AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is an essay/rant because there will be times I get extremely emotional over the hack job done to one of my personal – favorite- characters but ah, such is life when I don’t write the novel!!

What an unusual title but there is a common denominator – the character of Téa Delgado from OLTL, who is either ‘beloved’ or ‘detested’. Now let me go on the record: I am a fan of Téa Delgado as written by Laiman & Labine. Am I Saint Téa or a Muffy Delgado Fan? Ah, no. I DETEST the poderized version of the character but I’ll save this discussion for later on in this rant. (it’s a rant when I want it to be!)

I am also a fan of Florencia Lozano. I’ve seen Lozano perform live in 2 plays, “Lick” and “Love’s Labor Lost”. I’ve even met Lozano, she’s a warm, funny, lively engaging young woman whose smile could light up a dark room. But this rant isn’t about Ms. Lozano. It’s about the ‘controversial’ character she brings to life - Téa Delgado

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I am a firm believer that what you first get is “the” characterization the writer who created the character intended that character to be. Leah Laiman created “Téa”. And the character Laiman created was no Saint!

Téa came on the scene in Jan 97 and was intended to act as a ‘foil’ in the Antonio/Andy romance. She was introduced as Antonio’s childhood friend. She was Antonio’s lawyer when he was on trial. Antonio and Téa had quite a few arguments on their differing opinions concerning his defense.

Téa eventually entered into a very sexual relationship with Kevin Buchanan. They boffed nasty on his desk at the Banner. She FLAT OUT told him, “I like sex”. She was a bitch. She was snarky. She told Cassie off a few times. As a lawyer, she made Andy & Asa look like complete idiots. That was Laiman Téa. She was rude, snarky, bitchy, obnoxious, and she had SEX. AND SHE LIKED IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Reaction to the character was not good. Lozano, in an early interview admitted she had received hate mail. But that was obviously what Laiman wanted the character to be. Téa dished $hit out. She didn’t take $hit. Laiman’s Téa was not a VICTIM or a SAINT by any means.

This is how the character was meant to be so it pisses me off to see other writers take the character and morph her into someone who is a wuss, victim & Saint.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Blair fans are true fans. They will go the distance for their beloved character – the recent online petition proves that. There are very FEW real “true” Tea fans. I have yet to see anyone who CLAIMS to be a TnT fan fight for Téa with such passion. I mean what Tea fan wants Laiman Tea back?

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The Labines

Shortly after Laiman created the character the Labines took over writing chores at OLTL and turned Téa from a character who was unpopular into ½ of OLTL’s “supercouple” – Todd & Téa. They did this by adding one element – SYMPATHY. Laiman’s Téa was one of the most UNSYMPATHIC chicks around but it worked.

I personally enjoyed this version of Téa a lot because I could identify with her tendencies to “Self-Destruct.”

SIDE NOTE: Todd and Téa – a supercouple? C’mon Dim!!!! Well, certainly Todd & Téa didn’t reach the heights of popularity that super couples did in the 80’s. The late 90’s were low key for soap super couples in general. But certainly no one can deny the “buzz” the couple generates. Whether it be GOOD or BAD – TnT – make people talk. From the one million overdone extra gush post by the coterie which just GRATE on MY NERVES – to the Teaugh the Troll posts (which I usually just blow off) – no one can deny TnT generate TALK.

Anyway, the Labines took the hard edge Laiman Téa and added soft spots. When Kevin dumped Téa, it was obvious she was hurt. They gave us reasons to explain her hard charging drive – I can’t forget her emotional scene in which Téa tears up the Vega’s laundry witnessed by Antonio. Scenes like that helped to explain what motivated her.

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ENTER TODD MANNING: PRINCE OF DARKNESS

Téa entered Todd’s story when he hired her to get Alex off the hook. Soon he hired her to represent him as Bo looked into the Armitage yacht bombing, and then in true Laiman form (all though being written by the Labines by now) she married Todd Manning for FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. Now is that SNARKY or what?! Where was the love?! There was none!!!!

But the Labine’s obnoxious Todd seemed to mesh with their toned down version of Téa and eventually TnT fell in love. But their’s wasn’t a typical romance – and what I remember – VIVIDLY - (from Téa’s point of view) after Todd throws her out for meeting with a man he doesn’t know, (her brother) Téa gets DRUNK and FLIRTS and PROPOSITIONS Sam & Andrew. On another occasion, Téa tempts Todd in the palace bar, admitting she cares for him and then in the next minute she’s daring him to hit her. And when she goes too far Todd grabs her hair and snarls at her “You’ll never leave me. We’re too much alike”. That was ‘real’ Téa to me. While the Labines had toned down her bitchyness she still did things to sabotage herself. And that’s HUMAN. We’re all HUMAN. (However some fanatic internet posters tend to forget that – every time they post.) We all do stuff that’s wrong for us and we know it’s wrong for us and we do it ANY – F*CKING – WAY JUST BECAUSE

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THE SAINT

Then Spammy Long and JillyZilla Farren Phelps got a hold of Téa and turned her into a SAINT. BLEECH.

Now, there’s a concept OUT THERE (in internet land) that goes something like this: Bad Boy Todd’s women have to be turned “Saintlylike” to make a romantic relationship work. First there was Todd & Rebecca, Then Todd & Téa & in TnB3, Blair was even turned into a “SAINT” during the Todd-told-her-the-baby-died-but-he-lied-storyline.

I dunno – the whole Sinner/Saint thing? But when you turn Todd’s women into complete PARODIES of themselves and make into something they’re not – you take the ROMANCE right out of it!

Anyway, SAINT TEA arrived on scene after he punches her, she BEANS him with a shovel & he claims to have DID. She forgives him. Because she’s a SAINT. Please – Domestic Violence isn’t a JOKE. Neither is DID for that matter but with JillyZilla it was all serious social issues aside. So Saint Téa tries to save fake DID Todd from himself. Did I watch? Yeah. Why? Because at this point I was watching for the on-screen performances of the actors & the chemistry I saw between them at the time. By now, Bitchy Laiman was gone and when Todd left after admitting he made a FOOL out of her, Téa was further morphed into…

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MUFFY DELGADO

She started playing Tennis and screwing Sykes in the shower. [sound of flushing toilet] Shower smut was a SCRILEDGE if you ask me!! Well, at least Muffy had SEX.

Give me MUFFY or give me DEATH. And that’s what we got – Téa was now DO-GOODER MUFFY DELGADO who played tennis like a STUCK UP frat girl. What happened to that chick who said “I don’t care if your guilty or innocent, I’ll defend you as long as you PAY me?” snot nosed defense attorney Téa used to be? We were stuck with Muffy until Téa left in Feb 2000. And mind you – who came up with the name MUFFY Delgado? It wasn’t a BLAIR fan I assure you.

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TEA 2002

Well at least we didn’t get Muffy back again. I was hoping for Laiman Téa. A snarky bitch who would go after Todd and get her revenge for screwing up her life. I mean – STORYLINEWISE – that would have made the most the sense!!! No – I get SAINT TEA back. (pout!)

Who knows? Maybe this is Gary’s way at getting back at Coterie Fans. If you ask me though, any chick who thinks Todd throws hand grenades at her because he’s in love with her, needs to visit Dr. Rae.

I am GLAD to see FL back on my screen. She’s got a job. She’s paying the rent. I only wish she had better material. I wish Howarth had better material. But I’m just a lowly ol’ fan and ABC pays NO attention to me. (wink!)

BOTRINA ROCKS.

Love & Diet Pills
Dim

This essay/rant is my opinion and I stick by everything I say. Feedback is encouraged/welcomed – including nasty, blow your house down flames. After all, it’s FIRE season in Cali… and I’m hiring a C-130 to put ‘em out… (oh, didn’t one of those blow up…?)