Today I Cut The Final Cord

11 . 02 . 00

When all is said and done, I should feel grateful. Today I was able to watch the scenes with this Danny and this Michelle and really not care. And believe me when I say that while I fully expected this day to come, I always imagined it would be because of the whole Joie Lenz/Nancy St. Alban situation. My love for Joie is known, my inability to accept a recast is firmly ensconced in my psyche, but I continued to watch. Mostly because my admiration for Paul Anthony is just as strong, and as a member of Enigma, I want to support him in everything that he does, even if watching his character mack on May made me want to heave. But this day came due to one reason and one reason only - the complete disregard and mismanagement of the characters I once loved beyond reason.

My disappointment in the last few months has not been hidden. The character assassination that took place in Danny was downright cruel. The change in Michelle was not as drastic, but it was still noticed. The Michelle I had known in the fifteen months prior to the Labine's regime would not have given up on Danny the way she did. While I admired her need to protect herself, I still expected her to fight a bit harder for the man she said she could never live without. It saddened me, but it didn't ruin her character structure. The Michelle that was put on my screen all that time had to have a breaking point, and I accepted Danny's responsibility for another man's death to be that point. I accepted that. I even stretched the realm of possibility and granted the show creative leniency for Danny's part in Xeno's death. While it was jarring to say the very least, it was the sort of situation that I had always expected to come between them some day.

But I did not and can not accept what happened to Danny after she left.

Every day I weened myself off of this grand love story that changed my life. Every day that I saw Danny hanging on May, every day that I heard him talk about Michelle as though he was never even present during their marriage, every day that Danny said and did things that didn't look or sound like Danny, I cared just a little less. I can believe that he went temporarily insane. I can believe that he was projecting his life with Michelle onto his situations with May. I can even believe that he wanted something simple that he didn't have to work for that he turned his attention on a simpleton to achieve that goal. But I'll be damned if I'm going to believe that this man would lose his mind, and as though some fairy godmother snapped her fingers, just as quickly became the Danny of old just in time for the new Michelle actress to come into the fold and make all of the Danny and Michelle fans stand up and cheer.

I'm sitting, and I'm not cheering.

Tuesday's show - I watched carefully. I too saw the tears streaming from PAS' red-rimmed eyes. I too felt that he turned in a very good performance. But what I saw was the performance of a man who has to carry this upcoming story all by himself. And what I think was more profound than anything for me, I simply saw one character cry over another character. He looked like our old Danny, and he sounded like our old Danny, in fact, he sounded exactly like the Danny from about 4-5 months ago right after Michelle miscarried. If I went back, I'll probably even find the exact same dialogue. He said the things to make people weep, he said the things that the romantic in me would love to hear, he even said the things we've wanted to hear from him all this time.

But I needed a neck brace while I was watching it, for I got whiplash during the first scene and I haven't recovered since. I scanned this board and saw ravings proclaiming that "Our Manny is Back!" etc, etc. I have no idea what you're watching, because from here, they don't resemble Manny one bit. What I see are two characters that have been used as play-do for new writers with no attention to their history or their fanbase. What has transpired due to the negative backlash of these actions resulted in what we saw on Tuesday, another completely jarring turnaround of two characters that I used to care about. The integrity of this love story that was built in the last two years has been unraveled and it can not be re-woven with a few teary scenes and a woman lying in a bed who people keep insisting is Michelle.

But perhaps what I fail to understand the most is the ability to completely sidestep this change in character in Danny simply because he's saying the right things that make us all go weak at the knees. During the two months of listening to Danny lament his time with Michelle while doing a complete 180 in both demeanor and motivation, I never failed to see this disgusting change in characterization being chastised. However, now that he's saying and doing things that we think he should be doing, the exact same 180 is a-ok? Doesn't that scare anyone but me? The fact that a character can change on a dime, at the drop of a hat, [insert tacky cliché here], should not be welcomed with open arms. It should be feared. Because apparently, it can happen any time, for any reason... perhaps at the whim of a ticked off writer.

Wednesday's show - Flash forward to today. While yesterday brought me much-needed distance from Danny, today was the day that the final nail was driven into the coffin. The travesty that I watched on my screen as Michelle's character was written as though the last two years never happened, was enough for me to finally proclaim that I just don't care anymore. Who was this character? Forget the fact that I couldn't see anything beyond her stare, but between hearing her actually apologize to Danny and listening to her beg him to forgive her, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A meek shadow of her former self, this was definitely the Michelle of yesteryear, before November 5th, 1998. Today disgusted me. Watching as a character that I loved so much was turned into a Stepford wife in front of my eyes. Gone was the spunk that caused Danny to fall in love with her in the first place. Gone with the fire that challenged him every day they spent together. And gone with the integrity that she had when she left on October 4th. While I don't doubt that she did miss him in New York, and while I can visualize her walking the streets and hoping he was there, this was simply not a conflicted woman. This was not the woman who would cry with a look of want and longing. This wasn't the Michelle who was strong and confident. This was a weak and demure woman who will never again be Danny's equal.

I won't even get into the fact that much of today's dialogue was taken directly from the shower episode, and poorly at that.

The honeymoon is over.

Today I was able to watch with astonishment and detachment. Perhaps the dialogue will say that Danny and Michelle stay together. Perhaps the dialogue will say that they finally have the child that they want so desperately. Perhaps the dialogue will say that they prevail over the machinations of Carmen, Maria and Claire. Perhaps the dialogue will say that they fall deeper in love. And for those who continue to watch with the same fervor that they watched before, I wish you the best. But today became my first day of emancipation from the love, the despair, the heartache, and the jubilation I got from watching a couple who were able to give me more in a single glance than any piece of dialogue ever written. From now on I will watch with a safe emotional distance between myself and this new couple, as though they are just any two characters on any other show.

Maybe I should actually thank the writers, producers and casting agents for ruining this couple and this storyline so much that I was able to get the closure I needed so desperately.

BELOW ARE MY RESPONSES TO REPLIES

Jeffersonpfk said: I don't believe that you can judge this couple Danny and Michelle by 2or3 episodes. The writers had to start somewhere. I'm certainly am no fan of the Labines and agree with some of your statements, but what I want is the love story to continue. This part that we are seeing now is kind of a foreplay. The writers are getting ready to completely destroy Danny's life as he has known it. There has to be someone that he can trust and believe in to be able to survive. Michelle is that person as she is being written today. She is going to be his guide out of Inferno or what he knows as good. Remember what PAS talked about in NYC interview about Greek Tragedy.

That's a fair statement in that it is hard to judge new actors or new storylines after a couple of episodes. I do agree with that. What I'm doing is judging the storyline of the last three months and deciding that the precious gem that Manny once was is now being thrown about on a whim and a prayer. No care is being taken whatsoever, as witnessed by the outlandish change in character (more on that below in a response to Dani) for both Danny and Michelle. This was not a rash decision making process for me. But what I was trying to convey was the fact that these episodes were the proverbial straws that broke my weary back. Nothing more.

The idea of Michelle being his guide out of Infierno is all well and good, and I applaud anyone who can call that storyline now and I'll be even happier for you all when and if that comes to fruition. But what's the point if the road to the end of that Greek Tragedy made no sense? I'm simply choosing not to lower my expectations just because these writers have no grasp on this love story. While certain moments and elements may pop up once in a while, it's not enough to string episodes together that draw this viewer in.

As I had said before, Dani, that part was something I could live with, especially given the departure situation. I wholeheartedly think that they could've come up with something better, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt where Michelle's running off to NY was concerned.

See, but I already believed it once. I believed that Danny needed to feel in control the night he slept with Drew. To me, as much as I hated the D/D situation, it made a whole lot more sense to me than this May stuff did. Because, in truth, by doing what he did – completely renouncing the life he had claimed he wanted with Michelle (even without her) and boinking a stranger the day Michelle left town – how was he any different than the Danny that existed before he met Michelle? Weren't we supposed to believe that the two years they were together changed him? That's what makes characters so interesting on soaps, especially, because they're given the opportunity to evolve and change in a realistic way. If Danny had, back in February of 1999 all of a sudden gotten all sappy and lovey-dovey with Michelle, believe me, I would've had this same problem. But he didn't. We got to see him change, bit by bit, evolve as it were, into the man that he wanted to be. So by sleeping with May and joining the family, he completely renounced the last two years and it turned him into the Danny of October of 1998, before we ever met him. That insults me as a viewer, and it insults the relationship he formed with his wife. And I don't like it.

Ahh, but there we go. It always comes back to the writers making completely inane choices in this storyline. I can't remember who said it (Liz?) but I remember reading that they could've found many different ways, much more effective ways, for them to reconcile and bring the new Michelle back onto the canvas. Heck, if they really were smart, they would've realized that they really needed to take care of this storyline because with Joie's departure, things were going to be up in the air. What they should've done was stick Manny backburner and keep their fanbase happy until the new writing team knew what they were doing. Instead, they put the breakup, the rejoining of the family and the recast front and center without even thinking first. I'm sorry, but nobody can convince me that the past three months have been a smooth storyline transition that was thought out in advance.

I liken this to a construction job. The house - The Manny love story and Santos family. The framework was constructed beautifully. You could see the potential for an amazingly unique and spectacular home. As it happens on these jobs, months went by and sometimes no work was done to the house, leaving it to look still beautiful, but somewhat hollow. What I do is fire the previous construction company because the house isn't being built fast enough; it's too hollow. So I hire this big, hotshot company to come in and finish the job. Unfortunately, they look at the framework and don't really see the vision that the previous team and I had. But, as the homeowner, I am excited that some work will finally be done and my house will be built to look as beautiful as it can. The team comes in and they decide to go in and take down a stanchion here, a stanchion there, and start rebuilding from scratch. Much to my surprise, though, this new hotshot team didn't take the time to read the blueprints and see where all the pipes had been laid and where the wiring would go. So, when they slapped together my new house, even though it looks completely different than I thought it would, I'm still interested to see how it functions. Imagine my surprise when I moved in and all of a sudden there were leaks everywhere and all my electrical outlets were shorting out. My house was no longer the beautiful monument that I had envisioned. Instead, it's a shell of its former self, a poorly put together shack that lacks the magical potential that began with such perfect framework. Do I simply pull a "Money Pit" and invest all my money and time and heart into fixing up this house? Or do I simply move out, leaving it to anyone who wants to move in? I chose the former.

Dani, I'm not saying that Michelle would never have forgiven him (and I'm not even going to get into the spoilers about May – oy!), what I'm saying is that where I, the viewer, was cheated yet again, was in not seeing her forgiving process. She leaves after saying such horrible things about Danny, while still appearing conflicted, and returns as a simpering moron who doesn't even blink when Danny proclaims that he's the boss of the mob, the one thing that scared her the most ALL this time. This was the running theme, that she wanted him out of that life, and as I said, while I hated the fact that she didn't fight more before she left, I preferred it to her simply giving in and accepting the life that they fought against TOGETHER for over a year. Pieces just aren't fitting.

Silly me, I thought Michelle was his motivation for changing his life. Oops, I guess that's just another misinterpreted element of the storyline I'd been watching all these months.

I told some friends last night that I now have the Passions Syndrome as I'm calling it. I will probably enjoy GL on a surface level more now because I don't care one bit about these characters. I'm glad for you, Dani, I sincerely am, that you are holding on to what you believe in, this new Danny and Michelle. I'm simply holding on to what I believe in, the way it used to be.

Malynda, starting over sure sounds great, huh? I don't have any regrets. I had two years with something great. I'm not even sad anymore. But I am angry. I'm angry that something so perfect has been trampled on and disregarded as nothing more than a fluffy story for writers to pick apart and re-arrange in any way, shape or form that they see fit, regardless of history.

And honestly, if I hadn't watched the last three months and then watched Tuesday and Wednesday, I'd feel like nothing had happened. And is that how the Labine's choose to write? As if months at a time just didn't happen? The dialogue at her bedside could've very easily been a scene directly after Michelle had stomach pains back in June and we wouldn't have missed a beat. Something's wrong there.

Ree, as with anyone who's happy or going to wait this out, I respect your decision completely and absolutely. I don't wish any ill will on anyone who is still hanging on, not one bit. And perhaps I'm only seeing clearly for myself, which is all I've ever tried to do. I'm not here to try and force anyone else to see things my way. The purpose of my post was not to sway anyone into giving up or anger them into turning off their television set. Unlike the many "we must support this new Manny" posts, I simply was very relieved yesterday to be able to be free of the emotional tie that they once had on me. I will clarify, however, as I think it might've gotten lost in the message... my devotion to what was, to the year and a half that preceded all of this is as strong as it ever was. I don't think anyone can doubt the amount of love I have for that Manny. But at times, during the hardest parts, my heart broke because I cared SO much. I'm going to continue to watch, and I'm not turning off my television, but I just don't feel anything for them anymore. That was the jist of the whole post.

Opal.. and I'm glad to see others who are just as unafraid to voice their DISpleasure in regards to these characters and this story, three months into it. I've enlisted a large portion of my time, energy, heart and money into this couple. So I think that my opinion on their poor treatment is just as important as your opinion of supporting them. If you had read the board back when Labine's hiring was announced, you would know that I was beyond ecstatic about it. You'd also know that I was a huge fan of hers on her last two shows, so I'm even more disappointed in what I've seen because of that fact. She's had three months, I just don't see any kind of innate understanding of the Danny and Michelle dynamic, or even for Danny as a singular character. I hope the show gets better, for everyone's sakes, believe me. I hope all the other characters start to look and sound like themselves, not just Danny or Michelle. And I hope February sweeps brings you what you want, and more.

The only way I can read that is such that I'm supposed to apologize for being a fan of Joie's. Well, I'm not going to. As I actually stated in my post, this is not about Joie or NSA. Believe it or not, it's actually about the poor writing structure of the storyline.

I could take that one of two ways - either you're saying that if they say something now it will all be forgotten in two weeks, therefore making it wasted energy, and also therefore supporting my point. Or...

You're saying that delving into the very core of their story is wasted energy. So I'd have to ask, how can that be wasted energy? The fact that they started to do it at the beginning of August was actually something I could've gotten behind, but the writers royally screwed it up. Perhaps they shouldn't have even bothered starting it until NSA appeared. That would've made a lot more sense.

I would appreciate not being told how to feel or how to react to this couple. I'm not doing that to you. I'm glad you're happy. I really am. And I don't believe I'm judging a book by its cover. I've read about a quarter of the book, and so far I'm not impressed.

For the record, I'm not giving up on the show. I just don't have the emotional attachment that I once did. Everyone seems to be misinterpreting what I said. :)

But being sedated doesn't mean completely forgetting everything that the writers SAID were such problems. Don't you see? They put these words in these character's mouths and tell us to believe them, yet a few weeks later, for whatever reasons they want to throw at you, they're telling us that the words they said before aren't true, that these are true. How can I care about people when I can't believe one word they're saying because in a few weeks it all might be changed back again? There used to be a basic truth to Manny that carried me through, that allowed me to forgive writing foibles as long as they stuck to it. When even that truth is thrown about without care and left for dead, how am I supposed to believe anything I see anymore? I don't expect answers, I'm just giving you an idea of my mindset in this situation.

That's just it, I know that for me it was too quick and they should've hashed every single thing out. To me, that's not just some small inconsistency that you can toss under a rug and shrug your shoulders at just because, holy crap, they're back together. I guess it's just too important to me to do that. Because if you do, you're talking about the very essence of Manny being shoved under that same rug.

Again, please tell me how we are supposed to believe that and then, in the same breath, still believe that the last two years meant anything to Danny? Didn't his immense love for Michelle mean ANYTHING? Weren't we supposed to believe, due to scene after repeated scene, that she made him want to be a better man? I'm totally down with the notion that without her in his life, he didn't think he could be that better man, but I would've preferred it if we had a little nod to the turmoil brewing inside of him instead of him looking like he freakin' enjoyed everything he was doing (literally and figuratively). And note, when they broke up the last time, he drank too much and simply tried to heist some vcr's.. this time, he goes ten steps further and becomes the family boss? If anything, I'd think it would be the other way around. But I suppose I'm expecting too much.

I would've been all for watching Danny spiral down into a deep abyss. I don't know if you read it, but I posted something after a talk that Buzz had with Harley about that dark cave metaphor, and mentioned that maybe Michelle was supposed to save him, face that ugly part of him and bring him back out into the light. My problem isn't with that idea, in fact I love it. My problem here, as I'm just trying to say, is that the execution has been so bad, that it's caused me to completely disregard any feelings I had for them in the first place.

Bottom line is that Danny and Michelle could've be anything. There were so many possibilities for them that it's almost unfair to every other soap couple. But whether it's Paul Rauch or the Labines or the crappy soap God who decided to shake up this perfect little Manny snow globe, all the snowflakes have been picked up and put in different places and it won't ever be the same.

I know, I know.. you can't live in the past, you have to move forward because that's the nature of soaps. And you're right, it's the nature of soaps. It's just unfortunate that there's not enough nurturing to balance the scales.

Candy