Vee

What??

I don't dislike Susan Walters, but it's a shame.

Is Donnelley just utterly uninterested at this point? Or was there a falling out with the show?

I know the changeover happened in August, but it seemed like someone put whatever reveal was originally(?) planned for Ian onscreen either just before or right after they left the building, and then immediately retconned it out again. I was always under the impression the explosion, etc. was Tomlin or Higley or whoever it was replaced them, but I may well be wrong.

I thought the idea of the Phillip story was intriguing on the page, especially given Thom Bierdz's IRL history and orientation. It had a very metatextual angle given the performer and his struggles, it was the kind of risk classic Y&R sometimes took with social issue storytelling and controversy. The problem was a) the handling of the story and the writing was terrible and b) Bierdz absolutely cannot act. Given those things it should've been left alone. Since he's alive now though, they might as well recast.

I doubt they'd have gone there since wasn't she heavily tested or in a triangle with both Alan's sons in '92? Trying to play spoiler to her and Jagger.

Yeah, I remember Ian notably had a Phoenix-head cane or something. I wondered if the exiting HW team threw in the Ian/DiMera reveal on literally their last day or whatever. It was strange.

How is this about him lol

Does anyone know what exactly the deal was with Ian Buchanan's debacle of a character? Didn't the big reveal of him supposedly being Stefano's 'real son' (and not E.J.) only happen a day or so before McPherson and Thomas left, and then immediately got undone? It all seems so bizarre and unnecessary. I seem to recall some talk of IB being intended as a replacement on the canvas for the ailing Joe Mascolo (good luck!), but I still don't understand what was originally planned there or at what time.

Speaking of Scott the other day, the Karen twist has always seemed odd to me. Didn't Labine do it at random as Cari Shayne was exiting the show, months after Kin left? Was there even any hint of that before? What was the purpose? Not that it wasn't good for the characters later on, but still.

I do find them boring as hell, lol. But that's also a function of their simply not drawing on their pasts and similarities, like Laura's traumas as well as Kevin and his family's past (not just Ryan, but Victor and all that spy shít). A lot of people like them and it makes Genie happy, though, so I would def play their string out and the drama and heartache for a long stretch, including a reunion, before finally breaking them up.

Been bingeing some OLTL '93 and I have never seen this much of Jason Webb and Dorian together before - Robin and Mark Brettschneider were hot. What's curious is that by April they are [!@#$%^&*] around again but in January or February he was still devoted to Lee Ann, while Kevin worked to wedge them apart. Did he rebound that quickly inbetween? Also, I know the Jason/Dorian relationship started under Elaine Princi. Is there a timeline of how that began and when in '92? It seems like the show hedged its bets a lot on Jason and Lee Ann, or Jason and Dorian or even the hints of Jason and Marty beyond their friendship. I always found him sexy.

Word.

I'd forgotten about Meego! I always felt so bad for Gregory Hines.

I had an actor in mind, but yes, both would never do it lol. Harewood is wonderful - I got to see him live in Julie Taymor's Midsummer Night's Dream in Brooklyn as Oberon. I have no idea what I'd do with Scott. I don't have a ton of fondness for Obrecht for many reasons relating to her origin, but Kathleen Gati is great and they are fun to watch together so I'd let her be around for a bit before the hammer came down on ol' Liesl. I think Scott's recurring role is the right place for him. I'd figure out love in the future at some point. But yes, both Scott and Lucy/Kevin's kids would be back and in major roles on canvas, so there's that.

And I mean, Step by Step was kind of the bottom of the barrel for them. I don't even know what they did after that, if anything.

That was so bizarre. They were such bad shows as is, and then I remember them culling the existing casts for those seasons.

If they did a Tale of 2 Ridges and showed Ronn Moss in some detention center somewhere I'd never stop laughing.

I think that's Sonny's final scene too. To me, as I have always said, there has never been any point in playing Sonny on frontburner or with any women ever since that scene aired. Until or unless he changes permanently for Brenda or some other woman, that was the final statement.

I've said it on PTV before, but I'm never writing for the soaps, so what the hell: Genie and Charles Shaughnessy have smashing antagonistic chemistry and that's where the action is for me. I would have Laura dragooned into marrying Victor in order to save the day and/or Port Charles, leaving poor Kevin in the lurch, struggling to extricate his wife, and ultimately once again imprisoned and tormented by the marauding Ryan, who would be in league with the Cassadines on some mischief. Laura and Victor's marriage of convenience would have absolutely no romantic angle but the interplay as they mutually despise each other would be fantastic. It would last 6-9 months as part of an ongoing intrigue in which they are shackled together by some outside necessity a la the Mixed Marrieds story of the '90s, during which time Lucy would be the one to discover what is up with her beloved "Doc" and free him. Meanwhile, Laura would liberate herself from the Cassadine fold with the aid of Scorpio, Anna and a handsome new Black, British WSB agent. This WSB agent would slowly be moved into position as Laura's next love interest, even as Laura and Kevin are finally reunited and struggle to put their marriage back together. Which of course will not work out. That's amore!

Mo is too tired to be frontlining the show. He was too tired ten years ago. He's even more haggard now. Ron knew this (for awhile), even Bob Guza knew it which is why he began transitioning Sonny's role in the late 2000s, possibly in part due to his own flagging interest in MB/Sonny. It was a wise move and felt organic. caroline and I have already outlined what we'd do about this so we won't go over it again as we prepare our master plans. 👍 He was! I would kill for the new MST3K (going strong on its own new app/platform) to do some of ATWT, SFT, or whatever is available at the same length. They still do shorts, and just did one last week. But I bet the rights issues are even thornier today. I seem to recall one of the stars/writers commenting on their affection for morose Jessie Brewer.

I've said it before, but Chloe has had every demeaning story short of being impregnated by aliens. She is worn tf out. I love Nadia, but they squandered her initial edgy return under Sheffer which was working out very well and was sophisticated initially, and ever since then she's become another town whipping post and workhorse. She needs a loooong break. I'm biased, but I blame Corday and/or the network for a lot of what happened with McPherson and Thomas. I remember clearly that the show felt written for adults again for the first time in IDK how long when they started, but the production value, FX segues, cheesy country music cues, etc. all continued to work against them, same as Sheffer's early promising start. Ultimately the HW still has to take their share of blame, but a lot of things under McPherson and Thomas especially felt aborted in the crib, which is something Corday is known for. Bringing back Carrie (and I guess Austin) as a lawyer full time was smart, and was wasted. I have never bought Belle the lawyer (or Belle the anything, really). I think the follow-up hacks got a lot of credit down to a) Eileen's return and b) some solid day to day writers migrating to the show from OLTL, etc. Without that material it's another story.

I have said my piece about Drake before, so I won't again, except for this: I've always liked him, he always delivers what they want from him and he has always had incredible chemistry and warmth with people, from his love interests to young children like Christie Clark back in the day. He's unfairly slated, and he probably should've stayed Roman. You can say a lot about Drake but you can never say he doesn't give 100%.

Stamos claimed they only wanted him back to play drums and maybe do a gag at the Nurses Ball with Demi Moore - where "Jackie and Blackie" would return married, haha. He felt it was superficial and wanted something substantive to play, and therefore refused the invitation. Ron did not take it well. I believe it because of Tony Call's story from OLTL which was similar - that Ron wanted Herb Callison and Karen Wolek to return married, as a gag re: their classic roles in 1978. Call didn't like it either.