Faulkner

It’s *really* gross. You definitely see what a dark, damaged character Luke was in many ways, which I know Tony Geary wanted to play up after his ‘90s return, but they also dance around it. It’s very uncomfortable to watch. I feel like I need to backtrack to 78-79 to truly understand what they were aiming to do. George Gaynes was a versatile actor, yet I still find it weird to watch Punky Brewster’s foster dad as this ruthless mob boss. Even as its characterization and storytelling declined, GH maintained the quality of its day-to-day scripts well into the 2000s, far beyond that of the other soaps. 1980 GH’s dialogue was incredibly smart. There was a throwaway scene between Dr. Jesse Brewer and her partner Dan Rooney about dating late in life, and the dialogue was so thoughtful and rich and full of wisdom that I took notice. Just the caliber of the scripts were so much higher then. Each character’s voice felt so singular.

They all but telegraphed that would win the crown, but it was deserved. She turned it this season. Last week’s LSFYL to Reba’s “Fancy” should have been epic, but it was one of the worst in the whole franchise. Wrong queens for that song, which lends itself to an emotional performance (like “Black Velvet”) and not turns and flips. Why bring back Newark LaGuardia Kennedy Davenport for that?

I’ve seen a few takes comparing this album to my favorite National song, “Pink Rabbits.” I definitely hear it a little bit, as well as Lana Del Rey and Mazzy Star. (Although I’m not particularly bowled over by the album so far. Her vocals have come a LONG way over the years, I agree.)

From the Philippines 🇵🇭

Not unexpected.

A lot of people find the National a bit boring but I enjoy them. I’d say these are more exciting:

This is the highlight:

I wonder if we should brace ourselves for an explosion of surprise material from artists who’ve been holed up creating new music. Especially if they have home studios and what-not. It’s been a very slow few months. I know some artists want to wait until they can support new releases with tours, but who knows when that’s gonna happen at this point. Concerts will likely be one of the last things to return.

From Toronto 🇨🇦

I love The National (of which Aaron Dessner is a member), so I’m interested in seeing how this goes. That sound is certainly not on trend in terms of what gets streamed, but who knows? Her most loyal fans will certainly will follow her anywhere. Not sure what she has to prove anyway.

I think I vaguely remember her and Cutter seeming like a promising pairing. They wound up sticking him with Marian Crane/Brent, who killed him off. What a waste.

Totally missed this in the above promo:

From Houston 🇺🇸

The shot before Michael opens the door at the end, with his beard and heaving bare chest, seemed so obviously like a crucifixion allusion. Very artfully composed.

I was into that hairy, sweaty look (which I know was only temporary), even if Michael was absolutely detestable. (I would never have been one of those twisted fans who stalked Roger Howarth in the early ‘90s.)