Melrose Place!

[BretEwing]

I'm finally home and able to watch MP on STYLE!!! It's so exciting, I'm LOVING IT! It was a little bizarre to see Coop as some other husband to some other complex resident! I've only seen seasons 6-7 so this is quite a treat!
Can't wait until Amanda enters!

-Bret

"...I suppose that's to be expected from the illegitimate child of a ranch foreman and the stepdaughter of the town drunk."
JR to Pam (Missing Heir)

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

I'm beginning to love it too. I'm liking Jo, and I'll really miss Rhonda, though she isn't doing much. Allison is great as usual, and Billy is awesome too. I don't know what I think of AManda though, becauce in her second episode that I saw she didn't do much. I can't wait for things to star spicing up.

Also, did anyone notice the other Dynasty star to be on the show at the moment? I'm sure it'll be easy to guess.

Greg (at the bathroom door during a fight): "I don't want to break this door down...it would be too theatrical."
Laura: "Not to mention *stupid*, since it's not locked."
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid61/pda16f3bc54ef3d744f7b1e86d9a52921/fc2c26bf.jpg

[Christine]

@Bret
I slightly remember a Coop from the later seasons but he wasn't in the early seasons? http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif

@Chris
Please tell us who from Dynasty is on S2 - I don't remember this at all.

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I've never seen the ocean
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[Romain]

Actually, what Bret is referring to is that Linden Ashby (who played Coop in season 6) appeared in Season 1 as Jo's violent husband, Charles Reynolds. His two episodes are the ones that introduce Sydney, by the way.
As far as I'm concerned, I thought Rhonda was funny, but she didn't really have anything to do with the rest of the cast, especially once Sandy left. I liked Sandy, too bad she was pushed away after only 13 episodes.
Oh, and the other Dynasty star is Deborah Adair (she was Tracy Kendall on Dynasty) and played Lucy Cabot, Alison and Amanda's boss in the first season of Melrose Place.

"Life and death, energy and peace, if I stop today it was still worth it. Even the terrible mistakes, that I have made and would have unmade if I could.
The pains that have burned me and scarred my soul, it was worth it for having been allowed to walk where I've walked.

Which was to hell on earth, heaven on earth, back again, into, under, far in between, through it, in it and above..."

Gia Marie Carangi 1960-1986

[Christine]

Thanks for the info but who is Tracy Kendall?
LOL, I am getting old. http://images.bravenet.com/brpics/smilie/shocking.gif

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I've never seen the ocean
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Bret I take this that you are done with your finals. I am done too and I am graduating Friday. I can't wait to feel like a college graduate, It's like a phase in my life has just ended and a new one is beginning.

Amanda arrived this week. At first she's going to be nice and slowly develop into the super vixen. By next season, she'll treat everyone like crap and sleep with every guy in the building.

I could not stand Jo, her best performance come when she gets pregnant and the whole custody battle.

Sydney, the best tramp, she's actually the Sammy Jo of MP, while Amanda becomes the Alexis. and I guess Kimberley becomes Claudia when she gets crazy.

Jake, my favorite guy character, reminds me of Gary, he's very nice and sometimes can be very vulnerable when it comes to women.

Jane, after her divorce with Michael, she becomes so annoying and can't play the victim well.

Alison, the victim of Melrose Place was interested as she gets into one mess to the next and of course deals with her biggest nemesis Amanda.

Matt, did not really care much about it

Michael, was always a big joke too me.

Billy, too boring, too goody goody, except when he marries manipulative Brooke (Kristin Davis from sex and the city.)

Peter, a good villain

Taylor and Lexi were the big vixens towards the end and I enjoyed them, by the end Amanda becomes the good girl, the heroine and she has to face Taylor and then Lexi.

Richard, the only good thing about him is when he gets buried Alive by Jane and Syndey.

I could go on, that's how much I love this show but won't ruin it for first time viewers.

for first time viewer, this is ten times better than dynasty.

[abbylexis]

by the way Chris Matheson did you get to that website, cause if you do, you should download all the clips from the the last two episodes of season 3. you'll love it.

Jennifer: "It was five months, DAILY for five months, in motels, backs of cars, even in the alley behind the restaurant. If there was a word for the opposite of celibate, that would be us.
Amanda: "There is it’s tramp."
Melrose Place 1997 two hours season finale (Who's Afraid of Amanda Woodward?)

Kimberley before blowing up the complex: It's not what it looks like....IT'S WORSE
Melrose Place 1995 two hours season finale (The Big Bang Theory)

Sydney: Temptation is like Dandruff, you don't always know it's there but it's there.

[gregmatheson]

I noticed that Linden ashby was Jo's husband and then came on as someone else later on. I thought I was crazy at first.

My fav character is Sidney. Love her. When does she come back full-time?? I forgot how little she was when she showed up. So young. Her & Michael had the potential to be the best bad ass couple. I loved them.

Hate Jane, Allison annoyed me but she played the victim well. Bill was such a goody goody. Jake -- boring.

Bascially, the show wasn't that good until season 2 or 3. The crazy characters were a lot more interesting.

[abbylexis]

Rob Estes who plays Kyle first played Michael's old friend in season 1 and 2.

Gregmatheson, yep, season 2 and 3 were the best years followed by 4 and 5.


You are right about who made the show interesting, I think nobody cared about the good guys, it was all about the bad characters.


that's why think much of the show's success should be attributed to three women, the two redheads (Sydney, Kimberley), and the blondie (Amanda). For example, season 4 and 5 weren't the best of years, since the show almost got cancelled at the end of season 4, but because
these three women were on the show it worked. When both Kimberley and Sydney left, the show declined. Season 6 was the worst season ever, and season 7 wasn't all that great.....

Jennifer: "It was five months, DAILY for five months, in motels, backs of cars, even in the alley behind the restaurant. If there was a word for the opposite of celibate, that would be us.
Amanda: "There is it’s tramp."
Melrose Place 1997 two hours season finale (Who's Afraid of Amanda Woodward?)

Kimberley before blowing up the complex: It's not what it looks like....IT'S WORSE
Melrose Place 1995 two hours season finale (The Big Bang Theory)

Sydney: Temptation is like Dandruff, you don't always know it's there but it's there.

[Wendell2002]

Absolutely, absolutely loved Sidney and Micheal. Amanda is too cold, she never changes and when she tries to play good, she sucks. Sidney, on other hand, was very believable and as bad-ass, and as nice girl. I am sorry she didn't stay with Michael, they were made for each other.

For the first time viewer - it's even more stupid than Dynasty. Trust me.

[abbylexis]

I disagree with what you say about Amanda.

Amanda was human, she was selfish, determined, goal oriented, but she was never like the 80's villain where she'll wake up one morning to destroy someone's life for fun. She was friends to everyone but would only attack anyone who posed her threat to her love life and professional career. Alison was her perfect prey, because in the beginning she wanted Billy and Alison was a threat. She also worked with Alison and since Alison was a good publicist, Alison was once again a threat. But during season 2, Jo becomes a threat, since Amanda and Jake hook up, and later when Jo gets pregnant, Jo and Jake get even closer.
During season 3, where she shows her meanest traits, she and Peter take over D&D Advertising, that was just a career move cause, the president at D and D was a sexist who took advantage of her skills. Later, when Alison becomes president, she schemes with Brooke to remove her. Alison was another threat. Later, during the season, she develops cancer which makes her even more vulnerable.


When Amanda becomes nice towards the end of season 4 and during season 5, she adds an interesting element to her character. She becomes like those typical daytime heroine, as she faces many crisis in her life and faces new predators like Taylor and Lexi.

So, you always love Amanda no matter what, when she's bad, You love her and when she's good you love Amanda, because you love when she beats the bad girls.

I think Amanda can be seen not entirely as a villain, but as someone who doesn't care about having a social life, as long as she gets what she wants. She's always rude to people, because she lives in another world, she doesn't have time like Jane and Alison to cry over their failed relationships. You mess with her you pay. You cheat on her, it's goodbye charlie. her attitudes towards life is what makes viewers see that she's a cold person. later in the show, as her character develops, you'll find out reasons why she is so cold when her past is explored with her relationships with her parents.

Jennifer: "It was five months, DAILY for five months, in motels, backs of cars, even in the alley behind the restaurant. If there was a word for the opposite of celibate, that would be us.
Amanda: "There is it’s tramp."
Melrose Place 1997 two hours season finale (Who's Afraid of Amanda Woodward?)

Kimberley before blowing up the complex: It's not what it looks like....IT'S WORSE
Melrose Place 1995 two hours season finale (The Big Bang Theory)

Sydney: Temptation is like Dandruff, you don't always know it's there but it's there.

[Wendell2002]

Abbylexis... Just to let you know that I haven't lost my sense of humour, I have nothing more to say.

(Wait for normal response... Hopefully with RIGHT spelling of famous quote)

[BretEwing]

I guess I am going to have to avoid this thread now, the spoilers seem to be flying fast and freely.

-Bret

"...I suppose that's to be expected from the illegitimate child of a ranch foreman and the stepdaughter of the town drunk."
JR to Pam (Missing Heir)

Sorry, Bret, It's so time so hard to talk about a good show without going down to memory lane and remembering all the good plots. I apologize.

[Wendell2002]

Don't worry, Bret, this show is so full of madness, crazy and stupid unbelievable storylines, that nobody can put them in one thread - you will certainly have many surprises on the way!!!

[James from London]

In answer to your question "who is Tracy Kendall?", she was Krystle's ambitious assistant in Season 4 of Dynasty, when Krystle began working in Denver Carrington's public relations department. She tried to seduce Blake, spied on him for Alexis, and had a brief fling with Dex who was on the rebound after catching Alexis with Rashid Ahmed a.k.a Tony Cumson!

Happy Birthday, by the way!! http://images.bravenet.com/brpics/smilie/kissing.gif

James

[Christine]

Thanks for the b-day wishes and the info! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
I still can't remember Tracy, lol! Hmm, I think I am showing my age! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

I have a question to Abbylexis: We have this discussion on the Dynasty forum if Matt kissed his boyfriend on MP or not. Can you please check out the thread "Reactions to Steven, 1980's...". We desperately need an expert there! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

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I've never seen the ocean
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[James from London]

I found this article online about the end of MP and thought it might be of interest to some of you Melrosers:

Advertising executive Amanda speeds to her office in a hot little car while her neglected, disappointed husband, Kyle, hurls a rock at her windshield. This is after she yelled at him, "I have too much ambition for you and you can't deal with it! You can't keep up!" She's right about that. How's he going to keep up if he hasn't even gotten around to putting on his shoes?

Watching Kyle, and Peter, Michael, Craig, Jake, Billy and Bobby before him, try to keep up with Amanda and her ambitions has been the central pleasure of "Melrose Place" for most of its seven years, ever since Aaron Spelling brought his former "Dynasty" sweetheart Heather Locklear to the show. Personally, I don't go much for the TV blonds. But Heather's Amanda, like Laura Palmer and Buffy Summers, is an exception. Saying goodbye to Amanda on May 24, the series finale, will be like losing a little part of myself. I've spent the better part of my 20s, in between climbing up my own ladder, watching Amanda's rise to power. I debuted in the for-keeps work world around the same time she showed up on TV. And we were greener then, the both of us -- a little clunkier, a little more confused. Sure, I have more of an ethics hangup than she does, and I prefer crisp white sheets to that laughable leopardskin bedding she's so fond of. But I like to think we could have been seated at the same table at a League of Women Voters luncheon and carried on a conversation.
The image of "Melrose Place" is that it's all about sex and Saturday nights in Southern California. But ultimately, beneath its veneer of lingerie, the program has become increasingly more about work, business acumen and let's not forget greed. It's about ambition. No matter how much the sleeping around became a continual game of musical chairs -- Michael has not only slept with every woman on the show, he's married most of them -- nearly all the characters spent far more time trying to get ahead in advertising, medicine and fashion design than they ever spent on their crush of the week. This is a Monday show in every sense of the word. While the early years were a little more youthful and casual -- the gang hung out at biker Jake's grungy bar Shooter's -- recent seasons have shifted the after-work scene to Kyle's hideously grown-up jazz club.
If the love stuff on the show used to be more "Penthouse" magazine, it has gradually become something straight out of "Brides." For years now, there's been a wedding seemingly every third episode. I didn't realize how conservative the show had become until earlier in this season, when Jane had a one-night stand with someone she'd just met. It was a shocking aberration. Only the people who don't watch "Melrose Place" -- an increasingly gigantic demographic, hence the cancellation -- think its all orgy, all the time. They're the only ones who think it's one of those sociological AIDS-era reactions in which Americans watch sex on TV since sex in real life kills. Maybe if the show actually was about that, it wouldn't have lost its cultural clout. Earlier in the decade, young urban professional types gathered in living rooms and bars to watch the show together as some fin de siècle bonding ritual. But nobody wants to go to a bar straight from work at the ad agency and see if Amanda lands her big account. Trust me, to still watch "Melrose Place" in 1999 is a silent, solitary affair.

"Melrose Place" is supposed to be a defining event of the '90s. But actually, with Amanda at its center, it's strangely old-school. Very '70s. In the season-long buildup to the end of Amanda's marriage to Kyle, she actually denied one of his requests with a line about how they took the word "obey" out of wedding vows. You just don't hear that kind of retro feminist talk anywhere anymore, much less on TV. While all the other female characters in the show the last couple of seasons have been angling to the altar and/or to hold on to their husbands, Amanda always chose work over matrimony -- an increasingly unpopular ideal now that soccer moms elect the president. (Not that I necessarily side with Amanda, but for Pete's sake, it seems like every female character on TV now is either a mother or a teenager.) Even "Melrose Place" has gotten a kid this season in the character of Ryan's daughter Sarah; kids' needs always trump sex and work, so the show has to end before it turns into "7th Heaven." What's the kid going to do, hang out at Uncle Kyle's jazz club?
You knew things were cooling off when they started using the word "jazz" on a show produced by Aaron Spelling Television, Inc. Things are even worse when -- this actually happened on May 10 -- the Megan character, sitting down to her marriage proposal rooftop dinner with the Ryan character, had to look over at the nerdy guy behind the synthesizer and say the words, "Is that Michael Feinstein?" Why, yes.


If Amanda had an ideal musical soundtrack it would be that Muzak they pipe into certain workplaces to make the employees more productive. In every third scene, she's tapping away at a laptop, usually while her husband is talking at her. (Lately, he's been having to close the laptop in a huff a lot to get her attention. I hope she hits "save" frequently, as she's a Mac person.) In fact, I'm curious if Amazon.com's upcoming charity cyber auction of props from the show will include her computer. PowerBook G3 going once, going twice ...
I'm going to miss Amanda and her PowerBook on Monday nights precisely because of the way me and my PowerBook spend our Monday afternoons -- playing catch-up, not getting everything done, racing to assuage as much workload guilt by sundown, when "Melrose Place" came on. Perhaps I didn't get around to returning that phone call; Amanda just pimped her best friend to a client! Perhaps I didn't quite finish that thing I was supposed to finish; Amanda just fired her other best friend! The one whose house she's staying at! Perhaps I hung up on my sister too abruptly when my boss was on the other line; Amanda reacts to the news that her marriage is falling apart with, "So what if it is? That doesn't change the start date of the commercial!" And finally, every time Heather Locklear is typing "fjkdjfslkjfdksjfldsjfls" on her laptop as someone enters her office, I can crack open a beer with the knowledge that I wrote whole sentences, even paragraphs that day on mine. So, alas, when "Melrose Place" goes off the air forever on May 24, Amanda Woodward will be a million miles from Monday and I'll still be stuck right here without her in Illinois.


Â

Thanks James,

HOw did you find that article, you're anti-Melrose?


It would have been interesting for me to hear your wonderful deep analysis about MP.

YOu're one of the only member who actually watched all the nightime soaps.

Melrose Place was really a good show, the last two seasons really sucked but hey the last two season of any show always suck

[James from London]

I found it on salon.com while I was looking for something else. What makes you think I'm Anti-Melrose?!

Have you been watching Laura Leighton on SKIN?

James

James, stop playing games http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif, you say one thing and then mean another thing http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Melrose Place redefined the primetime soap genre when they were thought dead

by the way salon is a good website, they had an article on Dynasty a while back and it was good

[James from London]

I'm not playing games, Abbylexis, honestly! I liked MELROSE PLACE. I wasn't obsessed with it, like I am with KL and DALLAS, but I liked it. In fact, I still have the Entertainment Weekly MELROSE PLACE special issue! Did you think I was being sarcastic about Laura Leighton? I wasn't! She IS in a new soap called SKIN! We've been discussing it on the DALLAS forum.

It was the DYNASTY article I was looking for on salon, but I couldn't find it.

James

I haven't seen skin. For some reason I don't like the new primetime soaps. I don't know, I'm stuck in the 80's.

Laura Leighton was my favorite character on MP, along with Heather Locklear. Sydney was interesting, she was this down to earth girl trying to fit in the big city, she became a hooker, a stripper, she wanted love and money and went to the wrong places to look for them. Too bad, she died.

You said that about Melrose Place, people coming to Los Angeles looking for adventure and getting themselves in a lot of troubles. I gess that's the deep analysis http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif I can give you, people move to the big city and you watch them scheme for a better life and their ending is either a tragedic one or a sad one. Just watch the fifth and sixth season cliffhanger when nearly half of the cast departs.

The clothes, the talk were great. Those mini-skirts that Amanda and Alison wore made me want to buy one, everyone male and female were just plain hot. Melrose Place was one of these shows, you just could not repeat, tons of soaps tried to copy and failed. it was a one time thing.

[BretEwing]

Rewatching season six on Style, I am thinking it wasn't as bad as I remember. It's not the best, but once Craig goes bye-bye and Lexi and Taylor start getting more and more insane things pick up.

-Bret

[abbylexis]

Season 6 was really horrible. Yes, Lexi and Taylor juiced it up but the magic was gone. The actors all appeared tired adn the acting had no energy.

To me, season 3 and season 5 are the best of melrose place.

I really loved season 5, you really had a king size cast with diverse personality. Each set of characters were into their own personal storylines, whether it was Alison and Jake's rocky relationship, or Craig and Amanda's backstabbing each other at DD and of Course Taylor seducing Peter little by little.

The only thinga bout season 4 were the last couple of episodes with the cliffhanger that took us in mental institutions and a body being buried alive.

Season 3 was Melrose at its best.

[BretEwing]

Agreed. Season three was the best. Season two was also good. The thing I didn't like about season 5 was the Allison/Jake relationship and Samantha as a replacement for Jo.

-Bret

PS, I liked Peter in the mental hospitol and Richard being burried alive in season four!!

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

I actually think I liked season 5 the best.

The additions of Rob Estes, Lisa Rinna, Donna Mills, Brooke Langton and Kelly Rutheford were very good I think.

Kyle - Easily my favorite male character. before I didn't have one, now its him, oh and Michael.

Taylor - Could Lisa Rinna be any better? No! And so sexy! Why she doesn't act more often is a wonder to me. She has proven my point to why she should play Sue Ellen in the new Dallas film.

Donna Mills - It was nice seeing her in something other than Abby. I wish she had stayed, or maybe teamed up with Linda Gray's character for another spin off???

Samantha - I LOVE Samantha! She's great. I know she's a Jo replacement, but they are both good in my depo. I dunno, I jsut like her. She's hot, works well with Billy and Sydney, and deserves to be in the cast.

Megan - I didn't like her at first, but now I love her! She was great with Kimberley and Michael. Now with Jennifer. I just love Megan!

Jennifer - OMG! Alyssa Milano is so perfect as Michael's sister! They are just alike. Its a wonder the show didn't drastially increase in ratings when she joined!

Lexi - I hate her. What a drip. She's such a loser. I hope she goes away. She definatly doesn't fit.

Coop - He sucks beyond belief. He's like a blatant rehash of like 5 different characters.

Craig - He's okay. I liked David from Baywatch so its not much change.

Returning characters:

Michael - You gotta love the guy. He's hillarious. Anything Michael does is hillarious, like when Taylor "raped" him, lol. Hillarious.

Jane - I liked seeing a crazy Jane. It was kinda funny because you don't expect it from her.

Peter - Nothings changing, he's still Peter.

Amanda - Only gets better. I think she was made for Kyle. They are perfect together.

Sydney - Remind me why she left, because she is the sunshine of my day! And that rediculous exit! How dare they do that to Sydney. This season was good for her. The Sam/Sydney thing reminded me of Jane/Sydney, it was great.

Alison - She didn't do much that I cared about. I used to love her, but Jake brought her down big time.

Billy - Billy is such a good guy, he needs to start standing up for himself more often.

Matt - He's a great character, but was ruined in his final season. Why did he leave? He's great. The Chelsea story wasn't pushed in the right direction, the mother thing was to cliche.

---
I guess from that character review you can tell I liked season 5 a lot. It was the best, except for than ending. The introduction of new characters and exits of old ones worked well I think. Its only in season 6 and 7 when they add characters than suck like, Lexi, Coop, and Eve!

Oh and one question, how did they kill Matt in only a flashback, and how was it relavant?

Another one, lol. Did Jane ever address Sydney's death?

[BretEwing]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Oh and one question, how did they kill Matt in only a flashback, and how was it relavant?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Matt dies in a car crash in season seven. His death unearths a diary he kept, which was filled with a dirty little secret that Amanda has been keeping....

As for Jane reacting to Syd's death...I'm not sure. I missed the "Summer of Love" epiosdes that aired at the end os S6/beginning of S7 where Jane returns. She for sure didn't react off canvas to the death in the beginning of season six. To my knowledge, no one even called her!

-Bret

Jane barely talked about sydney. To me, Jane was the bad and insecure sister, it was as if she knew she was adopted. Sydney even looked more like their mother.

in the early eps, Jane says that she's only child, I know the writers hadn't planned Sydney but it was very Jane, she was always trying to position herself as the good girl with a career towards her parents, it's like she wanted the parents to love her more and I think she's the reason Sydney was Sydney.

I guess deep down she always knew she was adopted.

[Romain]

I think my poor Sydney never felt loved until she met Craig and her untimely death came. And the one reason she always felt she wasn't good enough is none other than Little Miss Perfect, Jane. Her whole life, the one thing that Sydney wanted was being Jane, because Jane had everything. Their parents'unquestioned love, a career and a marriage. I think Syd would never had been attracted to Michael had he not been Jane's husband. It was not with Michael as a human being that she was in love, it was with the image of a happy married couple he and Jane gave her.

It's really interesting to see how everybody has different opinions about the characters.

Let's start with what I call the Melrose Dream Team : the 5 best characters on the show.

Nobody could beat Sydney and Kimberly ! Best two characters of the show and stupid MP writers of course had to kill them both in two months ! http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif Whoever let Laura Leighton and Marcia Cross quit needs their head examined.

Michael is probably my second favorite male character in TV History, my absolute fave being John Cage from Ally McBeal. Thomas Calabro was hilarious and I hope he'll be back on TV soon.

Peter and Amanda, now THAT was a couple I loved ! Heather Locklear is such an asset to every show she appears in and she made Amanda an unforgettable character. And Jack Wagner has enormous charisma as well.

Even though, they're no part of the Dream Team, I still liked Jake and Jo a lot : I was really disappointed they didn't end up together. I wish Grant Show had left at the end of season 4 with Daphne Zuniga, instead of having both characters have such dull endings.

I wish Matt's storyline with his lover accusing him of killing his wife should have come sooner in season 3 (instead of the one with the violent cop, maybe) and he should have been killed in the building's explosion. First, I thought it was frustrating that only Mackenzie (Morgan Brittany) died in the explosion, and I think Matt was totally wasted in seasons 4 and 5. Only good thing in Season 5 is the niece storyline brought one of my favorite TV actresses, the wonderful Nancy Lee Grahn, to MP. His diary in Season 7 made no sense - who SERIOUSLY bought that everyone confided their secrets in Matt ? I went ROTFL when Amanda mentioned Taylor was in the diary. She barely had three scenes with Matt through season 5 LOL.

Megan became my favorite character once Sydney was out. I absolutely loved her. She was such a nice girl and I totally loved her with Michael. Didn't want them to divorce, especially since I hated Coop. I'm glad Megan had a happy end.

I also loved Samantha, but I though it was a bit weird that both she and Megan were close to Jennifer but barely knew each other. I think they could have been great friends for one another. I didn't like the Jeff/Sam/Billy/Jennifer quadrangle at the end of season 6 at all though. Totally couldn't stand Jeff !

Billy should have left with Alison in my opinion. They were meant for each other and I felt cheated that Billy ended up with Jennifer.

I totally loved Alison in seasons 1 and 2. She was so sweet, the ideal girlfriend, only without a drinking problem please. I liked her with Jake, but Billy was her soulmate.

Jane had her moments. I wanted to slap her when she wouldn't trust or help Sydney and she was a total bitch to Jo in season 4 and to Alison in early seaosn 5. I loved her in season 1 and season 7, yet I think it was idiotic that she had to end up with Kyle just because Rob Estes and Josie Bissett are a real life couple.

Taylor was fun and worked much better than Jennifer as a comic relief after Syd's demise in my opinion. I like Lisa Rinna, but I still wonder what Hunter Tylo could have done with the role.

I for one COULDN'T STAND Coop, Craig, Jennifer or Ryan! Jennifer was such a bitch when she pushed Samantha towards Jeff so that she could get her tentacles around Billy. And whatevever she did, I could only see her as an annoying sidekick. She was a sidekick to Megan, to Craig, to Samantha, to Michael and to Kyle. Jeez, get a life of your own, girl ! Ryan just shouted "BILLY REPLACEMENT".

I'm not Kyle's biggest fan, but I absolutely LOVE Lexi and Eve. Lexi's evolution is extremely well-done I think, only stupid thing is of course, she had a degree in guess what - advertising http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif. Once she realized men (Coop and Peter)kept treating her like a piece of crap, she decided to react by behaving like them, get her claws out and show them that she was no carpet they could walk on. I love her confrontation with Amanda in the season 7 premiere when she tells her that what she sees is a reflection of herself, only she is too much of an hypocrite to admit it. And the single fact that Lexi was the only one of Amanda's rivals (and God knows she had a lot of them) who managed to kick her down earns her my respect. I disliked that she refused to marry Michael in the finale, though.

Now, as regards Eve, I admit that the first time I saw season 7, I couldn't stand her. But in the end I realized that she had after all spent 15 years in jail for a crime committed by Amanda, and that she had every right to be mad at her about it and seek for revenge. Rena Sofer is such an excellent actress and she has the most beautiful eyes in Hollywood (well, next to Donna Mills, of course http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif ).

And just to let you know, Abbylexis, my friend has recently published the Season 11 Finale of his MP fanfiction on his website, and I encourage you to read it as I think you would really like it.

[abbylexis]

I emailed your friend.

Anyway, the best melrose cast was the season 3 and 4. Jane, Michael, Kimberley Sydney, Matt, Jake, Billy, Alison, Joe, Peter and AManda are the 11 characters who made Melrose and the show worked best when these 11 people were on.

Sydney, Kimberley and AManda are by far the best three characters. Charlie's Angels.

Amanda was the bad bitch, Kimberley the evil bitch and Sydney the nice bitch. Amanda was real, she would never hurt anyone physically, Kimberley would and Sydney was a mixture of both. She had her limits like Amanda but was also unpredictable like Kim.

Michael was a great comic character, I never saw him as a villain. He loved women and his career and was the kinda guy who would take advantage of a situation, he did not want to hurt people intentionally, if he saw a chance of being with a good woman and rising in his career, he took that chance.

Jane, was interesting, I loved her stylish ways, she was always developing as a character. She had a nice quality and was a nice person but she was the wrong bitch to mess with.

Billy and Alison were boring but every soap need the romeo and juliet type of characters. Alison was interesting as she never became a backstabbing bitch but had her own demons to deal with. Billy was the typical good guy.

I know a lot of people found Jake boring, but he was a great character, who could actually resist his bad boy look and his loner attitude. I love that about him, he was the nice, quiet and lonely guy who had slept with every woman in the building (Sandy, Jo, Amanda, Sydney, Jane, Alison)

Jo and Matt were very boring but they still made the show interesting. I could not stand Joe always trying to be the victim and Matt could have been given some good boyfriends.

And yes, Dr Peter Burns, the great male villain of Melrose. He was so unpredictable and I liked that about him. He could be nice but if you messed with him he could smash you through a window. He was very sarcastic too.

To me, this was the best set of Melrose place. They had a chemistry (Ms attitude, Mr Horny, Ms Psycho, Ms tramp, Mr nice guy, Mr lonely, Mr naive, Ms lady in distress, Ms victim, Mr evil and Ms Bitch) all worked together.

The new regulars of season 5 worked only with the old regulars. Once everyone was gone, Taylor had lost her magic.

Now what was the best cliffhanger.

storyline wise, it had to be season 5, the last two episode of season 5 are the best ones aside from the cliffhanger, Amanda's heart attack, Peter smashing Michael through the window, DD going down and everyone leaving.

Shock value wise, it has to be season 3, the last minute glued you to the screen.

Mystery wise, it's season 4, the season 4 had a lot of mystery and unanswered questions. Who was the real Peter Burns. Was Richard dead or alive. It left the viewers with a lot of unanswered question.

Entertaining wise, it's season 2, the wedding, the lawsuit and Kimberley attempting to kill Michael and framing Jane was a nice entertaining episode, not bad, not great either.

The other cliffhangers were not really cliffs.

Discuss

[abbylexis]

the magic of melrose was the unpredictibility of the stories and the characters.

The characters were normal and not glamorous, they had everyday jobs and dressed casual. Not rich, not poor but they were not alaways like your average neighbor. They could backstab each other, smash each other through a window or give you lobotomies.

The stories were usually average, Career struggles at the hospital and at an agency, relationship troubles but then again, dumping your wife could lead her to her blowing up a complex, or raping your ex could lead to her burying you alive.

That's melrose, you were always in for a big surprise.

James, have you found that article on Dynasty?
In September, there was one article on why she liked to watch Dallas and Dynasty. It wasn't really too deep of an analysis or long article. Anyways, if that's the one and still can't find it, I'd be happy to post the link on Dynasty forum.

[Romain]

Abbylexis, did you read the whole season 11 of my friend's fanfiction or just the season finale ? I'd love to read your thoughts, even if you only read the finale. I'm particularly interested in your opinion on my friend's original characters (James, Monica,Lucas, Miranda...)

Did you vote in the season 11 Melrose Awards ? I did and had a lot of dilemmas choosing which nominee deserved each award...LOL but the Awards are great fun. The results analysis from last season's awards was a treat to read.

Anyway, do you plan on reading Season 12 (which premieres in January, by the way) ? I sure am looking forward to it with great impatience.

And do you read Sharks, my friend's original limited websoap ? I absolutely love it and can't believe there are only 4 episodes left !

[abbylexis]

I read the finale and some episodes. I thought the lisa guerrero storyline was really mysterious and well done.

About new characters, that's mostly my problem. You see with Web soaps, it's hard for you to connect with the characters like you do on television because most of the time you have to create the scenes in your own head.

When you deal with old time characters it's no biggie since you know them very well but it's harder when you hardly know the characters.

I think Chucky does a great job with the photos and everything. He's a real genius, I bet he's planning to become a director or something.

I'll be tuning from time to time.

Another thing is that I miss the oldies, I know he had JAke, JO, Alison and billy at one time but he should have kept them. They were the best team

again, that's his soap and he knows where he wants to go, I just want to congratulate him for doing an amazing job.


I don't read sharks. Is it good.

[abbylexis]

I love Miranda. I also love Austin Peck but for different reasons http://www.soapchat.net/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[James from London]

Flame Within, I couldn't find that article you mentioned so, yes, I would be grateful if you could post that link. Thanks v much!