titan1978

We never really got to see Molly and TJ excited for their baby. It was always about Kristina. They have done such a poor job with this storyline. Forced conflict and zero attention that made it seem like anyone but Kristina wanted this baby and felt joy about it. It’s almost like AI artwork- you think it’s real then you see the six fingers on one hand. There has been almost zero real human reaction on this show in weeks. The Natalia fallout, the Heather story, Pikeman and now this. Is a robot writing this show that doesn’t understand human emotion? This is worse than anything I saw from Dan and Chris, except maybe Peter. TPTB need to take a serious step back and ask themselves who is this show being made for? Because I would bet there is close to zero audience that wanted to watch a conflict filled surrogacy storyline go almost to full term and end like this, with the clear promise of more conflict about it is to come.

Oh it’s a mess before that. I just remember that being, as you said, a particularly dark time. And I enjoyed the Panic Room and also think it was trashy and all spectacle. But that’s kind of what I felt for that period on the show. Everything was very trashy.

And it looks so much better!

Complicated. What worked for me was the more grounded take on storytelling as Riche moved the show away from the Monty tone that had been there even when Gloria was not EP. Felicia was one of my favorite characters so the Ryan story really drew me in. Pairing her with Mac worked better than all the other attempts for him. Scotty/Dom/Lucy was such an excellent way to give Scotty and Lucy depth. Karen/Jagger/Jason/Brenda was what really drew me in, I loved that teen scene. Levinson also was sleazy. Karen stripping being an example. The way they tried to make Brenda a vixen didn’t work for Marcil, and her playing against type where she could saved that character from cliche. Labine brought much needed heart and better storytelling chops to the show. Her team managed to execute what Richie was trying to do. Even a filler Labine episode had a sense of community and emotion. Labine had never done an hour show, so her version was a hybrid. That’s why the scenes were longer, filled with lots of character defining dialogue. Everything had more intelligence, and the characters all had emotional depth (a couple of duds to be sure, Katherine wasn’t really a great character, nor was Miguel). To me Labine is as important to the future of the show as Monty/Marland/Pat Falken Smith were from 78-81, she just did it in less time.

It was still good television, there was just a sense that it wasn’t going anywhere. They had amazing stories for two years, then it kind of slows down except for the Stone story. Everything else was resolved so that story took center stage while everything else went into a holding pattern instead of also beginning new stories. Guza comes in hot with Carly (MVJ says that was his, not Labine), moves Jax to Brenda, Jason/Robin, puts Laura on trial for killing Damian, Lily is pregnant and Sonny breaks Brenda’s heart again, clink/boom, and Lulu’s bone marrow transplant reintroduced the Cassadines and Laura’s secret son Nikolas. This was in like six months and it was great soap. The pace was quick but they still wrote all the quiet character scenes they had been doing, didn’t skip over details, and the emotional stakes were always high. I loved Labine, but she really regressed Laura. I got her point of view with her being over the danger, but Laura was a capable partner to Luke on the older adventures, not just a damsel in distress. The constant wringing her hands over danger felt like a waste. Guza knew how to write for Laura, and IMO the show was better for the fact that the Spencer stories revolved around her for those few months instead of Luke. We are not that far away at that point from Sonny shooting Carly in the head while she was giving birth to Morgan, which I felt was a low period for the show.

I loved her work, but I don’t think that was the answer. When Guza got pulled away because Sunset Beach was actually going into production, the show was really good. It was a marriage of the Labine writer’s depth, Riche’s production, and some of the old school Monty era action and intrigue thanks to Guza. My what if has always been Guza/Harris continue uninterrupted, and Labine gets control of Ned and Lois for her proposed spin-off. Riche trying to do two shows was a negative for both.

About the blue thing- that’s not just Tomlin. There have been times on this show in the recent past where people’s teeth looked blue due to the lighting and filming. It used to be especially bad in the Metro Court restaurant/bar set. The accident has infused some much needed urgency into the show so far. However, it’s so noticeable how bland the scripts are once again compared to Dante’s shooting. There was so much depth and honestly better production in those episodes than in what I have seen so far. It was especially noticeable when Kristina arrived at the hospital and the way they filmed the revelations of Alexis and TJ. Mulcahey may be in the credits but he is long gone from the actual product.

It’s one of those little things that the show being more detailed could fix. You have Kristina Wagner on contract, and Felicia had a relationship with Stone, and more importantly with Jagger. They have barely used her since the new writers took over, she’s not in danger of going over her guarantee. She is a perfect example of a character that could have been someone he confided in and allowed the show to explore his point of view. She doesn’t have to agree with what he is doing, but she could have been an actual friend. Instead we wasted time flirting with Carly. You have Kin Shriner there too and no scenes that I can remember between Jagger and Scott either.

For a character he did not create, Courtney just screamed Chuck Pratt. Once he was headed out the door so was she. Speaking of the virus sweeps event, does anyone know who decided it was time for Robert Scorpio to come back? Both in hindsight and at the time it felt very strange considering how the show was written and produced at the time. The focus was getting rid of classic era characters, not bringing them back.

Gio is charming, but he cannot act beyond being charming. If this show wasn’t so bland, conservative and sexless there would be room for a character like him mixing it up. As it stands now he is just there flirting and smiling. They don’t even have him playing the violin enough to justify that being why they hired him. Trina certainly deserves better!

In 2002 that was the direction they were headed, Jason/Brenda. They ported most of Brenda’s planned story onto Sam as far as the Sonny affair, baby that dies and Jason taking care of her.

The real question is how did she not just hit the bottom and bounce in that shallow ass pool?

Excellent for MVJ! I am certain his EP role involves the writing more than day to day production. Even though I hope they fill the staff with more talent not from the last 30 years of soaps, I still understand the steady hands she is surrounding herself with. I know if I was Guza I would be thrilled to create, and mentor, and mange writers. But I would never want to sit in a network meeting again! Both MVJ and Mulcahey said he is quite adept at managing a team of writers and collaborative. Skills a new show would need.

Just from an outside view, I bet JHC is going to be running the day to day production, and I bet Guza is there as more of a creative director producer, almost like a showrunner. I hope MVJ negotiated herself a production credit or at least a contract that gives her some autonomy and control. She has partners in Guza and JHC that she has worked with and has loyalty with, especially Guza. But by all accounts this is mostly her creation, and soaps suffer when the writers are not in control.

That is not exactly accurate as far as GH goes. Not only did the tone of the scenes change abruptly when he arrived, the power struggle became apparent onscreen within 6 weeks. All of a sudden several characters decided to pursue new jobs, clearly to restructure character hubs. We have had a constant back and forth for months as stories started, gained traction, and then unraveled due to bts shenanigans. Look at Finn- dead father to raging alcoholic to rehab and off the show in like 15 days. Cyrus is a victim of Sonny’s, Laura and Anna are also after him, Molly is literally carrying the paperwork around to charge him, story dropped. So many more examples. The Sonny flip flop has been a disaster IMO. I am not disputing that Labine was a bad fit at GL and it showed. I’m just saying I think the abruptness/severity of bts drama playing out for the audience to see in their product is much worse here.

My nightmare. Again, yes this is my recollection too. Do I think it was disgusting to gloss over how awful sonny was? Absolutely. But what was written and on screen is what it is, not what I wish it to be.

Correct. He worked on the show as a scriptwriter in the early to mid 80’s. One of the reasons the Cassadine Nikolas story was so detailed was because he was there back then and knew and cared how to line the pieces up. He didn’t have the open disdain for soaps until he came back from Sunset Beach, and it really sets in when he came back in 2002. It makes me a little less angry in hindsight because those were the big two that I think really destabilized the show through today to be honest. But you are correct, misery and death was his business on GH and the tone was mostly his.

I can now take Alan and Georgie off his list of bad decisions. My only concerns with this news is that those are hands that know how to steer a soap, but they have to be surrounded by newer talent too. Otherwise it’s not going to work, because folks like Guza and Carruthers presided over nothing but decline. I want this show to soar! And the unnamed writer is to be Mulcahey, right?

And on Twitter Michele Val Jean replied to a comment about Guza and Georgie that they were on strike and Guza’s team didn’t kill Georgie. So he didn’t want to off Alan or Georgie? Interesting.

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Pretty sure she was fine with him when they visited right before Stone died, and again when the part was recast for Port Charles. There is a layer of misogyny attached to the way Jagger is behaving about Karen. Like he needs to protect his little lady for her own good, no matter what she wants or even if she is alive anymore. Sure it was the writing, but Karen didn’t turn Sonny in. And this was back when he was low level mob. Two/more things can be true at once- the writing for Anna was atrocious. Sonny is scum. However, Jagger has not been portrayed this entire run as heroic or as a stand up character. He is also still as stupid as he was back then. He openly flirted with Carly when he knew what he was holding over Jason. He was close to railroading Anna on sloppy email evidence. Defending him like he has remotely been a good guy or is simply doing his job is whack. Yes!

This also makes Jason look like a chump. It’s just over, and he spent years trying to keep her from being caught, and instead she went to court and it’s just resolved? If I was his kids I would be livid. Perfect place for Sam to light into both of them. And as far as Valentin goes- he was the one that started messing with Sonny’s meds in the first place! The actor isn’t even on contract, hasn’t been, and he is being treated better than contract players. Protecting characters that largely are not working is destroying the show. The correct decisions were made with Finn, Austin, Gregory, and I thought Valentin. Before Mulcahey I would have lumped Nina and Drewin there too, but he did bring some life to them.

I don’t think I have seen a show unravel this slowly and so completely over such an extended time. Heads used to roll much quicker in the EP position than this. Is this how people felt during the last year of Tom Donovan with the invasion of the Webbers? I was watching Monty’s second run through the transition to Riche and that was way more smooth than the last year of GH, and almost everything was public about the bts transition/troubles. Maybe Rauch and Labine on GL? The public knew she was fired and then rehired because nobody else wanted the job, and that they were ultimately not a good fit and that he was still working to replace her. And Rauch was not easy to get along with, yet somehow managed in these circumstances to still produce her material without sabotaging it.

You could have warned us/reminded me that immediately after was a scene with Courtney!

Back in the day Jason did it because Michael was more his concern than Carly, and her impulsiveness had created problems over and over again. Plus he loved Robin. The real reason back then was Burton fought it at every turn, until he gave in just a little to give his exit story more oomph (Jason shot doing Sonny’s business while Sonny and Carly had sex for the first time). I wish I had saved my old soap mags because I remember Burton being asked about Carly/Jason and he basically said Jason would never be with someone like Carly. This was when Robin was still in the picture though, but only away at school. KMc had not fully quit yet. When the PC hotel was on fire, he kissed TB’s version. I don’t remember anything romantic with LW’s Carly until he was again headed out the door and they thought Sonny was dead. Laura Wright has always leaned heavily into the closeness and how much Carly needs Jason, which is pretty true to how SJB played her.