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Monday, April 29, 2013

OLTL: Thoughts on the first online episode

Monday, April 29, 2013 is a day many soap fans have been looking forward to as One Life to Live and All My Children have aired new episodes. This entry is about the first new episode of One Life to Live.

This episode is just general impressions and not a full summary. We join the residents of Llanview in close to real time. Dani (Kelley Missal), Destiny (now played by Laura Harrier) and Matthew (now played by Robert Gorrie) are now 21 as they can drink, but otherwise things are the same.

The episode starts with Viki (Erika Slezak) and Clint (Jerry verDorn) together at Llanfair. She is wearing an engagement ring, they flirt a bit and discuss the investigation against Dorian (Robin Strasser).

It was the reopening night of Blair's (Kassie DePaiva) club now called Shelter (it had been Capricorn. Todd (Roger Howarth) was back in town, and he went there to see her. When he arrived, the doorman didn't want to let him in, he distracted those waiting at the velvet rope and entered. The bouncers went up to him, but Blair seeing what was going on told them to let him stay. Earlier in the episode, Blair spoke with a patron who told her that he wasn't into cougars. Dani got ready to go to the club as well. Tea (Florencia Lozano) still wasn't over the death of baby Victor. She was in his nursery and when Dani came in ignored her. They were both in pain over that loss.

David (Tuc Watkins) is still doing his reality show, and the cameras were upsetting Dorian as this situation may destroy her political career. Meanwhile back at Llanfair, Viki got a visitor Jeffrey (Corbin Bleu) and they talk about his new job at "The Banner".  Nigel (Peter Bartlett) was manning the door as the butler. David ended up going to the club and being humiliated in a 70s era leisure suit, while Dorian went to confront Viki. Matthew and his parents Bo (Robert S. Woods) and Nora (Hillary B. Smith) argued after they found some oxy. They weren't Matthew's drugs, as he was protecting Dani. Matthew decided to move out once he met with Jeffrey. After Matthew left, Clint, who was now off house arrest (Tea's legal greatness was to blame) was able to visit Bo and Nora. The two brothers are now getting along and Bo agrees to be Clint's best man as he and Viki plan to wed in June.

Natalie (Melissa Archer) decided to go to the club opening and got a babysitter for her now talking son Liam. She went sparred with Cutter (Josh Kelly), who was now legit working as the promoter for Blair. They danced and had sexual tension. She left the party early, sent the babysitter home and laid down in a quilt in her underwear. Rama (Shenaz Treasury) also worked there, and was separated from Vimal. Jack (Andrew Trischitta) was helping with the music, but is underage. Matthew, Jeffrey and Dani all knew one another from the Warwick boarding school in England. Matthew wondered why Destiny was at the club and not with their son Drew. Destiny told him she got a babysitter and it isn't as if he is responsible for the boy. Matthew told Jeffrey about his past with Destiny. Dani was drinking and using that night, but not oxy. While walking around the club, she found a couple having oral sex in a corner. When she found out that Bo had her drugs, she wondered if Bo had used them, and upset that Matthew didn't have them. Todd went to the club to see Dani, and Tea yelled for help. Dani was passed out on the floor, and Todd carried her out, with everyone else leaving. Then we saw Victor (Trevor St. John) as the episode ended. There were also things with symbols which for some reason reminded me of something out of the 80s like the "infinity story" on Guiding Light. (I wasn't watching soaps back then, but since I've been watching old scenes this came to mind immediately to my amusement.)

The beginning and ending of the episode mirrored the last ABC episode of One Life to Live except there was no voiceover. In that show, we saw a newspaper at the top of the program and Victor at the end.

This episode didn't list the music used at the end or have closing credits. Instead it was just a card saying "We give credit to our fans."  Since there were no credits early in the show, I have no idea who scripted or directed the scenes we saw today.

The episode flew by and due to the new format, I wasn't sure about the pacing. The opening credits only had the actors dancing in groups, but no cast or character names were listed. I think the opening will grow on me though to really get the flavor and see if the moves fit the characters you'd have to watch it numerous times. Hopefully the episodes as they continue, we will have more cast interaction, and an occasional longer scene for stronger emotional impact. I liked it, but I hope as things continue we get to see stories touching upon why the characters are acting the way they do.

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