Soaplovers

I watched a few season 4 episodes of Charlie's Angels.. and it's still a pretty good show even after Jackson left. Especially the Caged Angel episode with Louise Sorel guest starring with a younger Sally Kirkland

From what I understand, it's supposed to be more along the lines of Confessions on a Dance Floor with the same producer. Unpopular opinion, but I didn't like her collabs with Mirwais as much

If I recall, Quint wasn't supposed to be a super long term character, but due to his chemistry with Nola.. Marland switched gears. Had Marland not thrown a tantrum and quit, who knows if he could have incorporated Quint into the main show long term since his story arc was ongoing when he threw his tantrum. However, Guiding Light seemed to have this issue with keeping characters on long beyond their expiration date such as: Quint (unpopular opinion, but I think Quint/Nola should have left town after their June 1983 wedding) Helena India (She should have left in 1986 once Phillip dumped her, not been kept on until 1987. Her 1990 stint was four months or so and was effective, her 1998-1999 stint made no sense, her 2002 and 2005 visits were short and satisfying) Jenna (Jenna 1st stint was perfect and ended at the righ time. Jenna 2nd stint started strong and her character was declawed). Reva (I'll always say this, but she should have remained dead after driving off the bridge in 1990). Richard Edmund Cyrus Grady For some odd reason, I didn't mind Olivia being on the show even though she had that regal vibe to her character that made her not fit into Springfield.. but she actually had a good run (Her briefly meeting India in 2002 made me wonder what could have been if India had extended her stay past a few episodes)

Teresa Blake would have been a good choice considering that her character on AMC had been a nurse, had lost a child, and had tried to poison/kill Adam Chandler.. her approach was an interesting mix of OTT/subtlety that made her kind of scary. I think she could have put her own spin on Annie Dutton and made her somewhat closer to the essence of Annie Dutton as played by Cynthia.

Derek would have been better to present the idea over Leslie. Deanna not getting an answer, was in itself an answer. It's a shame that the show cast such a strong actress to play Lia that it makes it kind of sad that the character has a limited shelf-life when she actually is an interesting element to the hospital setting.

From what I understood, the death of Vicki's mother and being the oldest and being named after her father ended up causing Victor to use Vicki as a surrogate spouse (emotional **cest)... so when the rewrite happened in the 90s, it actually made sense because abuse wasn't talked about in the late 60s/early 70s and so what was seen back in the day was the illusion that Victor was showing to the world and Vicki deep down knew that things weren't normal and couldn't deal. People were so confused by the story in the 90s, but it made perfect sense to me. Of course, I tend to understand that what is shown isn't always what is true.

Both LOL With that said, from what I understand.. .the breakdown writer works closely with the head-writers and I would assume the head-writers would have to sign off on the breakdowns before they go to the script writer.. but every show does it differently so who knows how it works on this show. I could always tell when it was a Ron C breakdown because he tended to have short scenes (i.e. 1 to 2 minutes) broken up throughout the episode... while other writers tended to have have somewhat longer scenes so that the momentum of the scene wasn't broken up. I honestly can't tell when Jamey is the breakdown writer, especially if they're paired with a strong script writer that can flesh out the scenes. In regards to Deanna, I see her acting more like Doug than Vanessa while Donnell seems to be more like Vanessa than Doug.. in terms of personality. The other thing I really wish the show had done was introduce Donnell and Deanna while Doug was alive so we could see his rapport with both of his kids... that would have been better than the whole pointless June/Samantha/Tyrrell character arc. In fact, I would have had June as a character separate from the whole Samantha/Tyrrell characters (who I believe were not needed to be teens).. and had her finding her place in the non unhoused world.. and been the friendly waitress at Orphey Gene's (sort of like how Maggie Evans was in the first year of Dark Shadows.. the friendly waitress with a smile and a wisecrack as they got you your order :)

Ironically, when SC came back as the real Terri.. it was the first time that she fully connected on GL and there were fans back in the day that wondered why they didn't just keep the real Terri on the show instead of quickly writing her out and focusing on just Annie Dutton. The other issue with SC playing Annie was that she played Annie as being controlled and calm in all of her actions/interactions, which was the direct opposite of how Annie was written/portrayed previously. Not to mention, she was replacing Cynthia Watros... who made Annie into quite a memorable and fascinating character to watch.. so anyone coming in to play the character had an uphill battle. The one thing in SC's favor was that she actually had chemistry with RR, which viewers back in 1998/1999 took note of.. and that was what made viewers theorize that she would turn out to be Annie... even after the initial writing had her painted as someone interested in Frank. During this period, the show was focused more on plot without really examining long term effects... hence why any Holly story thread that popped up after the Nursey Rhyme story ended got dropped pretty quickly (her growing bond with Annie, Fletcher coming back, Sam the con artist). So it wasn't a surprise that once the initial Annie coming back story played out, the show didn't really know how to use the character... although the show did manage to write SC's Annie in scenes with Lizzie and showing her maternal side.. but it was too little, too late.

Donna/Matt were so well-received that when Amy Carlson first debuted as Josie, the original purpose of her character (to reunite with Matt) was 86'd because of how popular Matt and Donna were as a couple. And I agree that the show was really working to make Donna pathetic during the serial killer story with her throwing herself at Michael, Michael turning her down, and her acting desperate and trying to do odd things that made her look guilty. It seemed as though JFP/Depriest were going to make her so pathetic that her murder would be looked at as tragic because of how sad and pathetic a delusional older woman was (and this was constructed by two older women). I remember telling my mom about how Donna was the original final victim of the serial killer and she said 'you can't kill off Donna, she's too vital to the show'. Oddly the show decided on Frankie because she scored lower on a focus group test and it was during a time where Frankie was hardly written for and was being written as almost too serious without any of her more quirky and whimsical elements that made her character very unique. The show's attempt at trying her with another platonic guy friend (Joe) didn't work as well as her platonic friendship with Ryan.. and I guess the show just assumed it was due to her and not from the male character (hot as he was).

The weird Tailsman story hurt the show because the show had managed to find a good balance between the faith based mission and strong soapy stories/characters. It was why the Miriam story was successful and why the Kate Phillip arc was successful and caused a decent sized audience for the soap. The last few months of the show seemed to return back to basics, but once you drive away viewers and affiliates, it's difficult to get them both back. And I think the decision to cancel was sudden because you see a sudden shift to resolve/tie everything up in the final 15 or so episodes even though the campaign story still was ongoing, the Vanessa story was strong, the role playing campus story was getting started, and there was a pregnancy/paternity story that got resolved super quick even though it looked as though that still had legs to it.

If that ad was done in June 1980, Vanessa had just started on the show a mere few weeks before so I could understand her not being in the ad. Kelly/Morgan because they were the new young love story while Holly had just come off an intense year dealing with the rape, being in prison for 'killing' Roger, and the Santa Domingo story so her name carried weight even though it was close to her leaving. I do agree that Hope should have been included in the ad.

Darlene probably came from working class roots in the south and managed to find a good career as dispatcher that pays decently and probably married Elon when they were both working class. I view the Hawthornes as formerly working class that have worked their way up to middle/upper middle class... and sometimes they can look down on nepo-babies like Naomi.. even though Jacob and Luke (her sons) are techanically nepo-babies since they also became cops. Perhaps the father/son conflict between Elon and Iziaiah could be as simple as Elon thinking becoming a cop will gurantee an income, pension, and steady employment while Iziaiah isn't about that life and wants to help others like he was helped (and I work in corporate America where a lot of my co workers that are black men and women say they get more chances/opportunities when they work for a YT person vs someone that is black so I can kind of see why Iziaiah could possibly turn to someone like Joey.. but I would love that to be a point of tension between Joey and Elon). It's been mentioned that Darlene gets along with Anita, and i think it's due to Anita working her up in the social world from nothing so that gets Darlene's respect. I also think that if Darlene gave Eva half a chance, she'd grow to like and respect Eva.. who has had to go without and seems willing to work hard.

Darlene would probably shop at Tj Maxx or Ross, maybe even Talbots ../for an occasional nice outfit for important benefits involving the police. She wouldn't be a SPS/Leslie and buy overly expensive things.. Darlene would be smarter with her money

My question is why hasn't Lauren crossed over onto BTG? She would make more sense than Victor Newman, Jack, or Diane, etc.

Do we all forget how Lauren used to dress in her teens, 20s, and early 30s... she kind of dressed like Hayley does now LOL She didn't become more tailored into her late 30s/early 40s in her outfits.

Could a season 3 pick up involve this EP being ousted and replaced with someone that has a proven track record? I'd love that.

Smitty and Martin never resolved their issues, they just swept them under the rug.. but the behaviors are still the same that caused the issues to begin with. SPS needs to have a few layers added in order to show that there's a human being there. Gina on Santa Barbara was campy, but there were things that humanized that character and I think MVJ and co need to reign her in a bit. At least Eva and Iziaiah have conflict and some stakes in their relationship now,

I would prefer a couple to divorce and.. gasp.. stayed divorced and not reunite. If the show is intending to one day reunited Dani/Bill or Ted/Nicole.. it better be when the show is either canceled, or the actors are leaving the soap. Out of those two couples, I would prefer Ted/Nicole to reunite. Vanessa is trying to convince herself that Joey makes her feel alive. Let's be honest, Vanessa spits on the whole idea of marriage especially with the way she encourages married women to cheat on their husbands. And I think Vanessa looks down on Bill because they're two peas in a pod.

I think Anita is a conflict killer (i.e. the Chelsea/Kat conflict over ChelsKat). I don't feel sorry for Vanessa at all and I hope her daughter Deanna keeps on her and Joey. Also, if MVJ insisted on having Jon L on the show.... she could have cast him as chief of staff at the hospital instead of a mobster type.

The only interesting scenes, and they were too short, were the ones with SPS and Darlene at the lunch with Eva/Izaiah. Samantha/Donnell: Why does the show insist on wasting this talented actor with such a subpar actress and character.. and don't get me started on June (the only time I get Tyler Perry vibes is what that character). Dani - yawn... rinse, lather, and repeat.

I thought Peter Simon was decent as Ed in the 80s episodes I watched when he was acting opposite of both Maureen's (Ellen Dolan & Ellen Parker), but I think the combination of the early 90s era of the showv and the killing off of Maureen caused Ed to fall into a fugue state that he never really shook. He seemed to have some life again in the final episodes of the show.. but seeing him in episodes in the 80s, he infused Ed with some life and personality. And for those that say Alexandra falling for Roger was out of character, I talked to a therapist friend of mine and detailed some of her backstory... and they told me that her falling for someone like Roger was in character. And when I mentioned how she was forced to give up Lujack by her father and her brother didn't defend/help her.. they said that it tracks she wouldn't listen to people when they advised her not to get involved with Roger.. because it triggered memories of losing her son's and not having a voice in things that went on with her life.. so she doubled down on the Roger relationship/marriage.. and that was why she went hard-core against Roger and Mindy after she found out their affair (especially since she had known Mindy for years and had cared about her).

My autistic mind goes into analytical mode and that proves that Monday's episode was a good one because it was rife full of things to analyze. Darlene Hawthorne: I like her vibe and I think her character is someone that is needed to enrich the show. She came from the south, lived in a working class/middle class family, didn't go to college, and managed to find love, purpose, and a career without a college degree. It also was refreshing that she wasn't kissing the ground the Dupree's walk on and we need more characters that aren't SPS to fill that position. Curious to see more of her. Naomi's 'Best Friend': It's interesting that Naomi choose to use the words 'best friend' when it came to Hayley even though all the flashbacks had Ashley in them. Ashley was the one to encourage Naomi to call Jacob, came over to lend them something when they moved into their apartment, and was helping with the proposal/engagement situation... yet Hayley is her best friend? I want the show to explore that because I would assume Ashley's her best friend over Hayley... and maybe have a flashback or two of Hayley/Naomi pre-husband stealing to show their rapport when they were friends. Elon/Iziaiah: That disagreement between them at Jacob's wedding wasn't a huge blow up though you could tell Jacob looked worried/concerned so I'm hoping that this choice of scene means we'll be getting some detail on their estrangement and why Iziaiah turned to a 'life of crime' and why he opted to go to Joey Armstrong over his own father/mother/brothers. I'm really hoping this episode isn't a foreshadowing of Jacob dying, and just as we finally meet Darlene. I want to see the family dynamics at a family dinner with Naomi and Eva in attendance.. and see their interplay as well/

I kind have wanted to know their backstory so I guess me LOL Granted, I'd take an episode like this over love scenes between Joey/Vanessa or Dani/Andre. Gotta have something for the more chaste viewer :)

Today's episode was something I had been wanting to see since the show first started... Jacob/Naomi's backstory. It kind of confirmed to me my initial theories on why they were drawn to one another.. but it also gave some strong backstory on the Hawthorne family and makes me truly think they should be the second family.

From what I understand about the whole Zas as Alan becoming Roger Thorpe was that I believe the higher ups wanted Zas to come back as Alan, but that either Zas or someone else said that he would be too associated with Roger Thorpe to work as Alan Spaulding. If they were deciding this before having Daniel Pilon come on, then that would have been during the writer strike while Long/Curlee were not on the writing staff.. and if it was after the writer strike.. then I could imagine Long panicking because anything she had planned she couldn't do because of the five month long strike and her not knowing the Roger Thorpe character would have probably approved his casting as Alan. From the tidbits I've heard on Locher Room interviews, whenever Long is mentioned.. it usually is mentioned as someone that will listen to ideas from other people and if one is inspirational.. she'll map out a concept. Curlee had stated she was the one to convince Long to write Roger/Holly back onto the show and that both of them watched the 4/1/1980 episode to see if there was any indication that Roger hit the ground and decided there wasn't so proceeded with bringing him back. The story bringing him back up to the wedding wasn't Curlee's idea so I think that was Long's idea.. and it was an odd idea, but it fit with Roger (since he did love disguises, and a mask would be easier to pull off).