Vee

I do think "The Lucy Mysteries" could've hit.

Wasn't it her own elderly writing team she brought out of retirement? I don't think it was all Lucy's fault, but I know she brought in a lot of her own people.

Like any soap opera character with backstory since at least the Golden Age of Television. Izaiah's family are his backstory. They are not active in story in the present moment.

I still don't see how Luke or mother Hawthorne are driving active story.

I'm kinda talked out about it as I went over Max's reintroduction a while back in here when I watched this stuff. Shouldn't be too far back in the thread lol. JDP is so dynamic and vibrant at this point as opposed to Nicholas Walker that I am enjoying having him back immensely. I like the story turn with this renewed feud so far much more than I liked NW's bizarre, effete "Max Buchanan" and Asa's inexplicable devotion to him even after learning they weren't blood. I think Max and Asa's love/hate relationship is a unique throughline in some ways, but it is tedious that they kept revisiting this same well over and over particularly in the JFP era.

It's so much more entertaining than expecting me to be intimidated by Sidwell playing it straight (as uh, best he can) for the last year of shows, let alone doddering old Cyrus or Peter or whoever else in the last decade. Ryan was the only villain who came close to impressing me in recent times and he was not as effective as his 90s heyday (and overused by the end).

Word. Idk why people don't do this, including some of my family lol.

I think it is pointless judging Kelly and Morgan (or Holden and Lily or whoever else, or even Luke and Laura up to a certain point) outside of the times. The times were different, the performances were strong, the writing was well-done or at least very popular with certain audiences, etc. You take it or leave it while making whatever allowances you choose for the era.

Lovely. Wonder how long it'll last.

I will say I think DF is quite a good recast from whenever I've tuned in for stints off and on. (I went through a good portion of June and August before this) His slipping the shiv with Will about yet another stepfather was great. In the past there were times I couldn't take him seriously (it was mainly the hair) but I think he's strong enough, particularly with Ali. And I'll never fully embrace Martha's Belle, but under the recent circumstances what the hell, why not at this point? They seem to have acknowledged again that E.J. is (to put it mildly) a rake and darker hat, in no way a hero, and DF (I am not going to attempt to remember how to spell his name several Thanksgiving drinks in) really plays up the snide sleaze as well as the deeper, more complicated man.

Dan O'Connor and David Kreizman would feel like going from one downmarket urgent care to idk, hospice? I did enjoy tuning in for the anniversary eps, even if E.J. as MC was a bit wild. "Many of John Black’s family are here with us tonight. Many of whom I’ve tried to kill. Our next speaker is another one of his lovely daughters I’ve fúcked."

I remember Laura being immediately accepted. Tamara had a tough introduction and rough audience response given the BTS circumstances of Sarah Brown's exit and unfortunate changes wrought on the show in 2001, but the audience quickly swung to her side following the unpopular Angel story starting up and Carly being railroaded onscreen, as well as Maurice Benard actively tanking the Angel SL and very vocally coming out in support of Tamara. By the fall of '01 it was a done deal for her winning the audience over, and better daily writing when the Guza team returned the following spring sealed it.

Re: the slowdown it's not that deep. Soaps just have off or slow weeks. Why they chose to do WinterFest in December though, idk.

I'm just surprised they didn't do WinterFest during sweeps (it starts next week). I would've pushed it up, but I do think the show is on an upswing after a couple more fallow weeks of plate-spinning.

They are definitely playing with Ted and Shanice per advance spoilers for Christmas/New Year's that ended up in Parade Magazine. I much prefer Ted and June who are very much in the Agnes Nixon AMC mold of kooky working-class character with rich man, but we'll see I guess. I wonder why they've moved off that if they have or if they're still just testing around. I hope it returns.

Jerry was never this enthusiastic and chill. He always had a much darker edge because he came back to this show literally murdering Alan Quartermaine, which meant they could never make him work the way Guza wanted. Sidwell just wants his jewels (arr me jewels!), some nice couture and some houseboys on Fire Island.

I can promise I shall also be getting back to November '91 shortly to further confuse anyone else following this thread. Happy holidays, all.

I did like Rota on 24, where he also had a comic role. I just had an impossible time taking him seriously as some major villain on this show (and still do), so I am glad they have begun letting him just go wild with it. Sidwell is obviously below some other villain and I will be glad when he and this story are gone, but I have at least begun to enjoy his casual hijinks.

As tedious as I find this whole plotline this exchange last week killed me. As bored and unimpressed as I have been with Sidwell the jewel dude as some Big Bad I do at least enjoy that they are suddenly leaning into Carlo Rota's breezy, trollish energy re: this entire story. Sidwell seems to greet everything with a jolly smile and I did love his Jason impression, and that kind of mirthful energy is very unique for any story like this on GH in the last 20 years. He could take or leave the whole thing lol.

I will say I was impressed and touched by Donnell's longtime fandom re: the show, and his enthusiasm and gratitude even now. I just wish any of it showed up onscreen, where he has been phoning it in since at least 2018 lol. I also thought he came in in early 2015 vs. the end of the year, my mistake. When did he meet Tony? During that little cameo for Tracy's original exit? Tony retired before his first airdate. There is a superficial similarity to Luke in that Curtis originally was a semi-sketchy mover and shaker with his own club. But Curtis has always been a very threadbare character much like Jordan. He coasted by on DT's initial charisma and chemistry with people like Budig and Michelle Stafford, then he rapidly dissolved. I actually don't mind Curtis the scheming CEO sometimes opposite Drew or Michael, but I would still cut him (and Jordan) tomorrow. He's often just clearly bored and his story goes nowhere interesting.

Yes. It all got gif'ed and it's still hilarious. But here's some of it timestamped (in two different embeds). Featuring BTG's Daphnee Duplaix!

She'd been gone a few years by that point, apparently? I forgot when she initially faded out, I thought around 2002-2003.

I went down a rabbit hole tonight and was shocked to discover Dara Jensen (Vanita Harbour) recurred as late as 2005. I certainly don't remember when she last appeared prior, but she apparently turned up briefly having gone into family law, to help represent Alexis re: custody for Kristina against Sonny. Wild. I wasn't watching much in early '05 - the rubberneck value as the entire show fell apart that year came a couple months later.

I think AM was on AMC as Belinda by then.

The version of the story I remember is they did indeed do that until Maria turned out to be a disaster herself, and then the Bells spoke up again lol. I may be wrong though.