Santa Barbara - General Discussion

[cleo]

Yeah I wish they had taken it further with Eden and Robert. I also HATED him with Kelly and I just don't buy it- not based on how he was presented for the longest time. They changed his character to accommodate the fans. The only way it makes sense to me is imagining it as Quinn.

I don't necessarily think the E and C split should have been permanent but it was obvious there were worried about fan reaction and that affected how the storyline played out.

Edited August 29, 2022 by cleo

[Bali]

8 hours ago, cleo said:

Have you seen the storylines with Barr before? I actually haven't seen all of it. Quite a bit of his story first year, and then his last year. I missed some in the middle.

If I ever finish 1988 I'll start watching the Barr stuff I missed.

I haven't really seen any Robert Barr. The first time through 88 made me leave the show. I persevered this time and made it to Barr. Boy Howdy was that difficult to do. But if I can do it, you can too! 

I'll be your cheering section. GO! CLEO GO!

[cleo]

Well I'll be interested to hear what you think of the storylines with Robert. It does start slow. I made it to Nov 89. Then I missed most of 90.

As for 1988- lol thanks. I'm past the rape happening. I'm almost at October. So the end is in sight!

[Bali]

How many decades is Laura Asher and the Who Shot the Sleezeball storyline going to last? I was happier when I didn't know there WAS a Laura on the show. Frank Runyeon deserved better than the show gave Michael 

[cleo]

1 hour ago, Bali said:

Frank Runyeon deserved better than the show gave Michael 

100%. I skipped that whole Laura/ murder storyline. That was the one where there was nver actually a body, somehow they just woke up one day and assumed someone was murdered. Or at least that was how it seemed to me. 

I'll tell you right now the only thing I thought worthwhile in 1989 was when Robert came and even that starts kind of slow. The rest is a hot pile of garbage imo. 

ETA the actress playing Laura was terrible imo. Just a terrible actress, yes FR was so much better and could have done so much more. Also she just seems like kind of a crappy person. But that is my impression in bw many many fastforwarded scenes lol. 

Edited August 30, 2022 by cleo

[WendyCR72]

3 minutes ago, cleo said:

ETA the actress playing Laura was terrible imo. Just a terrible actress,

Not sure if it was Christopher Norris (the actress) or the writing, since, before SB, Norris spent many seasons on the prime time show, Trapper John, MD.

[cleo]

10 minutes ago, WendyCR72 said:

Not sure if it was Christopher Norris (the actress) or the writing, since, before SB, Norris spent many seasons on the prime time show, Trapper John, MD.

Yeah fair enough. the writing didn't help. Also it could just be me- the actress drove me crazy, I don't know why. I mean I don't think she is a great actress but probably I was a little harsh lol.  And then the storyline was just not my thing. 

ETA oh re my opinion on 1989. The stuff with Kelly and Ric, Cruz and Ric was ok. Just didnt go far.

Edited August 30, 2022 by cleo

[WendyCR72]

6 minutes ago, cleo said:

Yeah fair enough. the writing didn't help. Also it could just be me- the actress drove me crazy, I don't know why. I mean I don't think she is a great actress but probably I was a little harsh lol.  And then the storyline was just not my thing. 

ETA oh re my opinion on 1989. The stuff with Kelly and Ric, Cruz and Ric was ok. Just didnt go far.

I loved the potential of Kelly/Ric. And then...nothing. I was disappointed, to say the least.

[Bali]

On 8/30/2022 at 5:58 PM, WendyCR72 said:

I loved the potential of Kelly/Ric. And then...nothing. I was disappointed, to say the least.

I really think there was more potential with Ric and Kelly. Does Rick ever explain what was in the folder that will destroy Cruz? Does the audience ever find out? Cruz could have used a loyal brother. I feel like it was just a missed opportunity because they had the ridiculous Laura story.

Michael was wasted. They could have done a very interesting story where Scott and Heather break up, Celeste and Scott break up. Scott and Heather reunite. But Michael and Celeste's friendship grows and grows at a slow simmer until they are a couple. She is insecure about her past. He's insecure about his. They lean on each other. Family reunions are delightfully awkward. And so fun to watch, because while I hate Scott and Heather, I do love Celeste and Michael. 

At least Sophia is on once a week now. 

[cleo]

I don't recall them ever explaining what was in the folder. 

Agreed with all the comments on Ric. Another wasted opportunity. 

[Bali]

Hold on a second- was Augusta Mrs. Tonnell when he set Julia up for murder? I'm at the murder, but not the big reveal quite yet. 

[cleo]

Not sure, I think you've passed where I've watched. Or else I don't remember

My rewatch has stalled bc I'm about to start some home renovations and also baseball (my other addiction) is heating up 

[Bali]

It's taking a lot of work to accept Terry Lester as Mason.

Sasha and Julia are talking about how the married man never leaves the wife for the other woman. Julia says it happened once. What show is SHE watching? Mason left two wives for Julia. CC left two wives for Sophia. Cruz and Santana ended for Eden.  Lionel chose Sophia over Augusta often. 

[cleo]

Yeah Terry Lester is great but not for Mason. 

Leaving wives is one thing but I never bought Mason would cheat on Julia. And especially not as casually as he did with Sasha. Mason, fir all his faults, always struck me as a guy longing for his own family and I think he was all in with Julia and Mary before her.

[WendyCR72]

12 hours ago, Bali said:

Mason left two wives for Julia.

Who's #2? He left Tori for Julia. I don't recall another wife. If you mean Cassie, that was never made official...

ETA: Oh, Gina. But I doubt that was even legal since he was in his Sonny persona then.

[Bali]

21 hours ago, cleo said:

Yeah Terry Lester is great but not for Mason. 

Leaving wives is one thing but I never bought Mason would cheat on Julia. And especially not as casually as he did with Sasha. Mason, fir all his faults, always struck me as a guy longing for his own family and I think he was all in with Julia and Mary before her.

I so agree with this. It's part of why he was afraid to get married. He loved Julia deeply when they married. He fought Sonny to get to her. He wouldn't casually cheat on someone he loves. He took it too personally that it happened to his mom. 

I might have been okay with TL if Lane Davies hadn't done it first. But in the early episodes, TL seems to be trying too hard or something. I can't even express it. He's doing a great job acting, but it FEELS like acting. 

[Hiyo]

Terry Lester was really good as Jack Abbott on Y&R but for some reason he just didn't quite click in the role of Mason. Gordon Thomson did a much better job in the role.

[Bali]

18 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Who's #2? He left Tori for Julia. I don't recall another wife. If you mean Cassie, that was never made official...

ETA: Oh, Gina. But I doubt that was even legal since he was in his Sonny persona then.

I was counting Gina

[cleo]

I saw the Seinfeld ep with Gina G. She was pretty good. 

I'm slowly starting to get back to watching tv shows after the Blue Jays tore my beating heart out of my chest and stomped all over it. 

The rape storyline- one irritation is it is so obviously not the same actor doing the phone calls, or in the scene when the rapist goes back to the house. Ridiculous. I'm hoping this story is over soon. 

What else. Oh Bunny just came on the scene. 

Michael and Julia.......meh......Michael always seems to have a penchant for falling for the wrong woman. I remember loving Michael and Flame though hoo boy. 

Last night I was watching a clip of Eden/Lisa. Say what you will about the story but MW is a great actress imo. I'm looking forward to finally getting to that again but I hate the Andre character. All the charisma of a short, wet, yellow dishrag. 

[cleo]

I dont know if I buy the Capwells as Catholic.

If I had the choice of Sonny or Bunny, Bunny hands down.

[Bali]

16 hours ago, cleo said:

I dont know if I buy the Capwells as Catholic.

If I had the choice of Sonny or Bunny, Bunny hands down.

No one said they're good Catholics.

I started to agree about Bunny, but I'm not sure that I could handle loving a guy who looks better in my dresses than I do.

Kirk is back again. Cruz, just shoot him. Several times. Make it really count. And now Cruz is a shaman? ROTFLMAO!! I can picture it. The grape juice in the writers room fermented. They got shloshed, and someone piped up, Hey, what do we do with Cruz now?

I dunno, make him a Shaman. Then that drunk dude passed out. But they ran the story anyway

[cleo]

I guess I would figure them to be Protestant but honestly I know very little about either.

Bringing Kirk back again and again was ridiculous.

Upon further reflection I think I'm preferring Bunny bc Mason has a beard lol. Prefer LD clean shaven.

[Bali]

21 hours ago, cleo said:

I guess I would figure them to be Protestant but honestly I know very little about either.

Bringing Kirk back again and agn was ridiculous.

Upon further reflection I think I'm preferring Bunny bc Mason has a beard lol. Prefer LD clean shaven.

Gotta agree about clean shaven LD. 

Bringing villans back over and over seems to be a soap opera special. My problem was that Kirk wasn't interesting enough to do that. 

I think that at the beginning, the Capwells were Protestant. But I'm not sure. I'm trying to remember Kelly and Joe's wedding, but I can't right now.

[cleo]

So.I thought I would like Kelly more when CG played her, but I still.dont like the character lol. Although CG is fine.

I think bc she wants Robert. I can't stand the whole Kelly/Robert thing, I basically have to pretend it was always Quinn once they hook up. Or ff.

Also today I decided when Lisa goes over the cliff- she/Eden go somewhere and get therapy anf then hook up with Robert for a while, who somehow isn't dead. And then at some point she will come back to Cruz.

I have like 10 more eps of 1988 but I'm also back to where I was in 1989 when Robert was shot.

[cleo]

Ok well I have to say Kelly and Robert are growing on me. They have so much chemistry.

[Bali]

19 hours ago, cleo said:

Ok well I have to say Kelly and Robert are growing on me. They have so much chemistry.

I agree. There is also a lot of chemistry with Craig. They should have ran that triangle longer. 

I finally saw the episode where Sophia and Lionel get drunk and fall into bed. Man, that is chemistry. The show should have gone full tilt with that triangle too.

[cleo]

There were a lot of missed opportunities for sure. 

[Bali]

I'm at the Quinn Kelly wedding and that girl is on my last nerve! Honestly it almost feels like she married Robert/Quinn to spite her family not necessarily because she loved him. And every time she says she doesn’t want Eden at the wedding because she doesn't want Robert seeing Eden's face during the wedding. Girl! If you can't handle that, then don't date Eden's castoffs! It's pretty simple. Craig is RIGHT THERE! And you sizzle with him. Meanwhile remember Rick, you self centered creature? Yeah, your friend just found out his dad isn't his dad and his GF is his sister! But go ahead, don't see if he's doing okay while you're having your little hissy fits

[cleo]

I totally think she wanted Robert bc he wanted Eden and she couldn't stand that. I think Kelly was used to having whatever she wanted and men falling all over her and it bugged her that Robert wanted Eden and she set out to change it 

I like CG, but I still find Kelly is not my favourite character by a long shot.

Edited January 13, 2023 by cleo

[Shirlaine]

Hi All! I have been reading Primetimer forums for about a year now, but a month or so ago I realized that there is also a discussion of Santa Barbara here. I read through the thread and registered here, as I saw a chance to finally discuss the show with other viewers.

I started watching SB around 1993 or 1994, when the Finnish cable tv channel was showing episodes from 1985. I remember watching a soap called Paradise Beach back then and one day, when waiting for it to begin, I was channel surfing and found SB. There went Paradise Beach as SB was a lot more interesting. The first episode I saw was 348 with Robin Mattson starting as Gina; so I never saw Linda Gibboney back then. At first, I used to tape one or two episodes per year, but when we got to 1988 episodes, I started taping the show daily and did so, until the tv channel stopped showing it at the episode where Adriana was brought back home from France. Thanks to certain wonderful fans, I have been able to obtain almost all the episodes during the last 20 years, only missing a couple. Ten or more years ago, I started to watch the show from the beginning and have slowly made it to the episode 500. I last watched SB in April 2022 - these long pauses are typical for me - and am now determined to get back watching. I've never seen episodes with Robert Barr; basically nothing (except for Mason & Julia's wedding in 1989) after when the Finnish tv stopped showing SB.

It has been interesting to see how SB began and all the characters I never knew before. And it has also been interesting to rewatch the episodes I watched when I was 14 years old. Some things I remember, some things I don't. And some things make sense now - I remember wondering back then why Eden would be together with a man she clearly didn't love.

A fun fact: back at the end of 90's, when there was no social media, there was some SB website, where fans were looking for penpals. I wrote to a couple of fans in Germany and am still friends with one of them 25 years later, and we have visited each other a couple of times during these years. So, not only did I find a great tv show but also a true friend via SB.

[cleo]

Hi @Shirlaine that is similar to me. I watched it in 1991, then a few ywars ago came across a clip on YouTube and slowly built my collection.

I still haven't seen 1990 but I'm just starting it now. 

Sometimes I get frustrated, there are so many episodes and not enough time. I skip alot, the parts I don't like. 

I'm also slow because I'm also watching other soaps. I love them, I guess critics say it's crappy tv. I like it a lot more than so called reality TV.

[Shirlaine]

On 12/1/2022 at 4:30 AM, cleo said:

I dont know if I buy the Capwells as Catholic.

If I had the choice of Sonny or Bunny, Bunny hands down.

 

I'm watching episode 503 in which CC is showing Mason some sketches of something that has to do with church, after Mary's death (the audio isn't great, which makes understanding some murmuring difficult). 

 

CC: "I'm not catholic, I don't know what's appropriate."

[cleo]

Yep that's what I thought. But I guess continuity is not SB's strong suit.

[Bali]

31 minutes ago, cleo said:

Yep that's what I thought. But I guess continuity is not SB's strong suit.

No, it was NOT! I don't think they became Catholic until Michael showed up, but I'm not sure. 

Welcome @Shirlaine

I was at my grandparents house for the very first episode. I was HOOKED! I remember that as a 14 year old, the teens in Hollywood story was great. As an adult, not as much, but as a teen, I was all for it. But even as a teen Sophia CC Lionel and Augusta were tops. 

[WendyCR72]

13 hours ago, Shirlaine said:

Hi All! I have been reading Primetimer forums for about a year now, but a month or so ago I realized that there is also a discussion of Santa Barbara here. I read through the thread and registered here, as I saw a chance to finally discuss the show with other viewers.

I started watching SB around 1993 or 1994, when the Finnish cable tv channel was showing episodes from 1985. I remember watching a soap called Paradise Beach back then and one day, when waiting for it to begin, I was channel surfing and found SB. There went Paradise Beach as SB was a lot more interesting. The first episode I saw was 348 with Robin Mattson starting as Gina; so I never saw Linda Gibboney back then. At first, I used to tape one or two episodes per year, but when we got to 1988 episodes, I started taping the show daily and did so, until the tv channel stopped showing it at the episode where Adriana was brought back home from France. Thanks to certain wonderful fans, I have been able to obtain almost all the episodes during the last 20 years, only missing a couple. Ten or more years ago, I started to watch the show from the beginning and have slowly made it to the episode 500. I last watched SB in April 2022 - these long pauses are typical for me - and am now determined to get back watching. I've never seen episodes with Robert Barr; basically nothing (except for Mason & Julia's wedding in 1989) after when the Finnish tv stopped showing SB.

It has been interesting to see how SB began and all the characters I never knew before. And it has also been interesting to rewatch the episodes I watched when I was 14 years old. Some things I remember, some things I don't. And some things make sense now - I remember wondering back then why Eden would be together with a man she clearly didn't love.

A fun fact: back at the end of 90's, when there was no social media, there was some SB website, where fans were looking for penpals. I wrote to a couple of fans in Germany and am still friends with one of them 25 years later, and we have visited each other a couple of times during these years. So, not only did I find a great tv show but also a true friend via SB.

What a fascinating post. Welcome to the SB thread and to the Primetimer board!

[Bali]

7 hours ago, Shirlaine said:

 

I'm watching episode 503 in which CC is showing Mason some sketches of something that has to do with church, after Mary's death (the audio isn't great, which makes understanding some murmuring difficult). 

 

CC: "I'm not catholic, I don't know what's appropriate."

I know I'll make it to CC and Sophia wedding 3, but at that point, I'm not sure that I'm going to keep going. I'll probably go back to the beginning 

[cleo]

Last night I was randomly skipping channels and an old Murder, She Wrote came on. 

It had Marj Dusay and the guy who played Craig. I really wanted to watch it, but I was feeling really sick last night (fine now) and had to go to bed. Also it had already started, so I couldn't DVR it.

I think it was season 6, ep 9. Will have to see if I can find it.

I've also been rewatching 3rd Rock From the Sun, and Nicholas Coster was in a few eps. Always nice to see him in anything.

[Bali]

On 1/13/2023 at 9:52 AM, Shirlaine said:

 

@cleo there are old Murder She Wrote episodes on freevee if you have access to that

[cleo]

Yeah unfortunately I'm in Canada and it's not available here. I'll have to hunt around and see if I can find it here.

[Shirlaine]

Back in my teens I used to tape movies with SB actors. I remember seeing a movie with Marcy Walker (Hijacking of School Bus something) and I even bought a dvd of the movie Cruel Justice with A Martinez. And of course I had to get Profiler dvd boxes. Nowadays everything is in some streaming service (and the interesting ones are not available in Finland), which I don't want and need. I wish movies and tv series were still published as a buyable format.

 

Jed Allen, Nancy Lee Grahn and Louise Sorel visited Finland in 1994 and the tv channel showing SB made a 20 minute documentary of that visit. I think it used to be on Youtube (I have it myself somewhere) but I couldn't find it anymore. The fans meeting the stars were mostly very sympathetic 60-80 year old women, who had their dream come true. There were also clips of the actors talking to camera and walking at a market place and windowshopping in Helsinki. A nice little program by a then small tv channel that later became on of our biggest ones. 

[cleo]

Yeah I used to have videotapes, but long gone. I found a few of MW's movie of the weeks and have them, but I've never watched them. 

I think that Finland interview is still on Youtube somewhere. I noted it a few weeks ago but didn't watch it. 

[Shirlaine]

I watched episodes 508-512 today. Does anyone else think that the whole bizarre "thing" between Ted and Roxanne is stupid (let alone hard to believe)? Ted claims to love Hayley but although they're together, he has those steamy phone conversations with Roxanne. And when Ted and Hayley break up, he immediately lets Roxanne blindfold and seduce him. If he really loved Hayley, he wouldn't have done that.

 

Another strange thing (in my opinion) is Pearl with Kelly and Courtney. I know Kelly counts on him and he helps her a lot, but at times it feels like Pearl is brought closer to Courtney and sometimes closer to Kelly. I wish the whole mental institution storyline was over, it feels really long. 

 

I'm glad we will at least get rid of Santana soon.

[cleo]

Both those storylines are awful and I've never sat through them all.

You're probably right, but I also thought Ted's relationships with Hayley and Christie were both kind of crappy. He seemed to go for women wherein he had some position of power as compared to them.

Like I dont think he was a creep per se, but I did think it was interesting.

Like didn't he marry Hayley so he wouldn't have to testify against her? And initially he thought she was a Capwell maid and was interested? 

I have managed to watch even less.of Pearl and Kelly and Courtney. I did a tally sit through the murder case to see if it made sense by the end and it didn't really, although I can't recall the specifics.

Edited January 16, 2023 by cleo

[Shirlaine]

You have made an interesting observation cleo. I never thought of Ted's relationships in a power balance way, but you are right, there seems to be a pattern. In 1989, Ted had this girlfriend/female friend called Wanda (?), with whom he had a casual relationship. She was also less educated (I think) and a bit of naive/"simple". It felt like he never took her seriously.

 

Yep, Hayley was part of the actions that lead to Amy's death and Ted married her, so that he didn't have to testify against her. A great way to start a marriage. 

 

I liked Pearl and Courtney together at first, but then it all became so chaotic, because of the mental institution storyline. Also, I sometimes have difficulties tolerating the way Pearl talks. I like his character but he is occasionally so hyperactive and his speech is so.. annoying. I get it that the writers wanted to make a distinction between Pearl and Michael, but wasn't there any other way to do it?

 

I watch all the episodes from start to end, so sometimes it's just tolerating the boring storylines or characters. I love the flow of the show compared to, well, Bold and the Beautiful (only major US soap that we still have in Finland), which I only rarely watch. So much happens in one episode of SB and there usually isn't much iteration when an episode ends and another one begins. Today and tomorrow I may have to skip watching, as all the windows are changed in our building (yes, in the middle of the winter, to save money.. not our decision) and I and my husband will escape to his parents for a couple of nights. I don't know if it's the same with you guys, but when I start watching SB, I tend to do it daily and very soon I have to have my daily dose of it. :D

[cleo]

Good luck with the window replacement

I vaguely recall preferring Pearl with Courtney.

I watch about once a week, but I watch 3-5 eps at a time depending, bc I do ff a lot. 

Right now I am on Jan 1990, which is the only year I've never seen (1992 disnt happen AFAIC). 

I will watch til mid 1991 and then not sure what. I may do a condensed rewatch of my favourite stories/eps from the beginning.

But I'm slow, so it will be quite a while til I finish 1990.

But I've been reading the ep descriptions from the beginning, to see what I would include in a condensed viewing, and I miss it lol, the early eps.

[Bali]

I think that Ted was confused because Hayley was giving him mixed signals. I feel like she gave him very mixed signals through their whole relationship. The blindfolded ice scene with Jane stuck with me my whole life. I think I was 15 then? I didn't know such things were possible. Lol

Ted didn't lead Christy on though. He was pretty straight that they were friends only. She made it more in her head. A lot of teens do that.

I feel like Ted and Laken should have been end game. They could have gone through things and found each other again. Think about it: Laken loves Ted, but he's married to Hayley. So Laken moves on. Laken is with Leonard when Hayley is killed. Ted realizes Laken is always there for him. But he moves into the friendzone because of respect for Leonard. Leonard moves to Pasadena after his divorce from Laken. Ted helps her pick up the pieces. Their families are in the middle of the art theft fight and are against them again. The show could have dragged it out for years.

I watch in the background while I work. If it's a story that I care about, i watch on slow work days. 

[cleo]

Ted didn't lead Christy on but his obsession with being her friend and helping her seemed off to me. Like I'm going to swoop in a br a savior or something bc I'm a Good Person.

Same with Hayley initially, like I could see similarities. 

Anyway I know other people don't see it that way. I also hated both Christy and Hayley lol, so maybe that affected my opinion too.

Agree Laken would have been best. She was his best pairing I think.

[Bali]

I've never completely forgiven Hayley for killing Amy. Hayley was very bland to me. She wasn't a good fit with Ted because her loyalty was always to Gina. And Gina was too awful to the Capwells for Ted to get behind that. After the tape thing and Kelly, there is no way Ted could say, Yeah Hayley, your aunt almost put my sister in prison, but I hope she comes over for Christmas dinner with my parents, who she did terrible things to. But hey, water under the bridge, right?

[cleo]

I forgot Richard Hatch was on this show. He always seems like a bad guy to me.

JM was really a good actress. It would have been interesting if they had her go back into movies earlier. Could've stirred up all kinds of stuff, memories, esp if Lionel was around.

Sasha- the actress cannot sing. Why do soaps always have an actress around singing who can't sing?

The heavy handed Eden should be a good wife and mother home with her husband and kids messaging is really nauseating.

[WendyCR72]

32 minutes ago, cleo said:

Sasha- the actress cannot sing. Why do soaps always have an actress around singing who can't sing?

Ironically, the late Michelle Nicastro was apparently on Broadway at some point. So I guess she had a singing background. But mileage, I get it.

Sadly, she died at only 50 in 2010 of breast cancer. Her resting spot is covered in this Hollywood Graveyard video (which is a fascinating channel, IMO!). I do remember her very brief scene in When Harry Met Sally, which is mentioned. She was the girlfriend Harry was kissing/making out with, as Sally pulled up in her car to first give Harry a ride.

The video is timed to begin at her short segment, if you're interested: