DRW50

I take it as they are facing budget cuts so Frank finally got to do something he's wanted to do for years. He might have said - OK ABC, you're making me fire my friends Howarth and Easton, so I'm doing this too.

Another longtime media darling, Ben Sasse, who may be best known for laughing when Bill Maher dropped the n-word on his show. More Trump ugliness which everyone will shrug off or paint as "based." This is the line of most of the alt right and those weird convert Catholic sects. Much of the time they also bemoan that more white people aren't having children. He can't say that part, yet, but once he dumps his hatemonger wife for a white version and writes off his non-white kids, he will soon parrot the same.

This is a great example of just why the last P&G soaps (especially ATWT) were gutted to try to be ABC-like. The narrative was how hip, fun and fresh ABC soaps were, and how the other soaps were dinosaurs.

Given that Valentini's era is the one that watered Lulu down so much it's interesting to see them addressing and trying to give explanations. I wonder if Korte wants to return Lulu to being a mini-Carly, as she was under smugbot JMB's era. I notice the only clips of her that ever get interest are when she's verbally or physically abusing other women. I don't know why that is a legacy to return to, but it just reminds me of what a worthless character Lulu has always been and likely always will be.

Thanks @jam6242

He only played Alex for a year and a half or so, maybe two. I think he had a Youtube channel for his standup work. I asked once about his being on Loving but there was no response. I agree about the recast issues, although James Horan is my favorite of the Clays. Any time I see Dane it feels like his stories were left unfinished and he is just there to move the plot along. I do like seeing Anthony in a role outside of overused James. This is right after James was at his most repulsive (Marland really threw him all the way under the bus at the end) - openly abusive and racist and planning to likely brutally murder Emily - so I appreciate the lower key. I agree about Jack and Stacey. I know they did have some fans - one fan put up a compilation of many of their scenes that is still around - but they don't do anything for me. Not that it ever would have happened, but I would have enjoyed a secret gay affair storyline with Jack. A passionate feud at Alden Enterprises as Stacey sits at home with their son wondering what has become of her life.

Isn't Jagger leaving anyway? I still would have gone ahead with the likely plans to write out Ava. Maura West is much more dynamic than some on the show, but the character has no real purpose anymore - if she ever did. You could argue the same for Nina. Of course, this is what happens when you have so many spent characters played by actors who don't care - you can't really argue to get rid of Ava or Nina when the actors are trying so hard when the likes of Sonny and Jason and Michael and so on are there. I have warmed to Cody in what I've seen of him in recent times, but I wouldn't be too surprised if he's gone this year or next year, if they are going into a lower budget. Sasha as well. Dex and Gio would be no loss, although Frank will probably keep trying with Dex. Joss should also go with them but being Carly's daughter will probably save her in spite of a lack of any real purpose or fan support. I would guess most of the black characters will also be written out over the next year, and the show may just keep Jordan on as token rep.

I loved the first 3 or 4 seasons of Sisters. Unfortunately, the show just became so unremittingly dark after that point and chose to completely destroy the marriage and family life of John and Georgie that was the core of the show. My last straw was the false memory sexual abuse storyline that seemed to be done in part so that Patricia Kalember could work with her real life husband. I only returned to watch the finale, which wasn't exactly fantastic, but did manage to close the show on a decent note.

Thanks so much as always @slick jones . Never knew Kathleen Cullen would have been in a TV movie with Mark Hamill. A shame it never happened.

Thanks! Nice to see this episode back up again. So many blur together but I couldn't forget how Roya Megnot rocks the Ava looks here, especially the necklace. I wish someone could have asked her while she was still with us if there were any differences in playing Ava at this time compared to her first run. I enjoy the novelty of Roya returning just to have a makeout scene with a recast Alex. I actually like this look on Trisha, even if it screams ABC or Noelle Beck saying they want a Julia Roberts. I like the change from her many years of straight hair and more generic outfits. This Rick is so overly mannered, and for some reason reminds me of Todd McKee. I wonder if they still weren't intending to kill Rick at this time given that he has regular family scenes alongside the drama with Stacey and Jack. That was a real therapist with Jack and Stacey, wasn't it? Elizabeth Savage's Gwyn is somewhat similar to Christine Tudor in look and delivery, but much closer to the brassy broad of old Hollywood, rather than the darkness and brokenness inherent in Tudor's portrayal. Still, I enjoy watching her, and Ilene Kristen.

Hopefully if she wins some of the Sun Belt states that can help. Vance being dumped in PA must mean it's super close.

Thanks for the extra details. Your ideas of what should have happened with Patti make sense. Maybe even have conflict with Jo if Patti's kids are closer to Jo than they are to Patti. I do wonder if they should have just written Liz out when Sherry left, based on what they did with her.

That's a great idea. And now your idea has even more grounding as Alexis mentioned losing her sister in a recent episode. I've always had a soft spot for Kelly as Sam, as I did in her often-terrible role on PC - she is a quietly charismatic and at times strong performer who never felt cookie cutter. With that said, she has never actually been a strong character. She was thrown pairings, thrown family members, but the character never had a core. I think the only reason she lasted the last 5-10 years was down to longevity and the old fans of the character. There are other longtime cast members I would have gotten rid of over her, but she has been so checked out for years that it doesn't surprise me. I wonder if Valentini had to choose between her and Becky Herbst as it wasn't long ago Liz seemed to be on the chopping block.

Thanks!

And then giving her a daughter who was killed off before her arrival (was there ever much mention of that?). Thanks. I always get confused about just when Larkin left GL.

He would be smart to kill the debate - the media and rigged voting boards are already there to push him over the line, so no real need to rock the boat. Biden never should have agreed to a debate either.

Thanks for all this hard work @slick jones I had forgotten Hollywood Heights existed. Gloria Stuart was a stunning beauty in those Hollywood years.

I thought she was alright in the '60s material I've seen on Youtube but I get the impression Adams' return was not well-received. Rodell seemed well-received in her various soap roles.

Thanks. I didn't realize Larkin and Adam were there. Not sure why they even killed off Ryder. I guess Larkin was done with GL by this point. I do wonder how fans at the end even felt about Patti, especially her just coming in and taking stories of established characters. Patti hadn't been important to the show for a decade or more.

The pilot episode of what would eventually be the CW's Hidden Palms.

Thanks. Funny how that commercial - the umpteenth parody of soap that by this time was many many years out of date (and was never that accurate) lets Schutlz give more life than ATWT ever did.

I liked the material they gave Val - helping someone learn how to read, and just smaller-scale stories similar to her earlier seasons.

Which couple?

I agree they may not have felt like established Bauers, especially Trudy, but I think bringing one or both in could have eventually established some balance, and Meta had such a rich past while Trudy was a blank canvas. A foster care story given to one of them instead of India with Dorie might have made sense and provided a young female voice to the Bauers they wouldn't have again until Michelle, by which point they were fully depleted. The show wouldn't have been in a place where Maureen was relied on as a matriarch when she wasn't even 40 years old.

Thank you. That was very moving. The family wasn't the same without Eric, even if only appeared occasionally in those last years.