Faulkner

One might think Griffith and Morina exist solely to keep costs low… making a compelling or even mildly diverting show is way down the list of priorities…

Do they even have that set anymore? So many sets have come and gone on this show…

This Quinn reveal is anticlimactic. Zoe’s absence in particular is a huge miss, especially when they heavily played her part in this story for weeks.

Now it’s raining…

In lieu of Falynn getting an actual peach, could Kenya bring Falynn on to film just to be messy?

What incentives exist for Y&R to fix anything that’s wrong with the show right now? Ratings don’t appear to be cratering (and CBS didn’t seem alarmed when they were). I think a lot of people (viewers included) are content for Y&R to simply be ambient TV. Background noise while you do other things. Or perhaps there’s a silent majority of viewers who are actively enjoying the show. Certainly the very online are not happy.

Angie Kerber peaking again. She usually does well in even-numbered years, but since 2020 was written off, it makes sense lol.

From Germany 🇩🇪

When did Michele Val Jean start? I see she’s in the credits.

Y&R often looks and feels cheaper than all the other series, including the notoriously low-budget DAYS, which seems to make much better use of its limitations. The dip in production values over even the past couple of years has been stunning, even pre-COVID.

Karla’s a good actress and maybe she’d need time to find her sea legs as Amanda, but she just isn’t in Mishael’s league. There’s no comparison to how the Amanda scenes played with KM versus MM. Karla just couldn’t get her mouth around the unnatural dialogue while Mishael makes it feel effortless and impassioned. Even the decent-to-passable actors cast as Amanda’s family can’t do it nearly as well as Mishael. They have no clue what a goldmine they have in her.

Karen Huger just posted this on IG. Is she really this snatched?

From India 🇮🇳

Oof. Dan Schneider interview in the NYT.

For me, she almost singlehandedly makes the show, in spite of the poorly executed introduction of her family. They need to pay her all the money. I would love a behind-the-scenes exposé on Y&R. The show is about as Dollar General as it gets, and they continue to strip it down. I can’t imagine someone like Melody Thomas Scott is long for this world on that show.

These shows feel like they can get more mileage (and social media “moments”) with the completely out-of-left-field twist than the well-paced story. It’s sad to see and really disrespects their audience. It’s also overused in primetime as well, but for soaps in particular, it goes against their main reason for being. (Not that Bradley has ever demonstrated a skill for pacing…) A good surprise or twist every once in a while can keep viewers on their toes, but it has to feel earned, and this one does not. Justin just seems desperately opportunistic rather than methodical or strategic.

Nick Kyrgios. What a clown.

Ostapenko, actin’ a fool, per usual.

An interesting long read on the PTPA and how to address the financial struggles of players at the lower rungs of the top 100-200: