Season 4 - Community Feeling

[valkaren]

Many people say that the first 3 season's dealt with community issues but watching season 4, I feel like their bonds with each other are as stronger as ever. If you watch 'Man in the Middle' and 'The Best Kept Secret' from season 4, (these air one after the other), they both have Ciji's singing event pushing it to the end of the episode. By the way i've also loved how when Ciji, performed, she performed the WHOLE SONG!! They didn't sort of cut it about. It was a proper song, which really made you feel like you were there. If you watch, (if you can), the end of 'The Best Kept Secret' the camera swiches between everyone's faces, and the WHOLE CAST is there. Which is good!! This season definately the best so far! Anyway, do you agree?? I always liked it!

Also, I can't believe how Ginger, Kenny and Richard all leave at the end of the season, i think that they will definately be missed at the end. But from this forum i gather that they are not missed very much, which is weird if you have 3 of the main cast leaving and no one really cared, it's not like they were bad. In fact, the audience only cared about Cije leaving!!!! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by valkaren:
Also, I can't believe how Ginger, Kenny and Richard all leave at the end of the season, i think that they will definately be missed at the end. But from this forum i gather that they are not missed very much, which is weird if you have 3 of the main cast leaving and no one really cared, it's not like they were bad. In fact, the audience only cared about Cije leaving!!!! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

lol, good observation. Kenny and Ginger were never really major characters, but Richard probably should have been missed. I think the reason they weren't missed too much is that the new season 5 characters (Ben and Greg) were more interesting.

[James from London]

I guess the reason Kenny, Ginger and Richard aren't missed is because the community spirit you refer to slowly disintegrates throughout Season 4.

[valkaren]

I haven't seen anything past 'The Best Kept Secret' but aren't they all involved in one big storyline at the end of the season, (Ciji's death). And aren't they all together in 'Celebration', near the end of season 4? http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[juppiter]

Yes, they're all in one storyline, but notice how the action is already starting to shift to Daniel, and Gary and Abby's new house, and the record studio? As season 4 goes on, you see less and less of the Cul-De-Sac. At one point Val calls Laura her best friend and it just sounds silly because they don't speak a word to each other all season long.

BTW Valkaren, what do you think about Mack? Hit or miss?

[Cliffhanger 1]

Well the first 4 seasons were about community however just as James said little by little by the storylines left the confounds of the neighborhood culdesac! Knots ( just like Dallas) had a lot of self contained episodes with issues seemingly resolved at the end of the hour of each episode! Although while I'm not sure when this occured I do know that as the action picked up at Knots Landing Motors and after Abby's arrival things had to spread out! By the end of season 4 things had changed drasticly Sid was gone, Val had split with Gary once discovering his on going affair with Abby, and Richard on edge the neighborhood was no longer just about family! By season 4 the introduction of Chip the storylines the whole season revolved around his attics among every one which in this case Chip provides us with the last hardcore great moments of the culdesac just before spreading out to cause havor among others! We have Season 3 which seems to be dominated by the storyline of Sid's murder and the stolen parts from Knots Landing motors. Which Karen, Gary, Abby, Mack and others were all involved! While season 4 reloved around Chip and Cija! Kenny and Ginger at this point were left on the dull sidelines ( of course they were always the boring dry couple of the show to me) and I beleive the writers had run out of what to do with Richard! His character became to readable! It was evident that he was a control freak, envious, had to be better at everything than his wife and had serious mental (at times pychotic) issues and his character would go through the same routine he got dull to ! Richard was to complex ( not that that was a bad thing) and who could have been anymore complex than Gary and (POOR!!?!?) Val yet their love story with Abby as a 3rd wheel was what held Knots together! Richard was fun to watch and may have been a good character on Dallas but on Knots he would be going in circles that would give Knots enough room to expand their storylines! So making him run away was perfect!

Cija was such a compelling character and as usual some of the best characters are short live! In fact its just my opinion but I do feel its Cija's affect on the show that prompt them to bring Lisa Hartman back for another role similar to Cija's but named Cathy! Both very complex characters who were trying to find there way in life as well as being great songters! Infact Cathy wasnt all that exciting alone but the fact that she seemed to work best because the writers used her as a correction to the mistake of killing off such a powerful character! Now I'm ot saying it was their intentions to have Cija murder ( or for that matter notto have Lisa Hartman as a regular) but none the less we get Cathy a season after Cija is killed and she stays for quite a while!

[Daniel Avery]

I wasn't bothered by Richard's departure, mostly because it happened at a good point. His character had run its course, really, and if the writers were going to continue Laura's character growth, it would be necessary to get her away from Richard. Since the writers knew ahead of time that Pleshette was not going to renew his contract, it gave them the luxury of "finishing up" his character in a good way.

As for the Wards, the writer in me always saw ways they could have been integrated into the cast more, but since very few attempts were made by the writers who were actually writing the show, it appeared that by season four's conclusion that they'd given up on the Wards.
I would have handled things differently from the beginning, so it would not have come to the point that they were so superfluous by the end of season four, but that can't be helped now.

The writers fell back on the old daytime convention of having a restaurant as a center of action, since it was getting harder and harder to come up with situations centered around the characters' homes. Besides, several characters did not live there...and it was becoming obvious that fewer and fewer characters would.

[dorylus]

I did not like Kenny and Ginger- I really couldn't stand those "singing" episodes- They were too boring to me- I didn't like Richard, either- getting rid of them was a good move-

[abbylexis]

what were your ideas Daniel http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I thought Kenny could have become a male villain, they could have turned him into what peter hollister was, the troublemaking boytoy

[valkaren]

I noticed that about Val and Laura! In season One, they were best friends, then it was Val and Karen, which I loved, (hence the name) and Laura was just left. By season 4, Val and Laura haven't spoke since.

As for Mack. He was definately a hit for me BECAUSE he was involved with the stolen parts storyline, that was all really. He was really funny, and brought a new life to the show. But when the stolen parts storyline ended...it just seemed to me that Karen and Mack where then suddenly this couple, where it had actually never been explained that they decided to go for it. Well it might have been explained but I just got the feeling when that storyline was over and I saw Mack at Karen's house I thought, 'What's he doing there, Karen doesn't need him, are they together then?? Oh'.

Also their relationship wasn't as rushed as I thought it was going to be. It's probably because of the faster pace of the show. If the show had kept the pace of season 3 Karen and Mack wouldn't be married until season 10!! (slight exaggeration I know).

But after Mack declared his love for Karen, and Karen didn't say it back. I will have to say it. Some people call him annoying, I never found that.

However, at this point in the show, I keep thinking, he's not Sid, it should be Sid there still. Still, I would say a HIT for Mack.

By the way James, I saw you tonight on 50 Greatest Soap Moments on Channel 5 and, well done!! You should have mentioned Knots Landing though!! I know it had nothing to do with the questions you were asking but seen as the show rudely ignored Knots, it would have been nice!! (Not that they wouldn't of cut it out anyway lol!!) http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[James from London]

Bless ya, Valkaren! I did mention KNOTS, and they did cut it out! (I've posted the full "uncut" interview on the DALLAS board under the "TV Questionaire" thread.) By the way, I have lost a bit of weight since that was filmed - and then put it all back on again!

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by james from london:
Bless ya, Valkaren! I _did_ mention KNOTS, and they _did_ cut it out! (I've posted the full "uncut" interview on the DALLAS board under the "TV Questionaire" thread.) By the way, I have lost a bit of weight since that was filmed - and then put it all back on again! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You sound just like Charlene on Celebrity Body Challenge! She lost a lot of weight, got back into a bikini then when promoting the show said she put it all back on. I still thought she looked great.

Get my point? You're probably just being hard on yourself like Charlene! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I do wish I could've seen it though. http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif

BUT, I agree that there is a great community feeling in season four. I happened to love the new outsiders this season, and I loved how Kenny and Ginger were FINALLY utilized!!!! I think Daniel's was the perfect place to center the action around, and I loved all the singing stuff. Ginger confronting Ciji for singing her song was awesome.

I agree with Daniel about Richard's exit happening at the right time. I loved his exit and I really was a big fan of the character. I feel, if you can give the actor a good exit, then you've done your job and I'm OKAY with that. It's just when you slag off when it comes to Kenny and Ginger that it bothers me...

Also, I think what James said about the community spirit slowly dying down is true. This is the last season where i felt they delt with middle class stuff. Sure they picked it back up in the later years, but in the middle (and great) ones we get a lot of money which leads to more larger than life stuff.