Inside this issue:
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R & R With Rebecca
We’re now well into the second
“book” of PC’s revolutionary new telenovella format, and I must say
I’m not overly impressed. It’s not even so much a matter of style
over substance, because truth be told, there’s not a whole lot of style
lately, either. It really hurts to be critical, but although there are
things I do appreciate about this new type of storytelling, by and large,
I’d have to say that the show is not as good under this new format. This
week I’m going to examine what I feel are the three main problem areas,
and next week I’m hoping to issue a prescription to correct some of what’s
ailing the show right now.
First, this new approach is way,
way, way, too rushed. Its proponents (AKA the writers) don’t seem to have
cottoned on to the fact that in Soap Opera, as in life, getting there is
half the fun. Where was the slow, lingering build-up to Eve and Ian’s first
kiss/lovemaking---even more to the point, how did Eve go from being a happily
married woman one day to being madly in love with Ian (a work colleague
whom she knows next to nothing about outside the hospital ) the next? Where
were the slow reveals with this couple, as they gradually got to know one
another’s past histories, bonding over shared backgrounds, future aspirations,
and common interests? In short, where is the love (which we are now being
asked to believe in) coming from? Sorry, but just because he thinks she’s
feisty and she knows he’s a hunk, it does not spell undying and eternal
love for the two of them , not in my dictionary, anyways! Furthermore,
it does absolutely nothing to endear Ian to us (quite the opposite, in
fact), and merely succeeds in reducing both him and Eve to the level of
brainless sex maniacs---can TIIC spell character assassination?
Next, where is the attention
to detail? When introducing anything new, be it a storyline, character,
or whatever, we, the audience, have to know what the deal is---for instance,
when Arianna was first brought on, and throughout her whole storyline,
we’ve never been shown who or what she’s about. What did she want to be
as a child---did she ever see herself breaking out from under her family’s
collective thumb, and if so, what did she want to do? What are her dreams,
hopes, aspirations, and how does what she’s been through in the past affect
her life today? This same sad lack of attention to detail can also be seen
in the introduction of Livvie and her boyfriend, as well as in the
dynamics of their relationship---what draws them to one another? As Smokey
stated in last week’s excellent Port Charles Street column, shallow romance
has superseded what could well prove to be some very gripping realities---with
Livvie, for instance, how does it feel to know your family is pretty much
all, except for you, certifiable? Wouldn’t you think she might have some
questions for dear old Dad about the gene pool?
Last, but certainly not least,
where IS everybody? Courtney is AWOL, supposedly because she’s not one
of the characters featured in the new arc, the kids are MIA, as are Joe,
Gaby, Victor, Mary, and the list continues. Traditionally, soaps have tried
to highlight many different stories at the same time, and there’s a reason
for that---for one thing, a person can unwind after an intensely emotional
scene with a little comedy and light banter , and for another there are
a lot of different people featured , so it reduces the boredom factor;
if a person doesn’t like a particular character/storyline, then just FF
on to the next one. The way it is now, if someone dislikes an entire story
arc, there’s just not enough variety to keep them coming back , day after
day, for 3 months, even if they’re an ardent fan of PC. Plus, in order
to fit all of these stories into a limited time slot, the little things
that mean so much (i.e. consistent plot and character development) have
to
be truncated and the endings cut off short with little or no payoff for
the viewing time invested in them.
In short, what we’ve been seeing
lately are rushed, hurried storylines, written sloppily so as to fit into
a specific time frame, characters acting inconsistently at best, totally
out of character at worst, and little or no interaction between characters
who are not central to a particular story arc (as a prime example, just
how does Joe feel about Frank getting involved with his ex-fiancee?
Or Mary, for that matter? Does Scotty approve of her new love interest?
Come on, guys, a cameo appearance by Kin Shriner to clear up this niggling
little detail would be nice!) All in all, TPTB should wake up and realize
that when it comes to soaps the condensed version just won’t cut it ---we
want our soaps long, luxurious, and above all else, unabridged!
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