Soaplovers

I can't believe Val would utter such a line..considering the work the show did to.show that Val loved Ben just as much as she loved Gary.

I could understand him trashing Phillips, etc... but Slesar?!?!?! The writer that wrote some great mysteries on both EON and Somerset, as well as utilizing the Washington DC setting for Capital ( i.e. political intrigue, scandals, espinage, etc). With that said, I was a child of 80s soaps.. and the soaps I liked as a child in the 80s were Guiding Light and Santa Barbara (two very polar opposite soaps). I loved that both were emotional, quirky, and full of life (I liked Pam Long's take on GL). I do wonder if Lemay had the idea to make Josie, Russ Matthews daughter, or if that was Donna Swajeski?

I recently researched season 1 of rhobh....it was like lightening in a bottle and set the bar so high...that the shoe had never been able to meet. It was very natural, the women seemed to enjoy each other.....and kim vs Taylor wad natural because you sometimes don't click with people...even recall when Kim tried to hang out with taylor to make nice...and Taylor was like not getting Kim's quirky/loopy/drunk vibe. In also forgot that LVP and adrienne were friendly and got along that season. I think L VP becoming the unexpected MVP made the other women jealous hence why in season 2..the other women were trying to one up her. However, Camille was the perfect villianess.....calm, calculating, and perfect balance of Cattiness and sweetness. I do agree that she would constantly win against Kyle since Kyle couldn't keep a handle on her emotions. Best moment of season 2 was Camille outing Taylor's abuse tales she was telling the other ladies behind the scenes. To this day, I'm not sure if she was being truthful or not....at least about the physical abuse aspect. The emotional abuse part...I could buy. Rinna is rewatching to get pointers for season 9...imho

Rachel didnt get off scott free... after all, Karma bought Iris into her life when she moved on from Steve to Mac.

Shelley fabares character was best used in small doses....like a recurring guest star then a full time cast member. I think Bonnie Franklin wanted to do some more stage work/theater so her presence lessened because of that. I think MP's problems off set hurt the shoe because Julie was a pretty good contrast tomboy Barbara. She also had good comic timing, yet was intense in the dramatic scenes. Her absence was felt.

Actually from reading the history if the shoe..and talking to my mom who grew up during this triangle....she thought Alice and Rachel were too good for steven....and that he was the cause of all the heart ache cause he couldn't keep his pants zipped up....and played both women against each other...and gave mixed signals to both. Rachel wasnt all evil (but she sure w asnt put upon like you ranted about)...and Alice wasn't all pure (but she sure w asnt the harpy you say she was).

I kind of got a kick out of Kathryn.. though I think being shell shocked at the reunion and holding onto a pillow when the other women were arguing probably sealed her fate. She and her husband were kind of cute together, and she seemed kind of quirky. Hopefully, Luann is doing this because she truly has accepted she has hit rock bottom and not to generate more airtime and story. I'm hoping she comes through this, but cynical me remembers her from seasons past.. and it will take action more then words.

That's why I rate Anne Heche as my favorite recast.. because she fought to make Marley a character instead of being seen as Vicky's boring twin. Plus, it seemed like two different actresses were playing the characters when Anne was playing it especially during the rape trial. When I would watch scenes with marley/Vicky when Anne Heche played it... it was like two different actresses and I could tell which twin was which. Marley had a softer/gentler approach in facial expressions and vocal tones.. while Vicky had a more intense and dramatic delivery in her voice. Ellen did better as Marley then Vicky... and despite Jenson's dislike of playing Marley.. she played Marley better then she played Vicky.

To me.. the character of Marley got the short end of the stick in regards to stories/focus/writing once Vicky came onto the scene as the 'bad' twin. Other then the Anne Heche era... Marley really wasn't given that much range/focus other then as the long suffering good twin to Vicky... even her final year when she went crazy was just a way to prop Vicky and rapist Jake. To me, the show never really delved into the whole Donna/Marley connection... since Marley was raised to believe Donna was her sister and not her mom. I know there were occasional focus on the two... but it seemed like the show was more interested in Vicky then Marley.

Camille was not only a villianess in season 1...but she actually had friends, had fun, and read deep books. She was always fairly calm in her confrontations (even her s2 smackdown where she outed Taylor's abuse..she was fairly calm). Adrienne is better as mediator then causing drama.. it's nice to see her and Camille back for visits. You all say boring....i say the calm before the storm.

It was a brief scene they showed after Lizzie complained that no oine came to her birthday party..and the show showed a scene (briefly) of her telling C hristian when drunk that he never got a boner. I think there was to the scene...but the missing housewife Danielle was in the scene so that's why the show cut the scene.

That is fascinating aboit her not approving due to class differences...im going to guess in 1984 it w asnt in the plans at that time for her to have had a romance with a stable guy and had twins....right?

I knew there was something quite not right about that marriage. Especially that drunken scene where she yelled he couldn't get a bones. I knew then that it was okly a matter of time.

Why do you think Agnes Nixon jumped ship to ABC? She had headaches with p and g...and feeling stifled by their rules. No surprise that p and g were unwilling to change even in the 90s and thereafter.

I think we all have to remember that to them, this was a job... and everyone always likes and dislikes certain aspects of a job. Thinking about that, I've softened my stance on Robin Wright and her lack of warmth in regards to her 4 year stint on SB. To us, we loved seeing her act.. but she did have her 1st husband fired, then the show basically forcing her to stay an extra year just so she could film A princess Bride.. then the writers putting her character into a hamster wheel post Joe (first with Nick/Dylan.. then with Jeffery/TJ)... I could see why she would quit because the challenge wasn't there anymore. I do love seeing Julia pre-Mason.. and going through two or three bad romances her first 18 months or so before she and Mason start their slow descent to being a couple. It was a blessing for Julia as a character, yet also a curse.... because her character was almost trapped in the Mason/Julia vortex.. and it didn't help that the characters over a 4.5 year span broke up and made up three times. I don't recall Eden/Cruz doing that after they finally married in spring 1988 until Marcy Walker departed in mid 1991. They had stormy times, but never broke up.. even when her ex flame Robert came back into the picture.

I will say I'm going to miss the Pollack's when they depart The Doctors. While their take on characters wasn't as deep as Lakin's, they more then made up for it with plot and playing the fall out of certain stories (except killing Margo off too soon). I am surprised that the whole bunny event and being sick from being bitten by the bunny hasn't been mentioned... but it is nice to see that Greta acting loopy wasn't just forgotten after 1970/1971.. but was bought back up in 1975.

How the mighty have fallen... karma has come a calling for Luann. After the way she treated Alex several seasons ago, I'm so glad to see how Luann has slowly fallen from that pedestal she put herself in. If it happened to Luann, it will happen to Bethenny as well... karma doesn't pick and choose.. just picks when to strike.

She was kind of icy ad Maggie, but she also was maternal and warm when it warranted. Her and Matt had more a witty banter. When Lydia first came on, she tried to mimic that and came across more bitchy then icy/sarcastic...so the character was softened. I like both actresses take on Maggie. I think realistically Carolee couldn't be the same person she was back when Lakin created her. The Pollacks did retain carolees sarcasm and quirkiness..but also reflected a more serious ajdnsomber undertone since she had a crazy husband, her baby got kidnapped, and had to deal with Mona and now Karen. And during less stressful times, the character did have some fun scenes. I think the Pollacks were better at long term story and less strong on character moments...but man they took a Lakin story of karen/Steve from 1968...and are still playing the effects ofnthat in 1975...plus even are playing the maggie/matt/karen stuff as well. That's the secret of good writing....and it appears that Depriest and Marland will undo all that when they take over. I think Marland became the writer he became after his he messed up on the Doctors turning it a family soap instead of maintaining the doctor/medical aspect.

I think marcel is Valerie....the opening is from season 2 of the original show.

In regards to Michael/iris...it doesn't get mentioned..but Donna and Iris never become friends again. They don't cat fight but they bicker whenever they cross paths and once in awhile Iris would bring up being with Michael...but they never have michael/iris really interact much.

It's nice to see Lydia/Gina having a close moment... they started the series as friends for years..and never really recovered after all the cheap that happened in season 1. While I do like Gina, she isn't perfect and I think her personality can turn people off....and I think that's what happened with Gamble/Gina.

So I've caught up to mid January 1975. Karen is unhinged...but I do like that the character Rita Lakin created is still used to great effect by the Pollack 7 plus years later...along with the fallout of a short term fling between her and Steve. Like Toni's new hair style...but I don't see the fire between her and Alan. We're they popular when the shoe aired originally? Killing Margo off has made them filler. And I kind of like the actor playing Mike...but I know he doesn't last. Nice to see Steve is still talking down to Carolee like shed an infant. Why were they popular again?

Either cut fitness is doing well...or she's gotten a nice hefty guarantee for season 13 and maybe a little bonus money for that reunion embrace with Vicki? Cynical I know I am

It d oesnt matter who they cast, if the writing is shallow and lacking deoth..it won't help. I'd fire the gossip girl duo as showrunner to start and bring on a good soap writer that knows how to pace and structure a plot. Pollack did it on dynasty and Ann Marcus did it on knots landing. And if stop trying to make the Carrington family seem like good prople..its 2017 and most Americans aren't too keen on the elite right now..hence why it's a shame how the show wrote Claudia. She could habe been that outsider that represents the audience. And throwing shade is fun, but that's all the show is doing. All shade with littlenelse makes a shoe pretty boring and unmemorable.

I truly think Cynthia remains in the shoe because of her on point hair and outfit choices. Plus, don't we all need a semi normal person in the group?