j swift

Yes, but the fact that Warnock might only win by a margin of 3% should still strike shame in the citizens of The Goober State.

If Gene Palumbo was responsible for Marlena's return it is no wonder that it was not a huge audience draw. Looking back, the plot itself was completely unremarkable. Marlena shows up, lit beautifully as ever. Everyone asks where she was. She explains that she was in a coma and then escaped to return to Salem, with perfect makeup, a new hairdo, and a trunk full of pantsuits. Everyone accepts this story and they move on with their lives. By comparison when Laura returned to Port Charles, it may have just lasted a few weeks but she got a theme song by Christopher Cross, a return of the Cassadines, and the ramifications of her time away are still felt today in the character of Nikolas. And Reva Shayne returned as a ghost, an Amish amnesiac, and a Caribbean Queen (or maybe just a princess).

The New York Times is working my last nerve when it comes to forecasting Georgia

I am hesitant to believe that the pilot was continuing to be developed after Reilly was hired (despite speculation in SOD). Given that Sheri Anderson wrote the treatment for Manhattan Lives in 1991, there would be WGA rules which would be prohibitive for the development of the show by another writer because Ms Anderson would need to be paid for her part of the original concept (which may by why the talk of spin-offs changed to Aremid and other Reilly plots). Unlike a primetime show where the initial show runner might be replaced, the cost is deferred because those shows do not last for decades, as a soap might. That's also why I never gave any credence to a Eugene spinoff, because after the bad blood between DAYS and Pat Falken-Smith, one couldn't imagine that they would want to be beholden to paying her residuals to spinoff characters that she created.

I was just reading the We Love Soaps interview with Sheri Anderson who worked on developing Manhattan Lives. The proposed of the spin off was a part of Deidre Hall's 1991 comeback contract, along with the promise of more primetime exposure on NBC in TV movies and specials. Anderson wrote the death of Isabella. She attributed Isabella's death to Stacy Greason quitting in 1992. So, presumably, either Roman would have stayed with Isabella (assuming Greason quit because she saw the writing on the wall that Marlena was eventually going to paired with Roman if they stayed in Salem), or he would have become a mournful widower and raised Brady in Salem while the fresh-from-her-coma Marlena started a new life in NYC. Of course, soon afterward James Reilly was hired and we get the John Black/return of Real Roman/but he looks like Chris Kostacheck story. As I recall, Marlena and John don't hook up until later in 1992 after Isabella died and real-Roman gets side lined. It may be revisionist history, but the feeling in the interview was that the development of the pilot was mostly to appease Deidre as a vanity project. Because, as Anderson noted, the reason she was fired and the pilot was never developed was that DAYS ratings in 1991 did not warrant a spinoff. Due to the fact that the return of Marlena did not result in the significant increase in viewers hoped for by NBC and the production.

In hindsight, maybe not doing Manhattan Lives was for the best? "Marlena would have been joined by step-daughter Carrie Brady, she would gain a vivacious and outgoing gal-pal (the aptly named P. T. Barnum), and she would find herself drawn to a wealthy Donald Trump-esque tycoon and his son." From GH's Harlan Barrett to others, soaps were determined to have a Trump-like character in the 90s (just like they all wanted a Richard Branson character in the 00's). I guess a little adultery and some hubris seemed compelling, compared to the racism, sedition, and conspiracy theories he is known for now.

It was odd to me that it seemed like a skit that would have been written in 1987 about the unfortunate choice of stunt people for Crystal and Alexis on Dynasty, rather than commenting on anything about contemporary media. It also replayed much of the humor from the RuPaul/Bowan Yang scene from last season. And, as is the case for most SNL sketches, they couldn't figure out an ending.

Without knowing any spoilers, I am going to predict that Brooklyn will be threatened by The Hooker, Chase will think she's crying wolf, then when she is attacked and survives, Chase will apologize, and they'll get back together. In soapland, it is perfectly understandable that Chase's girlfriend should unconditionally support him going back to a career which does not suit his demeanor (given the number of times that he's been suspended due to lack of impulse control) rather than having him examine why BrookLynn would need to go to such lengths in order to have her opinion be validated. The constant portrayal of privileged confident women on soaps as spoiled bitches astounds me. Every other commercial is for women to find a new job as a dental tech, join a class action suit for financial benefit, or ask their doctor for medication to reduce anxiety. So, you'd think they would want to promote aspirational wealth rather than always favoring naturalistic values. I mean how are you going to get me to sue about mesothelioma if I risk my husband leaving me for some puritanical gal when I win compensation?

It gets uploaded to the DAYS Peacock account on YouTube every Friday, and on their twitter account on Friday as well twitter - @DaysPeacock youtube - https://youtu.be/khUlcB5o_K4

That's good because in real life they're not cheap Unless they're undressed or if you just want the box

The Marlena doll is an odd plot device. In the world they live in isn't bizarre that Mattel made a doll to look like the town's psychiatrist?

Did you ever notice that Stephanie takes so long to write her press releases (because she's flirting and typing at the same time), that the news usually changes since she started the project? e.g. Chanel's arrest and Sonny's stabbing

It also seems like a retcon that Holly and Felicia are so close. I think of Felicia and Lucy being close due to the friendship of Mac and Kevin (who seem to have lost touch since they dressed as nuns together). I think of Felicia and Anna as close friends since they were in each other's weddings (Frisco and Duke respectively) and grew close during the time when Robin was a child, and then while Mac raised Robin as a teen. But, I don't think of Holly and Felicia as being memorably close.

I'm going re-ask my question that may have gotten lost in the November discussion What's the deal with Selina Wu? Is she evil because she's trying to lure Cody and Gladys into loosing their money through poker? Or is she cool because she helped Holly against Victor? I don't know how we're supposed to feel about her?

In terms of Erica, at least there is a shift in her approach to marriage, Phil, Tom and Adam were mostly transactional in order to gain status, whereas by the time she gets to Dimitri she is marrying for love. Victor, on the other hand, has mostly married in order fulfill his savior complex, whether it was saving Niki from being a stripper, saving her from Kevin, or saving her from cancer, then he tried to save Leanna from intimacy issues, and Hope from blindness (or just her dull life on a dusty farm), he hasn't changed or grown from the love of a woman, especially when compared to his personal growth based on his friendship with Douglas. I also have to throw in some grace for Ridge Forrester. I had thought of him as a blowhard who marries any woman who will submit to his will. However, this recent wedding with Taylor reminded me that whether it is Thomas, or his mother, Ridge has been manipulated most of his life. The blowhard status mostly comes from the actors who have played the part. But, if we read the history, the poor guy is just an artist looking for love who has been dicked around by his need for approval from his mother and his kids. Maybe it is the holiday season, (or the fact that he's outgrown his speedo), but I am starting feel sympathy for Ridge.

Only in soaps are long lost relatives and bastard sons given inheritance rights simply due to DNA (or would a billionaire use a criminal attorney to execute their estate). In reality, you can give or withhold money from whomever you want in your will. And once a will is entered into probate it doesn't matter how many other versions are written, the only one that counts is the one signed off by the judge. And, only people specially named in the will can contest it during probate, so Diane's note about AJ is bunk since he wasn't specifically named like Lila, Jason, and the rest. If Edward (or Helena Cassadine) died without a will, all of his heirs could fight over his money. But, after the property has been distributed, how are you going to go after an inheritance that's already been taxed and invested? Let's say Maya sold her stock after she was granted it in the will, a court couldn't make her buy it back to give part of it to some new found son of Edward who he never met or intended to bequeath funds. That would be unfair to Maya because she's already paid taxes on it, as well as being taxed on any profits that were gained from re-investing the money from the stock. Which is also why any attorney would scream at Tracy for opening the box, because once you accept the inheritance, you can no longer contest the will. Thanks for letting me rant, now I will go back to suspending my disbelief on a show about diamonds that control global warming (even though the Ice Princess was an uncut gem than nobody would ever carve up and set it in a necklace). OK OK, I got it all out of my system and my rant is over!

I was thinking about that recently when Kin Shriner posted on twitter something cryptic about his time on GH, because that scene just screamed - "I've cleaned out my dressing room and I'm never coming back!" only to be followed by a phone call a few years later - "Oh, you want me back on recurring for a quarter of my previous salary, after I haven't been working for the past nine months? I'll be right over" On a completely separate note; what's the deal with Selina Wu? Is she evil because she's trying to lure Cody and Gladys into loosing their money through poker? Or is she cool because she helped Holly against Victor? I don't know how we're supposed to feel about her?

Agreed, I mean somehow Scotty, who once left the country after stealing his client's funds, faked his death, and blackmailed numerous people, is still a member of the bar, but I am happy that Alexis has found a new purpose.

BTW, I am really enjoying Alexis's turn as a journalist. It's fun to see her be the voice of logic, I like that they aren't ignoring that she went to jail, and I appreciate when they give women of a certain age a story that doesn't always focus on romance. I also enjoy that it allows Alexis to be high and mighty even when there are no court cases to fight. Now, why Drew and Valentine get an inheritance and Alexis doesn't is whole other issue, but I promise to let it go soon.

Sloane really came out of nowhere. So, it's asking a lot for me to care about her backstory given that she's unreliable narrator.

I'm happy to see that they've never re-used Jackie's poorly planned old apartment. Remember the tub in the living rooms and how Whip used to have to walk through her living room to get upstairs to his place?

Yeah I forget that this is the same soap that played a woman's struggle with visual hallucinations and suicide for laughs during Thanksgiving

I adore some morning show gossip, it's so benign but so juicy at the same time. The tabloids really have some damning photos of them leaving hotels and holding hands in cars, over months, amazing how much effort went into tracking such an obscure couple.

I was referring to the focus on Nicole's manipulation, sorry if I was unclear

That's ironic because I while assume that Jada is still pregnant, my reaction was that I would be so disappointed if DAYS wrote a story about a woman lying about an abortion because it is so politically incorrect, especially after she used the line, "my body, my choice." It's a much more powerful story if a former Catholic priest and a POC argue over her right to choose, the economic and cultural realities of raising a biracial baby while being a single mother, and their responsibilities to use contraception, rather than it all being about a middle-aged, privileged, white woman manipulating a man into her seventh marriage.