I Think Val Could Have Had Gary Sooner

[Ray_Krebbs]

I watched a lot of Season 5 today. I think Val was an idiot to tell Ben was the father. Having that over Gary would have made him more prone to reunite and leave Abby. Also, that was an awful thing to do to Ben. I would have corrected everyone. Ben was dumb to take Val back and put up with it. Your thoughts?

 

[Daniel Avery]

Famous soap creator/producer/writer Agnes Nixon famously said that the key to a successful soap opera was to "Make them laugh, make them cry, and make them wait." If a soap is going to risk breaking up one of their key couples, then they are wise to keep them apart as long as possible. As long as the couple is portrayed as "close to reuniting" it will instill loyalty in the viewer, give the viewer a reason to stick around to see that anticipated reunion. The longer the wait, the greater the "payoff" for the viewer who waited through all the other plotlines that made them laugh and made them cry (in theory). If Gary and Val broke up and then reunited within ten episodes, it would hardly be remembered. Their multi-season estrangement, however became one of the show's best-remembered, signature stories.

 

[Laura Avery-Sumner]

This last rewatch indeed made me think that Ben was treated shabbily from day one. LIfe with PK Kelly would have been a lot better for him than Val.

 

[Ray_Krebbs]

Daniel, I agree with you. In real life, though, Val's treatment of Ben was awful and inexcusable. He was her whipping boy. Ben should've stuck with that hot lady from the news station he was with in early Season 6.

 

[Seaviewer]

It was not in Val's character to hold things over people. But Ben believing that she would ever truly give Gary up was a triumph of hope over reason.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

The way Ben was treated gives more credence to Jill's verbal takedown of.Val in the season 9 finale. It would have been cool if she included "I dont blame Ben for running off after the way you treated him."
I still love Valene, though. She was such a nice passive aggressive .

 

[Mustard]

Val was in two minds about Gary during Season 5, but she was very hurt when Olivia told her over the phone that Gary had just married Abby.

During Season 5, Val simply saw Ben as more reliable and dependable compared to Gary, especially once Gary had married Abby. Most women also want stability for their kids, and that would especially be the case with Val considering the history with Lucy. So Ben was more reliable and more dependable in Val's eyes, so she wanted Ben as the father of her kids at that time, but Val also loved Gary more than anyone. Even years later, Val insisted on Bobby and Betsy calling Gary "Uncle Gary", and Val showed her worst side when Gary said that he wanted to be a father to the kids, and she threw tantrums. It took some time before Val was fine with Gary being the father in every sense to Bobby and Betsy, a combination of Ben having been gone and seemingly never coming back, and Gary mostly maturing further. At that point, from Val's point of view, it was a question about whether Bobby and Betsy would have a dad at all, and Gary was there.

 

[Mustard]

Daniel, I agree with you. In real life, though, Val's treatment of Ben was awful and inexcusable. He was her whipping boy. Ben should've stuck with that hot lady from the news station he was with in early Season 6.

Val treated Ben like a saint compared to how Lilimae treated Ben.

 

[Seaviewer]

Gary mostly maturing further.

That's an important point. It was not so much Val getting Gary back as Gary becoming worthy of Val again.

 

[Stillwitty]

I watched a lot of Season 5 today. I think Val was an idiot to tell Ben was the father. Having that over Gary would have made him more prone to reunite and leave Abby. Also, that was an awful thing to do to Ben. I would have corrected everyone. Ben was dumb to take Val back and put up with it. Your thoughts?

Thoughts? Honesty is the best policy.

Famous soap creator/producer/writer Agnes Nixon famously said that the key to a successful soap opera was to "Make them laugh, make them cry, and make them wait." If a soap is going to risk breaking up one of their key couples, then they are wise to keep them apart as long as possible. As long as the couple is portrayed as "close to reuniting" it will instill loyalty in the viewer, give the viewer a reason to stick around to see that anticipated reunion. The longer the wait, the greater the "payoff" for the viewer who waited through all the other plotlines that made them laugh and made them cry (in theory). If Gary and Val broke up and then reunited within ten episodes, it would hardly be remembered. Their multi-season estrangement, however became one of the show's best-remembered, signature stories.

I was fine with keeping them apart; but I still think Gary should have been told he was the father. Although that baby boy's resemblance to Gary REALLY left no doubt. Back in the day before blood/DNA tests, the judge would look at the child, look at the baby and slam that gavel...Gary being Daddy watching his kids raised by Ben would have provided enough drama anyway, he still would have been in their lives with visitation creating the same tension between all involved.

Daniel, I agree with you. In real life, though, Val's treatment of Ben was awful and inexcusable. He was her whipping boy. Ben should've stuck with that hot lady from the news station he was with in early Season 6.

The one with the weird, undiscernible accent?

Val was in two minds about Gary during Season 5, but she was very hurt when Olivia told her over the phone that Gary had just married Abby.

During Season 5, Val simply saw Ben as more reliable and dependable compared to Gary, especially once Gary had married Abby. Most women also want stability for their kids, and that would especially be the case with Val considering the history with Lucy. So Ben was more reliable and more dependable in Val's eyes, so she wanted Ben as the father of her kids at that time, but Val also loved Gary more than anyone. Even years later, Val insisted on Bobby and Betsy calling Gary "Uncle Gary", and Val showed her worst side when Gary said that he wanted to be a father to the kids, and she threw tantrums. It took some time before Val was fine with Gary being the father in every sense to Bobby and Betsy, a combination of Ben having been gone and seemingly never coming back, and Gary mostly maturing further. At that point, from Val's point of view, it was a question about whether Bobby and Betsy would have a dad at all, and Gary was there.

Val told Mack on the beach in Season 4: Gary is to her what alcohol is to him. Spot on analysis...