My Thoughts on Seasons 12─14

[ClassyCo]

I finished Season 12 yesterday evening.

I knew that they were setting up Michael's exit. He said his farewell and took off to get his mind clear. I've always liked Michael and I really wish they would've kept him around. But he wasn't doing much of anything, so there wasn't any significant reason to keep paying Patrick Petersen as he wasn't anything more than filler.

Frank and Charlotte's relationship is going to hit the skids. Frank doesn't like that Charlotte continues to see different men, and I can't blame him, either. She let him get his feelings entangled and then told him she wasn't a one guy type lady. But, at the same time, Frank was quick to fall too hard for a woman he obviously liked, but yet didn't know too well.

Claudia's always got her head spinning about something. I was really hoping she was coming around to liking Steve and accepting him as her child, but I should've known better. She gives him a chipper and teary-eyed farewell, and then plants a handgun in his van in hopes of getting him sent back to prison. She was unaware that Kate was in the van with Steve and she is involved in the mess when the police pull them over.

I'm glad Kate's come to her senses about Claudia. She loves her mother, naturally, but she's also started to realize just how manipulative and dishonest her mother can be. I'd admit that Claudia loves Kate, but she doesn't love unselfishly.

Linda's finally ran Michael away for good, and she's playing around with Greg and this new guy in town called Brian Johnston. Linda and Brian apparently have a history together, and he's recently gone missing. But I know Brian's going to pop back up sooner or later. I've got a hunch he's not gone for good. He's going to stir up some trouble while he's in town.

Val's gotten her sanity back for the most part and she and Gary are trying to get back to some sense of normalcy. They've been remarried for the third time. But Val's sanity is called into question when Claudia tries to plant a bug in her ear that Kate's got a crush on Gary. That triggers insecurities in Val, and the wheels are turning that the Ewings' normalcy won't be around too much longer.

Anne has been ditched by Nick/Dimitri and she's left penniless. She knew that man wasn't any good, but she kept getting drawn back in. Their get-rich-quick schemes didn't work and he finally skipped town and left her in a mess. Paige and whomever else Anne's tried to reach for aren't coming to the rescue, thus leaving Anne homeless. As much as I hate to say it, Anne's a victim of her own circumstances. She's made her bed, and as thought as it is, she's got to sleep in it now.

Mack and Karen have taken in Jason full-time, and Jason's fallen in love with Julie, Frank's daughter. But Jason and Julie can't stay out of trouble with a gang, and the Season 12 finale appears as if their unintentional involvement might be deadly when Karen finds Jason badly injured inside a wrecked car.

Season 12 was a pretty good season overall, but the glory days are surely behind KNOTS now. I've got just a couple of seasons and the miniseries left and I'm eager to get it in the can.

Happy viewing!​

 

[ClassyCo]

I started Season 13 of KNOTS this past Monday. I've got five episodes of the new season in the can so far.

There's a noticeable shift in the tone of the show, that's for sure. I've always liked Det. Tom Ryan, and I don't like how he's just casually tossed aside. He was mentioned once, and briefly at that, by Linda to Paige and that's it. He hasn't been seen since the Season 12 finale.

And speaking of Linda, the poor thing's been murdered. The audience knows who did it, and most people on the show do as well. All the fingers are pointing to Brian Johnston -- I knew that guy wasn't up to no good. I can't say I necessarily miss Linda, but I can say I don't like how her death seemed so random. I know there were behind-the-scenes politics at work, but you'd think the writers would've given her exit a stronger build-up.

Claudia's reaping what she's sown with Kate, who doesn't believe Claudia's explanations about Steve's death. Karen gets involved in it all, and Claudia even attempts suicide to gain sympathy from the MacKenzies and Kate -- and wouldn't you believe it works. Kate regrets being mean to her mother -- even though she believed her to deserve it -- and decides to patch things up.

Gary's found himself involved with Joseph Barringer, a professor at a local college, who plans to develop an operation that will turn ocean tides into usable energy. Joseph seems to be a nice enough guy, and I'm willing to bet he will develop a relationship with Kate before it's all over. The two seem to be smitten with each other in the scene or two they've shared so far. Sometimes the writers want to shake things up, but I'm guessing Kate and Joseph will be a couple, if only briefly.

Valene's befriended a young woman named Lynette, a Texas native, who works as a waitress. Valene discovers that Lynette cannot read or write, and she offers to help her learn. Yeah, that's all I'm going to say about this storyline. The less said, the better.

Anne's gotten herself involved with another schemer by the name of Benny Appleman. They tried a few different get-rich-quick schemes before Anne finally agrees to pose nude, which makes her the talk of the town. Karen finds Anne's "nudies" disgraceful, although Anne wins over the studio audience when she appears on Karen's OPEN MIKE talk show. Anne's latest scheme is trying to get her own syndicated talk show going.

It'll probably be a little bit before I get back to KNOTS, but once I do, I'll come back and give everyone my two cents.

Happy viewing!

 

[Daniel Avery]

Valene's befriended a young woman named Lynette, a Texas native, who works as a waitress. Valene discovers that Lynette cannot read or write, and she offers to help her learn. Yeah, that's all I'm going to say about this storyline. The less said, the better.

I have to be reminded that this plotline actually happened. It's really weird, considering how I can obsess about even the most obscure facts about the series....and yet I can no longer even remember what Lynette looked like or how she sounded, much less who played her. I don't even recall a single scene between Lynette and Val....it's like I have to take people's word for it that she actually existed. That's how forgettable she was.

 

[ClassyCo]

I have to be reminded that this plotline actually happened. It's really weird, considering how I can obsess about even the most obscure facts about the series....and yet I can no longer even remember what Lynette looked like or how she sounded, much less who played her. I don't even recall a single scene between Lynette and Val....it's like I have to take people's word for it that she actually existed. That's how forgettable she was.

It really is quite forgettable, and I'm not even "finished" with the plotline yet. I've heard mention of Lynette and her story-arc during my time on these KNOTS forums, and nothing's ever been positive. I knew when they showed Valene sitting in the little dinner that our lovable Lynette was fixing to make her grand entrance. The subplot seems to be existing solely to give Joan Van Ark something "meaningful" to do. I suppose Lynette's under-educated background is supposed to pull at the viewer's heartstrings, or, perhaps, it's supposed to remind us just how far Valene's come. Either way, I could really do without it.

 

[Brian Kinney]

I hated how the tidal wave energy storyline was handled: Gary lost the ranch, Kate and Paige their affairs (Joseph Barringer and Bill Nolan). I disliked how Gary whose involvement came from idealism (alternative to oil) was grounded to the place where he started in season 1. Something I couldn't get over in TNT's Dallas too: the image of "loser" Gary and "crazy" Val are J.R. Ewing's not mine as a viewer who saw them succeed professionally in the past (Lotus Point, "Capricorn Crude"). Same for the weird Lynette story with Valene - instead of re-focusing on her writing career (which they thankfully corrected later with her planned book on Sumner) they mirrored Val's past (or better her mother's) but without connecting it to other characters.

Also sad how the writers lost ideas for Jason and Julie. I know it must have been difficult regarding Julie's father, actor Larry Riley last appeared in the Season 13 finale. Julie was last seen in S13 Episode 8 and Jason in S13 Episode 11. They were conveniently sent away before they had to explain Frank's absence (they moved to Chicago) but they missed a chance to appeal more to younger viewers when they lost them. They were both good enough actors (and they're still working). Same problem with Olivia and Harold - as on all big prime time soaps: they are bad writing teenagers or young adults. The exception may be Paige but aside from her introduction she isn't acting her age.

At that time where @ClassyCo describes Kate's flirt attempt with Gary I wouldn't have thought that they actually find common ground romantically. And while that relationship starts too fast after Val's disappearance early in season 14 it's rather believable, they don't get around too much so they stay in the neighborhood and trying their best to comfort the twins.

While I'm a fan of Anne (and Nick) I thought a second character as a host in talk media was a bit too much even though her radio job fit more to her than Karen's TV job (I wanted Karen to be more active at the Sumner Group).

BTW @ClassyCo my memory of season 14 is that it's an underrated season. Good viewing for what's to come: It's very cohesive from start to end. Even if you're not interested in the Robesons or the terrible Vanessa Hunt it's a faster storytelling than usual and very recommendable. It does the best with a reduced cast like Dynasty did in their final season.

 

[Daniel Avery]

They were conveniently sent away before they had to explain Frank's absence (they moved to Chicago) but they missed a chance to appeal more to younger viewers when they lost them

The write-outs were even more bizarre since they were handled so poorly. The Williamses, actually the Sollars family, had gone into Witness Protection because a 'hit' had been put out on Pat and her family. Even after Pat testified and the bad guys were put in jail, it was established in plotlines that because many other mobsters were involved in the story, the Sollars family had to remain in protection and continue being the Williamses. Mack even faked up a situation where word was spread that Pat and her daughter were killed in a car accident in another effort to keep them safe. So it made no sense for Frank, and later Julie, to suddenly go back east to visit their family. I know that Pat was their main target (and she died for real), but her husband and daughter were still walking around with a target on their backs because the mob doesn't just lose interest in revenge that way. They not only endangered themselves, but also members of their extended family.

Jason's situation was also poorly written. It had become something of a running joke that Jason kept getting beaten up--by his father, by hoodlum-friends of his, by Brian Johnston, etc.---but they had obviously lost interest in making him a permanent part of the MacKenzie family because they only used him as a punching bag in plotlines. So all of a sudden he wins a scholarship to study abroad in Sweden for a year, a scholarship no one had ever mentioned previously. Never mind that it's Christmas Day---they have to pack him off to Sweden THAT DAY, and he is simply never mentioned again. Don't let the door hit you on the way out....

 

[ClassyCo]

After a break, I've come back to KNOTS LANDING.

I'm over halfway through Season 13.

The Tidal Energy operation has gone belly-up. Joseph has decided to take a job at some oceanography school, not realizing that the offer was cooked up by Claudia and Sumner, who want him away from Kate and the Tidal Energy venture over with, respectively. Poor Kate has a torn heart. Joseph's left her and her friends Gary and Val were caught in the crossfire.

Bad news is Gary mortgaged the ranch and now he's lost it. Without any other option, Gary, Val, and the twins are moving back to the cul-de-sac. I actually like the fact that they're moving back to the cul-de-sac. It's about time somebody else lived there besides the MacKenzies and Claudia. Maybe we'll get back to some more character study-type storytelling.

Claudia's got a houseguest. His name is Alex, some 20-something that's the nephew of some dead lady Claudia used to know. There's some secrets tangled up in all the mess, naturally, and Alex plans to prove (or at least) frame that Claudia is a murderer. I like the verbal spats between Claudia and Alex, and I like how they each do something dirty to keep the other one in check. Alex is a bit of creeper as well, and that's always nice.

Paige has found herself in some hot water with Pierce. The guy isn't anything but trouble. He's controlling and he's got a shady part. He's a murderer (which remains to be proven) and he's out to get Sumner. Pierce is also ticked that Paige has dissed him as she's found out more about his past. Paige better watch out though because Pierce isn't someone who just backs away. He's not giving up what he wants without a fight.

Jason's been shoved off to Sweden, and he's been mentioned a little since. Meg really misses him, but I know Jason's going to fade into oblivion, just as anyone does when they're written out of a soap opera.

Karen & Mack in facing a crossroads with Meg. They believe that they should tell her she's adopted, but they're undecided as to when. Mack is also convinced that Sumner has his heart set of finding a way to get Meg back. I honestly haven't any fear that Sumner wants to be a father to Meg. Sumner loves Meg, but he's selfish and out for himself.

Anne's still doing her "Tell Me About It" radio talk show. She was also recently purchased in a bachelorette auction by Sumner. I'm unsure why he wanted her, but I know Anne is going to use the facts to mess with Paige. She knows Paige has a soft spot for Sumner, and he for her, so Anne thinks.... Why not?

KNOTS LANDING is showing its age. The story lines aren't as strong as they were in earlier seasons. I'd still argue that it is good --- or at least average --- but there's a lot of work that could be done here. The show just seems fractured and it isn't healing. Of course, I still love the regulars line-up of characters and I want to see where the show takes them.

Happy viewing!

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

I had such a crush on Alex back then! Was hoping for shirtless scenes every week.

 

[ClassyCo]

I just got Season 13 in the can today. I must say the second-half was an improvement over the first-half.

The season actually had some good twists and turns, even if the writing seems to moving at a slower pace than when the show was at its peak.

Perhaps the most pivotal storylines this seasons involve Paige and Pierce Lawton. Pierce has gone psychotic, he's kidnapped Paige, and he was perceived drown towards the end of the season. I knew that was too good to be true, and as luck would have it, he surprises Paige in her car as Season 13 closes out. So we shall see if Paige is still paranoid or if Pierce survived the ocean saga and has come back to finish what he started.

Greg's had some ups and downs this season. He and Paige called it quits, then he cozies up to Anne, only to have Anne toss him aside. Following the Pierce saga, it is apparent that Greg was horrified at losing Paige, and because he can't handle his feelings, Anne decides to slide in and "help him" if he "gets lonely". Ole Anne always has a trick up her sleeve to grab something close to Paige's heart.

Mack and Karen shipped Jason off and they get tangled up in storylines involving Paige, Pierce, Greg, and Anne. When Paige is in the hospital, Karen seems concerned that Mack and Anne might be getting a little too close. I honestly didn't like that the show flirted with the possibility of the MacKenzies having cracks in their marriage this late in the game. Karen should be settled that Mack isn't going anywhere, but I understand her having her doubts about Anne's intentions. But this little subplot seems to fade away quite quickly.

Gary and Valene loose their ranch after the oceanography project goes bankrupt, and that forces them back to their old house on the cul-de-sac. For the characters, I understand their disappointment, but from a story perspective, I think it serves this season well. Having Gary and Valene back on the cul-de-sac helps the show push back to the more character studies that it had done earlier in its run, even though it can certainly argued the studies we're getting this late in the run aren't as inventive.

Valene's been drafted into writing a biography on Greg, and I think that's a nice turn for the character. It gives Valene something a little more solid to do instead of fumble around, loosing her mind, or helping illiterate people. And, of course, it's always interesting seeing what someone like Greg has kept stored away to be unwrapped when the writers need something to toss in to spice some things up.

Claudia's still got Alex sticking around, and she's took to sleeping with him. One suspects that these turn of events weren't Claudia succumbing to Alex's earlier advances, but her trying to weasel him away from Kate. Of course, it doesn't work out too well because Alex romances Kate and the Season 13 finale sees Alex and Kate in bed together. Kate's going to be understandably upset when the news is revealed that Alex slept with Claudia. Why he didn't just tell her is just the stuff soaps are made of. It gives us some tension build-up for next season, unless the writers throw it out.

I actually like the decision of calling back to Laura and having her biological mother come to Knots Landing. Her name is Mary Robeson, and she's brought forth through Valene's research on Greg. Apparently Greg had known about Mary since Laura had been sick or at least shortly after Laura passed, but he had her "put away" in a Florida women's prison. The finale leads us to assume that Mary has abducted Meg. Little Meg has been in danger before so the tension is a little overdramatic and stale as result, but I suppose the payoff will be the deciding factor determining whether this subplot was worth it.

The finale also sees Greg divide up the Sumner Group between Claudia, Paige, and Meg via Mack and Karen. I'm sure that will serve as one of the forefront storylines of Season 14. I hope the writers do it justice.

Season 13 wasn't an awful season, but there were several instances where I thought the writers were scrambling for ideas and direction. That, of course, is only natural considering a show in its thirteenth year has already cycled through so many plots and characters. The writers don't want to repeat themselves, but they also don't want to be too risky and run off the fans that have stuck it out with them for more than a decade.

I'm looking forward to finishing my KNOTS LANDING journey. I've got just one more season and the miniseries to watch now.

Is there anything anybody'd like me to elaborate on further? Don't hesitate to ask any further opinions.

Happy viewing!

 

[ClassyCo]

I've started Season 14. I've got four episodes in the can so far.

First, I must state something I found blatantly obvious right from the start. Did practically every woman of the main cast get a hair cut between the thirteenth and fourteenth season? Paige, Anne, and Kate all have shorter hair, and I swear Claudia's looks shorter, too. I just find it comical how obvious it is when the Season 14 opener is supposed to start off literally moments after the conclusion of the Season 13 finale. But, hey, that's the way things go in TV land.

Season 14 is starting off pretty strong, I'd say. Now, I'm not even off my first disc yet, but the writing seems to be a little more consistent compared to what Season 13 gave us with all the behind-the-camera hoopla and the second-half being a vast improvement over, say, the first dozen episodes.

I actually really like the way they are choosing to deal with the absence of Joan Van Ark. Valene got caught up in writing Greg's unauthorized biography, and she's gotten into some hot water in Florida. Gary is naturally torn emotionally about the whereabouts of Valene when she doesn't return home. The last episode I watched saw Gary following a car driven by some maniac as someone who is obviously not Valene is in the passenger seat. The car plunges off a little cliff and explodes, leading the audience and Gary to believe that Valene has died.

The story involving Laura's shady biological mother, Mary Robeson (which I just keep thinking "Mary Robeson" is too close to "Mary-Frances," but whatever), is moving along nicely. I knew I recognized actress Maree Cheatham from somewhere. Most DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans know her as Marie Horton, but I've never seen that show, so I remember her from her roles in BEETLEJUICE and THE WEDDING SINGER.

Anyway, I'm liking the stakes this story is presenting, even if I think some of the dramatics seem a bit over-the-top for these latter-day KNOTS episodes. Mary decides to take Karen and Mack to court and demand visitation with Meg, but it's apparent that Mary is basically out for whatever money she can get. She's even recruited the help of her brother, Joe (which, wasn't that Abby's ex-husband's name, or Karen's brother rather?), to try and weasel some money out of the MacKenzies or, possibly, Greg. What thwarts this idea of mine, however, is Mary has denied money when Greg has offered it to her to get her out of Knots Landing. We shall see where it goes, but I have a hunch it's going to end messily.

The story of Greg dividing up the Sumner Group between Paige, Claudia, and Meg (i.e. Mack and Karen) hasn't done too much so far. The main thing we've seen is Paige being irritated that Claudia is undermining her authority, while Claudia is unwillingly investing money into one of Greg's new political projects. Meanwhile, Mack and Karen seem to be out in left field. They aren't even really sure what the Sumner Group even does (which, to be frank, I doubt I could tell you what is does), and they spend their time fumbling through some paperwork (off-screen, I must add) or arguing about the Mary Robeson stuff during one of the big-shot meetings, which annoys Claudia. I still hope that more is drawn out of this subplot, but that remains to be seen.

Then there's the story of Anne and Greg rekindling their relationship. Anne has told Greg that she is pregnant, and Greg doesn't know what to do with the information. He retreats to a cabin out in the woods, which I found to be quite authentic and unique for a soap opera to do, although I'm sure the set was utilized because it was cheaper for the ever-increasing budget-cautious producers. Anne follows Greg there and refuses to leave. Greg is shaky on his ambitions to be a father, but he eventually asks Anne if she'd like to get married. All this is right up Anne's alley --- she's getting to marry this wealthy, powerful man, and it's all the better that the man is Paige's long-lasting love. The parallels of Anne and Paige's relationship have some strong similarities to the relationship I have with my birth mother (even though I'm a guy, but it's been difficult, y'know?), so this is an interesting story. Things seem to go belly-up for Anne, however, when she learns that she might be going through menopause and therefore really pregnant, and then her old fling Dimitri/Nick slides back into her life. Will Greg still marry her? We shall see, although I'm sure he does.

Claudia is basically just becoming the head-honcho at the Sumner Group, while Kate has gotten fed up with Alex and her British buddy Vanessa. After she finds them in the shower together, Alex bails town suddenly. Which ---- What happened to the blackmail he had on Claudia? I guess that just fell by the wayside, huh? But that's about the extent of their separate story-arcs right now, although I'm sure Claudia is going to find someone to squeeze her nose into Greg and Anne's relationship. Claudia's already fell into bed with Nick.

So far, Season 14 is going good. I'm enjoying it. If it continues as it is now, I'm predicting this to be a enjoyable swan song season to my favorite primetime soap opera.

Happy viewing!

 

[ClassyCo]

I got six more episodes of Season 14 in the can last night. I'm trying to get KNOTS wrapped up as soon as I can, that way I can get back to FALCON CREST.

Mary Robeson is dead and Mack has been arrested for her murder. Of course, we all know Mack didn't do it, but he's been set-up as a red herring. He did go to Mary's apartment and threaten her. Mack and gotten $500,000 from Claudia via the Sumner Group --- well, Mack asked for $1,000,000, but Claudia only gave him half, claiming that's all she could get her hands on in such a short notice. What the audience learns (and now the characters pretty much know as well), is that Claudia actually got all the money, but used the other half to give her bed toy Nick the Italian restaurant he wanted. Either way, Mack's currently in jail, has fired his lawyer, insisting to represent himself, and Karen is torn to pieces because he refuses to see her. Oh, and Paige is in the mix, too, naturally.

Greg and Anne have fallen into a marriage of convenience --- Greg's convenience, that is. I was actually shocked that Anne was honest with Greg about not being pregnant and lying about a miscarriage. As expected, Greg doesn't show too much emotion about it all, at least not outwardly. He agrees to stay married to Anne so he doesn't have to be too committed to Paige, and Anne seems fine with all of this as long as she gets to keep the "Sumner" name and spend Greg's money. They've just made a pact that they will not discuss Paige. On the flipside, however, Greg does seem quite disappointed that Anne isn't going to have a baby. Despite his tough guy exterior, Greg is a softy when it comes to kids. He wants to be a dad, but nothing works out for him. Moments like that really make Greg seem quite real.

Paige had a little side fling with former baseball player Bill Nolan, who tries to get the Sumner Group to start some rec department or something for these under-privileged kids living out in the boonies somewhere. The relationship goes belly-up, however, when Bill is offered $3,000,000 a year to go play baseball in Japan. Paige can't ask him to stay, so he bails after like three or four episodes. We learn Greg set the whole thing up, too. Anne is baffled, which, I'm like why? She knows Greg has always had the "hots" for Paige, so it shouldn't shock her. Greg naturally tries to sweet talk himself out of the situation.... or does he? I can never really tell with him. Either way, Paige doesn't have Bill around anymore.

Detective Tom Ryan has found his way back into Knots Landing via the investigation of Mary Robeson's murder. Tom and Mack have never gotten along, so Tom is pretty much decided that Mack killed Mary, or at least that's the way he's going to ride it out. I hate that, too. I've always liked Tom and I really wish he'd straighten himself out and patch things up with Paige. Tom's already tried to coming on to Paige again, but she's sent him on his way. I'd personally rather Paige patch things up with Tom than ending up with Greg again. But I know Tom's just a distraction because Paige and Greg shall be together before it's all over.

Claudia's still playing around with Nick. She's taken the other $500,000 she stole from the Sumner Group and given Nick his own restaurant. I haven't completely figured out why Claudia is so determined to keep Nick around. Does she just want to keep him away from Anne? Does she really just want someone in her bed? It might be a little of both, but I'm willing to bet the Nick/Claudia relationship is going to fade away as Nick will weasel his way back into Anne's life now that the Sumner marriage is "open". In the meantime, Claudia's blamed Mack for stealing the $1,000,000 from the Sumner Group, and she's told Tom that. All that did is give Tom more ammo to nail Mack. And, of course, Claudia doesn't care.

Now we'll get on to some of the stories I really wish weren't going on:

Kate's falling in love with Gary, which I already knew was coming. What I don't like is Gary is letting her. If he really loved Valene, he'd be respectful this soon after her death and put a stop to it. I don't technically anything too serious has happened yet, but Gary won't talk about it, while Kate is bragging to Paige that she'd bed Gary if he wanted to. I really wish they weren't going this route, but, hey, I guess Kate and Gary's got to have some story to carry this final season. I would just like it to be something else.

Then there's the side story of Mary Robeson's old attorney, Toni Fields, falling in love with Cliff Templeton, the other ex-baseball player that came to Knots Landing with Bill Nolan. I'm, like, what? Why is still being shown. Cliff isn't that important and neither is Toni. But, will they become important? Will Toni be tangled up in Mary's murder some how? I also know this relationship is giving the writers story to help push the episodes along while some of the main stars are written out due to budget restraints.

The most useless character we've got is Vanessa Hunt. I honestly cannot stand this character. She doesn't have any ties with Kate anymore, but she's still hanging around town. Claudia got her a TV job, but that hasn't gone too well because nobody watched it. Vanessa then tried to get Anne's "Tell Me About" job, but got turned down. As luck would have it, though, Vanessa finds Anne's fertility pills and tries to blackmail her. But that all stops when Anne tells Greg the truth. So, why, dear writers, is Vanessa still here? Is she just someone to write for as filler for when the big-wigs are MIA? If that's the case, someone else could've been brought in.

I'm still enjoying Season 14. I'm looking forward to the Mary Robeson murder arc.

Happy viewing!

 

[Brian Kinney]

So, why, dear writers, is Vanessa still here?

Everyone asked that. And I'm convinced the writers didn't knew it when they introduced Vanessa in Season 13. They didn't make much of her friendship with Kate then except that Vanessa had sex with Alex (as Kate AND Claudia had too !). This could have been played by any actress for two episodes maximum. In Season 14 Vanessa only serves the purpose to give Anne a reason to be honest to Greg when blackmailed by her. I don't recall any more but (NOT A SPOILER!) towards the end of the show the writers finally found a story that is actually convincing why she hang around Knots Landing. Yes you'll find out why Vanessa is still there and it does makes sense and it will be the first and only time you feel some empathy for Vanessa. But that story was developed under pressure to tie up the stories creatively. Who knows for how much longer that character would've hang around for no reason in future seasons?

Felicity Waterman's final IMDB credit is something in 1999 - so only six years later her career was over and judging by her work in Knots Landing I'm surprised it lasted that long! BTW it was mostly the way she spoke (not her voice and not her appearance) why I disliked her intensely, probably the worst actress on Knots where it's rather difficult to find bad acting (compared to some dull or bland people on Dallas and Dynasty). Waterman was a former model, her first two bit parts are listed as "stewardess" (as in Die Hard 2 only two years before KL). The image here is from a model composite for 1985.

 

[tommie]

Vanessa is just an example of what a major f**k up killing off Linda was. She basically fills her spot, but so incompetently that her storylines never go anywhere (I suspect the writers caught on that the actress just wasn't that great, yet wanted that sort of character on the canvas so kept her on).

 

[ClassyCo]

So, I finished KNOTS LANDING this past Monday, but I am just getting the time to post what I thought about how everything ended.

It really did not take me too long to figure out that Joe Robeson was the one that knocked off his sister, Mary. Of course, none of the major characters were going to be guilty, and it was too late in the game for them to bring in someone else out of left field to be the guilty party. The one thing that did take me off guard a little was Mary being proven as not being Laura’s mother, but her aunt. I guess having her be Laura’s aunt erases some issues of Laura being the direct offspring of someone so shady. This was a good little swan song season murder mystery.

I was not a big fan of how they yanked around with Mack and Karen. They are supposed to be the rock solid couple, and having them have issues is not really to my liking. There were multiple instances where I thought Mack was being a total jerk, although Karen handled the whole thing correctly. The two really love each other, and it was quite clear that everything was going to get patched up soon enough.

This final season really made me dislike Kate. I mean, I can understand that she has developed feelings for Gary, but her insisting the two become an item just is not in good taste. Valene is barely dead (well, you know, TV time moves a little faster than our time), and she is wanting to give Bobby and Betsy a new mother. I am glad all this gets slid under the rug.

Vanessa is finally given a reason to be around, but I still find her whole arc pointless. They should have just kept Linda. I really do not like Vanessa.

Greg and Anne’s marriage has basically hit the skids. Anne cozies back up to Nick, while Greg toys with his feelings for Paige. Claudia, meanwhile, is caught in a blackmail with some of Nick’s mafia-like buddies.

Oh, I also enjoyed seeing Diana Fairgate back in a few episodes, even if her reappearance was wasted. She may have spoken ten words the entire time she was back. Her scenes really just seemed like filler to have Michele Lee in the episode.

But let’s get to the finale:

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I found it to be a good send-off to a very good show.

I like that there were not any loose left hanging around. Everything gets tied up nicely.

Some tidbits on the finale:

I like that Valene comes back and everything melts away so she can get back with Gary and be a mother to her young kids. The scenes involving her return are quite tear-jerking and well-deserved. For people that actually believe Valene was dead, this was quite a good surprise.

Of course, Karen and Mack get everything patched up. They are rock solid and I knew they would get everything back where it needed to be. I know the writers wanted to amp up some drama this final season, but I wish they could have gone a different route.

It was good to see Anne end back up with Nick. The two seem to like each other, or, at least, they like what the other brings to the table. I also think it was nice of Anne to nudge Greg back to Paige. She knew where his heart was at.

Claudia gets a job in Monaco, which she got when she urged Greg to pull some strings for her in exchange for her shares of the Sumner Group. It was a good send-off for Claudia, and I like that the writers squeezed in a few more squabbles with Claudia and Anne (they did not do that nearly enough after Season 12).

Perhaps my primary drawback for the finale was Paige and Greg ending up together. I really wish Paige would have been able to work things out with Tom Ryan, and maybe Greg and Anne could have fallen into a marriage of respect and learn to love one another. It was unavoidable for Paige and Greg to fall back to each other, but it just wasn’t what I wanted.

Kate is heartbroken, but she will be okay. She decides to go back to school, and who cares? I am mad at her right now. Moving on….

I like that Abby was brought back. That put a nice little bow on the finale. I am a little undecided whether or not I liked her being tied up with the Sumner Group takeover, but it seemed fitting for a good schemer like Abby. She always had tricks up her sleeve, and her having been behind this strong takeover was quite ingenious, even if I am undecided about it.

Season 14 was a really good season. I found it superior to Season 13 with much more consistency. I even thought the writers did a good job of writing the main cast out of some of the episodes. Of course, I noticed, but I did not think it threw the balance off too bad.

As always, ask my questions.

Is there anything you would like me to elaborate on?

I enjoyed my KNOTS LANDING ride. I have the BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC miniseries to watch and then I am all done.

Happy viewing!

 

[Daniel Avery]

Your mileage may vary, but you may just want to leave KL right where it is and skip the mini-series. While I enjoyed seeing the gang get back together, the stories and the overall "aura" of the mini-series left me wishing it had not been produced. Of course you'll never know your feelings on it if you don't see it, so maybe I should just shut up and let you get on with it.

I like that Abby was brought back. That put a nice little bow on the finale. I am a little undecided whether or not I liked her being tied up with the Sumner Group takeover, but it seemed fitting for a good schemer like Abby. She always had tricks up her sleeve, and her having been behind this strong takeover was quite ingenious, even if I am undecided about it.

I liked how they brought Abby back, but I was not as fond of how they made her responsible for so much high-stakes manipulation: the stuff with Val's kidnapping, getting Mary/Loretta to torture poor Meg and to drive a huge wedge between Mack and Karen, having all these underlings trying to kill half the cast....it was all a bit more cold than the Abby we knew. Yes, they kept recycling the idea that Abby's underlings were just "overdoing it" against her wishes (shades of Scott Easton) but I was a bit put out by how they were forced (by the constraints of time) to glaze over how mean it was for Abby to attack Mack and Karen's marriage, victimize poor Meg, and of course holding Valene hostage to keep the truth about the takeover from getting out.

 

[ClassyCo]

I liked how they brought Abby back, but I was not as fond of how they made her responsible for so much high-stakes manipulation: the stuff with Val's kidnapping, getting Mary/Loretta to torture poor Meg and to drive a huge wedge between Mack and Karen, having all these underlings trying to kill half the cast....it was all a bit more cold than the Abby we knew. Yes, they kept recycling the idea that Abby's underlings were just "overdoing it" against her wishes (shades of Scott Easton) but I was a bit put out by how they were forced (by the constraints of time) to glaze over how mean it was for Abby to attack Mack and Karen's marriage, victimize poor Meg, and of course holding Valene hostage to keep the truth about the takeover from getting out.

That was my main complaint --- they made Abby more ruthless than she had ever been in the past. She had done some bad things, sure, but nothing to these extremes. Donna Mills herself pleaded with the producers not to make Abby responsible for the kidnapping of Valene's twins because "the audience wouldn't forgive her" for a deed that dirty. I wonder how she felt comfortable with all the Treadwell story. Was she not given the option to disagree?

I like the basic thought of Abby being behind the Sumner Group takeover. That totally sounds like something that Abby would have conducted. It's just all the other, say, "extracurricular" stuff was just too much. They tried to write it all off as something Abby was kinda-sorta unaware of as instances Treadwell had conducted, but it just doesn't work really.

Still, I like that the writers brought Abby back. The finale honestly wouldn't have felt complete had she not came back. There were other things in the finale I also didn't like, but overall, I cannot really complain. KNOTS LANDING was a quality show practically all the way through, and they gave us a strong send-off.

 

[ClassyCo]

Scroll on over the the discussion dedicated to the BACK TO THE CUL-DE-SAC miniseries for my thoughts on the 1997 reunion.

It'll be bumped up the list of KNOTS threads because I'm posting on it.

 

[Monzo]

In Season 14 Vanessa only serves the purpose to give Anne a reason to be honest to Greg when blackmailed by her. I don't recall any more but (NOT A SPOILER!) towards the end of the show the writers finally found a story that is actually convincing why she hang around Knots Landing. Yes you'll find out why Vanessa is still there and it does makes sense and it will be the first and only time you feel some empathy for Vanessa. But that story was developed under pressure to tie up the stories creatively. Who knows for how much longer that character would've hang around for no reason in future seasons?

Was Felicity Waterman actually in the opening credits in season 14? She was part of the official season 14 cast photo, but did she also make it into the opening credits?

 

[DallasFanForever]

Was Felicity Waterman actually in the opening credits in season 14? She was part of the official season 14 cast photo, but did she also make it into the opening credits?

It’s been awhile since I’ve watched the opening to this season but I honestly don’t remember her ever showing up in the opening credits. My gut says no on this one.

 

[Daniel Avery]

No, she did not. It wasn't uncommon for the more prominent recurring players to be invited to stand with the principals for cast photos. In S14, recurring players were carrying more of the stories than probably any other season, so they deserved the inclusion.