DRW50

The show is so cold and plot-driven now, it would be difficult for me to react to any return, but I just didn't need to see Chrissie again. At least this is only for a guest part, so this won't end up like the failures of Janine and Cindy, but I don't have any interest in more of EE's forced nostalgia. And without Sam there a huge part of the story is gone. TAO also seems more known for her tweets (IIRC a beef with Balvinder Sopal drove the latter off Twitter) than her acting these days.

https://deadline.com/2024/07/brittany-o-grady-ej-bonilla-starring-in-our-blood-duncan-jones-morgan-freeman-fantasia-festival-1236000676/

I don't really have any involvement in this story but looking at the clips I can see the resemblance between Eva and Lopez. It was good casting on that level, even if it was mostly just stunt work on FV's part.

Thanks @Mona Kane Croft . I always respect your knowledge and memories of that era of AW so your words mean a lot.

When going through this in the past, I mostly just paid attention to the much more known scenes of Robert rampaging and Iris melting down, but this time around, I was drawn to the scenes peppered through the episodes of the Randolph family dissipating, culminating in the deeply sad 1978 conclusion of Pat's ex-husband and both of her children willing her to return to a life and marriage she no longer wants. One of the reasons I find so many soaps in recent years tiresome, especially British soaps, is the idea of the forever couple, the "just because" couple who must reunite because they used to be together. Pat did not want to be a part of that, and we aren't meant to think she's a bitch for wanting to have her own life, even if she might have given John some false hope after his breakdown. There's a certain moment in the 1978 clips where Michael asks Pat if she's talking about John's affair with Barbara Weaver. She seems to be fighting to not say more. I assume this is about Bernice. Did the kids ever find out about Bernice? The highlight of this video for me starts at about 20 minutes, where Michael and his girlfriend Glenda (did that actress want to leave? She's very good) return to the tomb that was the Randolph home so he can pack his belongings. He mourns the home he once knew and the family he once had. Liz eventually arrives and tries to push him to stay in the house so that Pat will "come to her senses" and they can all be a family again. Liz becomes more and more distraught as Michael struggles to understand that she is watching her entire family move on without her and she is clinging to her memories of Pat, John, and their children as her final hope. Michael doesn't understand just why Liz clings to Jim or why she can't bear Beatrice ("I like Beatrice." "I'm not criticizing her!") because he's just not old enough and hasn't lost enough. (I will say Beatrice bugged the hell out of me parannoying over Sally's whereabouts later in these clips, so I am Team Liz here) Michael is hiding behind logic and therapy-speak to process his pain, while Liz has nothing but regret and as a result clings to what she knows is gone. Michael, finally trying to be compassionate but clearly unable to help, says he can make her tea, to which a crying Liz says: "Tea? I saw you grow up here. Your parents were happy here," before she hurries out the front door. Lionel Johnston and Irene Dailey are so wonderful in this lengthy sequence. Much as I loved later scenes of Amanda and Matthew bonding with "Gran," those were also very expected TV-friendly relationships. This intergenerational conflict - not even really conflict as much as two very different people who are, as it says on the tin, live in other worlds, is so special, and has a depth that feels so true to life, so much so it almost hurts to watch. (these scenes also help me understand more why Liz clung to the Corys for dear life in later years and the remaining members of her ever-dwindling family, with Dailey always bringing depth to any moments where Liz wasn't just there as comic relief) At the end of that episode, Michael rebuffs John's attempts to get him to stay, and there's a credits sequence that puts the beauty in beauty shot where John walks around his completely barren house. Wonderful. When you read about the psychological depths of Lemay's AW, you often hear about Iris, Rachel and Mac. That is certainly very compelling and easy to watch, but the dynamics with the Randolphs in Ariana's clips and in these Paley episodes are on a whole other level to me, because they aren't flights of fancy, they're people you know and I know. They're us. And that's why I watch soaps. I have always understood why a lot of fans left AW as the Matthews family was slowly decimated, but I don't think it's until the last week or two that I've truly gotten it. This wasn't Ozzie and Harriet not fitting into the "You've got a job! You've got a job! You've got a job!" world of Frame Architecture or Cory Enterprises. They truly are the heartbeat of the show.

The media is much fonder of Candace Owens (currently pushing Flat Earther talking points on top of all her bigotries) than Kamala, which says it all about where they are coming from. Speaking of worthless media:

She seems to be such a divisive figure for almost everyone, just a nonstop barrage of racist, sexist hatred, and anyone who supports her is accused of being in some kind of cult. When I see people who insist that Kamala or Pete Buttigieg could outperform Biden, I wonder what country they live in. Buttigieg in particular would lose badly.

Thanks for your mini-reviews. I just saw them and am appreciating them.

One of the problems is how much this has spread from the media to the party. They are writing story after story for the press - today alone a number of Democrats have gone to the press to complain, whether calling for Biden to be replaced, saying that his issues clearly go beyond just this debate, whining that some of his people called them "bedwetters" (which the media says about Democrats all the time - only NOW are they upset), and most shamefully, Jared Golden of Maine seemingly panicking so much about his chances of re-election that he decided to not only say he thinks Trump will win, but downplay that Trump is a threat to democracy. This is a huge gift for the GOP, the Trump campaign, and the members of the press who have spent years insisting Trump is no big deal and any claims that he is are hyperventilation. https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/07/02/opinion/opinion-contributor/jared-golden-donald-trump-going-to-win-election-democracy-be-just-fine/ They've started a train that is very hard to stop.

So many legends have left us lately. I didn't remember that he was another who was brought up in the business by Roger Corman.

'Love & Marriage: Huntsville' Star Keke Jabbar Dies, YouTuber Marcella Shares Family Statement | Times Now (timesnownews.com) LaTisha Scott, MBA, MRED, Broker | At this time we are asking for RESPECT, and PRIVACY in our moment of grief, while we process this great loss! This is hard for our… | Instagram

Derek didn't want to go through with the plot of killing Lily as he had fallen in love with her. He died saving her life. Niles was sent to prison.

Definitely. She probably figured the story was already so far out, why not go further. I don't think it was a terrible decision, as it also meant taking away the ghoulish writing choice to have Adam own a cheap flight that caused Liza to lose their baby, but I could see why people were annoyed. (that was pretty much the only good writing choice she made with Adam in that stint)

@slick jones Thanks again for your updates. Robert Bogue appears on Loving again briefly in 1994 as the Billy character. Not sure if he made any 1993 appearances. Someone else may know.

We learned the former first, then the latter. I think the latter may have been a McTavish addition.

This is another episode that used to be on Youtube but I couldn't find it now so reuploaded my old clips. Normally I would have combined the clips into one but had to do one by one as I put the last under age restriction (it's nothing especially wild, just Casey and Ally making love, but given the climate on Youtube these days I didn't want to take a chance) Dinah Lee says it's February 2 so I am putting that as the date. If it's wrong I will change the date.

The material became very disgusting, almost shockingly so, after a promising start. I assume that was the story plan all along, but it was just so hard to watch, especially Laura's torment.

Katie Rogers of the New York Times is also heavily pushing whispers and gossip, as that paper loves to do more than anything. And NBC News is huffing and puffing over Hunter advising his father. I think they know Biden isn't going to drop out or be forced out, so they are sprinting to fatally wound what's left of his campaign.

This is August 8, 1986. @mikeaw1978 AWHP already has this episode available, but I thought you and Eddie might still be interested as this seems to be a better quality upload.

Thanks as always @slick jones

That scene of Nikki on the ground saying she has too much to do reminds me of the scene with Vanessa on the floor in front of her couch and willing herself to get off the ground. If only Vanessa had waited a little longer, she too might have had a miracle cure.

At least it did happen earlier than most debate flameouts, and even at what the media is proclaiming a hugely successful week for Trump on multiple fronts, I am not sure if he has had any big jump (some of his sycophants are touting him being behind by 2 points in a New Mexico Republican poll - wowie zowie). The worst part is it allows the media to further hyper fixate on the palace intrigue and Dems in disarray topics they love to turn to, and this will continue on and on, especially with jackasses like Sheldon Whitehouse fanning the flames for publicity.

Fascinating. I didn't realize Bill redid the Leslie and Lorie book plot with Ashley and Traci.

I don't think that was how Marland intended it - I think under his pen the idea was that Alan would hit bottom and then reform and want to step back. He probably would have reverted to type again even if Marland had stayed, but I don't think he intended for Hope to seem quite so wan. It's just how a lot of the women at GL under his pen felt to me.