Vee

He's the corniest dude alive.

I still really doubt she's back and it's not some other Mel, but it's worth noting that the rumors are still swirling and Bonnie is apparently scheduled to be on a break from her stage show (Anything Goes) for the next week or two...

Abby definitely is trying to control and manipulate him here, though. I do agree she's in love with him, or I'd like to think so, but I think it is at least as much with the vision of the man she sees that Gary can be, with power and empire at his disposal as her ideal mate and where he can take her and vice versa, as with the man's she with now, if not moreso. And I think she'll do whatever she has to to him or anyone else to get him to where she believes he can and should be, in her mind. At least that's my take so far. It is wild to me that they still get married after all this going down right now. I can't wait to see It. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing it! And same here. I try to keep these to less recap and more thoughts on the episodes though. No one needs me recapping 40 year old shows they've seen.

I'll stand up for Rob, I've always liked him even though his range certainly only goes so far. I don't blame him for this mess.

Episode 15 (To Have and to Hold): I loved Diana's hat and scarf, etc. look at the beginning of this one, '80s fashion at its outre best. And I laughed at the whole bit with the boys' oversized suits: "They look like those guys who announce the Friday night fights," right down to Michael immediately launching into a cute WWF announcer riff. The Fairgate boys have a real sense of comfort and fun onscreen. I understood why Karen didn't invite Abby (Val) but I still thought it was a shame given Sid and the kidney transplant. I would've told Val to suck it up, personally. Seat Abby in the back! Their Vegas elopement complete with the eternal Dick Miller was cute enough - I would've liked to see a proper ceremony with the family, but let's face it, this week their big wedding was the B-plot. Ciji and Laura have yet another lesbian-adjacent scene this episode. Here it strikes me that the age gap between them, with Laura as the more 'butch' type, is not predatory but more wistful in how McCashin plays it, perhaps for Laura's own lost youth and spontaneity, and how Lisa Hartman interacts with it. There's something fizzling between them and a connection that goes beyond the dialogue. Anyway, as to the Gary and Abby of it all: The scene with Kenny (who still has about two emotions, but never mind) and Gary was great, with Gary driving up in his sleek sports car he could never have afforded to drive into the cul-de-sac a year ago and pleading with Kenny for sympathy and absolution. "I remembered who you really are," Kenny says, and lays it all out, basically reminding Gary that he pretty much got Sid killed, ran out on Val, and cutting to the core of his born [!@#$%^&*]-up/Ewing pathology. The original, natural canvas of the suburban cul-de-sac as a public arena for the ensemble cast plays well here once again as Val and Lilimae come outside to see Kenny still rightly haranguing Gary as they head to his car: "You're a weak, spoiled coward who never stands up for anyone or anything!" Kenny may have exactly two emotions and expressions to his name, but he's not entirely wrong about Gary or who Gary's always been, along with the darker, more cunning flipside he's yet to fully grasp or actualize (but that's another paragraph). There's another great beat here too, where Gary and Val, mostly out of each other's orbits since the parking lot confrontation early in the season, meet eyes as Kenny throws him out, Gary x-rayed through with his moment of pain and shame. Things are getting darker for the ultimate early '80s power couple all over, both at home and work, as Gary continues to slowly tailspin in the grip of Abby's machinations. She has pulled him further and further over time towards embracing what Kenny calls "a real Ewing" within, but even she can't fully control the darker side I mentioned, the rage J.R. warned her and I think Val (or maybe one of his other relations) about more than once over several seasons and two different shows, along with the self-loathing and addiction/death drive. She's had him under her yoke which has kept him stable, but I don't know what a pitch-black, fully Ewing-ized Gary would look like. I'm not sure he is capable of that vs. simply spiraling out. More to these points: Over at Munson's studio, Gary's dreams of being the first/next Dr. Luke are shattered by Munson pulling rank. On the bright side, Abby's masculine red suit and bolo tie business mogul drag is extremely on point! She's totally transformed herself from the divorced sister doing the books at her brother's used car lot, she's in her moment. Gary wants to be a creative, but it seems as though - if we're subscribing to the most nuanced and sympathetic read of Abby possible, which I'm not sure the writers wholly intend though they do write Abby with nuance and layers - that Abby just wants the money and empire-building this business can offer them. She doesn't think Gary's own (silly) musical aspirations towards this particular end are as important as their simply continuing to make money and consolidating more power in order to 'build bigger dreams,' like she told him a few episodes back. In this, Abby is what Tori Amos once called 'the glory of the '80s' incarnate. This win is not enough - they have Ciji and Munson now, and Abby wants Gary to stay out of their acquisitions' way and collect the percentage so they can keep climbing higher, together. Which brings us back to an existential riddle I see often in KL blogs online: Does Abby love Gary, does she love the power and promise in him, or both? I still think it's both, but it's obviously an extremely open question as we go. Knots Blogging posits that Abby will do anything to keep Gary isolated in their little bubble of success and power as well as love which she can control at this point in time, while advancing her and their aspirations. I suppose maybe that's true. Imagine being music mogul Jeff Munson and picking up your phone to hear your secretary tell you cornpone AARP hustler Lilimae Clements is on the line. Would you take the call? What a guy. He's got it bad for Valene. He's a sweet enough transitional man for her, if a bit staid despite his streetwise charm. I do know who is coming for Val, and I've always enjoyed seeing him on '80s GH. I was not expecting the Val Ewing uncensored book leak! Still a relevant plot point today c/o TMZ, Deuxmoi, Gawker, etc. There's a particularly nasty and clever angle here too, with Thornwell (Chip's new boss) turning out to be behind the leak as Val's prospective new agency, essentially running a protection racket scam on her to ensure her clientele. For some insane reason Chip then decides to start a burning hot rumor about Ciji and Gary - I'm not entirely sure why he did this, maybe to cover his tracks in case Ciji decides to carry the baby to term? There's a great, slow panning shot in the Chip/Lilimae stuff here across the entire Ewing kitchen set that I don't think we've ever seen like this before, and it's bigger than I realized given how they usually shoot it. Anyway, more public arena stuff plays out beautifully from this in the cul-de-sac as Gary returns to harangue Val and gets his ass beat by another of her new men, this time Munson himself, humiliating him in front of all their neighbors including young Michael who gleefully riffs on it like the WWF announcer, calling the score. I loved that whole sequence, including the tag with Gary and Val sharing looks of woe. It shows how far they've come from the pilot, and how far he's fallen down in everyone's eyes. Gary is desolate about how his business machinations have damaged their lives and pleads with Abby for transparency and honesty here, "at least with each other," to put right what once wrong as Quantum Leap always said. But Gary and his tiny shorts are denied solace once again, as Abby flakes on their planned day together to talk things out - she's off to buy a fuckin' cable franchise! Holy shít. The glory of the '80s. Is it any wonder that Gary's going for the booze in the final, stirring shots of the episode, with him on the balcony with a full glass as the camera pulls out to reveal the amazing vista he's bought and paid for, the beautiful home, and Gary lost and adrift before the sea? Next up: The return of the great Bill Duke and a KL legendary moment I have heard a lot about.

LOL, this is how Ron finally gets out from under complaints about Serial Killer Ben. Pulling an OLTL/GH switch without a lawsuit! Amazing.

I've made no secret that I don't think the writing for Evangeline worked in any of those couples or storylines - she was sainted and sanctimonious to me, and Higley very clearly favored her over Natalie who she dragged through the streets daily in the scripts even after the end of the triangle - but I never denied the chemistry with the men, and I always liked Renee a lot. It was the execution I thought was so saccharine, especially with the increasingly creepy and vile TSJ Todd who would go from giggling about rape to wanting to do, like, jazz flute with Van. I think the Evangeline that was originally conceived, but didn't take off, was a more interesting character: An extremely ambitious, cunning lawyer who would defend anyone. I was extremely excited when the casting notice in late '02/early '03 went out because it smacked of Malone's influence as he returned to the show; I couldn't wait for both to show up. But that character didn't go anywhere for a year, which is something Renee has discussed in print before, and then they put her with John and Van changed for good. As I've said before though, all of that is irrelevant to what I didn't fully recognize at the time and what would be unthinkable today: They had a Black female at the center of the key interracial love triangle on the show, and she was very heavily pushed as a lead heroine. That would not happen on ABC Daytime today; it's something they're still seemingly gunshy about fully doing with Trina on GH as a teen character. It would not happen on any other surviving American soap today. That's hugely important however I feel about how Evangeline turned out, and it's sad to say we've regressed. I took for granted it could happen with a better pairing and what I personally felt was a better Black character (and that Van could be retooled as well) but the truth is Evangeline was the exception to the rule.

He played a glorified version of the latter on HTGAWM after a certain point, IMO. His character there was often too broad and weak for me, but I also tuned out on that show after Season 3 when they pinned literally everything on one of the students' fathers or something. I'll finish it at some point because I loved Viola Davis' performance and some of the others like Liza Weil, and loved looking at Matt McGorry and Jack Falahee. Anyway, that's way off. I thought Fire Island was a lot funnier than I've frankly come to expect from a lot of supposedly groundbreaking LGBT comedy especially. It could've been a bit sharper, sure. And no, nothing is on par with Happy Together. I do think it could've done more with the Black friend, but I did like that the white guy in the group was relegated to a minor role as well, and I can't fault them for centering the AAPL experience.

Fascinating stuff, DD - thanks for this, and please give us more.

That's fair enough! And a good read, IMO. It's too bad about Khan not being around. I hope he'll read my rambling someday, as he was a devoted fan of KL and one of the people (along with you and others) who had me keeping the torch hoping for this opportunity for many years.

I'm curious what you think makes Ciji so complex. I do think there are depths there, but I've been trying to get my head around it. To me the biggest force of the character comes out in the music so far.

Been preoccupied with other things for a few days, so I've had these in the chamber waiting to go but wanted to do one more to maximize space. Here you are: Episode 12 (The Block Party): Another cute suburban setpiece episode, even if the block party was a tad over the top. I did love seeing the neighborhood once again used as the larger canvas. A great exchange early on: Karen: Laura, in all the years you've known me, have you ever, ever known me to nag? An objective opinion! Laura (deadpan): Well, if you'd stop nagging me, maybe I'd tell you. Constance McCashin's consistent dry wit really adds to Laura's character; she's different than the other women, more prickly but also more blunt, and I always enjoy seeing it. The cliche Irish musical cue for Mack's dad was a bit much. I did like Lilimae flirting with him - I lost it at Val facepalming in the background as Lilimae broke out the autoharp and began singing that one damn song yet again. But the duet at the end with Ciji on "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" was really lovely, which brought Val over as well. I think Lilimae's take that she offers to MacKenzie Sr. on how she and Val have 'moved on' from their past is slightly more charitable to her than the facts, but that's Lilimae for you. Not sure the terrifying clown picture on Diana's nightstand is great bedtime material. Is that supposed to be her from the horrific talent show number in Season 2? I did like Karen and Val talking about how much the neighborhood has changed, 'what's left of us,' etc from how they started. Of course it's now about to change even more. I did love the moment with Karen embracing the nervous Olivia, who wasn't sure she was still welcome. That sense of community is what I cherish about the show and its suburban atmosphere, even as the characters are upwardly mobile and ascending higher into the '80s. A fairly uneventful breather episode, but with some wonderful emotional work from Kevin Dobson that gives us more insight into Mack's volatility, and some great moments for the ensemble. Props to the SoapNet taping of this episode for running a "NEXT: Ciji finds out she's pregnant!" ticker mid-episode on this one. Episode 13 (Cutting the Ties That Bind): Finally, Val is ready to divorce Gary. I love that she already has a proper office/study and writing space in her home - such a far cry from the all but barefoot and pregnant hick homebody with the hippie blouse from the first couple seasons with the '70s hangover. Initially I thought Jeff Munson was perhaps the most boring love interest this show has seen so far, save perhaps that dreary guy from last season who Karen and Abby were inexplicably both into. But he's sweet to Val, kinder to dim Kenny than he knows and has a dry wit. He's right about Abby and her 'pragmatist' take on things, too: "It's admirable. I'd just hate to be on the receiving end of your pragmatism." Abby does play things masterfully with Kenny and Gary (in addition to keeping her options open on Gary should things go south re: his divorce from Val), and Kenny is grinnin' no more. Oh well. Gary is easily led around by Abby at this point in her various machinations. I'm not sure why she's so adamant at getting Kenny out - maybe she just doesn't like him, and who can blame her? Anyway, Gary's still a neophyte in an arena he wants to become a real player in. I wonder how long that can go on. Yes, the whole Little Italy sequence with Jeff showing Val his old neighborhood had stereotypes right out of Super Mario, but as a longtime New Yorker who misses it terribly and remembers that whole part of town I can't be too upset. Jeff isn't exactly setting the world on fire but he has some gravitas and is helping liberate Val's character, so that's nice enough. The talk they have about how things like this don't happen to her, she doesn't travel in these spheres, etc. seems like a bit of a meta-statement for the whole show - all these women on the show started as domestic housewives and look at them now. Things with Ciji and Chip are beginning to go south, what with the hair-pulling, threats and so on, and now him stealing some of Val's next manuscript. The Ciji/Laura relationship remains intriguing, while ol' Richard realizes with some dismay that Laura has next to no interest in going back to bed with him. Who can blame her after being literally held hostage? No relationship can ever really survive that, IMO. Episode 14 (And Teddy Makes Three): Yes, Teddy, Karen's first boyfriend is back, but it's not Terry Kiser of "Weekend at Bernie's" fame this time, who had that amazing monologue in Season 3. No, this is Fake Shemp Teddy played by someone else, who has considerably less impact and charisma though that may just be the rather forward writing - I know the actor, Steven Keats, from things like Black Sunday and Death Wish, and he is talented, but woof he's down bad for Karen. I dug the cute opening with Mack and Val searching for an engagement ring. Any time I get to see Val, such a sad striver for so much of her early appearances, living large with money and having fun it makes me happy and more invested. It seems she's repainted the entire house between episodes; I was enjoying the sky blue before. The breastfeeding interlude with what I must assume was Constance McCashin's own recent newborn baby and Ciji sitting beside her was interesting. I don't get as many lesbian vibes from these people as some do, but Laura suggesting they go watch a dirty movie was definitely in the zone. The relationship with Richard continues to deteriorate as Laura honestly just seems over it, and has been ever since he began leaning into his deal with Abby at the restaurant. But I also don't think she ever really wanted to go back after the whole, y'know, hostage crisis. There was a brief moment of happiness with the Daniels (no relation to the directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once), but it was a facade for the trap she'd let herself be pulled back into. Kenny was stupid to turn down Munson's deal after pulling a George Costanza at the recording studio. As for other elements of the Gary/Abby storyline, I dunno who was responsible for the incredibly form-fitting and revealing pants Gary was wearing in his gratuitous barechested workout sequence but I doubt that would get past the network censors today. God bless. I wish we'd seen the scene with Karen talking to the kids about marrying Mack. Mack was his usual - sometimes unctuous and overbearing, sometimes tender, sometimes very funny. But I do like them together a lot and I'm glad they're going to marry; it would be fast by most standards but here it feels like they've taken the time to let Karen mourn and grow for a year and then built the relationship with Mack carefully (it helps a bit that it started in media res - when we first saw Mack, they already knew each other). Poor Ciji, scheming Chip. What more can you say about that in its current state?

A Martinez (Santa Barbara, GH, DAYS, OLTL) was just in the latest Michael Bay film Ambulance, and next will be in Netflix's likely ill-fated live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender series.

So I finally got to watch this and I gotta say, I really liked it. Fluffy? Yes. Was the voice-over a bit too much at some unnecessary moments? Yes, but that exposition plays better for a general audience sometimes. It's not gonna win an Oscar. But I really liked Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang, and Conrad Ricamora was giving some serious smoldering energy I'd never seen him put out from his overly broad 'nerd' role on How to Get Away with Murder - he was channeling Benedict Cumberbatch, Harrison Ford in Working Girl, you name it, to say nothing of Colin Firth. It was a cute Austen adaptation in a gay universe and that will play really well for young people going forward, and that's important. I know Andrew Ahn did the well-received Spa Night which I have yet to see, but now I want to. I consume so much queer cinema and media that is either coded in a variety of ways, using a lot of gritty genre trappings or whatever else, and that's my own choice. I watch a lot of weird queer shít from all over the world too. But sometimes you just want to see an American-made, sweet gay romantic comedy with a degree of artistry along with humor and heartfelt performances. They're still pretty rare over here without looking like they were made for a grand tops. This gave me that and it was well-made, so I didn't find it as disposable as I expected. It's not the comic equivalent of, say, Bridesmaids, but the emotional content got me in the same way. There's stuff a lot of us can relate to, especially as we get older or don't fit into this or that ethnic or abled or body type. I was pleased with it. A solid, sweet piece of work.

Oh wow. I had no idea that existed. I could not have handled that as a kid; I was terrified of Hamilton in the movie as a child (the music was a big part of it).

For people checking it out, he talks about it starting around 27:30 (in considerable detail!). Classy guy.

Dialogue here can be overheard: Possibly a new character - there have been rumors of one named Melody - or of course, the long-awaited return of Bonnie Langford as Melanie Bush.

Stupid shít.

I'll eat my hat if they sign him to a contract in time. I assume they'll just recast with a conventional and slightly older hunk, which is dumb because West has been one of the most talented recent (or relatively recent) additions in the cast for years running, even when he was a tyke. And if I'm saying that about a recurring kid consider how barren the field has been for almost ten years. He's not the equal of a JJ or Kimberly McCullough at that age yet, but he's pretty strong and can hold his own as a junior to Chavez, TA and Lipton (or Avery Pohl) not unlike how Amber Tamblyn did or Kimberly did when they were the juniors to the older teens. He can do that kind of story, and I'm betting a lot more. Dominic has been wasted since Frank and Ron took over and it's a sin. There was a time that somehow doesn't seem so long ago when he was one of the new central leads of the show, but Frank and Ron (and the subsequent writers since Ron) didn't and don't know how to write for complex male leads and aren't interested. They write for dumb hunks and men who are scheming villains or plot movers. Leading men, male heroic characters, are not relevant if they're not Sonny or Jason. Watching DZ go from the most vibrant and layered stars on the show to carrying water for dumb scheme after dumb scheme for years running has been truly draining.

Thanks for this. My slow ride through 1986-onward continues through the pandemic, but I'm always willing to jump ahead and take a look at good stuff.

Rae never worked anywhere.

She's right.

I think the recast is exceptional and IMO better than Sydney Mikayla, but it doesn't make a difference. It's been clear to me under both actors that FV's GH is ambivalent at best about showcasing an interracial couple and a Black heroine with the same force and frontburner consistency as someone like Joss (who IIRC started out as a temp hire, but fit the bill for the Kristen Alderson-esque teen lead FV's been chasing for years). I think some days, weeks, months are better than others, but ultimately too much of the story is still fitted around the white characters - Esme, Joss, Joss reacting to what's happening to Trina, etc. It's not that Spencer and Trina is not a key story, it's in the execution of it and how it seems to keep looping back to the white characters for me. I think they know the fanbase is there and the audience interest with Trina and Spencer, but FV is stuck in both his conception of their aging and narrow-minded audience (old, white, at least half-bigoted) that he is afraid to lose, and also in what he thinks will sell to both them and the kids from back in 2008 with Starr on OLTL. So he is at the very least trying to have it both ways atm, while in the past he would've been content to keep Trina as the Langston from OLTL to Joss' Starr; her ethnic, non-blonde sidekick clucking over her problems with a B or C-story. And that's frankly still a role they sometimes are relegating Trina to. I don't know how it will end up.