SoapLand - The Battle Of The Letters - The Result

[Richard Channing]

Letters often play an important role in Soapland. Sometimes bringing good news, sometimes bringing bad, their revelations can often shake things up or cause trouble. Sometimes they're to profess undying love, other times to say goodbye. And sometimes they serve to torment, provoke or deceive.

Often the contents are narrated by whoever wrote it, or failing that, a character is often kind enough to read it out for us. What are your top 5?





Btw, wills will not be included as that's a separate thing. Also, short notes are permitted, doesn't need to be a full letter.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Funny, last week I was thinking of fabulous fireplace moments, but these would mostly be about letters and other top secret documents.
Well, and Ted Dinard's death, of course.

 

[Toni]

Letters often play an important role in Soapland. Sometimes bringing good news, sometimes bringing bad, their revelations can often shake things up or cause trouble. Sometimes they're to profess undying love, other times to say goodbye. And sometimes they serve to torment, provoke or deceive.

Often the contents are narrated by whoever wrote it, or failing that, a character is often kind enough to read it out for us. What are your top 5?


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Btw, wills will not be included as that's a separate thing. Also, short notes are permitted, doesn't need to be a full letter.

Great subject for a thread (again!)! One question: Are poems about abortion read to the family eligible...?

 

[Richard Channing]

Great subject for a thread (again!)! One question: Are poems about abortion read to the family eligible...?

Sure, why not!

 

[Angela Channing]

Are poems about abortion read to the family eligible...?

Some things only ever happen in a soap opera!

 

[Angela Channing]

My top 5:

1. Richard Channing Is Your Son. The letter Peter Stavros gave to Angela which revealed Richard Channing is her son. One of the greatest twists ever in a soap opera. FALCON CREST

2. Jock's Inspirational Letter To JR. The letter Jock wrote to JR during the war when he thought he was going to died. It contained great motivational lines like "Any man can win when things go his way. It's the man who overcomes adversity that is the true champion". Ellie gave it to JR when he was at a low point in the hope it would give him his spark back. DALLAS

3. Julia's Letter Prompts Angela's Regrets. The letter that Julia wrote to Angela while she was at college in which she say how excited she would be to show Angela around on Parent's Day. When Julia was on the run, Angela shared the letter with Lance and she is consumed by guilt and regret about how she never went there because Falcon Crest her priority. It is such a beautifully played scene that showed the softer, more human side to Angela that we didn't see very often. FALCON CREST

4. Klansman Revealed. The anonymous letter that Constance Carlyle receives which revealled that Mike Drucker, Field's election opponent, was formerly of the Ku Klux Klan.

5. Emily Helps Blake. Emily admits in a letter to being with Ben on the night that Blake's mother died. She urges Blake to use the letter to bring down Ben and Alexis so he can regain Denver Carrington and his mansion.

 

[Willie Oleson]

1. THE COLBYS - Philip's letter to Cecil
The paternity issue had been done many times before, but this was so big it could actually destroy the very premise of the spin-off.
If it turned out that Jeff wasn't a Colby at all, what would be the point of a The Colbys series?
It deals with the most important storylines: Sable's war against Jeff, and Jason and Sable's marriage.
The letter had to be destroyed, and was tossed into the fireplace. However…

Sable is shocked when she reads the letter, and then she realizes that it's manna from heaven because it proves that Jeff has no right to inherit part of the Colby empire, and also that her slut sister had committed adultery when she was still married to Philip.
Jason and Sable make a deal: no letter, no divorce. But Sable wants to have her cake and eat it, and then the whole thing blows up in her face.

2. DALLAS - JR's last letter to Bobby

Elena explains JR's old scheme to Carmen, and then Carmen remembers "something about a letter that Bum gave to Bobby".
And that's why Elena had to become a thieving whore.

3. FALCON CREST - Carlo Agretti's written request to the nunnery

I just loved how the mystery surrounding Carlo's death and Richard's sinister past unravelled. And this letter was an important albeit partially misleading piece of the puzzle.

4. KNOTS LANDING - Fake letter from Ben

Written by a master forger, who's being blackmailed by Jill Bennett.

5. DYNASTY - Alexis' anonymous letter to Blake

A mother and daughter scheme: Fallon wants to marry the shrink, and Alexis wants to destroy Krystle's reputation of the faithful wife.
The shock causes Blake to regain his sight, so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

 

[Toni]

My Top 5:

1- Dallas: Katherine forges a letter to make Bobby and Pam divorce ("The Letter").

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2- Falcon Crest: Pregnant Maggie reads to her family a poem about abortion that Richard gave to her ("Maggie")

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3- Knots Landing: Jill sends Val a forged letter from "Ben" to make her believe he´s still alive ("Her Letter")

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4- Dallas: Cliff reads to Pam and Afton a suicide letter from Mark to Pam ("Hush...Hush, Sweet Jessie")

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5- Falcon Crest: Angela reads to Lance a letter she got from her daughter on the run Julia ("The Avenger")

 

[Daniel Avery]

1. Richard's discarded note, Knots Landing. Just as pregnant Laura had decided to leave her basket-case of a husband and move on with her life, she found a discarded suicide note in the wastebasket. She decides to move back in for fear he will actually commit suicide without her around, setting up another stormy season of their disintegrating relationship that ultimately ends in his leaving her and the boys in a year's time.

2. Peter's letter to Angela revealing Richard is her son, Falcon Crest. I remember being drop-jawed at the idea it might be true, but thought (at the time) that they'd chicken out and make it a forgery. Thank goodness they didn't!

3. Karen's love letter from a stalker, KL. Not exactly Valentine's material:
"You have a black heart. I will rip your black heart from your decaying body. My Love Always."
But oh, the unintentionally hilarious reaction from Michele Lee's Karen. What was supposed to be "horror" looked more like a mild orgasm.

4. The forged letter from "Ben," KL: To be fair, Jill didn't need to consult an expert forger for this one. Val was so eager for Ben to be alive that Jill could have scrawled it on a soup-can label with a crayon and Val would have been convinced.

5. Sylvia's letter, KL: Sylvia knew Peter was dangerous, so she wrote one of those "If anything happens to me, this letter will be given to the police to finger you in the murder" letters we see on soaps all the time. To complicate matters, she gave a copy to Olivia, who then became the object of Peter's creepy flirting (so he could get the letter back). His flirting with Olivia while sleeping with both Abby and Paige set up all three ladies as suspects in his 'premature death' quite nicely.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Pregnant Maggie reads to her family a poem about abortion that Richard gave to her

Richard wrote a poem about abortion? That's really bizarre.

 

[Richard Channing]

Richard wrote a poem about abortion? That's really bizarre.

Well, he gave it to her. He didn't write it himself.

 

[Alexis]

and also that her slut sister

I'm glad you finally came to your senses.

 

[Willie Oleson]

But he found it. That's still bizarre.

I'm glad you finally came to your senses

No, I described how Sable experienced the situation. She hoped that her husband would understand what a slut her sister was.

But he didn't.

 

[Alexis]

No, I described how Sable experienced the situation. She hoped that her husband would understand what a slut her sister was.

But he didn't.

Ah, but he was a slut too so his opinion doesn't matter.

 

[Richard Channing]

1. Katherine tricks Bobby



“I think you may have just signed away your marriage, sister dear.” This is our first real glimpse of just how conniving Katherine can be when she puts her mind to it, and it's a taste of things to come as she's just getting warmed up. It's also a wonderful way of pushing Bobby and Pam further apart and it officially spells the end of their marriage.


2. Poison pen letter



Alexis and Fallon join forces in a bid to oust Krystle. It doesn't work but it's an nice to see mother and daughter finally bonding. Cute.


3. Peter drops a bombshell



As far as revelations in letters go they don't get much bigger than this. We discover that the arch rivals are actually mother and son. Although it rewrote history and undid some of the story lines from earlier seasons, in the age before dvd's and boxsets I get wanting to move the story forward and them not feeling the need to be too faithful to the past. The mother of all twists.


4. 'Val's' suicide note

It was a toss up between this and Jill's forged letter from Ben but as that's had a few votes I thought this deserved a mention. You gotta love Jill's attention to detail. She's had a suicide note written in Val's handwriting and although we don't get to hear all it's contents, it does have a bit where she says she hopes Gary and Jill will be very happy together. Lol, nice touch Jill.


5. Sable hits the jackpot. Or does she?



Poor Sable. She thinks she's hit the jackpot but little does she know she's about to majorly shoot herself in the foot. But it all makes for some fabulous drama with more twists and revelations on down the line. And it seems Philip is already causing trouble from the grave which is a nice precursor to all the trouble he's gonna cause when he rises up out of it.

 

[Richard Channing]

But he found it. That's still bizarre.

I think you're underestimating just how romantic Richard could be. I mean, who doesn't love a good abortion poem?

 

[Zable]

But he found it. That's still bizarre.

Richard was given it. At a time when he was contemplating having a vasectomy. (And he did.)

I think you're underestimating just how romantic Richard could be. I mean, who doesn't love a good abortion poem?

I didn't hear it as an abortion poem. Thought it spoke to how one might feel being childless. ...Richard empathized with Maggie in a way Chase couldn't handle.

 

[Toni]

Richard was given it. At a time when he was contemplating having a vasectomy. (And he did.)

I didn't hear it as an abortion poem. Thought it spoke to how one might feel being childless. ...Richard emphatised with Maggie in a way Chase couldn't handle.

I agree with you @Zable: It was more a poem about loving a child you have or long for than anything else. I just used that expression because I was sure everybody here would know what I was talking about...and you all did...! In the current times, Richard would have probably googled a poem like that and e-mail it to Maggie...

 

[Zable]

I agree with you @Zable: In the current times, Richard would have probably googled a poem like that and e-mail it to Maggie...

Quite the pal. ...Maggie's emotional crutch until he was no longer that to her. ...I thought his response priceless when she asked where Michael had come from: "I asked my doctor that!" Ha!

 

[Jock Og]

1) Peter's season 6 finale letter to Angela: After bickering and warring for five seasons Angela had to face the truth that her bitter rival Richard was her son, who she thought had died at birth. This was revealed in Peter's shocking letter - FALCON CREST.

2) A poison pen letter from the ex Mrs. Blake Carrington: Early on in her vendetta with Mrs. Blake Carrington N.o. 2 Joan Collins' Alexis teamed up with Fallon to drive a wedge between the married couple. Her scheme helped Blake more. He could see clearly again - DYNASTY.

3) Jock receives a ransom demand: Around the start of the first full season of the Barnes versus Ewing show a ransom demand arrives in Southfork. Jock and his family learn that Bobby has been kidnapped - DALLAS.

4) To burn or not to burn: Is glamourous Sable now in receipt of the ammo she needs to topple Jeff off his high horse, thanks to a letter from one Colby brother to another. Not to burn seems to be the sensible option - THE COLBYS.

5) The octopus: Jasper (Angela and Jason's father) sent a letter to Maria Gioberti in Italy. He wrote it in 1951 to explain Angela's antics up to and after Jacqueline left the Valley of wine, with Chase. Jasper refers to Angela as an octopus - FALCON CREST.


The Ewing clan are gathered in the Southfork living room, after dinner. Somebody knocks on the front door. Sue Ellen goes to let the visitor in, (a scene from season 1; DVD - 2, 1978 - '79):

Cliff: "I have got to speak to Jock!"

Jock: "What the hell, do you want?"

J.R.: "I thought you knew better than to come to this house."

Sue Ellen: "What is it Cliff? What's the matter?"

Cliff: "I got a telephone call. I don't know who it was from. A man."

Pam: "What's it about?"

Cliff puts his hand out to Pam and says, "Come here Pam."

Ellie takes a call from Bobby's builder, letting them know that J.R.'s car was found abandoned.

Kidnappers intended getting J.R. but got Bobby instead.

They planted a letter to Jock; at the Southfork gate, before the abduction. Jock reads the letter given to him by Cliff:

"We've kidnapped J.R. Ewing. He's unharmed and will not be hurt, as long as everyone cooperates. Have ready by noon tomorrow $1,500,000 in out of sequence bills. You will receive instructions, about what to do with it. Cliff Barnes is to act as a go between. Do not call the police or the FBI. Follow all instructions exactly and J.R. Ewing will get home safe. Remember his life depends on you!"