Chris B

I thought this complimented who each women works for as well. I do think it's good that they're taking steps to deepen Leslie and help her settle in since she's going to be around long term. Hopefully they actually use this Jan development and we get to see her talking Leslie down when she gets going. It'll also be nice to get some insight into what Leslie is thinking when she's plotting these things.

I really loved her work on The Doctors. I went in expecting to hate it and to love Douglas Marland's tenure but it was the exact opposite. She took the show from a very simple hospital based show and expanded it to include families and transformed it more into a traditional show. She left the show in excellent shape and Marland came on and destroyed everything she created. Not only that but his writing was also painfully slow. Had they given her more time I think the show could've lasted longer.

I love that the first person they met with was not one of the obvious choices. We already have 3 of the shows biggest stars as hosts, so it'll be interesting hearing perspectives from people like Brian Austin Green and Tonya Crowe. I give them props because the podcast has come along way in a short time. Love that there is a video element now since I enjoy watching it in the background while I work. Looking forward to seeing what guests are coming up!

They announced in advance that there were 1000 bags for this initial launch. As for Meghan Markle, having a limited supply isn't to build hype but is common for smaller companies to reduce waste. I work for a similar company and that has always been our model. Especially when launching new products, it's the best way to gauge interest before expanding for future drops. As someone who has purchased from Meghan, it was much easier to get stuff with season two of her show because she obviously made adjustments based on demand.

Good news! Beyond The Gates' ChelseaKat Purses Sell Out in 24 Hours I saw people say here and there that the price was too high but clearly they knew what they were doing. It reminds me of peoples outrage when they saw the price of Mary J Blige's boot collection which also was a big success. Looking at the audience of a soap, I think they can afford a $100 bag. I didn't buy it because I didn't like the design but I love that they're going to continue to release bags. If they release one I like I'll definitely buy it.

Thank you for putting this together! Interesting that after a month with lots of complaints on Twitter that Leslie is dominating the show, she only appeared in 7 episodes.

Me too! They definitely didn't overhype it either because that is a true soap hunk. The timing of this is perfect as well since the show has been on for a while and we've gotten to know the new cast. Now is the perfect time to start sprinkling in more well known faces. Can't wait til we get an official announcement!

I wouldn't mind if they moved Bryton over to Beyond the Gates, especially if the show isn't going to use him.

I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure she's the only person on contract without a set. That is crazy to me.

My biggest complaints for BTG often involve production and they have gotten on my nerves once again! Vanessa and Doug (RIP) have been two of the biggest standouts since the show began. I literally accepted since we met him that he wouldn't live long but I was okay with that as long as they did him justice in his death. I feel like they've done a decent job so far but my production complaint is: How is Vanessa on contract with no set? She should not be dressed to the nines, grieving in public. This is her time to shine and time for them to pay tribute to Doug. We should see Jan welcoming person after person into her home to express their condolences. We should see her in sweats on the couch with Donnell in her arms as they grief the loss of Doug. We should see people bringing food for them to eat. They did all that bragging about how many sets they had but didn't think to give one to one of their main characters? I don't understand how they have so much space and allegedly 27 sets but we keep seeing stupid things like this happen over and over. This is why I say they need a better executive producer to handle the day-to-day. For one, they need a new set designer and two, they need someone who knows how to create sets that can be redressed so you can have more locations with the same amount of space! Things like this and keeping people like Alex Algeria and Ben Gavin employed annoy me. All that talk about excellence yet they settle for mediocrity in ways they simply don't have to.

I can understand this but I also don't see how he can do anything worthwhile appearing once every few months. It baffles me when you look at the male cast and the areas of opportunity and they take a seasoned, well liked primetime actor and give him a dayplayer role. I can't even understand why he would take such a small role. He's less prominent and developed than characters like Mona and Jan, so it's hard to become invested in anything he has going on with Nicole.

Originally I was thinking it would be a guy in his 20s/30s for the younger set but I'm leaning towards it being an older character now. Based on this weeks episode I don't see Joey/Vanessa being long term so this new guy could potentially go to her. Nicole is another option as you mentioned but I can see that upsetting fans who've been wanting them to develop the stuff with Carlton more.

Tuesday's episode was good but I couldn't get over how much Tomas tanked those scenes with Kat and Eva. This was a huge moment and they gave it their all while he just stood there. Shame of whoever is keeping him employed. This is a professional show and there should be standards. There is no excuse to have someone that bad on the show.

This is really interesting and it looks like they had a solid and well plotted first year. It's interesting to get so much detail from years we will likely never be able to see. Makes me wish they could've anticipated streaming because I'd *love* to watch this year.

I thought today was a great episode! I loved seeing the growth in Kat with her going to make an effort to repair things with Eva. The Tomas reveal at the end was great! I love that both sisters are flawed and not good vs bad. It's a classic soap setup and I hope their rivalry continues for years with soft moments thrown in like we (almost) got today. The only downer is this storyline is Tomas. The actor is terrible and while Eva holds him up, she deserves a better scene partner. One thing that I can't stand about MVJ and the producers is holding onto people obviously for sentimental reasons. There is no way the actors playing Tomas or Derek would've lasted past a 13 week cycle on any other soap. Why are they still here? Kat and Eva are two of the best characters on the show and they deserve better than this. Randy going back to work with Joey surprised me. When I saw the preview said Joey would have a blast from the past I expected Jan. Curious what the point of this is and how Hayley will tie into things. I'm ready for them to pull the trigger on that relationship reveal. Hayley is the one character still waiting for her moment. The Vanessa/Jacob scenes were interesting. I'm beginning to feel like people are going to be suspicious about Doug's death sooner rather than later. I wonder what that means for Joey and Vanessa long term. Overall I'm still really enjoying the show. Each week I anticipate the show and it feels like it's been on much longer than it has. I know people have mixed opinions about the show and that's to be expected with any ongoing show. I just hope that the people behind the scenes continue to take everything into account, both positive and negative, to continue pushing to make a great show.

I think beginning I did think they had chemistry and potential but Dani/Andre ended up having surprising chemistry which drew me more towards that couple. With Ashley, every choice the character has made makes it hard for me to want her with anybody romantically. If the Joey speculation ends up being true I'd rather explore that and her as a talk to until they can come up with something new that has nothing to do with Derek or Andre. She's in dire need of a reset.

She was a minor character who had very little impact on the show. Why would they focus on bringing her back or recreating that story? If anything, the only thing they'd need to add was Selena Cross and her story.

Again, she has an irrevocable trust with a "fortune" in it. She has access to that money without having it in her hands. The writers didn't botch anything, people just don't understand how rich people live. These people aren't out buying properties and funding their business with cash. It would be out of character for her not to go on a spending spree and it would also be unresponsible to show her managing her money well. They can address that at some point but right now Leslie is acting in character. We've had many characters in the same position who've lost everything due to overspending. The same could eventually happen to Leslie or maybe one day she'll get support that can help her manage her money.

I'm surprised the trust stuff has become such an issue. For one, it's a soap so does it really matter considering how soaps showcase wealth? Also, rich people live off credit. People keep talking about $1 million but when she is securing loans, she's able to secure it based off what's in that trust, not the $1 million. This is what rich people do all the time. Now where Leslie will go wrong is if she doesn't get a financial advisor who can help her invest and grow the money, but she definitely has access right now.

I agree 100%. If Ed Scott was going to go anywhere for a few months before retiring, I wish it was BTG. He instantly improved Y&R's directing and introduced strong new sets. Julie has never been someone who I would consider a visionary and it definitely shows on screen. The show has a large studio but I don't think they use the space smartly and they need a new set designer.

He's the most logical choice and it is clear something is going on there. Josh was working as EP for ages and then in comes JFP and now Sally McDonald? You could argue away one of them but both suggests they feel that something isn't working. Also, the hail mary endless stunt casting screams of him making a last ditch effort to save his job this fall. His contract is up either December or January so the timing makes sense. Unfortunately, he's like a cat with 9 lives so I fully expect him to generate enough buzz to save his job.

That's probably one of the last stories I'd think of recreating if they rebooted Peyton Place.

People tend to be negative when it comes to Jamey but I thought today's episode was damn good! It was well structured with the right mix of stories and focus on each story. It's jarring in comparison to yesterday's episode where I feel like the screentime wasn't balanced causing certain things to be rushed, mostly the Naomi/Jacob stuff. His breakdown felt more like a traditional soap breakdown. In terms of story, I found Vanessa's scenes to be heartbreaking. I've missed seeing a character as grey as her on soaps. Everything about her is so complicated and Lauren plays all of that in her scenes. I can't wait to see how her kids further deepen her character. The Dupree scenes were also a classic! That felt like a real family reaction and it was in character for the Duprees. I know some are hating how negative Nicole has become but I'm happy to see the impact the divorce is having on her. It's making me more excited for her ultimate rebound. The scenes at the police station were also great! We got to follow up on the mystery of what happened with Joey and Marcel and I like that Jacob had the hint of something being wrong. Hayley and Bill were also a great addition to the show. I love that even though we didn't see Caroline, they're continuing the friendship (although I'd love to see it on screen more). Bill's jealousy with Dani made me more excited than even her. I love their chemistry and I want them back at some point but he deserves every bit of torment until he finally can win her back.

I agree that the hotel room was poorly done especially if it was meant to be Puerto Rico. This show has a big problem with being too indoors. If you aren't going to shoot on location, you at least need some studio outdoor sets. I feel like on any other soap they would've at least put a balcony with some semblance of outside or an establishing shot. It felt like a motel room in Fairmont Crest. One part I do disagree on is Joey. I do think he's sexy and I love his chemistry with Vanessa. They've become one of my favorite parts of the show. We have several changes to the writing staff coming up. I'm curious what kind of impact that will have on our screen. We'll have a new Co-HW and at least one new breakdown writer. Not sure about the script writers but I am definitely curious what these new voices will bring to the show.