carolineg

It's a pairing they should have gone back to. I liked it. I did feel it got suddenly rushed once VM signed back on. She was not ever tied to Sonny so that's a plus on her part. Jax would legit drop anyone for Brenda, but after 2003 I am unsure why they didn't go back to it. They had good chemistry. I wouldn't be against them going back to it to this day.

Alcazar knew the entire time. But Skye stumbled upon it somehow. I think she went to Europe to find the truth. I can't remember the exact circumstances. And then Skye hid it from Jax/Brenda then helped Alcazar kidnap Brenda again and that's why Jax/Skye broke up. I mean obviously he was going to break up with her regardless, but that was the official reason. Then Skye went off the rails with her drinking.

I disagree lol. Eli is the one who decides to be naked all the time when he knowingly has a house guest. Chanel was just reacting normally to a naked hot guy. She wasn't hitting on him IMO. Chanel seems vaguely like a partier, but she doesn't really seem slutty to me. She seems like she might just be a gold digger, but that's sorta how Allie was introduced as well.

But it was a shady for awhile lol. Jax burned the test results so I think Skye found out first that she wasn't sick and it dragged on. It just wasn't my favorite story at all.

I believe it was solely to usher her off the show. I think the show had hope Vanessa would at the last minute re-sign so it could have gone either way. It could have been an interesting story, but I disliked it. First, I think Veronica was miscast. Jennifer Hetrick was fine and vaguely looked like Vanessa, but I wish they would have went with someone Hispanic to at least explain Brenda's ethnic looks. Second, I didn't love the idea of bringing Brenda's mom back at all. So much of the Brenda character was her growing up without a mom and being unloved. And all of a sudden she's back and has a genetic illness? I probably honestly would have had Brenda go out "fake dying" in violence directed toward Sonny/Jason. The show still played that beat strongly with Sonny leaving her and her ending up dead anyway, but I think it would have been much more poignant if Sonny leaving her didn't help at all. And it would have made more sense in 2002 why she stayed away if there was a mob threat. Her leaving because she was "sick" didn't feel right. Jax would have done anything for her and it was also really crappy on her part to do that to him.

Honestly, maybe. It did feel like we were supposed to root for Chanel and I do. I just think there is so much more to Allie/Trip with the rape, the baby, and now her willingly sleeping with him. Even without a love scene it feels like this romance isn't even scratching the surface of all the issues.

It's weird the disparity in love scenes. John/Marlena are full on making out and I feel worried for them. EJ/Sami are in bed together. I honestly don't have much interest in the pairing, but it needed more. I am certainly not wanting people to risk their health for entertainment, but it's a case where if they can't show anything due to health risks maybe they should have waited on the actual sex or put more depth into Allie having sex the first time post-rape.

It was an adorable set. They should bring it back for someone like TJ/Molly or Kristina. Or even Sasha or Brook. I am still pissed Willow got the gatehouse. That's rightfully Brooklyn's lol.

Does anyone else find it weird Tripp/Allie didn't get a love scene? Not that I am begging for that or anything, but if you want to push a couple at least try to make them sexy. Or is it a Covid thing?

Since I am more of a 90's girl, TG was always a little OTT cheesy. He obviously got worse, but MB and TG are consistently rewarded for doing the bare minimum so they have no reason to change their style. I will say I never thought TG didn't know his lines, which seems to be a constant problem for MB. TG just likes to chew the entire set scenery.

Ha ha! But it became their most successful ad of all time because duh Brenda! Brenda's modeling career is always funny to me. I know they went out of their way to say she was a cosmetic model only in the beginning, but her becoming the face of Cartullo? She's 5'2 lol. She's certainly gorgeous enough, but I am not sure it was a lifetime career and one she repeatedly says she hates, but has continued to do it for approximately 25 years. Robin lived there. Then Nik, then Nik/Gia. I can't remember who else lived there, but I know you are right. Zander? Anyway, they used it again in 2002-2003. As of now, I believe Skye owns it. ETA-Soapcentral's bio of Zander tells me it was him living in the cottage with Emily.

The use of "whore" as a term for women he was sleeping with threw me off. Honestly, it's so noticeable when you go back and watch old clips. I didn't think MB was that bad until I realized how badly he's changed his acting style. It makes it worse when you know he's capable of good work.

It has been so long and this is mostly from memory, but she bought the cottage on her own I think? Her financial trouble came after. I remember the scene where she found out she had lost her money occurred in the cottage and I feel like she bought the place a few months before her breakdown. I think Robin becoming her roommate might have been partly financial though. Brenda was acting erratic after Sonny left her, but her breakdown happened in Dec.1997 and she was pretty much fine by early Feb 1998. She found out she was broke in Jan. 1998 I think. I am 99% sure most of Jax/Brenda from 1998 is still on you tube.

Brenda would consistently called it "My Mother's Disease". People on the internet at the time shortened it to MMD. Even in 2002 that poor disease had no name. I sorta forgot it happened. A lot of 1998 is spent on Brenda getting Jax back and sometimes it was not very exciting. It seemed like a lot to pile on the poor girl at the time, but it was just a silly plot point. I didn't really take it that seriously because she had multiple people that would easily bail her out like the Q's, Ned, and Jax. I liked Brenda trying to figure it out for herself and making her own decisions, but that's about it. I thought it was cute when her and Robin went to NYC to try to get Brenda a modeling job. It was nice the show acknowledged her mental breakdown in public had consequences and she had to do those car commercials as a genie lol. Also, I forgot about Brenda's fear of flying. I guess she got over that? Lol. All in all, 1998 is just not my favorite Brenda year. The Jax/Brenda stuff was good once it got going, but the entire year just seemed like a waste of Vanessa extending her contract. Her best stuff was when MB briefly came back and they had scenes. 1997-1998 after Sonny left her. She lost her modeling job after the breakdown and a shady business manager took her money I believe? It was something like that. So she had to go out and find a job and she also restarted L&B. She ended up modeling for Genie Motors in a genie outfit but then it was successful and she booked more jobs and she had money again by the time she 'died'

It does seem very stupid for no one to figure it out lol. Nothing about Jarly screams passion. And both Jason and Carly have entered into marriages of convenience before. But maybe people are just like they finally realized they are obsessed with each other and are getting married? It's pretty silly.

That's the last time I remember them together. Before that I can't even remember. Belle/Brady seem to rarely share scenes, which I think is so weird.

I was laughing when Marlena gave that heartfelt speech to like John, Roman, and her kids. They could have invited a few more people. I did enjoy Brady, Belle, Eric, and Sami in a room together. That never happens. And I love me some John, but is Drake getting more OTT everyday? Even in the background he's making these odd faces and gestures. Has he just given up on any semblance of dramatic acting and just moving into comedy?

They really had Brenda over Sonny and really built Brenda/Jax again for her only to regress ridiculously back to Sonny in 2010. I think it would have made so much more sense for Brenda/Sonny to slowly fall back in love then to portray Brenda as someone who was pining over Sonny for 15 odd years. And of course Brenda and Jax got completely cheated. I still want a scene where Jax and Brenda talk about their non wedding, but whatever. Brenda's mom's name was Veronica. The disease she was afflicted with had no name. Brenda/Jax would discuss that disease calling it a debilitating genetic mental disease, but it had no name lol.

Unnamed mother crazy disease lol? I get the point of it all and she bet her life on Sonny. But she really had everything to live for. Jax was literally bending over backwards to help her. My all time fave Brenda and Sonny scene is when she goes to the penthouse to confront him once he comes back. It's literally epic. it was such a REAL set of scenes. And it's not all over the top. It's just a quiet moment. How Sonny wishes he could see her pregnant and holding her first child and all he wanted was her to be safe and happy. I die........

Glad you are better now! Anyway, it just really wasn't Vanessa's strength as an actress. I don't hate the idea in theory, but the execution and resolution was poor. Jax's love cured her I guess. I actually thought Ingo did really good with the story. My biggest gripe is that Brenda lost her damn mind over Sonny. It's absolutely realistic and she did show signs of having some mental issues previously, but over Sonny leaving her of all things? It just is eye rolling. Idk, I think it started okay and just fizzled out along the way. I like the Lois pop in and Robin returning for that, so it's all good. I would just never re-watch it. Outside of the S&B non-wedding, which I cannot re-watch, this is by far my least favorite Brenda story.

UGH...please don't ever mention Brenda's breakdown. It was the worst story. I cringe thinking about that photoshoot and the innocent tripods that died over Brenda's histrionics. I would rather watch Brenda in Rome hanging out with Brad Rowe talking about nothing over watching that freaking breakdown story again. Did Guza end that story? Because she was crazy then one day she talked to Lily's headstone and was all good lol. Everything else that week or so was really good though. I think you're right. Something about that scene seems very Guza. In a good way before I hated him.

It's so weird MB devolved into that. He was so good in the 90's. I am not sure if someone told him stuttering and mumbling was the way to go or if he actively tries not to memorize his lines now. Somedays in 2010 I had to turn up the volume on my tv because VM and MB were whispering to one another. Like can you guys just enunciate your words clearly? He hasn't been as bad as Mike lately, but it's a definite issue.

No. Brenda said they exchanged notes and emails but hadn't seen each other. Jax went to Europe/Rome a couple of times to see her, but they didn't cross paths. It was an exposition in Brenda's time in Rome in 2010 so don't worry if you missed it. She said she got Joss's birth announcement in the mail.. Which tacky. But my ex just sent me his daughters birth announcement so I guess that's an appropriate thing lol🤣 But it was established Brenda/Jax had not seen each other since 2003. The only GH character she 'saw' was Robin off screen in Africa. Where they just randomly ran into each other. Like they fell out of touch for several years. WHICH WOULD NEVER HAPPEN, but fine GH. I also think it was implied she may have vaguely talked to Jason. I am pretty sure Brenda still owes Jason the 3 million he gave her in 2003, but not sure🤣 There were SO many character threads dropped for Brenda in 2010, but I always felt Jax was the worst. There were a few comments about betrayal but the crux of the situation was never dealt with. I felt there were a lot of look how much chemistry we have, aren't we adorable scenes, but the meat of their development was never dealt with. I actually thought Ingo brought in spades but Vanessa seemed bored. IR would light up when they shared scenes.

I thought TB and IR had chemistry. I think he'd play off well with any Carly. He wasn't really given a chance. LW and IR really do sparkle and it is believable. She just always has the Sonny albatross around her neck and it's not in Brenda way where Sonny was her first love. It's just like fatha of my kids way. The only reason I think Brenda/Jax are still viable is because they never fully worked things out. Although I think the show alluded they were together when Jax returned? Anyway, Brax in 2003: You're a whore, Brenda. Brax 2010: We are besties. There was no on screen progression to this and it didn't seem like they worked it out. It just seemed like Brenda/Jax just got over it? The scene in 2013 where he finds out Brenda went to talk to Sonny and confronted her and told her she was so badly damaged he couldn't ever fix her was amazing. I wish I could find it on you tube because he read her and it was brutal lol.

To me, Brenda would be the only reason he is viable. On the current canvas, he really isn't. Except for being Joss's dad, but Sonny can take that role. Ingo is another person who rode a career on Vanessa's coattails for better or worse. Sure, Jax is fine but would he be anywhere without having great chemistry with Brenda? He basically extended his stay by having good chem with Laura Wright. lol Jax isn't that amazing of a character, but he used to be the white knight you wish you could meet.