KLN

Unless they find a writer who's a REAL visionary I still think Ron's their best fit vs. the typically rotated assortment of daytime writers. I don't believe I've watched any of the shows Mulcahey wrote when he wrote them so I can't say whether I'd like him or not. I'd give him a chance though. One of the things I like about Ron is how he pays homage to history and blends different eras together. The show has an identity under him and even though it's a mess right now, at least I'm watching. All it takes is thinking about the snooze parade of Tomlin, Whitesell, Higley, McPherson, etc. to appreciate Ron. He needs a co-HW though.

If that's Ava's sister she'd be great.

I'm still waiting for looser scripts. So far there hasn't been much change. I don't know whether to hope for Peacock to micromanage the show or not. Typically that's a disaster but surely an executive somewhere will tell them to stop with the dumb stuff before they renew. Ron needs a co-HW.

Y&R's a snoozebox but I love Mamie and Leanna! I may tune in for this. For a long time I wanted Barbara Crampton as Kristen on Days. She's just so good. I agree about Dru and Olivia.

That picture of Megan with Stefano's portrait is giving me Carmen Santos.

Ralphie's aunt went to a lot of trouble to make him that bunny outfit too and it belonged in the trash lol. I liked the town square when they first debuted it but then they cut it in half and I don't like it. It doesn't look like a real square, it's small, the plastic tree in the middle is ugly, there's linoleum where a blacktop should be and the streetlights contradict it being an indoor covered plaza hence weather not affecting it and no one ever wearing seasonally appropriate clothing. I just don't like it lol. I say blow it up, redesign and call it Salem Place with Tom and Alice's plaque as the only surviving piece of the town square falling into a sinkhole after the bombs go off.

I agree. It's nice to have a grounded story in the midst of everything else. I wish they would blow that damn town square up.

That makes sense. Usually when they bring someone on for someone it backfires as fans don't like being told who to like. Interesting in this case it didn't since they weren't popular the first go 'round. They've built appeal over time. I'm just surprised they're SUCH a draw after how things started for them. Re: the part in bold that's why I didn't like Nicole judging Kristen the way she did before Kristen personally wronged her. If you can't bond over traumatic miscarriages and passing stolen babies off as your own what CAN you bond over? 😄

I like them a lot more with Greg and Ari. Ari's become a great actress too. I think I prefer EJ/Nicole though.

I'm always surprised by the popularity of Eric and Nicole. They've built appeal over time but they were pretty hated in '98. It wasn't til Nicole dumped Eric for money that fans fell in love with her. Eric floundered and was written out but when they brought him back (with Greg Vaughan) years later they wrote it like Eric and Nicole were some great romance and suddenly people loved them. I'm still trying to figure it out.

I always read your posts in the voice of Blanche Deveraux.

It would've been fun if they did an Aremid throwback for Beyond Salem 2 and let Hope find Bo there.

I grew up watching the CBS soaps with my mom who recorded them on VHS and watched when she got home from work every day. (When I was younger she used Y&R as my naptime so I fell asleep to Nadia's Theme as a toddler.) I remember Kay vs Jill, Cricket vs. Phyllis, Dru and Olivia, Nina, Sheila vs. Lauren, all the Brooke/Ridge/Taylor/Thorne/Macy bedhopping, Sally Spectra, Carly vs. Rosanna, James Stenbeck, Lily and the Grimaldi's, Roger and Dinah, Buzz and Jenna, Annie vs. Reva, etc. I was lucky to find Days right at the start of Reilly's first run in 1992/1993. I saw J&M's affair, Buried Alive, Maison Blanche, Aremid, Possession, Sami vs. Carrie, Kristen vs. Marlena, JLB's Laura, 'Gina' (Hope) and the puzzle box, Jack/Jennifer/Peter, Vivian vs. Kate, the Secret Room, Stefano's obsession with Marlena, Lady in a Cage, etc. I recorded it on VHS and watched after school every day. It was legendary! From there I started watching Another World and Sunset Beach but neither held my interest like Days. (I still miss Annie Douglas and Aunt Bette.) I got into the ABC soaps (mostly AMC and OLTL) more towards the late 90's.

Such a shame. She's one of the most charismatic young actresses the show has ever had.

It's hard to choose between Aremid, Maison Blanche, possession or Kristen vs. Marlena. It was all so good. I remember that comforter mess. 😄 I didn't see Griffith/Malone 1.0 but I loved the first bit of their second OLTL run. I always thought Malone would make an interesting co-HW for Carlivati.

Reilly 1.0 was the best era of the show, IMO. I'd have loved Bell too but Reilly was my introduction to the show and nothing I've seen since (including Reilly 2.0) has lived up to it. It was lightning in a bottle.

😄😄 Just not the charm bracelet! I also liked Carrie in the story.

Very boring. I remember the HW's going on about how relatable J&M on Ramen would be. I longed for the days of John on trial in Aremid.

I hated the fraud story. So disappointing for J&M's big return. I remember the current Kiriakis mansion was supposed to be a "temporary residence" while the original was rebuilt after Kate burned it down in 2001. 20+ years later it's apparently still under construction lol.

Ditto. I was pissed when I saw the townhouse. It looks like a Kleenex box. The only part of the Horton house I like is the entrance and the staircase. The living room looks like a funeral parlor.

Agreed. I need them to explain the layout of J&M's townhouse because it makes no sense they have so many people living there with that dinky ass living room and one hallway that apparently extends to eternity. I want to understand the physics of it.

I'm finding it hard to get through the last few weeks of episodes. I know it's more than lack of Kristen but the show is limp without her, IMO. Plot points have been contradictory and the pacing, holy hell. It's like there are two different writing teams with opposing creative objectives. The way quality varies from episode to episode is wild. I love the DiMera mansion re-design (reminds me of the house in Beetlejuice) but I wish they'd do the same with the Kiriakis mansion. I've hated it since the original burnt down in 2001. (They could've at least saved the patent leather couch.) I also miss J&M's penthouse and that gorgeous winding staircase. Even that was a flop the last time they were on. It was an episode of spinning wheels. I also don't understand why Nick and Jordan, of all prolific characters from the past, are the ones guiding Kate, Kayla and Marlena in the afterlife. I'm ready to move it along.

Agreed. I had secondhand embarrassment watching John and Steve on Beyond Salem. I want them in story but I don't need them running around playing spy like it's still 1985.

I do too! I didn't care for him when he first came on but he's grown on me a lot. He has a certain charm.

Agreed. I don't like Alex at all. And thanks! 😄