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One Life To Live Discussion Group
Back in "the day" I actually saved some tapes from my time watching ALL MY CHILDREN. Cindy's death - Erica's death - some random fun stuff with Palmer and Adam - not too much, and eventually I'd just erase them or toss them, realizing that it didn't make much sense in going back and watching that stuff.
Of course - fast forward several years, and now I'd LOVE to be able to see some of those classic characters and storylines. I always thought a 24 hour soap channel would give us that - I know SoapNet started with reruns of RYAN'S HOPE - I had always wanted them to pick up old SANTA BARBARA too, and 1980s AMC and OLTL.
I know some of those things are on YouTube, but the quality is for sh!t - but still, I guess it's a nice public service for people trying to get up to speed, or remember certain things.
Anyway, I got TiVO two years ago, and actually rarely use it for anything other than OLTL, movies and for "pausing" during live sporting events. I never bother to save OLTL, except one - last year's Christmas show.
* Jared is going to propose to Natalie, with Charlie and Viki there encouraging him. Roxy about spoils the surprise, but covers for it by saying that it is Charlie and Viki who are engaged. In the end, Natalie accepts, and Charlie and Viki discuss that it feels nice being engaged. They have some pleasant moments at the diner, when David ("Namaste") Vickers shows up.
* Rex, Gigi and Shane are home from church and Rex is stalling because he doesn't want to see the disappointment in his new son's face that he didn't get him the "Z-Box." Matthew and Bo come by, as does Roxy, who is just awesome. The scenes are natural, believable and funny - some very sweet moments, actually, with a hint that this family would weather anything (not a hint of hurricane Auntie Whorebag BLOWing into town). When Shane realizes that he doesn't have the Z-Box, he's actually cool with it, and for the first time called Rex "Dad."
* Dorian and the Cramers are watching The Boys opening their presents when Guardian Angel Mel shows up with a package from Todd to the kids. Mel has some choice/wise words to Dorian, which inspires her to take the extra Z-Box she had gotten for the toddler to give it to Rex to give to Shane. The package from Todd is significant, because Todd is not allowed to see the kids - Starr doesn't want hers, but thinks that Jack and Sam should get theirs. Jack doesn't want his either, but in the end Blair and Starr convince him to not turn it down. Another sweet, sweet family moment - clearly they are in pain over what has happened with their father (Starr has disowned him at this point), but they have come together. Addie has the line of the show by commenting how Starr and Langston are becoming great women who will help the boys become great men. Very interesting how they cast the same actress as Angel Mel as Dorian's lesbian wife - perfect, actually, since Human Mel was one of the loves of her life.
* Marty and Cole are struggling to connect, along with Nora. These were actually nice, and much needed scenes, as they all tried to make sense of their lives. Interesting that there was little (if no) mention of the baby lost in either these scenes, or with Starr. At the end of the episode Nora has gone to check in with Nigel, Cole has gone to give Starr a mix tape, and Marty...well...
* Todd dreams of Marty there to tell him she loves him. He wakes up alone, but he's not - Tea shows up to give him a gift; a shell from their island. She wants him to remember what it was like to be THAT Todd - one who would swim across the ocean and wouldn't let anything get to him. She never once discounts his love for Marty, and even has an interesting comment that she clearly loved him; when he says that "she had no choice - I wrote the playbook," Tea's response was, "What? If it's not organic it's not real?" WOW! Always impressed me with that line, even if it is tough for people to accept - that no matter what, the emotions Marty felt durinig the "rapemance" were real. Anyway, you can tell Tea remembers what it's like to have fallen for Todd, but she is keeping her emotions close to the vest. At the end he breaks down a little, over not being able to be with Marty, or especially his kids, and Tea let's on that she sent them presents and signed his name to it - since she does have his power of attorney. The show ends with Marty really showing up (this, of course, led to the suicide attempt on New Years)
There's a moment that is interesting to watch with current perspective when Tea makes mention that he has his three children to live for - without pause or hesitation. We know from her recent mea culpa to Rachel that she willed herself into believing that Ross was the farther, but it wasn't until she fell for him again that she decided to finally put it to rest, but still - there was nothing there to hint that she had this other secret lurking in her 1980s briefcase.
* The show also ended with the wonderfully named "Beaver Calhoun" stopping by to give Bo, Nora and the Buchanans a message from Asa - of course, this was the bombshell that Asa was David's father, which is how much of the first part of 2009 was spent.
No Clint in this episode (he was on the phone in another room) - Brody and Jessica were also not in it (there were in the nut hut) - nothing really with Chloe/Hope - Marcie and Michael were not in it - Talia was still alive, but not on the show - Antonio, Layla, Cris, John were also cooling their jets elsewhere - no Real Carlotta, Moe or Noel - and nothing with Vanessa, Lola or Ray.
Also, this was before Auntie Whorebag and her Slutty Sidekick Kimmie CAME into town - no Kish - no Mr. J - no Bags of Blood - Rachel, Greg and Destiny hadn't shown up and Shaun is only referenced once - Elijah, Ross, Ford and their lack of shirts were no where to be seen - but other than that, the show still feels connected with much of what is going on (yeah, it's only 10 months old), as well as being a very seminal episode.
The episode is on YouTube, broken into parts. I was very happy that OLTL decided to touch on topics of hope and family and had strong parts for the children on the show. So well written, acted and directed, and a nice change from the HEAVY drama of the year. Contrast to the abomination AMC was becoming last year (didn't KWAK burn up the Christmas tree and kids were kidnapped, etc?), and I just can't imagine why OLTL isn't the top rated ABC show.
Youtube is great. I'm constantly looking up new stuff to watch. There's someone that's been putting up Luke & Laura on the run story of 80-81 & I've watched Karen Wolek "I'm a hooker & he's my pimp" scenes too many times. I recently found some of David & Jenny & also when David came back with MLS so sad.
If any newer viewers are interested it's Bjujubee playlist "Todd Manning"
I have the "Trading Places" episode and "Babes Behind Bars." And on my DVR from this year, there is one show involving Brody and Jessica with Jess apologizing to Starr and Cole for the Chloe fiasco.
Sometimes I am fanatical about this show.