Soaplovers

My late mom told me that there was a clash between VH and M/B over the direction of the show. She wanted it not to be so slapstick/comedy and to actually do interesting and heartfelt episodes. Leave it to Willie was an episode that the network sided with VH on and it was a very good episode about how life isn't a sitcom and that things don't get wrapped up neatly in a 30 minute time period.. and the episode ended with things unresolved. With that said, I liked both Sandy Duncan and Valerie Harper on the show. Both were strong performers.

San Cristobel was when the show had officially past go and couldn't turn arond and fix itself. Yet a bunch of new characters that we were stuck with for years (Edmund, Olivia) and just a vehicle to feature Reva.. when her time as main character was well and done. Shame no one with enough backbone and balls didn't just backburner the character and/or fire Zimmer (who I find to be almost a bully)

I remember a scene where Anita briefly talked with Eva and didn't hold SPS/Leslie being her mother against her.. and she had a look of compassion. It also told me that she remembers being from the 'wrong side of the tracks' and views Eva differently than her elitist daughter (Dani) and grand-daughter do (Kat). Seeing Kat reminds me of the movie 'The First Wives Club' where the three women turn against one another and become the very thing that they're fighting against. I'm seeing Kat is making herself look like the bad guy while Eva is looking innocent in comparison. Kat... don't be a Tamra Judge, just give SPS/Leslie & Eva enough rope to hang themselves.

Yesterday's episode with Ashley/Shanice talking about Ashley's 1 year anniversary on 2/25/2026 had a few easter eggs to celebrate the show's first anniversary. Ashley's 1st day at the hospital was episode 2 where SPS/Eva/Jan came to wish Ashley good luck on her 1st day and where we got to hear a bit from Eva about being at a cross-roads in her life and being in between jobs and happy that Ashley has things figured out. Not only did the episode show Ashley's 1st anniversary, but it also showed Eva perfectly content working for Ted and being a help with launching the clinic. And Derek being at crossroads with his life/career mirrored Eva's very own crossroads with her life/career the year before so her being a help to him was kind of a full circle moment. Episode 3 of the show I believe had Laura's accident and as we've seen 1 year later... Laura hasn't quite recovered from that event and I don't believe the show will actually resolve the story at least right now. It'll happen when we least expect it.. I think the story coming back up is because of the 1 year anniversary of the show and event. And lastly.. SPS dropping in on Dani without an invite is the only thing acceptable to me especially with Dani doing the same to her ex and his new wife last year. Karma.. like Dani.. is a bitch :)

Laura > Chelsea

Pretty good episode, next week will be ever better :)

I'm glad someone clued in TPTB that they weren't showing Naomi in a positive light because this was the first day in awhile where I could buy that she truly loves and values Jacob. Better late than never. Derek vs SPS is something I never knew I needed.. but now know that it's an enjoyable part of the show to me. Smart of him to advocate for himself by saying he would only report to Eva and not SPS... he knows that they're desperate so he was lucky Eva agreed to that request/demand. Episode 2 of the series of Ashley's 1st day at the hospital where Jan/SPS/Eva wished her luck so it's nice the show did a little segment on that as well. Tomas made logical sense yet again... just wish the actor put some feeling into his words.

I can't wait till Deanna enters the scene because I'm 50/50 on if she's exactly like Doug or Vanessa. Hilarious that Vanessa clutches her pearls about Deanna signing up for her service so I guess it's ok to pay for sex, cheat on your spouse, etc.. just so long as it isn't your daughter. Samantha needs to be recast. Decent actress, but miscast especially if the show insists on shackling Donnell to her. Can we not make June a walking stereotype? So it seems as though June knows the guy accused of mugging Hayley.. so I do wonder if perhaps Hayley/June are connected like everyone thought originally. And Samantha.. in order to get respect, you need to earn respect and give respect.. and Samantha has displayed that she doesn't deserve to be respected.

Just because a character says something doesn't mean it's true. She might have given up the child and turned to religion.

I would say that the show has nicely been building a world that goes beyond just the Duprees and beyond the gates. Since 'season 2' started, we're starting to build up the supporting characters and interactions that aren't 100 percent tied to any of the Duprees.. and so far, it's been a success.

I remember Port Charles the spin-off when it debuted. The network had decided to schedule a two hour tv movie on Sunday night and then premiere it as a 30 minute soap on Monday. It was smart of them to do the Greg Cooper hostage situation during the tv movie where we also got to meet all the interns and also show how Kevin/Lucy were tied into the premiere along with Audrey Hardy. Biggest mistake was scheduling it opposite the Tony Awards so ratings weren't good and the acting/direction wasn't the most realistic. The biggest complaint the first weeks/months of the show was that it felt like two completely different shows where you had the interns starting their new journey at the hospital while Lucy/Kevin/Scotty were in an almost separate storyline involving Serena's kidnapping. Even though three of the interns were connected to that story (Jake, Eve, and Karen).. it still felt like two completely separate shows with little to no connection to one another. Having the developers of the show (Cullitons) leave and be replaced by Lynn Marie Latham was the shot of energy that was needed with the show eventually merging the two fragmented shows into one show with the General Homicide mystery and the mixing of characters that hadn't interacted much during the Culliton era. Was Latham perfect, no... but she did manage to make the show interesting and was able to make the two unrelated halves of the show merge and become one messy show even after she left in the spring of 1999 until the telenovela/soap hybrid experiment started in late 2000.

I would categorize her as a working actress more-so than a famous actress. Looking up her IMDB, she managed to have smaller roles in larger/well known projects such as Peyton Place, Yours Mine & Ours, Capital (as the original Julie Clegg), Friday the 13th The final Chapter, Maid to Order, and In the Deep Woods (Anthony Perkin's final role). I think she stopped acting on a consistent basis by the mid 90s... but I think a steady stream of consistent roles from the 60s to the 90s isn't anything to laugh at.. especially in a business that isn't too kind to working performers.

For a serial drama to be effective, you need to have a few basics: 1) Pacing - Telling multiple stories at different speeds will leave the audience satisfied and never viewing an episode as filler. Most modern day attempts at serial dramas/prime time soaps have a limited concept and limited story threads that don't go in a linear direction. 2) Ensembles - You need a strong ensemble or else your show falters. JR wouldn't have been so iconic if he didn't have Bobby/Pam to play off of.. same with Alexis vs Krystle, etc. 3) More episodes - 13 episodes is just not effective to really delve into a story, nor is 22 episodes. 26 to 28 episodes is the sweet spot. 4) Diverse Acting styles - You had Joan Collins going OTT while you had Pamela Bellwood opting for a more subdued acting style. Knots Landing had various different acting approaches by the main women and me, as did early Falcon Crest.

A few thrillers I've enjoyed over the years. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware (more gothic mystery) The Good Sister & Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (Two separate books) Lock Every Door & The Last Time I lied by Riley Sager (Two separate books) If you want a truly intense gothic novel/s.. read the following: Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews (if you can handle FITA, read this one).

The other thing I wondered about was if Hayley and Doug knew one another since wasn't it mentioned in the early episodes that Doug and Randy sort of grew up together?