The Jeb/Carolyn Romance

[Philippe Cordier]

I've made a post showing my "thoughtful" side, now it's time to show the "nasty" me (oh-oh, more demerits in my portrait ...)

I am so sorry to find that we're now embarking on the Jeb/rebellious Carolyn romance, probably my least favorite of the entire series after the "Buzz"/rebellious Carolyn romance, but at least that one didn't last too long.

I was just thinking, given that another, very popular actor on the show specialized in portraying "brash young men," why he wasn't cast as Jeb!  The possibilities are actually quite interesting if you think about it ... Roger Davis might also have been physically more in keeping with the series of actors who portrayed "Joseph" (just kidding), "Alex" (yikes!! I mean Alexander), and "Michael."

But then I suppose there's a difference between "irritatingly brash" and "irritatingly rude" ... not to mention that Jeb is also rude and dangerous!  But IMHO, "rude" gets just a mite wearing after weeks ... and weeks ... and weeks ...

Let's see, can't I find anything nice to say?

Does anyone else think that Christopher Berneau could
E - N - U - N - C - I - A - T - E    just a wee bit more???

(Suppose it's the Broadway stage training ...)



Ouch!!  (A friend on the board recently informed me what that mysterious Karma/Curse thing was all about ... how serious is that, anyway?   

[ClaudeNorth]

I admit I'm not the biggest fan of the Carolyn-Jeb pairing.  In fact, with one exception, I am not a fan of any of Carolyn's romantic pairings, and that exception is Tony Peterson.

Tony was handsome, surprisingly tan for a Maine resident, blunt but honorable, yet lacking the undercurrent of brutishness that Burke Devlin possessed.  He was a perfect contrast/complement to Carolyn Stoddard, with her blonde hair, sense of entitlement, and fluid sense of morals.  Plus, Jerry Lacy and Nancy Barrett had great chemistry on-screen.  It's a shame that DC and Company didn't make the Carolyn-Tony relationship more of a priority instead of allowing it to fall by the wayside amidst the supernatural intrigues.

Regards,

John

[jennifer]

John i agree that the Tony/Carolyn pairing was the best of all of
hers and Vlad ,next to Buzz , Jeb was the worst. his initial
meeting with her when he says"i'll help you forget about your father"
Ick what a gross pick up line! what a jerk!

jennifer

[Gerard]

I am not a fan of any of Carolyn's romantic pairings, and that exception is Tony Peterson.

Tony was handsome, surprisingly tan for a Maine resident, blunt but honorable, yet lacking the undercurrent of brutishness that Burke Devlin possessed.  He was a perfect contrast/complement to Carolyn Stoddard, with her blonde hair, sense of entitlement, and fluid sense of morals.  Plus, Jerry Lacy and Nancy Barrett had great chemistry on-screen.  It's a shame that DC and Company didn't make the Carolyn-Tony relationship more of a priority instead of allowing it to fall by the wayside amidst the supernatural intrigues.

Regards,

John

Yeah, whatever happened to Tony Peterson?  After Angelique played him like a violin, that was the last ever seen of him.  I enjoyed Jerry Lacy in that role, and while I also enjoyed him in all his Trask incarnations, he was great playing the lawyer, and definitely the kinda man Carolyn needed.  Kinduva SPOILER here....................................Even in 1970PT they made him Trask, the butler.  It would have been far more appropriate to have made him Tony Peterson, the butler, since virtually all of the PT characters were the images of people from regular time.

Gerard

[ClaudeNorth]

Kinduva SPOILER here....................................Even in 1970PT they made him Trask, the butler.  It would have been far more appropriate to have made him Tony Peterson, the butler, since virtually all of the PT characters were the images of people from regular time.

Gerard

That is exactly what they should have done.  My guess is that DC and Company assumed that TP was forgotten by the fans...

John

[Philippe Cordier]

Now that you mention it, that would have been a nice pairing (i.e., Tony Peterson and Carolyn Stoddard).  As would have been the one between Victoria Winters and whatever that young lawyer's name was in the first storyline ... another lawyer who dropped from sight -- I think both characters could have added to the continuing DS saga.

Actually, the Tony Peterson role is the only DS role of Jerry Lacy's that I liked (I found his Trasks far too obvious and overdone)!

his initial meeting with her when he says"i'll help you forget about your father"
Ick what a gross pick up line! what a jerk!

It occurred to me that the DS writers might have been inspired by "Richard III" here ... Shakespeare at his most "theatrical" (read "melodramatic").

[Luciaphile]

It occurred to me that the DS writers might have been inspired by "Richard III" here ... Shakespeare at his most "theatrical" (read "melodramatic").

Richard was at least a clever villain. Can't say that for Jeb, who's pure thug really.

Of all the characters Carolyn was paired with, Tony was the only one that really worked. I'm with you guys a 100%. They had chemistry. He didn't put up with her tantrums. She didn't put up with his tendency to self-righteousness. It worked.

Jeb? This is another one of those pairings where I can get why a character might feel a certain way (she's messed up big time), but it doesn't make me want to root for them.

[bluedog]

 :DI agree, Tony & Carolyn would have made a lovely couple.   I always wished that DC would have done something more with Tony Peterson.

Never thought of Roger Davis as Jeb.  Was Carolyn ever romantically linked with Davis' characters?
 

[Debra]

I was just thinking, given that another, very popular actor on the show specialized in portraying "brash young men," why he wasn't cast as Jeb!  The possibilities are actually quite interesting if you think about it ... Roger Davis might also have been physically more in keeping with the series of actors who portrayed "Joseph" (just kidding), "Alex" (yikes!! I mean Alexander), and "Michael."

OH HEAVENS NO!!!  Please don't even think that!  Seeing him during the 1897 storyline was enough for me so Im thankful that he wasn't chosen to play the part of Jeb.
You're right about him playing brash young men though but maybe by that time the Director and Writers had enough of him.

I favored Carolyn and Tony Peterson as a couple also.  He was level headed enough for her and wouldn't stand for any of her nonsense.   They had very good chemistry together too.

Deb

[ClaudeNorth]

As would have been the one between Victoria Winters and whatever that young lawyer's name was in the first storyline

That would be Frank Garner, played by dreamy Conard Fowkes.  It's a shame that he wasn't brought back to play Peter Bradford. 

Regards,

John

[Josette]

I get infuriated with her behavior towards Jeb.  She acts quite angry over his brash and rude behavior and tells him off.  Yet that apparently attracts or intrigues her, so she keeps going to him.

But, after he broke the antique and she scolded him, I just can't see her going along with his telling her to do the same.  I can't believe that she would deliberately drop it the way she did.

[Cassandra]

But, after he broke the antique and she scolded him, I just can't see her going along with his telling her to do the same.  I can't believe that she would deliberately drop it the way she did.

Yes Josette I know!!!   I thought that was so silly and childish when Jeb broke the antique, yet antiques are expensive and unreplacable so his behavior was definetely irrational.   I was suprised at Carolyn's behaviour too but IMO I think she was under his spell in some way and that made he do what he wanted her to do.  Carolyn wouldn't normally do something like that on her own so apparently he has some kind of evil hold over her that makes her do things against her own will.

Cassandra

[Luciaphile]

I get infuriated with her behavior towards Jeb.  She acts quite angry over his brash and rude behavior and tells him off.  Yet that apparently attracts or intrigues her, so she keeps going to him.

Well, actually, that is consistent with the type of man Carolyn seems to go for. With the exception of Joe, each and every one of them is trouble in one way or another.

Burke: she's told by all and sundry, he's out to ruin her family. Does she pay any attention?

Buzz: well, Buzz is more used than a user, but I think it can be argued that she brings him home to Mother precisely because he is the type of guy you don't bring home to Mother.

Tony: the Angry Young Man. Doesn't fall for her wiles. Tells her she's a spoiled rich brat and she's attracted.

Chris: No job. No prospects. Violent tendencies. Attracts trouble and therefore Carolyn.

I don't include Barnabas in this mess because that was a forced and supernatural relationship and not one she actively chose.

This could all conceivably be tied up with her upbringing and absent father. Pretty much the princess in the tower all her life. Wants excitement. Wants something different (if she didn't, she and Joe would have been married very quickly).

Jeb comes along when she's at her lowest emotionally. He challenges and provokes her, which always seems to get Carolyn excited. He's a young, strong, relatively attractive guy with "Man you so do not bring home to Mother" written all over him (of course, in this case, Mother will be ecstatic, but Carolyn doesn't know this).

Not saying any of this is healthy or sensible (I, in fact, think Carolyn needs a slap upside the head), but it does work characterwise.

[Cassandra Blair]

That was a brilliant assessment, Luciaphil!  When you look at Carolyn's men one by one like that, the relationships do seem like something that might happen in the real world, particularly Carolyn hooking up with Jeb when she was at a low point in her life.  That is a time when it's easy to make the wrong choice about lots of things, particularly romantic relationships.

Now, I'm with everyone else - I can't stand Jeb, and don't like the two of them together but it does make sense, given the circumstances.  Aside from that mickey in her drink yesterday, I don't think he really had to work any of his hoodoo to get our Ms. Stoddard.  And has anyone noticed that the two have something in common?  Jeb said in a recent ep "I always do what I feel."  That could be Carolyn's motto, too.

But it is too bad that Tony Peterson didn't happen to come back into the storyline, he and Carolyn weren't much alike, but complemented each other quite well.  And unlike many of the men she chose he wasn't a loser.

[onyx_treasure]

   I also would have liked more of Tony Peterson.  However, I think he high-tailed it out of town after all the weird business with the Collins family.  You know that kinky cousin relationship between  Barnabas and Carolyn, wild-eyed Dr. Hoffman issue, and witch enthrallment problems.  Heck, he probably has a lucrative law practice in sunny California.