GLATWT88

BC's acting still makes me laugh at times when clearly it is not the intent. I believe it's just the cadence and tone of his voice, which isn't completely his fault. He has gotten better however and I have noticed in some scenes it is almost gone but then it slips right back in at times. When he stormed into the office, I had to laugh. NuTed looks so small standing next to all the other men. It doesn't help that he appears to be shorter and less broad than the rest, but his presence also feels small in comparison. I am also not loving his acting style. His scenes with Kat and Eva did him no favors...he paled in comparison. In the office, he did nothing for me. Bill and Dani felt like equals. Their moment together was great. I also love that Bill apologized, because he has been treating Dani like she was nothing when this woman literally gave up her career to build up his and give him a family. Then, he cheats on her throughout the marriage to finally leave her for his daughter's best friend. Hayley to me seems more like a prize for Bill than an actual wife. I don't feel an intellectual connection between them like I do with Dani and Bill. I did catch Jacob's pronunciation of rhetoric. I'm surprised no one corrected that, but honestly they were probably like just keep moving it's not that big of a deal. There was a male actor that pronounced affluent incorrectly in that week of special premiere episodes, too. As for the secret, I am excited for the reveal. I don't know why Malone is such a trigger for Martin. I am going to assume that Malone may have shot and killed someone especially after he said that he has killed people and been back on the job within days. As for the change of clothes, maybe Martin got into a fight or had blood on his clothing. Now, I don't get Joey's involvement in all this and why he is so worried about it being uncovered. As much as I assumed this had something to do with an escort/sex worker, would Martin do something like that if he were attending an event with his grandad?

I haven't watched today's episode yet, so I don't have that perspective which could chang my mind. I do keep seeing it mentioned that the reveal is something different or unexpected. A self defense murder over a robbery seems pretty on brand for a soap - I'm guessing there might be several layers there though since so many characters are involved. Honestly, the worst kept secret 😆 Whatever it is, I hope it is good. I am finally feeling some anticipation on this soap.

Could it be that Martin ordered an escort from Joey's company and this escort clearly took advantage of the fact that Martin is a known congressman? Things just went south or got dangerous? I had a feeling it could be sex work related but for no real reason at all. It just came to mind a week ago and this could be completely off. But with all the scandals in congress relating to sex work and closeted sex...I wondered if they were taking inspiration.

It's actually been mentioned a few times since the start, so not completely just pulled from thin air. Obviously, there isn't a set where we could see that play out, but there have been conversations about it. The thing with Eva is that Ted isn't even trying to start her small. He is literally dumping everything on her. I would assume he would have other office workers/receptionists take up some extra duties in the meantime while Eva settled in considering she has no experience...yet yesterday he was talking a mile a.minute and then at the end was like oh and you'll be the go between for the contractors or whatever it was...I was like excuse me?

I think I saw it more as you did. Each one was trying to get the upper hand, but both are two intertwined in each other's mess to really win. Vernon needs Bill to clean up the messes and Bill has too much dirt on his hand to pull away and feign innocence. It would be in Bill's best interest to keep these secrets buried.

Finally got to finish the episode. Cady needs to quit that accent. I feel like she's auditioning for a role on Broadway for Carousel or something. It just doesn't work. I think today was the first time I was like ok Leslie is becoming cartoonish. The way she approached Kat and Jacob was a bit much. Otherwise, she is so much fun to watch. Bill really needed these scenes with Vernon. The character was becoming one note with all the repetitive Haley stuff. Excellent stuff from both men today. What was Ted thinking just dropping all those responsibilities on Eva like that?

No, there's some underlying sexual tension in their scenes or maybe that's just me projecting. Kenneth: "I like watching you strut around here in your (jockstrap) fancy suits."

True, there's a stereotype that lesbians move quickly in a relationship, but I don't think they're meeting each other's families including grandparents on the second date. I do think it is purposeful because they mentioned that Chelsea may be acting this way because of everything that is going on with her own parents and I do think Madison is hiding something. I don't mind having Kat move slowly in the relationship. It definitely contrasts with the way her cousin moves through relationships, but I do think that kissing shouldn't be so awkward.

Wooooowww Two things on my wishlist for BTG are 1) make it feel more like a soap. I know that they want to give the show a different feel from the traditional soap, but sometimes I don't feel like I am watching a soap opera. Where is the drama and the tension. It feels like things start to build to fizzle out quickly or turn out to be a non-factor. Where the the tense shots and dramatic cuts to commercial. 2) more modern storytelling. I mean while the LGBTQ stuff is progressive for a soap, it still lags behind other media. The rest of the stories are basic soap storylines, which are fine. I believe those are important and should be done well also. However, there is such a dark side to being an influencer and on social media. Tyrell's boxer picture which didn't amount to all that much could have easily been a Chelsea story where she sold suggestive content to a fan or maybe she could have a stalker or even an OF that pushes her to do more than she would like. I have read so many stories about how crazy it can get. Perhaps, the stalker thing might be where they are going with Madison. It would have also been interesting to maybe see Smitty and Martin go through the adoption process rather than already have grown kids. I don't mind that they are making Kat hold off for the right one, but this is a soap. Pretty soon she will have a roster as long as everyone else on the show. While I get her holding off on the sex, this 20 year old doesn't even want to kiss...like girrllll.

If it wasn't intentional...I had no issue noticing it the first time around. I'm not suggesting it isn't intentional or if those behind the scenes don't have a bigger plan in mind. I was literally asking, because as I watched, these questions have come up for me and I genuinely wondered if I misunderstood something or just wasn't looking at things in the way intended. I think next week and the meeting with all the men might put things more into focus.

Maybe you all can help me, because I am a little confused on the details of this Martin secret - in particular who knows what and how much. Originally, I assumed that Martin, Vernon, and Anita knew of the secret and were somehow involved based on how hell bent they were about keeping it hidden away for good. This was based on the conversations in the earlier episodes. Then, it was implied that Bill knew the secret based on conversations/threats to Smitty. I also assumed that the blurry images of the dream where more so to keep the audience unaware of certain details of the secret rather than implying that Martin himself wasn't fully aware of what he was dreaming of. This may have been my mistake, because I guess it could have very well just been Martin not fully understanding what he was dreaming about but then why make it completely blurred out. It also seems weird that he would be so angry at Bill about what he said to Smitty if he doesn't even know the details of this event he is vaguely having dreams about. Some of my other issues with this is why Martin wouldn't have confided in Smitty about his dreams early on considering Smitty is his partner who he sees everyday and he himself apparently wasn't fully aware of what he was dreaming about to know to keep it secret to begin with. From the start, Martin seemed to want to keep these dreams a secret from Smitty. I always assumed it was because he already knew what it was about but now we have learned otherwise. It also seems like Martin believed that Vernon himself didnt fully know what the dreams were about based on something of the scenes this week. Clearly, Vernon was keeping details to himself, but why would Martin not want to know what his dream was about and why Vernon would tell him to hide it. I wonder if I missed something or misunderstood something along the way. I know with any storytelling you just need to accept that things just somehow played out that way, but this isnt one of those instances.

All those men in the Casino was giving me Maryanne Carruthers flashbacks.

The way I audibly gasped several times while reading this. Oh, now that's soap.

What we don't know yet is that Samantha has pulled a Josie Grossie and is actually a reporter in disguise who was perfectly positioned to be adopted by Martin and Smitty. She is secretly investigating Martin's secret. We have seen hints of her hard hitting journalism such as "What's gay sex like?"

And within days of meeting 😌 This is crazy. That ain't stop this soap opera...

*new couple alert* I hated that outfit so much. I don't know any teen girl dressing like that. Where did she get that top Hollister or AE in 2008? And no, I wouldn't ask my parents about their sex life as a rising junior in high school. I know times are different, but that just feels awkward, especially when you have a bunch of other resources at hand. Girl forget she had Google just to start.

The relationships in this episode all gave me the ick. Chelsea, Miss DTF with couples, is suddenly in love with a woman she just met two seconds ago. Wasn't she saying the same thing to the one before? I hope there's another layer to this, because otherwise they're writing some of these relationships like the characters are teenagers. It is seriously frustrating how everyone around her seems to justify Ashley's pathetic behavior. Girl, you've been dating Derek for years. If you don't know by now if you want to marry him, then you clearly don't. Saying she wants to marry Derek but not wanting to accept a proposal from someone doesn't really match up for a couple that have been together that long. She clearly feels something for Andre, because delivering a baby in an elevator does that to people. *Cringe* Again, such a forced plot point for a lame romance. Andre wake up! Also, why is Andre obsessed with this woman? It was implied that he is some sorta playboy that never wanted anyhing serious and now he suddenly wants to be serious with Dani while obsessing over Ashley like she is the best thing since sliced bread. But, why? Clearly it is purely sexual, because what is it that he really knows about Ashley. It was implied in an early episode that Andre knew Ashley, but it didn't make clear how far back that extended...like did he know her because he had seen her previously at the hospital his aunt and uncle work out of or did he know her because they had crossed paths when he used to live in Fairmont before becoming a hot shot photographer. Either way, for a man that apparently has commitment issues, it is kind of ironic that he wants to commit to a woman that is neurotic as all hell and is vying for another with the emotional maturity of a peanut. Good luck with that Andre...but you annoy me anyway so it's deserved. Dani and Chelsea's conversation was sweet. I just wish it wasn't under the circumstance of Chelsea turning a date and sex into being in love already. Jacob and Derek was nice and even Naomi with Ashley. I feel like we need to develop these friendships in meaningful ways. Jacob and Andre would be a fun friendship to develop as well. Honestly, still don't care about that damn casino storyline. Brandon is improving, but those heavily emotional scenes still make me laugh. I thought Martin and busboy guy were giving porn vibes and they were going to go from very angry to full on making out. Say it again now but angry!!! *kiss* On that note, I think Martin and Smitty's relationship is cute. This week feels weird so far, but it's probably because it has been heavy on characters and storylines I haven't really connected with.

Is Ashley okay? This girl called Naomi a billion times, raced to her work, and forced information out of her secretary??? To the point Naomi said she would talk to her secretary as if the secretary was in the wrong. Maybe she didn't want to give you her whereabouts Ashley, because you are acting insane. Why are they writing this character like an emotionally dysregulated teenager. Your friend isn't available...how about call your mom or someone else...ffs this character is ridiculous. I haven't finished watching but needed to let this out.

Literally just said this to myself. How did Chelsea get a love scene before Martin and Smitty? While I appreciate Ashley hearing all about herself from Derek, they still completely suck and are horrible to watch. Jen's "crying" is rough. Ashely is so delusional she made it out to be all Derek's fault again. "He's presented me with an ultimatum/a test". Just like it wasn't her fault when living together didn't work out and all her buddies (Naomi, Andre, and Jacob) blew smoke up her behind about how amazing she is that no way she would be the problem. I'm so sick of this character. Andre and his dumb faces ain't making me like him much either. I can't tell you how Sean's acting tics get on my nerve, especially since this Andre is so lame for wanting Ashley so bad. Like I would respect it more if Andre was just being a thirsty playboy that wanted to hit it with no regard for the fact Ashley had a man, but he is for real putting a grown woman that acts like a middle school brat on a pedestal. I'm sorry yall. I'm venting. I can't stand this trio. Martin's secret is heating up which I am hopeful will have a big reveal and fallout. I think Madison and Chelsea are an interesting pairing, but I don't know if Madison is as innocent as she is trying to come across...I might be wrong. I do prefer Madison to the other woman Chelsea was seeing. While I did appreciate this side of Vanessa, I don't love that she's still into Joey. If anything, I wanted her scorned and ready to play him and secure her bag. Today was not one of my favorite episodes, I still don't care much about Ashely/Derek/Andre and the casino stuff is still not really grabbing my attention.

I 💯 feel this. I don't think NuTed's acting is all that great to have justified such a switch so early on. And I'm not here lying to myself that Maurice was the best actor, because I shared my thoughts very clearly and honestly from day one, but he wasn't the worst either. I feel like this is a matter of the artist being too close to the subject. Someone really wanted Keith for the role and they couldn't have them right away so they placed someone else there, but they couldn't let go of the original idea or thought. Keith could have easily played a different role.

I definitely think the writing isn't helping, but NuTed does come across differently than Maurice in acting style.

It is maddening! Someone is playing with your wife's name in their mouth and you don't even have the guts to check your friend to never speak on your wife like that again even if it was some stupid joke. He isn't even fighting for this woman he claims to love so much. Meanwhile, he's chasing after Leslie to come to Eva's birthday and sitting down to talk to her in his hotel room after she upended his life. He is embarrassing and weak. He sets no boundaries with Lesile so why would he with Carlton. Total pushover vibes, which is the opposite of what OGTed was giving. He got Eva a chair at some bougie salon and girl starts crying about it and how she wants more for herself and he straight up gives her his daughter's job as assistant. Normally, I wouldn't think much about this as he feels guilty about not knowing Eva even exsisted...but with the way he has acted with everything else, I honestly feel like he has no backbone. He could have helped Eva pursue a different career without putting it into her hands after he already set her up nicely with a place to stay and a job.

The only thing I would say for those that keep saying BTG needs time is that BTG is a labor of love from people who really know soap operas and want it to succeed. It wasn't solely a network decision in hopes of cashing in with a new project. Although money is always the bottom line, most networks in this climate would have invested in something cheap and easy to turn a profit. A soap opera is not that. So while I am always open to hearing both sides, I don't think some of the missteps that have happened on BTG are all just about giving it time. There are things that IMO should have already been avoided because we are working with people who know, care, and truly understand the genre. There are other things production wise that will always take time because it is an adjust as you go thing, but some of the story elements and choices have been a bit sloppy so far (not to say there couldn't have been some interference behind the scenes that has also played a role in this). I'm all for people having their opinion, good, bad, or ugly. We can agree or agree to disagree and keep it moving.

I think expanding the CC would be a great idea. The police station set feels wasted with only one contract character being an officer. The CC could have a real estate office/showroom for Vanessa to sell properties, it could house Ted's offices where he could do things like consultations and minor procedures like botox and obviously major procedures would be in the hospital. We see the idea of a gym with the changing room, but it would be great to have a pool set for summer.

At least it gives Kat and Chelsea a home where they can interact with each other or others without being at Orphey's, Uptown, or the CC.