Wade or Matt/Neil or Brian

[Mark Arbour]

First of all, I want to thank all of you who nominated me for any of the various Reader's Choice Awards. That was really flattering, and a really nice thing to do.

 

Four of my characters have been nominated for "Reader's Choice" Awards. Pretty exciting! For "best protagonist", both Matt and Wade were nominated. For "best villain", both Neil and Brian were nominated. Of each of those pairs, who do you think should win?

[paya]

First of all, I want to thank all of you who nominated me for any of the various Reader's Choice Awards.

[rjo]

I can't tell how much I like Wade. Please don't get me wrong I like Matt too but something about Wade and his interaction with JP. Wade has been through a lot but he is strong, loyal and loving. He will forgive his father because he has too. I hope Matt and Wade will have many happy years together. They complete each other maybe better than Robbie and Brad or JP and Stef. If all the people in the CAP saga the most complex, interesting, and noble people are JP and I see Wade as his replacement. What gets to me is how this saga is crafted. I believe you can read the saga over and over and every time you gain more. hints. clues all hiding in the open. What would have happened if Jeff would have stayed off drugs and stayed with JP? Would we have even more of these wonderful Hayes men? I think when JP first moved to Chicago he has no idea want would happen. A wife and children, grandchildren and grand home on a hill, a job which he loves the rock star. All this started with a letter and Jeff. We love these people because they seem real they laugh, they cried, they hope and they love. boy do they love! I found You by accident I am glad I did. I check for a new chapter a few times each day. I believe there are countless people who feel the same. As for Neil or Brian. Neil was far worse Neil was truly evil. Brian was just twisted. Eveb what he did to Matt wasn't as bad as Neil plotting to kidnap or kill Brad.

[methodwriter85]

If Jeff had never died, it really would have changed everything. Robbie and Brad wouldn't have happened, because JP wouldn't have felt obligated to have Robbie live at his house in California. J.J. and Darius probably would have been sent to live with Nick instead of a single Brad when Maman died. There's a chance that, because Brad was single throughout the 80's instead of settled with Robbie, Brad could have easily contracted AIDS, and/or Will would have never been born. Robbie most likely would have married Laura as a cover for what happened with the team, and they most likely would have ended up pretty dirty poor raising Matt. Matt probably wouldn't have ended up at Stanford being so dirt poor, and he never would have met Wade. Wade wouldn't have gathered the courage to come out without Matt's support, and he likely would have stayed in the closet both about being gay, and being a victim of incest. So on, so forth.

Edited January 24, 2010 by methodwriter85

[KJames]

If Jeff had never died, it really would have changed everything. Robbie and Brad wouldn't have happened, because JP wouldn't have felt obligated to have Robbie live at his house in California. J.J. and Darius probably would have been sent to live with Nick instead of a single Brad when Maman died. There's a chance that, because Brad was single throughout the 80's instead of settled with Robbie, Brad could have easily contracted AIDS, and/or Will would have never been born. Robbie most likely would have married Laura as a cover for what happened with the team, and they most likely would have ended up pretty dirty poor raising Matt. Matt probably wouldn't have ended up at Stanford being so dirt poor, and he never would have met Wade. Wade wouldn't have gathered the courage to come out without Matt's support, and he likely would have stayed in the closet both about being gay, and being a victim of incest. So on, so forth.

 

Pretty heavy supposition and prediction, MW85. But what reasoning leads you to believe that JP wouldn't have allowed Robbie to stay anyway? He was Jeff's nephew, after all, so the possibility there would be that Jeff would've talked him into it. That's the counter-theory of possibilities that one small change may only affect that one small instance, with other events carrying out as though there were no other disturbances in continuity, after all, what was meant to be, was meant to be.

Edited January 24, 2010 by kjames

[rjo]

I am not sure if Brad would not have meet Robbie Jeff was his uncle. Why did JP take Robbie in guilt? Maybe but would not have Jeff hear from his brother Frank and taken his nephew in? As for Darius and JJ I not sure if that would have changed. Maybe the situtation with Stef JP and Jeff would be different. Too many verables to think about. I really liked Jeff and was sad when he died. Its just me a love happy endings.

[Mark Arbour]

If Jeff had never died, it really would have changed everything. Robbie and Brad wouldn't have happened, because JP wouldn't have felt obligated to have Robbie live at his house in California. J.J. and Darius probably would have been sent to live with Nick instead of a single Brad when Maman died. There's a chance that, because Brad was single throughout the 80's instead of settled with Robbie, Brad could have easily contracted AIDS, and/or Will would have never been born. Robbie most likely would have married Laura as a cover for what happened with the team, and they most likely would have ended up pretty dirty poor raising Matt. Matt probably wouldn't have ended up at Stanford being so dirt poor, and he never would have met Wade. Wade wouldn't have gathered the courage to come out without Matt's support, and he likely would have stayed in the closet both about being gay, and being a victim of incest. So on, so forth.

 

I think your assumptions are off the mark. JP would have invited Robbie to live with them in California regardless of Jeff's status, because he did it for Frank. I can't see him saying no to a friend, especially when it involves a kid like Robbie who's getting shit because he's gay.

 

I think that custody of Darius and JJ would have passed to Tonto, and that's where they would have grown up, at Escorial instead of in Malibu.

[methodwriter85]

Damn. There goes my "Butterfly effect" theory.

 

You know, Mark, I was actually, in a roundabout way, defending your decision to kill off Jeff, because to take out Jeff's death really would have changed a lot of things about the story, and not necessarily for the better.

 

One thing's for sure- Jeff's death, then Billy's death, really was the impetus for J.P. to become a better person. It took him 44 years, but he finally grew a soul by 1980, and I think that was partially to due with Jeff's death, and the fact that he finally dealt with it.

[Tiger]

I do wish Jeff had lived. However, I hope that him surviving would not have meant Stef and JP not getting together. They're meant to be.

 

Oh, I voted for Matt as the hero and Niel as the baddy.

[methodwriter85]

I actually think that had Jeff lived, him, J.P., and Stefan would have had a three-way relationship.

 

Back to Wade and Matt, I think Matt is a great protagonist. He really is. It's just that Wade kinda grabs at you in the sense that, given his background, he's amazing for what he's managed to overcome. Matt had a relatively easy life growing up, while Wade had to grow up very fast and very early, both because of where he grew up and what his father did to him while his mother was busy drinking like a fish. I think that makes him just come off as a much stronger and mature person than Matt.

[Mark Arbour]

Damn. There goes my "Butterfly effect" theory.

 

You know, Mark, I was actually, in a roundabout way, defending your decision to kill off Jeff, because to take out Jeff's death really would have changed a lot of things about the story, and not necessarily for the better.

 

One thing's for sure- Jeff's death, then Billy's death, really was the impetus for J.P. to become a better person. It took him 44 years, but he finally grew a soul by 1980, and I think that was partially to due with Jeff's death, and the fact that he finally dealt with it.

 

If you think about the underlying theme of the whole saga, and tried to put it into words, that would be it, although I would change "1980" to "1986". JP has been our central character. We saw him in CAP as this uptight guy with all kinds of issues. He had to go through a crucible, but look where he is now.

[KJames]

If you think about the underlying theme of the whole saga, and tried to put it into words, that would be it, although I would change "1980" to "1986". JP has been our central character. We saw him in CAP as this uptight guy with all kinds of issues. He had to go through a crucible, but look where he is now.

 

They need a new award here for "Best Series using a Central Character Set and Theme", there would be only 2 or 3 contenders.