DRW50

I couldn't get past the idea that the only thing you need to do to help depression is to "find your people" and that struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts is more about the burden you put on other people than it is about what you're actually going through. His family let him go to a new place with no job, no friends (Beanbag is not his friend), no family, no money, and in Mick's case, knowing he tried to kill himself not long ago. To me it was a dangerous fantasy.

ES' Fallon was pretty generic as well.

Yes. Sorry. He played a character named Michael on SB.

Ah, sorry.

I have to admit everyone who thought the Russia stuff would be a big deal was right. It still hasn't moved on a political level, but it's clearly gotten them stressed and sloppy. And look whose name popped up again a few days ago: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/paul-manafort-blackmail-russia-trump-235275

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-stock-market-bubble-235328

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/richard-spencer-kicked-out-cpac-2017-235311 There's something morbidly interesting about seeing CPAC belatedly take out the trash - after being forced to do so by other conservatives. It makes me think that this wing of the GOP will regroup and ultimately push out Miller and Bannon as well, somehow. The only question is if it will be too late to stop us from going over the cliff. (I should say I'm not trying to praise these people as moderate or principled...they're scum. But they are scum with survival instincts. Frankly it's something that the endless pissing contest over the DNC chair makes me wonder if we'll ever have on the left) In other news, this makes me feel sick to my stomach: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/23/north-carolina-islamophobia-muslims-threats

My Netflix goes out for long periods of time and I don't care enough to have to unplug things and all that, so I've only managed to watch the first two and a half episodes, but so far I've enjoyed the show. I appreciate that they did capture a lot of the tone of ODAAT, especially early ODAAT - it's funny, but also impossibly earnest. I guess you could say that about all Norman Lear shows, but I think the character makeup and format of ODAAT suits modern times more than AITF or Maude. It hasn't changed as much as it might seem if you just read an article about the show. The biggest change isn't Schneider as much as it's Rita Moreno as "Ann's" mother, but it works. She's a caricature, but then surprises you with moments of intelligence and kindness. She also means that the entire parenting role isn't put on Penelope, which helps stave off some of the smugness and fatigued nature that made Ann a bit more difficult to relate to. I liked the scene where her guilt over unintentionally insulting her granddaughter for not liking makeup led her to go makeup-free for Elena - it was a touching scene, yet also funny, as Elena quickly sussed that she was wearing mascara and she just as quickly fled the room. I like Elena. She's very similar to Julie, but less stilted and less pointlessly combative to suit the plot. The girl who plays her doesn't have the edge Mackenzie Philips did, but then it wouldn't really suit this version of the show anyway. The son gets on my nerves, and he's also the most generic "sitcom" of anything on the show (beyond Schneider), but I can tolerate him. Justina Machado is the one who holds it all together. "Ann" is such an impossible role to play, because to suit the plot, she has to always be right yet always be wrong. She underplays it with just some moments of the old Ann mania, which is probably the best way to go, because it helps make the show more of a drama that is sometimes a comedy, which I think is how the original ODAAT worked when at its best. She's very relateable, and very human. Stuff like the "sexism" episode, which was as creaky and dated as any of Lear's '70s stuff, was pretty much salvaged by how she played it, especially the big confrontation scene. And I enjoyed the little moments like the annoying bimbo at work trying to bond with her over being a mother and she shouted, "Like I've told you before...DOGS ARE NOT CHILDREN!" only to, when she was storming out, come back and say, "I'm so sorry - your dogs are lovely." It's a good way to avoid too much self-satisfied sitcom nastiness. And it was funny. I find Schneider pointless (and I tend to assume he was mostly just kept so they would have at least one white cast member), but he's harmless enough.

Sammy Jo would be Marla. Melania would be...maybe one of those generic women on The Colbys.

I'm mostly interested in seeing how much hype we will get over how vastly superior this is to the original and how the new one is so modern and incredible so just pretend the old one never existed. Then again no one did that with the 90210 and Melrose Place remakes... Of course this will also get the generic praise of "diversity," which, as shown with the media pud-pulling over Riverdale (which is for the most part about white characters and has some of the most aggressive hostility toward black men I've seen on a television show in quite a while), will go a long way. Nothing gets the critics more blissful than trying to show everyone how aware and modern they are. I'm sure we'll hear this is all some sort of message to Trump as well...

Yes. There was a bit of a revival last year for that reason, also in part due to moderate Republicans losing primaries.

Lucky them.

Linc stinks indeed. The first Tad was a bit bland. They must have wanted to change course and ramp the story up. I wonder if it may have been down to Michael Runyeon giving notice, so they couldn't have a slower build between Tad and Betsy. I think they recast to make him more nefarious, but Larry Pine overdid it. The story was a bit crude and obvious for me in the way a lot of Marland's first few years at ATWT can be (although still pretty good).

The writing is just plain odd at this point and seems to be happy to leave any continuity or characterization in the dust for yuks or to move the plot along. - Dot has been using the Internet for years. She wouldn't just helplessly look for nothing. She's used satnav before. She wouldn't just helplessly wander around for the sake of a comedy crash with green screen out of 1983. - Sharon has never been the type of woman to walk around picking up after all the men at all hours, and Jay has never been the type of guy who was so confident in the Mitchell house (a home that was not his, which he was all too aware of) that he left dirty cups and dishes around everywhere for her to pick up. - Why was Kim back in total comedy mode after being so serious over Denise's problems for months? - What exactly IS Denise's story at present? Diane Parish is doing a wonderful job, but I have no idea where they are going with the character, between the paternity reveal, the "Denise is disgusted with the community" saga, the adoption, and the rarely seen relationship with Kush that is still hinted at. - Why were Ian and Mick in comedy friend scenes when just a few weeks ago Ian was gleefully trying to destroy Mick's reputation and business while he was in prison? Are we just supposed to go "oh that Ian" and forget we ever saw it? - Does the show really think Martin is such a moron that he doesn't know what "impetuous" means? Are we supposed to indulgently laugh at him like he's a complete idiot, or are we supposed to see this as evidence Michelle is out of place because of all her book learnin'? Why do I get the feeling many at the show now see viewers as complete idiots?

The travel thing is interesting. Call me cynical, but I don't really believe that many who come here as a tourist destination are thinking, "No more! I must think of my Muslim friends!" (unless of course they are Muslim, or from countries where they will likely be mistaken for Muslim and detained for that reason). I wonder how many are protesting for now, but mostly just for now. I remember how many were supposed to be appalled by the UK because of Brexit, but most foreign countries are lurching this way, so the vacations have to go somewhere. With that said, Trump truly is the ugliest face American could have, so I can believe there is and will continue to be a drop of some kind.

No, although the writing really undercut the power of the scenes by comparing racism to the stupid "bins" and "rats" stories that Sean O'Connor throws into every episode as faux-community.

I liked Callie a lot. Not because of JR (I never cared about JR - I am likely one of the very few who didn't), just because I thought she was a likeable character and a nice contrast to the usual goings on.

I'm glad that he is yet another member of the press who is very good at stating the obvious. Journalism in action. What I'd love to know is why I keep seeing articles praising oh so clever Republican Congressman for finding "ways" to appease or avoid confrontation with people at town halls. I sure don't remember that when these town halls went after Democrats in 2009 and 2010. I remember endless breathless coverage of Democrats under siege from "real" Americans.

@saynotoursoap it's great to see you post here again. I put a commercial in the GL thread that has Margaret Hamilton and Peter Simon. Do you know who the other woman is?

It does look a bit like her. I'm not sure though. I keep thinking she was on SFT for some reason...like maybe one of the Pattis.

The other woman in this ad looks so familiar. Does anyone know who she is?