titan1978

She was also believably dangerous for a GH character. She had a darker edge than Robert, and could often be described as more pessimistic and at times gloomy. But Finola made it work, and the collaboration with the actor and show made a unique character in all of daytime. When Olivia Jerome rigged the elevator and killed her unborn child with Duke, there was a sense that Anna could cross the line when she was out for revenge. I never felt that way about Felicia, Robert in the 80’s, or Frisco. Sean maybe. One of the reasons it honestly surprised me that Guza didn’t want Anna full time in the 2000’s was the fact that he could easily make her grey. Instead they used her well as a sounding board for Robin, and poorly as a groupie for Eli Love. They loved the juxtaposition of soft spoken Emma Samms as con artist Holly though, which for me never worked at all. When they first aged the character up she had a lot of insecurity, especially around the men she had feelings for. It could be explored now too if the show did any character writing at all. Especially coming from a set of epic parents with a legendary love story, even if it did end poorly, it burned bright.

It’s a shame, because she used to be at least a little calculating and less afraid of everything. All My Children got Anna more in character than this show has since her contract return. Certainly since the stuff with Valentin started, through all of Peter August as a real person and a ghost.

Did they ever explain why Cullum was carrying around Faison’s book and smoking his favorite brand?

Oh good, something to look forward to in a scene with Joss! Britt having a fatal disease was a big part of her arrogance slipping, and her coming to terms with that was a big part of why that interlude with Jason worked so well. If they remove that in general she hasn’t shown any real growth. I can’t imagine Jason staying with Britt as she is now, without that tragic aspect looming.

Coming back to this because I just got to the last few episodes. Both of them seem to have a hard time with that name a couple of times lol! And as far as Felicia goes, I think her reaction was fine, and showed more levels than the one Alexis had when Sonny told her who killed Marco. They are not close relatives of course, but Alexis has shown how traumatic finding him was a couple of times, and Danny is directly endangering himself. I wonder if some of that up and down and lower levels instead of their stylized way soaps used to show drama has to do with block taping multiple episodes and how things are pieced together?

For some reason I got the impression this was supposed to be a short return anyway, and when things got stalled out because of Storms they extended it. I think Paevey said something along the lines of he was excited to return for this story, not excited to be back at the show, and that kind of parsing made me think it wasn’t ever planned to be a full return. Maybe that was just my interpretation. I also don’t care enough to go looking for any of his return interviews. Storms also teased when she came back from her initial leave the story was going to be incredible. That also never happened. I will give him a little credit. He has been slightly less wooden this time and was clearly enjoying playing shady. But it’s not like when Rory arrived as Michael and really nailed it.

Sometimes it seems like either the actor reached out to Frank, or the other way around, and got hired and started work before the writers knew they were coming back.

Thank you. That exact set of scenes is why I got confused. It would be one thing for him to be swapping out his genetic connection so nobody could find out he was the father, but the scene played like you said, as if he was trying to make himself appear to be. As it was happening, and for years since, I did not understand this one at all. Yes the fans were out of control. But that triangle continuously being stopped from happening never made sense to me. I couldn’t decide if it was bts between the actors, Frons, Guza, or JFP that was against it. To me it was almost a structural issue, because in the old days a show would have jumped at that kind of engagement and attention. Even now with Jason out in limbo and Liz with nobody they won’t touch it. He’s always been a walking block of wood to me. Not to keep harping on this, but we have Michael with a very compelling actor just languishing while we watch this guy’s every move.

I think it’s backpedaling because they want to keep him. I don’t think this was anywhere near the story Paevey was excited about in November when they interviewed him about his return. I have a feeling it was supposed to be much more cat and mouse and more emotionally complicated, and he was going to be more grey.

It’s not as prestigious as it was, but it’s also not like some hammy stuff wasn’t nominated and awarded in the old days. Sometimes when you watch old Emmy nomination categories the best actress rounds are one over the top hysterical scene after another. Not unlike Soapdish.

It’s why I am having a hard time enjoying it. I deeply appreciate them uploading anything and these look great. But it was a low period for me when it was airing, and I am even less inclined to watch every one of these now.

Jane has said more than once she doesn’t even submit anymore, hasn’t really since her return to the show in the 2000’s. She doesn’t enjoy awards she just likes the work and her coworkers. Now in many ways she came back full time from her retirement reinvigorated, very excited to be back at work and always gives the material her all. And she has lots of nuanced stuff she has played this Emmy season. But I don’t know if her feelings have changed all that much about awards. Her GH Emmy was done for spite anyway, her exit was acrimonious and Monty’s secretary ( possibly Norma at that time?) called Jane when submission were due and she nominated herself, and won. Sticking it to Gloria was a big part of that.

I would argue that especially on GH, some of those larger than life elements should exist. But they used to be the engine for stories about relationships. Romances of course, but also the camaraderie and friendships from the Monty era. Labine used the mob for danger, but it was also used to show Sonny’s early thirst for respect and power, which defined him well beyond her writing. It was part of character development. The Cassadines were reintroduced with a bone marrow transplant story. Even earlier in Valentini’s run, Robin’s return was about getting back to her family more than it was about the supervillain plot. I just rewatched a doc about the chaos in creating Star Trek:The Next Generation. It was a hit right out of the gate, but not a hit any of them were all that proud of in the writer’s room. Beginning with season three, they began a process that every script was about or for at least one of the characters. So instead of just visiting x planet, it became a Data story about x planet. Or made Crusher a focal point in an allegory about the troubles between Northern Ireland and England. With some rare exceptions, GH stories happen to the characters, instead of being about them or for them to develop. Liz, Franco, and her boys were involved in plots, but everything boiled down to those relationships which were developed along the way. The relationship focus and all the in between connective character tissue is just not a priority currently.

It’s Frank. He loves this type of thing!

I think it is too. Mostly because the market is there and wants it. Soap opera type Romance has exploded in popularity in books and on tv. But the genre that used to do it so well it became formulaic has just given up. And films no longer cater strongly to this demo either, so romantic comedies and maligned chick flicks are no longer made like they used to be. That audience didn’t disappear. They moved to other media. And young people reading manga and YA books are literally hardwired for romance content at a young age. I do believe that there is a path for ratings growth and it would literally involve the same stuff that got GH out of the dumps in 1978. A major affair storyline like Monica/Rick/Leslie/Alan where they played the same kind of beats, and Luke/Laura/Scotty (minus SA).

While watching all the coverage of Deidre Hall’s DAYS anniversary, there have been a lot of clips of her big moments. Something I think she doesn’t get enough credit for is she is really great at the smaller stuff. I believe her in every relationship, from Don to both Romans. She’s fun and flirty and has sparkling chemistry with all her major leading men. She does with John too, but some of that fun of the characters just talking left because the show goes so hard on the tortured part of their romance for a long time. That’s also part of that feeling that is missing now. The characters rarely seem at ease, because they don’t write that way or let the actors be as playful because of the constraints of time and money. Humor is usually at the expense of a character like Lucy or clownish like Scotty, annoying like Leo, or snarky like Britt. Rarely it’s just people that enjoy each other, and that used to be pretty normal on soaps

I tend to agree. She’s one of those unsung soap writers that just doesn’t get the wider attention she deserves for being great. Sam Hall too tbh. Maybe part of that is they didn’t hop to other shows and create magic multiple times like Marland, or create fully from the ground up like Nixon and Bell, etc. For a long time Nancy Curlee was in this category too, and I honestly think SON was a huge part in her being as well respected as she is now, especially online. I certainly think her 1990 exit had a lot to do with her. When she came back she walked into a story already going where Tina had become less of an ingenue, and she really ran with it. You can tell she made choices to play scenes with some humor, and gave Tina a rooting factor even when she was scheming. She sometimes played dumb for the other characters, but also showed the audience she was fully engaged. And I even liked Witter’s recast, but Evans was singular. My feelings about Lorne’s eventual exit are strictly practical. Much like Bill Bell was the only one still standing as a singular creative force with actual power when he retired, Lorne is the only one left in all of broadcasting with the kind of clout and old school investment in pure creativity from every department that he has. Sometimes a team of people put on prosthetics in minutes between sketches. That kind of skill and thriving in the pressure is singular to his SNL. We watched Y&R be dismantled by internal power struggles, production/network interference, and it simply would not have happened the same way before Bell retired. Yes, add Gordon Russell to my earlier comment about Hall and Peggy. Thank you for the link!!

The age old problem of trying to produce for a market by going at it from the wrong direction. Sprina had a slow burn romance and survived a recast because the actors were invested in making it work. It was almost classic supercouple formula stuff, right down to Esme the other woman. The actors did a lot of their own publicity as far as engaging fans. I honestly believe Valentini just doesn’t want to do romances like that anymore. I think a lot of it is the fervor those fans bring to everything. It’s part of why they have major roles like Carly and Michael saddled with recurring characters. I think it’s 70% playing it safe with conservatives, and 30% they just don’t want to tell epic romance anymore. I think both are about reactions to the worst possible parts of the audience.

Can someone catch me up on what is happening with Ethan? I have missed a few episodes since his return, and I am doing some heavy skipping with my FF button, so I miss some of his stuff. Is he that baby’s father?

I don’t disagree. I just don’t want it all to be blamed on BLQ. I want Chase to play a major part in his own downfall and not be able to trace it all back to her lying, or use that as the excuse for him to hit the sheets with Willow. I did really like the conversation with Tracy and Michael about that marriage. It also reminded me how much they are wasting Rory Gibson at the moment. Much like Lucky and Isaiah having little to do with each other or Sidwell when he came to town, Michael was burned by the man and has virtually zero part in that story. Plus Carly has mentioned that a couple of times but she’s more about Joss being held captive than Sidwell roasting her precious Michael.

I would love for something to wipe some of these folks out. But it just goes to show that up until last year I would have added Drew and Willow to that killing spree! @Vee I forgot they were defacto siblings because of Dante and Sam, and I hate it even more now.

With the popularity of K-pop and actors like Hudson Williams blowing up right now, the fact that we do not have a hot as hell young set of Wu brothers, one that wants to work in the family business and one that doesn’t is a shame and a waste.

I get having a little fun with Tracy. But they had an organic story happening that would have given them all something real to do for months. We should have seen them have an affair, Chase Immediately regret his actions, then slowly keep compromising him. He wants to tell BLQ right away but can’t because of the new baby. He still feels a pull towards Willow which is tormenting him. Draw that out for a couple of months, then hit him with the truth about Drew’s shooting and drugging. He’s compromised everything for a psychopath. Then Willow leaks their affair right before he can tell BLQ, thinking he won’t have any choice but to run to her. He’s been so insufferable I want him to really fall here. Instead it’s all going to be about BLQ lying again. Because we can’t have nice things and nobody can truly make a mistake. She’s lying about not causing an accident, not even realizing she saw an accident, because she was drinking. Maybe these stories were a little preachy and patronizing in the old days, but back then this would be a drunk driving story and someone would have been temporarily in a coma, paralyzed, or had a bout of hysterical blindness. Instead we have Scarface, who caused her own accident, blaming everybody else with her man all over town. And it would have lead to more story too. A trial, maybe a rehab story, maybe folks lining up to cover it up and some good old fashioned Quartermaine blackmail. Stories. What makes me so annoyed is they have great stuff they have come up with. But they only play the twists, the main points, and then plot drivel regurgitation for weeks at a time. Half the time they also drop the whole thing and either pick it back up in a few weeks or just never touch it again!

I don’t even watch Bold, but I see the young characters all over the internet, especially Crew Morrow. Never underestimate the power of a cute guy and telling romance stories. From what I hear that and reigniting some fueds seems to be drawing people in.

That, luring Kristina Wagner back and pairing Felicia with Mac against Ryan and Scotty/Dominique/Lucy are the only things that actually fully worked, although they tried with dark Tiffany and Sean’s affair. But yes, those teens did a lot of heavy lifting. It’s not like Frank doesn’t know how to do these kinds of stories. There were many successful teen characters on his OLTL. And just a few years ago on GH. As awful as Oscar and Joss was, it was fully told and I knew who Joss, Oscar, Cameron, Spencer, and Trina were. They were fully fleshed out and in their own stories separate from the adults. Charlotte has existed strictly for Valentine, Danny as the softest rebel of all time, Rocco is saddled with this nightmare Britt stupidity, and Scout is in all honesty incredibly, painfully green from what I have seen so far. Poor Rocco and Charlotte, their grandmother was fully a lead and driving major story at their age!