alwaysAMC

Going back to this, I'm even more confused why Amanda would say that only a year later (lazy writers), because I'm watching April 29, 1996 right now and literally all of the current on-air Spauldings (Alan, Alex, Amanda, A-M) and Coopers (Buzz, Lucy, Frank, Eleni) are on a plane together for Lucy/A-M's wedding. Along with Reva (which right now makes sense because she's married to Buzz), Dahlia (so out of place, but by default because they can't let a high school kid they just took in stay home alone), and a very random Rick (he's barely had any interaction with any of these characters all year haha). It's like a madhouse on that plane, which is pretty comical because most of them don't get along... but they very much know each other. Still miffed that Bridget is totally forgotten here. And David. And Nick/Susan! Couldn't they have waited to fire them until after this wedding? It was only like 2 months later. They had to make Alan be A-M's best man (which is wild to me) bc A-M doesn't even have any real friends on the show right now.

It's looking like I may be in the minority, but nuTed is a major improvement to me. I agree, it will take a few days to get used to the higher pitched voice and smaller stature, but his acting is so much better. I can feel the emotions in his voice and face and it just feels more real and natural. Kat was great today too, giving us the tears and her softer side. Loved Leslie/Bill - we need more of this! Did y'all notice Leslie's snake necklace?? So creepy, but fitting for her haha. Tomorrow should be an updated intro with Keith, unless they repeat the second one for days until they get it updated.

Very interesting - thanks, @P.J. and @DeeVee! This makes me want to go back in time and start my watch at '89. I think I'm going to power through just a little more of '96 right now just to see A-M/Lucy marry (so I can see their happy ending), how Phillip enters the picture, more of Alex vs. Amanda (because that's so funny/amusing to me), and what happens to Blake's twin babies (the only things really keeping me going right now).

Thank you, all - so helpful! I didn’t realize Ross was Phillip’s bio uncle - how cool! What happened to his real parents, and I’m assuming Ross didn’t like Alan for swapping the babies? It does sound like the writers might be making some things up then with A-M and Phillip feuding, but we’ll see how it plays out. Phillip currently is in a home with a woman’s voice in the distance (not sure who this is yet), and he keeps looking at a newspaper with the Spaulding family picture. They finally revealed his face in a Friday cliffhanger, but it was so obvious his voice was Grant A’s haha. He has such a distinct voice to me. Very interesting, so are Fletcher and Rick at odds then since he was the brother? Honestly in the year since Rick has been back in SF, they’ve rarely, if ever, been in a scene together that I recall. The storyline with Blake right now getting pregnant off a one-night stand with Rick from a bar night after Blake was upset with Ross, and not knowing who the father is…. sounds similar to that Meredith storyline in a way haha. I remember someone posted an episode from the 80s of Rick smelling this scarf and Phillip lifting weights (so funny/strange), which made me think they were close friends in the beginning. I’m guessing this storyline put them at odds - did they ever recover before they both left SF or will this be a fractured friendship when Phillip returns? Sounds like I need to know more about this Beth character, as she’s pretty important to Phillip’s backstory. So I wonder if the lady he’s talking to in these current scenes is Beth, if they’re still together? That must be when Rick went to Chicago then and met Annie during the years he left SF. Thanks, again - this was all helpful background/context as I get to meet Phillip for the first time. I just have to get it out of my head he isn’t the bad Alec McIntyre (AMC) haha.

Ok GL friends - Phillip Spaulding is back! (April 19, 1996) Quick questions so I can get up to speed: 1) Why does Alan-Michael hate Phillip so much? Amanda put him on the wedding list and A-M got extremely upset and said he's the last person he'd ever want at his wedding. 2) Who is Meredith? With Blake's current pregnancy storyline, Rick and Ed have been talking about how Meredith (assuming Rick's girlfriend) left with Phillip's son (or something like that)? They also keep talking about how Blake/Rick were at odds over Phillip too. 3) They said Phillip left town to do community service and avoid getting arrested, or something to that effect. What did he do and why did he really leave? Thanks in advance

Haha, ok - now confirmed, yesterday was his last day That ending with Eva/Samantha and the family was really cute. I'm glad they're accepting her into the family in some way.

I just realized, we've already seen Maurice's Ted last day yesterday, since he isn't on today's episode. I don't even remember who he had his last scene with - was it Eva?

Same - it doesn't bother me when it's there, but does bother me when written into dialogue or takes away from emotional/important scenes. Same! Love Kat vs. Eva. I love a catty little relationship that eventually, slowly turns into some kind of acceptance/love for each other.

More Tide on display today haha. I like how Martin is trying to include Eva, but yeah, Kat's not having it and won't for a long time.

LOL - well, Peter was included in the grandkids' section, each named specifically with their $100K trusts. It must have been the abs... In Henry's will, he said it had to do with Hart having a chance at being a better person than his father, since his father isn't providing for him (I'm paraphrasing here, but it was about Roger). Still a little surprised...

Very happy we got Mona's reactions yesterday and now Jan's today. I'm so happy they aren't forgetting these minor characters.

Ambyr Michelle continues to win! That scene with Martin was good, and nice to see him be nice to her like that. I'm very curious who the guy is spying on everyone at Orphey's.

Honestly, reminds me of an older Kat!

Thank you!! So agree - I'm enjoying it!

Exactly hahaha. This town gossip is fun! I liked her a lot.

Ohh it's about to go down at the country club! This should be good... And now shirtless Derek - if we're going to have to deal with him, at least keep him like this haha

While we're talking about Henry's funeral... I just got to the reading of Henry's will spanning April 11-12, 1996. What did fans think about this? Not as impactful/emotional, of course, but I was quite surprised that he left the rest of his estate to Hart - wtf?? His messages and gifts to Nola, Bridget and Matt (sorry, @P.J. ) were very sweet. I liked what he did with Dinah, giving her his wife's brooch but nothing else beyond her trust that she already got, which he wants her to use for the betterment of herself and others. Watching J get so excited about what he might get out of it, and his subsequent whining when he realizes it all goes to his higher education, was highly annoying. I haven't minded J since he came back until this moment. Contrast that with Bill, sitting next to Vanessa, who was very mature about the whole thing.

I had to rewind and listen over and over, but it was something about "the color of your money". Anyone else pick up on it? Oh I guess I could try my closed captions later. Derek's legs spread open with those bare thick thighs... goodness! 😇

Ugh, that's just a shame to hear about Bridget/Lucy and David. Not even going to their wedding is awful. I'm not there yet in my watch, but I'll be disappointed with that. And if Nick/Susan are now already gone too, which I'm assuming they are because they're no longer in the end credits, then who even is at this wedding besides family? I hate to hear that about 1997. Btw, I'm happy to hear we're pretty close in our viewing timeline That comment Amanda makes is weird, but maybe if she's just talking about herself, I'd understand. But otherwise, makes no sense considering the Buzz/Alan rivalry over Reva, Lucy/A-M being a couple and the interaction A-M has with the Coopers throughout and vice versa, Frank/A-M's past. I can't speak to Harley because I haven't seen her yet, but surely in her years in SF, she had a past with some Spaulding family member haha. That's a shame about Alan not having a reaction to Abby. I was wondering for months now if Abby would ever get back into Reva and Alan's orbit now that everyone is back in SF and away from Goshen, and wouldn't you know it, just last week in March/April 1996, Abby visited both Reva and Alan separately (Alan just gave Abby a job at Spaulding Enterprises). It was so nice to see they both still really cared about Abby, but said to hear that wanes going forward. Alan just sucks - the most selfish/hateful/arrogant character - so I guess I can't be surprised. He barely tolerates Alex these days, and I guess he's back in A-M's good graces post-Marian. Otherwise, no one else in town likes him now that Reva dumped him. Great observation on the Marcus stuff, and having just seen it, you're right! The storyline really wasn't about him once he was put in jail, it was really about introducing Griffin (whom I do not like at all), Roger who framed Marcus and accelerating his storyline with Dinah, and putting the pieces together with Marian being the real killer. Marcus is rarely seen while in jail, as your character count proves. I didn't even think about the age different between Marcus and Dahlia, but you're right - yikes. I was actually already getting worried about Rick/Abby's age differences, because Abby's mother told a doctor she was 22 years old, but then Rick said 18 a week later and she hangs out with Michelle and the other high school-aged people, so which is it? But I'd assume Rick is what, in his mid/late-30s? So that pairing I was already starting to question with age difference. I'll miss Bryan, as he's grown on me while he ages over the last year. Ahh good to know - RME Oh this is great, thanks for sharing!!! Glad to see she's still with us and out there doing work she loves.

The letter reading was very emotional, and Maeve really got to me too. I was a little worried because Vanessa doesn't give a speech at the funeral, which surprised me, but then we got the private letter reading and her true emotional reaction and I was satisfied there. The YouTube channel I watch these episodes on (if not on our Vault), also had upset commenters talk about how Nola's line about Henry not accepting her at first/seen as a gold-digger was totally untrue. It's sad the writers don't do their homework and give fans the respect (and the characters respect). And yep, Bill got up and spoke at the funeral too, which was nice. I didn't even realize that was Sharon Leal until you said it! I had to Google it. I loved Sharon Leal in Boston Public back in the day haha. LOL at your Reva/Josh ALWAYS commentary. What is RME though?

Thanks! That's positive and something to look forward to for sure, because you're right, 1996 so far isn't nearly as good as 1995. Ohh - what is Lonatrat? Sadly you're probably right. I did feel like David was rarely seen once Marcus came on. That would have been an interesting spin, having Frank and Tina be teenage lovers and Dahlia really being his daughter. I'm getting the sense that Tina won't be seen too much anymore, as she just left Dahlia with Frank/Eleni as she's heading to jail for a while. I like the Tina actress too! Her voice sounds a bit like Rosie Perez to me, which I love. I tried to find her online, but coming up empty. This was the only thing I could find about Tina Crede - a character snapshot video with clips and stills of her (randomly starting just before the 1:00 mark): That's wild that the David actor is nearly 40 here! Definitely surprises me.

Fantastic - thank you!

Fantastic news! Dumb question, but how long is a season in soap opera world - a full year? Is season 1 covering Feb 2025 - Feb 2026, so that means season 2 will go through Feb 2027?

Damn, Anita doesn't play, that was pretty vicious. I hope Eva gets her redemption.

Ohh good idea! And yes, today's writer is my favorite and he's definitely not disappointing today.