Vee

Oh, they're very smart to diversify. Doesn't mean it's not the show's responsibility to try to lock them in as long as possible for the good of the show, which is not always the best thing for the actors. But if I was the EP, I'd try to secure as much commitment as humanly possible. I don't blame the actors for going recurring; I blame the show for not locking them into contracts.

All I'm saying is that when I pointed out months ago that being that young and talented and only on recurring meant they could lose her sooner than GH was acting like they will, a couple people (and I'm not talking about you) lost it and insisted she'd be here for the long haul just because GH said they would in press. But "working with her schedule" always means they're the mercy of the talent's demand. The PR is always the same: "Oh, they're not going anywhere, they'll do both!" Then they get a pilot and it's byebye. I hope she stays longer. And I agree with Chit that in case she isn't, they should be block taping her. Yet somehow I don't think Frank is missing a chance to maximize his Roger Howarth or JPS output. Foolish.

He had COVID, lol. He also lost the election weeks later, so it wasn't exactly a smash success.

I think DZ is excellent and can help carry the show with good writing. He just hasn't had any in at least 10 years. The Sam thing is a B or C pairing at best. They have chemistry in the abstract, but the material - wearing stupid outfits, her yowling at him, etc. - is terrible. It could've been something deeper but now it is a place to park them. KM is completely spent on the show IMO, even more spent physically (the work or whatever she and Steve did to themselves destroyed both of their looks), and she should be gone for good. And I say that as someone who could've found purpose for her in most of the last decade despite often hating Sam in her heyday. There are plenty of dynamic possibilities for Dante, though. I told people Mikayla would not last while still off-contract and they threw a tantrum. It's the truth. I think they should lock down all three of those kids (her, Lipton, Chavez) for as long as possible, but I agree the stories aren't much to write home about. This is easily the strongest youth scene they've had since maybe the mid-2000s though, so they need to work it. The couple is cute even if I'll never buy Spencer is 100% str8, and Esme probably should've been a dude. That's an angle they can work with some other guy another day, I suppose. They could add kids from the Asian Quarter, they could do any number of things while writing off Joss for awhile.

I have no idea what purpose poor Alexis/NLG could possibly still serve on this show or who she could be paired with (her daughters are all a wash at this point and need breaks or to be written out of town for awhile, IMO - Sam permanently) but those scenes were a lot of fun. And Charles Shaughnessy, against long odds IMO, is a hoot as Victor. I love Thaao Penghlis on DAYS for all his camp and pomp but this is very different from Thaao's last very rickety stint as Victor. They could really make this last for some time with the new Victor if they were smart, which they aren't, but he is so much more compelling than Wes Ramsey or ol' hickory ham Cyrus (I love Jeff Kober in his many classic movie and TV roles but this Cyrus mess has been a debacle every time I tune in). UO: Esme should [!@#$%^&*] Papa Nikolas for the bag and scandalize all involved.

Rough time to have a midlife crisis, Spinelli!

Finally, the fruits of the dynamite Devon/Abby union I was assured would rocket the show to glory are upon us.

I'm talking about the actors (and crew) who tried to buck the vaccine mandate.

I know Emma Samms has said she'd like to return and finish the subplot they left off with Holly but her health still won't permit it due to long COVID until she recovers; her voice apparently gives out. It's unconscionable what some of these actors tried to pull given the older actors at risk especially, and I'd fire the lot who even attempted to not comply.

Neither KM nor Steve ever recovered from the last few years physically; I don't know what bad work Kelly had done or what she's had wrong with her but she's aged at least ten years in one or two. Cameron looks a bit gaunt without the beard he should grow back, but only Kelly looks totally spent. However injured she is these days, Leslie Charleson looked like a million bucks. I've said this for years, but they let Finola go too emotional on the wrong things. She is a brilliant actress who can play so many facets; she does not need to get weepy when facing down certain bad guys (like Carlos back in the day, or weeping over what she did to him) or when delivering the news about a man like Jason. Anna was police on these streets for many years and she should not be so chummy with Sonny, Jason or the mob just because the writing and IMO at times the actor are more comfortable with her being perceived as favorable to the audience that loves those characters. She should not be tearing up over Jason. She should give it to Sonny straight and sober and not be intimate with him; she was a professional, Jason was a professional, he died, give her condolences, that's it. That's what I loved about a throwaway scene Anders Hove had as Faison with Kimberly McCullough back in 2013, when Robin railed at him about killing Jason; Faison didn't rant or rave or scream, he was dispassionate and gave it to her very candidly. This is the business they're all in, Faison got the drop on him, he's dead, that's it. That is how Anna and Robert should deal with these people, at best.

Carly has already rode the wrong dick once because of her grief over Jason: Franco, who was thought to be his twin at the time. Never again.

LOL, I remember this. And I remember the fan theories about this period which I'm sure we've discussed here in the past - I think this was when Michele ValJean was either co-HW with Guza, or acting HW once Guza and Riche both aced each other out. MVJ was a huge Liz fan and I remember people theorizing she was trying to toy with Sonny and Liz, or other people (or was it ValJean?) claiming she was intended to be Sonny's sister - a role I always thought was obvious for Gia given the addition of Lynne Moody as Taggert and Gia's mother Florence. I don't recall what was the truth behind some of this stuff.

Fam tested negative. Thanks for the kind words.

My appointment is the 6th. Haven't heard back re: the nephew's test yet.

Nate Cohn approaches insight in a long thread but like so many before him, chooses to pivot to 'we can't know':

There's ways to do new things with Carly. But it would require investment in changing key things on the show and with the couples, and for me it would require Sean Kanan as A.J. (he'll be free again soon enough, that's B&B for you) and yes - Sarah Brown. I love Laura Wright and I think she does great work if you can't get the original, but I have never not wanted Sarah back and that'll never change. Would I work with LW if she was the only option of the two? Sure.

I grew up with the original cast production of Into the Woods filmed for PBS and was obsessed with every inch of it - that was my first exposure to Sondheim. I've never been a huge theater person but I adore that show and I was proud to work on a film project about Merrily We Roll Along a few years back. More recently I became acquainted with the indispensable D.A. Pennebaker documentary about the cast recording of Company (currently streaming on Criterion). Most people cite the grueling work Elaine Stritch did for it, but it's Beth Howland's unbelievable performance of his labyrinthine lyrics that awes me for both performer and creator. I knew some of Abloh's work - what a tragedy.

I think some filmmakers are just frankly overly enamored of new tech that the film doesn't always work well with. Maybe someday HFR will be ready but it's not now.

Of course she was. Broderick became Agnes' heir apparent, despite the attempts to coronate Megan as that (including, I think, by Megan herself).

I saw The Hobbit in 48 FPS/HFR out of curiosity and wanting to support advances in technology, despite having next to no interest in more of those movies. The entire thing ended up looking like a bad cosplay convention in that state and I've never bothered with high frame rate since.

Always exciting to have what may be my first proper exposure to COVID over the holiday visiting family. Nephew's classmate got it. We're both double vaxxed (I haven't had a booster yet and neither has he, my last dose was in May) but I guess we'll see!

Sometimes Ron does it well. Other times, more frequently in the last ten years, he just loads them up with fluff to fill space. I do think what he's done with Doug is the best of his nature, and he certainly understands it more than latter-day Griffith.

He should've been permanently fired for that.