Soaplovers

I remember Ben was shown after Maeve's death.. and I remember it was when Josh and Reva were watching him, comforting him and helping him deal with Maeve's death. Fletcher had mentioned that as one of his memories of Reva after Reva was thought dead in 1990. Fletcher was the guy that was more about the adventure and getting the latest scoop then about romance. Other then some promising chemistry with Claire, I often viewed Fletcher as more on the asexual spectrum.. and usually took him awhile to fall for someone. He usually would hang out with Vanessa when Little Bill and Ben were school age.. and sometimes would handle carpool for the kids on his way to the journal.

Why the shaming of someone being a virgin? So Ted knew of the baby? Lots of foreshadowing with Nicole and Kat proclaiming Ted is perfect. The recast makes sense, but I think it would have been smarter to keep this actor as Ted. Hayley seems like she understands the law and seems like she's a good paralegal. It would be ironic if Mike sabotaged the other women in order to get Hayley the job when she's probably qualified to have gotten the job on her own merit. Eva vs Kat continues to simmer. Vanessa and Nicole finally interacted...and I have a feeling we'll be getting some 1:1 with them in the future. Also, Jon Lindstrom does give off that creepy vibe quite well. Smitty/Martin = nice filler scenes

No offense, but All My children stopped being super grounded with the arrival of the Cortlandt's. Kelly (Kitty's twin), Erica becoming a super model, etc. After the whole Goldie/Silver story, Stuart being revealed as being hidden in an attic, and Eric Kane faking his death by being a circus clown... the Nat/Janet story wasn't so far fetched. After all, Natalie had come onto the show in 1985 as being somewhat unbalanced and obsessed with her now step son Jeremy so it makes sense that her sister Janet wouldn't be paying with a full deck of cards. The only complaint I had about the Nat/Janet story was that the quirky/awkward Janet quickly became obsessed with Trevor and turning into Natalie.. instead of letting the story simmer. @Khan I assumed Dixie was going to be the killer of Will.. and was disappointed that she wasn't the killer. Her mental state had been on the decline since the 'death' of Tad with her rash marriage to con artist Craig.. then finding out that he was conning her and sleeping with her newfound friend Gloria... and seeing her brother that she grew up with become unhinged and threatening to assault Hayley would have been the final straw especially if the guilt she felt ignoring the signs from everyone, including from her sister Lainie.

Harding Lemay was so bias... she was an awesome actress and could totally have played a heavy on a soap opera long term in the 80s and 90s. Such a shame this was one of her final roles in soap operas.

Oh god no. AW was pretty decent in the late 80s and early 90s and I just don't think that show would have been a good fit for his often earnest and idealistic vision. He tended to have trouble writing grey characters and that soap has so many grey characters. I would have preferred to see him create his own 30 minute soap that he was developing and see what that would look like. I'm glad he opted not to come back to GL after he threw his tantrum and quit in mid 1982... because he wasn't a good fit on that soap either. He was basically coasting off the momentum provided by the far superior Dobsons. The Dobsons I wish had ended up at AW after Santa Barbara had been axed because they would have had a field day writing Rachel, Paulina, Felicia, Donna, Iris, etc. I think the only reason she did remember GL at all was because it exposed her to Horror movie conventions. She had it rough because she came in near the end of the Eva stalking Mindy story so that even though she had a right to be on guard with Eve and later Alex... because she hadn't played the early beats of the story.. viewers had trouble siding with her.

As much as I enjoyed the Nicole/Dani sister scenes, I do think Nicole enables Dani's behavior. And Dani seems incapable of taking responsibility for the choices that she choose to make and until she takes ownership then she'll never evolve/grow. And Naomi, and to a lesser extent Chelsea, are the women they are today because of their father Bill. If left to Dani.. both women wouldn't be the individuals they are and proves that a father figure is vitally important to a child's upbringing/development. Case in point... Hayley. I have a strong feeling that tomorrow will also not feature Derek/Ashley/Andre... and truthfully.. I haven't missed any of those three characters.

I came to see Naomi vs Hayley... but stayed to see Kat vs Silk Press Sheila. Naomi vs Hayley: Both bought up good points, and I like a fiesty Hayley. Naomi's whole women supporting women line made me roll my eyes since sometimes women need to call out other women. Kat vs Silk Press Sheila: I didn't expect this pair up, but I quite enjoyed it. Smitty vs Martin: I think Smitty is playing the long game here.. and some people think he should have reacted more forcefully/emotionally... but keeping your emotions in check is a sign of strength. Speaking of lacking strength... Dani lack strength and any sort of character direction. That said, I did like the Nicole/Dani sister moments and I'm going to be curious to see how Nicole will handle whatever is thrown at her during her/Ted's anniversary party. Lastly... good cliffhanger with Ted and Silk Press Sheila coming face to face.

I actually liked Zimmer as Jodie on Santa Barbara.. she played a convincing middle class cop and she had chemistry with the guy who played her husband. Had the Capwells been maintained as the wealthy family.. I think the show could have worked long term. The actress that played Lucy had also auditioned to play Mindy back in early 1993, but lost out to Ann Hamilton. I shudder to think what she would have done with the character of Mindy had she been cast instead. I did notice that Kat lost any sort of presence/story once Lucy came in and became first the sidekick to Julie and then Bridget. Most of her last year on the show was basically being David's girlfriend and trying to make nice to Julie and then Bridget. It was telling that one of her last significant scenes was when she told David that she felt like the tagalong in their group of friends and that she was restless staying in Springfield.

It looks as though the writers/breakdown writers have worked out the first week kinks and are now writing some good breakdowns/scripts. 3 out of 3 good episodes. Thoughts on todays episode: Good Chelsea/Dani 1:1. People have said that Dani is the modern day Erica Kane or Reva Shayne, but I disagree. When watching these early weeks of Dani in action, she is the modern day version of Teddy Reed from Sisters (NBC primetime series/soap from the 90s). And it was good that Nicole came to check on her at the end. Bill vs Naomi was a good first round and I think it was a draw. Bill was both proud and a bit concerned when interacting with Naomi.. and Naomi really does deep down want her dad's approval. This will be a good storyline in the coming weeks. Hayley spoke facts with her comments to Bill, and there is an old saying that women understand other women and usually end up not liking them LOL Good cliffhanger with the promise of the long awaited scene between Hayley and Naomi... plus, some nice chemistry between Jacob and Hayley as well. I had a feeling that Martin's behind the scenes sabotaging of Smitty's potential new job would come back to haunt him. I actually said out loud 'Oh [!@#$%^&*]' when the cat was out of the bag. Chelsea declaring the end of her working relationship with Dani will now open both Chelsea and Dani up to their next arcs. I wonder if those brief snippets of Chelsea with the couple will come back up in the coming weeks. Good Kat/Tomas scene today as well. I think the Virgin talk is admirable in 2025 since vanilla/virgin shaming has become the norm nowadays even though there are articles coming out that Gen Z (which Kat is part of) are moving more conservative in terms of dating and sex. I'm sure Eva will be there to tide Tomas over while Kat waits. I can't wait for tomorrow

Shirley Anne Field had this Gothic subtle aura around her when playing Pamela where we didn't know if she was going to be a protagonist or an antagonist. Just the way she would get Sophia worked up anytime her Pamela would remind CC of their past as a couple was gold because she had a way of making it seem as though riling Sophia was a bonus and not her goal. And her chemistry with Robin Wright as her interfering mother in law also had potential because how she approached those scenes could be taken as a mother wanting to make up for lost time with her son and/or also a way to get control over Kelly as revenge against CC/Sophia for keeping Mason away from her. As you said, she did play Pamela with a lot of layers and subtext that read more of a tragic Gothic British character that you didn't know what side she would stand on issues. Unpopular opinion: I didn't think MacArthur was a bad Kelly. She just came in during the middle of a storyline Kelly was involved in with her creepy mother in law, marital issues with Jeffery, and a start of something with TJ. She did as well as she could under those circumstances and I agree she would have continued to play a more wounded/tortured Kelly had she stayed on beyond her several month stint. She was a good transition Kelly between Wright and Garland.

I remember Tess used to say 'Rosanna C' whenever she addressed her or introduced her to anyone during the summer of 1992 when Rosanna was a mysterious runaway. I think Parker Posey getting a movie was why her character was quickly written out and then replaced by Debbie as the heavy in the Hutch/Rosanna coupling.

Kate Collins said she liked how Melody played the part, that she infused the part with warmth and a kindness. From what Ms. Collins said in the Locher Room interview she did, she was getting married and he had gotten a job in Chicago so she wanted to support him. Given the backstage issues, she probably was relieved that she had a new chapter in her life for her to go to. That said, the Carter/Nat story was well done and was one of the last of the gothic stories that AMC did until attempts in the late 90s to bring the gothic storytelling back. Melody did give it her best shot, but the show was less interested in writing for Natalie now that Kate wasn't playing the part.. and truthfully.. Natalie was a character that seemed to fit more in the 80s/early 90s era then in the newer era coming into play.

A Ron C episode I actually enjoyed... miracles never cease. Some of the dialogue between Anita and Vernon made me wonder if Martin is truly their son, or if the dialogue was too vague. Anita's mini rant after finding out Martin was running for president was priceless and the final scene of Vernon/Anita taking a drink in silence said a lot. Naomi vs Bill will be so good. You could see in her eyes that she still does love her father, but she also is furious with him. Nice to see a warm Anita/Chelsea scene, and that it showed a diversity in terms of how each grandchild has a different relationship with their grandparent. I am curious to see how Anita/Kat would interact.. to be honest. A nice understated cliffhanger with Bill figuring out Naomi is suing him, Chelsea finally telling Dani that she doesn't want to model, and Smitty confronting Martin. Is it Wednesday already?

This was also the first teaming of Gregori J Martin & Jazmen.. and they were a good team... I wonder if Jazmen can work magic on a breakdown written by Ron C. Since it appears that the break down writer and script writer write one episode per week. I predict today will be Ron C doing breakdown writing and Danielle Paige will be doing the script writing for today's episode.. since it's technically episode 20. So maybe we will get a cliffhanger today as well.

Truthfully, on this these types of shows... I think 4 to 5 seasons is the max you should be on the show. Unless you have an interesting personal and family life that you're willing to share. We've seen everything within Garcelles life, and I'm going to be honest... I would have respected her more if she had opted to leave after the vile way her son was treated. Her coming back showed that she put her career over her child's well being. With that said, she had a good run and she's leaving while still on top. Something maybe Vyle Kyle should have done a few seasons back.

HE reminds me of my ex... so if Tomas is anything like my ex.. Kat and Eva are in for a world of heart ache LOL

The ironic thing was that Rachel had started the path to being redeemed somewhat when Strasser was playing the part with her moving on and marrying Ted Clark.. and wishing Steve/Alice luck. And even at the start of Wyndham playing Rachel, she was still married to Ted and sort of played the marriage aspect in her first few months in the role before he caught her with Steve and broke up with her. I agree that Strasser's Rachel was flirty, charming, and had this anxious need to belong to the Haves. My late mom said Wyndham was scary when she played Rachel and really showed the vicious side of Rachel with no cutesy flirting or batting her eye lashes. Her Rachel was convincing as both an artist and also in a corporate setting.. something I don't think Strasser could have pulled off.

True... they did have to throw the Dani fans a crumb or two LOL What I enjoyed about Monday's episode: Anita was given great focus showing her in her day to day life, wistfully missing her singing days, and being the calming guide for her granddaughter Naomi (I have a feeling that Naomi viewed Anita more as a mother figure then her own mom). Joey and Vanessa have chemistry, and I liked Vanessa being more subdued today. I also liked seeing some of the community threads being sewn together with Joey having ties to the police with Jacob suspecting Joey of some dirty business while his dad and partner are trying to keep him from snooping around too much. Eva is looking at Tomas in a new way, and @TaoboiI think it was all due to Silk Press Sheila forbidding her darling daughter from considering him. Before her speech to Eva, Eva seemed ok with just having a conversation with the guy.. but now she's got her sights set on him. And unpopular opinion.. but I think Tomas is kind of sexy (his voice is like ASMR to me We all know Naomi is going to take the case.. and I look forward to some fiery scenes with both Bill and Hayley. And I also have a feeling Chelsea will finally tell Dani about her new venture and despite Kat being optimistic, Dani will make it all about herself and probably manipulate her daughter in some way or another.

A Dani free day at last We need to have this happen more often so we can focus on other characters with more potential.

No she didn't. She acts as if she's above everyone.. yet is the biggest whore there is. After going after Erica's seconds.. and then stealing Janet's man Pierce (I was rooting for Janet to dispose of her).

I do agree that the story is going lightening fast. In fact, I think it would have worked a bit better if Mona was the one that recognized him instead of Erica.. and she's debating about whether to tell Erica or keep it to herself. It would have resulted in some fiery Erica/Mona scenes that were in character. I also think MDP went lightening fast with Erica's arc during her time. In March of 1989, Erica is still reeling from Travis being with Skye and trying to accept he's moved on while Jack is trying to help her with her business.. and by June/July.. Jackson/Erica are in bed together. That went too fast for me and it underscored my belief that Jackson was just a rebound for Erica and never her true love. (You'll see that a lot during the Agnes, Megan McTavish, and Broderick ers in the 90s). Where to start. She's smug, judgmental, a snob.. and tries to portray herself as better then other women when she's actually worse then those women. My favorite scene I came across was Gloria Marsh giving her the smackdown at the Martin House in December 1991 with Brooke visibly shaken. It was the rare time someone finally called out Brooke for throwing stones at glass houses.

I think the Marissa story could have ended with her dying trying to save David's life.. and that could have been the fuel to make David push away Lanie and Jeremy because of the intense guilt he feels for his mom's death. It would have made that story end a bit differently then the Silver storyline. @Maxim This move by Erica in 1989 is in character because one of the driving forces in Erica's life was her father and his abandonment of her. She always was waiting for him to come back for her, and she blamed Mona for driving her father away and keeping him away. So this news of her father possibly being alive reignites a long buried hope that she could find him and have him finally love her. Mona and Jack know better then to prevent Erica from trying to find him. The whole Adam gaslighting Dixie story is a classic gothic story and it works very well because it is in Adam's character to pull something like that on one of his wives. He uses different tactics based on the personality of his current wife. And I think the story also works as sort of karma for Dixie after being the other woman during his marriage to Brooke. The story works because it's rooted in character. Although I never liked Brooke.. and I always was team Erica anytime Brooke and Erica would spar. Also, I know you loved Karen... but I think the reason she was made the kidnapper was because the actress wanted to leave the show. There's an interview with Ellen Wheeler that stated her reason for wanting to leave the show after playing Karen a short time.

The Cummings were basically boxed in/islanded off from where the show would go in the 2nd year and beyond so it made sense to write them off.

I think Cliff/Angie didn't work for two reasons.... Racism and the fact that they were part of two very popular super couples that had recently ended. Even if Cliff/Angie were of the same race... fans still wouldn't have accepted them as a couple because in their minds, Cliff belongs with Nina and Angie belongs with Jesse. Sometime soap fans can be a tad too crazy and in need of some kind of intervention.. and are part of the reason why soaps began their decline because of their refusal to allow characters to progress/stories to evolve.

Reading some of the other 1991 outlines, it does appears as though what was written actually translated to the screen. I faintly remember the Cal/Lucinda/Lyla situation... and it was a shame that Cal/Lucinda didn't proceed past a physical relationship.. but both were stubborn and too strong willed to have made a relationship last long term. Though Cal/Lyla also didn't seem to have long term legs either and it also didn't last beyond 1992/3 if I recall correctly. It looks as though Lisa and Ellen were in back-up position in these outlines, and while Lisa did move back into lead position in 1992/3.. Ellen never did even though it looked as though killing David off in the summer of 1991 was the first step to getting Ellen back into a more prominent position, which didn't happen. Outside of Emily, I don't think Marland was as motivated to write for the Stewarts as he was for the Hughes, Walsh, and Snyders. In his defense, when he got to the show.. only Betsy, Ellen, and David were on the show... and he wasn't motivated to write for Betsy/Steve nor Ellen/David was previous writers were. Even after Betsy became a free agent in 1986, the writing for Betsy was just not as strong and it appeared that was also the case for Ellen even after she was freed up after David's death. It's the direct opposite of the Dobson's and the other head writers that came before Marland. If you look at the show from 1980 to 1985, the Stewart family had a lot more focus then the Hughes family with Dee, Annie, Ellen, Betsy, and David in various stories. Too much story was probably burned through for them, but Dee could have easily come back during the Marland years.