Alexis Enters SUNSET BEACH

[Alexis]

I have spent all day watching Sunset Beach. It's exactly how I spent every Saturday in the late '90s. I seem to have hit a pretty low quality batch of episodes that were recorded from NBC in the US. They have these bumpers on them which show dramatic scenes from past episodes and they seem to have a slightly different version of the opening credits that I never saw before.

Cole and Caitlyn have been reunited, the same strong silent type that found Caitlyn found Cole and took him to the convent. Caitlyn has neglected to tell Cole she lost the baby... so fake pregnancy storyline here we go. Meanwhile thinking that She and Gregory have caused Caitlyn's death, Olivia has decided to divorce Gregory. She's going to move in with Bette and Annie of all people. Annie is making moves on Gregory all the while, trying to get to her father Del's money somehow. Gregory is in the depths of depression over Caitlyn's "death."

Ben and Meg are now engaged although Meg is still convinced that something is up with Ben and what happened with Maria. At the engagement party Tim turned up with a woman who everyone thought was Maria. It wasn't, obviously. Tim had taken advantage of the situation and got a girl to dress like Maria. That's a style choice in itself by the way. Why did Maria like to dress like one of the Railway Children in 1995? What I keep thinking is what the hell is up with Meg thinking Maria was stabbed to death with a pair of scissors in her studio when Maria clearly died or vanished at sea.
I forget what happened and how the scissors and bloody sheets got there? If it was Annie, or if it's Ben's evil twin. I cant wait to see what explanation is.

Every time Tim comes on screen I keep thinking why are you wearing so many clothes? Isn't hot in California? Why the suit? You don't even work in an office. Why aren't you in shorts? Why don't you take off your pants Tim? Huh?

Michael and Vanessa are broke up as he cant take her obsession with Virginia. Virginia is loving this! Vanessa found out that Virginia drove to the cabin burned it. Virginia lied her way out of it and Michael believed her. She a shady bitch... Bring on the voodoo I say! Hahah, just as I type this, Virginia taunts Vanessa saying she set the fire with the power of her mind because she's a witch! Yea, that's why I'm here for. Get your crazy on Virginia!
Casey is.... doing nothing... Having no storyline at all. Why is he even turning up for filming when he doesn't have a story?

Paula and Elaine are both not so sure that Ricardo raped Gabby, although the lie detector hangs over them all. Elaine in particular isn't buying Gabby's story at all. The writers must be cobbling together the whole rape trial at this point because it's moving very slowly on that front.

 

[Alexis]

Oh wow... It's almost Thanksgiving in Sunset Beach!

 

[Daniel Avery]

 

[Ray&Donna]

I wasn't familiar with either work at the time but I guess the story with Maria was supposed to be like the movie and novel Rebecca

 

[Alexis]

I wasn't familiar with either work at the time but I guess the story with Maria was supposed to be like the movie and novel Rebecca

Well kinda, but not quite. I mean there's not really a Mrs de Winter or anything. And everyone really likes Meg, Lord knows why. Well I suppose Annie could be Mrs de Winter, if Mrs de Winter wasn't in love with Rebecca. I mean who caresses a dead woman's underwear?

I've really been tearing through these episodes. I find it's much easier to watch while I am doing something else. I had a little painting project that I needed to get done and it was much better to do that while watching SuBE. Multitasking is great.

I am so glad that Casey's mum has returned. She didn't die! Her cancer is in remission! Alex is also a major share holder in the Liberty Group, after her divorce settlement. She really reminds me of someone, but I am not sure who. She sounds like Linda Evans sometimes too when Linda would be husky and whispery. She's currently comforting Gregory while he's separated from Olivia and grieving for Caitlyn. So Annie's nose is out of joint as she was also putting the moves on Gregory. Popular guy!
Although Gregory seems heart set on getting Olivia back. He and Olivia's arguing scenes are amazing by the way. They are very JR and Sue Ellen and it all becomes very real, passionate and hateful when they fight. It's brilliant stuff.

I jumped the gun a bit with the turkey baster. Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, apart from Virginia opening the oven on Vanessa's soufflés. Hateful but understandable really. Nobody has been artificially inseminated over the holidays.

Speaking of the un-pregnant, Caitlyn has now turned a bit of a whack-job. She's stolen a pregnancy pad thing from a store to stuff up her top and pretend she's still pregnant and she wants to return to Sunset Beach urgently. I think her plan is to steal Olivia's baby. Though I am no that certain, I can hardly remember. It's all so complicated. I also know Caitlyn is going to be recast pretty soon, as I remember the other actress pretending to be pregnant too.

 

[Daniel Avery]

She really reminds me of someone, but I am not sure who. She sounds like Linda Evans sometimes too when Linda would be husky and whispery.

Casey's mother was most memorably played by Barbara Mandrell, the country music star and headliner of her own early-1980s variety show. I can't recall if she was the only person who played the part, so you may be watching someone else for all I know. I just recall the unintentional humor of short little Barbara Mandrell playing the mother of tall, hunky Timothy Adams. She was still mostly in country music but was dabbling in acting, and it was a bit of stunt casting since she really was a big deal in the 1980s (thus her own show).

Given all that's going on, I would be more surprised if Caitlyn wasn't a nut job at that point.

 

[Alexis]

Casey's mother was most memorably played by Barbara Mandrell, the country music star and headliner of her own early-1980s variety show. I can't recall if she was the only person who played the part, so you may be watching someone else for all I know. I just recall the unintentional humor of short little Barbara Mandrell playing the mother of tall, hunky Timothy Adams. She was still mostly in country music but was dabbling in acting, and it was a bit of stunt casting since she really was a big deal in the 1980s (thus her own show).

Given all that's going on, I would be more surprised if Caitlyn wasn't a nut job at that point.

Oh no, it's still Barbara Mandrell. She's back again. She reminds me of Ann Margret and Angie Dickenson crossed with Tinkerbell.
I am still bombing through episodes here. Gabby's rape trial has come and gone and it was as dramatic and uncomfortable as I remembered. It's weird that this was on TV at 10.20am here. I mean it wasn't graphic really but she breaks down in the witness box and reverts into a child like voice and starts recounting being raped. Then it becomes clear she's not talking about Ricardo but about her father. It was a really good acting performance though. So Ricardo has been cleared, however he cant forgive Paula for not believing his innocence. Paula forgives Gabby and stands by her. It's funny that I burned through this all so quickly. I remember it was literally months of storyline when I was watching originally.

Gregory has hit the drink while separated from Olivia and mourning Caitlyn and.... It's Christmas in Sunset Beach. He's all alone at the Richards mansion. Alex is genuinely worried about him, Annie is trying to get him into bed. I cant remember why it is exactly Annie is trying to get with Gregory. I think there is some clause in her father's will? Or she could just see it as an opportunity to marry rich.

Caitlyn has returned to Sunset Beach, and revealed her self to be alive to Olivia. Gregory saw her at the house but he was drinking and thought she was a figment of his imagination. She was standing in the French doors ala Emma Samms in Model's Inc. So now Cole, Sean and Olivia know Caitlyn is alive.

Virginia has found out Vanessa is in Cedar Oaks hospital with some long illness. She phones pretending to be Vanessa to get information and the nurse tells her that her mother may not recognise her if she visits. Which Virginia sees as a perfect way to find out everything.

The batch of episodes I am watching at the minute are pretty bad quality. It's like watching through a screen door and sometimes I can hear people talking who aren't in the scene. It sounds like people at home. Probably picked up from whoever recorded it originally.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Gregory hired someone to kill Cole in prison

Later Gregory runs into Cole at the hospital who is there at Bette's insistence

Anyway, Cole and Gregory argue

How much time did he need to realize this:

Then Gregory realises that Cole's escaped and Sean's in his place

!!!

When is Terror Island happening? I want to know all about that, how that works in a soap opera.

 

[Alexis]

How much time did he need to realize this:

Time has no meaning in Sunset Beach. The Pacing can be glacial. Also I am burning through about 2 weeks episodes in a day! Like I said about Gabby's rape storyline. That lasted for ages in real time when I watched originally. Like months, I got threw most of it in a few days. 5 Episodes of Sunset Beach could cover one morning or one week depending on the plot. It's mad in that way.

When is Terror Island happening? I want to know all about that, how that works in a soap opera.

Very, very soon! It's Christmas now, and something I have noticed had made me think Ben has already been switched with his evil twin. I imagine they are building the set for the creepy house on Terror Island about this time. Ben has been down at the docks, talking to a creepy fisherman guy about making sure everything is ready for tomorrow! Whatever that means.

Madame Carmen has just showed up! Isn't she Ricardo and father Antonio's mother? Although Antonio hasn't shown up yet himself.

 

[Alexis]

So Madame Carmen is Ricardo's mother and also the local psychic. Now Vanessa, Meg and Gabby visited her for a reading on Christmas eve and yet she never mentioned anything when she met Gabby about her accusing Ricardo of rape. I mean what the hell? I must have missed something.

Madam Carmen see's a short trip in all of their cards.... A boat trip to Terror Island I say! Oh hold up... Meg's about to get her reading. I wonder does her future involve lots of over exasperated crying and torturously annoying and slow storyline about Ben's dead wife?

 

[Alexis]

TERROR ISLAND IS UPON US!!!

 

[Willie Oleson]

Time has no meaning in Sunset Beach

Yeah but I mean did he forget that Cole was supposed to be very dead in jail? Sometimes I forget to buy some of my groceries but I think I would remember that.
And how can Cole casually walk into a hospital when he's supposed to be imprisoned? Words like "law" and "police" spring to mind, but then again I'm not a writer so what do I know.

 

[Alexis]

Yeah but I mean did he forget that Cole was supposed to be very dead in jail? Sometimes I forget to buy some of my groceries but I think I would remember that.
And how can Cole casually walk into a hospital when he's supposed to be imprisoned? Words like "law" and "police" spring to mind, but then again I'm not a writer so what do I know.

All the cops and legal types were already participating in Gabby's rape trial. The police station set was even used as the courtroom. And weirdly Gregory was Ricardo's lawyer. Imagine defending someone for rape the same week your adult daughter died. You have to just go with it. I was like 15 back then and this was my life.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Time has no meaning in Sunset Beach. The Pacing can be glacial.

Their "Shockwave" plotline (a combined earthquake/tsunami) had six weeks of episodes (30, give or take an episode) covering the events of ONE DAY. Granted, it was a helluva day, but even the show 24 managed to keep one day confined to 24 hours. The earthquake apparently occurred on a Monthday.

 

[Ray&Donna]

On Days, when Alice Horton was dying, time slowed down and they showed the same three characters acting out a scene every day for three weeks. So if you wanted to see the family reassembled for a memorial, you had to sit through Shawn Christian, Crystal Chappell, and Nadja Bjorlin act out the same scene for an entire month, all because Vivian tampered with the hospital elevatot

 

[Alexis]

Oh Terror Island is a riot! This is when I was really hooked on this nonsense. It's great silly fun. A creepy boat captain Grogan, a rickety old boat with everyone on board off to the island that Ben bought Meg for Christmas, for a New Years Eve party. Sadly Ben couldn't make it because he has pressing work at The Liberty Corporation. When Meg first sets foot on the boat her first line is. "Well the love boat it aint!" So on the boat are, Meg, Mark, Michael, Vanessa, Virginia, Casey, Gabby, Sean and Sean's horrible bitchy date Elizabeth.
The creepy captain has told them that nothing works on the Island, no phones, no fax, no way of communicating with the main land. Which is handy. On route Michael and Casey noticed that they appear to be sailing in the wrong direction for where they are meant to be headed. The Captain isn't at the wheel so Michael has to steer the ship. Sean's date Elizabeth was hiding below deck after an argument with Sean over him wanting to take Amy instead of her. While she's down there she's attacked by a man in a Scream mask. It's all so fun and they haven't even got to the Island and it's creepy old house yet.

Also before they left for the Island Meg had sent the bloody sheets off to be analysed to see if it was blood. The results came back when Meg wasn't there and Ben opened them and they revealed it was blood, type O negative. He copied and altered the results, but Meg told him she doesn't need to see results anyway that she knows Ben could never do anything that terrible. Well duh Meg! But that's not Ben, it's evil twin Derek and he's out for blood.

 

[Alexis]

So Elizabeth was murdered on the boat, but before she was attacked she was playing with a video camera and dropped it. It recorded her being murdered. The killer then dumped her overboard while everyone else was on the other side of the boat. They noticed sharks near the side of the boat, they didn't know they were eating Elizabeth!

I forgot to mention Jade... Jade is a grifter from Cole's past who turned up in Sunset Beach to work with him again and then is upset that he's actually in love with Caitlyn and isn't pulling some scam on her. So she wrapped Caitlyn a gift, a video of her and Cole having sex. Nice isn't she? Luckily Cole managed to get rid of the tape, but then Olivia stole it and is using it as leverage. So Jade sets her sites on Ben, and pretends to be a caterer to work Meg's party. She was on the boat too, only she cant cook!

Now that they are on the island and in the old house that Ben also bought Meg, I remember that this house set just gets repainted and redressed and becomes the Richards home. I cant remember if thats after the earthquake or not? Actually I think I remember that the earthquake happened in this house, so maybe it just changes without any explanation of the totally different interior. I much prefer this set, it's bigger and has a great big gothic stone fireplace. I think that it's so big and has lots of little nooks and crannies so that they could film chase and murder scenes and have places for the killer to hid. It's a great set

Anyways everyone on the island is freaked out as Mark told the story of what happened on the island 50 years previously. A bunch of young people went there for a New Years party and then they were all killed one by one. Then they all go off and name drop various horror films and thrillers. It's really a fun storyline and a good thing to play against the other main plot at the moment, which brings me to...

Crazy Caitlin's ludicrous fake pregnancy story. I know we are meant to believe that she's lost the plot. However, why cant she just tell Cole that she lost the baby? It makes no sense. Obviously being in a horrific car accident and going over an actual cliff would be an understandable explanation for loosing her baby. That's what happened. It's hardly her fault, even if she was driving. And does she really think Cole would just up and leave her because she lost her baby? It's a lot...
She's just been to see a specialist who tells her she cant have children ever, so now she plans on adopting one to pass off as her own. I somehow don't think so.

 

[Alexis]

Cole stopped by De Tyus' to book a blood test so he and Caitlyn could get married. Why do you need a blood test to get married? Is that for real?

 

[Ray&Donna]

Cole stopped by De Tyus' to book a blood test so he and Caitlyn could get married. Why do you need a blood test to get married? Is that for real?

You did in the old days to see if you might be carrying a disease or be cousins, but I am pretty sure it's not a thing anymore. It's funny that it would even be on a soap since there are usually few barriers to a wedding, even an undead spouse

 

[Alexis]

You did in the old days to see if you might be carrying a disease or be cousins, but I am pretty sure it's not a thing anymore. It's funny that it would even be on a soap since there are usually few barriers to a wedding, even an undead spouse

Like would that have been happening in 1997 in California?