DRW50

Michael Logan used to talk about parties Marland threw and stories they shared, so I figure he was out to the industry. (someone also told a story about Marland's home, during parties, having a photo of someone Marland disliked placed in the toilet seat...) For me Marland has a second wind at ATWT for 91-92, with some really interesting, layered, albeit dark stories. He did not properly balance the show by his last year, which left them in a bad place, unfortunately, but I prefer that period to a fair amount of 88-90. '90 in particular has some odd lows, like the Frannie/Sean stuff with Sean in a nonstop rage that had all the nuance of a porn film. The only real downside for '92 in my opinion (even though I get why people hated the Carolyn story) is dull as hell Rosanna. That's interesting. I wonder if plans changed because Mary Ellen Stuart told them she was leaving? I did like Larry a lot, but I was fine with him being with Susan rather than Frannie. That relationship never felt very serious. Darryl was certainly presented as a very selfish and weak man. Rex Smith's charm and good looks and the heavy POV we are given from him early on may mask the more villainous nature - I guess that was the idea. By the time of the ski lift scenes I feel like he could have easily pivoted into a very dark place, if Marland had followed through.

It's a bit odd with regard to Maggie, because I feel like she was in competition with Margo from early on, due to the Tom relationship (he originally dated Maggie). I don't know if she and Margo ever quite gelled as aunt and niece, partly for that reason. So that probably didn't help Maggie stay on the show. She had quite a bit of major story in 1984 and 1985, with her adopting a baby and then the Cal story. I'm not surprised if she was shocked to be let go. Angel is more complex on paper than on the show. Essentially, Caleb Snyder used to work for Henry Lange. He and Angel got involved. She aborted his child. This was all backstory, mostly - Angel didn't really get focus as a character until Holden Snyder returned to the show. He was working for Lange Enterprises, and had married Angel to get past his feelings for Lily. Angel couldn't have a child, due to her abortion. She and Holden considered adoption. She realized that Holden did not love her, but she wouldn't give him a divorce. As it turns out she didn't want to be alone because her father had been raping her for many years, and he was the father of the child she'd aborted. (Henry had been sexually abused by his mother, which the show let viewers know via flashback after a flashback of Henry with Angel) When Caleb found out, he confronted Henry. Henry committed suicide, but Caleb ended up being put on trial for murder until Angel agreed to testify and tell of her abuse. Caleb and Angel tried to reconcile, but realized their time had passed. Angel and Seth Snyder fell in love and married, and she moved away with him for a new life. Alice Haining's work was very tender and quietly powerful, and what could have been a very exploitative story was handled with a great deal of respect (in contrast to many ATWT stories about rape and sexual abuse). I think he started in summer and was gone by late September or early October. I have a feeling the interim writers may have had more plans but Marland wanted no part of that.

Apparently a city councilwoman gave them access to City Hall. I hear a lot of things about how many problems Seattle has - is their mayor of any value or are the problems too insurmountable? After 32 years, we're finally finding out what the bad boys are gonna do - get canceled. https://www.fox5dc.com/news/cops-tv-show-ends-32-year-run-following-george-floyd-protests-according-to-reports Live PD is being "evaluated" by A&E, after reports that they filmed a man who choked to death. https://people.com/crime/black-man-died-after-saying-i-cant-breathe-during-arrest-filmed-for-live-pd/ Richmond, Virginia's statue of Columbus was thrown into the lake.

I hadn't thought about Lara Logan in years. Her current career is a real mess, and one that goes back a long way, if the comments are any indication.

This is one of those moments where I do wonder how many voters finally get that the stock market is not their god. I hope they do.

I don't know who wrote that script but it has some real howlers ("everything I did I did for you," "I thought our hearts beat as one"), although Isabelle talking about Cooper "going to the wrong part of town and getting a girl from Railroad Street in trouble" was a hoot. Patricia Barry is good at playing this more deceitful and hot-blooded version of Isabelle, but it's such a far cry from Augusta Dabney. Gwyn was an absolute blast in this episode. The writers must have loved giving her lines as she has some fun moments here - love when she advises Dinah Lee to try Epsom salts for her bad back. Dinah Lee continues to be written as a dope, but Jessica Collins makes it work. The whole Isabelle's secret man and hiding the baby as Clay's doesn't really feel real to me, but the actors do their best. Dennis Parlato always has chemistry with his leading ladies, and looks pretty hot with that longer hair. I guess they changed him up after this to suit a more imperious version of the character.

Not what you were talking about but it made me think of this vapidity. I guess at least this is a step up from "I'm going to burn down a business for the revolution and then go back to my parents' mansion."

Jared has taken time off from posing for alien photos on the cover of old Time Life books to help solve police corruption and brutality. It's going so well that we're getting another of our annual "Trump is fed up" stories. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/06/with-bad-poll-numbers-trump-is-thinking-of-replacing-kushner

She's the epitome of failing upwards. Last week she was whining about her neighborhood in New York being a "war zone" (or something like that). A neighbor pointed out that it was not, and she hasn't even been there in months. This then led to her whining because she said people were trying to find out where she and her ugly bootlicking husband are living.

It's not really a big deal, with everything else going on, but even though I know they were given by the CBC, I wish someone on the public image team had asked Nancy Pelosi and other leaders whether it was a great idea to wear the Kente cloth today. It overshadowed the rollout of the legislation. Even Jordan Peele seemed to be mocking them as his racist characters wore those in Get Out. It's the type of thing that just seems tone deaf, and if Republicans weren't doubling down so much on all racism, all the time, they would probably use to their advantage. Speaking of Republicans, Trump's strategy (for this week anyway) will be more tough on crime, more immigration obsession, more China all the time. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/08/trump-china-immigration-crime-campaign-307742 In other news, Iowa, which has become more competitive than expected, is moving to clamp down voting. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/05/iowa-senate-republicans-propose-limiting-absentee-ballot-request-forms-paul-pate-covid-19/3155908001/

Sickening.

Poor Quinn. I know they could have taken a better photo of him than that.

I'll have to read that later... I see that MSNBC continues to get its marching orders. I just hope no one takes that channel seriously.

I can't remember where it was but I was reading a few days ago about a man who does training for police in protest type situations going to a protest and being severely injured by several cops. In moments like that I can see why some people have given up on most reforms.

@I Am A Swede this is probably another that's too late for you, but if not:

There was an article out recently about Camden, New Jersey, and their efforts. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/how-camden-new-jersey-reformed-its-police-department I guess I can see why Romney won't endorse, but I'm not sure what W has to lose. Trump humiliated his brother and unlike Jeb's sniveling son, W has no political career left. Colin Powell endorsed Biden today (sorry if this was already posted); meanwhile, Condoleeza Rice is still in "stay off Twitter" mode. That's probably about as far as most Republicans will get, I suppose. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/politics/colin-powell-donald-trump-protests-cnntv/index.html

That and they let some 25 year old from the Weekly Standard have so much power at the "paper of record." Talk about a complete vacuum.

This needs to go higher up - much higher. Still, it's better than nothing.

Not for about 4 more years.

I have to admit I'm uneasy about all the usual divisions and ugliness on the left over the "defund police" debate - many on the left seem to have no real idea what that would entail or how far it should go, and it's just becoming another conflict (with the usual suspects in the "dirtbag" and "we love Putin" groups stirring the pot) at a time when the whole country is already nervous about what happens next. I wish there was some type of plan. If there is I wish there was a way to put it forward. We need more national leadership, if that is at all possible. I did read that Minneapolis is going to start trying to disband their police force, but I'm not sure how that will go either, in terms of details and plans. In other news: (I'm not going to go "yay Mitt" but I do think it's the closest we will get to bipartisanship in this moment so that's why I'm posting the tweet) Meanwhile, in the UK:

Miami Vice too. I think Hill Street Blues opened the door for this type of storytelling, but the other difference is that even though Hunter was a tough guy show (my grandfather LOVED Hunter), it was also a show that wanted you to care about the characters, which was a departure from a lot of past Jack Webb type cops that mostly used the cops as symbols.

As far as I can tell no one in a serious position is outing him.

I agree. There is so much good social media should do, but I'm not sure that is even possible. Amber Ruffin's last video about police brutality.

They were bad years for the show. Retconning Ben as being sexually abused to tell us that people who were sexually abused as children go on to be killers was one of the moments I knew I would never forgive the show for. I wouldn't say it was the beginning of the end. That for me started when Maureen died, and many would say it was when the Bauers were decimated in 1983-1984.