Melroser

I felt like this episode was a letdown after the incredible episodes all week. I expected Nicole to go off!! I mean Dani-style OTT and it just seemed...lackluster. Maybe it was done intentionally to show she isn't like Dani, but still, after all she's been through. This was the time. She reacted more at Leslie in Orphey Gene's than she did to finding out her son murdered someone and everyone knew but her. Just odd as others have said. The Smitty/Samantha scenes were well done and then Jacob/Smitty. I hate that they are "breaking up". lol Martin going to the Country Club was weird! I mean, wouldn't he want to avoid everything and everyone? NOT go to where he was harassed by the stalker who is now dead. Not a way to move on and put it behind you. Glad to see Eva in the previews for next week! Missing her. Overall a great week. I was rarely bored as I am with Chelsea and Ashley's stories.

There could be books written on this subject. Texas: Making Iris the romantic heroine. Days: Killing off Renee (Philece Sampler). The Renee/Tony/Anna triangle was fire for me when I was a kid. Plus, Renee could have been a strong, lead Dimera for decades. AW: Firing George Reinholdt and Jacquie Courtney Hiring David Canary and Linda Borgeson to try and revive the Alice/Steve/Rachel triangle. Writing out the Matthews family. (Personal opinion) Not making Nancy Frangione a featured character for the long haul and rival to Rachel and Donna. They turned Cecile into a cartoon at times with her obsession for Cass instead of the early drama for Cecile (Jamie, Blaine, Sandy). Not keeping Harding Lemay after the strike. (1988?) His short touch for the show improved it greatly. Having Jake rape Marley. Killing Ryan and Frankie. Ryan/Vicky, Cass/Frankie should have been endgame. As Jake/Paulina. Never liked Joe or his family. There are so many for AW. It could be a study all its own. lol

Unfortunately, I don't put any stock in the Emmys anymore. Long ago it stopped having real competition. To be the "winner" out of 4 shows is just sad. I miss the days of 12, 13 shows with full casts competing with well-written material. Now everything is just going through the motions.

I like seeing Vanessa involved in this mess. Maybe she should takeover as mob boss. This Martin "secret" better come out soon. They've prolonged it long enough. Especially where he's now freaking out so much. Still loving the interactions between Jacob and Smitty. I think they're becoming the best male-male friendship of the show. I hope it continues because it wasn't expected in the first few months. Dani, Dani, Dani. Always making everything so awkward but I'm glad Andre is giving it back. But why are they not just outright saying Dani's the other girl now that Dani's whole family knows?

I wanted Randy to get away and maybe show up later down the road. The way Martin is acting, it's surprising that his kids seem so "normal". With a pop like that, I'd expect them to be more neurotic.

He probably picked this up from John Paul Lavoisier when they were co-stars on OLTL and then just got worse over time. Remy was on the other day and was the one that warned Sheila that Luna had a gun, leading Sheila to go find her. He'll end up being the next "Luna-tic" of the month now.

I'd like to see Ashley spiral and be like a Kimberly from Melrose, right along with stealing a baby as said previously. Then run to her "daddy" (yes, speculation) Joey to help cover it up. lol Tyrell letting Kenny doesn't make sense either, however, it does go along the lines of the Duprees feeling like they can do whatever they want and nothing bad will happen to them...because they're Duprees. Martin's cocky. Seems Tyrell is too. Though it does seem like he would have been taught not to do that as Martin is in such a public eye as a Senator. Clearly nowadays its not safe for any Senator to open their home to anyone. Anxious for Dani's meltdown. Bring it on!

I said awhile back I'd have Liam save Steffy from Luna and Liam and Luna would take each other out so Liam would be "the hero". Didn't think it'd actually happen. I just hope they're both dead though. I like that Sheila was mixed in and tried to save Steffy. It would be nice if Sheila's character could move into a different direction. All this Sheila bashing has gotten old. Let's give Sheila a renewed rivalry with Brooke. Deacon/Sheila/Nick/Brooke/Ridge/Taylor would be a mess...lol, but I'd be for it.

They better sweep next year's Emmys even if just for being the "fresh, new, shiny" object. But truly, the show puts the others to shame with the layered storytelling and acting. Are we taking bets on who the first onscreen death will be? Kenny? Randy? Doug? Smitty? Elon? A Rando in Leslie's way?

Jacob and Smitty need to hit the sheets already. All that tension! Still find Ashley annoying, but suddenly interested in Derek. Dani backing down from Hayley? Someone's gonna pay. Glad Bill is sticking up for Hayley, finally.

Derek and Shanice! love it. No Kenny at Martin's isn't a fake out. Thank God. Randy gonna be in troouuubbblllleeeee.

I was thinking it was later in the episode, but it happens at about the 1:55 mark that the pilot "Skip" called Vicky "Miss Heche".

Yes, it was Amy Carlson. Anna Holbrook has said in interviews as well that the three are close. I wonder if Julia Roberts began watching AW when her brother, Eric, was on and got hooked. This would have been many, many years later when Frankie was killed off.

Agreed. I was hoping for a bit more backstage stuff, but I suppose it's been decades and time to move on. I did think it was sweet that "Charlotte (Charlie)" was named for her real life grandmother who was a big AW fan. It was nice they did that. I remember thinking that AW was finally turning a corner for the better right before it ended. Fairly recent returns of Sandi Ferguson, Matt Crane after fumbles in casting for Rachel's kids. Ellen Wheeler returned as Marley and then Alice returned as the lookalike for "Frankie". I was excited for the Anne/Cass/Lila triangle, the complexity of Marley/Jake/Vicky, and enjoyed the Josie/Cameron/Amanda story. I'm sure a little more time wouldn't have helped the show at this point, but it's great to imagine what might have been for that summer/fall.

Regarding the 4th wall on Anne Heche's last day, I'm pretty sure the pilot when addressing her did so as Miss Heche on camera. She and Ryan are seemingly caught off- guard and start laughing as the finish the scene.

I'm thinking, maybe....just maybe...that it has some to do with P+ rankings for the soaps not reaching the top. It splits viewers with cbs.com. Who knows? I'm just making excuses. lol

When I watch online, I do it through the cbs.com site. Would that be included with Paramount+? I'm not sure how it works, but are cbs.com and paramount+ separate? Would that lower P+'s numbers/ranking for the show? (Sorry for my ignorance)

I feel the same! I was thinking "why couldn't Jimbre have been Martin?" Brandon could have been the more stiff, by the book cop. Didn't like Kat setting up Eva at the office with the accreditations, but then again, I wasn't really liking Eva's attitude in this ep either. She was so smug taunting Kat. They're both wrong...but it's a great rivalry. lol It still never hit me until this episode that Anita AND Vernon AND Ted know about Martin's "secret" behind Nicole's back. She's gonna blow! I'm here for it. Daphne is great in this role. I am on the "Ashley is annoying" train, for sure. the writing for the character doesn't help Jen much. She comes off as whiny, having OCD, and just a complete mess that doesn't know what she wants. I don't understand the character and Jen may not either. I am also in agreement with it being a mistake to air a week of repeats. Thurs/Fri yes, but the whole week? I wish soaps were given the respect they deserve, but I suppose with the current state of the ratings it won't happen. I long for the days that networks didn't dare interrupt an ep for fear of the backlash from viewers. Now, they interrupt for any excuse possible. Just sad.

How long after Hayley told Bill she was pregnant did they start to get busy on the couch and his stroke happened? Wasn't it quite soon after? I think she was tired of Bill continuously wanting to be in Dani's business and decided to get pregnant to refocus back on her. She probably thought she could get pregnant fairly quickly so it wouldn't have been a lie but then his stroke happened. Now the timeline isn't adding up and she's under pressure... I was disappointed the group in Bill's office was skipped over too. Maybe the writers didn't want to foreshadow what will happen to "Kenny" when he shows up for the money? Hopefully it's something big and unexpected.

I feel like the writers are having Kat tamper with evidence, etc., to give them an out for Leslie not going down for her crimes. I do think she should pay, but I don't want her off the show. I hope they let up on her "evilness" though and just make her messy with Ted and Eva instead of an all out villain. As you all know, once she goes too far she'll be backed into a corner. Bill won't be happy when he finds out Tomas is backing away from Kat. He wants intel! I felt sorry for Andre today. First Nicole tearing him down only to run to the hospital and find Dani still all up in Bill's business. I think the show has done well with making it known his hookups with Dani are more to him than just sex. Hayley fighting back against Dani. I'm hear for it. This could be another great rivalry like Kat/Eva.

ooooo no ultrasound. It's on!

Great Ted/Nicole scenes. Calling her "Princess". Ouch.

Give him hell, Nicole. lol Dani is obnoxious again today. I hate this side of her. C'mon Tomas be smarter than this! Peekaboo, Martin.

The heat messed with my head today. I didn't even think to jump over here while watching live. lol. Eva/Kat for me is still the show's breakout rivalry. Tomas is a dud with Kat, but for some reason he improves greatly when Eva is around. He's gotten much better since the first days. He still needs work though if that triangle is going to be a lead story. I loved Dani/Bill today. The vulnerability given to Dani was great to see. I hope they pull in more of the softer side of Dani. She can't be full-out all the time. The group that protected Martin is such a weird group of characters to put together and yet I'm all for it! I can't wait to find out what part each played. Also, to know that Ted knew all along won't go over with Nicole when it all comes out! Nor, Dani when she finds out Bill's part, I'm assuming. This right after they have "a moment". I don't want Jacob or Smitty to get hurt. I like them being buddies being on the right side of things. Of course, it prob won't last long. I don't think Hayley is faking pains. I just hope she doesn't lose the baby this quickly...even though I don't want Hayley saddled with a little one yet. It's just too early to drop this story.

AW was pulled for Passions which NBC owned. I don't think NBC was prepared for the backlash and boycott it created causing Days and Sunset Beach's ratings to fall by good measure after. SB gone 6 months later and Passions never made any ratings significance. I have a feeling P&G is only "testing" this method again to advertise for Tide and Febreze (which are nauseatingly present in eps). If it fails to improve sales of these products specifically, I think P&G will be out sooner than later.