Vee

It's very schizophrenic and I was commenting on it a few days ago. It's been like this for some time. The force and a lot of the daily writing behind the change in the town's attitude towards Sonny has been strong for me, if awkward in places (Kristina's selective amnesia/denial I can handwave to a point given her history, but Laura making it about poor Cyrus who put her daughter in a coma is silly - she should be rid of both of them). But every time they have great scenes with Anna or Laura speechifying about letting go of Sonny or enforcing the law and right and wrong, there comes another scene where Anna then turns around and says well, no, maybe let's not file this charge today. Anna's not Hamlet! It feels schizoid and I wonder if it is partly due to whatever has gone down at the show and treading water BTS.

I think he was close to Gregory Harrison, but it's also close to home rn as (as reported in the OLTL thread) ME was holding his good friend Kamar de los Reyes' hand when he died last year.

It boggles my mind to realize this via the wiki but that [!@#$%^&*] had been on this show five years. (Not counting James Read's prior stint) GH started as Gregory in November 2020, stayed around til June '21, then came back in May '22.

Please don't talk like this. Jason was behind those drapes holding back tears about Sonny, BTW. It was all over his face. Just a lot.

In fairness I kind of got the impression they fúcked in between episodes. In the next one IIRC Chase is shirtless and BLQ is in a robe. But I agree it was far too underplayed and far too focused on them doing anything but have sex on their wedding night. I do think the farewell scenes with Gregory and Finn were very good - him helping his aged father get ready for bed, the ritual of it and their final talk. ME was clearly very close to him and very affected by that material. I thought all that was quite well done. I thought the infomercial-level montage at Gregory's bedside at the end with that terrible 'we'll love the lovely years' in-house song they play all the time was shítty though.

Yes! She would be trading on that infamy (as well as all of the infamy surrounding Lucy, Scott and Kevin's pasts and families).

I am not calling that poor girl Gail. Julie might be doable.

My choices would be unpopular, because I would potentially try to poach Camryn Grimes or Linsey Godfrey for Christina and I know they have mixed reception these days at best lol.

I just think there's plenty of other doctors to introduce or re-center. And I don't need a ton more Scott, lol.

I might go for Chris/Kris, but that's too similar to Kristina. I'd figure it out! But yes, Christina and the arrogant Dr. Thomas Hardy would be a central young couple. After his dalliance with the recently single and older CoS Portia. Well, yes, I'd forgotten he's dead. So just Claudia would appear for a special event.

I would bring Christina back (using some variant on her name, with Kristina already here and Mansi doing well) in the model of Bridget Dobson - a troublemaking novelist/journalist and activist dining out on her family history, vaguely Lena Dunham-esque. Serena I would bring in eventually as the starry-eyed heiress, but I'd wait.

There's just some distinct similarities! I think Lulu is an easy win with the right casting and direction. But I would not put her and Dante back together right away, in part bc I never was fully into the original pairing because Julie Berman could be so aggressive onscreen. I would bring back Keesha (and Justus and probably Maya, and younger Wards) but SA is off the table. I'd just get a strong recast. Playing Jason with Keesha again and scandalizing Twitter marks the upper limit of my future interest in Jason at this point tbh. Keesha should be in the role wooden Jordan #3 currently is in, as a social/urban works planner collaborating with Drew on urban redevelopment in Mulcahey's current storyline there. I would be happy to have Julia visit. I would save Bryan and Claudia (or Jenny Eckert or any number of other people) for the next notable anniversary as guests.

Oh, I'd bring back Lulu. There is no reason to kill her off. I see you doing The Bear with Sly and I respect it.

I don't even want to know.

Great in so many things, but especially those two films in the headline.

I've shared many new character ideas over the last few years or months, but yeah I hold a lot back too. I did go back and amend my post though: if we're deep in fantasy camp then yes, I'd cut LW and bring Sarah back. Fúck it. There is a reason those almost 30 year clips still do numbers. The audience would sink or swim with it, it's not like there's much left to lose. Especially if you can secure VM or Jonathan, both of whom I would go after (and recast Lucky if I had to - but I'd give him and VM the same kind of outs as Tony and Genie if that's what it took). I'm going to make the bold and reckless claim that if the writing was consistently good and you secured Vanessa Marcil, at least a minor ratings bump could hold.

I loved his art for the classic Valiant Comics run in the early '90s too.

Check the date, sir, I got you.

Some things would! You can write the Chases out by the end of the month!

Actually the real things I'd do if power was no object is cut both Maurice and Laura (or at least Laura) and bring back Sarah Brown. But I didn't go that far lol. Scratch that, I did for Carly.

Anyway, we're doing this, huh? Okay. Assuming actual power was no object: CUT: Tajh Bellow (T.J. Ashford) Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) Chad Duell (Michael Quartermaine) Michael Easton (Hamilton Finn) Tanisha Harper (Jordan Ashford) Adam J. Harrington (John "Wagger" Cates) Evan Hofer (Dex Heller) Josh Kelly (Cody Bell) Katelyn MacMullen (Willow Tait Quartermaine) Sofia Mattsson (Sasha Gilmore) Kelly Monaco (Sam McCall) Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn Quartermaine Chase)* James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) Josh Swickard (Harrison Chase) Kristen Vaganos (Molly Lansing-Davis) Donnell Turner (Curtis Ashford) Laura Wright (Carly Spencer)* * - I'd bring BLQ back solo in early '25, either recast or with AS if she reconsiders her stance on actually playing romance. And I've changed my mind - if we're deep in fantasy camp I would cut LW and bring back Sarah Brown as Carly, fúck it! This would not be an immediate mass exodus. Some of these would be gradual over time, others would be pairs or groups. If you stick a gun to my head then yes, I'd cut JK even if I think Cody can do a lot more as the fun roving stud around the canvas. While I think the potential for Willow with Drew and Nina is intriguing, I'd also write her out, possibly after playing out that arc but she serves no other purpose for me. And Michael needs to be gone for a couple years, and recast. I wouldn't cut Drew and Nina assuming the current story setup with them could continue. If it can't and Korte reverts them to form they both gotta go. I'd kill Jason for good - Steve has publicly claimed he wants to retire in two years anyway. It serves no purpose to continue to fumble for things for the very limited character to do at his advanced age. If Jason dies then there is no reason to kill off Sam as that's too grim, but she would leave town (Danny might stay or come back to stay with the Qs for schooling). I'd put Maurice on a Geary-style set of breaks. Sonny would be gone a lot until such time as Vanessa Marcil can be arranged. Probably in prison. As for the recurring multitude, Robert Gossett (Marshall) is off-contract already and hasn't been seen in weeks, so he's a non-issue. I believe Bradford Anderson is also on recurring, so he's not an issue but I would keep Spinelli appearing for Maxie, at least for now. If money is truly needed you can probably put Kristina Wagner back on recurring, since it's how she appears anyway. But to point to a few people who would be gone, not for money purposes but for creative ones: CUT: Eva LaRue (Natalia Rogers-Ramirez) Jacqueline Grace Lopez (Alison "Blaze" Rogers) Jophielle Love (Violet Finn) Jeff Kober (Cyrus Renault) Alley Mills (Heather Webber) I may have forgotten someone, but oh well. Diane is much more tolerable in doses as Alexis' Mini-Me with Alexis back in the law, so that's all she's needed for there. I wouldn't cut Tabyana because I think she's very strong when given actual material, as she was at Spencer's grave. She can and should be leading the youth set. I'd find someone new for her. I wouldn't cut Eden because I think she works hard and if you let Joss be what she's supposed to be (a spoiled rich girl and troublemaker, probably with a comic edge) she can have fun, and if a recast is needed down the line you can do it. I wouldn't cut Maura because I think she has a few more miles to go before you ice Ava for good or at least write her out. And Brook Kerr can shine with the right partner as well, preferably someone like Justus Ward. I also think Kate Mansi is almost singlehandedly holding up a lot of the show right now, so yes I'd keep her and showcase her. I'd also put Hudson West on a contract, and offer Rena one. And then would come the flood of the new.

Your eyes are working perfectly. 80% of the major cast is useless or burnt out. Most of a soap ensemble has been dumped before, including on this show, and more than once. It doesn't all have to happen overnight. But it does need to happen.

I'm still not sure I'd kill her tbh, but it is a definite option. A custody battle would almost certainly ensue with Alexis and Jason, which is also an interesting idea.

Oh, T.J. and Molly lift out the instant that baby dies. Easy. Gotta go. Curtis can then die, find out he's not Trina's dad and flee, get called out of town on business and never come back, follow the spectre of Laura off the pier and into the fog a la 1981 - any number of options. And you can still cut more than all these!

I would as well re: a recast, yes. But I would have her exit and time away til 2025 or so to be the reset. Maybe after they split she heads up a Deception office out of town and Chase can't handle her being devoted to the work, is too controlling, etc. I would either write Sam out or kill her, yes. I think it's time. I don't usually opt for that with someone so popular in the past with so many connections, but I do think her death would be a hammerblow to many people. And you could severely test Alexis' sobriety (or break it).