All My Shadows

The “event” for Nicole so far is underwhelming, and I really wish they didn’t try to do this so early on in the show’s run. As others have mentioned, this was just another Dupree family gathering with some filler to make it seem like a big huge deal. I still feel like the show exists in a bubble, and I know everyone mentions how many extras there are and how nice the sets are, but Fairmont doesn’t feel like a real place in the real world yet. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t like what the show is depicting in regards to wealthy, bourgie black people vs. lower middle class black people. I think a major opportunity was missed in not having a more down-to-earth family to balance the Duprees.

Quick thoughts while watching. Today’s ep started with wonky dialogue right out of the gate. Andre shows Ashley the pictures he took of her and gives her a sweet compliment, and the first thing on her mind is…Dani? Dani is not. that. girl. and I need them to stop trying to make her happen. Then Martin accuses Smittyyyy of still trying to go back to work as a FREELANCEINVESTIGATIVEREPORTERRRR!!! Samantha and Tyrell were a hit for me right out of the gate. It cannot be overstated - Trisha Mann-Grant is a natural. I want them to just turn the camera on and let her improv as Leslie telling her life story. Smitty offering to “thank” Martin was kinda cringe when dropped in with the Father Knows Best, Ozzie and Harriet vibe of their scenes with the kids. And Smitty had cheek-clapping on his mind yet went to bed in those puritan PJs? Ashley/Derek and the gambling storyline are complete and total duds, especially the gambling. Who gives a damn?

It’s like he got lost on his way to the set of Passions circa 2004. I do like the distressed way he says “Smittyyyyy.”

Absolutely, and I’ve always hated it. At age 13, I wanted the entire Brady family from DAYS to die a fiery death with no chance of revival on Melaswen.

I really hate not being able to watch live bc I’m less likely to come share my thoughts (and after 15 pages, I have so many to share), but my highlights for today’s episode are: - Dani is a cartoon and I have no hope for her ever being a character I care about anymore. Not ruling it out, but as soon as the photo shoot started, I knew she was officially over with for me. The delusional fawning over Bill at the end sealed the deal, and let’s make sure we all understand that Bill is able to keep up his bad deeds because she is clearly attracted to toxicity and enables it. She is very a much an “I love it when a man puts me in my place” type of dumb heaux. - The Duprees suck!! Vernon is especially infuriating. You were in the trenches during the civil rights movement, and you’re comparing your psychotic daughter getting rightly arrested for shooting up a wedding to the systemic racism you and your contemporaries were fighting against?? - Going to commercial on Martin trying to buck up to Bill made me HOLLER with laughter, ya hear?? And as ridiculous as Martin really is, I still can’t help but find him extremely sexy with that ghetto booty. I know Smitty was tapping tf outta that in better days. - Bill is hilarious because he really does not give a damn about the Duprees and has no problem roasting them, Anita included. - Leslie is still my favorite. I could watch her deluded ramblings all day. - Naomi and Jacob are almost as pointless to me as Ashley and Derek are.

Lord, all my chest woulda been tight had I been one of the people who had to know that she was talking about them. Woulda packed my sht with tears running down my face.

She doesn’t have to be over it, but at this point, she’s the aggressor. Everything else so far has been brought to her - Hayley having the affair with Bill, Bill and Hayley getting married at the country club, Bill and Hayley moving into the neighborhood, Hayley attempting to win Nicole over, the Dupree parents forcing her to attend the wedding, etc. It would be different if Dani had never had a chance to react and confront over those events, but she has had the chance and she’s taken it every time. Showing up to their house today was just messy bc it wasn’t in reaction to anything. If it’s just bc of general anger over the situation then, once again, btch needs therapy and she needs it bad. Every time she pulls a big gesture meant to intimidate or embarrass Hayley, Hayley still goes to bed with Bill, still marries Bill, and still moves into the neighborhood with Bill. Meanwhile, Dani secretly has meaningless sex with her sister’s nephew then gets drunk by herself and cries. She is nottttttt that girl at all.

I couldn’t watch in the fall of ‘01 after going back to school and not having the means to record it just yet. I got back into it the following spring, but I didn’t notice or pay attention to behind the scenes goings-on until Culliton was let go, actually. I spent a lot of time on SOC, and I can still see the picture of him they used for the article on his firing. I was vaguely aware of Gordon Rayfield being the new writer and then Anna Theresa Cascio joining him, but I didn’t really start paying attention until McTavish came back. I originally joined SON that same summer, so at that point, I was watching the show with completely different eyes. Culliton’s show was enough to draw me back in after months away, and I think that summer of 2002 is when I started to dig into the show more and learn more about its history, other soaps, etc. Kendall’s return played into that bc I knew she had been a major character in the 90s. Rayfield/Cascio’s show was bland as hell, and I have a hard time thinking about their stint without comparing it to the first year or so of McTavish’s return, which was a massive improvement in so many ways. It’s funny how many future stars passed through the show at that time - Amanda Seyfried, Alex Daddario, Jonathan Bennett, early MBJ, etc. And most of them were dull as dishwater on AMC.

Yes yes yes, bark back louder so that maybe she’ll sit her ssa down. I’m not even going to participate in dialogue about it bc I’m slowly remembering that feeling of talking to a brick wall when you’re pointing out clear facts re: soaps. Dani making it her everyday mission to confront Bill and Hayley does absolutely nothing for her - not as a person within this fictional world nor as a character on this TV show. It’s not going to bring Bill back (and why would she want him back at this point?), it’s not going to restore her confidence, it’s not going to get her paid, etc. She’s lucky it hasn’t gotten her prison yet, but if she keeps at it, it just might.

Dani and Andre sleep together again *yawn* Now watch how she’ll be sobbing miserably over Bill again by Monday. Shanice’s actress is named Ernestine Johnson, and idk why I love that so much.

Martin is entirely too bland to also be controlling. Smitty (still hate that) could easily make him cry.

“I will keep my distance,” btch you literally went out of your way to go to their house. Why is this crazy btch not in jail yet?

Dude, Dani. WHO CARES ANYMORE? She started this conversation as if it would be different, a long-overdue hashing out of everything between her and Hayley, but it’s just her yelling again. What is the fcking point! If I start to tune out, it’s bc this story is dominating the show with seemingly no point in sight.

Man, if The Talk actually had fans, they'd be miffed.

The summer of 2001 is when a little kid in Louisiana (me) first got into the show. The main thing I remember about the Gabriel story was how he freaked out when Bianca offered him pâté because he thought it was dog food and that she was trying to be cruel. I know JP's stint as HW is not popular, and looking back, I can obviously see why, but I'll always have a soft spot for the simple fact that I honestly would have never become a soap fan had I not stumbled upon the show at that time. This is exactly the type of stuff that changed daytime for the worse. Once characters stopped existing as people with whole lives outside of whatever storyline was going on at the time, it was much, much harder to feel any kind of emotional connection to them. And it's crazy because you'd think once soaps doubled in airtime, they would have made more room for scenes like this, but that space was just filled with more plot plot plot. In recent years, people have started referring to this as "filler," and it frustrates me to no end.

I’m gonna always be hung up on age with soaps lol Wonky ages and timelines is why so many of our favorites were written into corners and cast aside as the “elders” by the time they were 50 years old. I don’t want to see the likes of Daphnee Duplaix relegated to presiding over family brunches and talking her nutjob sister off the ledge because she’s playing a great-grandma at 50. Pat Bruder weeps.

Leslie gaslighting tf out of Eva was so perfectly played. Trisha Mann-Grant is the biggest find/revelation for me in this series, for sure. Out of all the daytime newcomers, she’s the one who feels the most like we’ve seen her in soaps before. I just hope they don’t have Leslie go so far that she can’t remain a redeemable character. Maybe causing Laura’s crash was too far? Only if you gaf about Laura! And if Dani can get away with angrily shooting a gun in a room full of people, our girl Les is as innocent as they come.

Age is one thing, but when Martin and Smitty look like they’re barely over 30 years old and are talking about what to do when they’re grown-up children move out of the house in 1-2 years, it does indeed look silly! I’m notoriously anti-SORAS and always have been, but this isn’t even SORAS. It’s questionable casting right out of the gate. Daphnee Duplaix could theoretically be playing a great-grandmother on this show inside a year.

Martin being in Congress is ridiculous enough but running for President? He has the charisma of a jar of mayonnaise.

Yes, it’s utterly ridiculous that Mike Manning is playing a character who is talking about becoming an empty nester soon.

So thankful to have a Dani-free episode, finally.

Kat: “My reads on people are usually spot-on.” You said it, sis. Idk how I feel about Nicole anymore. She’s starting to come off like a ditzy doormat.

Kat really is that girl.

I agree. If people care enough about her pulling the gun, wouldn’t they already know the story of how Bill and Haley got together? How tall is Bill? Bc damn, he makes Haley look like a member of the Lollipop Guild. Andre is so ridiculously sexy, Jesus Christ.

I love that Bill called Vernon out on the Duprees’ bullshit. He’s easily becoming one of the characters I’m rooting for, which I would have never thought. I might take some flak for this, but I wonder what Dani did to drive him away.