DRW50

Loathsome. I don't think Biden should have run again this year, but he was right to run in 2020 and was probably one of the only Democrats who could have beaten Trump. Todd eagerly trying to spin his choice as selfish and cruel just reinforces how much the Beltway have always personally disliked Biden and how eager they are to stick the knife in.

Thanks. I remember some review at the time saying she was a lesbian. Maybe that was a misinterpretation.

The last time Ginger was seen was in the 1997 reunion film. The script was heavily worked over by the actors as the original one apparently stunk, so I don't know what the plans were (I doubt there were ever any big plans for Ginger in it anyway, so her part likely stayed the same). She mentioned that she was now a lesbian, IIRC. I see that this page also has her saying Kenny was bad in bed. Ginger Kilman Ward Jul 2024 (knotslanding.net)

Thanks @Forever8 I had not seen those other two episodes.

@Lujack4Ever Thank you for such a detailed response on Renaud's character. I appreciate it. I have not watched a great deal of that period.

We don't really know the circumstances of these clips - so far they've encompassed probably a dozen episodes. A number of actors, or their family or whoever else, were less likely to keep that many episodes, given the time and expense. Select clips being saved is more common. I'm sure if she has the full episodes those could go up somewhere - if not on her channel, then maybe she could give them to someone else. I assume she doesn't have full episodes. I'm surprised she even had the clips, as most actors don't. I remember Laurie Heineman saying she had to buy an episode to submit for her Daytime Emmy reel. @NothinButAttitude Ariana said in one comment that she had a certain ATWT scene that hasn't been seen before on Youtube (Melinda's death), so she does have some ATWT material at least.

@Vee Thanks for letting me know. @FaulknerThree Women is my favorite movie of hers, and one of my favorite movies in general. I loved Shelley's work in it as you see her initially as what seems to be a quirky, hip character, only to slowly see just how hollow she is. I knew of Shelley from Faerie Tale Theatre and other vague childhood memories, but it was through her Altman movies that I began to appreciate her. Another was Nashville, where she played one of the movie's most agonizing characters - the face of naive and detached youth contrasted with Keenan Wynn's heartbreaking loss. And her combination of dizziness and steel as Olive Oyl - the ideal casting choice. I also loved her supporting role in Roxanne as Steve Martin's foster sister. Watching her is always a riveting experience. She embodies what it means to watch films - that pulse and unique joy. I have never liked Dr. Phil, but what he did to her was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in media. I am so glad she got to reclaim something of her own voice in the last few years, even in her tragic circumstances. She still had that sweet smile and that hint of being from another world. I hope wherever that world is, she's happy.

Working on that show would certainly help with high pressure situations.

Josh Hawley was out a few days ago bragging about how proud he is of Christian Nationalism and the media ignored it, or in the case of the "progressives" who have always adored him, spun it into a top. I think the country that voted for Obama doesn't exist now - the racism unleashed by morons and bigots over his winning has never been addressed and may never be. I would vote for Harris, but she has gotten so much hate from the time her Presidential campaign started, which has not changed. If Clooney was led in part by anger over Biden criticizing the ICC's views on Netanyahu, as some are speculating, then his throwing us all under the bus (when he doesn't even live here anymore) puts me off even more than I already was. As this just drags on and on, likely with Biden going nowhere and looking increasingly out of touch with his own party at the worst possible time, the chilling effect is crippling the party. Yet I do not hear about Clooney, Colbert, Douglas, Stewart, etc. writing checks for the down ballot races that will be affected by their game-playing. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/disastrous-biden-campaign-fundraising-takes-major-hit-rcna161214

It is interesting in that characters are taking action based on emotions rather than what moves the plot along or in cases like Ava, whatever the Magic 8 Ball says that day. So Willow and Drew taking action based on the connection that has built up between them for a while now does feel refreshing. Or has the potential to be. At least they finally have moved forward in a way that can't be entirely walked back. It helps that Willow has cheated before. I agree this is the best use of Cameron Mathison. The decision to make Ryan a bland and aggressively self-righteous leading man was the death of that character.

Thanks @Vee for the clip. It did seem like Maurice was trying, and his very natural connection with Vanessa remained front and center. The dialogue was also remarkably honest for a character that has been drowning in justification and delusion for decades.

There are a number of similarities, but the biggest difference is Blake was single and Blake was the seductress. She went after Ross in ways that would shock today's more prudish audiences. Can you imagine Willow skinny dipping so that Drew could see her? This story won't be as good as that one was, for many reasons, but Drew is such a non-character it's not as if one has to worry about the damage done to him. And if Chad Duell is up for it there could be a lot of drama when Michael finds out the truth - he could easily spin out of control like Grandpa Alan. It wouldn't be as entertaining as that story with Alan and Monica was, but I guess at least we won't have a scene of Michael raping Willow (I hope).

@NiqueAlexis2020 Thank you for the 2017 clip. That's very touching. Good dialogue too. I'm glad any attempts to downplay their bond were short-lived. Thanks to you and @Vee for explaining more about Maxie's children. It seems like GH under Frank has dragged out so many stories just to drag them out or kept so many actors on just to keep them on. Yet the ratings only started to fall after the show made some tentative attempts at something different this year. I don't get it. I remember liking Wes Ramsey on GL, even if he was a little overhyped by some fans, but everything about Peter seems terrible. And I'm sorry to learn they turned Alex Devane into a complete psycho (and I guess she could still return at any time even if she's "dead"). Maxie does seem a bit more vibrant lately compared to a while back. I watched some clip of her from a few years ago where she was saddled with the last failed Roger Howarth character

Yes, it was not a negative scene at all. You are probably right. I don't know if he was ever asked.

He played a bishop who had to deal with Rita Moreno (who played a nun who had been tempted into lust). I have to assume he did not know anything about the show beyond his script, because later that year he gave an interview blasting TV these days for profanity and depravity and what have you. I always looked closely at the opening credits of The Return because literally anybody could show up. If Charo had shown up I might have just nodded. Still, it was a jolt.

At this point I suppose it wouldn't be a huge shock if they decided to "solve" the Jason harem situation by pairing him with Britt again, but that's probably another year or two off (if Burton is still there or if the show is still on).

Thanks @Vee . I have appreciated the thoughtful talks you @titan1978 and @carolineg have over those years, enough to make me go back at times even with my issues over that writer. I knew as soon as Dante was going on about the cop, he'd turn out to be corrupt. I will have to check out those Brenda and Sonny scenes again. I see that Dominic left GH for a bit in the late '10s. If he had kept trying he might have found work elsewhere but given the state of the industry I can't blame him for returning to a steady gig. I'm half-surprised Frank didn't punish him for that choice but I'm glad if he didn't. Even as Dante barely has anything to do, he's still one of the most natural presences on the show and has made the very obviously filler Sam pairing work much more than you'd expect.

Thanks. That is very soap...for worse or worse. Shows how much attention I pay to Michael and Willow up to this point.

Thanks. It's a shame Joe didn't get to have a happier ending, or a return. I think GH took him for granted. Nice to see a brief glimpse of GL near the end (I wonder if that episode is available). I sort of watched this at the time but not really as I was not exactly a huge Guza fan, early, mid, or late era. I've said before that I don't think Maurice Benard is a very good actor. I still generally do not but to his credit he's just right here, and still extremely intense and charismatic. This should have been an exit story for Sonny. And you can see just what a fantastic casting choice DZ was, even if he has ultimately ended up being around the same boat as the late lovely Mr. Sheehan in use. (oh and I did not realize until today that Emme Rylan's beige Lulu lasted until the end of 2020 - wow).

Michael Douglas has also joined in, helping to drag this news cycle out for two straight weeks now. It's very odd to me because it seems obvious that Biden is not dropping out and even if his polling drops to catastrophic levels he might not drop out. This is now very personal to him, more than ever, probably against these "elites" even more than Trump. And yet instead of wagon-circling, a number of celebrities and talk show hosts, even the most "normie" liberal like Colbert, are calling for him to go. Why? Do they assume Trump will win and they have decided they need to save face, even though they will be the least affected among us? In the case of Jon Stewart, it's likely just his general smugness and smarting that some people finally had enough of his both sides BS. Others like Colbert may genuinely believe what they're saying, because even though I'm not a big fan, I do genuinely believe he's a good person...but this is also the man who took a photo op with Sean Spicer, so I can't help wondering if it's to try to keep his show on the air if Trump wins. All I can say is Colbert will probably still be put in the same box many of us would be put in. I also wonder who they would want to take over. Do they think America in 2024 would vote for Kamala Harris?

I still remember how startled I was to see Grant Goodeve show up on Twin Peaks The Return, for one scene, with fellow TV legend Peggy Lipton. By that point I thought he was only doing "family" or Christian TV (his scene was perfectly wholesome...the show was not). It was about as disorienting as Gavin Macleod showing up on Oz. At least Grant, unlike Gavin, did not quickly go on to blast modern TV's immorality and profanity.

I don't think it's ever a great idea to give kids too much airtime, but I do find him genuine rather than the cloying TV child manner with Violet, or a decade ago, Spencer and (to a lesser degree) Emma. If you look at all of these castings as Valentini's attempt at recreating Our Gang, James would be a B player from their early '30s peak while Spencer or Violet were from the bleak early '40s MGM years. He also seems believable as a kid who would be heavily raised by Felicia to make up for her guilt. I still don't know all these kids. Who is Wiley again? And I know @Vee had mentioned Maxie having too many kids but I didn't even know there was a Bailey Lou until yesterday. Who decided Maxie needed another child? Were they a big fan of Party of Five and the Andy Griffith Show? Was the story worth watching? As for McClonkey, all I can think is I loved Sam McMurray on the Tracey Ullman Show (he played one of the first gay characters I ever saw on TV), and then I remember him well as the mother's boyfriend in The Wizard. I know he was on soaps in the early '80s too. It's nice to see he's still working.

A Tracy Scoggins guest spot not too long before she was cast on here.

More state-the-obvious-and-state-it-again dialogue aside, these scenes have a lovely sentiment. It's interesting to see a soap so clearly talk about a found family/chosen family aspect, especially Sam and Dante expressing this sentiment, given that both have spent years and years tied to people they never would have had any use for if they did not learn they were biologically related. The show has always had this element, even if it wasn't as overt as other soaps, but as the years passed that chosen family aspect curdled into something chilling (like Sonny's influence over Michael's life). I'm glad to see the more positive aspects brought up over the years and again here through Mac and Maxie, even if it would have been all the better to reinforce that sentiment if Cody wasn't actually Mac's son and just became a part of their family, (still, the reveal scene was worth watching).

Sadly, that jackass tied to Trump and Project 2025 who went around boasting about how they were winning a "bloodless revolution" did more to promote their plan than the media ever would, aside from a few MSNBC anchors. Much of the media, along with the dead end left, see it as a scare tactic, something that will never happen. To them it's the new Roe v Wade overturning, something else they spent years saying would never happen and if you said it was in danger you were fearmongering. And some are already doing what they did post-Dobbs - claiming the Democrats are complicit. There's always a way to make sure the public is ill-informed. I have seen some people trying to point out just how much veterans will be targeted in these plans. Given how many vets vote against their own interest, I'm not sure learning of these plans would make any difference, but I hope it gets out there. There are never any expectations for Trump, but I do think the media is at a point where polls are going their way and the Democrats are badly divided, so they figure why rock the boat. Showing as little of Trump as possible helps get their man back in office. More importantly, it means less attention is paid to the deeply cynical and false choices he's made for the RNC platform, lying about "softening" on abortion and gay marriage. Less people knowing about it means the true believers won't be upset with him and the people who might fall for these lies won't know just how repulsive and repulsed the people who actually run the party are.