Vee

Please no. He was so insufferable back then and I am fine with Heather being Laura's kooky talk-to. I would bring Jeff and Carolyn back (recasts all!) to make trouble at the hospital though. That cuts two ways. The Sprina fans on Twitter can certainly be extra (like any soap fanbase). But if you hang out on certain forums you get told Esme was the second coming of Kimberly McCullough and did nothing wrong to warrant prosecution, loss of child custody or the disdain of the town at large.

It's time for another monkey virus!

They are clearly mopping up old stories carefully and somewhat slowly - Curtis and Marshall, Sasha at Deception, etc. The Jason saga (and the major family fallout) and the changes to Heather are obviously new, and stuff like Drew and Nina. The tone, content and execution for me are very different from a couple months ago, and it's a consistently well-written show worth watching now IMO. But yes, I agree it's time for unemployment to start hitting the cast. Multiple UI claims! I'm ready to see the big waves.

Steve doesn't need a pairing, I agree. And Carly needs a break from men. But we'll see what happens.

Yeah, that's what I thought, hence my mentioning pre-Monty. I was under the impression he came in with a big broom which also included adding Leslie Charleson from his LIAMST vs. Patsy Rahn.

It's not gonna work without Sarah if they try IMO, and that's almost certainly not happening. But I do appreciate the more nuanced writing for Jason and that Steve is putting in an effort.

I have a lot of fondness for Brooke Bundy as a horror fan, remembering her in a couple of the Nightmare on Elm Street sequels as Patricia Arquette's bitchy showbiz mom (who keeps nagging her even after getting decapitated by Freddy Krueger). But I can never get past that memory in my head as I watch her, lol. I've always wanted to see more of the popular Valerie Starrett, who it seems got pushed out in a power play by the new EP pre-Monty. It's sobering to realize the Taylors were a beloved tentpole couple for a lot of years before the Heather saga just annihilates them in the end. And Diana goes out like a pathetic, deluded and desperate woman. But it's very gripping story - a domestic gaslighting tragedy.

It is easy to resurrect A.J. again. Sadly SK is not currently available. I agree. Though I suspect the parents/kids will be in his face about it soon enough, judging by the more even-handed writing lately. Sam, Jake, etc. certainly haven't been shy about lighting him up for the last couple weeks.

It's exactly what Jason would do, tbh.

I also thought Jason met Jagger on NS2. I just don't care that much.

Bobbie is absolutely vicious to Laura in '78 especially. Gives Carly a run for her money. It's the Heather/Taylors story that got me hooked awhile ago. Mary O'Brien is underrated.

I think that was just a perfect storm of circumstance. IIRC they apparently thought Kelly was leaving so threw Sam under the bus and went full speed with Liason. She didn't leave and I think Frons preferred Jasam, so it (unfortunately, IMO) reverted back. I don't know that any actor screwed that over. Kelly was right about Sam and Drew in the end IMO, but I agree with your general sentiment. What's really baffling to me is whatever the hell happened with Steve in 2021 with the musical couples, starting with the swift and seemingly permanent (for now) end of Jasam after almost 20 years.

Today in "Just Posting Things So People Know I am the Center of This Thread".

He's both, and I wasn't talking about you.

Sonny and Jason are a fact of life on this show at this point, AFAIC. They're not going anywhere until someone either retires or dies. So with that in hand, I choose to focus on how the show handles them day to day. So far I've been pleased, so I'm taking what I can from it.

Supposedly there are scenes coming up where Anna and Laura talk about the blinders they had over Sonny because of family and friends, or maybe I forgot them or they got cut. Finola was saying a week or so ago they were coming up, but she also thought yesterday's scenes would be on last week. In any event, she always delivers emotionally but I am ready for her to stop deliberately softening this material. She's been crying too much in general over the last 5+ years, but FH has nothing to prove to anyone.

And Tony played it to the hilt, despite his claims later on. I remember him once saying in print that once they had Claire Labine he knew the L&L return would be a hit. Later, he either claimed they didn't get along or he couldn't stand the '90s material or both. Was one statement happy talk or the second just revisionist history in Tony's own mind? Like Luke, I think Tony spent a lot of recent years trying to convince himself the golden days didn't matter.

Anyway, Hudson did fine AFAIC. Nice enough scenes but yesterday was a choppy show edit-wise. I was pleased they held the line on Anna and Sonny and ending the relationship. I hope it lasts, as interviews suggest it will. But it's time for FH to start toning down the emotion in scenes like these which are fine on paper; I've said it before over several years now, but I think she too often leans towards high emotion since returning (which she always does very well) because she worries people will not see layers or vulnerability in superwoman Anna otherwise. Further, we know she loves working with Maurice and has stated recently she had difficulty playing these scenes. But I'm done with watching Anna tear up over these mobsters she used to put away by the truckload. Her emotion and inner revulsion made sense in the early scenes with Jagger's speech about Sonny in mid-March, but let's move forward and give Anna back some steel. I did like the instructor calling her out about Anna's softness on Sonny over the last several years.

She is a dayplayer AFAIC, and I don't need her to hang around when this subplot ends. I suspect that's all her role was intended for. I thought her first scenes (before the official writing change but clearly tweaked) were good and clearly delineated the character, but I don't need her around unless Natalia starts really fúcking with people and making a nuisance of herself. I think Kate Mansi is doing a fine job and that both women sell the intimacy, but I don't care about Blaze/Kristina and never have when it started however many months ago.

Because that's what she has always been! I knew this would happen if they tried to hang an actual storyline on her, but it started with the old team and now this one wants to frontline diversity so it's a tough spot. Still I'd probably cut her tomorrow. Ludicrous that Eva LaRue is complaining that the Face of Deception is pushing Deception products, but I hope that's just meant to be another indicator of Natalia the overbearing stage mom.

I don't think Tony kept Genie gone. At least that's the first I've ever heard of it. I do think that contributed to the worsening issue with him BTS, I don't think he'd have gone down that road if he was on-set with her every day.

Blaze continues to have the wardrobe of a Hot Topic shopper from 2003 and the personality of driftwood.

Alex has been Anna's twin since she first appeared in 1999.

Goodbye Manchin's Rose:

Finola's recent interview makes it sound like this is long-term.