Let me clarify slightly: though I am frustrated with the "mixed marrieds" storyline, it is, by far, not entirely disappointing; on more than one level, it does work. The pairing of these four characters has been, in some ways, inspired. It is rare that a quadrangle can come together in which the foursome are not crossed by angst and fate but joined in friendship and good cheer. It's a refreshing change, and a realistic one. Friendships on soaps, as in life, can be some of the most enduring and heart-rending relationships; these relationships often survive. All of them have a strong believability factor inherent in their writing; in our own lives, we know people not so unlike Jax or Alexis or Ned or even Miss Chloe. They are the same sort of people; the characters work well together. And so do the actors.
That is another thing this group has going for it--chemistry among the actors. There are many smaller pairings that work in this group and only one that doesn't, but I'll come to that later. They work well together as a group of four, too, not just in their couplings, which makes some of their interactions a delight to watch. Also, the characters and the situation in which they find themselves works well; though the situation drawing them together is rather forced, I find myself relaxing into it (though with awareness and wide-open eyes) and enjoy doing so. I can buy that these four people, given this situation, would come up with this particular solution, and there have been moments along the way which have been pure delight.
That was the "yes" part of my response to the Jax/Alexis/Ned/Chloe quad; there is, sadly, a large "but," and the things that don't work break my heart, mostly because I see such potential in this storyline. Moments which delight are not enough to make up for what this storyline could be: well written with integrity, and with interested people pulling the characters' strings. Part of what disappoints me is that I am almost convinced that the writers/producers view this mixed marrieds storyline as two things I think it is not: pure comic relief and peripheral to the real "action" of GH. The actors involved in this storyline do comedy quite well; however, they're better than just being the punchline of the joke. They are worth more. They deserve more: Nancy Lee Grahn, who is one of the best actresses around, in soaps and out of them; Wally Kurth, whom I quite simply adore; and Ingo Rademacher, who has been a revelation recently. Until the past year, I always wrote Jax off as nothing more than a blonde Australian Ken doll; then Brenda died, and I saw depths to the actor that I never saw before. The Jacks family deconstruction and Jax's estrangement and eventual reunion with his family further stretched Rademacher's acting muscles, and I, for one, was impressed. He's wry and charismatic and capable of holding his own with Grahn and Kurth. I'm even beginning to suspect that Tava Smiley can do more than this cotton-candy sweet fluff she's been given. Now that she's lost some of those early mannerisms which I'm now willing to chalk up to inexperience and nervousness, she's charming with a sweetness that is not too cloying (yet). These are actors who are equally adept at drama; Rademacher, Kurth, and especially Grahn have all brought tears to my eyes on other occasions. Though I've laughed with them and smiled at their current "crazy exploits," I think these actors are being wasted as only the comic relief. I know that the writers can do better; look at Luke and Felicia who balance comedy and pathos adroitly.
The individual couples within the quadrangle have a great deal to do with its success and/or failure. To begin with, the couple that's the most solid and the one that's existed the longest--Ned and Alexis. Oh, I could so easily fall head-over-heels for this duo! I almost have; I've come so close on more than one occasion. Their relationship can be and has been smart, sexy, fun, real, grown-up and delicious to watch. When everything comes together for these two, they have some spectacular moments. One such moment that quite simply took my breath was their first exchange of "I love you" after the crash in the Sahara. Ned's words to Alexis were particularly breath-taking:
"You mean the color of her hair, and the curve of her shoulder affects you the way music does. [a pause] That the sight of her entering a room makes you think forbidden thoughts. [smiles] And you feel blessed among mortals that they're not forbidden to you.... That who you actually are, with no hiding or dressing-up, is all you need to live today, tomorrow, and all the days after, as long as she's there. Or, or...you don't worry about what it means, you just say it. Because in the calmness of your head, and in your heart, it's the truest thing that you know. And it's time that I say it. I love you, Alexis." [original transcript from www.ned-alexis.com]
Wow. This was so very lovely, and Kurth and Grahn made me believe every moment, every second, which is part of why I treasure both these actors so much. They are intelligent actors capable of creating intelligent characters who I actually believe are thinking and reacting and feeling rather than reading words on a page. I'll even admit to having tears in my eyes watching the above scene. And, Ned's words, particularly, encapsulate what works for me about Ned/Alexis: I totally believe that these two, with their gatekeeper status, would find in one another acceptance, understanding, and a safe harbor for their souls. And yet...and yet.
There is still something about this coupling that keeps me from falling completely and unreservedly for these two. I think it can be summarized in this: spectacular moments do not a relationship make. It seems as though someone somewhere (not the actors; they play what they're given for all they're worth and more) is not fully able to commit to Ned/Alexis, and because of the half-hearted and very much secondary way this story has been treated, there is something missing that I need in order to buy into this relationship. I wish there weren't. I want to adore them unreservedly instead of simply liking them a great deal. And, I can for an episode here, an episode there. It just simply doesn't sustain.
Jax/Chloe is another pairing which has some very nice things going for it. The actors have a nice chemistry; they seem to be enjoying themselves in their scenes together, and it comes across quite clearly onscreen. Chloe and Jax are sweet, and they make me smile. It makes sense that Jax would be drawn to Chloe; she's Brenda grown-up, without Brenda's darker side and with no Sonny in her life. And, darn it, they just look so damn good together! They don't have the same problems that Ned/Alexis do; the numerous bulletin boards, print and TV ads bear witness to the fact that the people "up top" are totally committed to this duo. The problem? I'm not sure the audience else is. By this, I don't mean the opinions of Internet posters (though they could be cited as proof), but the general feeling the couple evokes. People like them, sure; what's not to like? They just don't really like them. Jax/Chloe are fairy-tale sweet and pretty to look at, but the depth that they incur is about as thin as gossamer. There's just not much there. Though I certainly have no interest in seeing Chloe become a woman constantly in need of rescue, like Jax's other love, just sweetness and light are not enough to sustain interest either. If they're ever to be real contenders as a couple, there must be more there than stolen kisses and dancing in the rain. And, too, there's the dark horse of the quad that takes away from this particular union: Jax/Alexis.
I feel almost guilty when I think about Jax/Alexis. There is so much that appeals in the pairing of Ned/Alexis, and I do feel quite a bit of loyalty towards these two, who I believe love each other very much. Oh, but something about Jax and Alexis has captured me! I'm not sure when or how or even why, but they delight me together. Maybe it's the fact that the characters are so different, or maybe it's the actors' chemistry, or maybe it's just the feeling of rightness I get when they're together--whatever it is, it works. Jax/Alexis make a different sort of sense than Ned/Alexis or Jax/Chloe, but the pairing does make sense. Jax comes with parents and a brother who love him very much and who have taken Alexis to their respective bosoms; to the woman who has never fit in her own family, that must be incredibly appealing. And, Alexis challenges Jax on his own level; Brenda fans, excuse me, but that must be immensely refreshing. The problem is, I think this one blind-sided everyone, from the executive producer to the fans alike. Jax/Chloe and Ned/Alexis had been the couples to push, and suddenly, out of nowhere, Jax/Alexis fans have been appearing out of the blue. But, then again, isn't that how some of the very best couples were born? Luke was, after all, supposed to die at the end of his short run. But he met Laura, and history was made.
There is one other problem inherent in the uniting of Jax/Alexis, and his name is Ned. I mentioned earlier that there is one side to this quadrangle that doesn't work at all, and that is Ned/Chloe. I refer to romantic chemistry; the two are fine as friends/cousins/pretend spouses. But I cannot conceive of them being anything more. The spark just isn't there, and though I may show a bit of my prejudices when I say this, say it I will: I find it very difficult to understand how a man could possibly fall out of love with a woman like Alexis and in love with a Chloe. Especially a man like Ned who needs a woman who, as he put it so beautifully, lets him be comfortable inside his own skin. Chloe would, for all her international-woman-of-fashion status, find it very difficult to accept the corporate shark version of Ned the way Alexis does. If Jax/Alexis were to become a real, full-fledged couple then poor Ned would be left out in the cold, and that would be a crime. He, along with all the other participants in this quad, has been rather isolated from all the other characters on the canvas; were Jax and Alexis's pretend marriage to become real, Ned's character would be at a loss. Unifying this quadrangle, particularly the Ned/Chloe side, with other storylines (Ned re-entering the ELQ corporate race when AJ makes a mess of things or Chloe interacting more with Felicia and perhaps entering that storyline arc, for example) would go a long way towards making some of the problems in the quadrangle disappear.
This "mixed marrieds" quadrangle is a storyline with many flaws but also much potential. And not just in the short-term, second-string sense either; it contains all the ingredients necessary for the front-burner. There's true love, frustrated lovers, depths to be plunged, potentially equal measures of comedy and drama, stellar actors, and bucket-loads of chemistry. Instead of saying "yes, but...", I could be saying "yes, and!". With a clear vision and committed writers, I can't imagine how incredible this storyline could be. Or maybe that's the point. I can imagine it; it could happen. We'd all be the richer for it.