j swift

13 minutes ago, carolineg said:

The correct thing would be to recommend a new therapist and walk away from it all because of conflict of interest.

Don't forget a subtle dig at Maggie.  That's the basis of their rapport.

Also, how long did the Bella reboot last?  It feels like they put out one issue and pulled the plug.  Maybe he should've hired Everett…

3 minutes ago, carolineg said:

not sure what Alex has to gain sleeping with Kristen besides a night of sex

And what's Marlena going to say in their bi-annual therapy sessions?

Nice editing TVLine.

One imagines that one actor is playing Eric and the other Lyle (unless Ryan Murphy is going for an evil twin plot)

I found it intriguing that Theresa gave Alex her hard drive.  I wonder if there's anything incriminating on it?

Much like the DNA results in EJ's safe with the note written on it, these are secrets just waiting to explode.

That being said, no one in the history of time has ever ripped open the buttons on a man's shirt.  Beyond the fact that it would be physically difficult to rip off the buttons without tearing the shirt, the button would probably fly around and hit him in the face (which is not sexy). And what would he wear the next day when his shirt is busted?  It's one of those things that soaps think are sexy (like pushing someone against the wall when they kiss), but are actually impractical and potentially painful.

The wacky factor keeps getting ratcheted up, but somehow this show maintains its heart.  And its budget.  The CGI whale was impressive.

Allison Janey is a mesmerizing actress.  Her eyes are so expressive, and when the guy said that she looked like the saddest woman alive; it was true.

It was an odd choice to have Laura Dern off camera the entire episode, but Julia Duffy's transformation was joyful.

I was also pleased that we finally got some insight into Josh Lucas's motivation.  His character feels the least well constructed.  Sometimes he seems nefarious, and other times he seems like a dumb baby.  He professes his love for his wife, but they rarely work together on their schemes.  So, I was satisfied that we finally got some answers about him.  

And anyone who ridiculed Ricky Martin needs to watch this episode.  That man's got soul, when written correctly.

TIL the novel is completely different except for the names.  The plot of the novel is that Douglas leaves Maxine, and she enters an over 40 beauty contest, judged by Evelyn, while pretending to be married to Robert.

23 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I don't think he's the one that set the Horton House on fire.  I think the implication is that it was someone connected to Clyde.   And if Everett ends up connected to Clyde I might actually scream and lose all faith in Days.

While I don't think it would ever actually happen, it would be an incredibly fun surprise if Jada turned out to be the villain in her marriage.   But, regardless of the writer, DAYS rarely does anything without telegraphing it far in advance.

Also, housekeeping at the Salem Inn is nasty.  Everett threw the divorce papers in the trash yesterday, but somehow they're still in the room.  How often do they take away the trash at the Inn? I hate to think how frequently they change the sheets.

I just hope he wasn't the one that set the Horton House on fire, because we know Stefan shot Xander, and Goldman shot at Lucas and Kate, but we still don't know who set the fire.

I assumed he lived at the cabin where the fire occurred, but I could be mistaken.

I agree with DID hypothesis because we also heard about a trauma in his upbringing (which could have been the trigger), and thankfully, Bobette can be redeemed if Marlena cures his disorder.

The only source that I could find:

One element of the series was so consistent that it became an in-joke among the show’s staff. Anyone leaving the show invariably had his or her character “transferred to Detroit,” as was the case for Michael Landrum when he was written out as Larry.

https://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/survive-marriage/

3 hours ago, kalbir said:

I wonder if SOD would ever digitize its archive. There are interviews and features from the 1970s/1980s/1990s I'd love to read.

They might have been able to do, if the publisher hadn't spent $30,000.00 paying off the doorman at Trump Tower to suppress the story that the former president had fathered a child with his housekeeper out of wedlock (which later proved to be false).

17 minutes ago, BrendaB said:

Why was Tracy upset at Spinelli about her winning that game?

I assumed it was either because she didn't want to be thought of as an old maid/spinster.  Or she saw the other women gabbing about Maxie and Spinelli, and she doesn't want that kind of gossip going on about her and Gregory.

20 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Wow. I never knew, although I did know she wasn't well received as she was only on for a year or so. Her first months are on Youtube.

20 hours ago, NothinButAttitude said:

The book didn't outright say it, but it was implied that the audience felt EJ was too Mary Sue and it was at the expense of Delia, who always came up short when they were at odds. 

I liked EJ and Roger, but in retrospect, pre-internet, it feels unfair to say that a character was ill received, because the only response would've come from the niche part of the audience that would write into the production.  Certainly, the ratings did not change drastically enough to blame one character.  And the soap press was so far behind the air dates, that their critiques could not have had much of an effect.

So, unless Claire Labine had amazing ESP, I wouldn't have expected her to know how EJ was enjoyed by those of us at home.

35 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Blair's nightclub. I am sure the set will return if they want to re-use it.

IIRC it was a cabaret/rave/drug den, way ahead of its time.  I wonder if she met Martin there?

1 hour ago, Liberty City said:

The One Life reboot set re-visit for the new set was interesting... and a surprise.

I watched the episode to understand your reference.  It was an odd setup.  Trina, Joss, and Stella arrive.  They talk about the new place.  Then they left to go to the bachelorette party.  It was like, here's a new set of a table in front of a cash register.  Seen enough?  Ok, we'll leave…

But, you've got a good eye for recognition.  The only OLTL reboot set that I recall was that basement club. 

Filed under there are always multiple reasons for failure.

Today we learned that if AMI hadn't paid over $500,000 to bury stories for Donald Trump resulting in a federal fine of $187,000.00, perhaps they could've afforded to keep the print edition of SOD.

Not that I'm grieving the loss, but it is a remarkable context, beyond the fact that there are fewer soaps which has been true for more than a decade.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/23/nyregion/national-enquirer-trump-trial-david-pecker.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytimes

As The Enquirer’s parent company at the time, American Media, admitted in a “non-prosecution” deal with the federal government in 2018: “AMI knew that corporations such as AMI are subject to federal campaign finance laws, and that expenditures by corporations, made for purposes of influencing an election and in coordination with or at the request of a candidate or campaign, are unlawful.”

The deal helped secure Tuesday’s testimony.

(The Federal Election Commission later hit The Enquirer’s parent company with fines of $187,000; Mr. Trump’s campaign escaped sanction.)

The suit is fine, in a modern boxy cut.  But, I don't believe a Newman would wear a YSL knockoff bag (even if it is sold by future RHONY-ite Rebecca Minkoff)

43 minutes ago, carolineg said:

It's been awhile since I have been in high school clearly, but how can Holly wear half a top to class?  Nicole was okay with that outfit?  Her entire stomach was showing.  You'd immediately get sent to the office and have to wear your gym shirt if you showed up to school like that and I just went to a regular public high school in this century lol. 

In the name of gender equatable progress, many schools have dropped their dress code policies because they were mostly coded toward girls, and often enforced by men.  That being said, Holly is dressed by a costume department who would be wise to make better choices than try to exploit the body of a character who is meant to be underage.

One of my early soap memories was a family trip, where I insisted on going back to the hotel each day to watch Dee and the ape.  It was mesmerizing, and brief.

It is funny to read that people didn't like Kimberly.  I know she “took over the show” for a while.  There was something about her odd vocal tone, and I liked the name Arley.  My three favorites when watching it at the time were Delia, Kim, and Maggie.  For me, one of the true strengths of RH was the ability to write a female vixen who was multifaceted.  When Kim went after Seneca, we fully understood her motives, just as when Maggie tried to seduce Frank.  They weren't just covetous, wonton, woman, they were sympathetic in ways that were rare in the 1980s soaps. 

Don't get me wrong, I also like Jill and Siobhan.  I could take Rae and Leigh at times.  But, Faith and Lizzie were never my jam.  And Nancy Don, I could never get past the character's name.  

In fact, given all the silly “taken from the movies” plots (Jaws, King Tut, The Godfather), it is remarkable that the characters remained rich, even if their circumstances were preposterous.   RH was probably the only show that I practically watched from beginning to the end.  But, I rarely think about it, partially because the story lines were not as captivating as EON.  For example, I bought the book to read on a trip back in October, but I've never opened it.  And that's from a guy who once read Don Diamont's memoir (5/10, only recommended for the pictures, the OJ stuff, and his DAYS stories).

It is an amusing coincidence that both casts of Boy in the Band included so many soap actors.  Larry Luckinbill and Peter White in the original and Matt Bomer and Tuc Watkins in the revival.

I think it is a bit reductive to keep blaming Ryan Murphy for this project when director Joe Mantello was much more heavily involved in the creative process.

Here is Luckinbill's lovely quote about the making of the movie.

I was told it would destroy my budding career to be identified as a gay man. I didn’t care. I did the play and the part offered because Mart was my friend. It was a hit Off-Broadway and ran three years. Mart got offers from Hollywood to make the movie, but was told that would happen only if the nine “f#$%^&s” in the cast were replaced by movie stars (never mind that two of us in the cast were straight, and “f#$%^s” was an ignorant, s#$$%^y word). Mart refused. He insisted the play would only be a film if the original cast reprised their roles. None of us were movie stars. I had done television in New York but never a movie.

The movie got made and each of us got a chance to shine. In my case, it worked—I went on to have a television and movie career. My “courage” in risking my “career” was nothing to me—just something I had to do for my friend. Mart was a tough guy. A courageous man. A hero. A prescient man.

I appreciate that folks in this thread have proven what Sonny has shown to Nina that the opposite of love isn't hate, it is indifference.  I applaud the restraint. 

I get confused about who knows what since they share so much information off-screen.

For example, today I was surprised that Harris doesn't know that Ava helped Clyde escape.  Why would she admit everything to him, but that?  And why is she giving up the Bistro?  Did she only manage it?  I thought she owned part of it?

And is that it for the radiation story? There are no consequences.  It was just a one week thing.

Between the radiation and the tarot card, last week was a complete Obi-Wan wipe. - There are no droids, cards, or radiation here…

3 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Johnny singing to Chanel was really nice and sweet though. But I’m still wondering why a Dimera sings so much like a Southern country boy

You're forgetting that Susan Banks is also his granny, and she's as southern as biscuits on a Sunday morn'

I'm not running to the bookstore for this, but I'd read a synopsis, just to see if she has any insight into why CBS was so desperate to cast Aussie soap stars in the early 2000s.

Question: In the past two decades, how often has a change in network or production executive resulted in staffing changes on soaps?  Like when Angelica McDaniel left CBS, was there an immediate change in writers or producers?  I know her role was eliminated, but I am just using her as an example.