Vee

Malone came in with the winter storm in early '03, yes.

Trina used to be well-defined. Now they're just running out the clock. They could not be more relieved that Spencer is gone and it shows. I hate it, because she should be leading along with Emma and Gio. Period. The way Portia is handled screams them disliking Brook Kerr. Whereas whatsherface playing RoboJordan must be a sweetheart because they seem to love writing this bland nonsense for her day after day even though she can't act. But Jordan as a character has never once worked for me, even when the great Vinessa Antoine was there. She has always been a sketchy cipher whose only defining trait is getting in way too deep with her undercover marks. First Julian Jerome, now Sidwell. She enjoys it a little too much is all I'm saying!

I will give Ron Carlivati credit. Whatever Malone may have intended with Heart of a Lord before Roger Howarth left (by his own admission) as soon as humanly possible, RC managed to give it some sort of weight many years later. He tied in Victor's signet ring (which Todd took from "Victor" and became mysteriously fixated on in 2003 before Howarth's exit) and made it part of the conspiracy plotline in 2011 with the Two Todds, which also tied back to '03 - the ring had microfilm in it or something connected to Irene's spy organization. I appreciated that small touch in an otherwise very silly retcon story. I was ecstatic when Malone was rehired in late '02. I could not have been more excited, or more disappointed with the results. But looking back now, especially revisiting the early '90s, it's not hard for me personally to believe it's the same writer. The same gothic trappings, the same literary influences and stylistic elements, the same obsessions, the same love for fantasy episodes and old Hollywood interludes, the same tropes or archetypes (holy man, party girl) are all very evident in both runs. It's just that both the budget and the larger quality control of the scripts, storylines and in a number of key cases acting is way, way below the bar. Brian Frons' ABC micromanaging the show and what stories got told with who couldn't have helped either, and in fact actively hindered the show in a number of instances we know of. But Malone made his own bed as well. He also was reusing messy stuff he'd attempted at Another World, and possibly also his unsold 13 Bourbon Street pilot for Fox primetime (which we all still want to see). Still, as bad as it got Malone II was an undeniably creative, very volatile time. You had literally no idea what you were going to see from day to day, be it brilliant (rare), terrible or just plain ugly. And some character vignettes (like Kevin and Jen Rappaport bellying up to the same bar to trade war stories about Joey who they both screwed over, with Kevin flat-out telling Jen she was just a substitute for Kelly in Joey's life) were of a type we never got to see on the show again. Some reinventions or new ideas worked, many didn't. Some stories and concepts had good bones and terrible execution but there was always a lot of passion, however misguided. That was the story of that period, and it was succeeded by probably the darkest era in the show's history for me (Dena Higley, who I think added the weird 'Cristian is not Cristian no wait he is' twist - she came in in very late '04). As for Max and Gabrielle in 2001, what I was told is one of the actors explicitly (and quietly) asked to end it due to the howlingly bad reception from both the audience and the soap press. It's been so long that I can probably just say it but you might as well take a guess. I don't know if that's true but I couldn't blame anyone if so. I know Malone allegedly wanted to revisit them while re-pairing Bo and Nora, but neither got off the ground. Exterminating the Holdens was a Frons directive.

Very true.

T.J. and Molly didn't matter for over 10 years, including for almost the entirety of their mostly offscreen relationship. I think it's dumb when they don't mention him in moments like this, but I also don't ever need him back. Of course I'd also have written Molly out as well. I find Cody and Molly's romance unbearable and I blame her.

He's slightly less boring and pointless than Sasha.

I mean, we can clown her wording but I'm just glad the show looks like it will be renewed, flaws and all.

Her "drugged" acting was so weak. Frank has clearly taken a shine to KV because she was a hard worker in an impossible recast situation, but that doesn't make her or any of this interesting. It's just pablum.

I don't think that was Robin's idea, but she was very pleased about it. In fall '07, right after Ron Carlivati took over, he had Dorian and Viki once again locked together and during those scenes Dorian once again reiterated that she killed Victor. She offered no explanation for how this was possible given the 1995 retcon, it was just a couple lines of dialogue. That was also when they explicitly changed Victor's date of death in the Lord mausoleum back to the '70s vs. 2003, basically dismissing Malone II's terrible Heart of a Lord resurrection. Dorian addresses it in one line by saying 'if that was him...' Good enough for me! I still don't believe Dorian killed Victor, but I am just glad that was not him in '03. Strangely enough, according to a period soap mag at the time Dorian and Joey may have been on the books as early as when Chris McKenna was still in the role, which is crazy since he still looked all of 14 up until he was recast with Nathan Fillion. They'd also hoped to have Joey be the gay teen in the AIDS quilt story in '92 as you probably know, but were forced to create Billy Douglas when the network vetoed it. (The young McKenna had no problem with the idea as he'd already played gay onstage in New York, including performing a male/male kiss, but I don't think OLTL ever got as far as pitching it to him; he only learned about the aborted story years later.) I've said this many times, but I was watching live the day Viki turned into Tommy, screamed at Dorian that she was an ugly bitch and threw her down the stairs. I was maybe 13 and I had no idea what was happening, because at that time I had no idea Viki had ever had multiple personalities. I thought she had just totally lost her mind and I was terrified. But I was not surprised (or disappointed) by the Victor reveal. From the day I started watching, once that story came up the vibe and how Viki and others talked about her father was off and very strange to me. I had also watched Twin Peaks when I was very little with my mother. So I had a feeling I knew the dark secret, and I was right. I will disagree about Max and Luna and simply say I loved them in their heyday. But I know why they didn't work for some people. I did love Gabrielle and I wish they'd gotten another real shot, something Tomlin abandoned in 2002 due to BTS reasons and viewer feedback and something Malone didn't get his chance to try out in '03. But I also really enjoyed Bo/Gabrielle. Opposites attract. Malone II in 2003-04 was a deranged period I have discussed at length many, many times. All I'll say is it was both wildly creative and experimental, just like his '80s tenure, but just as often wildly misguided, sheer hysterical camp or just plain terrible.

I thought they resolved things with Martin and Smitty pretty well over the course of last summer and fall. I bought that reformation.

If Daniel Goddard had embraced the pairing with Traci (a beloved audience surrogate for decades) instead of being clearly repulsed, he might still have a job today.

The movie is getting poor reviews but Susan is getting praise for it from mainstream critics, which I'm happy about. I'll watch it for her.

Every day devoted to more interminable Cody/Molly segments makes me eye the nearest ceiling beams and length of available rope. Free Josh Kelly! Increasingly convinced the hair and makeup department have as much disdain for KT as I do.

Sasha is boring.

No way Frank lets BLQ actually be culpable IMO. It will appear to be her maybe, then we'll find out some nonsense like Sidwell or Willow did it because. Absolutely. Sing your songs on Days of our Lives, girl!

I don't think they've changed Shanice that much myself. I do think the last few days are an odd pivot for Ted.

Ted was such a goofball and a loser for most of last year that I never really went there for him and Nicole. I do think they have a better rapport lately and I'm open to it being played with, but I also really like him and Shanice.

They have Cassius as a henchman because FV wants to keep Ryan Paevey around. He's never been worth it. Nor is Britt keeping the secret viable.

I like Ted and Shanice. idk why Twitter hates them so much though Ted's behavior for most of 2025 (wrapping up by falling for Leslie's nonsense re: Vernon and Sharon) sure didn't help his case. Dani and Andre desperately need his globetrotting past and possibly a dangerous character from that time in his life (be it a past lover or just a villain) to shake things up. They are a great couple getting too little to do, even if I am fine with Bill and Dani being endgame further down the road. And it's past time for business stories with Dani/Pamela and ChelseaKat to ramp up. Finding a set for one or both businesses as well as the clinic would be among my first moves.

Most of Frank's music montages are just cheap nobodies he reuses a lot. That 'love the lovely years' crap he played over Tony's exit still haunts me. The Riche years had actual major artists. I do miss the foggy docks from the Riche/Guza years terribly.

While this would appear to be another TACO Tuesday I am not so convinced. I would not rule out Trump doubling back and launching on Iran after being humiliated tonight re: the Strait of Hormuz (Iran is now charging 2 million a ship) and Israel's continued attacks, and neither should anyone else.

Justine Turner. I mostly call her Sidwell's Wife.

Oh, Maurice.

It fúcks with their story pacing big time and has for many years, but that issue aside there is something to be said for how they work. Still, I am convinced at this point FV whips up random sets at times just to stunt on the other shows lol. There was no reason Lois and BLQ needed an Atlantic City boardwalk for two days, or Jason needed a weapons locker garage for one, but he did it to prove a point!

I agree. But it can also serve as an entry point for a strong recast teen Georgie, as LNL's 2006 story was for Julie Berman as Lulu. I would not send Georgie away at all, I'd have her stay on with Mac and Felicia with the family leaving. Agreed on it being ridiculous spinning this story without Maxie. But they did it because above all FV is clearly still lusting after RP over a decade later, regardless of any acting talent or viable character. His taste has been like this since his days judging I Wanna be a Soap Star in the 2000s.