ranger1rg

Josh Swickard has a more than passable voice. His performance of "Smooth Criminal" a few years ago showed he has talent. But damn, this wasn't it. That song (a Swickard original?) was lame and awful, and the accompaniment by 3 non-professional dancers was...a choice. The entire thing was pretty cringe and a big YIKES. As for Dominic Zamprogna, I thought he was the BEST of the 3 dancers. JK and SW were stuck onstage without a net. -- The Gio reveal was great soap. The Nurses Ball backdrop was the perfect place for that to happen, and reason enough for the NB to exist. I'll take that kind of cliffhanger any day of the week. Lots of comments here about GM getting too loud and dramatic, but I like the choice, and I think it worked. It played against type. Gio was onstage performing, and he gave us a real performance. We seem to love all the soap traditions being brought back to life on BTG, but when GH does it with the violin smashing, then it's too much? That scene gave us a moment. For me, I can put aside how many rootable characters are on a soap when the drama is good -- and I think we're getting good drama. And isn't Gio rootable? Emma? Liz? Dante was rootable until he went on a "Destroy Gio" tour the past couple weeks. Besides, it depends on your definition of "rootable." I think Tracy is rootable even though she is deeply flawed and makes a lot of mistakes.

Will I be Gio's champion? I am so there LOL I'm happy to know that so many people agree with me about how good his performance was at the NB. I don't see GM lasting any longer on GH than Nicholas Alexander Chavez did. Damn, I was struck by Sawandi's "moves." Rhythm Nation passed him by. At least he got in that head spin when he resorted to break dancing. But P.S. The guy is gorgeous. -- I understand all the criticism here about the Nurses Ball, and I pretty much agree with all of it. However, I love seeing it, and I miss it when we don't get it. I love the stuff that's so cheesy and bad that I can't believe I'm watching it, and I love trashing it. It's awesome television to snark at (see: Spinelli in his cowboy boots). Regardless of how slick it is or is supposed to be, it's clear A LOT of work is put into the final product, and I'm grateful when a soap is willing to pull out the stops like this. -- Haven't seen today's show yet, so stay tuned for more performance reviews LOL -- In the meantime, here's a decent look backstage at GH....a video improved greatly by the presence of Giovanni Mazza.

Paul, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, but isn't Kat a larger-than-life personality? She is performative, and playing dress up seems in character for her.

I meant to mention Kat on my list. I think the actress is killing it, and I love the way Kat dresses. I can't understand having a problem with her wardrobe, which completely fits the character.

This "3 Love Stories" episode was like taking a sleeping pill with a bottle of Nyquil. Josh Griffith is writing for 80-year olds with blue hair.

-- The coming out stuff was well-written and acted, but can't we at least hear someone tell Chelsea she needs to find a girl (or boy) who isn't frickin MARRIED? How is that not a huge fail on her part? She was willing to wreck a marriage to get herself a new boo. -- Dani can't have it both ways -- wanting Andre when she wants him but not wanting a relationship. He needs to leave her dry. -- The Dani/Pamela kiss was a plot device, but I get why they did it. I still think Cady McClain is overacting like crazy. -- Sean Freeman is good as Andre, but geez, his expertise on how relationships work is hard to listen to. He is not that guy. -- Ashley continues to be horribly written and badly played. I've grown to really dislike the character to the point of supporting Derek. -- The closing montage with Ashley and Derek looking at their phones was cool out of context. In context? We just saw Naomi lecture Derek about what to say to Ashley and how to move forward. So why in the hell did he go back to the fire station? Why not go back home? Made no sense. -- The writers are not giving Hayley enough. She's islanded. -- The Leslie/Eva scenes are still great. We get to see this complete mind control that Leslie has over Eva. We know that everything Leslie says is selfish and incriminating and awful, yet it's easy to understand why Eva falls for it.

After watching a couple of those live performances, I think you may be right.

I'll add to what others have said -- the Xander and Sarah stuff today was really, really good. Kudos to both actors, and to the writers who gave them interesting and real dialogue that explained both characters' points of view. It's unbelievable how much better DAYS is under these new writers.

Thanks. Just watched him perform "Smooth Criminal" at a Lakers game. OH. MY. GOD.

I'm all in for another Gio performance. I assume his violin work was pre-recorded, but not only didn't I mind, he made it look live. Plus, wardrobe did him a solid -- he looked commanding and sexy -- and those moves around the stage were fire. If I sound like I'm in love with GM, you heard me right hehe

-- I was in my SUV and decided to listen to B&B today (I pulled my DVR downloads up on my phone) instead of watching it. The dialogue is even worse when you go audio only. -- Hearing Brooke tell Ridge (in front of Katie) that he's her destiny makes her sound like a frickin lunatic. I mean, this is someone who should be put in a straitjacket. Of course, Katie agreed, and when Brooke left the room, she told Ridge that he and Katie belong together and always will. These people are certifiable. -- Liam's dialogue? Absolutely nothing special about it, which makes Scott Clifton's "performance" of those lines even worse. He delivers every line as if it's THE most important line in the Best Picture Oscar winner. Just awful.

I felt the same way. Joss is insufferable -- self-righteous, sanctimonious, and entitled. I wanted Willow to knock her out. Do these writers know they're creating sympathy for Willow and Drew when they use characters we actively hate to answer them? The Gio performance was THE hottest violin performance I have ever seen. Great song choice with sexy, spectacular moves. I mean, WOW. That was soooo good. -- The "Holiday" performance with the medical workers all in scrubs was cheesy, but good. It was just professional enough to pass but not so good it looked like everyone was a hired dancer. And Isaiah can get it any time. -- Spinelli doing "These Boots are Made for Walking" was cringe. The excuse that he subbed for Tracy wasn't enough to make that watchable. Yes, he can carry a tune, but he's no singer and has no idea how to make lyrics work. In addition, his moves were like someone who never moved before. Hate to be a downer on this, but he was awful.

-- More bad writing. We've been told how Derek takes care of his vehicle. A guy who knows how to detail a car/truck would not be so stupid as to use steel wool on stainless. -- Oh, and here's more bad writing. Tomas said he was bumped from a case by another lawyer and was going home to work. Haven't we been told he's on the partner track? There's no way he'd be bumped on a case.

Yeah, you're right about Nina.

-- Much better show than yesterday, although that was a low bar to surpass. -- Kat as detective is fun, and I appreciate that Jacob isn't made to look like an idiot while Kat gets it all right. -- The Anita/Tracy stuff was OK, although awfully cliched so far. I understand the Supremes stuff, but they need to do their own thing, too. -- Tracy and Anita recited those lines about being together and finished in unison with "Articulettes strong." Sorry, that made no sense. The "________ strong" phrase didn't become a thing until the 2010's. No way were they saying it 25+ years ago. -- Alex Alegria (Tomas) performs better with Eva than Kat. -- Since Laura has an impeccable manicure while in the hospital, maybe she should take a couple minutes and do something with her hair. Why they're clearly styling her as "hospital patient," that doesn't jibe with those nails. -- The Derek and Ashley stuff is SOOOO BAD that I'm captivated by it. Every scene is like watching a trainwreck. Are they letting middle schoolers write for that couple? Ashley responds like a 12 year old to everything. It's embarrassing. When Jacob told her to text Derek, she said "What if he doesn't answer?" Jesus. Every response she has comes off like an emotional release from a teenager. Derek continues to be the big lug who means well but just doesn't get it. He's written with zero depth. Still, I blame the writing for what we get from him more than I blame the writing for Ashley. Jen Jacob just isn't cutting it, and she's making a ton of wrong choices. -- Any couple living in that 2x4 apartment would struggle. It's insane for Ashley to yell things like "It's MY place and these are all MY things." Girl, you live in a hole and don't even have a double bed.

That's my question. I'm sure it's because CM has so much experience as a host/emcee, but for me that makes the whole thing much too meta. It makes no sense, and neither does Nina.

EVEN WORSE. And LOL I get something wrong at least once a week.

-- Weirdest red carpet ever at the Nurses' Ball. Every conversation was filled with snark and shade or outright insults, and we even got an on-camera arrest of Tracy -- while Congressman Drew (who's never in DC) stood there. I guess it was more interesting than the usual. -- Why did Gio walk the carpet with Joss? -- Sonny is usually escaping mobsters who want to kill him. So of course he accompanies his granddaughter on the carpet. On camera.

It's not all bad, or bad at all. I actually really like BTG and look forward to it every day. Yesterday's show was awful, though. So many things were bad or off that I had to vent LOL Haven't watched today's show yet, so I hope I can be nice later LOL

Today's episode was pretty lousy -- definitely the worst in a while. -- Ashley is awful beyond words. I hope Derek dumps her basic ass. Scratches on the fridge? First of all, can someone in production put te refrigerator hinges on the right side??? The door doesn't even open into the kitchen area. Second, if you're going to make a BIG FCKING DEAL out of a scratch, then show the damn scratch. They didn't, and it was stupid. Also, the lack of product placement WHEN DEREK WAS CLEANING made no sense. Is he too dumb to use P&G products? -- Ashley's treatment of Derek is despicable. If a guy treated a woman this way, this board would be screaming abuse. She acted like a spoiled brat, and I have NEVER gotten the idea that she loves Derek. -- And then Ashley -- the new super nurse -- calls off work because she had a meltdown over a scratch and a leftover??? And goes to a bar??? Jesus. What terrible writing. -- For me, Ben Gavin (Derek) was MUCH better today than Jen Jacob (Ashley). -- Also bad...Cady McClain. I don't know what she's doing, but she needs to stop it. She's terrible in this role, and BTG should get rid of that character. She doesn't work. -- Vanessa has been turned into a complete slut. Messing with Diego? OK. But now they're writing her like she can't keep her legs closed. And then she talks with Doug, acts like they've figured things out, then walks away without asking Doug WHAT he's hididng from her. -- Dani and Andre look good in bed, but let's move on, OK? Just seeing those two have hot sex isn't enough. I don't think Dani's reason for not going public with him make any sense, either. More bad writing. -- Today we got a discussion of Tomas' tattoos. You mean Kat has never seen the guy's arms before? Huh? More bad writing. -- Also, I still can't believe Alex Alegria (Tomas) has been acting for well over a decade. Jesus. -- Why would Ted give Eva a photo of herself for her birthday? WTF was that? -- Dana and Jacob were decent. Those were the only scenes that made sense. Last week was great, but we're off to a really slow start this week.

Booty pop is the only reason to watch the show these days.

I agree with you on all of it. After what we got from RC for YEARS, seeing real soap is beyond refreshing. I like "romantic leads" who cannot be ignored. Kate is definitely revived as a character, and a lot of the credit goes to Philip. JPL has been really good since his return, and I hope they keep him around.

Someone apparently told Brad Bell that "playing all the beats" meant repeating the same dialogue every day.

-- I continue to enjoy DAYS post-Carlivati. These women have done a great job in refocusing the show. -- It sounds nuts not to agree with "rapists and murderers shouldn't be romantic leads." But then you get characters like Xander and EJ, and you have to put an asterisk after that quote. I enjoy both characters far too much to want them off the show or thrown in jail. They're romantic leads, but you can't tell me they haven't faced consequences. -- I think the Xander beatdown of Phillip was well-directed -- and in character. Some people here believe Xander went too far. Well, that's who Xander is, and we've seen that many times over these past years. He thought he had family, and then realized it was all a lie, so he resorted back to his animal roots. -- The Stephanie Racy Book storyline is soooooo bad. I had to laugh that she couldn't find her manuscript in that 2x4 apartment.

-- I'm not unhappy that Nina and Carly had a bad fight including slapping and tackling and falling down. But geez, all that insane SCREAMING was over the top. It was three minutes of shrieking, and I thought it was all too much. -- And ANOTHER day of Dante ripping Gio and Gio again discussing his sins and failures. Make it end already. -- In the previews, Gio is walking the Nurses Ball red carpet with Joss. Uh...why??? I don't know why Joss is there at all. Doesn't she have some secret agent stuff to do? -- Chase is at the end of the previews, yelling into the phone "You want me to do WHAT???" My guess is that's another fakeout that there's something important going on, and that Chase got a call to perform at the Nurses Ball. This show....