cabenson | Otalia- The Endgame (Reply)

Many of you have asked me what my thoughts are on the Otalia storyline, and to be honest, I kept putting it off because I truly have no idea how I am supposed to feel. Part of me wants to love it, part of me wants to hate it, and part of me just wants to watch it over and over again.

You know, I resisted watching this show. Flisters suggested it, oh, about 100 times, and I kept saying no. I was still reeling from the loss of Erica Hahn (Grey's Anatomy) and I didn't have the energy to waste on another bad lesbian storyline. But I did watch it, and I did get invested, and like every OTP that I get involved with, this storyline with so much promise eventually took a downward turn. Yes, I was disappointed, but I just loved the slow burn build up to this pairing so damn much that I couldn't give up on them.

The romantic in me can't get over how beautifully this story was initially presented. I was drawn in by the layered writing, the nuanced performances, even the much aligned production model. I thought the exterior shots were gorgeous and lent so much to the emotion that was being conveyed on screen. I mean, seriously, how often have you watched a storyline that allowed you as a viewer to feel what the characters were feeling? I could feel Olivia's pain, I could feel Natalia's confusion, I could feel their nervous awkwardness, and finally I could feel they love they shared for each other. And the chemistry between Chrystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia? I can't say I have ever seen anything like that on television. Those two play off each other perfectly! I still say someone has a terminal case of the dimple smit.

I adored the story from the transplant to the accidental first date. And no shit, as soon as I got hooked the damn show was cancelled. I swear I have the reverse-Midas touch! I think that is when things began to go downhill. Starting with the Spa, the constant need to figure out what "being together meant" and "what does this mean for us" and "we need to tell the children" seemed like more of a "let's stall the storyline" while TPTB try to find a network to pick the show up. By the time they realized the show wasn't going anywhere it was too late to write decent endings for any of the characters, let alone Otalia.

As a lesbian, I want to hate the last part of this storyline. Clichéd, rushed, offensive- you name it, that' s how I saw it. I wanted Otalia to have a life separate from Frank and the Coopers. Friendly yes, family no. And the lack of physicality between Olivia and Natalia? What? The? Fuck?! Kissing when they are both considered straight is okay ? A near kiss when they are leaning towards coupledom? But no fucking kiss when they are an established couple and the show is ending? Fail, show! FAIL! I wonder if we will ever find out who was responsible for the censorship? I read a blind item on Nelson Branco's site a while back that mentioned something along the lines of "What network exec keeps rejecting the scripts for a show's final weeks?" and thought it had to be about GL. I have a hard time believing that the writers that brought us the wonderful first act of this story were behind this shit ending. But then again, these are the writers that brought is Francesca...ugh. I didn't hate the pregnancy, I just didn't like the connection to the Coopers it created. I can see Otalia adding to their family but I would have rather seen them do it on their own terms. But then they would have had to come up with another way to write out Natalia for Jessica Leccia's maternity leave and that kinda required effort and imagination. Party foul! People have rattled on about character assassination and lazy story writing- it would have taken one line of dialogue about Natalia's teen pregnancy and the return of those feelings of isolation to make that scenario more plausible for the audience . I'm not a professional writer, but I can at least make shit seem sensible!

And can someone please tell me what the fuck happened to my BAMF! Olivia Freakin' Spencer? I really wish her storyline during Natalia's absence had been more snarky, raging , self-destructive Olivia than broken, pitiful, "my boo is gone" Olivia. I fully get that Olivia swore she would do things differently if she ever fell in love again, but weak, pathetic Olivia was difficult to watch and that is not a reflection on CC's acting. It was difficult to watch because the acting was SO good that you felt Olivia's pain. You felt her fear and dispair. You felt her hitting rock bottom, and that? Not a good feeling. I will say that broken, pitiful Olivia did allow us to understand her initial rejection of her boo when Natalia returned. And that made their reunion even more enjoyable. I like feeling the happy.

But in the end my friends, despite story arc flaws and censorship on same-sex physicality, I absolutely loved this pairing. And just like watching my beloved Buckeyes choke in the last minutes of a championship game, I simply could not turn away. I needed to see this through to the bitter end, and I am glad I stuck with it. I was introduced to the beautiful Jessica Leccia and I really hope to see her back on the small screen soon. And I re-connected with Chrystal Chappell and this was truly a wonderful thing. The love she feels for her character, cast mates, and the show is so touching. And the way she reaches out to her fans is greatly appreciated. Plus- she is fucking gorgeous and you all know how I get when the prettay comes into play. I loved her as Carly on Days of Our Lives and yes, I will be tuning in when she makes her return on October 2, 2009.

And then there is Venice. For those not in the know, Chrystal Chappell is producing and starring in a web series called Venice. She is portraying an out lesbian and Jessica Leccia will be co-starring as her ex-girlfriend. I am glad to hear that is not going to be a continuation/re-interpretation of the Otalia storyline, cause fucked up as the ending was, the journey was indeed beautiful. CC's best bud is writing the series and another pal is directing and editing. This series is getting a lot of buzz and they haven't even started filming yet. I plan to give this a shot, more out of interest in seeing a web production in action than the lesbian storyline. Oh who am I kidding, I'm gonna watch for the rack... Do I think that Venice will be a salve for those mourning Otalia? Maybe. Since there is no major network dictating what can and can't be seen, I am cautiously optimistic. I'm gonna approach this one with no expectations and maybe, hopefully, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

So peeps, your thought on Otalia? Fave scenes, hated scenes, when do you think they started to have feelings for each other? I'll be answering these questions in an Otalia Ship Manifesto and Episode/Pic Spam in the next few weeks.