Thanks to Vondynaley
What can I say about today's scenes? Well clearly I was not shocked. Even if I didn't already know that Mark (Nathan) was leaving, I still would never have believed that Melanie and Nathan were going to seriously be together. Why? Because they never had a story of substance. They were always used as a plot point or a catalyst for angst...they never were written to stand alone as their own story.
I have been commenting that Nathan is creeping me out, but I am joking (well in part). I think what we are seeing is a man who held his tongue about his feelings for so long that now he is trying to seize the day...with gusto and assuage some of his regrets. The thing is...the reality he has built up in his mind about Melanie and their supposed relationship, has no basis in the reality that exists in Salem. Nathan has this idea that he and Melanie were kept apart because of big bad Philip, mean old Stephanie, the hand of fate...but in reality...they were kept apart...because quite simply...they were not meant to be together as a couple. Melanie says it herself..every time she had a chance to be with Nathan she ran to Philip. All the complications and drama of Philip Kiriakis aside, the thrust of that statement is that when Melanie had a chance to be with Nathan...she just didn't do it. I would wager the reason for that was that deep down she didn't want to.
Nathan was there for her and good to her during a time when she was trying to resolve herself to the notion that she would never have anything more than friendship with Philip...when she was trying to become a better person and live her own life. Nathan was there and supportive during that time...he was a good friend. And he was sweet and there was an attraction so they started dating. It all seemed perfect - a good man, that cared about her and wanted her. Then Philip saw the light and everything was turned upside down. So here is the thing...if Nathan was so perfect...and a man she loved so strongly...why was Philip able to turn her head again?
So Melanie saying she couldn't fully commit to either of them was dead on and definitely true to this story. Something made each man not enough. Maybe it was timing, maybe she is too young...maybe they are simply not the ones. We may never know since both Nathan and Philip are leaving. We are left to ponder why Melanie was able to take risks and go to crazy lengths for Philip but not for Nathan.
I am sure we will get to see more scenes between Melanie and Nathan, since he clearly is not taking no for an answer. But as Daniel pointed out Nathan came to him to get him to put in a good word with Melanie...which means that deep down Nathan knew that Melanie was going to turn him down. You can even see it in the hospital room when she first says she can't marry him. He is telling her to forget he said anything he is pacing and acting erratic....I call it crazy...but really I think his worst fears were coming true and he was starting to freak out. Nathan knows that Melanie doesn't truly want to be with him. He has been in denial about it for months, maybe a year, and now he is thinking that since Philip is gone this is his chance...because Nathan knew he had no chance as long as Philip was in the picture.
Did you guys hear Melanie's voice hitch when she said she can't be with Philip?
Loved that they brought up Philip. Melanie and Nathan are nothing without him, he is the shadow over their entire relationship. It even took getting pregnant and losing Philip's child for Melanie to realize that she was being reckless and impulsive to her detriment. Til the end it was about Philip and Melanie....
I am glad Nathan finally laid all his feelings on the line. He should have done it months ago (although I don't believe it would have changed much) but at least he manned up and took a giant leap. Sometimes you fall on your face, but you got to at least try to jump. Now he just needs to learn to take rejection with dignity. He sorta ran out of the room crying like a little girl. (just saying)
Nathan's proposal to Stephanie was far better. I think it was because there were actual relationship moments that could be mentioned when he told her the reasons why he wanted to marry her. (Dates, ski trip, picnics, balloon ride, family gatherings) Melanie and Nathan don't have that. What could he say? "I realized I loved you when I caught you almost kissing Philip in the Cheating Heart" or "I knew you were the one when you chose Philip over me multiple times" Or the key moment..."I knew it was love when we were gross, sweaty, and delirious together and we declared our love. It didn't matter that you brought up loving Philip right afterward". See...just doesn't hold the same ring of romance.
Where is the ring? How come he proposes to Melanie empty handed? He was all prepared and ringed up for Stephanie....makes u wonder....
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11:09
Philip and Melanie 3/25/2011 (Daniel hits Dario & Jennifer, Stephanie, Melanie)by slyn112,573 views
@slyn11 True but I do think that the writers where changing gears at that point, I've looked back at those scenes many times especially the non-date that Stephanie broke up and to me when I go see those and others I see Stephanie as the orignal prize not Melanie and I think Phelanie was truly by accident. Comically to me though I think if the writers had invested half the time into Phelanie that they did other storylines they would NOT have lost JKJ and they would have had a true supercouple.
karrie2820 11 months ago
@karrie2820 Did you notice Mate saving Chloe was really so Daniel and Melanie would have a bond. Ppl claim it as a bonding time for Mate but bonding scenes between them were never shown on screen during that. Most scenes Melanie was with Daniel. The police station was when Philip decided he was into Melanie and ironically that was when Nate did too..Nate could only date Melanie so that Philip could react, otherwise Mate could have been dating the whole time.
slyn11 11 months ago
@slyn11 Yes I agree that shifted the dynamic but the writers where still pushing Phinnie forward, BUT Phelanie had already taken root. They continued to make Steph the victim & Mel the witch with the sex tape even having Nathan dislike her. Then the push for Mate with saving Chloe & Melanie stepping aside for Steph's drug storyline that got dropped suddenly, why because the heat/chem that came off the actors - I think the police station was when the real tug of war from both guys to Mel began.
karrie2820 11 months ago
@slyn11 I like that idea but I still suspect that MB kinda took them by surprise, and IMO what a surprise....Stephanie (SH) at that point I think the writers thought would be the next Sami for them, but instead MB brought things out of JKJ that wasn't expected and they capitalized on it....I personally like it when chemistry happens unplanned and the writers are quick enough to change gears. Why they've let this all slip thru their fingers is beyond me.
karrie2820 11 months ago
@karrie2820 I think they only brought Nathan in for the quad mess. I think Mark was misled in thinking he was going to get a viable love story with Melanie. He was cast as an interloper. And for Philip, the perfect interloper is a good respected guy...everything Salem thinks he is not. Also I think the actor pissed off someone behind the scenes, he was written to look as wimpy and emasculated as possible at every turn. The things he said in his chat after he was fired, make me more sure of that
slyn11 11 months ago
@karrie2820 The shift of Phelanie as a friends came when she helped him rescue Stephanie. The whole reason they made Mel help was so that Phelanie could work together and build a trust - they were sparring partners before that. After that they built a trust. so they could be close enough to sleep together. It was like watching dominoes fall. That is why I think that there was no sudden switch, Melanie was planned for Philip. She was written to complement him and his personality.
slyn11 11 months ago
@karrie2820 I think we are talking about the same time pd. Melanie was a thorn because she could be. Steph knew there was something between Phelanie even back then. And Melanie knew she could get to Philip so she provoked him. Philip knew that Melanie could get to him (LOL) so he got mean with her. It was like playground antics.
slyn11 11 months ago
@slyn11 I think Nathan could have been a decent character but for me - I didn't like his high moral superiority thing, he like Stephanie tried to change someone to be a better person, BUT by thinking that they are in essence saying you're not good enough the way you are. Which IMO is not love, if you want to change someone you don't really love them. I think they ruined Nathan from the start for the quad mess, Phelanie would have been better served without Stephanie or Nathan.
karrie2820 11 months ago
@slyn11 Yes Acceptance and Connection where a large part of Phelanie - because as the story progressed Mate and Phinnie could not compare to Phelanie, these where two characters where not meant to be together, but against all odds they found a real true love. With Phillip by no longer trying to be the man everyone else expected him to be Melanie loved him for the man he is. Melanie as well stopped trying to fight off her demons and let someone into her life and love her for herself.
karrie2820 11 months ago
@slyn11 See I'm going back further to when Melanie first arrived she was basically the knife in Stephanie (the golden girl's) back......Phillip trying to save his damsel Stephanie from the morge, things started one way and shifted thanks to MB and JKJ having the chemistry they did. I saw the shift after they slept together, it was like bam the writers where shocked at that outcome. First Phillip left Melanie for Stephanie then the tape came out and he blamed Mel at first, then shift in gears.
karrie2820 11 months ago