Vee

We all know who does!

It lacks the intelligence and drive of Passions' first month, that's for sure.

The Samantha/Dani/Chelsea stuff is smart and encouraging.

More cast integration is always a plus, despite it being Hayley with Frankenstein's monster. The spoilers for next week indicating is also smart.

I think it's also about pacing out the run-up to May sweeps, which I expect to get pretty hectic. They could not have kept up the blistering story pace of the first 2-3 weeks (nor should they) for two straight months. I was fine with that pace, but I saw other people here complaining they were burning through too much story. Clearly that wasn't the case. There's dud stories or characters here and there and all manner of kinks to be worked out, but that's all typical of any early soap. What's most impressive to me is how it seems to be holding onto a new or lapsed audience online with a vise grip, even if the numbers from week to week fluctuate.

I also think last week was pretty good. I didn't find it boring. I do think the recurring issues that are endemic to people who spent years working at B&B are a major factor with how BTG functions and feels, and I guess at this point I'll get to talking about and the larger last month-plus at the end of this week's shows vs. last week's.

Tomas' face will not move.

It is funny that both this casino and Zach's on AMC look like Golden Corral. I like JL on the show but I do not care about Doug or his gambling. Doug can die immediately.

It feels like a place to put Vanessa since they basically duplicated the character in Cady's second bestie for Dani. I get it but I do find it odd. I am not sold or dismissing it in either direction just yet.

I think half the show is full of potential and the other half (maybe third) can go. But that's pretty typical of a very new soap for me. I am not going to come in with any preconceived notions about MVJ and her ability or lack thereof since she only ever interim HW'ed once very, very briefly at GH. That is a pre-written thesis that lacks data.

I'm a bit behind but it is shocking how much better MART1N (in honor of M3GAN 2.0, out this summer!) has been lately. Hope it continues.

Yep, and agreed on both. We've discussed it forever, often in the context of elevating Brenda. It's doable. I've said it many times: I don't need Sonny or Carly or even Jason to go. I don't want Carly gone. I do think you can change how you use them or what their stories are, and run out the clock on Jason if not Sonny as well.

Not the 1:1 on Carlotta!

Sidwell's layers are "he was on 24 twenty years ago and Frank likes his accent." That's it. He's Cyrus with a shaved head and a vaguely European air. It's a total waste of time. Because they are. And it's clear many of them BTS either like Maurice personally too much (or find him too indispensable to the show's ratings) to see objectively.

Having a substantive conversation with a contrarian tr0ll who somehow still isn't banned is a fruitless pursuit. If there's something most of the board likes or hates his position is purely and simply the opposite. He knows most of SON hates JFP or is critical of Carlivati so he makes a point to post cheering them on at all times. Did you know he met [insert name here]? He'd like you to know, a lot. Anyway, I'm sure when Bev rises from the grave this debate on her vacation time during the George H.W. Bush administration can continue.

Eh. It's a new show.

I think what Booker did yesterday was worthwhile, I'm not attacking him (nor do I have some deep love for him). I'm also glad he called attn above to the inertia among a number of the Senate Dems and their inability to face the current situation for what it is. Most of all I'm grateful he at least stood up vs. being another Dem cowering and running to talk to the DC media on background about how pathetic they all think the party is. As opposed to Bernie who I am sure just thinks now is his moment to run, again. I have no patience for the left divesting itself from any responsibility for their actions and viewpoint for the umpteenth time. Nor am I interested in the Dem reps' constant leaks to Politico bemoaning our need to coddle 'the working class' even more. So when it comes to the leftists and the Senate, I can have smoke for two entirely different groups. Because AFAIC both had a key hand in getting us here. JMO. I don't know the solution and we may not see it in my lifetime, but I've had about my fill of both.

I think fights have to be strategic, but I also don't think people really care what Dems fight for right now so long as they fight on something. That's why we're seeing the anger and energy we're seeing from the base, and it's not from the deranged dead end left, it's from normie Dem voters, rational people. And in this case, I don't think Schumer has the will. I think he's a good man who's done good work through a long career, but who also thinks that if he just stays the course it'll all work out. It won't and it hasn't, and faced with that his approach seems to be that eventually his friends on the other side of the aisle who he goes to the gym with (this is from his own recent interview) will come to their senses in another 6 months. I think that's indefensible in the crisis we're in. Hell is here and the devils are loose. So at this point I'll take a change. I don't see how rubberstamping Trump's budget made sense, and I don't see much of anything actually stopping Trump right now. Any minor legal victory is just smashed by the next power grab, because we're beyond the beyond. So while I have zero faith in the current party leadership, i'm willing to try just about anything new short of Bernie !@#$%^&*]in' Sanders. YMMV though and I respect that, because I respect you. And I don't blame you for getting out. I'm pretty much out myself.

Found it (timestamped).

@Mitch64 asked about the GL 9/11 tribute from Jerry VerDorn, so here it is. Still very moving.

IIRC he did, I've seen that one. I just don't know the date for ATWT. Thank you!

He's right though, because I think he's talking about something different. They fúcked up hardcore over the last year, and I'd rather somehow acknowledge it than have Schumer continue sitting around rubberstamping Trump and pretending everything's fine and that the norms will hold if we all just vote through his budget. Booker admitting the Senate Dems in particular have failed to meet the moment with any real urgency beats them all whining on background to Politico or Axios about Biden or Harris or minorities and how fúcked they are for being liberal. That's the kind of internalized contempt that really irks me.

I'd very much like to see that speech. Couldn't find it at a cursory search of 2001. And it goes back to where I felt GH and other shows terribly dropped the ball not addressing real life during the active phase of the pandemic. That is part of the social contract that daytime in particular has with its audience. Agnes Nixon would've done it. (And Emmerdale in the UK did it very well)

Molly is a spent character who needs a long break and rethink (and has needed to go since long before HP's exit, for the record). The current performer has no intense romantic chemistry with anyone despite their copious tests and I do not find her compelling solo. Yes, fine, give the nice substitute a medal for coming into an impossible situation and doing a good job with dramatic material. It doesn't mean we give her a multi-year contract to add to all the other useless characters on multi-year contracts doing nothing on this show. This is not called All the Actors Are My Best Friends Hospital. Cody I'd still put with Tracy, but if that's not going to happen I'm tempted to just write him out too sadly. It's too bad because I think JK is doing good work despite the recent ridiculous turn with the character.

Exactly. It was business and as even Megan McTavish noted in her memoir, Agnes was a consummate, laser-focused businesswoman.