Marissa Gallant

I'm at the point where Mason and Sonny are having talks in the mirror. It's getting annoying for me. But it's 1988 and a lot is annoying me. And I still miss Lionel!

Ugh! Sonny Sprocket you suck! Does Mason's family ever figure out that Mason isn't Mason anymore?

I agree. I know people get vacations. But excluding Sophia from that is inexcusable.

Except the people on Facebook who told me that my novel is wonderful and that they love it. I will continue to listen to them. In fact, I love those people. 😆

So far, not much Santa Barbara. He is just a GREAT storyteller! He talks about visiting his childhood home with Elizabeth Taylor, and the woman letting them in because she was Elizabeth Taylor. He talks about crossing the Atlantic a few times, and does an amazing job describing the rough crossing through a sea storm. At one point he is talking about an amazing man he met who was a war hero. Says he admired the man, but they lost touch. Then says he(Nicholas Coster) was young and in a rush to not miss anything but missed so much. It is just packed full of really cool stories. I am slogging through 88, but I don't like it. Sonny is making me laugh, but I prefer Mason. I truly believe that Eden's rape won SB the 88 awards. It is a good story that is played well. 88 is also the first block vote. But my favorite year is 85-87. Not even going to apologize. From the point where JA wakes up from the coma. In 88, everyone is in a bubble. Eden was raped and her mom doesn't show up? Before that Sophia smacks Kelly for sleeping with TJ? NEVER. Sophia might slap Keith, but not her daughter. There were too many weird unexplained character changes in 88 that makes me feel like, "okay, this is a good show. Well acted. But these aren't the characters I've grown to know or love." And one more thing: Lionel vanished without a trace. Mason dies, and there isn't even a throw away line from Julia about how he can't come to the funeral? Again. No. Who are these people?

I understand that actors and actresses get vacations. I know that shows have budgets and can't pay everyone to be there for every episode. But no way does Eden get raped, and Sophia doesn't show up. And double no way would ROSA ignore that. Missing Rosa

I was wondering about that too, but I think you're right. I *think* they were trying for a John Hudson, but failed miserably. Cain could have been an awesome character. But they just had him yell

I really am loosing patience with 88. Cain does nothing except yell about everything. Scott always yells. Constantly angry is one note and boring to watch. Kelly is a nimrod! She hated TJ for everything he did to Sophia, but after her miscarriage, TJ was the bestest ever! And she's all oh Snookums, you're so dreamy. Then, Kelly gets into a fist fight over him? Poor Kimberly McArthur wasn't that bad, but she was saddled with an impossible storyline. Sophia slapped Kelly? Again, no. 84-87 Sophia would have NEVER slapped her child. Under any circumstances. Sonny. We wanted Mason, not this dude. I do admit Sonny's reactions to Gina as she explained the Capwells had me rolling. This show just feels off the rails to me, and not in the good way.

How could I have forgotten Peter Flint?!?!? I'm obviously slipping. If I ever say 88 is the best ever, get me help.

I think you can find the first week. I'm going by memory but first week: Mason, Kelly, Ted, CC, Joe, Jade, Marissa Perkins, Joes Dad- can't remember his name, Rosa, Danny, Santana, Augusta, Minx, Warren and Lakin. Lionel came a few weeks later. Sophia (Dominique) a few weeks after that. Julia was a couple of months into the run. Cruz was a few weeks in. Eden came in for CCs birthday. It was ADORABLE when Justin Gocke won the Emmy.

I agree about CC. He wasn't as bad as the family often made him out to be. But Brandon isn't just Channing's son. CC officially adopted him. I really do have an enormous soft spot for CC, and think he was often misunderstood. Especially in the later years. He loved his family very much and tried to protect them. It's just that his attempts were usually misguided.

Ooh- I know this one! CC didn't want to name Mason after himself. He didn't want to name any of them after himself. Then Sophia insisted on naming Lionel Jr. er uh CC junior Channing.

Well, no CC is not self reflective. I just think maybe he should have been. Of course, there would have been a lot less drama if he had. I think there was probably more to the Lane and Nancy decline than just arguing over characters. However, people who are unhappy at work sometimes bring that home to their partners. And it's hard to escape when your partner is also in your face at work. But I wasn't there. And I'm certainly not LD or NLG's confidant.

I'm currently reading Nicolas Coster's memoire. Such an interesting read!

Not sure if this counts, but Don Craig went to mail his taxes and disappeared forever. I think several soaps dropped stories that didn't work, but most of them took more time with wll stories. SB stories were often FAST. And if you missed an episode, a story might be done forever and never referred to again. There was also a total disregard for established history. In such a short show, that was difficult. I definitely feel that this created a long term problem. From the beginning, the network had it's hands in it aaying We don't like this. We don't like that. Lower costs. Lower costs. Lower costs. It felt like as soon as the show found its groove, someone else decided it needed a change. I was a die hard fan at the beginning but the complete destruction of history chased me away. It wasn't my fun quippy show anymore. Toss in the fact that the Lockridges were gone, and so was I. I'm eonjoying reliving it, but I'm still dragging myself through 88 and its so very difficult to keep going.

Augusta Lockridge

If I remember correctly, the Isle of Dr. Moreau is the one where the crazy guy creates weird and creepy human/animal hybrids. (And maybe hunts people?) And The Most Dangerous Game is the one where crazy guy hunts people.

I was talking about the island. Cruz was kidnapped while trying to help Mason. He was sent to an island where the owner hunts people. So. Very. Stupid. I'm not sure if the wedding was writer's strike or not. Are you talking about the wedding and the ghosties or the falling back into time during the honeymoon? Santa Barbara might have won an Emmy for best soap in 88, but that doesn't say much for soaps in 88. I think 88 is bad. Very. Very. Bad.

I've tried to watch the credits, but keep missing them, so I don't know this answer. I am kind of laughing at how they "kill off" Mason every summer to accommodate Lane's time off clause. I understand they had to, but you would think eventually Julia and company would just look at their watches and say, "Oh, Mason isn't dead. He just vanished every June."

I'm in Mid 88. Wow. I want to say, "I can't believe they're doing a Most Dangerous Game storyline." But I'm sitting here watching it happen before my very eyes. So I know it's true. I know there was a writer's strike. But they could have recruited a high schooler to do a better job than this. Yikes!

Now that I'm deeply in the TJ affair storyline, and actually watching it instead of just not watching the show anymore, I want to scream at CC and Sophia both! Good Gravy! These 2 are very stubborn! Some people think it's out of character for CC to have not thrown her out. Nope. He doesn't want this marriage to end. He just doesn't want to be the first person to say so. She doesn't either and ditto. Just bloody talk to each other!! I swear these idjits are gonna give me a stroke! Lol

And another thing- After EVERYTHING Sophia went through to get CC back, I don't see her giving up on him this easily.

The fact that he REALLY dawrfs her bugs me. She has chemistry with almost everyone and there just isn't any with him. This storyline feels like a slap in the face because it was poorly executed, demeans a strong character, lessens a power couple, made CC look foolish too because he was constantly chasing Pamelayuck. It was in character for Sophia to turn to Lionel because they had history and chemistry. TJ is just creepy and Sophia was many things, but never dumb. She's a freaking Italian Countess! She should have been able to take out Pamelayuck fairly effortlessly. There's a reason 88 is not remembered favorably.

So, in your opinion- does the Sophia/TJb affair destroy her character irredeemably?

I love it when CC FINALLY finds out that Sophia blew up the rig. Sophia tells TJ that she's never seen CC so angry. Really? I'm pretty sure that you have. I really think he was angrier when he came out of the coma. This is such an appalling storyline.