DRW50

Very happy for Susan. Diane's return from the dead probably shouldn't have worked but somehow did. And I'm glad to see Loving alum winning awards. Lorna got a better ending than the show gave her.

Similar to the later Sarah recast, Dolly goes from having some spark to being downtrodden. It may be realistic, but not the realism I need...although Dolly never quite gets as tough to watch as Sarah does.

I do think this is a big factor. A shame as I'd adore watching her on a soap again.

I think this could be an interesting idea on another era of GH, but if it happened here I'm afraid the focus would have been on how immature he is and why can't he remember how great Sonny and Carly are. I would like to think, although that isn't in the script, that Michael has been hardened enough by everything with Willow and the fire that he's close to them but they aren't as much of his focus as they used to be (it seemed like they were both on the outside of his getting Willow arrested). My issue with Valentin is one of my issues with the Cassadines as a whole - in order for them to stay on the show long-term they have to lose their edge. Stefan had a quiet menace initially, a fist in a velvet glove, but by about 1997 we were in Patch/Kayla and then Lasha Fever mode and he was never the same. Alexis has her moments but that isn't generally who she is. Nik - well that was a whole mess. Helena and Stavros were maybe the most menacing, and that's down to neither staying on for long (Helena was there for many years but often just in stretches). I guess you could say him manipulating Charlotte to go after Britt is some of the old Cassadine flair. I think Cameron lacks the warmth or vulnerability that AJ often had alongside his darker edges. I think of Drew as who all the self-righteous figures in Port Charles saw AJ as being. He flipped so fast from being a "good" person to being fully malevolent it was a potent commentary, even if not intended, on how shallow many of the moral voices of town are now. I wonder if we're meant to even think they were being honest about the good mother BS. I can buy that Jason is so angry, as I'm sure in his mind he, Sonny and Carly always shielded Joss, but it doesn't quite work as we didn't see any real danger for Joss - it all worked out for her, as she got some fresh dick and everything (certainly not easy to come by in Port Charles).

Thanks so much @slick jones for all these updates and @jam6242 and Victoria Foxton for the rare photos. Don Marshall and his twin brother both making it to 80 is a rare feat. RIP Ed Williams. He was on B&B and Sisters. Ed Williams Dead: ‘Police Squad!,’ ‘Naked Gun’ Actor Was 98

I definitely put most of the blame on Frank and the writers. There are many characters who could have been written out years ago, as we've discussed. I do blame some on the fans, as attempts at deemphasizing or even slightly changing the narrative for characters like Carly or Sonny leads to complaints or a ratings drop, locking everything firmly back into place.

Oh yeah - when I was growing up my mother spoke about how much a cousin of her loved Kiss, he had their poster in his room, etc. They were huge for a while. I did enjoy their TV movie at the amusement park (which they reportedly wanted nothing to do with). I saw it a few years ago. And I enjoy a few of their songs. "Beth" is sweet. I feel like this is the third or fourth celebrity passing this year from a fall. Poor Connie Francis was another. I know it's common, but every time I hear the news I just worry more about whether I'm being careful enough when I go around.

I think if they chose a lane with Britt, it would help - either have her be the blunt anti-heroine or have her suffer and have a secret. You can't really go between her quiet anguish over her "son" and then have her go bitch at Lucas for washing his hands of Brad. She's not Dorian Lord. At best she's Krista Tesreau Tina Lord (KTs unite!). There's clearly a lot of the canvas Frank and the writers feel exhausted with, so maybe someone with a heavy presence (albeit a grating one) coming in could shake things up, but it's all just extremely messy and is going to peter out to nowhere.

I figure James is there to make us feel sorry for Ste or Ste/Rex, rather than any story of his own, but I hope I'm wrong.

This almost feels like trolling but I think they are just tone deaf.

Yes, that's my issue - there's a story to be told, it just has not been told properly as they don't want to make the effort.

Kim said she went in today for an ultrasound and everything is benign. Very happy for her.

Happy birthday to her. Forever a legend.

It's an especially odd choice with Noah as I'm not sure there is one actor hugely identifiable enough with the role to where they need the explanation. I wonder if they may be winking at GH for having Rory Gibson debut as Michael without any of the "new face due to severe burns" writing even though they'd had Michael severely burned.

He never even had much of a chance. I guess at least he was spared MAB's pen. But I saw how good he was in that type of role on Wiseguy.

I saw a bit of Ric's explanation. Rick Hearst's delivery of, "I joined a cult!" genuinely made me laugh. I hope the show keeps working out whatever arrangements they can for him to stay around.

Nathan being involved at least maps out the next part, I suppose, as if he is Faison or a Faison puppet he would want another way to be able to cause problems for the Spencers. This story would have more impact if Lucky was around or if Laura was more involved, but what else is new.

I guess you could count Daisy and her abortion.

I hope Sharon is doing well health-wise as I was a bit startled seeing her in the video. It looks less like bad plastic surgery than I'd expected. And wow I didn't recognize her voice either, although that may be down to terrible audio.

You're right. He'd have a big feud with Drew which Jason and Michael can't quite fill (Michael due to the age difference and Jason because he's a bit too inert). Not getting to see his grandkids also makes me sad to think about.

That's how I felt too. Lucky berating Laura at length because she didn't handle her rape in a way he saw fit summed up a great deal of where the show was and where it was heading.

I suppose I could see some who'd want Britt to return, but Nathan's story was so tied to Maxie and he already had a perfectly clear and fine exit storyline. There will always be a hole on the canvas without AJ there because of the horrible treatment of the character, but I think it stands out more when there's a strong presence in the role of Michael. There is not much left to tell in his relationship with Sonny or Carly, so you just think of what we are missing. And the Quartermaines being in a decent place at the moment only makes the loss more glaring.

You're right - not many along those lines. There were some but the stories would usually lend into the melodramas (like Lillian's breast cancer or Beth's abuse). One of the few I remember was that clunky piracy story from late 2000 that presumably was put on them by the government.

If I were new to this period of GL I would recommend trying to stick it out to the end of B&E's run - summer 2000 or whenever it is, just for completion's sake. I will acknowledge they were running on fumes. @Mitch64 I'd forgotten they didn't have a Bauer barbecue one year. For shame.