DRW50

I guess I mostly see the baby story ending when she got them back, then married Ben. Their next story after this was Ben almost cheating with Cathy (hated it), Jean Hackney (HATED it), and then some custody wrangling with Gary which led into the Jill saga. That was entertaining but was mostly done at Val's expense ("poor Val"). I think she just lost her way by that time. I remember scenes of her looking at herself in a mirror, in lingerie (maybe?), during her mental break, and it was somewhat disturbing to me. There was just something very very sad about the whole thing which may have been too much for some viewers to bear.

Angela seems a little softer as the show goes along but I could see the Angela of the first year or two being that cold, mostly if it involved her archenemy Chase. I actually wish they'd done the story where only one twin was found. Val went into a real rut, in terms of story, after that wrapped up, and the show just kept having things happen to her, not having her make her own decisions or choose her own life.

I think Sable or another Dynasty type probably would have done it. I can see Angela Channing doing it too. Abby wasn't like that, she had a heart, and I'm glad Donna fought back. I think having Scott Easton kidnap the twins because of a misunderstanding made sense, because it showed what shady people Abby was interacting with at that time. I wonder what would have happened if the story had gone on as long as planned. Supposedly they cut the Verna part short because it was too much for fans to deal with.

Thanks. That sounds interesting. I can see that cult story working on GL around that time, thinking back to the mental issues Sam, Blake (and of course Beth, always Beth) had. I don't think Zimmer would have returned though.

I think that could have been Reva/Buzz, but she was subdued during their marriage. I can see Zimmer and Beecroft working well together, although they burnt through story so fast with Reva in those years. I wish they'd tried her with Justin Marler. I still don't know why they let him go.

I mostly remember that she looked good in a pair of jeans. She had no real role and the show seemed to just admit the story was a bust. Today she'd probably stay around for three or four years.

I know they refused to have a story where Harley became involved with a Jewish man. What were the others?

I think it was ratings.

I imagine Reva and Tony punching each other out.

Redistricting hasn't been as bad as it should have been, due to some court battles, but even then I don't think Democrats will take the House back. They don't have the money or the media, and they are poor at being unified and defending themselves. They also fail at culture wars, over and over - as we have just seen with Obama changing and then undoing birth conrtol rules.

To be honest I've never seen this Billy/Jay "relationship." Yes, Jay stood up for Billy and at one time sort of called him a dad, but he was barely seen for about a year during the time he was living with Billy. Billy was also the man who did nothing as his father was beaten to death. And Jay never had his father's name anyway, so he was basically changing his last name from people he never seemed all that close to in the first place. I think the idea of Jay being a Mitchell made some sense, it's just nothing was ever done with it. The only time the Mitchells were believable as a family was Peggy/Phil/Grant/Sam. The hybrid version has never worked. I agree with you. I don't even watch the show all that much these days. The problem is BK was trashed before he made a single decision about the show. That means any valid criticisms of him are canceled out. And to this day, you still mostly hear people going on about the horror of firing the awful actors who played Lucy, Lauren, and Ben. Is that really Eastenders' biggest problem? If Melissa Suffield came back to raise an eyebrow and woodenly bark her lines, would Eastenders be saved? As for Derek and Sharon, he's about the same as most of the people Sharon had to deal with in her 2003-2005 years.

I think Romney is probably more electable than Huntsman, mostly because Huntsman seemed so unprepared. I'm still not sure why he ran this year.

I think it's an interesting test, as other Bravo shows choked on their own bile - Top Chef was never the same after the season where Marcel was physically attacked by four or five other people (with the editing implying he deserved it), and Project Runway went from being a fun show to being obsessed with toxic and negative personalities like Santino or Jeffrey and having the judges drag down anyone who didn't spend their time sneering and designing ugly, attention-seeking clothes. After that season with Jeffrey and Laura I never watched another episode. The Real Housewives franchise had a little more toxicity from the start, so they don't have to change themselves, but the problem is what happens when the show is full of nothing but bile-spewing types.

Speaking of media darling Christie, he is now attacking someone for not sympathizing enough with the poor, even though Romney said the same thing. I have yet to hear Christie attack Romney. http://www.politico....0212/72662.html

I was watching the episode immediately after Den's funeral, and, as much of a cliche as it is, the show truly did not have anything else going for it outside of Den's murder plot. The Juley/Gus/Mickey "drama" was like confused homeless people reading lines, the beginning of the Sonia estrangement from Martin was boring...the Nana Moon death buildup was OK but kind of sad and remote. I'd almost forgotten how much I loathed Garry and Minty together. Barbara Windsor, charismatic as she was, was not a good actress - some cringeworthy scenes with Charlie about the alibi. I was so impressed by the writing and the acting in the scenes like Chrissie facing off with Peggy in front of everyone at the Vic, and turning things around on Peggy. The scenes with Sharon and Dennis talking about grieving. The last scene with Dennis at the grave was also well written, just not very well acted (Nigel Harmon wasn't good at crying scenes). I was so sad at the sight of Pauline and Pat sitting around the Vic offering commentary and background for Den's funeral (Pat had a good line about how Chrissie, after falling in the grave, was "down there with Den and Angie"). That's what Eastenders has so little of now - those years of history which are unspoken but powerful. Do you think Chrissie ever liked Sharon? Could they have been true friends if things hadn't happened?

Do you miss her?

I'm trying to remember what Nancy was like with RIchard Bekins. To me they're just such different actors.

Thanks for sharing this.

Susan played it very seriously. Nancy seemed to have more humor in her work. Longterm I think Nancy made the better choices, but I've certainly enjoyed Susan's take on bitch Cecile. I can't see NF working at a magazine or dealing with Pat.

Max, you may be interested in this. A liberal columnist describes JFK as a "monster," in part due to new revelations in this book. I should warn there's some description of sex acts in this. http://www.tnr.com/b...566/jfk-monster

I don't get any JFK worship. This isn't 1982, it's 2012 - the Kennedys are long gone from politics and JFK's influence on our national politics is nonexistent. People remember the idea of JFK, not who he was. It's similar to Reagan. Do you think any of Reagan's actual policies or views are important to today's GOP?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1e_xBti3Io&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Yes, I do. It's not about Romney, it's about Obama. Romney will work for big business and will placate the far right on social issues - he is very extreme on those issues, he's just not as vocal about it (Judy Dushku told a story about how he shamed a woman who had to have an abortion for medical reasons, and that he later told Dushku he was only pretending to be pro-choice to get elected in Massachusetts). Romney is more of a blank slate for voters, and is able to raise tons of money. I'm not sure the Super Pacs would give as much to Santorum.