While I like this side of Natalie much better than her swooning over the mope, I'm not buying her as the BE mini-mogul. It's not just that she's unqualified for her job. It's that she's letting her hots for Jared cloud her business judgement big time.

Now we know as viewers that Jared isn't involved in the hostile takeover attempts at BE (which coincidentally started right around the time that Jared showed up) but wouldn't you think Natalie might wonder for a moment if he might somehow be involved? She knows how he lied thru his teeth when he initially tried to get a job at BE. She knows how he later blackmailed his way into the job by way of her sister. Now she knows how he scammed his way into the family as well. What kind of idiot wouldn't question just why this guy is SO determined to worm his way into BE? Yes, yes...awful childhood, dead brother, Asa was his idol, not about the money blah blah blah. That's what they're trying to sell us a viewers but why would Natalie believe it for a minute especially when he clearly did choose the money and the job over her? And why would she keep her family in the dark and potentially at risk from someone who could easily be a corporate mole for all she knows?

The other thing that's bugging me is that while Natalie says she hates Jared, she allows him to behave completely inappropriately towards her with all his *you're sooo hot for me...you know you are* talk. Also, he basically only admitted his scam to her in order to try to get in her pants. If he were really sincere about coming clean he could have gone to Clint or tried to enlist Nigel's help in finding a way out. But, no, he only tells Natalie he's not her uncle in order to try to score with her.

OK, the show is obviously trying to sell these two as a hot couple who can barely keep their hands off each other but really, wouldn't any reasonably intelligent person in Natalie's kind of position wonder if she might be being played?

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I hear you. 'Reasonably intelligent' and 'Natalie' are not words I would normally use in the same sentence unless it was to point out that she isn't. Which, IMO, is why she is the perfect person to fall for Jared. Still, her family checked him out, and she did do some background checking on his story herself, plus she's been involved in fending off the takeover attempts since the beginning, so she should know who the likely threats are and that Jared isn't one of them. But yeah, she's not thinking with her head alone. I think on some level she must be hugely flattered that Jared is willing to give up everything he has won and risk being put back in jail just for the chance to be with her. It's not just about getting into her pants. Boy is in luuurve, doncha know? //SqueezeMe

I hear what you're saying too in the willing suspension of disbelief world of soaps but....The famiily obviously didn't check Jared out that well since he's still conning them. Natalie? She's now on notice that Jared isn't what he pretends to be but seems to forget that. It's all about HORMONES:) I understand TPTB are selling lurve instead of lust but they haven't sold me yet. A little more respect and a LOT less *you are sooooo hot for me, baby

What I don't understand is why Natalie isn't on David's side - after all, what she's doing (by keeping quiet about David being a Buch) is exactly what she feared when she first came to LLanview - that the Buch's wouldn't want and/or accept her. Also, I'm not really feeling the

Also, I'm not really feeling the

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Posted by: ladfan
Date posted: Fri Apr 11 9:56:39 2008
Message:

I also like this new business side of Natalie.  So, what if she got the job because of nepotism?  She is working hard to earn her place at BE and I like that very much.  I like her new hair and clothes.  I also like her chemistry with Jared.  But I loathe and detest the man.  If I were Natalie, Jared could crawl to China and back and THEN I would THINK about taking him back.  But I am afraid that you are right, I would see her softening as soon as she heard the 'dead brother' excuse. 

So, the dead brother and the abusive childhood are excuse for Jared now?  Natalie didn't have a rosy childhood either.  She had Roxie for a mother.  I want to strangle both Jared and Charlie when they are throwing yet another pity party for themselves.  Get over it you losers!  Lots of people lose their siblings in tragic ways and they don't resort to conning rich folks.  I am glad that Natalie is sticking to her guns for now.  I will go right back to hating her when she takes that loser back. 

On a related note, can someone tell the actor who playes Jared to close his mouth?  His mouth is half open all the time and it is distracting.  Yes, I know I am nitpicking :)

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I'm in total agreement with you on this one, ladfan. All the boohooing is getting tiresome. Personally, I can't see any way to redeem either of these characters. Every time I see Charlie's puppy dog eyes I want to hurl. Why make Rex a victim of this scheme? To be honest, I haven't liked either character (Jared or Charlie) for a long time--Charlie from Day 1--but there's just no way to forgive Jared for all the deception. eom/sea

sea, you DON'T like Charlie? I thought I was the only one. I haven't liked him since day one. I find him just plain boring. I am so over his country bumpkin act. The more Viki huffs and puffs about Clint and Dorian, the more I want her to find out about Charlie. ladfan

Forgot to add, I hate Charlie for what he is doing to Rex. ladfan

I don't hate Charlie, but I don't have much sympathy for him either. Yesterday when he was threatening to find Pam's brother and make him pay, he just sounded stupid. I know he feels tremendous guilt for past mistakes, but he needs to suck it up and deal because NOTHING he does now will change what he did then. I did enjoy the scene yesterday when Viki seemed a little disdainful of Nat's lingering feelings for Jared. I suspect Miss Viki will find herself taking up an oar in that boat very soon. //SqueezeMe

SM, you are so right about Viki. ladfan

Another non-Charlie fan signing in. Yesterday I almost thought for a moment that Pam was going to call him on his 20 year pity party when Charlie launched into his umpteenth rendition of *I was a worthless drunk*. Charlie looked almost comically startled when she didn't immediately offer up the usual reassurance that he's a good man that he's come to expect from Viki and now Jared. Too bad she instead launched into the same *but I didn't know* excuse as Charlie. Good observation, SM. Nothing Charlie or Jared does now can change the past or justify their lies now. Both need to seek therapy for why they're unable to let go of the past and genuinely try to become the people they're only pretending to be./kari2

I knew there must be others. I have always thought Charlie was a little 'slow.' Maybe a child would never get over a drunken parent, but there's only so much a sober parent can do to make up for it. Then it is the child's responsibility, once he is grown, to stand on his own feet. eom/sea

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Posted by: sea
Date posted: Thu Apr 10 20:03:27 2008
Message:

I know she is going to forgive him, and I don't know what I will do then.  IRL, I can't see anything good coming out of his lies, either for Jared, Charlie, Viki, Natalie, or the rest of the Buchanans, but this will be a mighty big spin and he will come out of it okay.  Either that, or he gets killed first.  Anyway, I'm not ready to side totally with ladfan, but I'm a bit worried.

I agree she is very professional acting at the office, other than the ever present boobage.

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LOL at ever present boobage. ladfan

Well, what's a buxom junior exec to do, sea? :o) I have no problem with her assets. It's ::bouncing:: assets I don't want to see. Maybe it's my imagination, but MA seems to be working on toning down the flouncing. //SqueezeMe

I noticed the other day that she is wearing a ''normal'' dress. I thought she looked good in it instead of her usual extra low cut tops. Luna

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