carolineg

Jax/sonny/Brenda is probably the best triangle I ever saw on soaps right up until VM/Brenda left the first time.  After that it became redundant.  And then there were all the years they just told basically told the  same story with Carly instead.  I never  really got into fanwars because I genuinely liked both S/B and J/B as couples.  I lean more torwards S/B but I liked J/B enough to say they are easily one of my top 10 favorite soap couples of all time.  Clink/Boom is just good soap.  Too bad Guza felt the need to re-do every few years in case we forgot.

One  that hasn't been mentioned that I loved was John/Marlena/WN's Roman.  It was so soapy and you felt for all parties involved.  Plus it created years of story.  Early Bo/Hope/Billie was good too.  It a shame JER decided to make all his triangles so lopsided in the mid 90's.  Carrie/Austin/Mike is the only triangle of that era that was balanced and Austin/mike are both pretty lame.

I loved the show back in the day but had no real attachment to LC, so I thought I 'd like the reboot fine.  Turns out everyone else is boring AF and Lauren sorta held the show together.  I think now that reality tv is so prevalent the contrived meet ups and scenes are now just more fake than they were 10 years ago.  Also, Stephanie's face is just super weird now.

1 hour ago, Taoboi said:

Hahahahahaha

 

Thank you!!! I noticed in the thread that it seem everyone was talking about her 2010-11 stint and not really the 2013 return which bad writing aside, felt more like how Brenda is. I remember her 2010-11 stint and other than that lovely THAT WOMAN picture Cheap made that I still have was not like her. 90s Brenda would have slapped That Woman down by the time that wedding happened. 

 

2013? She was her at least. 

Yeah, although the writing was extremely bizarre in every way it did feel more like VM was actually playing Brenda.  I wish I could find the Jax and Brenda breakup scenes from that return.  Jax was savage to Brenda and IR was good.   Apparently they don't exist on you tube anymore.

I don't remember hearing any quotes from VM regarding her 2013 return that let her feelings about the story known from that time.  I think if she signed a contract we would have been headed toward a Connie/Brenda/Sonny triangle.  Maybe she wasn't keen on that idea.  KSu's Kate was being pushed like crazy back then.  Maybe VM didn't want Brenda to be on the losing end of that.

14 hours ago, BetterForgotten said:

As an actor, it's your job to try to sell whatever material gets thrown at you regardless of personal feelings. VM just sleepwalked though that last stint and relied on some terrible acting tics to get her though it. The story was bad - but what was the excuse for VM's crackling and barely trying? I'm not even going to blame that on the rapid pace of daytime - she knew what she was getting herself into. 

I think VM tried with MB the most.  And she got a lot better toward the end of her stint.  There were some very strange acting tics and at points I felt like she forgot how to play Brenda, which was odd since she was the only actress to play her ever.  To be fair though MB and SBu haven't tried in well over a decade so there's that.  Anyway, it was clear her heart wasn't in it and that's a shame for Brenda fans because we waited a long time for her to return.  Her weird 2013 return where she was randomly pretending to sleep with Michael she came off more like Brenda of the 90's, even if she was doing ridiculous things.

40 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

I don't think she did it for the love of GH, if that makes sense. She put no effort into the acting, and left as soon as she could. I don't understand her reason for doing that stint other than collecting a paycheck for a limited stint. In retrospect, it's a really bizarre stint.

 

 

She's now an actress of a certain age - even in the Hallmark/Lifetime sphere, the opportunities are more and more limited for her.  

I get what you are saying.  She talked about integrity of the character and her love for GH, but it didn't show?  She is either not that smart or has a bad manager.  She isn't a young ingénue anymore.  She should have just stayed with GH appearing 2 or 3 times a week.  She will always be Sonny's main love interest so she could have milked that to the end of time.  Plus Jax she would have been fine.

47 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

That last stint felt like she purely did it for a temporary paycheck. 

But don't you think she would have stayed longer if she  needed cash?  Her return was an overall bust but she got some ratings.  S&B's wedding was pretty highly viewed.  I doubt she was fired.  She doesn't strike me as an MB or SBU type. It's not like she works a lot.  A lifetime/hallmark movie a year.  She definitely could have coasted on GH like KeMo for the rest of GH.

3 hours ago, ChitHappens said:

 

Can't imagine anyone ask/directed her to do that stupid obnoxious cackle!

I was thinking it was her own personal acting choice?  I mean, listen, it's awful and I have seen VM in pretty much everything she has done and she never wildly cackled on 90210 or Las Vegas or in her first 15 plus years playing Brenda.  But then she also adopted a form of whispering her dialogue as well so when she and Sonny were in scenes sometimes they were just inaudibly  mumbling at each other.  I just give her a pass thinking she couldn't handle the new faster pace of daytime.  She was never Meryl Streep.  She was just a really beautiful, charismatic, likable screen presence that had a ton of chemistry with her co-stars.

1 hour ago, Faulkner said:

RSinclair had a field day with that Brenda cackle, if I recall.

Clearly I am a fan of VM but that cackle deserves all the mockery.  Was it an acting choice?  The way she laughs in real life?  I will never know, but it was super jarring and annoying.  I choose to think she was cackling because she was laughing instead of crying everytime she had to play out one of Guza's scripts.

10 hours ago, Faulkner said:

 

Totally respect it but at least she gave us this:

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 8:51 PM, Taoboi said:

Which I like about you. I think other than one of my old friends, you are the first Brenda fan online I met.  

 

Agree with everything you say. 

Yeah, there aren't many Brenda fans on the boards anymore.  I think they are mostly on twitter.  I think they exist.  Just like I hardly see any Sonny fans online, but he must have fans. Brenda had a lot more fans before her 2010 return now I mostly see the I used to be a Brenda fan, but not anymore.   Whatever, I have no problem saying I would rather watch Brenda in crap storyline over Nina and Kim any day of the week.

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

THIS.

 

That said...whom to say VM wouldn't cameo in. Like that time she did for a day (okay two) to write Jax off on that wild goose chase to see if she was alive pre-her first return?

 

 

But who cares if she cameos?  Honestly, I would watch for those two days and move on.  If we are going to do a Brenda arc promote it and make it a big deal.  I agree she still has a large fanbase that moves with her (myself included) and if they are going bring her back make it something worthwhile.  I can't fathom a single scenario where Brenda has Sonny's kid and just leaves...that's not her character at all.  I would leave it all alone if they can't actually get VM back.

7 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

I doubt they care that much about Brenda to do this. He'll be Sonny's son from some random bang or something like that

I never thought FV cared much about Brenda, but if they are giving Sonny another child it should be his with Brenda.  Another random mom would be lame.  At least Brenda and Sonny were an actual thing for years

4 minutes ago, AdelaideCate007 said:

As for Dev being Brenda's son, I again ask for anybody offering this theory up to explain to me when, why, and how Brenda's son is now a homeless pickpocket who is evidently scamming Sonny. How is this suppose to play out? How would it be possible? It makes zero sense.

The only possible explanation is that he ran away to find his real father or something.  I think they could play that angle.  It would be stupid but it would be slightly plausible.

10 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

The random 'HAHAHA' laughing during that 2010 stint was awful and disturbing. 

It was odd.  Brenda never did that before.  I thought she just was uncomfortable with everything about her last stint.  And her and MB and the whispering?  I could not understand either one of them.  They did not do that in the 90's.

Just now, BetterForgotten said:

I have a feeling the next time VM returns it will be when GH is canceled, and they have to write some rushed and nonsensical happy ending for Sonny and Brenda. 

100% agree.  She's not in it for the long haul but I think VM and MB want S/B to be endgame so she'd probably come back for that.  For some reason I don't think VM is cut out for the new fast paced, no rehearsal schedule GH is on now.  Her performances in 2010 were not good. 

3 minutes ago, John said:

Im hoping your right. I have a gut feeling GH is repeating 1999 here

Dear God, I wish GH would repeat 1999 lol.  I just don't know exactly how they would tell a story about Alec being Dev without making Brenda look like an awful person.  A 2010 S/B child?  Maybe, but again I would hate for them to have another Idk where my baby is story for Brenda.  She might be a little crazy but she is not a complete idiot that would lose her child again.

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

How exactly do people on twitter think world famous celebrity Brenda Barrett's son is a Turkish pickpocket? LOL

 Wishful VM fans hoping for a return. 

37 minutes ago, John said:

So Dev's real name is most likely not Dev

 

I think we may get a repeat of Juan, Lily's son coming to town to find  Sonny but in this case,  Dev is actually Brenda's son Alec

Seriously no point if they don't bring Brenda back. And we are supposed to accept Brenda just lost track of the child she left Sonny for his own protection?  That's just a lot.  He's just some homeless kid?   Although lookswise he could totally be Brenda's kid.

Idk they dressed VM like a homeless person in 2010 so it's not like 'skinny' girls are immune to GH wardrobe.  Sam has crap clothes too.

1 minute ago, dragonflies said:

They dress her like she's a grandma. It's stupid, she's gorgeous

 

Sadly though they dress Becky horribly as well

I actually don't think Becky is dressed that bad.  KMc was dressed the worst always.  They really made her look frumpy.  Robin looked like a 60 year old woman.

4 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

Yeah she looks great, and has had a lot of stuff going on.

She looks great in her social media posts.  I think GH dresses her like she's a frau nowadays.  It's like they never dressed someone who is a size 6 or 8. 

11 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

 

I loathe Kirsten as both Belle & Maxie. I don't get why people think she's so great, she's meh at best. I think Jen Lilley was a better Maxie than she was, but I want Robyn Richards back

 

So I agree with you 100%

I don't loathe KS, but I loved Jen Lilley as Maxie.   I actually like KS as Belle, but have never took to her as Maxie.  As for her playing Belle again?  She looks way too young to be Claire's mom and she has gained some weight, but I don't see how that would effect her playing Belle.  She looks good and people gain weight in real life all the time.  She is now a normal sized person not someone who looks like she is sickly anymore.  GH could dress her better though.

5 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

Nothing like hearing Taylor call Sami "Shammy" unintentionally...

I mean, obviously, you need to get over his weird speech impediment. Lol!  He's not that bad anymore.  He's just an innocuous guy that runs the Pub.  Sure, that is horrible for the character of Roman that Wayne created, but he doesn't really bother me.

2 minutes ago, Dr Neil Curtis said:

That’s basically it! Only time I got behind his Roman was when he and Kate were dating. 

I liked him with Kate.  They were a decent pairing, probably her best.  I didn't hate John/Kate either. They were surprisingly hot. 

Just now, Dr Neil Curtis said:

I said the same thing. He did good. 

Strangely, I don't think Josh is a bad actor.  I think he actually is fairly charismatic and serviceable.  He was just miscast as Roman, but these last few days I actually felt his portrayal of Roman.  He played it well.   It's a shame he really doesn't have any chemistry with anyone except MBE in family settings.

Just now, BetterForgotten said:

It's too bad there doesn't seem to any clips up anymore of the MASTERCLASS stint Rahmer put in as Belle. I've rarely been so moved. 

Was it a you tube clip that said she was a MASTER actress?  Or was it her own reel of clips?  I wonder what ever happened to her.  I bet she married a rich older guy who was moved by her 'skills'