DramatistDreamer

I only tuned in to see the first day of Shemar and Vivica and although the actors are obviously professional, I guessed what was going to happen right off the bat. Holden ends up related to Lily follows a definite pattern for what we've seen of Lily's character. 🤐

Especially since Laura lost her mom, she would be particularly vulnerable where having a possible mother figure re-entering her life is concerned. Not that Darlene would be consciously exploiting that and perhaps she really does genuinely become close to Laura. Soaps used to have these types of relationships where people weren't related by blood but there was a pseduo familial or a multi-generational relationship between two characters. On As The World Turns, Lisa was like that to some of the young wayward characters in town that she could relate to, or Kim Hughes and her former step-daughter Betsy Stewart. These relationships, I think, add layers to characters' personal stories and the show itself and it doesn't require a lot of screen time, just a series of well-placed, brief scenes, sprinkled here and there on occasion. I am tempering my expectations on this. I have a feeling it will be the continuation/culmination of more off-screen action.

There is an element missing in the dynamic between Darlene, Izaiah and Eva. In the old granny's soap opera days, Darlene would have been on the hunt for another young woman to catch Izaiah's eye. Darlene would have re-acquainted herself with someone like Laura (who she would have known via Naomi, maybe?) and befriended her, while on the sneak tip, invited Izaiah to a lunch that she already invited Laura too. They're sitting down to brunch at Uptown an lo, and behold, Eva walks in to see the trio chatting it up. But I know BTG doesn't do old-fashioned drama, sooo-🙃 Anybody who thinks all divorced couples stay divorced hasn't watched Y&R in the last 40 years lol. I'd be fine with Dani and Bill staying exes (although, sadly, I don't see Dani and Andre staying together forever) but with Nicole and Ted, there ought to be wiggle room for back and forth.

If I were to binge the last few weeks while playing a drinking game for every time Vanessa said that Joey made her feel "alive", I'd be seriously drunk by today's episode.🫨😵‍💫

Shanice, out of the blue, mentioning a previous relationship where a boyfriend cheated on her with his ex, seemed like either foreshadowing or a red flag, at the very least. Months ago, I told a few people who were watching the show that, at some point, Ted & Nicole were likely to fall in (in bed, in lust, in love, in...whatever) with each other again and they scoffed at me. I told them "you never really watched daytime soaps before, have you?" We expect couples and characters to go back & forth. I still think half the characters on this show--including Nicole--could have used some time with a psychiatrist. And it still doesn't sit right with me that Leslie s*xually assaulted Ted, you can't claim to be a new type of soap when you pull the same old soap opera tropes. That said, I think that Daphnée and Keith have a natural chemistry, the actors are good friends offscreen and obviously trust each other onscreen. I have never believed that Nicole & Ted were "finished" with each other.

Does every CBS daytime soap now have to have a Black character facing a life-threatening disease?

If Vanessa mentions how "alive" Joey makes her feel one more time...

No. I was referring to the costume and Halloween balls.

It's definitely the writing for me.

Oh that mini scene with the 3 kids and Anita? That's not what I was talking about. I meant amongst the other kids, so we get an idea of the actual peer pressure of messing up in front of a group of your actual peers. A cotillion is a communal event and these scenes are too isolated. I get it. They don't want to hire extras and dayplayers but again, if you can't afford to make it look realistic, don't do it!

Since I learned that the show would be pursuing the cotillion thread, I had been wondering which dad will Samantha be dancing with in the daddy/daughter dance? I never really mentioned it since I realized we wouldn't be seeing any of the lead-up to the cotillion (which is really as important as the ball itself tbh) but will Samantha be dancing with Martin, since she is technically representing the Dupree family line? Will Smitty feel left out? I guess tptb may not deem this worth consideration. 🤷🏾‍♀️It would've been a nice breadcrumb to see a few non-speaking extras as teenage participants practicing so that we could see two-left-feet Tyrell accidentally stepping on Jessica's feet repeatedly, so that if Jessica is irritated with Tyrell and down on cotillions yet again, we understand why she has an attitude. I like getting to see storyline breadcrumbs that clue the viewer in, instead of just hearing Samantha tell us about Tyrell's two-left-feet. That way, if we see Tyrell actually do the dance successfully, there will be a little payoff. 🙂I would settle for that one scene mixed with Samantha pondering whether she should choose one dad over the other for the dance. It seems that she wants June there and June may not feel comfortable going (which angers Samantha?) but the daddy/daughter dance is very important and it's a bit odd that it's not a consideration.

Now that I think about it, during the 80s heyday of the CBS Daytime lineup, it doesn't seem as though any of the HW for those particular soaps seemed much concerned with 'Sweeps'. The one time I can remember a 'Sweeps' storyline that was really big was the return of James Stenbeck, after 3 years, when he had been presumed dead after falling out of that plane (which they...GASP...showed onscreen. It aired during early November, and I remember it clearly because the Friday cliffhanger (remember those?) happened on one of my brothers' birthday. But other than that, the storylines that culminated in a cliffhanger during the week leading to Labor Day weekend seemed to pack the most punch. Between NCAA and U.S. Open, etc. preemptions, I think the HW usually just focused on compelling stories.

Let's start with writing decent Friday cliffhangers for BTG. I haven't seen a decently plotted Friday cliffhanger in a LONG time (Season 1) for this show. They need to build something organic to this show. And given the lack of good promotion that CBS Daytime was once known for, I see the impact as crossover being minimal. If this show wants more viewers, they need better plotted stories and outside of the one storyline with Tamara, these other stories have either lost focus or never had it. They're losing me and I really wanted top-tier for this series. Since I haven't regularly tuned into Y&R in years, I don't see a cross-over with that show luring me to tune in but I guess they can try and see if it brings in a few of their viewers? The characters most likely to generate a lot of interest in a Y&R crossover are sadly, no longer on this show (KSJ, VR, TLW, NP).

And as I hate to say this, there seems to be more effort to build on certain characters. It's the reason why that vacay/work trip to L.A. between Dani & Andre never delivered. It's why this big wealthy Black family has all their dinners (even Easter??!) at the country club and not at a dining room table (yes, Rowena could've had the day off and they could have gotten it catered 🙄) It's why we still haven't seen even a hint of Banneker (supposedly an HBCU), which MVJ loved to brag about in earlier interviews. It does smack of Josh Griffith, overpromising and under-delivering. But I thought everyone understood that if you're going to do a series about Black wealthy people and "Black excellence" you will need to spend some coin? I was reading Essence magazine online and saw the the only grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King just had her cotillion. She vividly described the process in detail, things we are unlikely to ever see onscreen on this show. EssenceExclusive: Yolanda Renee King, Sole Grandchild Of Dr. Mar...The 17-year-old, who is already an accomplished children's book author, is stepping into womanhood on her own terms.

I agree. I would pay money to P&G, a company I detest at this point, if they could stream 85-87. I include 85 because as frenetic as some of the plots are, it does, in a way, it helps present a few of the main characters that really come to life over those next two years. Also, the wedding of Bob and Kim and some really visually attractive costuming and wardrobes for social events and parties that I find entertaining. Presumably, when the uneven storytelling from the Writer's Strike had run its course, there were some iconic scenes that, if I were writing a soap today, I would steal--like the scenes surrounding Emily's outmaneuvering of her ex-lover Tonio to get control of M&A. So '88 did have some entertaining story.

My main frustration with this show (which I may take a break from for awhile) is that the writing continues to tell us, rather than show us. We get endless conversations in front of brick walls, we get conversations about what happens at a the preparation for a cotillion but no scenes of any of the actual preparation (and honestly, they would only need a handful of scenes to show us the preparation). We get conversations over cocktails between nurses at a bar over a man being stabbed within an inch of his life and left outside of the hospital but we didn't see any of it. The Anita cancer story, as deeply triggering as it is, is truly the only story that is being written with care and detail (and good for Tamara who is surely in the running to get her first daytime Emmy award), every other story is meandering and unfocused. We get the same conversations between Vanessa and Joey (girl, we get it, you want to live your life and you don't care how others feel but why are you trying to get your daughter to like your man when she told you half a dozen times, she thinks he's a sleaze?) Hayley has been talking about killing Bill with Randy and at this point that's all she does. If the blood plasma storyline is supposed to move over to the clinic, but we haven't seen this clinic since...well, ever! If this show didn't have the budget, well maybe then don't tell us that you are going to focus on the wealthy and well-heeled. This show can be entertaining at times but one-liners aren't enough to sustain my interest. I need visual storytelling and movement, with a payoff. I know it's a continuing story but you still need stories with a beginning middle and yes, an end. I feel like so many of these stories have been drifting. Maybe it's just me but other than Anita's storyline, I just don't feel invested in most of these characters.

They're not spending any money on this cotillion storyline at all or they would have had a few dayplayers and under 5s in scenes with Samantha, Tyrell, Tyrell's girlfriend and Alexandra's granddaughter (what's her name?) so that we can see Tyrell's struggle with the dancing, see Alexandra's granddaughter outshine Samantha in the walk (or whatever it was) instead of hearing Samantha whine about it. Or see Kat and Naomi go dress shopping with Samantha (or at least be seen with shopping bags talking about it afterwards). Hell, these are wealthy and well-connected people, they could have a stylist meet with Samantha and do a virtual try-on of designer dresses. This cotillion feels like a concept rather than a real milestone event or coming of age story. It's totally abstract, like most of the potentially interesting events, occurring offscreen.

Vanessa doesn't need to be tied to any comeback, in fact, if she is shocked by it, so much the better. People didn't want to believe that Vanessa is who she actually is (I was willing to entertain the idea that Vanessa was not dumb enough to become a gangster's moll), but we all witnessed her make a cuckold of her husband and not regret one moment of it, so why would anyone believe she cared about helping the husband she never loved? If they do try to retcon Vanessa, it would only be because the writers have written her into a corner and are trying to rescue her from the bin. I say, leave her in the bin.

Usually, I'm not a fan of a "back from the dead" storyline but written well...one of the best stories I've ever seen on a soap was the return of James Stenbeck. The character "died" falling out of a plane (we actually saw him fall) and three years later, he returns, ironically to save his ex-wife (that he practically tortured when they were married) from being sexually assaulted as well as a former lover who he cheated on his ex-wife with, a pregnant policewoman who nearly met her end while trying to save his ex-wife. They kept it a complete secret, and a complete surprise. I'm not sure that a daytime soap would ever be able to pull this off in the age of social media, but BTG is in need of some surprises, the show is a bit too predictable for me.

It is reminiscent of the heavy-handed Febreeze and Tide product placement in scenes, except deeply patronizing and twice as annoying. I put this on the writing. Joey is a bottom-feeding gangster (to quote the astute words of the raging Deanna), he's hardly MacKenzie Scott sending huge endowments to HBCUs. Eva annoyed the sh*t out of me with this cloying chatter.

Wow, Happy Birthday to Don Hastings. Many Happy Returns!

Iona Morris has experience on a soap opera. She played Tamara Tunie's sister Fiona on As The World Turns BITD. She is also the sister of the actor Phil Morris, who is probably best known for having played Jackie Chiles (Seinfeld) but for me and many other soap fans, we first saw him on The Young & The Restless as Tyrone Jackson (he and Stephanie E. Williams were really good together) That conversation between Eva and Joey was not only unnecessary, it was deeply cringeworthy. Eva reeling off statistics about Black men to Joey as if he is the United Negro College Fund. SMH. Speaking of Joey, I thought he just had contempt for Doug but maybe he has contempt for doctors in general? Or is it is Black men of a certain age or status-the ones he can't take responsibility for "making"?🙄🤨Vanessa just sitting there, making meaningless chitchat while Joey...to paraphrase the words of Niles Crane "assaults [the] profession like a drag queen at a tractor pull". But since Vanessa stood by and smirked while Joey made a cuckhold of her husband, I'm not surprised. 🤷🏾‍♀️ The hair and makeup people are slipping on this show. Eva's wig is at the 9-1-1 stage now- it's time for some braids or something else. And Nicole's makeup is so harsh now, I'm not sure if that's supposed to be part of Nicole's new image but yikes! Sometimes Vanessa's look is severe and sometimes she looks pretty good, maybe Nicole and Vanessa are trading off? I still wish we got a chance to see Shanice date other people before getting so invested in a relationship and I don't like how the writing makes her look like she has low-self esteem and is downtrodden. Having her constantly comparing herself negatively to Nicole is definitely giving colorism energy. Whoever is writing this, either address the issue head on (written well, it actually could be an interesting side topic) or cut it out.

Vanessa gurl,

Martin could have had a "campaign event" in Orphey Genes with a bunch of dayplayers, under 5s, extras as his "constituents". The scene could have started as Martin says the last lines of his speech to applause. Even take one question from a "constituent". That's just one example of a character at work that immediately came to mind. I think fans of daytime soaps make so many excuses for lazy writing and all too often blame it on budget. If we want better, why not demand better?🤷🏾‍♀️

Honestly, I am getting frustrated with this show. Except for Anita's storyline, other storylines are either spinning the block or going in an illogical direction. The writing is not great. They are trying to force us to believe that Ted is already in love with Shanice, who just happened to tell us about her past with a boyfriend who cheated on her with his ex (foreshadowing?). If history repeats itself, it will only be to make Ted look terrible again, which will be unfortunate because we've already gotten an irredeemable serial cheater in Bill. I think this show is using Dani & Andre to show us (Black) Love In The Afternoon but there ought to be layers to these two and the writing is not giving us any. What happened to Dani's career? We never see Andre taking pictures of anyone beside Dani or some Dupree family member. On Y&R when Malcolm was a photographer, we would see him take pictures of actual models. When Cricket was a model on Y&R, we almost saw too much of her being a model. In fact, we have lawyers who are never in court, we never see meetings with with all the partners, junior partners, etc. at Bill's firm. We only see Naomi sulking on her phone. Izaiah isn't counseling any students, geez, we could at least have him run into the twins, maybe he knows Deanna had been struggling and asks how she's doing, which maybe Deanna has a bit of a crush...give us something for God's sake!! And Vanessa is clinging to Joey (who I'm also bored with) like a wet rag, it's ridiculous for someone who talks about having a real estate empire but never seems to spend any time running it. I remember Lucinda Walsh (the character that Cady McClain seems to be trying to imitate in Pamela's speech patterns?) ran an empire. Lucinda was amorous but the woman still worked and we saw her actively working, securing deals, trying to outdo the competition, Vanessa does nothing except sit on Joey's lap and plaster a phony look of concern on her face about her kids. I hope Deanna presses Vanessa to tell the truth (or at least let it slip) about when she started sleeping with other people. Even in the hospital where we sort of see some activity, we never even see these doctors doing Telehealth appointments, let alone treating in person patients (paging Dr. Nicole Dupree-Richardson, Dr. Ted Richardson, and the rest?). I did have a Guiding Light flashback when someone mentioned Anita's doctor, a Dr. Bauer, not being on call when she had her infection and had to be hospitalized. None of the doctors ever see patients, we never see other patients yet someone believes it's a good idea to add a clinic (that we'll probably never see) to the mix. Also, I am getting tired of Hayley, maybe it's time for Lynette to get the drop on her. I'm starting think there is some colorist tendencies on this show because Hayley and Leslie-Dana are two of thee most insufferable characters on the show now, and Leslie, Hayley and Lynette are all people who are trying to force their way by manipulating others repeatedly (thus adding to the ranks of the irredeemable). I'm no fan of his but the way Hayley is forcing the sexual harassment issue onto Tomás, especially after practically defending the man who had actually been harassing women at the firm, is pretty low. Suddenly, this show seems to want to make him a victim? I'm not in favor of MVJ handing off her show to the likes of Guza (so we can give Joey the "Sonny Corinthos" treatment? Hard pass on that one) but if she doesn't bring some fresh blood, who can actually bring some life to these stories (and create some new possibilities), this show may be looking at repeating the fate of Generations.