Natalie and Dimitri (SOD 11/26/91)
Who better to give the scoop on this couple than the show's creator and head writer, Agnes Nixon? While she was hesitant to reveal too much, Nixon's obviously enthusiastic about this match.
SOD:" What makes this couple special?"
AN: "There's a gothic quality to it. It's like Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. Everybody loves somebody who has a past and a secret- and certainly Dimitri does- which we haven't divulged yet. That heightens one's interest and suspense. It's a special situation, but what really makes it special is the actor's talent, personalities, good looks and chemistry."
SOD: "What made you think Kate Collins [Natalie] and Michael Nader [Dimitri] would have chemistry?"
AN: "Michael Nader would have chemistry with anybody; that was a given. There was no question that they'd have chemistry, but the big thing was that Michael had chemistry with all the viewers."
SOD: "Who came first, Nader or Dimitri?"
AN: "I thought of Dimitri first as someone who would find Natalie, but certainly we desperately wanted Michael and when we heard he was available, it shaped our idea of the character, having his face in mind."
SOD: "Why is Dimitri a foreigner?
AN: "He's not a foreigner; he's an American, but a lot of his time was spent in Europe, and his parents were Russian. [All this] gave a little more latitude to the story. It was more international and more mysterious in a way."
SOD: "Where does his wealth come from?:
AN: "His parents own a lot of land around Pine Valley and Llanview."
SOD: "Why were you willing to separate Natalie and Treavor before they ever had their shot at happiness?"
AN: "I just felt that life is a series of surprises and problems, and we thought that it would be less complicated and more suspenseful if they hadn't already married, but if [the problems instead started] on the eve of their marriage."
SOD: "Why is Natalie so willing to give up on Treavor?"
AN: "He was so easily fooled by Janet that she lost faith. Post-traumatic stress sydrome is a very well-documented phenomenon that was particularly revelatory after Vietnam. That confinement Natalie went through has altered her pysche to a great extent. It's like the man who was recently released from Vietnam. He didn't blame his captors, but [instead] the people who didn't get him released."
SOD: "Have viewers complained about this breakup?"
AN: "At first they did, but now they're caught up in the suspense and they're just enjoying the story. They don't feel resentful because they know it's the name of the game to entertain."
SOD: "Our mail has indicated that viewers were unhappy with the Natalie/Janet story. Was Dimitri a diversion?"
AN: "No. We expected to get negative mail on Janet/Nat; they don't like it but they [keep] watching."
SOD: "What do you predict for this couple in the next six months?"
AN: "They're going to be involved in a very suspenseful story. I'm not saying that they'll still be involved, but there will be an important story."