DRW50

A Martinez turned down a role, I think.

Oh for some reason I thought he was in college. Maybe just mixing up as Todd McKee was older than the character. Thanks.

As someone in the comments says, was Sophia even around when Ted went to college? Was that just bad continuity? How do you mess that up given how important her absence was to the backstory? The gesture of Ted passing the torch (or his car keys) to Greg is funny when you remember Greg wouldn't last much longer and would never be mentioned after he left. I'm still half-surprised they remembered Ted after this.

Most of the worst aspects of Rick after he returned in 1995 I'd put down to direction and writing more than anything else, but if I had to choose, I think someone like Michael Brainard might have worked.

Very true. I think he'd only been on AMC a few months when he got that interview. Sometimes I forget how popular he was initially before the character became unbearable.

I didn't love that story but it was definitely a shocking, powerful moment, which helped keep GL's 1997 momentum going. Amy Ecklund was a very underrated actress. She was on paper just cast in a token part but always made Abby seem genuine. They just stopped writing for her, aside from a few moments like the cochlear implant story, because she wasn't intended as one of the leading ladies. I also liked her and Rick a lot as a couple until the show lost interest in them. @Mitch64's idea of a Rick/Bridget pairing is interesting. It could have worked, especially as I think Melissa Hayden would have been a good balance to MOL. Regarding Matt/Vanessa, I completely agree with you that the pairing made more sense when Matt was written with a personality and motivations. By 1996 or so they just stopped writing for Matt entirely as a character. I'm also aware many did love the pairing, and I respect that. Most of my criticism of that period is down to the writing for Vanessa, which wasn't Matt's fault.

Yes. I just thought it was an awful story. Given that Roger had behaved horribly I wasn't rooting for him, but I resented the choices made with the character to get him to that story, including having him rape Dinah. It felt like a major regression all for the sake of having her sleep with his son. The caliber of an actor like Zaslow being stuck in that story...and knowing it would end up being his last storyline. Beaty was certainly a much better actor, but to me that might have been like casting Tim Gibbs as Kevin Buchanan on OLTL - adding so much intensity to a part that didn't need it. The only Ed where I really noticed a blonde look was probably the weakest (Richard Van Vleet), but I do see what you mean. They cast a brunette Rick before MOL too. The main problem with Aleksander as Rick is that Rick hadn't had the dramatic life Philip had had. Even though Jared Ross' Philip was quieter, there was a lot of story for Philip to be darker as he grew up. I think Rick worked as the lighter contrast. It's just that as he got older the show lost sight of how to write for him and they veered into pathetic. I remember MOL telling a story of when they went to Universal for the Lucy and Alan-Michael wedding, and I think he said the director asked him to dance with himself, while all the couples were dancing, and he thought it was [!@#$%^&*] pathetic. And it was.

Can you imagine if Biden went through an interview sounding like Cindy Brady? Or Harris? Or any Democrat? Trump just says and does whatever he wants and too few care. Here's another gem:

CNBC is so blatantly pro-Trump. Sherman must feel very at home. If you can't get this to open it basically shows Musk using any version of tweets that contain "the" and "don" to help push Trump's comeback.

"Plenty of us," doing such heavy lifting. The media establishment gives Vance a big hug as he spews lies and poison all over their channels and this is use as an excuse to try to shame Harris into going on Faux News.

Mark Consuelos interview at about 52 minutes.

I think she did return, briefly, after he died. I mainly think that because I remember a Pure Soap episode where Michael Logan was glad because he said the show was so boring this might be some drama. I have a vague memory of her in widow's weeds.

If you can't click on it, it's "the paper of record" gushing over a Kid Rock hate festival. They also make sure to mention "joy," because, as a few people in the comments mentioned, they likely resented that being used to describe Harris rallies and want to co-opt.

I just feel like NC is the state that always gets away. If there is a surprise win, I will be happy.

The main reason was probably the intense response from their fans, although that didn't stop GL from still nixing other pairings. I wonder if JFP having to do that pairing (beyond Matt/Lucy I think some have said Josh/Vanessa was the plan) is why she immediately broke up an older woman/younger man pairing, Donna and Matt, in an ugly way, upon her arrival at AW. In theory I don't have a problem with Dinah resenting Vanessa, there should have been good story, but Vanessa was rarely if ever given a fair chance to show her strength or point of view, and I just did not think Wendy Moniz was a strong or sympathetic enough actress for the inconsistent way Dinah was written. I don't think she found her footing until Rauch decided to make the character an outright bitch. Mindy and Dinah were both in town for a few months in 1995, but I don't know if they ever interacted. By that point I'm not even sure how much time Mindy spent around Vanessa. Beyond the other worst stories mentioned, I would include the Lonitrat fiasco with Roger/Dinah/Hart and the stories given to Griffen (nearly sleeping with his own daughter and then having himself shot for the cause). Such a horrible use of Geoffrey Ewing.

That was talked about in the politics thread. Not sure if it is best left there, to be honest...although she was certainly on ATWT. I'll just say I'm relieved I was never a fan and that I don't know what Heather Rattray's politics are. @Soapsuds Thanks. Such a lovely photo.

Thanks for the article. I liked Morgan pointing out just how important her character was on Search. And liked hearing more about these shows. I wonder if any of Helpmates is available.

It's hard to ever forget Roya.

North Carolina is gone but hopefully Stein can win and they can get a few seats in the legislature to stop a veto proof majority.

Thanks! Much as I dislike the idea of Vanessa being cast aside for Lucy, the older woman just good for a forbidden fling, in the long run that relationship and Dinah's return hurt her a great deal. All the sharpness you see in that outburst at the end, the precision in Maeve's acting that made her so special, was blunted. It took so many years - all the way into the late '00s - to finally see that again. An interesting choice to make the flashbacks look like something from the '30s, but that only adds to the disturbing feeling of the scenes.

@dc11786 Thanks for the rundown. Nice to hear some actors who by that time were barely getting fresh material from their soaps (like Bauer or Polen) getting a chance at something new. I wonder if Ariana Munker could share any details about the show.

For anyone who wasn't able to get the Archive version working, the same uploader put the episode on Youtube days ago. @Manny And a promo I had never seen.

If you want to repost there: I never even knew he was on a soap. So much of this (including turning a book about domestic violence into a frothfest and spend your press tour promoting your husband's movie and your shampoo line) has reminded me why i don't like her or her husband.