DramatistDreamer

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.

@DRW50 At the very least, these shows could still afford sets. I'm finding these episodes unwatchable, simply because the videos are in such poor condition. B&B is far from my favorite soap but I can appreciate that they respect their intellectual property enough to value and preserve it.

@Soapsuds I watched a little of IW and a little of Miami. I saw some of the women's final in Miami. I have been watching some of Fils' matches. ESPN dumping tennis has made things inconvenient for me tbh.

Ha! Katlock. Seeing Kat living with "The Grands" reminded me that during the first couple of seasons on The Bold & the Beautiful, 3 out of the 4 Forrester kids lived at home. I wish the Duprees had a dining room though. It's inconceivable to me that a wealthy Black family wouldn't ever share even the occasional big family dinner.

Yesterday's episode could be BTG's Emmy submission. Having said that, hopefully the story will start to wind down to a resolution, it's getting harder to watch Anita in constant anguish. Sometimes you have to straddle the line between realistic storytelling and remembering that entertainment is also central to a television series. Now if only the other stories had this much attention to detail in the narrative. This being a soap opera, I expect couples (even exes) to be on the merry-go-round but I am seeing signs that Nicole might take a spin faster than Dani. I see how she interacts with Ted when Shanice is there: Nicole always seems to interject with some anecdote about her and Ted when Shanice and Ted are talking. Nicole did this when she noticed that Ted sent Shanice flowers, she mentioned, in front of Shanice, how Ted used to send her flowers, she did this again yesterday when Ted and Shanice were discussing her getaway...'playfully' chiding Ted over wanting to go camping, suggesting that Ted used to do the same with her. And these are not isolated incidents. It almost seems like Nicole is marking Ted somehow. Very interesting, also how she had Ted in mind to share the news of Anita not signing the DNR (did Ted even know about the DNR) rather than, say, Carlton. In terms of today's episode, it was nice to see Peaches out of the hospital. Leslie shows a softer side but I still find her insufferable. Unless we're going to see the statues of Idris Elba, Shemar Moore and Morris Chesnut (which would be hilarious) I don't need to hear about the details. The next case that Jacob needs to work on and solve, is the Laura Peterson case.

Well, damn, that Andy Chambers news is so sad!!😥Luke was a "Bad Boy" for sure, but I thought the actor was so cute and was relieved that in real life, he seemed nothing like his Degrassi character. May he rest in peace. Where the Degrassi documentary can be viewed, I don't even know whether it got distribution outside of Canada but with its popularity, one would think that it would make it around the globe, eventually. There was such a tussle over whether it would even be screened at TIFF, due to Linda Schuyler's objections to some of the content, it wouldn't surprise me if this has impacted distribution. I forgot all about this documentary, to be honest. I need to check into it.

The problems with daytime soaps today imo, is that we have the same incestuous circle of people, many of whom were at the helm of some soaps when they had enormous ratings drops or met their ratings demise. Why can't we get someone fresh with fresh ideas? Primetime and streaming seems to manage this much better. The old experience excuse never sat right with me. Throughout decades these soaps would have had access to graduates from pre-professional dramatic writing programs at USC, Columbia, Tisch, Yale, Carnegie Mellon, etc. yet they chose the same circle of burn outs. And then wonder why there are only 3-4 soaps on network broadcast television these days. Widen the circle, already.🤷🏾‍♀️

The scenes between Anita & Vernon are a painful watch but it is the one storyline that seems to be written with detail and any care. I think Tamara and Clifton are showing why they are deserving of the matriarch and patriarch of this show. I don't have a problem with Samantha and Tyrell as a concept but it's getting harder and harder to overlook the fact that "Samantha" doesn't look her age, she looks older...noticeably, unavoidably older. At least the actor who portrays Tyrell could pass for 17, 18. How much longer is this plasma ring storyline going to be with us? It is getting more and more ridiculous. And with Smitty trying to call the shots now? Is he a detective now? Are he and Jacob partners? Smitty, go home to your husband...if anything, you are drawing suspicion on Jacob at this point. And Jacob doesn't need any more ways to flop, he already has more than enough of his own accord. Again, I ask, what is the purpose of this entire story? Will Anita need a transfusion or something? Why should I care? Especially seeing that most of the action happens off screen. Speaking of offscreen, some miracle will probably happen at the new clinic, but offscreen. And the clinic needs to get in line behind off screen Banneker University, which has been mentioned since the beginning and has no less than four characters who either work or attend school there, yet we still have yet to see one room inside that campus. Dani asserting to Bill that her man is the man of the house, is a standout line and Karla delivered it deftly. I honestly don't care about Vanessa and Temu Tony Soprano. The more Vanessa whimpers about her downtrodden existence as wife and mother (if she & Doug were really just roommates, there is this thing called a divorce, which would have at least left Doug with more dignity than he had right before his demise or thereafter), the more unseemly light Vanessa puts the whole of her existence in her marriage and life in. Just. Stop. It doesn't make Vanessa look any better in my eyes, so Vanessa, please cut the whining. Hopefully Naomi uses her lawyerly training and doesn't let anything slip out about Jacob in front of the plasma ring street corner captain. But they make everyone on this show except Joey, look absolutely clueless.

Don't tell us that Anita will need some sort of blood transfusion?

I was thinking that, if you look at pics of Jasmine Guy as a child, she would have a resemblance to Deanna. Although, nobody is going to look more like Jasmine than her actual daughter Imani I do like how Anita has (re)built a rapport with her former sons-in-law. Yes, the circumstances can seem somewhat contrived but the actors are playing their onscreen chemistry well. Put me in the category of people who just don't understand this deference for Joey Armstrong. No offense to Jon Linstrom who is a highly capable actor but Joey Armstrong is nothing more than a thug in a leatherette vest or a velour track suit. I just don't get it.🤷🏾‍♀️ I'm glad to see Iona Morris and Tamara Tunie will have scenes that are not if the "blink and you miss them" variety because they were really good on As The World Turns. All of the actors cast for Jessica Griffin's family were top notch, especially the late great Carl Gordon who played Jessie's dad. Maybe sometime when the show decides to address the trauma from Leslie's r@pe of Ted and Ted gets a therapist, BTG can bring on Napiera Groves as Ted's therapist for a brief story arc.🙏🏾

Aí yaí yaí! Thanks @janea4old

Too many things are taking place offscreen and it's giving downgraded stories. They need to hire one of those folks from YouTube who are gifted in the use of AI or something. Use a stock image for the exterior and shift some things around with the Garland Memorial set or something...get creative, like it's their job.

Thanks @Soapsuds ! Last night, I was like "...it's too late for this $hit.😩

Thanks @Soapsuds 🙌🏾 I realize I haven't done an embed, maybe since the new look board. What option do you choose? I don't see a Source Code option. Am I missing it?

I just saw the screenshot. It looked like a "blink & you miss it moment". Maybe there's some BTS moments between them somewhere on SM. I was going to add a classic ATWT scene between them but can't seem to find the embed option. Oh well.

Am I just unable to embed? I cannot find the embed option.

Hopefully Dr. Monica and Anita will cross paths soon as the actresses played sisters on As The World Turns.