j swift

I wonder if Paulina is going to get Clyde's heart? 

Soaps being soaps, somebody on the canvas has to donate the heart. Even if the possibility of a middle-aged man donating his heart seems preposterous.   And I've totally forgotten where Stefan's heart is located.

And how are they running out of oxygen in that huge open space?

Also, it's beginning to feel like the Theresa thing is becoming permanent and Gwen is just a distant memory. 

At one point, it felt like Theresa could not survive past the Alex reveal, but the Tate and Brady stuff seem to have given her an expanded lifeline.

For me, it's the one-two punch of Dick Van Dyke and then Konstantin.  I am far more entertained by John's interactions with Rachel and Tate.  I don't need more backstory.

1 minute ago, carolineg said:

I'll be honest, I am not terribly concerned about Sonny or Ava's personal safety so I am not surprised the show isn't.  They'll be fine.  They always are.

of course, but at least play with a little intrigue, a little apprehension

4 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I think it has more to do with her being Olivia's sister that was just killed than anything to do with Sonny.

But, is Spinelli the only one who is concerned about their personal safety?  I mean, that fur collar on Ava's coat doesn't seem bullet repellant.

And the henchmen, are right behind them, not spread out like snipers.  These folks are not great at planning a drop. 

May I ask someone who actually watches the show to explain Ava's presence in the Friday episode to me?

They're trying to draw out Sonny's shooter.  They know it is going to be a dangerous situation.  So, who do they decide to bring along?  The local gallery owner and mother of Sonny's child?  Because as Julien's sister, she knows how to make a deal?

Even Selina Wu questioned it for a minute.  But, then was instantly cool with it.  To me, it made no sense.

And don't get me started on GH trying to do a social conscience vaping story, contrasted with a bunch of geriatric mobsters holding guns on the world's smallest dock.

I forget more than I recall of Another World, but that image of Reinhart's shadow that dissolved into David Canary's face for his first episode will always be memorable.  I still think it was such a creative way to clue the audience about Steve's return. 

Psychoanalysts would have a field day how every PR image illicits so many projective responses. Last month it was the Jason/Sam/Carly photo.  Today it's the cast photo.  Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar...

It is interesting how the foreshadowing of Blackhawk, and Quinn discussing her boss, was so similar to the introduction of Adam on AMC.  Prior to Adam's arrival, people in Pine Valley were intrigued about this rich guy moving to town, and Ross was hyping up his arrival.  And then it turned out that he was using an alias and had history with significant members of the community.  But, Adam stuck (for a variety of reasons) and Steve was killed off.

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Me neither.  She might not have been as visionary as Douglas Marland or Agnes Nixon, but I didn't think she was a total hack either.  I'd probably put her in the same category as Lorraine Broderick and the Cullitons.

Agreed, in fact, I would go as far as saying it is an 'ideas vs. execution' issue.  The concept was good, but the casting, and other issues beyond the control of the writing, were poor.

2.3/10

I hate today's wrinkle that Holly will hide the fact that she did drugs in order for Nicole to not feel guilty for being a bad mother.  On Christmas Day, Holly was talking about Nicole being a bad mother because she missed her birthday.  Johnny knows that she smoked pot.  And Eric and Nicole took Holly for breakfast when they thought she had a hungover.  So, the idea that Holly would now be motivated by guilt over Nicole to not exonerate Tate is silly.  

8 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Harris seemed a little Jason-like today

Maybe even more like Jason Bourne than Jason Quatermaine.  The guy's been in a coma for weeks, now he can jump out of bed and pin Stefan against the wall? 

10 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Nicole/Eric have a HEA and raise Jude off screen

While I can see it happening, given their contractual status, it would seem like a big course correction given how well Nicole and EJ have been getting along since their wedding.  I would not like it if EJ became suddenly evil again like he did in the fall, in order to facilitate the pairing of Nicole and Eric.  But, I think that's where we're heading with Tate's conviction. 

2 minutes ago, carolineg said:

How long can Sonny/Jagger talk about Karen and Stone?

My memory may be way off, BUT, the other thing that keeps annoying me about this dialogue is that IIRC Stone and Jagger interacted for a relatively short period of their time on screen.  Jagger was around for a long time before they established his siblings, and I don't think of him having many significant scenes with Stone.  I get that Jagger today would not recall Stone's connection with Sonny kindly, because of all the trouble that befell Stone.  But, and correct me if I am wrong, they weren't that close to begin with.

10 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Re George/Steve-he had been troublesome  for some time so it's understandable he had to go.

How would posters feel about a recast? Have Steve be in an accident, injured and voila John Fitzpatrick is the new Steve! Or who else could you think of for Steve?

At the risk of once again being in the minority, I liked David Canary as a Steve re-cast.  He was blustery like Reinholt, but there was also a vulnerability that made his appeal to Alice more relatable.  I also thought the idea of Steve's re-entry was creative, because there was so much talk about his company Blackhawk before his arrival. 

But, the recast Alice, and the poor excuse for his return from the dead ultimately doomed the character.  Along with the fact, that they may have underestimated the appeal of Rachel and Mac as an "endgame" couple. 

32 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I think maybe they just wanted to pause the story until all the actors were back?  I thought it was a strange choice as well.   Idk, Days does have the weirdest pacing though.  

I agree, I would guess that they needed some time to figure out how to tell the drug and baby switch story if Nicole was not going to be on canvas.  As I read it, the issue was not about AZ thinking about coming back, but that the former producer wanted to fire her, so they required a plan B.  Now, it is unimaginable that they would be able to tell those stories without recasting Nicole.  But, unfortunately, I can see a future without Nicole once those stories end in six months.  Because Holly could be raised by Maggie and EJ, while Nicole raises Jude off-screen.

While I'm not an immediate fan of the new actor playing Jagger, I also don't recall the original character or actor being that compelling.  The pairing with Karen was intriguing, and the triangle with Brenda was a great teen/young adult story for the time, but Jagger was the weakest link within that plot. 

Also, I am giving GH some creativity points for choosing Jagger as a potential mate for Carly because of all the historical connections.  And he was established as a law enforcer in his prior times on the canvas. 

Amusingly, whenever @vee references him as Wagger, I was reading it as 'wager' (like a bet) in my head and I didn't understand the nickname, but now I think it is fits. 

For me, what is so entertaining is that it feels as if the author was trying to write a campy ode to soap opera catfights. But the actors actually flipped the script and told the context of the scene and how difficult it was to film.  So that we couldn't help but respect them for their efforts.  I think it is a triumph any time that soaps that underestimated, and then someone notes why they deserve their place in culture. 

16 hours ago, chrisml said:

It's been years since I read Lemay's book, but I felt that a lot of his remarks about the show and the performers were tinged with a degree of self-serving reflection. 

I agree, but I don't think that is a bad thing.  We have to consider the context.  The book is a memoir, not an attempt to write the history of the show.  The humor is derived from his frustrations working for the first time within the daytime genre.  And there is no way of knowing if he maintained these opinions years later. 

I hope we can put a moratorium on the semi-annual retrial of Virginia Dwyer's firing.  The interpretation that any writer had enough power in a production to dismiss an actor on their own because they didn't like the way that they read their lines is simply too literal. I am not quoting anyone in particular, I am just voicing my frustration that we keep circling back to the same disagreement.

2 hours ago, Liberty City said:

Well if he wrapped end of November / beginning of December, add six to seven months, and I am guessing May/June-ish? Possibly? Depends.

It is always intriguing to me how much a production plays into the minority portion of the audience that is clued into soap news.  For example, DAYS is promoting that Stefan might kill Burton’s character's this week.  Which would be kismet if he is also going to debut on GH on Monday.  But, I tend to believe it just a coincidence, since DAYS production didn't know six months ago that Burton was going to be re-hired at GH.

It is a fun correlation, but logically there couldn't be a relationship between the two events.

To me, the recent focus on Spinelli, a character who has outgrown his charm, feels like putting the pieces in place for Jason's return.  Everyone on the canvas is being reset to where they were when Jason was relevant.  Sonny is single, Spinelli is on his own, Drew and Sam are arguing.  It all feels very deliberate.  But the regression of characters is rarely popular.

Not the “it could have been worse” defense… 

I would respect them if they suggested that it was newsworthy and that they sought the consent of her son.  But, all of these explanations after the fact seem insincere. 

There is a long tradition of this type of show from Grey Gardens, to Michael Jackson's Martin Bashir interview, to Whitey Houston's interview with Wendy, to Britney's Instagram videos.  Collectively, they raise the intriguing question: How should our culture address affluent mentally impaired adults who resist assistance? Should we gawk or avert our gaze?  Do we have the right to look in Wendy's fridge because we were fans for 15 years?  Or is it more respectful to ignore her decline?

I think judgements of who is good or bad in Wendy's life is easy.  But, for me, it is trickier to grapple with what is my personal responsibility in terms of media consumption?  Is it noble to resist the urge to watch this provocative footage? Or is it just a fascinating story that I am drawn to for the same reasons that I am a fan of soaps?

@Mona Kane Croft My wish would be Lenore Moore Curtin Delaney (perhaps recast with Judith McConnell, just for the Nik Coster reunion).  Lenore returns as the ultimate society matron whom Donna Love is desperate to impress.  Lenore is instantly accepted back and placed on the board at the hospital.  The ladies of Bay City plead with her to rejoin the Country Club.    And Carl cannot take his eyes off of her anytime he is out with Rachel. 

Then Wally falls hard for Vicky Hudson.  She's a breath of fresh air.  He's from DC, and she knows politics from her time with Grant.  But, he's a human rights lawyer and good guy. 

Suddenly this is Donna's way into Lenore's orbit.  If Vicky marries Wally, Donna can invite Lenore to the Love Mansion every year for Thanksgiving.

But, Wally has a bit of his father's madness in him and is secretly jealous of Jake or any other man who once loved Vicky.  Let's just hope he doesn't go scarf shopping anytime soon...

10 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

None of these are violations of privacy.

I concur.  And there's clearly a difference between people talking about their reactions on a public forum, versus attacking or critiquing the actors directly on social media. 

In this case, we've seen this woman in the media for decades, and it is only natural to have a response to the extreme changes that have occurred over time. 

I would be mortified to be compared to images of myself twenty years ago, but I have not chosen a profession that commodifies my appearance.

Two head scratching responses:

A:

Yet, they filmed for months, so that doesn't absolve them of exploiting her story when she is at her worst.

B:

He needs to sit down and get a job