Bright Eyes

A soap opera jumping to conclusions, when the whole point of the genre is that we're supposed to be lucky enough to have time to see every beat of a story unfold. An insane choice! DAYS already proved how stupid it was. However, I'm in it for the insanity of it all. My personal 100% safe choices would be Tony, Cindy, Darren, Tom, Charlie, and the, IMO, underrated could be star, Dillon. Any of the rest I could easily come to grips with. I don't know how many they're keeping, but comparing it to when EastEnders first started with the same amount of time per week (one hour), they had about 30 regulars by the end of their first year, while Hollyoaks currently has 54. I also wonder when the showrunners knew about the decision and if the characters they've brought on/their initial plans could be affected. Abe and JJ seem like they have obvious shelf lives, and I always thought Suzanne was brought back to eventually be killed off. By the horrible way they've handled the reveal of Ste killing Ella, with almost everyone forgiving him in record time when he should have become the pariah of the village, it's looking unfortunately clear that he'll be sticking around. I wanted a whodunit or a prison exit where he's potentially reunited with Brendan. Leah/Lucas would go live with Mike/Zoe, and James would go off searching for Romeo. With Scott leaving, and Andre/Vicky not getting any focus in ages, I could easily see them leave with him. They're really building up these test results for Sally, so I'm guessing she could be dying. Other than Ste, the only person I'm actively against staying is Zain, whose actor is atrocious. Chelsee Healey is lucky she's on maternity leave, because Goldie is always at the top of my axe list and will be again the moment she returns.

It'll be so interesting to see what the layout of characters will end up being. How big will the main family be? A classic grandfather/mother, parents in the late 40's/early 50's, with 3,4,5 children. Maybe one or two off canvas at the beginning? It'd be smart to have a character/actor waiting in the wings to come in and stir things up at about the one year mark, ala Pat Wicks. Either way, if this comes to fruition later this fall or sometime in 2025, it's exciting to think how we'll all be glued to our seats watching that premiere episode.

Hopefully if he is cast it'll give him the confidence to leave his groomer wife.

I know everyone wants Dex to get the axe, whether through hate or mostly indifference, but superficially I'll be sad not to see his pretty self. Turning casting conjecture into story speculation, if he does go, I had the thought that Joss might get pregnant with them recently sleeping together, but when she can't find him after he's left, and not wanting to be a single mother, she decides to have an abortion. Probably won't happen, but it's fun to care enough again.

Personally, I just don't see the point of having Heather around without Robin Mattson. Let the character reach her natural end.

Can anyone tell me how/why Alexis got disbarred?

I saw that earlier today. Remind me of his connection to the show?

As a lapsed, but returned viewer, I have to take a moment to [!@#$%^&*] on the current opening. Embarrassing, cheap, lame! I don't think I've ever seen a Molly scene in my life, but I don't like this current actress. She seems like some Tiktoker that got lucky and is now cosplaying as an actress. During the scene with Sam/Kristina there was a moment of extremely clunky Passions type exposition/dialogue. Doesn't say much for Elizabeth Korte's talent if she wrote the script. I didn't mind the Drew/Jordan scene in the gym. Cameron Mathison's biceps did the trick for me, and I wouldn't be mad at the prettiness of Drew/Jordan getting together, and then leaving town.

I couldn't help but try and imagine Robin Mattson as Heather today in her scenes with Laura. The emotional weight of that scene just wasn't the same without her. Nice to have it all the same. You have to laugh at Jason being a bad father the first chance he could. I'm very thankful Sam got to finally change out of that hideous top.

Enter Paul Anthony Stewart as a Ric Lansing recast to play off their Loving past! I'm 100% kidding.

I forget if you're still a fan of his, but John Mulaney had a very successful bit as a presenter that some are saying was an audition to host next year, which he aced.

Some thoughts after watching this past week after it's been years since I watched an episode ... -I'm a Sonny/Carly/Jason/mob hater, but the warehouse scenes were full of suspense. The moment John turned things around on Anna because of Sonny/Robin was my favourite moment of the week. It jolted her awake. She seemed so much more like herself after that, especially when they got to Carly's. -the Jason/Carly reunion was the next best part of the week. Wonderfully emotional, with the Bobbie mention the perfect example to showcase how much Jason has missed. -the Danny actor is a bit of failure for me. The one playing Rocco was much more natural. -Nina kind of gives me Delia Ryan vibes. No wonder Ava feels an exhaustive connection to her. -I've never minded Alexis at the paper, but if they make her a lawyer again, so be it. Can someone remind me why she was (presumably) struck off? -I genuinely like Dante. I hope he makes it through, but as a viewer I'm happy for the uncertainty on whether he'll make it through or not. -Is it just me who thinks Joss looks like Miley Cyrus? -It's great to see Tracy written like a human being and not a caricature and Brook Lynn actually LIKING her. -I always hated Spinelli, but he was much more subtle this week then the nuisance I'm used to from years ago. -It's fun to see the Jason news trickle out from one person to the next. As of today, 9 people know he's alive (Dante, Spinelli, Ava, Maxie, Sonny, Carly, John, Anna, and now Sam). -I'm keeping an open/hopeful mind that Mulcahey/Korte can keep things wacthable day to day because God knows the interference they're about to endure.

Malachy McCourt has passed away

I only read recaps but, Danny was brought home by a cop friend of Dante's for underage drinking, which led to Sam fearing that he was like Jason who was an adrenaline junkie who was drawn to danger which is what led to his death.

Is it presumptive of me to suggest today's episode with Danny being compared to Jason is the official start to his return?

Maybe I'm just easy, but I still think he's an attractive man for his age. In his prime, he was ridiculously beautiful.

It's always nice to see Eva LaRue, but I think this is just a stunt Valentini casting that we're meant to just enjoy for a few episodes. Maybe Mulcahey/Korte will decide to make something more of it, but I don't think her initial casting is down to them.

I think Mulcahey is probably just back to save some good money up before he retires. I speculate we'll have him for a year, two at a push.

I'll continue to watch due to a sense of completion and nostalgia, but I have to tell myself The Conners is truly its own entity because it always comes off so amateur, rigid, and all the tears are embarrassing and cringe. Jackie is just not a watchable character at all anymore. Plus, in this episode it seemed like John Goodman was really struggling to enunciate every line.

She should Saltburn Stephanie's grave. It's the obvious next step.

Compare her to Miley Cyrus winning her FIRST Grammy and still taking the time to give major respect to Mariah Carey who presented it to her and it proves there really is no excuse for Billionaire Barbie.

Thanks for all these classic recaps. Laura should be appearing soon, right?

Carolyn Culliton was to Hogan Sheffer, what Sheri Anderson was to James E. Reilly.

Lucy did learn about it, I forget the details there, but obviously she ended up staying with him. What broke them up was his feeling inferior to Scott with them always hanging around each other due to their Tracy seduction plan and when Bobbie died, Lucy turning to Scott for comfort. As Scott comforted Lucy about the break up, he kissed her.

I wish this was about DAYS.