Today I realized something I'd forgotten - just what an amazing actress Kristen is. I've spent the better part of two years ignoring her or barely watching her due to the Cole storyline and how they've ruined her character so much - Starr chosing to sacrifice her child to get revenge on her Dad, offering the child to a kidnapper who willingly endangered her brother? Starr shacking up with a guy who assaulted her? Starr siding with John McBain and seeing him as a hero, especially given how he treats Todd and how biased he is? The Starr we've had for the last two years is not the Starr who had exotic pets like tarantulas and iguanas; she's not the Starr who used a stolen credit card to order manure delivered to an "enemy's" doorstep, or put piranhas in his bath tub; she's not the Starr who faced down reporters outside the jail where her father was about to be executed. That Starr was sacrificed to pimp Stale and the more TPTB dumbed her down, the more I tuned out. KA's had some meaty storylines the last two years, but because of Cole, I've ignored and FFed them. I've only really half watched her at best, and only when she had scenes that were not with Cole or any of the Cramers. This year, I added the teens, and spent more time FFing them than I ever have.

Today it struck me again just how much TPTB took from Starr. KA was fabulous in those scenes with James, freaking out when she realized he'd been shot, frantically worrying about him, lashing out at Dani, staying by his bedside. It's been awhile since I've really watched KA in action, other than the odd scene here and there when she was with the boys or with Trevor. Cole's scenes became an automatic FF for me because of how horrible he is, what a digusting, miserable excuse for a human being he is. I don't want her anywhere near that bad guy. The last couple of weeks, though, I've really been enjoying her. Stale have nothing but Marty's 20 year old rape and now Cole's murder attempt. Not good things to build a relationship on. Starr and James... theyr'e amazing, incredible and fantastic - exciting and refreshing.

Today's scenes reminded me of just how fabulous KA is. James brings out the best in her and with Nic, I see a lot of natural chemistry. Kristen and Nic are amazing together and Starr & James could be a supercouple.

I totally agree with every single word. thats the starr i remember, the TPTB literally ripped the soul out of her character.

Oh yeah, Kristen has always been good. Cole has just dragged her down.

It's sad, really, seeing how much the character lost because of Cole, but that's RC's game, it seems - gut the characters and leave them shadows of who they once were.

^^^^Didn't DH bring Cole on? Cole was just one of the few things DH did that RC actually kept.(I'd have preferred Nash to be honest, with Cole going through the skylight instead.)

Yeah - I think she did, but Starr wasn't lobotomized until RC came along. I remember tolerating Cole for Starr's sake for the longest time, even though I didn't like him. I really began hating him during the writer's strike. They started Cole down the path of no return and it's just gotten worse since then. I hated Nash but ITA - I would rather have had Cole go through than Nash.

^^^^Yeah I guess, but IMO, Cole was a misstep from Day 1. I wuved Nash so I really wish he'd stuck around instead of ole Lumpy.

That is because she has been dumbed down and wasted with Cole. She get to shine when she is not with him. I sure hope the keep her with James.

Well - barely seconds after Cole came back in the picture, Starr turned into an idiot, accepting Cole's excuses and buying his lies and his claims of love. WAKE UP STARR! Cole is a cretin and always will be. He'll never change. Cut your losses and move on to James. Please - otherwise I'll keep ignoring you!

They need to create one of my characters for Starr.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:

Oh yeah, Kristen has always been good. Cole has just dragged her down.

That is so true, it is like she wakes up away from him, but I am afraid we will be seeing boring Starr again soon.

Yeah - it's amazing how quickly my interest in Starr died - barely paid attention until she rushed out at the end of today to get word on James' condition - LOVE the look on Cole's face. If not for Cole's violence and murder attempt and lack of ownership for his crime, Starr would never have met James. I hope they catch the Jarr-Jarr buzz too. Stale is nothing more than a roach-infested pestilence while StarrJamm (or are we calling them Jarr-Jarr) are exciting, fresh, interesting, engaging - a stallion waiting to be unleashed.