Vee

I think they could've made time to give Stamos a little subplot for a few days or a week or two if he wanted to be there. They had all sorts of dumb subplots going for a few weeks in those years, especially in the anniversary period. But it's whatever now. Ron loved to bring up Miguel with both Sabrina and Juan, but I never heard that they reached out to Ricky. It would not surprise me if they had, but I think the show missed an earlier window where that could've been an option.

Grain of salt, but the two separate things I recall hearing were Stamos claiming in print they 'just wanted him to play drums' at the Nurses Ball. And then there was I think a pretty legit rumor of another typical Ron gag where they'd hoped to get Demi Moore to do a cameo on Stamos' arm as well, so that "Blackie and Jackie" would return together as a couple, hahahaha so funny. Shades of the story Tony Call at OLTL told about Ron pitching him coming back after decades at the end of the show as Dorian's ex Herb Callison, now married to Judith Light's Karen Wolek, who he had outed as a hooker on the witness stand in the famous storyline everyone knows. Just a goofy gag that doesn't service the characters. Both Call and Judith Light turned the show down allegedly due to story, and Ron wrote several passive-aggressive jabs at Light into the show in the final months. Either way, Stamos was put off and claimed he wanted something more appropriate to his character.

I don't mind Joey because as I've always said I think he and Vanessa are among the few fully fleshed-out characters (likely thanks to Guza) and his use largely works. I also think he inevitably has an expiration date given everything he's done. But I do think it's time to start hinting at Dante Green more, who is doubtlessly waiting in the wings. Or other villains beyond just Joey and Leslie. Elon and Malone just hanging around being corrupt is getting old. And they need to start launching all new romances that have both heat and conflict people can care about. Eva and Izaiah are hot people who have no huge sexual tension or conflict and are already just together. Donnell is not yet fully in the mix. Kat and Tomas are unbearable and she deserves better. Chelsea and Madison are nice lesbians whose conflict keeps getting pushed down the road, though I keep thinking they're set to implode over one thing or another. Same with Naomi and Jacob. But it has yet to happen. Is Izaiah not going to model, or are we coming back to that and adding potential drama? Ted and Shanice are the most fun new couple on the show for me, and Nicole and Kial have great potential but their handling of Nicole is all over the place depending on the day. They want to make sure we all know she is now a swinging sexual being again and not so buttoned up, but the whole 'Nikki' thing is tedious and is very show don't tell.

I agree with a lot of that, @Paul Raven . I do think Leslie's comeuppance has been far too foreshadowed not to be coming eventually, particularly re: Laura. They keep coming back to that in dialogue week after week. But I think they should have given us a few more smaller losses for her before now. Yes, she's become a town buffoon who got stood up on Valentine's and is painted as a rich loser, but you can let her take some more solid hits before the big showdown. When you're dealing with a partially new audience who also isn't used to soap villains hanging around you should make some allowances. I don't want to lose Leslie and quite frankly neither does the audience, even the ones who think they're sick of her (soap 101), but I do want her to finally pay for Laura. It needs to happen in May sweeps, it's been long enough. The Martin thing I think they are holding in reserve because Joey knows full well what happened and what the Duprees allowed him to do, and he is covering it up. When Joey goes down they do. So I'm fine with that. Bill and Hayley are just spinning their wheels and I find that story tedious at this point. She should've ramped things up and possibly been exposed by now. What is that story even about at this point. She's back to whining about Bill every week.

Stamos almost appeared for the 50th, but was not pleased with Frank and Carlivati's goofy plans for him. He wanted something substantive. I would never expect him to appear today, but I would have the character send a note with Mike or Laura.

I can't stand Ginny (and only occasionally have time for Judith Chapman in many roles tbh) but that's definitely an option. Or Chris, for Chris Robinson.

It was a fun household. I do think they could have David Mendenhall's Mike Webber make a cameo for some holiday event to see Laura and reminisce, maybe for Lesley's memorial, maybe with a letter from Blackie (hopefully using his birth name!). I would also take the opportunity to bring back Rick Jr. (also using another name since we have Ric) at some point, or even his son, to continue the Webber stud lineage at GH. Though Tom Hardy Jr. would be doing that too.

I didn't have an issue with not seeing the game; sports can be tricky to depict on a soap. WinterFest I blamed on the renewal period and their likely having to pivot from it being a possible end of the show to extending their storylines. But if they flub the cotillion (which is running long as an arc) or clinic stuff then they'll clearly have real issues with climaxes. I have much bigger issues with their not yet being a Phoenix Street set or Leslie's mansion. Those need to happen. And the D'Angelo Barksdale Memorial Corner needs to not be the only dedicated story environment for the Impaler stuff. At least move more of it into the hospital.

DAYS def needs Abby more. Did Marci Miller quit acting recently?? I always liked her and she was just on Season 1 of The Pitt. I thought the surrogacy story wanted it both ways, especially in summer/fall 2024 where Kristina was absolutely unwatchable but they continued to expect us to invest in her storyline and POV. Molly and Alexis never really got to fully put her in her place. Even to this day she has never really apologized in full to Molly for what she did or even stopped calling that baby Adella. They mostly have just hoped we would forget. They played the Ric story for comedy, have kept Kristina barely onscreen and hoped that combination would cure all ills. I think FV was banking that a super-pairing with JJ would take care of the problem, but now we have these comic subplots and minimal airtime instead lol. I do think it's possible that when PM was first hired Natalia/Eva LaRue was intended as a straight antagonist to Kristina and Blaze who would learn the error of her ways. That's how it played early on in his tenure, with some strong dialogue scenes with all 3 and Blaze confronting her mother. We know PM was invested in gay storylines in general throughout his career. Then I think FV once again got starstruck hiring another soap name as he often does, didn't want to let her go and we got what we got instead for the next year, with him trying to redeem the irredeemable and make Kristina become her friend for awhile (and blame Ava for Natalia's bigotry) while Kristina's awful behavior was also being excused away. The same symptoms of the same bullheaded hard push and refusal to admit they were going down the wrong tracks with two different characters.

Surprised yet relieved.

That's just dumb. A rare black mark for this show. I'm glad Donna shut down discussion of Madeline.

I do think there is a real aversion (maybe based on the later years MVJ spent at GH in the 2000s, which became mired in stunts, violence and misogyny) to having too much driving action in the show. The creative team clearly wanted to get back to doing a soap with heartfelt conversations, positive messaging and educating the audience, making sure the characters come off warm with each other as opposed to being cardboard cutouts or just stereotypes or certain soap cliches. Those notions are all admirable to a point, and I do think a soap should have heartfelt conversations and strive to educate the audience as Agnes Nixon or Labine always did. But there's a difference between educating organically through story and being didactic, or having every third or fourth conversation come off like therapyspeak or an infomercial. Which a lot of material on the show often does. Or constantly reinforcing the positive messaging about how much the Duprees love each other and are there for each other, etc etc. I get that MVJ wants to make sure this family does not end up how the Quartermaines or Wards did on GH 20 years ago (whereas the Qs are replenished today), a bitter, desolate wasteland on canvas, and that they're important to her. And I understand the reluctance to lean into Fronsian stunts or too much macho action. But the show, while enjoyable for me, often seems to shun too much hard action or propulsive movement for fear it will come off stunt-happy, cliched or overly masculine. The most exciting moment in ages was Jacob walking into that elevator with Grayson. And Kat and Eva should go at it hammer and tongs in a dedicated workplace storyline with their feud being the focus, but instead they just keep having the same conversations with or about each other. A lot of conversations won't cover for harder action and bigger moves - in business, against rivals, with the police or criminals, etc. That's what needs to ramp up for me, in addition to the set issues. Talking through it in the most positive and life-affirming ways possible while 90% of the characters make sure the other person feels seen is not gonna get you there.

I just don't see FV or the show as having ever been super committed to Kristina and Blaze, or any gay pairing in recent years (other than of course anything involving Brad, part of CVE's bestie squad). If they were they wouldn't have fobbed Kristina off on a dayplayer. I definitely don't think Mansi is anti-gay. I believe she took this role in large part because she thought she'd be playing an LGBTQ heroine. The actors just didn't work out and I think she is likely another star who got sold a bill of goods by FV. He does that a lot, then plays it cheap or reverses himself and freezes them out if they complain. She is definitely colder than Lexi, but she's also a formidable actress. They have given her awful stories which made Kristina wildly unsympathetic. I think Frank's Hail Mary to save the character was hoping he could put her over with Lucky, a core scion of the show, and when JJ at least said no everyone paid for it. Kate would probably be best served going back to DAYS. I do not think she is long for GH and haven't for almost a year, but I also thought she'd be gone by now so who knows lol. I wouldn't hate it if they find something better for her though, or see how things go with SPOILER

I think it's more than that, though clearly she wasn't into the actress playing dayplayer Blaze. I still think FV (if not the writers, who seemed gung ho about LNL2 early last year) absolutely intended to put Kristina with Lucky and JJ balked (and possibly Mansi too, who knows), Frank took retribution against Jonathan on top of his difficult contract and now Mansi is basically nowhere ever since. I think they are just running out her contract and Frank is doing her a favor letting her direct. Anything that happens with Jacinda is equally inconsequential. It's not Mansi's fault IMO. She works hard onscreen. She could still recoup with the right story or pairing. But none of this stuff has gone well or it's all about FV's priorities.

Ric has both loved and then hated Sonny again several times before. This is his crazy-ass cycle. I do think the latest turn is genuine too, but he's still crazy. I wish they'd take time for character, and have scenes where the two men just sit down, have some drinks and talk about all of it. As tired as I am of Sonny I could watch that with good scriptwriters anyday vs. any more cold fusion crap. Guza II used to make time for those kind of beats - not always, particularly in the later years, but still sometimes.

I think Kate was strong enough to fill the Vicki void (and the role). It felt like kismet to me that they explicitly had Daphne wearing Vicki's old clothes (according to David) in 1970. I would've just recast her there and then had the show continued. I would've loved to get Alex back, but I don't know when she turned them down on a return (was it during Leviathans or later?) when they wouldn't let her play Vicki gone bad. Failing their coming to an agreement there I thought Kate was very strong despite poor writing, even though the planned story with Daphne did derail that amazing start to 1840 with just the wonderful Vestoff, Jim Storm, Selby, etc.

LW is clearly bringing clothes from home at times as well. She used to look so good on the show everyday. She's looking better lately, but they had her very dowdy for awhile and I blame the show, not her. And I second @carolineg . Georgie can be the geek in Maxie's family, like her sister was.

Given the current conditions of our Senate I don't think Martin running for it in an imaginary story is that farfetched. We have seen high officials on soaps before. I like the Impaler story but the lack of sets is a problem, as is Jacob currently being the only real keyhole. I'd like to see more of Smitty's solo work here, and Ashley and Shanice getting more involved.

Thanks!

Not this goofball singing again! Oy vey.

Oh wow. I remember hearing about her in that role many years ago. Thanks.

There is absolutely no point in giving Marlena another love interest at her age but most of all following John Black in her life. It's just not possible.

I think Bugliogi is pretty good myself, and has anchored a lot of the last year's more sinful drama when some of the younger folks weren't doing it and/or others were kind of mired in PSAs and aspirational platitudes everyday (still an ongoing problem with a lot of scenes). I would definitely not call her among the weakest when I could point to a llllotttt of others. The character is irrational and at times pathetic, but that's the character who I totally believe in being that way. Does LB overdo it sometimes? Sure. Welcome to soaps.

I've said it a few times before, but I would absolutely give Spixie more focus for a stint as PM did, then a splashy wedding. They're a longtime popular couple, fans like them and it's time. They directly pre-date Frank though, so historically (unless it's a senior couple from the '80s) it's highly unlikely. He seems insecure about those modern popular couples at this point. He knows how many the Guza era generated, and how few he has. If Bradford and Kirsten both don't want to commit more time to big story, a short run arc followed by that wedding would be enough. I would like to keep them around and active in story, fluctuating in airtime and probably not frontburner right away or any time too soon, but if they're not able to go for that then yes, I'd probably write them out or put both on recurring for now. Even though I would be moving teen Georgie into up and coming youth set story. If Spixie don't stay in town she can stay for school with Grandpa Mac and Grandma Felicia.

Yes, she did. CoeCoe Cosmetics, which was allegedly doing great worldwide until it immediately collapsed for plot purposes lol. Then they brought Deception back and Lucy still runs/owns part of the company she founded yet somehow she is still doing fúckin' local real estate on the side. Why? How? Why is she showing Sidwell and Curtis houses in her off hours?? It's nonsensical. BLQ can go back to some L&B or Quartermaine drama. She never had a place at Deception other than Frank's plot economy. And Nina would not be too long for the show in my book though I love what Watros has done with the role in recent times; I'd write her out probably within a year. She could maybe pop in and out from time to time for Willow drama after leaving town but Crimson would go to someone else. She was originally a nepo heiress taking it over in the first place, it was never in her blood like Kate/Connie. Maybe give it to Maxie outright, I don't know.