Sandy and Rhonda from S1
Do you think they were meant originally to be temporary characters
They weren't.
In reality, the show was faltering early on and the first cut they made was Sandy because they felt they'd run out of storylines for her character to go and the faux on-and-off Southern accent made her an obvious cut.
Vanessa Williams didn't actually know she'd been cut until she wasn't called back to film season two; she even went to the season one finale party!
Sandy was quickly disposed of, I think if she stayed there was potential for the character to be bitchy. By time season 1 was ending and Amanda's arrival the show was going to take a different direction in season 2, so Rhonda's perky character and lack of any interaction with the other residents was a definite cause for her removal.
shareIn a way, I'm sort of glad that both characters of Sandy and Rhonda were cut within the first season, because departing saved their characters from becoming evil, greedy, selfish, guiltless, amoral, devious characters that Michael, and others (Amanda, Peter, Sydney, Alison, etc.) evolved into in later seasons.
The first and second seasons were fine, but the rest of the seasons of Melrose Place was like watching some misanthrope Neil LaBute movie or stage play in which the point of each episode is that only callous and evil people (who lie, cheat, steal, blackmail, seduce, betray, use and abuse others), are the ones that survive in this world.
I had always wondered if Sandy's departure was a mutual choice... I have read that Amy Locane wanted to go back to grittier movie roles (the show was really tame, with self contained episodes when she was on it). Plus it looked like it was in danger of getting cancelled so she may have decided to jump ship before it sank.
Personally, I liked the addition of the edgier Jo, especially with Jake... but I always wished Sandy came back, even for a guest role, in the later years.. as some sophisticated soap opera star that Amanda was trying to hook for D n D or a devious Lexi like character.
As for Rhonda, as much as I liked her energy and what she brought to the show, I agree that I would hate to see her lose her character to make more dramatic storylines...like losing the love of her life (her marriage to Terrance appears to be just about the only one left by the end of the show) just to be manipulative or an alcoholic or doormat, etc..
but I always wished Sandy came back, even for a guest role, in the later years.. as some sophisticated soap opera star that Amanda was trying to hook for D n D or a devious Lexi like character.
That's an interesting idea. share
Some more info on Sandy/ Amy's departure
http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.fr/2013/01/so-long-sandy-locane-leaves-melrose.html