Khan

I'll say! Natalie Minardi Slater and Janice Ferri Esser were the last two Y&R writers who tried to keep the Bill Bell/Kay Alden house style alive.

Well, I'm glad to see DAYS employing more POC on their writing staff.

I'm sorry, but isn't that kind of a step down for him, career-wise?

Believe me, you're not alone, lol.

I'm surprised neither CBS nor any other network has thought to have Ms. Barrymore make cameo appearances on one of their soaps to help promote their shows and hers.

How sad is it that that hot mess was still tons better than anything I saw on PASSIONS or SUNSET BEACH?

How on Earth would they have explained Matt having his original face again when Rick Hearst's Matt had undergone extensive plastic surgery in order to conceal his identity? Do these idiots think plastic surgery is like playing with a Mr. Potato Head?

CUT TO: 1994, and Carl and Rachel's wedding.

Unfortunately, Long couldn't handle working with JFP at OLTL. That's why she left (or why JFP got rid of her, I still don't know which). To me, that was the last time OLTL had any semblance of true direction. Everything after Long's brief, ill-fated stint was worthless.

I do agree that JV's acting improved from GL to AMC. He and Lindsay Hartley (and Lindsay's arsenal of eye makeup) weren't terrible additions to that show. I mean, I don't think they'll ever be among my favorites, but at least they don't irritate me as much as they used to. (And "Amen," "Hallelujah" and "PREACH!!" to your remark about Zach's crusty ass, lol).

Plus, it just felt more real (for lack of a better word) than anything going on on San Cristobel. But, like you said, the execution let the whole thing down.

Too bad Miss Ellie never had any brothers (that I know of). Just imagine if Val's mother had begun a romance with Gary's uncle?

I've asked myself those very same questions, lol. Anyone would've been better as Jean than Wendy Fulton. But, as I've said many times, the Lechowicks couldn't cast for [!@#$%^&*].

ICAM. As I've intimated in other threads, DAYS has needed fresh blood - meaning, new characters and families (who are integrated gradually) - since the late '90's, if not sooner. The Bradys, the DiMeras, even the Hortons (or, the Hortons that haven't been retroactively killed off) are just plain played out. For all the good that JER did in raising the show's ratings, he also wrecked the core of the show to the point where there's no way one could re-ground and reset the show unless they commit to a massive cast exodus that would make Nina Laemmle's Valentine's Day Massacre look like just another Tuesday in Salem.

Pardon me for being nosey af, but I'd still love to know why Susan and her daughter are estranged, especially when the two had appeared jointly to discuss Liza's son's cerebral palsy diagnosis.

IA. It's also next to impossible to maintain the show's tone, especially when you have a fictional, small(ish) town next to a bustling, urban city. You're not going to tell the same kinds of stories for characters living in NY, for example, that you would for characters still living in Pine Valley.

I'd be okay with these exits if it meant bringing in fresh characters and families, which DAYS has needed for the better part of three decades. If anything, though, DAYS is just making room for characters who haven't been relevant since the George Bush administration (or worse, more Leo).

"And ol' man Leo, he just keeps rollin' along..."

I disagree. I think Cody should be dropped entirely and never mentioned again. But I feel that way about 97% of the current cast, too.

Wow, tough question, lol. Both outlived their usefulness, but if I had to choose...? I'd say the San Cristobel crew. At its' heart, GL was a Midwestern show; so, to have over half of it take place suddenly on this mythical, vaguely Hispanic island (with royal subjects and townsfolk who were anything BUT Hispanic) was just too discombobulating (sp?). Say what you will about Andorra, San Rios, or even Barbados and Santo Domingo, but at least they didn't eat the show for years on end.

Or she could've played a (recast) Jane Sumner, since I never bought Millie Perkins as Greg's ex-wife.

I especially don't like the way Donna Mills' hair is styled in that photo. It somehow makes her look older.

I'd believe it, lol! Ted Shackelford never had much chemistry with any woman outside of Joan Van Ark and maybe Donna Mills, so the fact that Jill went batshit over Gary just boggles my mind.

IA. I think Laura needs a romantic relationship with someone who isn't so damaged, for lack of a better word. Even Kevin comes with his own set of emotional baggage. It'd be nice to see her finally find someone who can give her the stability she's always craved. She isn't the eighteen-year-old little girl who's attracted to danger anymore; she's a grandmother and a woman who has come through a lot to know what works for her. It's time.

It certainly does, especially in your recaps/analyses! Once again, @dc11786 , I must commend you for your ability to write about AL so beautifully. I keep saying I need to make time to watch whatever I can of this show on YT.