edgeofnik

@janea4old You're awesome! Thank you so much for confirming this! That's fantastic news for BTG!

Cady was a great get for BTG. She's a real pro who always delivers. With all the newbies on BTG, adding seasoned soap actors will definitely help. Does anyone else feel like Vanessa was intended to be Dani's sidekick *until* they got Cady?

Color me surprised at Audra confessing her Holden connection to Nate. Obviously, there's more... Nice little throwback with Mariah and Summer sniping at each other. I half-expected Mariah to call Summer 'snowflake'. I liked that Mariah, Daniel, Summer and Nick last seeing 'Sharon/Phyllis' together were on radically different timelines. Mariah back on Xmas Eve! It's interesting because while the audience saw those meetings, it was a nice detail that not every character was either privy to or part of those encounters. I think Daniel has been around for most. Chelsea and Adam have been thrown into a bizarro alt universe. While MCE does *warm* well, she is really better when Chelsea is scheming. Neutered, lovesick Adam doesn't work at all and it's clear MG isn't into it. Both actors can handle far more challenging material. Waste.

The debut was excellent. It was fast-paced and gave a good overview of who's who in the Dupree family. Obviously the draw of soaps is that we get to learn more about each character daily. I honestly didn't think Ep 1 would be this solid - it's a tall ask. A little bummed that KM was *aged* up, but I get that they wanted the daughters to be old enough to have adult stories. Honestly, there's no market for teens. It'll be fun watching the show evolve and grow in terms of storytelling, characters, production, etc. We'll see lots of cast changes, story redirects, etc. as the show finds it's rhythm. I'm excited!

If RM was still playing Ridge, I could almost buy Brooke having a hard time letting go despite her better judgment. But degrading herself for a chemistry-free man? C'mon. This was (another) opportunity to end it permanently. Instead of $B playing warden with Lunacy, he should be reminding Brooke that he's the only man who never judged her. Oh and doesn't it feel like CBS asked B&B to hold the SINN *confession* until next week since it's BTG's lead-in? You know viewers will tune in to watch sanctimonious SINN get knocked down a few notches. I'll even stream those epis because JMW is absolutely going to nail those scenes.

To me that was the turning point in 'make it make sense'. Thomas agreed to keep the switch secret because of Ridge/Taylor. Instead of Steffy being p.o.'d in the alley, she should have joined forces with Sheila! After all, how many times have we heard Steffy whine about reuniting her parents. OC, they decided to have Sheila go psycho in the alley and that was the end. Since that moment, only two things have worked: SINN reunion in Monaco and most of the Tom/Hollis murder mystery. Everything else: Li driving off the bridge, the Toe, $B/Bunhead, Thomas instant therapy, Luna/Zende (gross), Eric terminal illness, Tope, Fope, Cope, Sugar Suga, Remy, Lunacy Pt 2, Psycho Li screeching at people after 22 years, Smelly French Lady, Brooke thirsty for Ridge after he did her dirty with Taylor, etc. All have flopped outright or were retooled quickly and illogically. It's clear now the *coup* is being reworked in a bizarre way. Brad should've just let that one play out over the next few months. I mean, really, getting EB&S back in control of FC leads to what? This was a chance to reset the show with Brooke in charge.

You're absolutely right. I'd bet most don't know OTA is an option. They just assume the channel is gone. Hopefully this will be settled soon. The bigger impact for BTG will be if CBS airs UEFA again this year. Last year, there were at least 8 partial/full pre-emptions (Mountain and Pacific Time Zones) on during April and May. That would be far worse for BTG than this potential outage.

I've really grown to like VP as Amy. If we can't have Olivia or Dru, I'd be good with a cure to keep her around. Audra/Holden/Lily triangle could be hot. Oh, Phyllis can't you see that Nick has chosen you as his next White Knight project? With Tucker's name mentioned three times by Holden and Audra, it's not a long-shot to assume that's who Billy called.

YouTubeTv has 8 million subscribers out of 125MM households. As been pointed out, it doesn't impact OTA.

B&B and actor bio ages: Winner: When Jackie and Nick were introduced in 2003, Leslie-Ann Down was 49 and Jack Wagner was 44. For 10 years we were supposed to suspend belief, especially since JW looked his age. LAD was done dirty here. 2nd Place: The 8-year gap between McC and Moss + 13-year age difference between Flannery and Moss. 3rd Place: Bridget was aged up with Ashley Jones in 2004 leaving only a 15-year gap with KKL.

When the 'Damian' story was announced 6 months ago, I got the sense that either Bryton or SD wasn't renewing his contract. After MO got dumped to recurring, I've been leaning towards Bryton. Honestly, Devon's story has petered out after the Tucker/Chancellor stuff and proposing to Abby. Of course, if MM returns as Hilary ... it'd be a new game.

@Soapsuds Thank you for posting. OMG , the stills didn't do the final scene justice! Sorry, Finn you could've done the math at any point during the past 22+ years. At least after graduating med school. Man up! if you'd covered your Biberty, this would've never happened.

Wasn't there a rando episode almost a year ago year when Poppy basically told Finn he was the father? It had something to do with Lunacy seeking fatherly advice from Finn. It was strange because after that episode I don't think Finn and Lunacy really had many more scenes. Since it's clear that was the OG plan, it would've worked better to reiterate that Poppy and Finn are the same age (both actors were born in 1986). That large age gap between Poppy and Li could've been used to better explain why they weren't naturally close - Li would've been in college or even in medical school when Poppy was born. Even if Li lived at home while she went to school, you know that narcissistic ice B would've been more focused on herself and school than on her infant sister. As @skiman12082004 said, there's a lot of story that could be mined here. But it also hinges on completely exonerating Lunacy. Maybe Brad plans on *transferring* Lunacy from $B's mansion to Steffy's beach house or maybe the Pizza *Joint* would be more appropriate.

It seems like the next Retcon is that Poppy was secretly drugging Lunacy to kill Tom because she wanted $B and to keep the real secret. Hollis was collateral damage. Poppy is expendable since she'll be positioned as a predator - even though they are the same age. Poppy dies after revealing the truth, which frees Lunacy. It's the only *logical* way for the story to go forward. The $B prison isn't cutting it. I can't wait for Sheila to hear the news.

Except that Li allegedly did that after Nozawa Power when Li invited Poppy to live with her (again). Q: So what changed during those 5 months that got Li to test Tom's liver, jab Jack and tell Poppy she's always hated her? A: B&B's writing. Of course, these rewrites only make Li look like a complete bitter B with truly deep and disturbing psychological issues.

I'm more confused annoyed than ever: BAD RetCons: Didn't Lunacy used to go on and on about her great childhood? And that Poppy was a wonderful mom despite not having much? Oh and now $B thinks that Poppy was a SFTV and horrible person. What? UNFORGIVEABLE RetCon: $Bill tells Lunacy that he built his empire because of his bad childhood. I'm calling 100% BS on that because $Bill + Karen each inherited 50% of Spencer Publications from Bill Sr. We also know that $B and Sr. developed a relationship before he died. Further, in order to get the 50%, $B needed to fulfill Sr.'s wish that $B help Stephanie get revenge on the Forresters. I absolutely do not understand why $B is being emasculated in this way.

Yeah, the whole narrative that Li is a great person and mother is false based on everything we've watched - starting with intentionally letting Steffy suffer needlessly when Li saved him. I've yet to observe Li do anything but berate, lie and conduct multiple unethical medical acts. It's B&B's gaslighting technique: have the characters tell us repeatedly the exact the opposite of what we saw on screen. Multiple examples over the years.

@Maxim A: Nothing. Take out Lunacy and tell me what stories do $B, Will, Electra, Liam, Deacon, Sheila, Li, Poppy and Finn have? You could even add Katie because that Batie potential reunion vanished. They could've at least spent the last few months reconnecting Ivy/Liam - even one scene a week. Think of how rich it would be for Steffy to try to lean on Liam after the Lunacy reveal only to have Ivy blocking that! Meanwhile, Ridge and Taylee moved in together in a hot minute. Yawn. The FC takeover is falling flat, which take a lot of effort to do that! Having Brooke yet again show why she's the smartest *Forrester* would breathe new life into that tired FC office. In the old days, Spectra kept the FC office happenings interesting because the Forresters would unite against a common enemy. The manufactured in-fighting between Steffy and Hope wore out fast and was illogical. Even before the Finn nonsense, why would co-CEO Steffy focus her energy *hoping* HFTF would fail? She wouldn't.

I keep reading the dailies and I'm really confused about Li and Jack's marriage. Li talks about how much she resented Jack because she believed he slept with Poppy 20+ years ago. Was Li being passive-aggressive during those 20+ years? It sure seemed like Li was fine with Jack until the truth about Finn's real parents came to light. Are Jack and Li still legally married? Of course, none of this makes sense because the entire storyline was made up when Poppy came to town. While the whole story is gross, at least, it's interesting and totally fits within B&B's usual fare. Finn has been treated as if he's a Ken doll with absolutely no shades of gray or flaws. It's a huge disservice to the actor and character. Finn barely flinched when it was revealed that Steffy slept with $B when she was married to Liam. C'mon! I think this will make the Sinn a far better couple in the long run. I do feel badly for RP because she's actually made Poppy interesting. Even though she's the same age as TN, she's going to get a lot of really hateful comments. Side note: I can't wait for Liam's reaction when he hears the truth about Lunacy's dad. His mind may explode!

KM also temporarily played Amanda on Y&R in 2021 when MM was recouping from surgery. I just remember KM talked about how much she loves the soap world + fans. She'll be great for PR and interviews because she's very down-to-earth, open, and sweet.

Fun fact: both RP and TN were born in 1986. It's not like Poppy was older and served as some sort of mother substitute. It takes some, but not all, of the ick out of the scenario. Wouldn't be shocked if Poppy was adopted and not bio-related to Li at all. It also makes sense why Finn didn't even comment about Steffy sleeping with her father-in-law. @Maxim Wait until the reveal that Liam and Brooke have been secretly comforting each other aka Eric/Quinn! They really should've made Liam a villain by now.

It's too bad Dynasty(2017) was canceled before BTG was greenlit. Somehow those sets would've worked perfectly for this concept! I'd rather have a show more campy, scandalous, and fun than heavy, dull, and dreary. If the characters, actors and stories are good, the lighting/sets simply won't matter. A new soap is a risky investment. Better to focus on good writers and actors than sets/lighting. When the show is a hit, CBS will invest more. I'm excited! This KM stan is thrilled to see her featured so prominently! TT is a legend. The promo has 2K views on YT. Hopefully it's getting better exposure on bigger socials like TikTok and X. I do hope they tighten the production window from filming 3+ months in advance. Anyone know how that's going to work?

At least we know CZ will be back someday. The 'nine lives' comment, sleeping pills and no way Claire gets saddled with premeditated murder. CG delivers when given an opportunity. Let's hope there's far more drama in Mariah's world. If only Tessa would comfort Daniel... Billy's 180 is a fakeout. Love the new set - so many details, the hallway, etc. It's classic. I've noticed how Y&R has been *introducing* characters during the back half of the show lately. Friday was Sally + Diane. Overall the show's production values and scene depth make it far more enjoyable. It's little things - like when the couple behind Jack leaving and a few moments later a waiter cleans the table, the waitstaff at Society watching Tessiah, etc. Adding those touches, gives the scenes a different energy instead of watching two isolated characters talking.

I suppose the new route will be to make Poppy the ultimate evil person her shrill sister has always claimed. After the Finn reveal, we'll find out Poppy drugged Lunacy to commit the murders. Poppy so desperately wanted $B that she *minted* Lunacy to get rid of Tom. Hollis ended up as collateral damage. Of course, Poppy stocked the fridge with lots of tainted bottled water to cover the period when she was in jail and Lunacy built that cage for Steffy. It's not like logic or timelines really matter on B&B.

CBS needs to push streaming hard. That's where the bulk of potential viewers can be found. Unless I was visiting my mom, I haven't seen a soap on linear TV/DVR since 2016. In 2023, Deadline reported the average age for the 3 linear soaps was almost 70 y.o! I do believe Y&R has a solid If CBS is really committed to BTG building a following, I hope CBS.com unlocks more than the 5 most recent episodes. Not sure what Paramount+ does, but CBS should keep those episodes free at least for the first couple of months. I'm not exactly hopeful since Paramount refuses to pay the license fee for even the most recent seasons of Y&R/B&B.