Soaplovers

It felt good to have some actual male energy on the show and the thing was that I much prefer how men and women were written when interacting with one another in the 80s than whatever is considered modern day male and female interactions. I liked that the show portrayed all the women with moments of strength and moments of struggle. I also loved that the show wrote the men as masculine and not in a toxic way that Dynasty did. This was a show about marriages in an upper middle class California town so it made sense to have equally strong male and female characters interacting with one another. Unpopular opinion, but I loved the times when Karen and Paige would interact because you saw an unease from Karen over how to relate to Paige and you saw someone that didn't consider Karen to be the second coming of Christ like the other characters did. It was a dynamic that wasn't explored, but you didn't need to explore it because both actresses provided subtext in their scenes with one another (plus, Karen learned her lesson from how she treated Annie in the pilot also). Also, the show not knowing how to write Laura seemed odd especially since she had her ex-husband Richard out and about that could have been bought back as conflict for Laura/Sumner in season 9 instead of killing Laura off... but when you have writers without much imagination, it wouldn't have occurred to them.

When I was growing up in the Chicagoland area in the 80s/90s... All My Children, General Hospital, & Days of our Lives were what were talked about when I was a kid and into high school. My late mom watched CBS live, but she taped Days of Our Lives & Santa Barbara to watch on Friday nights and Saturday with me. So I picked up All My Children in the early 90s in order to find something to talk to my peers about. When I was in college in the early 00s, everyone watched Passions. P & G soaps were always what grandma watched though because I was exposed to GL as a kid, I did have a soft spot for it.

The scenes of the Dupree's gaslighting Kat about Eva is sadly a thing in most families. Is Kat being self-centered, or is she being self aware enough to know that the way her family is behaving about Eva is not a rational nor healthy thing? Just the way Naomi was talking about family and loyalty made me truly see the power and hold that dysfunction has over individuals. Which is what I wish the show would have focused on with her character.. her anger and snapping at Jacob is projecting feelings/resentments she can't express toward her whole family. I wish the show could show one of the Dupree's, or even one of Vanessa's kids, realizing that the family isn't so healthy and break ties/go no contact since that is happening in 2025 with a lot of Millennials and Gen Z kids.

I don't know if pacing is actually the main issue, or if we're missing some vital steps/scenes. Case in point: Jacob/Naomi are now acting all romantic and affectionate proclaiming that couples therapy is working. Say what!?!?! Naomi was a raging bitch to everyone several episodes ago and now she's all positivity? I'm not buying what the writers are selling here. I would have liked to have seen a scene or two of the duo in therapy discussing their issues in order to give more weight to their relationship and obstacles. Chelsea's whole story/arc has hardly had any sort of focus or attention since day #1 except when it came to her wanting to fire Dani as her momager.. but that was only because it was about Dani and not Chelsea. The whole trople situation came out of nowhere, the whole kidnapping came out of nowhere, the insta-relationship between Madison/Chelsea came out of nowhere, and now I'm expecting to care that the two are fighting about Madison's mom that we've never met or actually care that the two are having problems when we've hardly seen the two in a relationship? Tomas/Eva/Kat has had focus.. but her suddenly being all starry eyed over Tomas after the way he cheated on her with Eva still baffles me (although her reaction to him suggesting they move in tells me that she isn't all starry-eyed as she pretends so perhaps she's only with him to stick it to Eva). Eva and Tomas' brief scene indicates to me that the writers aren't quite done with that, but she has a good rapport/chemistry with Izaiah so I'm hoping the show doesn't revisit that since the scene between them after they hooked up seemed final to me. When Derek/Ashley have a more natural linear progression in their relationship... you know you have problems LOL

The thing I found interesting about his character having two sons are that it sounds as though they're in the 18 year old range so I'm wondering if Vaughn's character is accepted.. that perhaps one or two of the kids comes on as a love interest for either Samantha (since she's around 17 right now) or if they'll be eventually paired with Kat and/or the unseen Deanna (Vanessa's daughter).

She wasn't accepted once people got over the resemblance to Rinna... she had none of Rinna's spunk and intensity.

Kelly was a thankless role, and it only became something because of how Watros played the part and her chemistry with Peter Bergman. Once Watros had to leave the role, Cady came in and struggled to figure out how to play the part because there wasn't anything to build from.

Jacob is on the outs with his shrew of a wife Naomi so he has to play along in order to get back into her good graces, plus he being the older brother.. he also looks down on those that aren't 'perfect' like him. Dunn was one of the break down writers I read wasn't staying when season 2 hits, which is a shame because he was a good break down writer that had worked with MVJ going all the way back to her days on Santa Barbara.

I'm sorry, but Brittani has made more of an impact this season than almost all the other women outside of Lisa. And I say Lisa because she lives rent free in the heads of the other women. I truly have decided that I hate Bronwyn, and I have a feeling that if I were around her like her mother and hubby... I probably would talk down to her myself because she doesn't seem to have a lot of positive attributes nor does she have any fashion sense either. I get the same vibe about her that I got about Jen Shah and Monica Garcia.... a dark and twisted soul.

After today's episode, I'm so convinced that Anita is setting up SPS/Leslie for a fall at Winterfest.. so it'll be interesting to see how it all comes together. And I'll be rooting for SPS to strike back because the wealthy are always the villains. I just wish MVJ wasn't stuck in the 80s/early 90s in regards to the wealthy family trope... and seeing how the Duprees are like the Capwells and SPS/Leslie as a modern day Gina... I think her stint writing the final year or so on Santa Barbara was probably the seed planted that led her to create this soap.

I think I had read when she came back to the part in early 1982, Kristen said she had to adjust to all the changes to the Delia character over the past 3 years including the fact that she now had an establishment she'd previously owned and now was just manager of... which was not how Delia was when she left the role in early 1979. From what I understood, Brenda Dickson felt the same way coming back as Jill after 3.5 years away.... she had left after she'd been tossed out by Stuart Brooks and was still with sleazy Derek and returning as the new lady of the Abbott mansion and not even interacting with Kay anymore (Dina was who Adair's Jill had been feuding with over John). And I remember Ellen Wheeler saying when she came back as Marley (joking that the show couldn't explain the extra height Marley gained after the fire).. she said she had to make a conscious effort to observe how Heche and Buchanan had played Marley since she was coming back playing a vastly different Marley than the one she'd last played a decade plus ago.

I think this is Michael Montgomery's 2nd episode as breakdown writer.. he tends to work with Susan Dansby as a continuity producer. However, his talents seem to lie in breakdown writing and with the 1st season coming to a close in a few weeks, I think we're building to something and I also agree with you that with Guza long gone.. Vanessa/Joey have suffered

Yes, she was. She was the everywoman that a lot of Boomer and Gen X women related to. Also for Ryan's Hope... I would go on a limb and say that the following actress was not a smooth recast even though she was returning to the part.. and that actress was... Illend Kristen as Delia from 1982 to 1983... she struggled in the part and never really made much of an impression during that time she was back in the role. Her return in late 1986 was much better. Y & R: Some would say Deborah Adair as Jill since she was a prettier and less dramatic Jil vs Brenda & Jess' Jill.... but I viewed it as her still being young with the goal of going for another wealthy guy that wasn't married this time.

I'd love to know the story about why she was fired because her character Joni had potential and she had a good rapport with Reggie. And it obviously bothers her still if she remembers the head-writer by name all these years later :)

I managed to watch a few episodes of season 5 (the beginning of the end of the show) and I thought that Morgan F had a promising intro with her playing a lawyer that more than held her own against Richard...and I thought she had chemistry with the actor that played Greg. She was best when in lawyer mode, and I think the decision to play at DID story was kind of what caused her character to have a limited shelf life. And she seemed to play a slightly type of character than she had previously played on Flamingo Road and Paper Dolls... but it just seemed that she joined Falcon Crest right at the start of it's decline and not when it was in a creative high.

Ryan's Hope was the recast soap to end all recast soaps. Siobhan Ryan had some hit or misses with the recasts: Ann Gillespie lasted 11 months and she wasn't a bad actress... but replacing a distinct and memorable actress like Sarah Felder was going to be an uphill battle. Carrell Myers listed a year or so, but I never hear people talk about her and her take on Siobhan.. but after replacing Marg H.. she would pale in comparison. Barbara Blackburn - on the fence about her because she only played Siobhan for the last two to three months of the show, but she seemed to possess all the traits of the previous Siobhan's. She also had good chemistry with Roscoe Born and had good friendship chemistry with Illene Kristen as Delia so I think she would have been a good recast (but I'm sure viewers weren't sure how to react to her). Port Charles: Ellen Burgess - You went from a distinct and talented actress like Debbi Morgan and replace her with a competent, but unmemorable, actress Marie-Alise Recasner... people weren't going to warm to the new actress.

Sharon Gless also was in a series that got canceled before it aired a single episode called Thick and Thin in 2006 about a formerly overweight/fat woman that embarks on life after dropping the weight. I miss the days where we could fat shame people.

Ah yes... Chompers was quickly accepted as Billy Abbott on Y & R and it didn't hurt that he looked wonderful without a shirt on :) He had the same essence as David Tom in regards to being his own worst enemy

Days: Josh Taylor as Roman Brady. Enough said Julie Pinson as Billie - She may have looked like Lisa Rinna, but she didn't have Rinna's fire and intensity. Stephanie Cameron as Jennifer - She may have resembled Missy Reeves, but she didn't have the charisma of 90s Missy Reeves (believe it or not, she was beloved and quite talented). ATWT: Vicky Dawson as Dee Stewart - After the impact of the previous Dee, anyone that took over the role would have an uphill battle.. and I don't even think she lasted a full year as Dee before she was written off. Sheri Alexander as Sam - The original Sam had a very laid back and dry sense of humor that contrasted nicely with the over the top historics of both Lucinda and Lily.... this Sam lacked any sort of personality and she was written off within a year just as her character was getting a story.

Susan Marie's was written in, which is how we got Aaron I believe. I remember that Tracy Bregman was pregnant in real life, it was written in.. and I believe she had a miscarriage in real life and the show had planned to have Lauren miscarry and she wouldn't play it so another actress came in to play that aspect of the story. When she got pregnant again, that was when the show wrote it in and she had Scotty.. which led to the baby switch.

Saundra Quarterman as Angie on AMC. - Bless her heart, but she just wasn't Angie and the story she was given (fighting with her mom over a man) was just not a story that fit the character of Angie nor her mother Pat. Brian Lane Green as Brian on AMC - This was a horrible recast for a number of reasons.. 1 of which was that he came in during the start of the older woman/younger man connection that was brewing between Dixie and Brian.. but he not only looked older than Dixie, but he was older in real life. Amanda Baker as Babe on AMC - I remember my mom saying it best 'She looks and acts as though she went to an Ivy league school'... when OG Babe looked like the beauty queen contestant trying to win a title in order to escape the trailer park.

Unpopular opinion, but while I did enjoy Sherry's take on Blake... it didn't fit with the tragic vibe of the character of Blake that Elizabeth D had established and that Liz Keifer expanded upon. And I think Liz K was capable of playing a Blake that was somewhat like Sherry's Blake.. but her stint started near the end of the golden age of GL so the writing didn't support her. The one area that I did enjoy Sherry's Blake was her sense of humor and the way she would entice her prey (so very much like her dad Roger)... however, I don't think her Blake could have lasted much beyond 1992/1993. That's probably why I liked GT much better as Phyllis vs acting tic ridden MS. And MS wasn't sultry nor sexy at all.. .she was kind of like a real life cartoon without any subtly nor without any lethalness. Sandra Nelson was a scary Phyllis that also was sexy (she and CLB as Michael Baldwin were quite good together.. she even had good chemistry with Peter Bergman as Jack). GT's Phyllis had a colder approach, but I viewed it as finally growing up and keeping her emotions to herself in order to better fool her enemies and get them to let their guard down.

Also, it helped to have a change in head-writer that knew how to garner sympathy for a character that made a bad choice.

She may have been green, but she was a breath of fresh air and was a atypical of teens by that point on the show. The youth scene was kind of dull and Hayley's arrival was a shot of energy that the show needed especially when Brian was recast and eventually An-Li and Terrence were added/recast with appealing performers.

I remember reading somewhere that Aaron Spelling said his biggest regret was not listening to his instincts and listening to Lucille about her final sitcom 1986 since he had wanted to bring in new writers that understood where comedy was in the 80s.. but she wanted to use her old team. I think the comedy could have been her, Gale Gordon, Dena D, etc.. living in a retirement community. And she still could have done physical comedy in a very light way (i.e. sneaking out of the retirement community, sneaking someone in, etc).