Liberty City

DON'T GET HER $400 DRESS DIRTY! IT'S $400!

I agree; it's not like they all woke up one morning and said, "Hey! Let's produce a new soap opera!" From what Sheila Ducksworth stated, this was ultimately part of a "four-year effort to break new ground in the genre" since she assumed her position with CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, and to me it shows in the product. And of course with the support of George Cheeks, it happened; remember, even Michele Val Jean stated she doubted it would happen. I agree, to an extent. This is a new soap opera, produced in a new location (Georgia versus California and New York), so some kinks will be different. Of course, Val Jean, Ducksworth and everyone brought in people with some history in soaps (i.e., directors, producers, writers, etc.), but in a new setting. Plus, with this being a new soap opera, they didn't have the pitfalls other soaps have had (i.e., a new executive producer/head writer coming in to make changes they want to make). They have had the benefit of writing their own rules and setting their own standards of practice, and it shows in how things are done, production-wise, and I think that's beautiful. And I think that's where some pushback from the social media/message board posters comes from⏤I see a lot of "Well, [this soap] does this and [that soap] does that," and Beyond the Gates isn't those other soaps. It is its own soap, and that's beautiful. I feel like she does; Julie Hanan Carruthers, from what I've noticed, is pretty prominent on the set daily, so I'm feeling pretty sure she's there running the day-to-day operations on the ground, while Val Jean and Ducksworth work more in the background, especially when they're both in Los Angeles, etc. I agree; since May Sweeps, I do feel like we've begun to weave through the relationships between characters (Dani with Chelsea/Kat, etc.), and they're beginning to be fluid in what's happening.

💯 co-sign; I may call her a convicted felon (which she is), but this kind of blatant attack, in-script, is in extremely poor taste. This is General Hospital, not Law & Order. Her problems are not a laughing matter, period, even if the scripts are ridiculous to laugh at because of how just outrageous they actually are. And it's generous calling Natalia C-grade... I would say even D- would be pushing it, given the amount of disinterest the audience seems to have had with her.

I agree, but again, it's their opinion, and it does not affect my watching/liking of the serial, and I urge everyone to continue to take that route, as well. Every soap is going to have its negative Nancy's (in our eyes), or those that will "dog" the serial. It's what comes from a soap opera (regardless of being American, Australian, or British). I agree; it's still taking its shape a bit, but they've laid a good foundation for themselves as to what works for them, and what will be their "base line".

No, which is criminal. She did receive two Soap Opera Digest Award nominations (1995 and 2003) for "Outstanding Supporting Actress".

As far as I can tell, Anderson and his family reside in California (Sacramento, per his Linkedin); besides, Anderson has always been open to appearing on the show. It's a matter of writing for the character, ultimately. And considering he's usually included in fan events, I'd wager they're keen on keeping him as a recurring player (when he's available/when TPTB want him to work). The recast with Blake Berris was only because of a scheduling conflict and only lasted from January 16 to 19, 2017.

Melissa Ordway and Emme Rylan are only two years apart. Orday is 44 and Rylan is 44, so if Rylan is "way too old", then so wouldn't Ordway.

Oh absolutely; it's lazy, off-putting, and shows the true colours of those involved with the creation of it (i.e., not the actors). It's in extreme poor taste, no matter how you may feel about Pullos and the choices she made.

I concur; it would be lame and almost cruel, but that is the absolute vibe it gave off to me as a viewer.

The DUI story seemed rush-thrown into scripts to begin ushering Natalia off-canvas. Plus, it's not lost on me to have Natalia mention the price of her dress and not wanting to get it dirty, Molly Lansing show up at the PCPD to talk with Natalia, and finally, Alexis' discussion of alcoholism. All mirroring some real-life references of Haley Pullos (ex-Molly). Very telling.

Well, as we saw during the premiere week, they have suites at the country club, so it'd be interesting to see that set again or even more of them. And I am sure with it being warmer these days, we'll get "outdoor amenities", as well. Assembly Studios is really the best location for them right now, and I know they're going to continue to do amazing things for the upcoming season. Plus, per a sign we saw, we know the country club (at the very least) has a golf club and tennis courts. I wonder if we'll see Pamea turn over the Salon and Spa to some under-five, etc. We saw their bedroom set when they had sex, and with the mention of their children, I am sure we'll see [something] coming up at some point.

They want Dante to have all these babies; I get it, because he's yummy, but damn.

I'm fine with them interacting there, because I love those three sets; I don't think there's one set I hate with a burning passion. Yes, the private casino room could leave more to be desired, but it's not that bad in comparison to what other soaps have. I'm just hoping that when they get the next set budget, we can see an expansion on the hotel, the country club, possibly one more communal area, the courthouse for law cases, etc. Maybe Vanessa's house and/or business. They did say they used their entire set budget, so I'm assuming they'll get the same the next time.

It was a mess of a time; felt like Guza was throwing out sticky bombs in the hopes some would stick, and they just did not. He was burnt out by that point.

Yeah, it's a guest house, which Dani converted into a modeling studio when she was managing Chelsea's modeling career (as expressed in script). I'm assuming Andre, like you, walked in from the backyard or some kind of yard space. But I like that it's a set that served a purpose, and they were able to repurpose it a bit without changing too much or having to build something new.

Well, the retcon of it all is something else. 🤣

That's exactly what it was; they brought her in for the Carly/Dante/Lulu storyline, decided to keep her around, and then just... gave up. And her exit came around the ending months of Robert Guza Jnr's tenure, so I guess he was burnt out.

👍🏻 Us episode-counters got to stick together!

It's not new; it's been there since the beginning.

According to Soaps In Depth, her exit had nothing to do with Tyler Christopher's then-impending exit.

I mean, is she my favourite? No. But do I dislike her? No. At Y&R, I think she entered into a no-win situation replacing fan favourite Lyndsy Fonseca. I did not mind her. Was it different? Yes. But I just think she wasn't going to win. As for GH, IIRC, she chose to leave GH in 2005/2006, but I could be wrong. As for the 2011 exit, I can't recall if that was her choice or if the serial just wrote her out. Shame, even though her story then was a mess. From seducing Dante (via Carly's request) to her dalliance with Nikolas.

Mm-hmm; supposedly, that was attributed to her firing but was never a confirmed thing.

She totally should. 🤣 And then Y&R for saying the things they said.

I feel like Léon might be done with it, based on some [now deleted] social media posts I remember seeing, but yes, Lane could easily step back into the role if asked, I am sure.