Darn

The usage of history on this show feels very "We skimmed the wiki too!". All they seem to care is that a reference to someone like Dominique and her family will make longtime viewers ears perk and give longstanding cast members something to do even if it makes no sense. That's an issue I've mentioned before. Trina, Willow and Cody all have a paternity/maternity story playing out in drips right now. How many different ways can you write that within a 6 month period? It's such an easy story to tell (just like the ridiculous amount of baby switches that have happened on soaps the last 20 years) so I get why they keep going back to that same uncreative well but it's gotta stop.

Sadly none of that matters to these shows anymore. We'll find out that secretly gave birth to a baby during the time she was in the institution. Timelines be damned. Reminds me of Nikki from Y&R somehow having a secret child during a storyline viewers saw play out in full onscreen (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Lmao But yeah it was really bizarre how long he lasted. Sometimes I think a lot of characters last on shows past their sell-by dates because the actor is nice to work with or a good employee who doesn't make waves.

Why are you coming for me like this? I could never remember if the actor or character had the e in his name.

It's funny, the same thing happened with his son. Technically Phillip was on the show for over a decade but only had real impact on story the three years he was an adult Thom Bierdz. And his death resonated for 20 years (until they stupid retconned it). Some short term female characters that loomed large after their deaths (it's almost like a theme, dying beatifically and tragically young): Gillian (4 years) and Cindy (2 years) on AMC. Dominique on GH (her death is generating (bad) story at this very moment). This topic makes me think about people who stayed on for nearly a decade or more who didn't manage one solid storyline or pairing. Re: Aiden Devane on AMC. Or lowkey half the cast on GH right now.

I love that we both used Sophia and Max as examples. Anyone more than 5 years younger than Linda Dano was a possibility! From undead Megan Buchanan to RJ Gannon. Endless possibilities!

"I just don't know, Viki! It COULD be 25 year old Sophia or middle-aged Max Holden!" *Wails in carny*

I'm actually good with that idea, found families are some of my favorite writing tropes but calling Monica her child's grandmother feels so bizarre. They never had that type of relationship, at least Edward and Alan were fatherly toward her. But I guess it's good for the future of the Quartermaine family. A 45 year old adoptee. Lord.

The idea is fine but they clearly didn't have a plan for Austin other than making sure RH could pay his mortgage.

I'm watching a scene from 2012 where Skye refers to Monica as Lila Rae's grandmother. HOW Sway?

We can sit right next to each other on the Can't Stand Skye Train. I've always thought Robin Christopher was cold and very actor-y in her portrayal. And Skye just had the most insane character arc. She did whatever the latest plot called for on One Life and GH. She didn't have a throughline other than...desperate? Even that's too generous. Desperate you can play. But she was very round peg, square hole wherever they put her. Ben's wife? Viki's rival? In love with Max? Blair's rival? It was all so random. Sadly even on AMC she was out of sight, out of mind. Which is a shame because what I've seen of her with David Canary really shined. I'd love to see the metrics on this. It went on for so long and impacted so much story. And RC and Linda Dano were certainly expensive. I know synergy was all the rage in the early 2000s for ABC and Disney but did it result in better numbers? More loyalty? I didn't follow Skye to GH because she was out of place on OLTL as it is, why would I follow someone unlikeable (she has no redeeming qualities and I'm not sure she even has a solidly defined personality, she's a weird character!) to a show that was already so dour? And the vice grip they had on Rae was just because Linda Dano is a star. It was all so ridiculous.

Yeah I've been watching a ton of GH from 2005-2019 the past week or so and the writing is so skewed (also Sonny/Carly/Sam/Jason went through more story in 10 years than other characters have in 40) and the last decade has hot a lot of interchangeable himbos. Chase, Griffin, Brando, Dex (who I assume will be revealed to be the long lost child of *pulls name out of hat* Jimmy Lee Holt? Sure why not. Aaaand right after typing his name I decided to google him and apparently Austin was already revealed as his son. A nearly 60 year old long lost kid. This show's desperation to make EVERYONE related to tie to HISTORY is absurd. Speaking of skewed writing I'm not crazy about the writing for Spencer and Nikolas. It's so lopsided in Spencer's favor. You see this when a show becomes enamored with a performer. Nichola Chavez is great but need Nik be so weak-willed and pathetic to facilitate this story? Spencer's constantly talking down to him and Nik takes it every time. He's got a lot to apologize for but I don't know, he just reads as pathetic with scene after scene of Spencer berating him.

Do you mean EGOT? I have to say the most exciting part of that promo for me was seeing Brook Kerr with a different hairstyle for the first time in 20 years. I wonder if it's for the wedding or if she just wanted to straighten her hair.

There are a ton of notes to play here and it's downright bizarre that it's not in the writing. Cam and Joss were friends years before becoming a couple. This should be destroying her inside but they're not writing her as tortured at all. It feels like someone just decided they looked hot together (and they do, I can't even lie) but why not play all the beats?

You just KNOW they're itching to do that. In fact I'd bet good money it happens by the 50th anniversary. I just know whatever they do to celebrate the milestone will be extremely corny. Because we don't deserve good stories, just weightless throwbacks to better times.

Skye was such a weird addition to this show (and OLTL for that matter). This 40 year old woman calling strangers she's just met "daddy" and "grandfather". Some people get cockeyed looks when they're over 15 and call the man who raised them daddy, it's even weirder when he didn't raise you. You're weird, Skye.

Sally is one of the most ill-defined uninspired characters to somehow survive long stints on two soaps. It's very weird. Who is Courtney Hope's cheerleader? She's FINE but Sony's investment in her is mind-boggling. I've seen actors with devoted, loud followings with better writing get less chances to succeed. It's crazy how dry every conversation is on this show. Y&R never had the most realistic dialogue but it felt writerly and purposeful. He sounds like he's reading his own wikipedia page or a yelp review of his own life. I saw some of the scene yesterday with Tessa, Mariah and Sharon and it was so clunky. Sharon shows up one of the ugly establishments in Genoa City and Mariah says to her "I didn't think you'd want to come out today because--" and Sharon replied "Because this is where Rey and I had out wedding/reception on New Year's Eve" or whatever. It was just so hamfisted to throw that in at the top of the scene. Where is the buildup? The layers to slowly transition us into interpreting Sharon's possible feelings? Why telegraph them? It's such lazy writing. Telling us exactly how characters feel and why. There's no nuisance, no conflict. It's all so "This is why and here is what I feel. Now you speak."

He's 60 and she's 54! I'm so happy I'm black lmao

Why didn't they do THIS before going down this stupid irredeemable supervillain crap for the last year?

Watching old GH clips of the Ward family, particularly Mary Mae Ward played by the incandescent Rosalind Cash (I didn't realize she was only on the show for a year but they went all out in honoring her), got me thinking about characters that weren't on their shows very long but left a huge impact. Either due to the character's actions in a storyline or the actor's presence. I'd like to limit this to characters on their respective shows for 4-5 years or less. Leo DuPres on AMC is another big one, he cast a long shadow in part because he was played by the semi-famous Josh Duhamel but mostly because Leo left a lot of people who loved him in Pine Valley. Or Renee Sofer's Lois (Lesli Kay was fine but they didn't do much with her version of Lois) who STILL defines Ned's character to this day. Can anyone think of other examples?

I thought they were married too. It's a shame they haven't been during all of this drama. I like when characters are dealing with issues as a married couple. I also like longer marriages on soaps. Is Britt actually leaving the show? I figured last week would be Kelly's last day or today that the hook would get her.

Before Mariah was made a lesbian I envisioned a story where Cameron Kirsten seduced and manipulated her as revenge against Sharon. The fact that he's still alive and they haven't used him to generate story for Sharon is just absurd.

Joseph C. Phillips (Justus, GH) and Vanita Harbour (Dara, GH) reunited in December.

God that man is so inarticulate. I can't handle it.

Insanity. And Spencer and Trina aren't even allowed to kiss in a fake relationship on NEW YEAR'S EVE. When did miscegenation become illegal again?