much right there with her.)

Dandesun, I'd truly feared the online OLTL would just be the youth set or something. Slezak and dePaiva were all I needed to say HELL YES to it for now. And oh yes, Dani gaining and losing a father once a year might be a good recurring gag, but only if she did start just shrugging and saying, "Yeah. Figures. Next?"

And finally -- yes, waiting for wow, Todd's hair is dreadful!

[C]

Louise, I agree that some of the Jess/Cris stuff is to stir up nostolga before Erin's scenes on Thursday.

But I also know that Ford is in the next two episodes...I won't say anymore...

[Andrea]

Does it make me a bad person if I laughed at Jack telling Sam that Victor was dead?? I think so. However, I didn't think it was as bad as people were making it out to be. It was wrong, but Jack didn't really yell at Sam or shake him or anything. I do think that deep down, I mean like really deep down, he is a fairly decent person, but he's too emotionally disturbed to realize that he hurts people until after he does something to them.

waiting for wow, I think that Jack definitely has inherited Todd and Blair's DNA, just the bad aspects of them. And Victor's parenting and way of being a role model for Jack just made sure that he'd be one fucked up kid.

I loved Todd saying that he didn't shoot Victor because of Blair. And then they hug in the promo!!!! Here's hoping that Tomas isn't too much of a cockblocker in their reunion.

[LB]

•Todd said Blair's name multiple times today. Multiple! I am easily pleased on some fronts.

Me too - but it's not just that he says her name (I am grateful for that). It's the way he says it. And he keeps doing it everytime he mentions her to someone else.

•The look on Blair's face when Jack said Todd should be dead. Here's how Blair feels about that idea {picture}

Totally missed this. Thank you.

I'm totally back to being the obsessed teenager I was about these two a decade ago.

[LoriK]

@Leanne: Kim supposedly had a bunch of plastic surgery so it makes sense that she no longer resembles her brother. (Never mind that the pic they used of Kim's supposed original face didn't look like Cutter either.)

[LadyBug]

I could so do without Cutter, Aubrey, Stacy#2, all of the Ford brothers, Vimal and Rama at this point. Bring back TSJ as Victor and pit Todd vs Victor and Natalie vs Jessica.

[Dirk Mancuso]

I thought the Wentworth back-story was ret-conned a bit but anything with Amanda Setton gets an A+ from me (even the return of Stacy Marasco, which I am thinking may be the way the show will write Rex off).

Re: the flashback -- Alison Perkins! Good golly, how I love Barbara Garrick (and am totally hoping for a Mitch Laurence/Allison return before January!)

[Bourgeois Nerd]

I ADORE the Cutter/Aubrey/Kim stuff. It all fits perfectly (probably so perfectly because it's a retcon, but whatever) and it means that CUTTER ISN'T CJ!!! Really, that's all I care about, because the stupidity of that would have just sent me into non-stop rant mode for several weeks, and no one wants that.

I was shocked at how sweet I found Cris and Jessica, as well as the "we're sisters no matter what" between Starr and Dani.

GET YOUR HANDS OFF SUPERSAM, YOU LITTLE SHIT! Seriously, Jack is awful. But, you know, that does make sense. The little smartass that got indulged and petted as a kid, with a jackass father/uncle as a role model, grows up to be a jerk makes sense. He's the worst of Blair and Todd with the inherent awfulness of teenage boys. The problem is that Andrew Trischitta can't act.

About Todd's hair: let's put one of us at the docks in the rain and we'll see how good OUR hair looks at the police station! *LOL*

[TV's Tim]

AT has got to be the leading contender for "Worst Recast Of The Year". It's clear that they want Jack to be the new "Villain You Love To Hate", but he's merely annoying, irritating and one-note. Here's hoping PP gets Carmen back and PRONTO.

[Ron]

Now, I very much enjoyed TSJ. I think he put a real spark into a pretty loathsome character. His psycho humor and his complete narcissism was almost always delivered in a manner that I couldn't turn away from. The guy has a delivery that is unique. So, I loved TSJ, but that doesn't mean I loved Todd or Victor or whatever the hell they're calling him now. Most of the time, I really enjoyed loathing the psycho.

On his best days, he was merely a sociopath. On his worst, he was a pitless psychopath. So, forgive me if I can't really get behind the water buffalo braying grief that Foghorn Leghorn aka Dani, and the repellent brat Jackass are bellowing right now. Todd/Victor wasn't exactly the warm and cuddly type, and no amount of history rewriting will make it so, or should make it so. I get them feeling sad, but there should be a bit more conflict in that sadness. He caused each of them more grief than anything.

Tea, her feelings I believe. For all his faults - and she knew each one - she loved the guy. And maybe because of the actress, I buy it. But it seems just yesterday that Dani screeched her way through greiving Ross, and this sadness about Victor/Todd is just a little too much. As for Jackass, I suggest a premature burial to shut him up, with a long-delayed time before they dig him back up. What an obnoxious brat, played by a talentless kid.

I hope Sam kicks that psycho right in his two brain cells - hard.

[SueB]

I still think that Dani didn't mourn Ross because it was short faux-Ross (the worst recast in recent memory), not the guy that we see every day on the drug ad. She didn't even know him...

[SaneN85]

Frankly, I'm glad that someone is acknowledging that they loved Victor like a father for 8 years (even if it is Jack). I know Blair and Starr are saying that they loved him and are grieving, but I'm not seeing a single bit of it. It's irritating me that they are basically shrugging it off because they have the Todd they prefer back.

[givingback105]

I feel like Blair and Starr have done nothing but mourn since Victor died. Starr in particular. She's cried for days. And she went to Dani to tell her how much she loved Victor. Blair's face when she found out Victor was dead was heartbreaking. She can't really fall apart completely since she has three children who are (or will soon be) mourning and she has to hold it together for them. But I don't feel like either Blair or Starr are anything less than devastated by Victor's death.

[LoriK]

Honestly, I don't think Blair & Starr have all that much to mourn. The love they supposedly had for Victor seems more like love for Todd keeping them tied to a man who treated them both like crap for years now.

Victor basically tossed Blair & Starr aside years ago for Tea and Danyella so it's not like they have much reason to put him first in their affections.

[LadyBug]

I really wanted to know if Victor has always been a psycho or is it because he was brainwashed with Todd's history?

[gato]

I know I am in the minority but, I like Cutter, Kim, And (gasp) Ford....

[Judy]

I thought the Cris/Jess thing was sweet. I'm kinda sorry they didn't put those two back together.

Meanwhile, I feel like I saw a different show than y'all re: Todd saying Blair was the reason he couldn't kill Victor. All I heard was - several times - his kids loved Victor so he couldn't do it cuz then they would hate him - especially Jack. I do remember him saying Blair talked him out of it, but don't remember a particularly "I love Blair" look on his face. Oh, well. The pinnacle for me was that whole "Don't you dare forget me" kiss when he first came back, so maybe I'm just waiting for more of that.