Unpopular Opinion about OLTL storylines.

[Ginuwine]

Does anyone have any unpopular opinions about OLTL?

Todd Manning becoming Vicki and Tina's brother. I don't know how unpopular that is, but I definitely hated it and still do.

Killing off my beloved Gabrielle and Al. Max and Gabrielle should of been the endgame couple.

Vicki cheating on Clint with Sloane and breaking up their marriage.


Writing off wonderful characters like Ed, Carla, and Sadie.

Killing off Didi and Sarah.

Also, I really liked MaryLynn Dennison. I wish she had stayed longer on the show.

[Jagger1966]

I hated the fact that they made nurse Janet actually be Lee Halpern only to promptly kill her off again. We don't even know if Mari Lynn ever found out she didn't actually kill her own mother. I also hated Didi's death by electrocution as well as Grace Phillips' Sarah being dumped and the character being killed off again only a year after returning. But the thing that still makes my blood boil to this day is the way that the show dumped Ellen Holly and Lillian Hayman, particularly Hayman telling her in a parking garage that she was done on the show. Their characters Carla and Sadie had been there since day one and they deserved better than what Paul Rauch did to them.

[JaySherman]

In the mid 80s, Viki and Mari Lynn became quite close. Her wedding to Wade Coleman was held at Llanfair and they lived in the Carriage House. She even had scenes with Kevin and Joey. Anthony Call's wife Margo Husain Call used to handle continuity and probably could have reminded the writers of that but her role was phased out in the mid 2000s before Lee was resurrected.

I agree on Lillian Hayman considering she had been with the show since the beginning. Tell her in person she is going on recurring and if she doesn't like it write her out but give her the decency of telling her in person. There was no reason for the hard drop.

Grace Phillips made for a good Sarah recast and was similar in appearance to Jessica Tuck's Megan. I didn't like Sarah dying permanently at the time (the writers made sure we knew she was dead this time) and the only blessing is that Nora replaced her and stuck around.

I don't recall if Barbara Truetlaar (Didi) was going to stay but if she didn't plan on it, then it made sense to kill her off (especially after all she went through with Bo and Delilah)

[LukeIsDaMan]

I hated the character development Rex and Marcie had, felt it took something special away from each character and changed them too much.

[soapfan6]

I hated that they made Jack into a bully. He was a handul but he was a sweet mamas boy. And then they tried to make it seem lime Blair was too busy not paying attention to him as one of the causes.

I hated they made Eli into a monster. That would have and should have been a great love triangle when Todd returned.

I still dont like Dani being older than Jack

I hated Ford being the father of Jessica baby and not paying for sexual assaulting her.

I hated the Rapemance story with Marty and Todd/Victor.

I didnt like teen mom Starr.

[O_Snap!]

Cole and Starr were awful. Even though I was annoyed at the focus on the Fords at the end of the show's run, I really liked Starr and James together and they even had a good nemesis with that little nutty girl (Hannah??) that used to stalk them.

I wish the show hadn't ended on with TnB married and him leaving her to run off on another dangerous errand like when he went to Ireland. Either make them endgame and give them a shred of peace or end the show with them apart and Todd making it clear that he was gonna do what he had to get her back.

I hated they made David Vickers the child of my man Bo. Make him Clint's son or even Asa's because I love him in the family just not my baby Bo. They never had any good father/son chemistry.

I couldn't stand Destiny but I did love her big brother Sean.

I liked the Rappaports (OG Sam though, I wasn't w/ Sam's recast. Nothing against LL but he wasn't Sam to me)

I hated Kassie, Andrew, River and anything to do with them. I was so mad they never gave Dorian a more dynamic and interesting child and she got stuck with cryin' Kassie.

[PANTISHA1]

I loved Eterna. Wish Bo ended up with Sarah. Wanted a Natalie to be paired with Al. I liked Marilyn and LeeAnn wish both had been given more to do. Really liked Cassie with Rob back in the 80s. Never saw Luna as Max’s one true love - it is Gabrielle. Loved Lindsay mainly for the Lindsay/Nora rivalry which to me was better than The played out Viki vs. Dorian. Also think Tea was better with Todd than Blair. Liked Marty and Todd rapemance the chemistry was there and the story was dark. I think Marty and Patrick are one of the shows best all time couples up there with Jake and Megan. Loved Blondie and Ben too. still don’t like the Antonio character and how later on John Mcbain ate the show.

[AllenAJ]

I agree Todd and Tea were the best couple imo.
I think Danny was perfect casting, its amazing to me how much the actress looks like Flo/Tea today.
Jack story was not good to me. I hated the bully Jack rejection of Todd story.
I'm about to make some people angry.
Never liked Ben and Vicki together, but loved the actors
Never liked Patrick and Marty together
Hated when they got rid of Carlotta's actress for having an opinion
Was never fussed about David Vickers

[LukeIsDaMan]

Agree about Carlotta, wasn't the actress merely stating how she believed the character of Carlotta would react...not what she personally believed?

[JaySherman]

Patricia Mauceri did state someone like Carlotta wouldn't have said what she said in that scene based on the character's background. I can understand that. If she refused to play the scene, then I can see why they would have replaced her. Many soap actors have played roles or scenes they didn't like. Erika Slezak stated in an interview that she played whatever they gave her even if she didn't like the writing - she brings up when Viki was brainwashed to kill Kevin as a storyline she really hated but played anyway. She said in the interview she is not a writer and only a few times ever suggested anything to the writers regarding stories. Patricia Mauceri appeared in a film with a homosexual love story called "I Think I Do" and Tuc Watkins was in it as well so I don't think she was anti-gay.

[AllenAJ]

I Guess they just wanted to get rid of her. I often listen to what the actors think about their characters and I feel like they always seem to in most scenarios have a better grasp on the characters than the writers, Maybe it has something to do with writers coming and going. I dunno. From a fan perspective I love how the character Carlotta fit. I hated that.

[Luke]

I can go on and on.

I hate what was done to Marty over John McBain

I did not like (in any way) the need to make Jessica into Viki 2.0. Her multiple personalities were awful creations and the explanation for her condition was lame

I wish Todd and Blair had gone their separate ways. I love the couple. But a long break was desperately needed (I'm including Victor's time as Todd). And this idea the two couldn't find happiness elsewhere was absurd. Which is why I enjoyed Blair with Tomas and leads me to my next unpopular opinion

I absolutely enjoyed the OLTL crossover to GH and loved Todd and Blair together. It was different and a breath of fresh air

[O_Snap!]

I loved Todd Manning on GH. I do hate the fact that they killed he and Blair's grandbaby to make that happen, though.

[Luke]

Looking back at my post, I think I meant to say I loved Todd and Carly together.

O_Snap! See, I had no problem with that story because I was always under the impression that Hope (and Cole) weren't dead. The stage was set for it to be the case (no bodies being found being the main reason).

I assumed the plan was to bring Starr to Port Charles, have her "lose" her child and SO for the sake of the drama (the whole Sonny was to blame, Todd trying to get revenge angle). Have Starr settle in Port Charles with Michael. I think Ron and Frank were banking Prospect Park not working out and going full on out with a hybrid soap. Cole and Hope eventually showing up on a possible Michael and Starr wedding day.

I even responded to a Kristen Alderson tweet on the story and I'm under the impression that she too either thought or knew that was the eventual llan

[stavdash]

The Natalie character should have never existed. Clint and Viki didn't need that extra daughter.
Same goes for Rex. The idea of his being Clint's biological son is completely ludicrious. It doesn't fit, story-wise or time-wise.

Al and Marcie were lame. People are too easily charmed by mundaneness and they were it.

The Vega's should not have made it out of the 1990s. Every single member of that tribe was terrible.

There's no way Todd and Blair would have had a daughter as short as Starr. She should have been recast by the time she entered high school.

[soapfan6]

I can kind of see Starr being super small because she was a premie. the thing that messed it up was making Jack so tall because I think Blair gave birth to him at around 6 months and I think starr was about 8 almost full term right?

[LukeIsDaMan]

I didn't mind Rex, but liked him as Roxy's son and before the so called Character development. I agree somewhat on Al/Marcie...I didn't mind them, but Marcie was another character that changed too much...took away something from the character IMO. I did like the twin storyline with Clint/Viki though.

[Humira]

But...Carlotta's flan....

[lcarus]

Eterna was a great story. It was fun and the music for it was great (as was all music during the Rauch era). I am surprised they never even mentioned Eterna again. Or the gold there. Seems like a no brainer for a story. Considering how much Carlivati loved the 80s era of the show, I expected a return to Eterna.

[JaySherman]

Some random thoughts

• I always found John McBain to be "meh". No offense to Michael Easton but I never was invested in his character.
• I was ok with Jack being a bully however I believe had the show continued he would have grown out of it. He was surrounded by the "Cramer Women" with only his father as a role model so it made sense for him to act out.
• I disliked that the show wrote out Elizabeth Sanders. She was a good adversary for Asa and Lois Kibbie could sound classy saying anything
• I hated the "Tess" nonsense and through watching some old clips found something where Niki tells Clint that she would have left Jessica home alone if she hadn't taken her. That we all know is crap based on OLTL History (Nanny Kim anyone?)
• I hated what happened to Cole and Marty. Cole should have never been sent to jail and Marty should never have gone insane
• I hated that they killed off Mel Hayes as I think he was a better partner than David for Dorian.
• I hated that they continually dove into the crazy jar when it came to Cassie (Laura Koffman). How dare we have a strong young woman on the show.
• I actually liked that David became Bo's other son. After years of not knowing what to do with the character of David, making him Bo's son worked for me.
• I hated that Renee became an afterthought. She was such an important part of the Buchanan family as Asa's wife and providing counsel to many. Her screen time steadily dropped and she then was gone.
• The "Two Todds" could have been handled a little better behind the scenes. I suspect Trevor St John left due to some issue there. I don't recall if "Victor" died before the cancellation was announced. Having Todd and Victor on hand would have made for interesting stories.
• I agree with the comment about Dani. There was no reason to make her older.
• I actually liked Tom Degnan as Joey. Nathan Fillion wasn't coming back and he worked for me as a recast. Joey was a loving and trusting man and I can see why he would have been conned by Aubrey
• Kevin should never have been written out. Dan Gauthier was a great recast and it was only through Dena Higley's bad writing that he became unlikable. Jack Armstrong (Kevin during the Jean Randolph storyline) was also a good Kevin.

[WalnutGirl]

I hated that Cassie went crazy as well. She and Andrew were one of my favorite couples.

[MrsDashDunning]

I hated that they made Dani Todds kid. I didn't want him tied to that screeching banshee Tea in any way shape or form. I still hate it.
I hated Todd having anything to do with Tea. I loathe that woman.
Hated that they ended up having Blair and tea friends. NO, just NO!
I feel the tale of the two Todds could have had great stories. Too bad the show was cancelled.
I hated The Ford brothers. Ugh and when James would call Starr Twinkle it made me cringe.
I hated that Marty went bonkers and killed Dr. Buhari and tried to kill Natalie and stabbed Kelly. She was always a strong woman and fighter but having her end up going bananas was stupidly ridiculous.
I hated when Rex and Gigi were able to watch the past on a television set and see how she suffocated/died. That was lazy and dumb.

[LL2fan4life]

I hated the way they Matthew under the bus.

I will NEVER get over the way they butchered the bullying storyline at the end. All of that for zero payoff.

It's not a storyline but them wasting Tika Sumpter's talent was criminal. Say what you want but she didn't "suddenly" become star material after leaving the show (especially since she appeared on Gossip Girl like the same week her last episode of OLTL aired). She always had *it* and they refused to give her a chance to shine. But look at her now. And speaking of actresses who had *it* and prospered after leaving the show...

Killing off Evangeline. I know this board doesn't like to talk about race but there was A LOT of discussion from Black fans around that decision and the general concensus is that it was a slap in the face and a kick in the gut. Like, seriously y'all, they literally decided, for no reason, "yeah, we're gonna just go ahead and give the win to the white supremacists and have Vangie die." It was unnecessary and cruel and I won't ever be over it. Ever.

Natalie. I never liked her and never bought the back story they invented for her existence.

Marty losing her mind over *checks notes* John McBain. No. Just no. I wasn't even a Marty fan but I have to laugh at the ridiculousness of that.

Adriana getting thrown under the bus to prop Rex and Gigi as The Greatest Love of All.

Todd and Marty's rapemance should have never happened and RC has proven ever since (Ford/Jess, Kate /Johnny GH, Abby/Stefan Days) that he is... not the best at dealing with issues surrounding anything to do with consent and/or sexual assault.

Killing off Mel. There was no reason for it.

Starr and Cole were awful and I hated the teen pregnancy. I just... My girl deserved better. So much better.

Clint morphing into Asa. I did not like that character change at all.

Gabrielle and Al being killed off. Big mistakes. Huge.

[JaySherman]

Killing off Mel, Gabrielle and Al were huge mistakes. Gabrielle and Al were reportedly killed off as TPTB at the time wanted to eliminate the Holdens (did they have Bob Guza as a mentor for that?) I don't recall the rational for killing off Mel but I think it may have had something to do with trying to get rid of Robin Strasser. After a period of time of blaming Viki for Mel's death she left town when Robin Strasser quit the show.

I agree on Evangeline and Layla. Evangeline deserved more than to be thrown in a coma and have an offscreen death although from what I understand the show took the path for her death because fans indicated they wouldn't accept a recast. It was ABC's fault for failing to acknowledge REG's worth to keep her on the show. The TPTB were being super cheap around the time she left and she rightly told them she wasn't interested when they lowballed her.

Tika Sumpter has shown she has a lot of talent and can even carry a show (she is one of the leads on The Haves and Have Nots). It seemed the show didn't know what to do with her, probably because Brian Frons was pushing his favorites - he was toxic to the show.

No offense to Michael Easton but I really never saw John McBain's appeal. Everyone seemed to want him.

I was fine with Natalie, Star and Cole as well as Clint morphing into Asa. In regards to Clint, I went back and watched some old shows on YT and he was a bit Asa-ish back then. It would make sense that a son would take on their father's traits - especially as Clint ran BE before Asa died and had to take a bigger role afterwards.

I understood the "rapemance" intention but I can see why people would be upset with how far it went.

I actually like Natalie and was happy the show made her and Jessica twins. With Kevin and Joey out of the picture (which shouldn't have happened), Jessica needed a sibling on canvas. I think the intent may have been to mirror Viki/Tina in Jessica/Natalie (unexpected sisters one blonde and one redhead)

And I completely agree regarding tossing Brody aside for Ford. The focus groups may have though Ford was "hot" but it made sense for Brody and Jessica to be together. Based on how Ron wrote things, I got the impression he wanted them together but was pushed to connect Jessica and Ford. Remember when Jessica lost her memory and then got it all back in a rush - it was all Brody.

[katya2032]

Stephen Markle and Laura Koffman were fired by Jill Farren Phelps, the soap killer.

[JHope]

The treatment of REG and Tika Sumpter was horrible.

I read Ellen Holly's book about her time on OLTL, and saw similarities to how REG & TS were being treated. They have more talent than several of the actors who had major storylines on the show. I was a big fan of both of their characters. It's no surprise to me that Tika Sumpter has become the star that she has become.

[llanviewlover]

Here are a few of the biggest clunkers in my opinion:

Bringing Victor Lord back from the dead in the 2000s, decades after viewers watched him die in the hospital and even after his body had been exhumed when Dorian went on trial for his murder in the 1990s.

The same with rewriting Lee Halpern's death, which we witnessed on screen when her daughter shot her as she struggled with Donald Lamarr, It was a twist that made no sense and served no purpose.

That time they recast Joey and turned him into a priest -- so out of character for him after witnessing all of this sexcapades with Dorian and then her niece Kelly.

While I enjoyed the character of Megan, the story around her forgotten birth made little sense, especially writing that Larry helped deliver the child and then said nothing for decades.

Turning Irene Manning into some super spy who faked her death even though viewers saw her die in the 70s also was dumb. However, I did love that they brought back Roger Howarth as the original Todd and turned the other Todd into his brother (if memory is correct), so we'll call that one even.

[JaySherman]

The Victor Lord lives storyline was a HUGE clunker. Malone and Griffith's previous story made Victor Lord irredeemable so to bring him back had no legs. Had Victor survived he would be a pariah in town and Viki had long gotten closure from what happened. Todd confronting his father changed nothing so it was a non starter and there were no scenes with Victor and Tina either. I appreciated when Ron tried to ret-con the resurrection away by having them doubt it was Victor.

Lee Halpern's resurrection was a misfire because there was no tie back to the original story. No one mentioned "hey, let's call Mari Lynn and let her know" nor was there any scenes between Lee and her daughter. Lee Patterson had already passed on so Tom Dennison couldn't make an appearance but even if Tammy Ammerson wasn't available, why not recast and have Mari Lynn either mourn or reconnect with her mom.

I know many would like to forget Eterna although others enjoyed it. S Michael Schnessel really enjoyed these odd stories and I think OLTL started tanking in the ratings because he was gone (reportedly passed away) with the writers replacing him having no clear path. I did hate how Viki only had a few years with Megan before she died. While I understand Jessica Tuck's desire to leave, I wish they would have kept her alive and let her say move away from Llanview.

I did actually kinda enjoy the Two Todds and Irene's resurrection. Had OLTL not been cancelled, TSJ might have stuck around and the story continued. The reboot tried to revisit it but did a horrible job with the characters (except for Tea) acting like "Victor" had gone to the store for milk and not come back, not come back from the dead.

[JCmojoe81]

anything relating to John McBain. Loved ME on Port Charles, but I was not into John McBain at all. Probably my least favorite character that stuck around for awhile in the latter years of OLTL. Other characters I liked less (like the Fords for instance) but they came and went....John McBain came, stayed and planted roots. Never took to the character