Vee

Were Gary and Val back together by the end of their Dallas 2.0 appearance? I've heard varying things and Wikipedia is unreliable. I noticed JVA had no accent in that scene with Sue Ellen on YT (and her face work looked a lot better there than it had several years prior). It was pretty thin and camp script-wise. Little Olivia is adorable. I know Tonya Crowe supposedly auditioned for some daytime parts in the '90s, but I don't know what roles or when. I think Karen so far seems to tolerate him much more than many others would despite his endless foibles and bad behavior, from his affairs to bungling Sid's case. But that's Karen's nature. She keeps giving Abby chances too, at least for now; she was able to sympathize with her during the hostage crisis right after their first big throwdown re: Richard and Gary.

Esta did not look well.

These home invaders look for all the world like members of Black September, fresh from the Munich Olympics. Who would have thought Diana would emerge as the Bruce Willis of the group, evading capture and outwitting the thugs? Not moi, as a little Diana already goes a long way with me. If cracked-out Michael were in the house these crooks would be in real trouble. Karen immediately hitting the floor facedown on elbows and knees cracked me up, seeming to fling herself to the ground and let the other women take the hot lead if necessary. For a couple scenes I'd thought she'd just swallowed her wedding ring rather than give it over. That'd be a conversation with Sid at the nearest bathroom when this is all over. Gary Graham from TV's Alien Nation is the deranged and horny male burglar here. The scenes with Abby and Karen commiserating over their plan are great work from both Lee and Mills though, with the connection and respect between them, while all the overheated stuff with the men is largely a competition over who can go apeshit the fastest to make up for the lack of overt male heroism in this silly episode. (I don't blame the cast, but it feels like the writers straining to give the men meaty stuff to sink their teeth into here that verges on William Shatner turf) The class struggle 'message' with the lady burglar is embarrassing given the times, then and now. A war is coming, Karen, between your kind and a host of out of work character actors hoping to be on next week's Love Boat! How does Abby know Laura used to get around (a brilliant plot point from her rape episode dropped entirely afterwards, perhaps due to network concerns - the ending of that ep, as Val watches Laura pick up her next man, was searing and it doesn't seem to ever return)? That conversation between those two could've been a lot smarter. Sure enough, Abby essentially takes the whole house herself. Why couldn't Black September shoot Kenny when he ran outside?

Believe me, I know. I love Greenwood but I was shocked they didn't go for another elderly prestige name. But they were almost totally done with shooting at the time and under the gun, and Greenwood is a trusted Flanagan commodity, and apparently the Usher role requires a ton of makeup anyway, so...

I think Richard has some very sweet moments here and there, like with Laura in the first season where he finally consents to letting her work and handle their money but asks her not to make him give up his dreams, and when Abby lets him down (relatively) easy and then he goes back to Laura and says he is proud of her and seems to recommit. Of course that all is dented big time when he realizes she has just made his yearly salary in one escrow; presumably that is why he is back to trying to pick up chicks at the bar by Episode 14 (Moments of Truth), which I have just begun but will probably finish watching later. I have been moving through this show at a pretty rapid clip while procrastinating on work, in large part because I am hoping to get through at least Season 4 before something happens to the online source. This is the kind of show that could definitely use a Y&R/B&B-style Onedrive vault, if there isn't one already. As odious as Richard can be, John Pleshette is a brilliant actor and it seems writer. I can see why they kept him for as long as possible, the character is just great. I mentioned the cancer episode a bit more above in edits, but that was something to be endured overall and one of the weakest of an uneven season for me. So saccharine, whereas I thought the more muted and mixed Gary/Val scene where she confronted him over the affair with Judy was stronger. In that sequence Val gives this long monologue on the beach about how they missed their chance to get it right, Gary tries to speak and recommit himself, she slaps him, finally lashing out, and then they embrace and go home. Their relationship is deeply imperfect and a lot of this is still profoundly unresolved, and that's the way life happens sometimes. Everybody always talks about J.R. and Val, but I actually really like the stuff with Karen and J.R. as well (he was still down bad for her by the time of Lucy's wedding on Dallas). And J.R. seemed especially fascinated by Abby because he had found an equal in the unlikeliest of places.

Langella basically confessed to the whole thing, amazingly, in his preening op-ed which he clearly thought would exonerate him and did the exact opposite - among other things, he openly admitted to ignoring requests from the production on how to behave and what to do or not do, feeling it lacked 'spontaneity.' I think Frank Langella is one of our greatest living actors, and I love his work. I also love Mike Flanagan's work and was really looking forward to Langella working with him. But while he is a brilliant actor he is also an old fool. It's sad. (Bruce Greenwood, a Flanagan alum, has replaced Langella)

It has. I'm surprised Dallas didn't make more use of Kristin, it's my understanding she dies not long after that appearance when she goes back to Dallas. Mary Crosby was pretty good from the handful of episodes of both shows I've seen. (I am watching each KL/Dallas crossover ep in chronological order) I did edit my thoughts re: this cancer mess so far above. There are five episodes left to S2 after this one. To her credit, Michele Lee sells this hammy silliness; she is crying right along with Ted Shackelford even just doing reaction work to his monologue. Bobby's little speech to Gary about being a coward at core, not having the guts is grim stuff, and you wonder how much of it is the real creative vision of Gary - seeing as Bobby told Sid he did mean it. I think the truth is somewhere in between. On to the home invasion!

Ah, the intense loss of dramatic gravity one feels when they realize Kenny and Ginger are one of the main plots in an episode. Kenny walks through the park staring vaguely at happy couples as saccharine music plays; when he retells the story to Ginger he sounds like a 10 year old. "It was great! He put his hand over where the baby was..." And when Ginger rightly mentions she can't depend on him he shrugs and says 'sure you can!' Ginger leaves, Kenny scratches his ear and purses his lips. Every time I see Kenny I want someone to taser him in the junk. I forgot to mention re: Jane Elliot's exit as Judy: The famous moment where Abby asks Gary if he's ready for her overshadows a key bit of Scenes From a Marriage-esque brutal insight into Gary when he talks to Judy. He tells her that Val is his only measure for himself of a moral compass or of being able to succeed as a man. Judy (rightly, to an extent) says, "Gary, that's pitiful!" But Gary stands behind it and is resolute in seeing himself only through Val's eyes. That is a kind of profound character exposure of someone you don't get tossed out everyday, and the show doesn't tell you how to feel about it - or, it may increasingly seem going forward, about Gary. As for the Val cancer episode: Gary is not taking this search for a tape recorder at the house well! Sid has karate kicked the front door of the Ewing home. This is hysterical.

She was a hoot! I hadn't realized it was her. The actress playing her daughter, the extremely obvious con woman was A Lot to endure though - she did everything but throw cheeky winks at the camera. There was a very specific type of super-affected acting in the '70s and early '80s among certain performers that that woman embodied and it was both painful and mesmerizing to watch. I didn't know Priscilla Pointer was on Dallas at all - I know her from horror films, and the Nightmare on Elm Street series (much like Brooke Bundy, who did two of them as Patricia Arquette's rich bitch mom). And no, I had no idea that was Carolyn Conwell but I knew I recognized her from somewhere.

I thought the stalker episode was okay, and one of the only ones with Ginger that has been any diversion for me so far. The calls, tapes, etc. were very creepy and could've been part of a longer storyline. I always enjoy seeing Priscilla Pointer (the crazed mother). As for Val's cancer, I believe that's the one I am coming up on right now. The show really picked up about midway through Season 2. I liked the ambiguous conclusion to the arc with Sid's female mechanic, though I have my doubts anything happened.

The confrontation between Abby and Elliot's Judy Trent was an absolute riot. Jane was still raving about that scene decades later in an interview not long before she quit GH a few years ago. Interesting too that Abby has also already caught on to what J.R. tells Gary one episode prior - that Gary is evolving, growing into wanting power, growing past Val, and that's why she seems to want him too. A counterpart to her own aspirations, perhaps? And it makes me curious how far it goes later (presumably following Jock Ewing's apparent death, when I believe he inherits). The stuff with Laura and Richard still carries any weak spots in the season for me, they're so good. I loved her realizing she just doesn't care where he goes or what he does. Like the Wards, it is beyond me how this marriage apparently lasts another two seasons (or in the case of Kenny and Ginger, their presence on the show at all). However OTT and dated some of it was, I did like that the Michael ADD ('hyperkinetic' indeed) plotline is still threaded through the background of the show and storylines, it's not just an Issue of the Week. I appreciate that they do these things regularly with plot or character points on this show that hang over the larger proceedings or are part of the fabric of what's going on in that house or that part of the neighborhood, like real life. They would have to keep dealing with Michael's issue. The show is heating up again with the Avery stuff as well as Abby's ex-husband on the scene, and Abby and Karen finally beginning to drop neighborhood pleasantries as Karen sees Abby clearly - I wondered how long that would take. I LOLed at Karen's weary reaction to Abby asking if she wanted to know if Abby was having an affair with Richard. "It wouldn't make my day." And the moment where Abby flat-out (and not horribly unkindly) tells Richard she likes him but doesn't need him is great. On another show she would've just called him a toad (which he is in many ways tbh) and squashed him, and I don't think she does think very much of him, but it was a nice bit of dimension. It does seem like the show is genuinely sympathizing with Abby's take on being a single, free woman for the first time in her life with grander, downright 'masculine' aspirations, while also acknowledging her glaring flaws and moral failings (and showing Jeff Cunningham to be capable of marital rape and unstable). It's really refreshing and exciting, all these decades later with soaps and primetime soaps having veered far more moralistic since then.

I think it's true, but it's not wholly confirmed.

It sounds like will be returning for the Centenary special in the fall, along with some of their companions. As always, not clear on Paul McGann!

I went back through an old interview with Jane Elliot, and she mentions having been in talks with Marland to come to ATWT before his death. Anyone know what that was about?

J.R. giving Gary the lowdown on himself and his little brother's repressed desire for power was a great scene. I have a feeling I know what really kicks it into overdrive down the road, too. I have heard Sid's engine is a key story element next season. I'm excited about that. That is Denise Galik (Rhonda Wexler from GH) as the female mechanic at Sid's. Such a small industry.

I'm happy for them - I like all the couples I know, though I don't know Jackie's new beau. Her vows were very sweet to watch in the clip they put up on YT. I love Ben, but then I lost track of the show around the end of Season 2 or early Season 3. I will binge it someday. I'm so glad they've mostly done the franchise right. It is a little surreal Dan is remarried to Louise too, but it's for the best. The Andy retcon is still so stupid though.

Rachel Talalay clearly directing some of the upcoming Tennant/Tate work, here with DT, Tate and Yasmin Finney: These mysterious images may pertain to rumors that the villain of the special(s?) is the Celestial Toymaker:

Mid-Season 2 has dragged a bit after a strong start. Jane Elliot's incredibly fey drunk husband is a riot, but the story is a bit of a slog. I am beyond over the incredibly mind-numbing Kenny/Ginger story which makes me wonder how they possibly lasted four seasons (the single beat of the story is, Kenny is repeatedly told to stop fücking his psycho sidepiece if he wants Ginger back and his response is to grin, shrug, invade Ginger's bedroom late at night and say nothing of substance about the problem other than 'you're my wife!'), and the mob guys are a bit goofy. Diana's boyfriend follies bore me but Michael's ADHD rampage is a hoot. Everything with Richard and Laura is great. But I'm ready for this show to fully kick into high gear. Right now it seems caught between the character mining of Season 1 (which I found more engaging overall, so far anyway) and the full-on soap it will become, and is struggling to reconcile the two. OTOH, J.R. just showed up and Abby seems determined to get down with him, so we'll see how that goes.

Oh, that's sad. I found her pretty poor and horribly miscast on ATWT, but I have to blame the writing - because when she turned up on OLTL 2.0 as a very different character she was a firecracker, and a lot of fun. RIP.

It would be repetitious of me to note every soap alum passing through KL which I'm sure most people here know very well, so I'll just note how nice it was to see Jane Elliot turn up in Season 2, and also note Allan Miller (OLTL's Dave Siegel) as Laura's boss, Scooter.

There are a lot worse things to go after on this board (including transphobia) vs. us calling Cawthorn out for his own self-loathing homophobia.

Tammin Sursok! I haven't heard that name in many years... There was a big attempt at an Aussie influx into US soaps (and primetime, IIRC) in the mid-late '90s, and again in the 2000s/early '10s in dribs and drabs. I still remember Lachlan Buchanan trying to be put over as Kyle Abbott. I didn't think he was that bad, I liked him, but not very long at all after getting fired from Y&R as part of the then-customary Kyle purge he came out IRL and began taking a ton of gay roles. He's adorable.