Faulkner

I agree with that. And I liked that she was transparent about her and Peter’s financial issues, which many HWs sweep under the rug. Robyn on Potomac feels like an analog. Not in terms of personality, as Robyn is harder and more aggressive, but in terms of what they bring to the show (seemingly a lapdog for an alpha, sometimes feeling a bit stuck, but contributing commentary as well as the rougher edges many HWs smooth over). Cynthia’s first season with the wedding just rang false to me. Not that the emotions were false, but it really felt staged in a lot of ways that killed some of the necessary illusion. That scene with her mother and Malorie and the marriage license still makes me cringe. There was a lot of that with her. She eventually settled into something more effortless.

Shhnobi, a trainer from Ghana 🇬🇭 via Houston 🇺🇸

How did you get that to embed? Are IG embeds finally working?

RHOBH has probably been lucrative for Lisa Rinna, but it’s a shame that she’s disgraced herself on it. She’s luminous here as Billie. Will and Sonny come across as such stiff country bumpkins in this drag bar. Adrienne Frantz looks good.

Another week at No. 1 for “Stay” (sixth week). Lil Nas X scores three top 10s off the back of his album release.

I’ve always run hot and cold with her—some of her stories have felt REALLY forced—but she developed into a pillar of the show. The show definitely needs some new dynamics, but you don’t get rid of someone like Cynthia unless you’re absolutely certain the show can stand without her.

This is my go-to karaoke song. I love this:

The funny thing about this story is that it’s not even remotely as shocking a gimmick as Bradley Bell thinks it is. It actually comes across as rather goofy and retrograde. I find it hard to get up in arms about its racism (which is real) because it’s just so laughable. It says a lot about the state of soaps that this is “pushing the envelope.” (This is the guy who thought pairing a mentally disturbed Thomas with a mannequin was oh so entertaining and potentially viral, when it actually tanked the ratings IIRC.)

Oh god nooooo. He’d eat the show. With JG at the helm, he’d be on twice as much as Jason Thompson (who is already overexposed).

Cynthia is officially done on ATL.

Not the cast departure I was expecting. (I had to look up Lauren Holt because I couldn’t remember who she was. Basically ersatz Aidy Bryant.)

Billy needs a long long rest. I agree with Sarapa. Maybe some jail time?

Greg Rikaart needs to be in the new Queer As Folk. He’s hilarious. Sonny saying, “I know he’s not Deep Throat,” and Leo replying “You never asked!” That’s funny.

Akshay, a trainer from Mumbai 🇮🇳

Not that she’s responsible for the overarching vision of the show—that’s all on Brad and CBS—but Michele Val Jean is still on staff at B&B. I just wonder what she thinks about all of this.

Just started watching (into Episode 2). Can’t say that I’m that engaged, but it doesn’t seem like I’ve gotten to the good stuff yet. Zach Tinker is obviously an upgrade in pretty much every sense, but he’s at an absolute 10 in terms of intensity when he maybe should be at an 8 or a 9. (Chandler and Billy don’t feel very present in these early scenes, which only makes ZT acting his heart out seem a bit odd.) It’s almost jarring to see a Sonny with actual energy that’s not forced, though, and I’ve liked Freddie Smith in the past.

It’s exacerbated by the fact that Bradley Bell doesn’t give a damn about any of the black characters on this show. They have zero depth and the actors don’t get any material to dig their teeth into. They are all outsiders and interlopers in the lives of the Forresters and Spencers. They have little agency. They have no history to dig into. They currently have no family ties (even Zende, who is a fûcking Forrester). They are written as not to be trusted, and they rarely have the dignity of having their inner lives and complex motivations shown on screen. And yes, Justin is basically Samuel L. Jackson in Django Unchained. Going from one master to another… (One huge problem is that Bradley has refused to invest in a black family. We keep cycling through new sets of black characters and Carter and Justin have made a home on the back burner over the years. We don’t get the sense of depth that comes from seeing characters tackle many trials and tribulations over time.)

Miqueas, a model from Brazil 🇧🇷

And McEnroe replying, “Good point.” Wow. (Didn’t Tatum O’Neal make allegations against Johnny Mac?)

Model Daniel Osgood 🇺🇸

Unclear if it would have made a difference here, since there were many different drugs involved, but users should invest in those fentanyl test strips, at the very least.

I remember when they tried to launch a Doctor Who theatrical feature-film franchise. What a debacle that was. I get that they are under incredible financial scrutiny, but the BBC always make things 100 times harder than they need to be.

Ohhhh… Nikki Newman is so big and bad! All hail the new Stephanie Forrester with nothing to back it up.

Deidre is always great when she’s allowed to camp it up a bit. She’s incredibly funny.

Ahhh, that intrigues me more than anything else. They had to make *some* concessions to lure him back. Lydia West reminds me of Tessa Thompson.