Chris B

I watched the last three episodes for Katie and Carter and I was impressed. It's a shame they took so many years to start writing for Carter and he's had chemistry with Katie for YEARS. If he was white, you can't tell me this wouldn't have happened sooner. I just worry because we know Heather Tom doesn't really act much, so I don't know how much they'll commit to it. Maybe that's why they're doing it. It can give Carter a C story with limited screentime and they can just blame that on Tom's availability.

Oh wow! Thank you all for filling me in. I don't know what to say other than it's disappointing to see how the show went out. It sounds like a completely different show and not a minor pivot. I've grown to love Billy, Penny, Althea, Matt, etc. and it's sad to see they end up the way they do. I'm also concerned with Mike. At this point we've only seen one Mike and I'm a big fan of the actor and his relationship with Toni. I know he gets recast a lot and I'm not looking forward to that, or what they might do with the character.

I don't trust these writers to settle on anything. It would be so easy to make GH good, but all they do is throw out new twists and secrets and stretch any story out until the viewers are completely worn out.

Yall are better than me lol. This is good casting, but yall really think this horrible storyline is going to suddenly improve? This has been going for around a year and it has pivoted to now be Finn's story instead of Liz. What makes you think this will change that? Now that we know the secret is about Finn's wife, the likely result is going to be Jeff had an affair and either Jeff or the wife accidently killed her and Liz witnessed it. They aren't going to make Liz's parents a long term thing and they aren't going to suddenly let Liz lead a story.

I have an Althea question: Julia Duffy's Penny has arrived and she's absolutely fantastic. When she first came back she was living with her dad Dave. Was Dave ever a major character on the show? When the reruns first started they were already divorced and I believe this is the first time I've seen him. If he was a character, what was he like? Also, is it true that they kill Penny off? I believe I read that and I hope that isn't true. I hate when soaps kill the only child of a character off. Especially since Althea has no other family on the show. How did that story go down?

That's a powerful exit interview from Victoria Rowell. It's sad to look at her reasonable requests (which still aren't fully met 15 years later) and to think of how much hate she got for it. I also like her giving props to Lynn Latham. That woman had a lot of issues I won't deny, but one thing I loved about her was her commitment to real diversity which was backed up with screen time. I wish they had kept Kay Alden and Jack Smith around and left them as HW's and NOT EP's. I feel had they done that, the show would've remained good. The biggest mistake Y&R started to make was making the HW's EP which left them without someone to check them for quality.

Am I forgetting how Tucker was or are they overplaying it (like they did with Diane) making Tucker seem like this big bad? I seriously don't recall him being a dark character with either of the previous actors in the role.

I'm so sad this is one of the soaps stuck in the Disney vault because I'd love to see those years we didn't get to see on SOAPnet. It's crazy how I watched those episodes twice and know so little about those later years. I'd love a chance to get to properly see all the other Frank's, Siobhan's, Robin Mattson as Delia, etc. I've seen them in single episodes of course, but not continuously.

It makes absolutely no sense! Kari was so central to the story that if anything they should've expanded her role. I think the problem was that they have too many women and they knew they had Audra coming in so they had to make room for her. Personally, I think it's time for Contessa to go. Swap her out with Miss Kari!

When they did the Donna Martin Graduates episode she was disgusted and bored by the Brandon/Andrea stuff. The fan co-host was raving about it, but Jennie keeps suggesting that because Gabrielle is so old that she doesn't quite fit in. Lots of jokes about how she should've went to Yale, but if she did she'd be off the show. Season 4 is a big season for Andrea and they finally integrate her in with the girls so I'm curious how they'll continue to react to her stories. It's pretty odd. Jennie also thought Brenda's last episodes were in Minnesota and they had to remind her that she does in fact appear in the entire season lol. I'm curious what her thoughts will be there since that was obviously when tensions were high with Shannen. I will say they've acknowledged that there were issues, but they're not mean when it comes to Shannen. They also did an episode where they talked about Vanessa Marcil saying the set was full of mean girls (which I now believe) and they've briefly mentioned the issues with Tiffani Thiessen which I'm sure will come up more when they reach season 5. It's funny that Shannen got the bad rap, but Jennie in particular has an issue with so many people that it's making me question who really was the problem there.

I think she was out before she won the Emmy. I don't think anybody expected her to win and by the time they let her go, I can see why she wouldn't want to sign another contract IF they reached out at that point. They've proven they don't value her or her popularity on the show.

Kari did an interview on Heavenly's YouTube where she discussed some of the stuff that got cut, she also mentioned it on Behind the Velvet Rope podcast. I truly am stunned because it sounds like she really brought it. They cut out the entire feud/reconciliation with Heavenly, the cut out her feud with Contessa and their Vegas blow up and they cut out the Anila/Toya fight. I have no clue what the producers were thinking. It also seems like Kari is the one who revealed that Toya "predicted" Anila's break in. It makes no sense that they obviously paid her and she gave so much material and they didn't use any of it.

I’ve become a regular listener of Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling’s 9021OMG Podcast and they are something else. I will give them props because they’re very honest, but I can see why they had the issues they did because they can still be very bitchy towards certain cast members. It’s more Jennie than Tori. When the podcast started Jennie just hated everything, but you can tell she softening and beginning to appreciate the show more. Tori loves everything and seems very thankful and proud of her time on the show. One ongoing thing that bothers me is how they talk about Andrea. Jennie always hates when Andrea has a story, she hated the Brandon/Andrea thing and thought it was so boring. Now they’re doing season 4 and the first thing she brings up is how old Andrea looks and how boring she thinks her story is going to be. There is a third cohost who is a fan and she defends Andrea thankfully, but it is just so odd to me. I had to mention it. Gabrielle has been on the podcast too so it’s weird they talk about her the way they do.

Trauma. They didn't have the mental health services we have now. I always took it as her needed to get away and reinvent herself away from Peyton Place. I could buy her not contacting her family for a few years, then when Return to Peyton Place picked the story up, I would've played those beats and have Allison, Elliot and Connie unpack all of that.

I thought the way they handled her exit on the original was very eerie and one of the best soap exits I've ever seen. It felt like so many things were happening in her life and around her and I like that she basically just got up and left out of fear of what her life would become if she stayed in Peyton Place. Allison basically did what every soap character should do lol. It was way more powerful than just killing her off.

Watching this promo makes me wish they'd fully lean into Brooke becoming the new Stephanie. They already treat the character like crap, they may as well let her become the overbearing and scheming mother that Stephanie was. KKL could do well in that role. I'm sick of them slut shaming Brooke now that Taylor is back. Taylor is no Angel (now that I'm watching the reruns on YouTube, Taylor has NEVER been an Angel) so it's hard to take them acting like she's a saint when Brooke is this evil whore.

I grew to enjoy this show, but it was very uneven. I loved the diversity of the cast, but I wish there was more show than tell, if that makes sense. I felt like the dialogue was very clunky over explaining everything instead of letting us learn about these characters in a more natural way. Once they got all the explaining out of the way there was a good show to be found. I do wish they got a second season to see if it continued to improve.

I will say, once I powered through that story, the show really picked up steam and the second half of 1972 was excellent. I do hate how dumbed down Althea became, but it was almost worth it for how delicious John was as a villain and I loved his rivalry with Nick/scheming with Cathy. Also I spoke too soon in my previous post because Toni and Billy's mother did show up for a short arc. It was interesting how they tied Vito in with her. I almost wish they had made Vito Billy's father. That would've been explosive, but I believe they quickly wrapped the Vito/Barbara part of the story up. I'm now in January 1973 and they're mentioning Penny a lot so it looks like I'll finally get to see Julia Duffy in the role. I'm excited to see Penny again. Althea has really suffered as a character since being with John and hopefully Penny can make me like her again. Another exciting thing is that Hank finally seems to be getting a storyline and some focus. It's crazy that this is the early 70s and they're investing in a Black character when even today that is rare. I can't leave without mentioning what a powerhouse Mona is. I feel like this is one of those characters that really enhances the dynamics of a show. She has been excellent from her first scene and the actress devours anybody she shares a scene with. I have a feeling we're in for lots of good story now that Ann has also arrived. I plan to enjoy all the time I have left with Carolee Campbell before the recast. She's such a unique talent and while I know Jada Rowland is a good actress, I can't imagine her matching what Campbell brings to the role.

If she's back for more than a drive by, I hope they actually write for Denise Richards, meaning let her be a vixen and sex bomb. It makes no sense you have the ultimate sex symbol and write such a bland character for her.

What annoys me is that in all of this, a potentially great housewife was lost in the shuffle of a bad season: Bershan. I place all the blame on Leah btw. I think Eboni was very irritating, but Leah is the one who truly made that season a nightmare. She ran off Heather, which prevented a Aviva return and she was a party pooper the entire season. Going back to Bershan, I'd love to see her get another shot with the veteran cast. She fits age wise and has an inspiring backstory, has that wacky vibe that works for RHONY and can be fun and still provide drama. She was perfectly cast!

I like Carlos King and I don't mind him overhyping himself. I think that's what he needs to do to take things to the next level. I mean, he's had his own production company for years and he's trying to build his brand. I can't knock his hustle. As a Black creative, it's obviously a more difficult road to travel than his White counterparts. If someone had the success he did with housewives, NBC Universal would've signed him to an overall deal by now. I find it tacky that Bravo asked him to take over RHOD as show runner in season two and has also asked him to return to RHOA in recent years and both times they were only willing to hire him as a contractor and not use his company. It's especially glaring with Dallas whose production company completely failed at launching that series. I hope that with his heightened profile and the success of Love and Marriage he gets more opportunities. On another note: Another Day, Another RHONY rumor: Bravos and Cocktails is reporting that they did test filming with a new group of six women and the plan was to announce the new cast at BravoCon. The footage was terrible and three women have dropped out. They've had such difficulty casting that they're considering rebranding the show and just moving forward with the Legacy cast. They'd also be moving the Legacy show from Peacock to Bravo and it wouldn't have Legacy in the name.

Speaking of Thorne, with Winsor he has always been one of my favorite characters since I started the show. As a child I don't recall liking Jeff in the role and I hated the singing. Now that I'm watching it from the beginning I feel like Jeff is my favorite and I actually find myself loving the singing between him and Macy. I typically don't like singing on soaps, but they have such good chemistry and Jeff is great in the role. Clayton was the best looking Thorne, but I feel like his acting was limited. It's disappointing to hear Jeff fizzled out as Thorne, but that's typical of Brad when he loses interest in someone.

I'm glad I picked up my watch because it seemed the show drastically improved right at the point I'd left off. The Maggie story I hated was quickly ended and the Karen story was coming to an end. I LOVE Karen, but it was no fun having her basically play the same story being in love with Matt and I HATE seeing her portrayed as a villain having seen Steve rape her. I know it's a sign of the times, but him raping her and her being forced to marry him for Erich has always soured me to Steve, no matter how much they try to act like he's a good guy. If that's how Karen is going to be written, I'm happy she's gone. In recent episodes Mona has arrived. I LOVED her from the start. The actress is fantastic and has a great look. I can't wait to see what she brings to the show long term. I love her dislike of Carolee and speaking of mothers, I've appreciated all of the Emma this year. Emma and Carolee have such great chemistry and I also have enjoyed seeing Emma date and also Emma with Mona. I can't wait for Billy to return so I can see how he interacts with Mona. Another great story is the John/Althea/Nick triangle. Althea is being a complete idiot when it comes to John, but she tends to be like that in relationships so it works for me. The Cathy aspect of the story is also great. I like the recent recast who seems more twisted. I imagine this character must be reaching a climax soon and this new actress seems like she'll handle that well. The lab crew has been great this year as well. I was initially disappointed they dropped Toni's search for her mom for this Vito story, but I actually like Vito. I love that Martha see's right through him and won't stay off his neck. Mike's dislike of him makes perfect sense and I hate how wishy washy Toni is in regards to Vito. On one hand she see's that he's trying to break her and Mike up, but then she pulls back and falls into his traps. She needs to keep her head on straight before she's single. The only area of the lab I'd like to see improved is more Hank. I know my hopes are limited since it's a Black character in the 70s, but the actor is so good so I welcome any chance to see more of him.

I'll admit I'm so desperate for soap content that I don't complain about the quality, but it is nice to see how beautiful this HD transfer is. It makes me want to consider a re-watch once it's uploaded.

Tucker is in his 70's...