P.J.

I think deep down Goutman had contempt for any ATWT that had come before him.

I don't think he had contempt---I just don't think he ever quite understood or appreciated what made ATWT unique from the ABC soaps. I think it drove him to make bad decisions, from hiring ABC alumni to "modernizations" that ultimately hurt the show deeply.

I don't know...I know Denise bothered a lot of people for selling her baby. And I know I never bought her romance with Ben. I do think it's too bad Kim never got to spend any time with her ONE biological grandchild.

Sometimes I don't really think it's Sheffer's fault. He needed a strong co-writer. One who literally understood why you can't and/or shouldn't repeat plots (like that stupid island Lily&Simon and Katie were stuck on) or write entire stories that take place "out" of town, and literally strand a group of characters by themselves for the duration. Knew how to develop characters instead of relying on stunt casting to facilitate a change in character. I think he was in over his head from day one, he just had a strong enough staff to write his ass out of it. Once he bought into his own press, he was toast.

ahhhh....memories. Thanks!

I loved this eppy!! I'm so glad ghostTommy forgave Ollie!! And Slade is the big baddie behind Brother Blood? WTF?

And damn them for teasing me with all this Olicity smokin' hot possessive angst. YUMMY. I haven't shipped anything this hard since CarJack.

*sigh* Thanks for finding that. It's such a fun read. 'Tho it leaves me a little depressed since my show is gone...

LOL...the outtake reel was funny. So good to see Ben H again.

The ratings were up a tick. I thought the Barry Allen character was nice enough...I guess...but he seems really too young and naïve to become a superhero. I liked the non-Barry parts a little better, like the preview of tension between Moira and Isabel, Ollie's discomfort at Felicity's fascination with another male, and the island stuff. (I'm one who doesn't mind the Island other than Ollie's tacky hairdo). And bonus points for Moira siccing Ra's a Ghoul or whatever on Merlyn. I wish she'd knee him in the balls---but he'd probably consider that an invitation.

And I don't believe for a moment Merlyn was some saint before his wife died and screwing Moira after her death somehow blackened his soul. I thought Tommy's story was that as soon as his mom died, his dad disappeared?

Rita Lloyd is criminally forgotten. Her time as Lucille Wexler scared the living crap out of me.

I'm sorry---I love that opening. LURVE. IT.

Yeah, Holden's a douche---but that clip actually makes me appreciate grown up PapaToAllOfOakdale Holden. At least until the !@#$%^&*] went after Carly.

caught sight of Jean Carol (Nadine GL) on HIMYM tonight. She has no lines, but she looks good. She's in the part about Robin at the cake shop. Right before James VanderBeek appears (an ex-ATWTer himself)

So, was that the woman who Barbara gave Paul to? Cool.

For a while I was very confused and thought that quote was from Sam Hall.

Wait a minute---that is a quote from Sam Hall. Rereading it, I could see where that's maybe an explanation from his book about soaps in general. And in a quantitative way, I get what he's saying, especially back then when soaps moved at a snail's pace. But just because a scene isn't pivotal, doesn't mean it's unimportant.

I'd heard about it...didn't realize it took them 50 masks to get it right, when they could have simply grabbed one off a Walmart shelf and covered that with green velvet. At least now when he makes a quick change I won't have to wonder how he scrubbed all that burnt cork off his face (or whatever that stuff is).

Yeah...I get that John Barrowman is some kind of Broadway star or whatever...but I FLOVED Tommy!

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking there was something weird about Laurel's face.

I hope Dylan Bruce gets some more to do. Right now he's a glorified extra. Dylan Neal is really working it as Dr. Ivo.

Fine---let me restate. I will never believe her so-called revenge or alcoholism is about ever having loved Tommy. She's throwing a HUGE pity party for herself. Poor Laurel...Ollie banged her and then left for six months. I'm sure they'll try and write that poor Laurel's just been so beat down by life she just broke down finally after being all Annie-the-sun-will-come-up-tomorrowish for years and years.

Not gonna work for me.

well...I don't want to sound like a hater---but there was something weird about her face. I don't know if they were just shooting from weird angles or what---but it looked weirdly long.

At least she's doing a decent job of acting "off". Like the step below functioning alcoholic. Not that I care---I will never believe she's out for vengeance for Tommy's sake.

I knew Merlyn wasn't dead. But this paternity twist is kind of lame.

It's weird how I find both Dylan Bruce and Dylan Neal hotter than when they appeared on ATWT & B&B.

Still diggin' the Olicity vibe.

Yeah, I don't think those comments had anything to do with ageism. I think it speaks to the difference in eras---today there is a clearer definition of an character's individual look. Yes, today a 50 yr old lawyer would still be running around occasionally in man panties, and I definitely think there was more reliance on acting presence rather than appearance...but let's not kid ourselves---it's the way we view them that's changed. Not the fact they were more attractive than the person off the street. Then, as now, pretty was the rule, not the exception.

I do think ATWT was the last soap to modernize their look. You could tell they were moving in that direction with characters like Barbara, Margo and JD's Tom...but there's still a stuffy, conservative vibe in their look well into the mid-80's and some would say well after that. I'm sure some of it was about the fact they'd ruled the roost with their "look" for 20 years, much the same way Y&R has been stuck on their "signature look" forever now.

I've always found the ABC shows over-the-top in their acting and character manner.

Hell yeah---a Laurel free episode!! Love the focus on Diggle, letting him lead story.

sigh Olicity are perfect for each other. I love Felicity being jealous and Ollie saying he doesn't deserve her. Or that he cares about her too much to screw her. However you want to put it.

That article makes me feel incredibly shallow. I like the cast chemistry and hot guys. Arc tragectories and the DC vs. Marvel stuff...yeah, not so much. I can't believe someone analyzes it to that degree. And I found myself a little annoyed at some of the less than accurate descriptions of the story. I mean, I know Merlyn ordered Ollie's father's death, but Ollie's father ended up committing suicide. It may be a nit-pick, but it's one of those things that annoys me.

I'm glad I don't know the DC canon. Now I'm seriously bummed by

the knowledge Slade is Deathstroke and Shado will eventually oppose Ollie.

Unless I somehow missed that---some of the island stuff confuses me.

I don't know how often Roger checks into this post. But something has to have been worked out with P&G (or whoever has the rights to the show), since he would not be posting them otherwise.

I think because she comes off like a wet rag. Part of it's the way the role's written---she doesn't know Ollie is the Arrow, and this season she's going after him (I guess), which makes her his enemy. It's always harder being the "good" girl on any show---they tend to stray into the "vanilla" category. And it's probably worse on a superhero show where stronger women are kicking ass.

People harped on Thea last year for being too whiny (I didn't---I thought she was simply acting the way a lot of teens would in her circumstance), and this year she's stronger--less whiny, less spoiled.

I think Laurel's growing, but there's not enough chemistry between her and Ollie for me to care about their romance.

That was a really touching scene between Sara and Lance.

Still wish they'd dump Laurel. But not til after she screws Dylan Bruce's character. He seems hotter here than on ATWT.

That is such a story point, and so true to Lucinda's character---I think it had to come from Marland. I'd really like to know if Marland would have ever hooked up Josh and Meg if not for the writer's strike and Jennifer Ashe apparently wanting to leave though.

Kim and Lisa disowned Babs? I don't recall it---but I'd argue they stood by her long after she deserved their support, especially after she had Carly, Em and Rose kidnapped. That BS that she wasn't responsible chapped my hide. She knew what she asked of James and she reveled in it when they were gone. The fact she then spent weeks in Parker's company literally had me seething in anger.

I don't remember Carly blowing Molly off either---but C&M rarely were involved in each other's stories. They just mainly "caught up" on plot-point days. Even when Molly was with Jake---she started acting like Carly was beneath her somehow---like Molly suddenly didn't remember she'd been a LOT more screwed up than Carly ever was. At the bachelorette party Carly threw for her, all the guests (Kim, Lisa, and I forget who else) were markedly snotty to Carly (after Babs' burns) knowing that Carly had been the target of Julia's bomb and nearly killed by Julia herself in the mud pit, and Molly says nothing to them. NOTHING.

So if Carly wanted to bond with her sister....too bad. LOL. Not that I don't think that should have happened...but that's a whole other story.