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HOME / Columns / My View of Llanview / My View of Llanview: June 15 Edition

My View of Llanview

My View of Llanview: June 15 Edition

HOME / Columns / My View of Llanview / My View of Llanview: June 15 Edition

My View of Llanview

My View of Llanview: June 15 Edition

My View of Llanview: June 15 Edition

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Must see TV? More like must miss TV.

The more I watch “One Life to Live” these days, the more I am convinced that the show itself is bi-polar. From week to week and even day to day this show goes from entertaining to choppy and idiotic. It seems to have more ups and downs than a roller coaster. And lately, it has been on a serious downturn.

Take Tuesday’s (June 14) episode for example. As much as the thought of Tess and Ford dressed in nun habits making out in a padded cell at a mental hospital excites me (only it really doesn’t), it is exactly what is wrong with this show right now. The Ford invasion of Llanview continues, even with the show winding down in mere months. Time would be much better spent focusing on the core characters and long-time veterans that have basically carried the show for decades. This mushy, nauseating love story of a man-whore and a bitchy, one-note alternate personality was a disaster even before it began, not to mention the fact that it will likely end the same way Tess’ last relationship with. Remember that one? When Tess fell in love with Nash, only to have Jessica regain control and fall for him as well? It’s sad when writers steal ideas from others shows, but it is even worse when they start repeating themselves with nearly identical storylines over and over again. Yeah, I know that this time there is a baby involved….well last time there was a kid mixed up in it too, when Jessica was going to adopt Antonio’s little girl Jamie. Concept-wise, it’s pretty much the same thing.

As bad as they are, however, Ford and Tess are not the only reason why this show is stagnant at the moment. This Jack bullying Shane storyline is boring me to tears right now. And no, I’m not upset that Gigi is locked in a basement room where she is slowly succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning. I just flat out do not care for the character, or for that idiot Rex. John-Paul Lavoisier really needs to work on fighting the urge to make stupid faces while on camera. Just sayin’. Getting back to Jack, I might be more invested in this storyline if Andrew Trischitta would project his character’s emotions and motivations more. He’s playing Jack like a one-note thug, who appears to have no real reason for picking on Shane. Yeah, I know that he makes fun of him because he has asthma, but what made him decide to target Shane in the first place, out of all of his classmates? That’s what they should be focusing on. Andrew’s delivery just comes across to flat in his scenes with Shane, as well as his cohort Brad, to make things even remotely interesting for me…although I do like it that Shane is fighting back now and standing up for himself.

Speaking of interesting, what the hell was the point of bringing Patrick back to life only to show the back of his head in a couple of scenes as part of Marty’s seemingly hastily written exit from Llanview? And placing him in the same “facility” as the man with Todd’s old face? What was up with that? Even by “One Life” standards, none of that makes any sense…imagine that. As I have mentioned before, Ron Carlivati apparently loves these little plot twists that go nowhere. And yes, I realize that the show was aggressively trying to lure Thorsten Kaye back as Patrick to usher his reel and real-life wife off the show, and had to make alternate arrangements when negotiations fell through, but come on, they could have easily done a much better job than this. It’s just the latest in a seemingly endless series of plotholes.

But it’s not all bad. There are bright spots in the dark pit that is Llanview. Matthew’s storyline is heartbreaking, especially with regards to Bo and Nora. They are consumed by grief and each handling the situation a little differently. Bo, knowing how it feels to lose a child, is trying to be somewhat realistic, realizing that his son could save someone else’s life. And Nora is in denial that her son’s condition is as bad as the doctors say that it is, refusing to give up and holding on whatever little glimmer of hope she can find. Grief can be a very powerful emotion, especially with regards to the loss of a child. Although I have never experienced that level of trauma first hand, I can only imagine how very, very difficult it must be for parents to let go of a child, especially when that child was perfectly healthy throughout their life before being sudden stricken with a potentially fatal medical issue. Along the same lines, I also like the idea of Destiny being possibly being pregnant with Matthew’s baby. I think it adds a nice twist to the storyline, but it gives Destiny an actual storyline, instead of just dispensing advice. And I also am enjoying Viki’s conversations with Bo and Nora over the pain of losing a child. After all, Viki had one to die (Megan) and another (Jessica) who is, in a way, gone as well, with Tess in control for months now. Although I would love to see the writers just throw in a random Viki/Bo kiss just as a nod to long-time fans who have always wondered why the two were never linked romantically over the years.

Moving on, congratulations to “oltlfan83,” who correctly identified last time’s mystery “OLTL” celebrity guest star, which was former former “Blue’s Clues” star Donovan Patton, who was one of the thugs that roughed up Nick Chavez, who then used the situation to his advantage, by trying to break up Kyle Lewis and Oliver Fish.

In case you missed the clues, here they are:

Here’s your clue….this aspiring actor found a more mature audience when he appeared in Llanview in 2009 as a thug.

Now it’s time to play another round of “Llanview, Who Am I?,” a new feature where you have to use the clues to figure out the identity of some mystery celebrity from “OLTL’s” past. See if you can figure it out. Good luck!!!

This accomplished jazz singer and pianist stopped by Llanview back in the ’70s, when she sang at someone’s wedding.

So who is this mystery group from the past? I’ll have the answers in the June 30th edition of My View of Llanview. Bonus points if you can tell me the names of the characters getting married, and which half of the happy couple she was related to on onscreen. And don’t forget to check out my Twitter page for all the latest “OLTL” news and information at SON.

Now, before I wrap up this column, I’m going to look into my crystal ball and give you a quick sneak peek at a few things coming up a few weeks down the road. These are for the week of July 4th. Secrets place one relationship in turmoil. Someone is out for revenge. An unlikely pair reach an understanding. And a life or death choice is made.

Well that’s concludes yet another column. Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.  Take care and stay safe. And until next time remember, we only have “One Life to Live”…

  • One Life to Live
  • Thorsten Kaye
  • John-Paul Lavosier
  • Ron Carlivati
  • column
  • Andrew Trischitta
  • Blue’s Clues

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