Local soapie Generations is proving once again that it is the unrivalled king of mediocrity when it comes to writing lazy stories on South African television. As reported earlier this year, Seputla Sebogodi who plays Kenneth Mashaba has left the show and we are now watching his final moments on Generubbish.
It seems his heart situation is the best that lazy behinds at South Africa's most watched show could come up with. Makisto can today report that next week we are saying goodbye to Kenneth as last night we have seen his heart disappointing him again. Makisto can also report that Kenneth is set to appoint his son Thomas Mashaba as the owner of Mashaba Media as he goes on holiday and leaving the country for good.
*Yawns*
This is mediocrity at its best. I have never seen such a mediocre storyline in my entire life! Tjeer man. What happened to rivetting viewing and writing out a character in a way that will best serve the show and even see the show attracting 10 million viewers? All the storyliners and writers as well as lazy producers at Generubish deserve to be fired with immediate effect. I cannot believe we are being fed such a boring story. I'm mean really now?
Ok, I know you are asking yourself why I am so disappointed, harsh and vocal about it though I am not a soapie writer. Firstly, Generations is capable of writing great stories and they are just too lazy to think.
This is what will fit Kenneth's exit
We acknowledge that Kenneth must be brought to book and agree with how some of the characters on the show are ganging up on him.
We all know Kenneth is a mean bastard who will kill without thinking twice to get his way. He has done the most outrageous things and killed innocent people to get his way.
He once killed truck drivers who were delivering Ezweni Communications magazines in Johannesburg. We all know the best slut on the block Dineo Mashaba has in the past, with Ace's help, tried to kill Kenneth but it never worked. We all know Sbuda still hopes to get his Afri-Media back some day.
When writing out a character, writers need to pull their files and use the best storylines they did to write him out. The storylines mentioned above are the kind of things that could have worked FOR the show.
Imagine Sbuda is busy trying to rein Kenneth Mashaba in and Kenny finds out about it and they stop with their silly heart attack. Kenneth plots to fight back and enlists the help of his son who is swinging for both Mashaba and Ezweni teams. Imagine Thomas gets greedy and wants to own Mashaba media.
Imagine Kenneth finds out about Dineo and Ace's food poisoning gig. He is furious and wants to kill them with his bare hands and he hires people to kidnap them so he can kill them himself. During their kindapping gig, Kenny confesses to have hired magosha to drug Paul and Dinny is devastated.
Imagine Sbuda wants his Afri-Media back and he and Kenneth are in a confrontation and Sbuda, in a fit of rage, goes back to his old thuggish ways. Yeah we know he has changed but that side of people resurfaces every once in a while when they are pushed too far. Let's say the two enter a game of cat and mouse.
Meanwhile, the kidnapped Dinny and Ace manage to escape their detention room and Ace contacts his buddies to help him elimante Kenneth for good. Sbu hears Kenneth has hired people to kill him (Sbuda) because he doesn't wanna lose Afri-Media. Sbuda starts walking around with his gun in his jacket.
One day, Kenneth's henchmen go to Sbuda's house to kill him but only Christy and the child minder are there. The coumaflaged men enter the house and Ntombi and Sbu are not there. They search around and turn everything upside down and they accidentally push Christi in her pram and she falls on the floor. She sustains severe head injuries.
Yes this aint a movie but Generations has never shied away from action with PG 16.
Sbuda is raging with fury and he cannot be consoled. Ntombi is devastated and threatening to divorce Sbu because she has always believed he will never go back to his old ways.
Meanwhile, Thomas sees that his dad is winning against his enemies and really wants Mashaba Media. He plots to murder his dad so he can own the comapany. Huh? But Thomas aint a killer? Yeah right. Like father like son, remember? An apple doesn't fall far from the tree, remember? Good! In what could be a dramatic irony, he and dad are all happy father and son and plans to kill dad while fast asleep and frame Sbuda for it.
Sbu is utterly furious and wants to kill Kenny, Dineo and Ace are on their way to kill Kenny, Thomas gathers his courage to kill rich bad dad.
In the middle of the night in Kenny's room, a gun goes off. Kenny is shot but not dead. He has a bullet in his head and must be operated to be removed. The best medics and therapy are in London and Grace hears about it and comes home to do one good thing she can for Kenny, after all, he is her dad, no matter what.
It appears Grace has inherited all Mashaba millions and businesses since Kenny is incapacitated and she hands over the businesses to Thomas to carry on with the Mashaba leagacy.
Everybody gets an ending they like: Viewers get rivetting viewing and writers get an open exit they always wanted.
Whot shot Kenny? Generations can do another big story on that one.
Yawn again, this time at Khaphela
Yazi mna shem I am not a soapie writer or anything but I am professional TV critic. But that villainous Khaphela that's happening overnight aint true. I will admit to have missed a number of Gen what what episodes in the past couple of weeks. But I need to ask, how did Khaphela turn into a villain overnight?
I know he's a reason to do what he does and he will kill to have a son. But really now! I would have liked to see him with his dire wish for a son and that is 1 point out of 10 to Gen writers. I would have liked to see Khaps struggling with his morals and principles which are in conflict with what he is doing to Khethiwe. I would have liked him to question himself whether two wrongs make a right.
Khaphela is deeply rooted in traditional values. I would have liked to see him being a villain that they want him to be but acting within his character. What they are doing to Khaphela is called out of character. Yes, even good characters have a nose-picker at some point but they never get out of character.
However, this is too much to ask from a show that is used to being lazy and still expects and gets positive feedback.