j swift

On 2/3/2024 at 11:15 AM, Khan said:

I definitely agree that one of EiE's biggest issues was that, with so many regular cast members, it was hard to write enough material for everyone and justify having them all under one roof at the same time.  Eight might have been enough to fill their lives with love, but it was just too damn many to service on a weekly TV series that wasn't DALLAS or KNOTS LANDING.

It is an ironic criticism given that the title of the show suggests a large cast, and the source material had years of stories about the kids.

28 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

Ken's legacy seems as much a burden to him as a privilege. He has never seemed to have much insight or passion for the show beyond it being a generational thing that he feels responsible for.

As I recall his memoir, that was the most interesting part.  It was unexpectedly insightful about working with his mother (who experienced a great deal of trauma), the loss of his brother, and how he became burdened with the production that was never part of how he saw his future.  It is relatable that he is conflicted about his family's business that he writes brought his mother so much grief.  I recommend it to you specifically, because I think you would enjoy it (if you've never read it).

However, none of it, excuses the allegations against him in this case in particular.  His dedication, creativity, and vision (or lack there of), did not cause him to reduce Ms. Zucker's pay twice after she went public with accusations of sexual harassment.  I know that is not your intention, but the conversation seems to meander away from the issues in this case that I feel demand focus and attention from us an audience.

@AbcNbc247 & @JAS0N47  In her press conference, she mentioned being written out for a while after the allegations were made public last summer.  I wonder if she's referencing what we are seeing now with Nicole being in Europe? Or, do you recall Nicole being written out at any other time this past year?

I thought Ep3 was the best one yet.  It was such a clever device to make it into a fictionalized Maysles documentary for an episode (even though Documentary Now already did it to humorous effect).  It left me feeling like that would've been a good movie, and I don't need six more episodes.  I also keep thinking about the intended audience.  For example, are there people watching this that don't know that Katherine Graham was the guest of honor for the Black and White Ball?  Because it would have been fun to have been surprised.

Calista Flockhart definitely got the best monologue. Even though it was as if the only two things that Jon Baitz knows about Lee Radziwell is that she had an affair with David, and she f'ed Onasis before Jackie.  Once again, my main issue is the lack of depth in the exploration of the Swans.

I cannot stop looking at Diane Lane and recalling her as a teenaged actress in A Little Romance.  She is gorgeous, but her age is shocking.  The Pamela Harriman stuff was such fun, and the actress playing her and Kay Graham looked exactly like them.  Also, the structure made Lane's performance seem much more organic than how she played Slim in the first two episodes.

Furthermore, I was distracted by if they're using tricks to make Tom Hollander look smaller than he is, like oversized costumes and having his co-stars stand on apple boxes.

But overall, it made me crave a cigarette.

Meanwhile, it is still the most discussed show on this forum, with people who actually watch daily.

So yeah, your grandma might not be watching, but it is easily consumed on streaming and still brings some joy to my life.  And the platform, the nepotism, nor the popularity excuses what happened to this actress.

Here's what I like about Sloan, most other characters in a baby switch stories in the past instantly bond with the new baby, but Sloan is honest about not feeling connected to Jude.  I also find it refreshing that she's not punished (yet) for her attitude.  I mean, she's punished by her actions of stealing Jude by having to give away her money, live with the guilt, and feeling overwhelmed.  But, she's not shamed in the writing for not wanting to hold Jude all day and then sleep next to him at night.

It is so f'ed up.  After the Trump tapes, she wrote a book, publicized it on Today, and became one of the prime examples of Me Too, even getting the host of Access fired.  Only to be subjected to further harassment and humiliation on her own set.

Meanwhile, Billy Bush and the ex-prez are doing fine...

Eight hours later and I'm still shocked.

It is such bad PR to have the person who was the object of the former president's sexual impropriety on those awful 2016 Access Hollywood tapes. Seven years later, was the subject of harassment, as reported widely in the mainstream press. To face retaliation on this level.  I just feel awful for her, given that this issue has been an intrusive part of her career for so long. And that she has gotten nothing in return, but humiliation. 

To think that she was so disrespected, not just in terms of basic civil rights that should be afforded to any employee.  But, also afterward to be offered no further negotiation on salary is unfathomable.  In the past, I've never paid much attention to backstage drama, because it always felt like listening to a stranger's workplace gossip.  But, I think anyone who has ever worked for a corporation can relate to how outrageous it is to offer a “take it or leave it” contract to an employee who has been this valuable to the production.  While having to endure so much BS for so long.

It is bizarre to think that Nicole won't be around for the resolve of the baby switch story.

6 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

January episode must have been her last one.  That's why her story, Holly and Tate were abruptly left in the air.

Isn't it interesting to get this context, because we've attributed the abrupt end of that plot to the scabs and Ron C, but this seems to be the actual issue at play (or at least another variable).

That news really makes me sad for the actress that after such a long tenure, she was still so undervalued.

Story-wise, I also have tons of questions.  Was last month's exit to Europe the last we'll see of Nicole?  Is this why Tate and Holly's story was cut short?  And what does it mean for the baby switch.  It is one of those times as a viewer, if you were not clued into the backstage information, the way it affects on-screen stories would make very little sense. 

My impression is that the show is not sexy enough given that it is on streaming.  I'm not asking for nudity, and I recognize that last year's three-way with Alex, Chanel, and Allie would probably not have made it to air on NBC.  However, last week's scene between Ava and Stefan was still pretty chaste.  As I noted yesterday, Abe is having sex with his tee shirt on.  And Alex and Theresa just smooch on the sofa.  As single adults, it seems immature that Alex is this upset about Theresa just kissing Brady, rather than how uninhibited she really would have been, considering that she was rolling on molly.

I wouldn't be opposed to slightly extended love scenes, a bit more adult language, and tinge more skin. I know that the backstage drama was not conducive to actors feeling safe while performing more risqué scenes, but we were promised more adult content when it moved to Peacock. 

It is a hollow threat to yell at Clyde that he'll rot in jail, when he's already rotting in prison.

One assumes a murder conviction is a longer sentence than drug dealing.

Also, does Abe have sex in a t-shirt?

And, Harris was awful with the female cop.

3 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Liz got immunity to testify against Nik and she had a disciplinary hearing at the hospital.

You're correct, I entirely forgot that entire part of the story.

But, back to my original point, has Nikolas been arrested for Esme's kidnapping?

5 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Days really needs to move away from villains like this, in general.

It is an excellent point.  Because they could've written any drug dealer for the story, and it would still work.  The fact that Clyde killed Abby is a minor issue in the plot, and without Ben or Jordan, Clyde is not very relevant. 

DAYS has overestimated the appeal that we want to see the same characters continuously recycled.

Also, DAYS being DAYS, the introduction of new cops (while poor Sgt. Mustache flails in the background) indicates that we'll know the “dirty” cop by the end of the week.

6 hours ago, AMCOLTLLover said:

Would Liz testify against her best friend ?

Also, wouldn't Liz have to testify that she stole drugs for Esme.  Her testimony would risk her career, and given how few people know that she was involved, I don't see how the prosecution would find out that she was an accomplice. 

52 minutes ago, John said:

For locking Esme in the tower at wyndemere

Okay, but as I mentioned, she can't testify, so the DA couldn't win a trial against him.  And everyone else with knowledge of the Esme kidnapping only knows through hear-say.  Also, I don't recall any threat of him being arrested before he was thought to be dead.  So, it doesn't make a lot of sense. 

Remind me, why has Nikolas been arrested? 

He didn't kill Esme.  Spencer willingly handed him his son.  I don't think it is illegal to allow people to think you're dead, if you didn't fraudulently stage your own death.  I know he kidnapped Esme while she was pregnant, but she can't testify now, so that's a moot point. 

So, is he going to jail for kidnapping Ace?  Who is going to testify against him in that trial?

Also, while I agree that the nickname is cool, Agent Jagger is a mouthful to say.

10 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

And, wasn’t Marlena able to break through John’s mind control and get rid of it for good?

Apparently, in the DAYS universe, there's no proactive mind control treatment.  She could cure The Pawn and Robo-John, but that's not insurance against future tarot card attacks.  I think the writers are playing to the actor's strengths whenever they write John with a blank gaze.

13 hours ago, Franko said:

I just realized that the 30th anniversary of Winter Heat nearly went by unacknowledged. In retrospect, it is kind of a pity that Days didn't get one or two more primetime specials in the '90s. Maybe they shouldn't have aired alongside the Soap Opera Digest Awards?

I think the best indictment of DAYS currently is that nothing sticks.  They write themselves out of every death, marriage, and prison sentence.   Meanwhile, the events of 30 years ago still resonate. 

I read today that subsequent episodes with jump back and forth through time.  For example, we'll get an episode on the Black and White Ball, which will showcase more of Demi Moore's Ann Woodward.  And it becomes more fictionalized by conjuring up past stories about CZ Guest (which I'll have to wait and see if I appreciate that angle).

It is fascinating how it became a PR war.  It wasn't enough to shun him, Slim Keith talks about wanting everyone to know that Truman was persona non grata.  Maybe the Swans won by having their revenge becoming the common narrative?  Capote was well into his addiction in the early 1970s, so to say that he drank more because he couldn't talk to Babe Paley, rather than because he was in an abusive relationship, seems a little trite and reductive. 

In the movie Capote, there's an intriguing narrative about how he played up his lack of masculinity to be perceived as less of a threat, and then got the murderers and townsfolk to spill all of their stories.  I identified with this because it is the same strategy that I use every time that I have to deal with a mechanic or a plumber.  But, there's a moment when one of the murderers underestimates Truman's intellect and he snaps.  I can't help but think that the same was true of the Swans.  He talked with them about all of their gowns and jewels, but once he got the story, he was ready to move on to the next big thing, which was the new jet set disco scene.  And the Swans felt as betrayed as the Clutters of In Cold Blood, but they just had more access to the media. 

3 hours ago, Vee said:

I have no interest in this series

Always a pleasure to read your willingness to critique a work of media that you've never consumed.

3 hours ago, DaytimeFan said:

Dominick Dunne wrote the Ann Woodward story to great effect in his novel, and subsequent miniseries, the Two Mrs. Grenvilles, in case anyone wants to follow up on that case more.

There's also a Capote roman à clef, that runs through many of Dunne's books, and he gets a fun retribution in An Inconvenient Woman.

3 hours ago, DaytimeFan said:

Diane Lane and Naomi Watts are given the most to do and both of them take great care with their performances.

I thought Diane Lane was a little too stilted, but Naomi Watts was engaging.  I'm holding my final opinion until we get the Slim-focused episode.

5 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

It's Brook Lynn with two N's.

Thanks, the lack of an 'E' for Brook, and the number of "N's always requires a Google search, just like the spelling of Nikolas (Nicklaus).  At least Jagger preferring to be called John will make it easier...

For me, Lois requires a great deal of suspension of disbelief.  For example, last week, her main story was that she was over involved in Brook Lyn's (one L or 2?) wedding planning.  Causing BLQ to complain about how Lois is so overbearing.  Meanwhile, for the past few years we've seen Brook involved in a baby switch and numerous other big life events and Lois was nowhere to be found.  So, they're telling us that she is a helicopter Mom, but we've never seen evidence of this until the past few months. 

Did we ever find out who bought Spoon Island?

I thought Nikolas told Ava that he didn't buy it, nor was he sending her the notes about Austin's death, but I could be incorrect.

17 minutes ago, Vee said:

Point to where and when any of us said Jagger Cates should come back, particularly in the form of a blond frontiersman guest player on The Walking Dead.

The closest that I could find was when in August 2022 you said, "Sabato could've been a decent return to the main show once upon a time..."  But, my point was that I appreciate that it is difficult to predict how this group will respond to the various twists and turns.  I meant no harm, as I assumed you welcomed dissenting opinions.