Great thread, Mindy - great reply, Pags.
Personally, I would love the show to explore Post Traumatic Stress - a disorder I feel Philip is undoubtedly suffering from.
I wrote Corday, cc to Sheffer, last week about my concerns re the writing of Philip. Jay's doing a phenomenal job - exceptional. The writing, however, is a concern. I feel they need to go in another direction, with Philip. I love seeing Jay play a heavy - he puts such genuine emotion into his scenes. However, there is so much more going in Philip's head and heart - and those emotions, thoughts, etc. aren't being addressed by the scripts. Right now, Philip is truly obsessed - he's driven, filled with rage and revenge. We do sense his love for Claire - thanks to Jay's talent. Yet, there's far more to Philip - and it's not being addressed by the writing staff.
A villain needs to be written as multi-dimensional. He needs to have cracks in the armor, a soft spot, frailties - i.e., he needs to be human, he needs to be rounded - he needs to be more than rage and revenge. (Take a hero or romantic lead - imagine how completely boring he or she would be, if that character were nothing but sweetness and kindness. That character needs faults and shortcomings for people to relate. The flip side applies to a truly well-written villain - he needs to have some heart, some good, along with the villainy. Also, knowing WHY he's like he is, helps - it allows the audience to empathize. Some viewers may not like him any better, but they'd understand him. That empathy makes the story all the more interesting - it pulls viewers in.)
That 'why his is like he is' factor brings me to my second wish, re the story. There's another facet to Philip the writers need to address - PTSD. A poster on the NBC board commented on Jay's work - she says he deserves an Emmy. He certainly does - he's awesome. This woman's husband is a veteran - he's suffering from PTSD. She sees all the signs in Philip - and says Jay's doing an incredible job bringing those volatile, trigger emotions to life.
What the writers need to do, in my opinion, is bring PTSD to the surface - to fully explore it - most importantly, Philip's own concern re his behavior. SHOW Philip grappling with his own actions - have him shudder, not understand why he's so violent, so filled with rage. He can revert back to his menacing ways - that instant switch in emotion is symptomatic with the disorder. But - they need to show his own confusion. I truly think that Philip doesn't understands his own emotions. Show that!
This story line has great potential - and Days has, in Jay, the one actor who can do it justice, who can soar with it. All they need to do is bring it out. I had hoped they would, by now - I was giving them time. Thus far, I don't see any indications that why intend to do just that.
What I have seen - moments where Jay has added so much to the character, moments where he is showing other sides to Philip, that suggest he's confused, alarmed, etc. Corday and Sheffer need to provide scripted opportunties for Jay to do what he's so good at - adding shading and nuance to the role. He's done that, on his own - we've seen that vulnerable side, when Philip told Bo and Roman that Claire's blood was found on the raft. I also caught that look, on Philip's face, when Bo had him by the collar and said HE is to blame, along with Victor. Did anyone else catch that brief moment of shock, hurt and guilt on Philip's face? I saw it. That was JAY BEING JAY - adding so much that isn't in the script. The writers need to write moments like that - they need to give Jay opportunity to explore those emotions.
Those are my opinions, my views on the story line I'd like to see for Philip. I know many want Philip in a romance, others want him far away from Shelle (that I would love to see, myself - Philip front and center in his OWN story line.) We can - and should - express our views, make our voices heard.
I strongly urge people to write Corday and Sheffer, and express their concerns re the writing of Philip. If we all write, and let Corday and Sheffer know how we feel - that many of us returned to Days because of Jay, that he's valuable to them, that we aren't satisfied with the story they're giving him to play - it could make a difference. But ONLY if we write.
Here's a link to a thread I started, on the JKJ-JP board, re Corday and Sheffer:
sjfansite.proboards21.com/index.cgi?board=supp&action=display&thread=1172248826Also, Jay just posted - he wants to know what people think of the story line. Write Jay, let him know.
Thanks!
Steve
