DRW50

I still have no idea where they are supposed to go after this. This feels like the end of a show and the relationships aren't enough to fill out another season.

April 1980 Digest

I guess it's fitting that we were talking about his episodes then. Speaking of that, one of the 1986 episodes soon after Susan's return has this moment where Bob and Kim both sneer about Susan and what a terrible mother she is (they literally sneer). It stands out so much given what his later relationship with Susan would be. Points to the show for doing this gradually (it took over three years).

That sounds pretty rare. What was the story they gave to someone else?

Such pathetic, lazy writing on this show, they are so desperate to make Sienna beloved that they demonize the people she held prisoner, manipulated, put in the hospital, etc. And I'm sure most viewers will lap it up. Oh someone is throwing eggs at her. She is a saint and they are evil.

Even though Lisa doesn't have much of a story, Marland kept her in the middle of dramas (and you are watching her slowly wise up to Barbara, as a panicked Barbara senses this). Too bad that didn't happen in the show's later years. One of the episodes after this has Tonio and Duncan sniffing around Barbara, and Tad Channing leering at her, saying he'll eventually find out what makes them so hot for her. The whole thing is so tawdry yet also old-fashioned, in some strange way. It must have been a big adjustment for CZ to play.

Ritchie Coster (Jonathan's evil stepfather on GL) is in a new pilot. http://www.spoilertv.com/2014/03/pilot-casting-news-various-pilots-4th.html

Before.

Nicolette is mostly seen as good by comparison. She was cold and had no chemistry with Michael Levin. Only in her last few weeks did she show more heart and emotion. Mary Carney was the best recast, but there was no Mary without Kate Mulgrew. To me Mary was an unlikeable, unpleasant woman from very early, and it was mostly Mulgrew who mitigated some of that.

Thanks again for your uploads. Quick Y&R scene from 1983.

I liked this mostly because we got a little more about Daryl than just what I'd expected (in his brother's shadow, abusive mother). It fleshed him out a little, for me. I feel like we already got a ton of Abraham, but then admittedly I do not like him. I do agree we should be seeing more of Bob, Sasha, and the Carol and Tyreese story. If Bob or Sasha die next week I'm going to be angry (especially if it's Sasha) because she's barely appeared.

We haven't seen a lot of backstory for the other characters in these episodes, aside from Daryl. Most of it has been present day. I feel like we did need to see this side of Tyreese, because of the idiots who said he was a "thug" and such early this season. I also like that Carol is back, although I dread how that story will go and I wish they hadn't done it. We've only had a tiny bit of Maggie/Sasha/Bob. The stories do feel too separated, but I don't mind as much, as long as they are moving in a certain direction and we get some insight into how people feel and what they're doing. I felt like last season at this point everyone was just standing in place waiting for the finale (and most of them barely did anything in that either). I think they should have had more episodes that have a lot of different shots of each group, but otherwise my only real complaint is the Abraham stuff, which sucked. I'm also not too sure about this Terminus story.

JP you probably already have this, but anyway, from TV Guide

Some TV Guide stuff.

Some TV Guide stuff. (I had to laugh at that "Orleans isn't a soap, it's not Falcon Crest or Dallas" quote. Well, no. Those shows lasted more than two months)

What bothers me with Ken's involvement is the whole thing with his rules on what man should say to a woman. A man shouldn't criticize Brandi (even when she is using racial slurs against his wife) because Brandi's single. So if Yolanda says, "How dare you criticize me when my husband isn't here/when I have Lyme disease/etc." does that mean she's right and he's wrong? The whole thing mostly underscores for me that aside from Lisa/Brandi, maybe, none of these were ever genuine friendships, more like uneasy alliances full of paranoid people. I think that's the biggest flaw in this franchise - the lack of emotional stakes.

What bothered you about it? The whole arson thing or the overbaked song?

A lot of '86 ATWT for me is good but dry. I really enjoyed this ep, especially the "no means no even if you're in love" message (sadly in daytime today no always means yes), and Frannie making sure that mother and her baby stay safe. Julianne Moore has such a serenity in those moments, turning to righteous anger once she is alone with Marsha at the end. Of the many, many "therapy saves your life!" lectures Doug Marland shoehorned into his ATWT run, I think this one is the most powerful. And I think this entire episode is one of Julianne's best performances as Frannie. I also like the sweet, sad touch of Sierra writing Craig's name on the window. It makes me relate to them more.

I didn't know she'd played his mother.

Thanks.

Fascinating. Thanks.

Her episode is on Youtube I believe.

Until she has dreams that Lisa was mean to her...

If Bob lives over Sasha I'm going to be ticked, especially if it's just for more Tyreese angst.