Vee

Frank would've kept that character on ice for NB for decades, lol. They should've recast long ago tbh, even if Nicolas has improved.

I thought Bechtel was a considerably much better actor in the last few of his guest appearances I caught; he had very little technique as a kid and became unbearable to watch IMO, especially when Frank and Ron had him on everyday. But as a guest-appearance teen he eventually became much more skilled. But I knew he was getting a lot more work outside GH so I didn't think he'd be around forever. I hope his obnoxious social media presence with his mom or whatever it was has improved since the old days.

I don't think the story was very good, or as thoughtful as it claimed to be. I do think it landed on relevant issues, often unintentionally, but I still feel its primary purpose at the time IMO was tapdancing to keep Bianca away from the cis actresses. I don't think that's okay or acceptable.

I've thought about the Zarf story a bit recently. I think looking at it today, aspects of the Zarf/Zoe story were clearly ahead of their time, on paper at least. But in execution, 15 or whatever years ago, it always, always smacked of another attempt to pair Bianca with a cis male actor one way or another IMO. I still believe that was their intent at the network: Anything to avoid letting the women kiss onscreen. It wasn't the first time they'd tested Eden with a male actor (Gabriel Devane, etc.) and if Pratt had his way later on it wouldn't have been the last, though I might've preferred his tacky angle tbh - Bianca getting revenge on her cheating spouse by sleeping with Ryan(!). Anyway, that's a big part of why I still have huge issues with it: I felt a key part of the reasoning involved in telling the story was an attempt to look progressive on an emergent and important issue while actually using it and the character (who was again, played by a cis actor) to keep Bianca in a regressive bind in terms of LGBT visibility on-camera. That isn't to say trans characters can't be paired with cis lesbians, but back then, at that time, I absolutely felt it was a cynical attempt by the network to get around any criticism of pairing Eden with a male actor. I think the actor playing Zarf/Zoe did his best with what was often a ludicrously-written part, but I think he was also often playing to the rafters. I don't think that's what you want for a first-time, sensitive trans story on daytime; I don't think the key angles should be 'this new person will be here for six months and then kicked out' and 'maybe we can use them to keep our lesbian character from kissing cis women'. Trans characters deserve better. But looking at it in 2021, yes, it's undeniable that story, for all the less brilliant aspects, was ahead of where we were IMO.

I think McTavish had a fundamental understanding of AMC in some ways. Her first run had some great stories and couples, and when she initially returned in 2003, even when I knew the rape was coming, you could feel the show going back to its traditions and old style in many ways (she also made a point to bring back many past characters, albeit often for pointless stories or bit parts). But I think her worst instincts and impulses always wrecked her work, and I don't think she ever worked at all at any other show. I don't think she was ever wholly capable without a very strong team propping her up. It wasn't dissimilar to what Frons attempted at each of the three main soaps at the time - he clearly felt it was essential to bring back high-profile HWs who knew their soaps inside and out and had done beloved work. AMC brought back McTavish, OLTL brought back Malone and Griffith and GH brought back Guza. On paper, it was a great idea. But each failed either in the short or long run (Guza did better than the others, but not for long) because none of them curbed their excesses or had stronger teams behind them, and because Frons also couldn't keep his hand out of interfering.

The show pre-Monty/Marland (minus some of the 60s episodes Mystery Science Theater 3000 used to run) is such a strange enigma. You hear it was deathly boring but it did manage to hang on. I know they brought in Denise Alexander (and Gerald Gordon?) to try to give it some boost.

Oh my. I didn't know this existed.

Claire did start in August. She's said so.

Ask not for whom the bell tolls when Ronan Farrow comes calling.

Not bringing back Hilary was deliberate to keep her in her place and I always said so!

There were stories for years about Megan's first run being largely propped up by Agnes, Behr, James(?) and the writing team, and I personally believe every one of them.

I remember seeing some of her old stuff as Renee on DAYS and finding her luminous and charming. I never understood why they would've dumped her, but I imagine there was a lot of turnover in those years and of course Leeann Hunley became popular too. I had no idea she did so much voice work. Good for her for building a whole new fandom, and RIP.

It's going to take real work. The only silver lining of the SCOTUS decision is that it's backing the increasingly-small segment of the Senate Dems who'd prefer to do nothing into a corner. I do think the work will get done, imperfectly but substantially. Meanwhile, "Gettr" continues to take the world by storm: Also:

I don't think Nicolas Bechtel was deliberately playing him as gay. I do think the writers (especially Carlivati) wrote him like an OTT little queen and I think the performance played into that naturally. Never going to happen and never should.

Can't wait for Spencer to turn out to be 100% str8 after pinging across the depths of galactic space his entire childhood

Yep. IMO the Peapack stories were awful, but Kim showed what she could do with grit, candor and an absence of all the tacky 90s Paul Rauch love goddess shít. Reva was a boozy, heavy older woman who liked sex and didn't care if she was a bit rough. If these were the British soaps she'd be a canonized TV saint on par with Pat or Peggy from Eastenders - she was cast from that mold.

Go stan for that creep somewhere else.

Jackée also voiced her displeasure with Phylicia via, ironically, a now-deleted clip of Clair from The Cosby Show. What a day.

Guess who! (And yes, she's been getting a lot of work since that lovely Fresh Prince reunion) This is bonkers:

Yeah, she'll be back very soon. I am excited about the whodunit (a lot of guesses seem to be on Mystique, who many suspect was up to other skullduggery at the Hellfire Gala).

alphan, you have been blocked since you first started claiming all 50+ women were in on a scam years ago so don't expect me to respond to you now. Cosby will never be who he was - a respected star and authority - again. He will never draw massive crowds or enjoy implicit respect, and he will never work in major entertainment again. He will die as this - a serial rapist who walked on a technicality. That's the only solace and the only justice. Thus ends my ever giving Phylicia Rashad a fraction of my time again: