|
Soap Opera Weekly - November 21, 2002 Dwindling airtime, a back-burner storyline and no reconciliation in sight---are Days of Our Lives' Jack and Jennifer getting the shaft? Yes, cry fans. So what do Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves have to say about it? "Missy and I have been apart in the past where we worked intensely and in tandem together," assets Ashford. "We weren't together, but something was going on. We were working all the time. The fact is (the writers) haven't been focusing on this Jack and Jennifer thing. That being said, simply 'getting together' is not the answer. That's the END of the game. The interesting thing is the means...how they get there." "I don't mind that they're apart, but I really don't think that Jennifer would have genuine feelings for another man," weights in Reeves. "She's trying to with Colin, and Jack is trying to with Billie, but, honestly, they only love each other." UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER? Although Reeves wishes she and Ashford had more scenes together, she recognizes that reconciling Jack and Jennifer isn't necessarily the answer. "It's hard, because once you get together and you're happy, people get bored," she points out. "It's a fine line keeping the storyline balanced and doing the right thing for the characters so people still want to watch. The past two years, (the writers have been) trying to figure out what they want to do with us that will be rewarding to the audience as well as to the show. Matt and I are waiting patiently and hoping it happens soon." RESTORING JACK AND JEN In the meantime, fans want to see a stronger Jack. "Some of the frustration is that viewers want Jack and Jennifer at a more equal place," reports Ashford. "They'd like to see Jack with a more restored sense of dignity." And they're anxious for Jennifer to stop treating Jack so badly, "Jennifer has definately taken a turn where a lot of peole don't recognize the way she's behaving," contends Reeves. "Fans are like, 'OK, that's enough.' They don't like seeing Jennifer berate Jack every time she's on the TV. I want her to start behaving like a Horton again, with dignity. (I want her) standing by her man through the hard times and never giving up on him, because I don't believe Jennifer would ever give up on Jack." Fans aren't happy about rumors that Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves (Jack and Jennifer) may be let go. "Our characters are working to get back together," assures Ashford. "Hopefully, we'll be working to get back together a little more frequently." Ashford appreciates the viewers frustrations, "because it's also their enthusiasm to see the couple work on something. They want to see something happen. I've always felt that Jack and Jennifer had the ability to go on about stuff the same way that on Seinfeld they would do different shows about stuff." "The fans of our show know what they want to see and they have always been very vocal about it," Reeves adds. "God bless them. I'm glad we're part of what they want to see. Matt and I will be thrilled when we can do the kind of things that we know our characters can do and what we like to do as characters. We're looking forward to it and hope it's soon also." |