j swift

24 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

That is a good point that should be addressed in the writing. It could be the main source of conflict for the two of them once they get together. 

To be fair, Jada's only other co-workers on-screen are Shawn (the drunk), Trask (the drunk who sleeps around with former witnesses), and Abe (the kidnap victim with a head injury), so maybe she not that concerned?

25 minutes ago, Michael said:

This always kills me. "Chugging from the bottle" is code for Drinking Problem, whereas "pouring a glass of liquor from your living room bar at 10 a.m." is absolutely normal in soap world.

The exception to the rule is female characters drinking beer from a bottle.  Stephanie offering a beer to Chad was meant to indicate her relatability (and make us forget that in-story she's around a decade older than him).

29 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I know here in NYC, even if I start dating a co-worker who has the same rank as me, not only do we have to inform HR, one of us would have to transfer to another division. And with supervisors, I think there’s even more guidelines. 

Interesting, but my point is that the story is only being told from Rafe's perspective, Jada's consent is never addressed, as if she has no say in this relationship in the workplace, and no concerns about how she will be perceived among her co-workers.

3 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I think the conflict for Rafe and Jada is stupid

I was thinking the other day that DAYS plots are like a reminder of pop culture from last year.  This plot seems to be influenced by either the Amy Robach/TJ Holmes affair at GMA or Jeff Zucker quitting CNN and then revealing that he had a prohibited relationship with someone in the company.  However, there is no company, and certainly no municipality, which would make it a violation to date a supervisee.  The policy is usually that you have to inform HR.  It is in place to protect the company against future liability, and if Jada consents, then there is no concern. DAYS is treating this like an ethical issue, which is just dumb.  Especially in a female-oriented genre, to tell a story where a woman has no agency to pursue a relationship seems like a bad idea.

Also, someone mentioned the scoring the other day, and now I can't get it out of my head.  Part of the reason that the Abe story lacks any sense of mystery or suspense is the silly music that underscores all of their scenes.  It makes it seem like a wacky caper rather than a life-threatening situation.

It also continues to bother me that we're not supposed to think that Sarah is a bad person for lying about her pregnancy.  Sloan lied to Eric about the DNA test, and as an audience we're clearly supposed to think that was bad.  But, Sarah's lie is meant to be more acceptable for completely illogical reasons. 

2 hours ago, Vee said:

I absolutely do not believe the network mandated Bo and Hope not reunite. I can see them wanting to keep the story open but that's not the same thing

Agreed. Most of that speculation was fans making a mountain out of a literal twitter-based molehill that was never verified elsewhere.

It felt like bad planning was the largest factor.  We know that both actors were only available for a limited time, and the plot may have been too ambitious for the timeline. My bias is to never believe in conspiracies that production has any other motivation than to maintain viewership in order to sell advertising. 

That being said, I wondered if Shawn was drinking the smallest bottle of booze for budgetary reasons.  If this keeps going, he'll be drinking airline minis by the end of summer.

Also, I'm also amused that soaps portray alcohol abuse by showing people drinking directly from the bottle, as if nobody ever takes the time to use a mixer.  Shawn-D feels like the type who would spike his smoothie rather than guzzle from the bottle. 

Does Sonny know that Nina knew who he was in Nixon Falls and chose to keep him hidden from his family? 

That feels more unforgivable than calling the SEC on Carly, who is actually guilty of obstructing justice in order to avoid an investigation of insider trading,

I spent most of today's episode wondering what time it is supposed to be in Salem.

It is always so dark that it is hard to tell.

Maggie was still rushing around town while Brady and Alex were at work.  Meanwhile, Chad and Stephanie are eating dinner, while Kayla and Patch must have finished their pizza by now.  Is it 5pm? 8:00? Close to midnight? Who knows?  But, I'd advise Chad not to take a job as #2 to a boss who doesn't know the boundaries of not interrupting during a date. 

I'm also puzzled by Sarah's dilemma.  She's not concerned about the fact that it is cruel to deny Xander from knowing the truth.  They've both moved on romantically (sort of).  And she lives in another city, so she wouldn't be compelled to share custody.  This isn't 1962, she doesn't need to worry about social stigma.  So, her motive for lying bares no logic, and there's no consequence for telling the truth.

Kyle Lowder is handsome, but the sun damage is distracting.  I saw him shilling skin care on social media, which is like buying diet supplements from Jack Black.

And, in my book, all musical montages of people wistfully looking at pictures of their long-lost loves serves as fast-forward material.

I also think it has more impact because of the spoilers.  If I hadn't read that Cindy was returning, I think that I would have been confused by the cliffhanger because I would've assumed the actress was playing a different part.

I have some tips for the citizens of Salem

Note to Stephanie Johnson, if your middle-aged parents throw a pizza party at the mere suggestion that you might be going out for dinner, they don't want you to live with them, pack it up, and get your own place.

Note to Tripp, if your entire family doesn't acknowledge that you've been back in town for two weeks, they also don't want you around.

Note to Justin, if your wife is rocking pigtails and pj's in her 50s, get out now, it's not getting any better.

That's why I was suggesting that it was a fantasy based on 1980s values that money could buy anything, including the attraction of younger women.

To paraphrase Kissinger, power was thought to be the ultimate aphrodisiac

12 minutes ago, Paul Raven said:

The Soap Opera Book by Manuela Soares

Thanks for recommendation, I just bought a copy from Amazon ($5.39 + 3.99 shipping)

For what it's worth, I think many 1970 sets were excellent.  Phoebe's house on AMC, Margo's penthouse on EON, and The Anderson house on DAYS.  I don't think AW's were necessarily better, but they were more diverse and reflected many different architectural styles. 

I recently read the novelization of Another World (Haunted by the Past) which dealt with the Clarice/Robert relationship, and it provides an interesting interpretation.  Obviously, we can't know Lemay's intent, given that this novel was written by someone else, but I found it entertaining.  Cordelia Burke (which sounds like it has to be a pseudonym) describes what we would reference in more modern times as a co-dependent relationship.  Clarice had a power imbalance with Robert given his money and education, so she was willing to provide unconditional support without demanding that he deal with his addiction.  Even though Robert was experiencing multiple failures in his career and his friendships, she still felt grateful for his attention and compassion. 

The reason I don't like the pairing of Robert and Iris is that it brought out the worst in her.  When Iris spared with Rachel, they were equals in terms of their intellect and self-assurance.  Those scenes are fun because both women are sniping at each other from their own base of power.  However, when Iris goes after Clarice to hide her pregnancy from Robert, it is just mean.  She intimidates Clarice using money and threats.  She plays with her emotions and makes her feel inadequate.  This isn't bratty Iris, this is Iris as an actual cruel villain.  And even though I think Robert was dreamy to look at, and so romantic, he was hardly worth the machinations that Iris used to try to win him over.  

At one point, Caroline Fleming's Dutch reality show was on YouTube. 

It was wild!.  The premise was that female heirs had only recently been given access to heredity rights to property, so Caroline was given her family's estate and began renovations.  The first few episodes were a mix between HGTV and Martha Stewart with a focus on renovations in the kitchen, and Caroline cooking with produce from her garden. 

Then, it takes a turn.

One imagines that there was a push to make it more entertaining, so Caroline is portrayed as more of an out of touch princess a la Paris Hilton.   She wears Chanel on the worksite and argues with her husband about the budget. 

Until, there's an episode where she invites a famous sports star to play with her kids.  I think he was a soccer player, but I'm not sure.  As it turns out, in real life, she began an affair with the sports guy, her husband found out and divorced her which was a quite a scandal, that was only briefly touched upon during her time on LOL.

A little wiki/google reveals that many of the ladies had much more interesting backstories that were barely discussed on the show.    Julie Montagu's husband, the Earl, had a tragic history of drug use that resulted in a stroke.  I often thought that her story about being confused as an American amongst the Brits was fake because they were married for more than a decade when she was on the show. Anabelle married a Rothchild, and one of the stipulations of her divorce was that she never mentioned their name in the press.  She also dated Lord Churchill.  Marissa Hormer's husband Matt was accused of fraud and drug smuggling within his nightclubs.  And, of course, S1 Nicole Reno's husband Scot died under very mysterious circumstances.

One tends to think that Bravo didn't know how to exploit those stories properly...

On 6/18/2023 at 9:22 AM, te. said:

Mandy and JRs first time was very rapey.

 

We almost need a thread about the whole "Woman overtaken by passion" trope that Dallas and similar soaps often tried to present.

In retrospect, it was a sign of the times that cis male writers would create a fantasy in which one of the privileges of wealth is that every woman swoons to be with a rich guy.  Even if that guy is out of shape with daddy issues and wears a hairpiece with odd microbangs. 

58 minutes ago, Neil Johnson said:

So to answer your question directly, Iris had at least three different homes in Bay City before moving to Houston -- her initial apartment, the mansion, and finally the penthouse.  

This is why I appreciate the expertise of the members of this board!  Now that you mention it, I recall some scenes of Jamie and Dennis at the pool when they were pre-teens.

If I may stretch my luck with an associated question, I was thinking about Robert and Iris (two of my favorite characters, not my favorite coupling for either) and it made me wonder about Iris's relationship with Lenore.  Were they close?  I don't recall any memorable scenes or stories that they shared, despite their shared romantic interests.

On the one hand, it makes perfect sense given Austin and his cousin's family connections.  On the other hand, given the knowledge that we have that the actress was only recently put on contract, this couldn't have been the original plan when the plot was pitched because she would not have been available to play out the story.  But, then again, that may explain why it has dragged on for ages.

Usually in these cases the realtor sends out a press release as part of the terms of sale, so Mr. and Mrs. Cantin would have had to consent, thus any interpretation of her hatred of publicity may be overwrought. 

Also, in Salem-time, now that it is Juneteenth, have EJ and Kristen been tied up for two days?

Does Megan really think a subway sandwich is appropriate in this situation?  I mean, they're tied to chairs.  How is she planning to feed them?

On 6/19/2023 at 11:37 AM, carolineg said:

I just wish the show would explain why Nurse Whitley wants Abe?  For money?  Loneliness?  Has she harbored a crush on him for years?  None of it makes a bit of sense to me. 

I am similarly confused by Dimitri's motivations toward Gwen.

There's been no wink, no slow gaze to camera, no wicked smile to suggest that his instant attraction is hiding a more nefarious agenda.  Certainly, if Dimitri just wanted to marry in order to gain his inheritance he could have accepted the idea of marrying Kristen, or just conspired with Gwen to get the money from his family. 

We know he's not a good guy because he held Andrew captive, and he's trafficked stolen goods.  But, we don't know his end goal with Gwen.

And given the inevitable, that Meghan will need to pay for kidnapping EJ and trying to kill Stefan, will Dimitri still be motivated to get access to his family's wealth?

Lastly, if Kate wants revenge on Megan, why isn't she contacting Dimitri's cousin who was romantically involved with her daughter?

https://www.dirt.com/gallery/entertainers/reality-tv/dina-manzo-cantin-house-montecito-1203646016/

Guess who's not headed back to Jersey anytime soon...

14 hours ago, Xanthe said:

I think I remember Brian being in the same apartment but maybe that could have been after their marriage broke up.

As far as I recall, Iris and Brian got back together after her trip to Europe, but eventually divorced, which was part of the impetus for her trip to Houston.

It is odd that Brian's relationship with Iris is usually relegated to such a small part of her history because they were on and off for many years, and he was arguably more influential on her life than either Alex or Elliott.  As much as I detested Brian's insistence that Iris should deny her inheritance from Mac in order to demonstrate her independence and commitment to their relationship (as if Sandy and Jamie had more rights to Cory Publishing than Iris), I enjoyed the Taming of the Shrew elements to that marriage.  Iris couldn't lie to Brian like she lied to Russ and Robert.  Brian respected Iris's taste and intellect, and he never tried to shame her into subservience.  It was just that misogynistic thing about the right to generational wealth that irked me (although that whole issue was clearly re-written when Iris returned to Bay City in the 90s).

When I think of Iris's home, before she left for Texas, I picture her penthouse with a sunken living room and a terrace.  I also recall her dining room where she would take breakfast, and Mac would often stop by on his way to the office.

Then I was reading this May 1978 recap from the great work of @FrenchFan in the thread "Look into the past 1975" which included the following information:

Millicent suggested Iris call Elena to find out what was going on. Iris was upset that Brian sold her house to Elena so quickly, even though she left such orders.

Which left me to wonder how many homes Iris had before she left Bay City for Houston (I was less concerned about where she lived once she returned)?  Did she live in a home with Brian and then purchased the penthouse after their divorce in 1978?

The AWHP lists only one apartment : Iris, 1978 - 1986 (Vivien, Brian, Cecile, Sandy, Cass, Felicia) - I assume they mean that when Iris left in 1980 Cecile, Sandy, Cass, and Felicia lived there afterward, sequentially, not together

So, how many homes/apartments do others recall Iris living in from 1972-1980?  I don't recall her ever living in the Cory Mansion in Bay City.

Is Kate the new Ma Brady?

Hanging at the Pub, dispensing advice, promoting family values, who is this woman?

I just finished The Daddy Diaries, Andy's book in which he takes responsibility for bifurcating the RHONY cast into a legacy version and a new cast (before anyone comments, I am a big fan of his writing and I abhor any Andy-bashing).  I think he missed an opportunity, because the flaw in his pitch was that Bravo had no interest in maintaining two RHONY casts for more than one season.  And one of the best scenes in the book is the day when production simultaneously calls the cast to inform them of the new idea for the next season.

The Bravo fandom loves the breaking of the fourth wall, which has come to define how Bravo reality series differ from other productions.  So, imagine if this season of RHONY started with the OG cast hearing rumors that they were being replaced?  We could have seen The Countess leaking to Page Six and Ramona scrambling to start a podcast.  Jill Zarin begging for attention, and then screwing herself over by overestimating her relevance.  All the stories that are in Andy's book could have been played out on screen. 

Then, the new downtown cast could have emerged from the rotting corpse of the upper eastside ladies.  The eclosion of a new group of women would have felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to the old cast clawing their way into obscurity.  Instead, I would imagine the new cast is going to ignore that a previous cast ever existed, which is a reality that I feel the audience will reject.

Damn, that's a lot of Dimeras in comparison to every other family currently on the show

Dimera - Chad, EJ, Megan, Kristen, Stefan, Johnny, Tony, Anna (Gabi & Nicole- in their orbit)

Brady/Black - John, Marlena, Eric, Brady, Shawn, Belle, Roman, Kate (Sloan)

Johnson/Brady - Patch, Kayla, Stephanie, Tripp

Kiriakis - Maggie, Alex, Xander, (Bonnie, Justin)

Horton - (Sarah, Lucas, Doug & Julie - all recurring)

I'm confused as to why Chad isn't involved in the Stefan/EJ/Megan storyline?

Doesn't he still live in the mansion?  And wasn't he CEO at one point? (PS I know that's meaningless because everyone but Johnny and Sydney has been CEO of DE).

I vaguely recall that he moved in with Sonny around New Years when he was drinking too much while mourning Abigail, but I don't know where he works or why he still lives there now that Sonny is in New Zealand? 

Is either or Kristen or Megan sleeping in the room where Abigail was murdered?  I hope they changed the sheets...