Vee

There's no evidence this exists, John.

It didn't look that good. I've never gotten over how they (and to a lesser extent AMC Los Angeles) began transitioning to more and more awkward remotes which at ATWT began to eerily resemble Peapack. The worst I saw was the hilarious 'action' remote where Grayson McCouch roundhouse kicks Billy Warlock's thugs by the dumpster outside the studio, with lousy Wheeler-esque lighting and one track from the score to Inception on repeat.

I like Dani crazy and all so I'm biased, but I thought the Dani/Hayley scenes yesterday were much more subdued and I was pleased with them. Do I need them to do another two rounds of this next week? No, but it seemed like turning a page, as Hayley said. The house being so tacky seems like Hayley's taste (and as someone else said, a nod to classic soaps in the old days showing a working class character splashing out with chintzy nouveau riche stuff). I like her but girl was splashed out at home dressed like Anora. Martin is creepy and apparently a touch psycho. Smitty deserves better. Is there a hunky cousin or nephew somewhere that can break his back so Smitty (must we call him that) can stay in the core family? The dialogue has improved by leaps and bounds in week 2 and the last two days in particular, but that is likely partly a function of getting so much heavy exposition out of the way. I do hope Jazmen Brown(?) isn't gone-gone, they did good work. I'd also like to see MVJ just writing again on some of these scripts with that first week out of the way, and credited for it - her dialogue work on GH was so immaculate, though B&B is such a different (bad) show.

'Miss a day, miss a lot' is back - I get behind for a day or so and y'all create 10-20 pages. 😩

Forbes March wasn't the one getting makeout scenes and kissing, which they did have. So no, I'm not buying P&G vetoing LGBT intimacy almost 20 years later. Your concern is noted.

nvm lol. No, the show is clearly not afraid of LGBT content if Chelsea is getting down with both parties. P&G never forbade kissing with the gay storylines in the 2000s. The reason these characters are so mild with each other atm is clearly a story thing.

I do think Larry Gates and Charita Bauer would've been great together. I just have a hard time picturing Bert Bauer rich, lol. It would've been an adjustment!

So assuming you can't say what got cut or what happened, what can we postulate?

They have kind of muddied the timeline. I believe they said Anita and Vernon met at the March on Washington, but maybe they didn't get fully together til the '70s? I have no idea.

You have to wonder what the show would've looked like going forward if Mike had ended up with Alex and Charita Bauer had lived for Bert to be with H.B.(?) It would certainly keep the Bauers locked into the new core. I can't see Bert marrying rich, though I would've liked to see her kept in the thick of things.

It was always a timewaster and so was he, with both actors. I'm glad Chris has a role for a few months but I expected him to be gone by fall and I still do. He gets plenty of work, he'll be fine.

I think it's a combination of FreeVee going away, maybe soft numbers vs. budget, and new execs just not seeing the vision. A year-round soap is long haul trucking. Most streamers do not understand that kind of commitment and the growth or retention factors unless they already began on terrestrial/network TV (like Peacock). They love to rely on massive backlogs of 6-12 to 15-20 years of sitcom or drama 'content' like Grey's, Cheers, Law & Order, etc. to keep subscribers, but having to maintain that kind of grind is new and alien to most streaming outlets. Which is why I have always advocated for doing it Gottlieb/PC-style in the US: Seasonal, 13-16 weeks on and off with several months' break. That at least allows a streamer to get used to the concept of serialized daily drama.

IRL Daphnee already has adult children. But I agree her soap kids do not need teens themselves. It's too much.

I think it's awful Lisa Brown didn't get much more to do at her soaps before the end, and before the end of her life (I would've killed to see her anywhere, but particularly on OLTL or AMC 2.0). I've always loved her work but watching her now regularly as I plow through the Marland years she is just so, so consistent and powerful. And frankly both things are equally important. There is never a moment without integrity.

I have my doubts Eva is Ted's. He walked right past Dana at the hospital and didn't blink. But I do think she's related, and I do think a triangle will come.

I agree with all this. But I was under the impression he was on breakdowns at BTG, and if so frankly I'm still glad he's not writing scripts.

If they were serious about challenging BTG they'd re-sign Tabyana and recast Spencer immediately. They won't.

In terms of political charisma, Martin makes Hakeem Jeffries look like Tupac. I said from the beginning it was deranged for Daphnee Duplaix to have an adult son with teenage children. I am more than willing to forget the teen version exist. Not Silk Press dressing like a member of Blackstreet circa '96!

I don't think those characters need to be on contract to fulfill their function, though I could see expanding Shanice or Mona in the future. I am curious who gets recast or dropped first. I assume Derek is on the block eventually, but I would not be shocked to see Martin or one of the less engaging grandkids recast.

They have clearly zero investment in her at this point and the storyline is juvenile and insulting.

Martha Madison was always a bad, bland choice who looked too old. She has cultivated audience appreciation by being so engaged with fans but she basically ended Belle as a lead over time. Vaganos comes off a bit too old and stiff for me as Molly, the eternal temp. But I still think they should've just written her and T.J. out. The character is tired and needs a break, and can come back single sometime.

I'm just glad Jamey and RC are only on breakdowns.

I'm not going to judge BTG on gay representation less than two weeks in. The relationship between the two is clearly strained and weird in story, and that's not even getting to Martin just being a lousy actor. I certainly am not going to give GH points for revisiting the same tired well with Brad and Lucas at this point. I will 100% pass on Van Hansis as Smitty lol

She's been shown at the office a lot, I feel, with her assistants (including poor Laura). I don't think we've seen her with a patient yet though. We have seen Ted at the hospital. They keep talking up Jacob's new partner, an venerated homicide detective with a fearsome reputation, so I expect we'll see him soon.

I thought the flashback to Bill/Dani was wonderful, and just cements how much chemistry TD and KM have. The press conference goofery was very silly in how it was presented - Bill should've just held one next door or outside - but it was also typical soap, so whatever. I may get deeper into the ep later but it was mostly fine. Except that Martin continues to deliver lines like he is teaching Grover the alphabet on Sesame Street, and Bill and Hayley's living room looks like a sorority dorm from Saved by the Bell: The College Years.