dc11786

Lena and Fred Eckert are siblings. Fred wasn't happy when Lena married Tim Spencer, Bobbie, Luke, and Pat's father. That was the source of the supposed feud between the Eckerts and the Spencers. I'm in early March, 1991, and Ruby (at bequest of Bobbie) has decided to make an ongoing commercial order from Eckert's for the diner, which should end some of the bad blood. What wasn't resolved will end in late May, 1991, when Fred Eckert has his heart attack. 

I suspect that the Eckerts were from some soap that Monty had spent the past year or so prior to returning to GH trying to launch. She was living in Portland with her husband and was trying to establish a production facility where she was going to develop said show. When ABC signed Monty, a development deal for a new soap was attached, but I'm not sure if ABC was really ready to cut the cord with "Loving" yet. Anyway, I suspect the Eckerts were the central family of that show. 

I am wondering if the Eckert/Spencer connection was a result of signing Tony Geary rather than developing a story for Tony as a new character. I think Bill (accused of sabotage) and Bobbie (a pariah because of the baby swap) had some potential on paper, but even eliminating the cousin element there is no sexual chemistry between Geary and Zeman. 

Most of the references this spring to Eckerts has been in relation to donuts. There is supposedly a late night donut window (according to Kristina) and Sam or someone brought donuts from Eckerts' to Dante's homecoming. 

March, 1991 is already becoming a bit of a drag. Everything is either an Eckert story or Mac/Robert related. The resolution of Dawn's murder happens fairly quick (Frisco found a tape of Edge bludgeoning Dawn and it's announced that Edge had been found murdered). There is a bit around the ELQ end of the fallout of the sinking of the Tracy, but it is very community based (how will this effect the poor (offscreen), working class people of Port Charles. I think the setup is for Ned and Jenny, but maybe that's just me reading into what was coming down the pike. 

On 4/28/2024 at 3:36 PM, carolineg said:

Thank you so much for your detailed explanations as always.  I find out so much from you.  In your opinion would you have kept Cheryl and/or Edge?  I have never heard much positive about either, but it seems both have potential.  

I think there was potential for both characters prior to Gloria Monty returning to the credits in February, 1991, even though she was back in the studio in early December, 1990. I think Edge's potential was long gone by the time Monty is in the credits, but Cheryl should have been kept around as a roadblock for Anna/Robert at the very least. Could you imagine Cheryl hooking up with Mac just to get to Robert? 

Palumbo sets up Cheryl and Edge for several different scenarios which were equally interesting to me, but never crossed their paths the way I would. Palumbo brought Cheryl Stansbury back in September, 1990, at the bequest of Tracy Q as she is trying to build some business acumen and take control of ELQ. She wants Cheryl as her financial advisor as she had previously advised Edward, who is "dead" at this point in the story. Cheryl comes back and the set up is clear that Robert is going to be the father of Cheryl's baby, but there is also a brief flirtation/chem test between Cheryl and Ned Ashton. Tracy wants Ned/Cheryl so that Ned will get his mind off Dawn. Cheryl and Ned interact a bit at ELQ but it never goes very far. 

With the Robert thread, it would have been easy to tell an Edge / Anna / Robert / Cheryl story with Edge being a real Jerome claiming he is an imposter because he wants Anna. Anna and Robert growing closer because of Robin's machinations and desire to see her parents reunite. Cheryl aligning herself with Edge hoping that Edge can win Anna so she can have Robert. Eventually, I would have Edge convince Cheryl to keep custody of baby Lucas she should present a stable family life (either leaning into Cheryl's mental instability or even allowing Edge to gaslight Cheryl). I'd have Cheryl and Edge unite to raise Lucas, claiming he's a Jerome, so that they could get the inheritance money that Lucy had wanted. I'd have had Lucy press Ned to pursue Cheryl as well in order to get information about the inheritance (as she was the original heir to the diamonds because she "found" them). Cheryl and Edge would cause conflict for Robert / Anna as they both begin to suspect something is amuck. 

The other possibility presented was going with an Edge / Dawn / Decker / Ned / Cheryl situation. In this alternate scenario, I would still have Edge pursuing Dawn because he thought she had money but then allowing Ned to be jealous of Edge's relationships with both Dawn and Cheryl, with Decker's business relationship with Edge complicating things as Decker and Edge started to present themselves as more serious power brokers in Port Charles' business community through the involvement in their ad agency. 

Ultimately, Riche/Levinson (and possibly Maralyn Thoma, if she was still there) made the right choice in killing off Cheryl and presenting a custody fight between Tiffany and Bobbie over Lucas. 

***

I'm reaching the end of February, 1991. The Monty revamp is wild. It is completely different show. The issue that I am mostly seeing is the emphasis on the Eckerts has destabilized the existing cast. One of the issues is that the show seems to want to present class conflict between the Eckerts vs. the Quartermaines, which I find intriguing, in theory. Though, I think part of the issue is that the size of the Eckert and Quartermaine sets means that both sets cannot be used in the same episode. Most of February Quartermaine scenes were set in the Q gatehouse, which I suspect was so that Monty and team could have the Eckert sets constructed. 

In regards to the Eckerts themselves, they need work. It seems like Norma Monty is writing "Ryan's Hope" fan fiction with an Italian/German working class family who run a bakery. The family is loud and boisterous and talking a lot about how they are a family without really defining the characters as well as they should. Sly is the cute kid. Fred the strict father. Angela the mediator mother. Joey is a womanizer. Jenny is flaky jumping from cause to cause. Bill is a man trying to pick up the pieces of his life after losing his job and his wife (Nancy has recently left him it seems). The two second generation Eckerts have potential. Jenny has recently been humbled when she decides to crash the Quartermaines formal function thinking it is a society bash and not Dawn's memorial reception. Bill seems to be trying to navigate the thinly drawn feud between the Eckerts and Spencers while also trying to defend himself against sabotage charges. 

One of my bigger issues with the Bill story is it runs directly up against Decker falsely being accused of murdering Dawn at the end of the video piracy plot featuring the Berlin gangsters. Bill and Decker having to both defend themselves at the same time seems like overkill. Though, it may be worth noting (if I didn't already) that it is the Wish version "Die Hard" villains in the piracy story who first make mention of Eckerts bakery when the main villain (Hans?) goes on the campiest of hedonistic declarations about how wonderful the Eckert streussel is while threatening to end Edge's life. 

The goodbyes are constant. Colton, Carla, Frankie, and Charlene are all shipped off to Colton's cattle ranch in Santa Mauro while Decker and Dawn are left to die at Body Heat. Simone has escaped to Bucharest to help the war orphans leaving Tom and the Hardys to raise Tom, Jr. At least Steve and Audrey get some reflective scenes raising Tom Jr. Edge is caught by the German villains after bludgeoning Dawn to death. We still have Decker left to depart and then at some point I think Larry Ashton fades out, but I am not exactly clear when that is. 

Even in the exiting stories, the Eckerts are centered. When Dawn and Decker get engaged, at the bakery, it is done in a wideshot so we can see clearly Fred and Angela Eckert watching the event. If there were more depth to the family, I could enjoy it, but so many scenes are just them yelling. It's like that was the defining trait of working class families on soaps in the early 1990s (Addie Walsh treated the Slavinski/Rescott crew similarly on "Loving.") The sinking of the ELQ Tracy would have meant more if the characters had appeared prior to all this heightened drama. 

Also, a lot of the secondary players are starting to find there way into the story. Finian arrives as part of Mac's community service after hitting Guy Lewis and Scorpio while alsoscratching Frisco. Stacey Cortez is appearing very early as Sheila Cantillion (in a scene at the hospital with Joey trying to help him get a job). Joseph Whipp I think appeared in late January as Marty the cannery foreman who will appear through at least March, 1992. Noah Blake has started as Patrick Pulaski, who I suspect was suppose to be a slightly bigger role. He was working at the cannery and was fired by Ned only to work at Wyndham's as a mannequin repairman. He's Jenny's initial partner in crime who Jenny drags to the Qs with Jenny's intention for reading the Qs for filth for the excess and greed. It is a beautiful moment when Anna (who knows Jenny through Robin) relays the information that this is a funeral reception and pompous Jenny is humbled.  Patrick's sister Carol has yet to be introduced, but she becomes a love interest for Bill briefly. Their father was smentione,d but I don't think seen. The family is Polish-Irish because it seems a Monty mandate is we know everyone's ethnicity and talk about things like the Gulf War, PCB chemicals, Romanian orphans, the recession, etc. 

To at least compliment something, I do appreciate the more serious tone that the material is presented in. I just find it very hard to cover with the story because it's  all deconstruction or construction. It's very odd. 

I thought today's episode was very tight. 

I don't like all the short scenes the show does, but cutting from Liz and Portia at the hospital talking about their worries about their parenting only to lead into Natalia just being the meddling mother worked well for me. Later, having Portia asked by Curtis about his work with Drew on the fitness division felt like we were seeing the internal conflict that Portia was just talking about as a mother in action in her marriage.

Natalia works for me as the source of conflict. She is homophobic, but she doesn't think she's homophobic. I am pretty sure I called it a few weeks back when I said Natalia would use the pregnancy as another reason to keep the couple apart. Natalia is a woman who has controlled every step her daughter has taken. This must be killing her. I do hope that Natalia starts actively doing things to undermine the relationship, but I'm content with what is going on right now. No one is buying Natalia's line of thought. Alexis has dismissed her. Brook Lynn has pointed out that the ideas are outdated. The one issue I do see is whether or not Blaze/Allison is worth all this trouble. I think the actress is growing, or I am just accepting the work she is putting out there. I don't know which. 

I am enjoying the character based drama in the surrogacy story with the conflict being the connection to Sonny with the sprinkles that Kristina is becoming attached to the child. I appreciate that there are finally T.J./Molly scenes because so much of their story has been told in separate scenes. Though, like many of the stories, there will need to be some action at some point. 

Drew and Nina continue to be fun. I think the sexual tension before Curtis' phone call was good. I am enjoying them as thick as thieves, but I will be curious to see how things progress once Jordan is thrown into the mix. 

I think someone mentioned a shift in Aiden's story from the liking a guy to the bullying, but I sorta hope that they are linked. What if the bully is the guy that Aiden likes and has decided to avoid outing himself by targeting Aiden? I recently saw the film "Monster" that played with that issue. 

I still like the potential of where things are going, but I will admit it isn't always the most exciting way to get there. 

31 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Was there any real reason given by Monty or whoever on why the choice was made to make Julian Lucas's father?  Was it to free up Robert?  Because from everything I have read and seen it doesn't make a lot of sense and wasn't terribly popular.

I am at Valentine's Day, 1991. Cheryl gets the baby back the last week of January/early February just as Norma Monty starts to be credited (it looks like she might be credited late January as there looks to be a name underneath Palumbo's but the credits are cut off in my episodes). On V Day, Cheryl tries to get some hairstylist to do her hair, but the man chooses Anna instead. Cheryl and her frizz try to win over Robert, but he's out with Anna and Cheryl, instead, accepts a job offer in Phoenix and departs town after sharing a quick goodbye with Tiffany and Sean. Monty clearly wanted to wipe the slate clean. 

I think the long plan under Palumbo/Hardy was a repairing of Anna and Robert. The emotional climax of the Faison/Casey the Alien/Crystal Caper is Sean revealing on his hospital bed that he arranged the destruction of Anna and Robert's marriage years ago through some scheme involving the Swede and possibly an affair between Anna/Faison. Actually, I suspect the original plan was to reveal that original plan was to play the beat that Robin may be Faison's daughter as the timing of the affair and Robin's age suggested he was a contender. This was never explored although a great deal of time was spent on a relationship between Robin and Faison as they were collaborting on a book together in the summer of 1990. 

Given what plays out onscreen, the only thing that makes sense was that Palumbo/Hardy planned on revealing that Robert was Lucas' father. There is a scene in September 1990 between Scorpio and Frisco that alludes to both Scorpio having more children and Frisco's past relationship with his own father. Then, Broxton reveals that the number on Victor Jerome's diamond pouch is the number of Cheryl's file with Dr. Perry, who sold the baby to Bobbie. The diamonds were Victor's insurance policy when he got out of jail. The only reason that makes sense about this is if Victor planned to blackmail Robert to leave him alone with evidence of the baby's location. If it was a Jerome grandchild, why allow him to float around?

I think the plan for Evan Jerome, Jr. was for Edge to be Evan. I think Hardy's departure may have lead to some changes as there were clearly sweeping changes happening even before Hardy is out the door. Evan may have even been in the works when Palumbo/Kenney were EP because of Duke's role in Evan's father's death. Edge should have been an intriguing obstacle for Anna, but instead, he is quickly abandoned. I thought the potential of a Cheryl / Robert / Anna / Edge scenario was very intriguing given the fact that Lucas was either Robert or Julian's. 

Cheryl also weaponizes Lucas' paternity in her final days trying to get a reunion with Robert because he is their son. It makes Bobbie more sympathetic because even though she lied I don't think she was using Lucas to keep her marriage together. She lied to keep Lucas, not Tony. I'm glad that Riche revives the custody battle over Lucas with Bobbie/Tiffany. After watching this all play out, I think it is a brilliant move. 

11 hours ago, Vee said:

I think so too, but I really don't need Jordan around period; she's a dead character. I do suspect that in the short term she may be in the mix a bit to seem like the respectable option in his life vs. Drew's messy, dysfunctional fascination with Nina, but I think Drew and Nina is where it's going. I also think they have begun to build Nina up to not needing a man again (maybe for the first time in her life).

I don't know what to think of Jordan, to be honest. The actress doesn't wow me, but the writing hasn't really made the character pop either. I could take or leave Jordan. At present, she feels like a piece of the bigger puzzle. I suspect she will be around for a bit (at least a few months) with the surrogacy story in place, the hint of a romance with Drew, and the focus on the activity in the mayor's office. However, given that there was a focus on having Laura and Jordan reveal their tax information, I could totally see someone using that information to create some sort of corruption scandal that would knock Laura and/or Jordan out of office especially since Laura has now declared war on Sonny. 

I was referring specifically to the fact that Nina has asked Drew to help her rebuild her relationship with Willow. Like most of you, I agree this will ultimately come to bite Nina in the ass when Drew decides that he can have both the mother and the daughter. I see the potential of the Nina/Drew/Willow/Michael quad being a variation on the old Tracy/Paul/Jenny/Ned story. 

Overall, right now I feel like there is a real attempt to make all the pieces fit on the canvas in order to build a level of cohesion that wasn't present several months ago. Some of those pieces might be removed as time goes on, but if Trina and T.J. end up becoming a thing (which I think they might), I think Jordan might have a position. The potential Ashford family drama would benefit from Jordan's presence given the family's history of paternity for both T.J. and Trina. I'd also bring back Marcus Taggert to help in the takedown of Sonny, toy with a relationship between Jordan / Marcus post-Jordan/Drew, and let the drama hit the fan. 

Made my way through January, 1991, quickly. It was easy because the show was pretty compelling thanks to two major storylines: (a) the Lucas saga and (b) the end of Lucy's pregnancy. In the main plot, Cheryl ended up in the hospital on New Years' Eve because of an injury she got in a fight with Tiffany leading Tiffany to learn that Tiffany has been hoarding Christmas presents for her husband Robert and son Robbie. I definitely think Robert was at this stage suppose to be the baby's father. Why else would the Jeromes have kept the baby secret? It only makes sense if Lucas was Cheryl and Robert's child. 

Jackie Zeman is amazing playing all the facets of Bobbie as she desperately attempts to keep the truth from Cheryl about Lucas' identity. Scorpio is onto Bobbie as she has been in cahoots with Broxton, the Jerome attorney (her knows the baby is Cheryl's). As a result, he blackmails Rita Lloyd Jones out of Port Charles, but not before Rita implies to Tony in a letter that Bobbie is having an affair. The back and forth continues until Frisco lies for Bobbie, after also catching her in Broxton's room during an arrest. Bobbie now has Frisco and Ruby in her scheme. Eventually, Robert learns and even keeps quiet for an episode or two until taking the baby and giving it to Cheryl. 

Once given the baby, Cheyl continues her crazy claiming the baby is Robert, but a paternity test shows its a lie. Then, we get a cat fight between Bobbie and Cheryl over Lucas. Any real energy this part of the story could have is avoided because this is the uncredited Monty era before the big revamp. 

The story with Lucy's baby is smaller, but equally powerful. They quickly have Scotty quit ELQ, dump Tracy, the Qs set up a trust for the baby, and then Scotty reveals to Alan in Lucy's presence that the baby is his. Lucy loses the baby as a result. There is a suggestion that Alan may be lead to physical violence (there is a montage of the Monica/Rick/Alan story randomly) leading to Lucy and Scott filing a suit against Alan to bring criminal charges against him blaming him for the baby's death. In the end, it's a money scheme, but it loses steam because Lucy is shipped out of town on a cruise so Herring can go on maternity leave. 

In what I'm watching now, there is some Scotty / Bobbie scenes that makes me thinkthey maybe they should have gone this route. 

The Monty mandate that we talk about the real world has lead to a ongoing subplot about the crisis facing Romanian orphans who have been liberated by the fall of communism but still face health issues such as disabilities and HIV/AIDS. Simone is immediately overwrought leading to her exit story. 

Other exit stories also involve the real world. Colton and Carla are planning their return to Santa Mauro, where El Presidente has given Colton a cattle ranch. First, Colotn has to sell Body Heat, but because of the recession is a hard sell, figuratively and literally. If there was a drinking game where they mentioned the recession, you'd be drunk pretty quick. There is lots of talk about the economy. It has also led to Monica, newly returned to the Q mansion, making sure that the whole family is put on notice. The Tracy branch is regulated to the gatehouse and the rest of the family is also placed on a budget. It's fun set of scenes, but it isn't sustainable. It at least reestablishes the family as a unit. 

The other transition story is the piracy act between the newly reimagined businessman Colton and the newly stripped down Edge. Edge's romantic interest in both Dawn and Anna is abandoned and he is now strictly a sleazy businessman. It works given the nature of where they are going. 

In what I'm watching now, Jenny Eckert has made her first appearance. So I am into the true Monty II era. 

A lot of random comments from this week...

I enjoyed the parallel betrayal conversations between Carly / Sonny and Ava/Nina. I didn't expect Nina to sign the divorce papers. That was a pretty nice shock for me. I didn't mind the montage, but the song wasn't for me. 

I think the show is planning an immediate triangle with Nina / Drew / Jordan with the story being set in Drew's work to help the city change the image of Port Charles. There seems to be a slowly building campaign to clean up PC which I expect will also involve the arrest of Sonny. The clincher for me was the Jordan / Drew flirtation at the bachelor party where Jordan made it clear that she doesn't need a man. This is a direct contrast to Nina, who needs Drew to help her. Playing the dynamic between the clingy Nina and the independent Jordan is intriguing, but I imagine that Jordan will be the loser. The potential of Drew/Willow is good, but I think it will be the second arc of the story between Nina and Drew because for the Nina / Willow conflict to have real meat I would expect there to be a relationship between Nina and Willow first. 

@Khan I was thinking of you when Brook Lynn pointed out that Natalia's concerns about Blaze's sexuality is outdated. It seems pretty clear to me that the impact on the career is not the real issue. I thought the back and forth over Blaze wanting Brook Lynn to focus on her wedding was a great contrast to the Brook Lynn / Natalia confrontation earlier in the week. 

I think the wedding preparation was fine, but something is missing. These sorta nice everyday gatherings are more meaningful when there is something on the horizon ( an ex returning to town, a secret). It just seems to be present without the dramatic tension that would make it pop. I thought the blending of stories in both settings was nice. Josslyn and Kristina's confrontation was a surprising highlight. I enjoy the animosity that is building almost as much as I enjoy Kristina honing in on Ava's duplicity. I know some people think Ava will cause Kristina to miscarry, some think Josslyn will, but I am of the camp that Ava will somehow manipulate the situation so it looks like Josslyn is the cause. Especially if Nina and Carly come together to go after Ava now that they know that Ava has set her sights on Sonny. 

Kristina going to Molly for the truth about Sonny was a smart move and allowed us to play the dramatic irony of knowing that Molly knows all about Sonny / Cyrus and will have to prosecute him, which will only piss off Kristina. I liked the ensuing conflict between T.J. / Molly. T.J.'s point of view on this issue has remained pretty consistent since Dante's shooting; the presence of Sonny is a threat to his unborn child has been the topic of most of T.J.'s limited scenes. I was happy we finally got the conversation between Molly and T.J. after it being between T.J. and Jordan and T.J. and Marshall. 

I also thought the T.J. / Trina / Ace scenes weren't about Trina being a nanny, but rather setting up a dynamic where Trina is involved in Ace's life as a springboard for T.J. and Trina to interact more if Kristina were to lose he baby. I felt it was more a chemistry test, but no one else seemed to feel that way so maybe I'm wrong. 

I know the reaction to the Gregory story seems mixed, but I find it rather emotional. The paralysis moment was rather dramatic. I keep wondering when this is going to end, not because I want it to, but just because I am invested. I thought Finn / Gregory's conflict over the caregiver made sense. Both men want to be in control. Tracy's intervention was also smart both in the officiant conversation and in the caregiver conversation. I like the chemistry between Gregory / Tracy and I think their romance has twinges of tragedy that I think that Jane Eliott is going to play the hell out of when it reaches it climaxes (hopefully on trial for easing Gregory's misery).

The Finn / Alexis scenes seem to be leading to some sorta of connection. I think the fallout of Gregory's inevitable passing has the potential to create enough dramatic ripples to carry the show for a bit. The potential of either Alexis or Finn falling off the wagon works for me and I like the potential of Finn once again going after his father's woman, even though they seem to be leaning more into Gregory/Tracy than Gregory/Alexis. 

Laura turning down the donation of art from Sonny was good. I feel like Ava is being set up to take over the powerbase once Sonny is sent to jail with the potential for Sonny to go straight (have they done this before? does anyone else think they might go in this direction?) In the end, I think Sonny will end up back on top of the mob, as he always is, but I can hope to see the elimination for at least a little bit.

Sasha the cook seems like an attempt to do some Upstairs/Downstairs set up with the Quartermaines. I do feel there needs to be a bit more work to make the Qs a strong force again, and I don't have a problem with using Cody/Sasha until they can actually build a stronger presence. 

On 4/26/2024 at 11:38 AM, NothinButAttitude said:

Can I ask, how did you go about obtaining them? Did you get them from an auction? I love when one of us gets our hands on soap material as it is so scarce. 

Most likely eBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235534598649?itmmeta=01HWGGE5XW0W3GDBE3J51JSJT3&hash=item36d6f4c1f9:g:8bIAAOSwPz9mKBJ~&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8AbIWxB8p86gLwpleaF3LpVGmAYfK73IqnKLsm%2BksvS5dxNF1Z0SNWGHJ5RmLjGz5OBwjKhofoqCwFFndLd9PAA%2Fy9Be%2BjZwNrqRH%2FMNUrgHfR686U1s8%2B4VxUl%2BW5dV8rr90JUF8hDijGwEm%2FMxc5peBj3zBwJQyWtRifK6NUe8%2FDqmSAJNvvEEbwVSHx6w6ody2lA2PMwDIvfjU8bfDowbpCPTD7UWl4dhpeMKqAR08y%2Fr8IvwjPInLfPg0pxg1S4yq2nequSGkMuA%2B6J9oA%2BteA%2Bdq4SlaRXQDUHZiFUcb3ZKWQVLjl8M25WsPUTDPw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR_zeuJDkYw

Frank Andre played Dom Corso, who sung in a night club as early as December 1965. He seems to be one of the leads by the fall of 1966. Also working at the club was Stash (Bayard Swopes). Corso sang a rendition of the show's theme song. I suspect that Dom may have been a love interest for the final actress (that we know of) who played Linda Driscoll (Beret Arcaya). 

I also suspect there was a third Steve Reynolds. There is a question in a newspaper TV column asking why Tom Holland (Steve #2) left. Given the timeline, it's possible that Steve just left town with his and Jane's son Mark after Jane's death in late November, 1966. I suspect though the final Steve appeared sometime late in 1966 when Steve was on a business trip in South America. 

I wish more information would appear on this show. The latest episode summaries in TV listings I can find are from December, 1965 in newspapers. I do wonder if TV Guides might not have listings for the show, but I haven't really explored that option. 

Today was a solid episode. I think most days tend to be solid, but not always remarkable. One of the standouts today for me were Josslyn going to Anna about Dex's recruitment to the academy. I thought Joss' impassioned speech was well written and well delivered. I think Finola Hughes played the conflict well, but I am not necessarily sure what major aim of going forward with the case against Sonny for Cyrus' assault is and having Molly prosecute. Is she purposely hoping that this will reveal that Dex was involved to get him kicked out of the academy? Or is she trying to get Sonny put away quickly to protect Dex? I am started to see why people were upset about Anna pushing for Dex to be recruited. I still think it's an interesting arc, but it doesn't necessarily make Anna look very intelligent. 

The wedding planning stuff today was more effective than I usually find it. I actually enjoyed Lois trying to arrange Sonny's seat among his enemies only for Lois to consider whether or not they were inviting Jason, who's place in the Q family I was curious about. 

If I cared about Carly/Jason as a couple, I would enjoy their scenes. Jason explaining his isolation and need for something that was just his worked well. I thought the city inspector angle was good as it continues this civic sensibility that has been permeating throughout the show. I actually thought the good cop/bad cop thing was stupid until Carly explained it, and then I just thought that Carly lives by her own rules. I think it was smart to do the whole Danny and the jacket scene without any dialogue. The lighting looked good in that scene. 

Nina getting played is fun. She is definitely not as smart as she thinks she is, which makes her a little more human. Her realization today that Ava is exactly the person that Drew said she was was gold. I just wish that Drew was there to see the moment. I did enjoy the set up of that scene with Sonny and Ava grabbing lunch as Carly arrives to tell Olivia. The episodes do feel tighter as the new writers continue to find their groove. 

15 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I didn't think the Dex scenes were that bad.  I mean they were silly in a fun way.  They didn't bother me at all.

I also think Ava's hair looks good.  I was skeptical at first, but I like the haircut now.

I watched Peggy McCay sell Wanchai Ferry for weeks on end so I'm not a good judge here, but I didn't mind it. It was a bit cringey, but I think it is important to show some part of the test since they've invested the time in telling the story of Dex entering the academy. For a show that has been trying to show every important beat, I think it was a smart move, but definitely not executed in way that emphasizes the show's strengths. 

The show still seems to be finding its way. I like the general tone and atmosphere, but the dialogue could be a little crisper in places. I think there were a lot of small choices today that I appreciated. Ava choosing Trina over the call from the lab made Ava a little more layered. Michael joking about Carly having a new boyfriend. Lois micromanaging every bit of the wedding down to asking Finn if they need a standby officiant reminding Finn of the reality of his father's condition. Dante inviting Anna to the bachelor party. 

I also appreciate the crossover in stories. Dex and Cyrus running into each other at the police station. Joss learning about John's beating and pointing out how hopeless this will be for Dex. Dante taking over the bachelor party planning as Finn continues to be overwhelmed.

I'm sure there are spoilers, and I don't want any, but I appreciate the building anticipation towards Brook Lynn and Chase's wedding  even if I'm not finding every step exciting. I feel like something Sonny related should be happening whether it will be another attempt on his life or his being arrested. The immediate follow up should be Alexis' hearing about being reinstated. I also imagine that Gregory will probably kick the bucket not long after. All of this is interesting to me so I don't mind waiting as long as they play different angles in the meantime. 

13 hours ago, titan1978 said:

Reading through comments and actually watching the show, and one major issue that I hope is finally addressed is the focal point. This show is dominated by performers not on contract. I know this is a hallmark of the Valentini era, but it has to change.

Blaze has a story about her. Kristin is in stories that she is not the focus of- I can’t remember if this Molly is recurring or not. That also includes TJ, who is on even less than Kristina. Laura is stuck trying to keep Heather on the show with her recurring husband Kevin.

Don't get me wrong- I think there is room for the recurring players. I don’t want Lucy to disappear again. But it’s way over the line with them we look at the focus of the show.

I agree. The number of romantic pairings of contract players with recurring actors is such an odd choice. I think there will need to be some shifts made. I still don't get a sense of what the main stories are on the show that I am suppose to be seeing center stage. A lot of what is working for me right now is character's individual journeys. I just don't necessarily feel these are actual stories yet, but rather motivation and character exploration.  

5 hours ago, John said:

Is Maurice Leaving? This looks like they could be setting up an exit. Loved Laura  and Anna's Talk

I imagine there will be some sorta of legal situation involving Sonny being potential sent to prison for the assault on Cyrus since that has been a talking point since Korte and Mulcahey were being credited. Dex and Joss broke up over it. There was all the talk the last two days about it. Now, whether or not Sonny's medication will be used as an excuse is to be seen. 

I thought the Anna / Laura conversation was fairly strong. I appreciate the amount of introspection that characters are doing regarding explaining why they are who they are or why they have chosen to act the way they have. In some ways, Anna and Laura have been characters that has been drawn to dangerous men so their relationships with Sonny make sense. I'm curious to see if this attitude will be maintained as the show moves forward. 

5 hours ago, John said:

I really liked this whole episode. Lot of family and character moments that continue to build story. Good episode Cathy LePard

I thought the strongest scenes today were in the story revolving around Gregory's failing health. The show has done a really nice job the last two days having Gregory dispense rather sound advice to other characters regarding parenting as it highlights not only who he is as a person, but makes me care a bit more about him. I am going to be upset about his passing. I don't think this is the level of Stone's death, but I appreciate that there is an honest examination about a person's feelings regarding the fact that they are in their final days. I am not always thrilled with Michael Easton's choices, but I did find he did a better than usual job portraying the guilt Finn has over the affair with Jackie and the bitter hostility he has felt for his father. Alexis and Finn's scenes were really well done and that wasn't a dynamic I was expecting to enjoy.  

Gregory's analysis of the Jake/Jason/Liz situation was intriguing because it leaned into Liz's feelings over this situation. I liked Gregory trying to compare Jake to Finn as I imagine this is a dynamic that they were trying to develop in those few pre-Mulcahey and Korte episodes I watched. I am assuming the vape story is being dropped. Who was vaping? 

I thought Chase and Brook Lynn reflecting on their backgrounds was insightful, but I am only interested in this thread because I imagine Chase would receive some sort of money following Gregory's death and how that money will impact their dynamic. 

5 hours ago, Vee said:

I do think Easton has made a real effort with the Gregory stuff, particularly of late. I just am tired of watching him onscreen and I think the majority of the audience is as well. The weary look in Liz's eyes in their 'romance' of late also screams "you again?"

I'll give you using some inflection in his voice rather than his typical monotone droll seems to be a choice that required more effort than usual, but I felt like he was complaining about how hard the New York Times crossword puzzle was rather than allowing his father make his own medical choices. 

it's a shame too that the actors in the Hamilton/Chase crew aren't always the strongest emotionally because they are, structurally speaking, similar to the Jones crew with the singing cop brother and the doctor brother. The dad involved with a woman who had also been involved with his son. 

5 hours ago, Khan said:

Quick question: why is it called "Home & Heart" and not "Home & Hearth"?  And is it just a shopping network, or do they air other kinds of programming, too?

IDK whether this counts, but I do remember AMC's Erica Kane launching a "Man of Enchantment" campaign for her cosmetics company way back during the Clinton administration.

Thanks. I just would like to see the shows do something different every now and then.

1 hour ago, Khan said:

Zoiks!  I totally forgot about Tad Martin!  And that he was once married to Blair!

At the risk of sounding like I'm criticizing: I'm sure the story with Blaze and her mother is one that's rooted in truth, especially about the Latinx and Hispanic communities, but its' inherent conflict is just lost on me.  I mean, it's 2024; and we're still concerned over what "coming out" could do to one's career in the entertainment industry?  Am I missing something here?

Regarding Blaze/Natalia, I don't think Blaze's career would be negatively impacted by coming out in 2024. And, if Natalia dug deeper, even she knows that wouldn't have a negative influence on her career. From my perspective, the real issue is Natalia doesn't want the people in her own circle to know she has a gay daughter for two reasons. The first is she thinks Blaze's relationship with Kristina is a trauma response to the Linc Brown harassment. The second is that Natalia isn't comfortable with the idea of having a gay daughter. Natalia is a woman who likes to be in control and has micromanaged her daughter's life to a T. This is something that Natalia has no control over and it is cause a great internal conflict. Or that's how I am choosing to fanwank it.

3 hours ago, carolineg said:

It's definitely an excuse to bring in some stunt casting.  It's just doesn't fit the classy vibe that Deception at least wanted to have.

Anyhow, I get the feeling at this point, no one gets Lucy or understands the character.  It is obviously is all in flux now, but Lucy's not stupid or entirely oblivious and that's how the last few shows have portrayed her.

I think we all knew this was exactly what Ava was going to do with the pills.  I guess it just the first genuine sign that Ava is up to no good.

3 hours ago, Khan said:

TBH, I don't care very much about Gregory's health either, but only because I know that, in real life, ALS is incurable, so I know already how his story will end.  (If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: don't give your soap opera character(s) a disease that isn't curable or treatable, lol).  But I do get what you're saying, @Vee.

I hear what you are saying about real life diseases, but I do appreciate the approach that is being taken since the change in headwriters. I think showing someone who wants to have a say in how they live their life as well as how they handle their medical care is interesting. Gregory asking Finn for help with editing his article and then resigning from the paper were some of my favorite scenes so far. Unfortunately, anything else that has asked Michael Easton to do any sort of emotional work has been a struggle. 

I am curious if they will take this anywhere dramatic like having Greg making the choice of having the right to die and the potential family conflict if Tracy sides with Greg and the boys are determined to keep their father in their life. 

3 hours ago, titan1978 said:

IIRC Blaze agreed to be the Face while also opting out of stuff like personal appearances. The Momager made a big deal about it. I knew when it happened that Sasha was going to be back hawking Deception on that show.

I wish Lucy had a real friend or confidant on the show that is not Scotty. Maybe rekindle her friendship with Felicia? Because I would like a scene where Lucy admits her bulldozing has more to do with her inability to deal with her life outside work, and her overbearing nature with Deception is because that’s all she has as a legacy. She is desperate for the name Lucy Coe to have some kind of meaning. They could even tie it in to her reaction to Bobbie’s death, and how much an entire community grieved for Bobbie and how little Lucy feels her absence would even be noticed.

Speaking of which, where is Felicia? For the faults of Chris and Dan and Frank V, I hope the new regime recognizes the show was saved by weaving those legacy and fan favorites back onto the canvas. I don’t want a Frons level show again where we only see Carly getting story and a rotating cast of youngsters.

Give me a real story for Liz, for Laura, and Anna. Not just rotating them into other people’s stories. When PM was on Guiding Light, it was an ensemble and nearly everyone had something to do. Portia could also use something deeper than Trina’s mom. And just like several other times on this stupid show, where is Trina and why won’t they use her as a lead?

Given Lucy's history with Bobbie, that would be a powerful moment of reflection that Lucy used to be very good at. Given how much of Lucy's humanity came from her relationship with Dominique, if himbo Cody has to stick around it wouldn't upset me too much if Lucy started to try to mother him a little bit in only the way Lucy could.

i'm hoping to see some real stories develop for the characters you've listed. I've been impressed with what I've seen of Brook Kerr as Portia in the hospital setting. I am looking forward to how Portia will handle the Heather Webber conviction issue when it eventually goes to court.   

1 hour ago, carolineg said:

Got it.  This seems to fall under a promotional thing though?  Anyhow, I found it weird they didn't at least try to get ahold of her.  It feels like Blaze would have done it, but I know it was all to get Sasha back.

To expand upon what @titan1978 said, Natalia specifically nixed the part of the contract that required Blaze to be a spokesperson for the company. She could appear in the advertising, but couldn't be forced to make personal appearances due to issues of exposure. It would have been interesting had Blaze showed up because it would have pissed off her mother and then her mother could have fought whoever she thought was behind the decision. 

Whether or not Blaze is in a position yet to defy her mother seems up in the air. 

20 minutes ago, Khan said:

Why do I feel like TPTB (including the new Co-HW's) are overlooking a potentially good storyline where Cody and Sasha are named the Faces of Deception?

Has the show ever had a male Face of Deception? Or for that matter, has any show had a cosmetics company develop a make up brand for a male clientele? In real life, I know the brand War Paint was a thing a few years ago, but I'm not sure how that panned out.

I've made it to the end of December, 1990. It's hard to tell who has done what because the credits aren't always included in my episodes. As of December 26, 1990, no executive producer is credited. Earlier in the month (c. December 6-7), Joseph Hardy is still being credited. According to the newspapers, Gloria Monty's first day back in the studio was December 4, 1990. So I imagine that Monty was at least making some choices by the on-air mid-December episode. 

December was a month of change, which wasn't uncommon on Palumbo and Hardy's GH. There is definitely some noticeable shifts in dialogue towards the end of the month that suggest that Monty may have been on set. On the December 17 episode, the Quartermaines are preparing for Christmas and Lila announces she has decorated the tree in yellow ribbons for the troops in Saudi Arabia. Monty stated the dialogue would include more real life references. A few episodes later (December 21st), Shep Casey is quickly shipped out. The papers state Bradley Lockerman was the first of Monty's victims.

Shep's departure would seem to mark the arrival of Monty and the purge sets in motion upon her return to the show. In the course of two episodes, Shep learns that Cheryl has been hoarding Christmas presents for Robert, which leads Shep to the realization that Cheryl is still hung up on Robert. In the next episode, Tiffany learns that Shep has optioned the out in his contract and is leaving the station and Port Charles. He leaves a cryptic comment to Tiffany and Sean saying that they should be careful about who their friends are. 

In other news, Decker has returned to town from Watson's break with a shift in personality. He now appears to have a bit of money and he wants to win back Dawn. They are leaning into Edge being after Dawn's money. The triangle isn't very engaging, but there are some nicely lit scenes where Decker confesses to a "sleeping" Dawn where her face is lit by the light coming through the blinds. I am realizing though that Watson is either not good at, or not interested in, the emotional scenes. I can see why Monty would want to dump them. Had Hardy stayed, I imagine Decker vs. Ned in business deals would have been what occurred much in the manner that Jenny/Ned/Paul/Tracy was a thing later on. 

The Willow Shore mystery is functional in the way the Conmargo surgery hostage situation was functional. The mixing of the hospital staff and the police crew works well. I noticed this worked well during the early Riche years as well with stories like the original Ryan Chamberlain story and even, to an extent, the David Langton story. In the last variation, the Willow Shore mystery now has brought in the police crew after keeping them sidelined (it seems like Tristan Rogers was off the show for a few weeks). It is Robert's return that seems to kick things up a notch when he realizes that there is a connection between Bobbie Jones and Broxton.

The show has centered a lot of the drama (smartly) around Bobbie Jones. Realizing the connection between Lucas and the Jeromes, Bobbie has become involved in a flirtation with Mark Broxton, the former Jerome attorney. Broxton has emerged as the sorta short term big bad that the show has engaged in a lot in recent months. He is not only the owner of Willow Shores, he was at the center of the search for Evan Jerome, Jr., and now he has proof that Lucas is Julian's son. Bobbie is slowly self-destructing. She is skirting around Broxton's attempts to sleep with her, she is keeping the truth about Lucas from Tony, and she is having a panic attack almost every time she sees Cheryl. 

Bobbie's emergence as a leading lady again after a year with not much story (Zeman's pregnancy kept her limited in her story) has been a pleasure. It is hard watching Bobbie be her own worst enemy, but the stakes are high enough (Lucas) that I can understand. It is hard to picture where they were going to go with Bobbie after this situation. I imagine Tony and Rita would have gotten together. 

Lucy and Alan's relationship is pretty much over. Tracy and Larry know about Scotty being the father of Lucy's child. There is a brief Larry/Tracy attempted romance where Larry proposes to Tracy, and Tracy considers saying yes not because of love, but because she wants to go after Lucy without people thinking she is bitter about losing Scotty. 

Colton and Carla are back. They get engaged pretty quickly upon return. Their current story is money issues with Colton looking to possibly sell the health club to get out from his debts. 

Cheryl is losing her grip on reality buying gifts for her dead son, who obviously is alive and is Lucas. Since Shep left, there is a shift that this is a Tiffany story, and it only feels more like that in early 1991 when Cheryl slips into a coma. Cheryl collasping into Robert's arms on New Years' Eve while presumably trying to tell him that he has a son is pretty dramatic, but doesn't even warrant an end of episode cliffhanger, which is a shame. 

Onto 1991... 

The Tracy stuff has improved so much since I started. I feel I get what they are trying to do with her by having her grapple with who she is as a person who she feels she should be as the head of the family. The spectre of both her parents haunting her in different ways as played by Jane Eliot is quite beautiful. The Tracy/Gregory stuff is sweet, but I'm mostly interested in seeing Tracy having to process what it will mean to love and lose another person. 

The will they and won't they with Jason and Carly is fine for now as a person who hasn't watched it a million times, but I imagine this is gonna grow old pretty quick. 

Lucy is a tough character. There have been so many versions of the character. I've never been a fan of Lucy the fool. It's a choice. I don't find it that amusing. I appreciate seeing Kin Shriner and Lynn Herring together, but I wish there was a bit more meat. I apologize if I asked, but does Lucy know that Cody is Dominique's son? If they are gonna tell this story, I think Lucy's reaction would be important if they aren't going to bring back Serena.

The movement in the Nina/Ava scenes was nice with Nina obviously falling for Ava's spiel because she wants to believe it. I also love that they've reverted back to Nina not liking Drew, which is deliciously refreshing and makes their eventual reunion more satisfying for me. Nina considering selling the hotel to win back Sonny is a nice angle to play because Nina has been nothing but desperate.  

I am not sure what journey Sasha is on, but I'm hoping the destination takes her far from Port Charles. 

@John Thanks for posting the credits. I don't always catch them and I know there has been some questions about the breakdown writers. 

I think Alan may have returned to the post. Tom departs in March, 1993, rightbefore the anniversary episodes. Tom wasn't appearing much anyway in 1993 before he was dumped, from what I recall. I might just be making that up though. Around the same time, you have the Ryan Chamberlain story peaking and everyone is involved in gaslighting him at the hospital leading to the Hardys being held hostage so they may not have taken a moment to replace the position. 

Regarding the history of the position, I believe Alan stepped down in late 1989 because he had assume the presidency of ELQ following Edward's death. It was used to bring Harrison Davis to town to continue telling the story of Tommy Jr.'s paternity.

I may have mentioned this in the "Port Charles" thread, but I think they should have considered using the Hardys as an anchor family on the spinoff. I would have had Debbi Morgan's Ellen tied to Harrison Davis somehow, either a blood relative or a wife/ex-wife, and revisited that dynamic. Matt Ashford left GH I think right before the spioff so they could have recast. 

6 hours ago, Vee said:

I'll have more on the rest of the week in a bit but I will say I think Kate Mansi may be becoming the stealth breakout of the new regime, on top of Watros and (somehow) CM as @titan1978 said. (Not that I don't think there is real value to Cameron when he is used well just as in his best days on AMC, as I've always said; it's just that he hasn't been for most of his tenure and it's made Drew unbearable for so long until very recently.)

The question is will the day to day slant on Nina get in CW's way, because it does vary. Yes, Nina is a spoiled, histrionic and delusional heiress; she always has been and that is true to form IMO. The issue is when the writing shows that yet also defaults too much back to The Life of Carly voice that has pervaded the show for so long. You can have one without the other.

Anyway, I think Mansi has been very good and is emerging as one of the strongest younger voice on the show. The issue at present is her stories. Blaze is not ready for the big time AFAIC despite some compelling ideas in that story, and the surrogacy needs to end ASAP. I also would rather keep BLQ single and unshackled, and I doubt Chase is going anywhere any time soon. I agree it makes no sense for Chase to be poor given his family lineage.

Sasha needs to go, preferably alone. I have zero interest in her saga of finding herself in horse stables, in the kitchen or on Bootleg QVC.

Mansi came on as Abigail when I was still watching "Days of our Lives" and I liked her from the beginning. She was usually able to do a lot with a little so I am not surprised that the writers are giving her more. The actress playing Blaze comes off like she is appearing on a sitcom for kids (Marci Rylan gave off similar energy). I hope that with some more introspection maybe the actress will develop more range. 

Sasha doesn't work. I find her and Cody bland. Cody could work as the aging himbo but I'd still probably only want to see him on recurring unless they found some place for him. I think him being Mac and Dominique's son is a bizarre choice even as someone who liked Mac and Dominique. I do think Dom was offscreen in late 1991 between actresses and there was space for them to say Dom had a kid then as she was locked in a psych ward, but I don't think she and Mac went to bed until after Shell Danielson was in the role because the sexual violence during her marriage to Leopold was a stumbling block for the couple in January, 1992. 

5 hours ago, carolineg said:

I also don't like Jason just buying it for Carly again.  Whatever work Carly put into building Kelly's/Bobbie's is now useless because a man bought her back a business.  Her own stupidity caused her to lose it in the first place.  It's not like Nina stole it from her.  I didn't mind Carly at Bobbie's honestly.

It just feels like they are leaning very hard into a Carly/Jason romance and that this is just another attempt for Jason to show how much he cares about Carly. I don't think it will work (for either Carly or the audience), but that's the sense I get.

4 hours ago, carolineg said:

From the way Alexis reacts I assume Nina's not doing a good job or not doing the job correctly.  Alexis clearly thinks all Nina's ideas are awful.  Idk, the last week was pretty much dumping on Nina for existing, so it's hard to say if these conclusions are correct.

I thought the scene where Nina rationalized the need for the gossip seemed a bit meta, saying it cannot be hard hitting, topical every day that there needs to be some sleaze in there too. 

7 minutes ago, Vee said:

Yeah, she doesn't like the style of Nina's journalism but she can't deny it's a success. Something Gregory noted a while ago. Not that I think we'll see much of Nina at the Invader/Intruder? either.

The Cellar. Got a huge special episode rollout with the old lady from Titanic and then I think we never saw it again lol.

I would imagine once Alexis gets her law license back that the most you'll see if the gossip reporter appearing at social events or trying to get Intel somewhere. That's what I imagine from very limited viewing the modern era. 

Gloria Stuart played Faith Rosco's grandmother who I think Faith murdered. I remember watching that back in the days of SoapNET. 

I thought the post-hook up conversation between Nina and Drew was very strong. I thought Drew's comment about needing more than 45 minutes of fun from Nina was hilarious. I think the dynamic is interesting and I can't wait to see it continue. 

I expected Nina to improve under Mulcahey's pen with Cynthia Watros in the role. Cameron Matheson's blossoming as Drew is really the shock. I am finding Drew's scenes among my favorites. Moving into the wellness and fitness arena will allow the show to move more into the hospital realm if they do it right. I think everything is heading in the right direction, but it still seems like it's in flux. 

The Nina bashing regarding Metro Court is heavy handed, which is a shame because I thought some of the actual plotting worked. The silly "firing Pierce" conversation actually played into the later Nina/John/Carly situation even if it was heavy on plot. Nina running up to tell Drew with Michael present really isn't going to help her case with Willow, but it seems Nina is her own worse enemy. 

Kristina and Blaze's conversation regarding her staying professionally closeted was interesting. I haven't kept up with all the gay stories on soaps, but has an American show done this? I imagine some of it was done with Maya on "Bold and the Beautiful" though that story was slightly different. I think Kristina's arc is developing nicely.  The T.J./Marshall scenes seem to show that they will be continue the conflict over the family dynamic rather than jumping into Kristina just wanting to keep the baby (which she may do in the end). 

The Lucy stuff is not appealing. I think Lucy can be a hard character because she has evolved so much and different people might enjoy different versions of her. I didn't like the Home and Heart scenes because they were unnecessarily humiliating. I did appreciate the conflict between Maxie and Lucy over Maxie's loyalty to Brook Lynn and how Lucy saw that as a conflict of interest.

Alexis' arc regarding her return to law is fine. I am curious if they will follow up on who her source is in the D.A. office. I like the Molly/Alexis conflict as I suspect it is going to become more and more contentious when Alexis gets her law license back. I appreciate that Alexis' meeting will be at the same time as Brook Lynn and Chase's wedding leaving Tracy free to act as Tracy's defacto date. 

The Brook Lynn/Chase stuff is fine, but I still struggle to figure out what is A-story vs. B story because a lot of stuff is more day to day rather than long story. I thought the Tracy/Brook Lynn stuff about Chase being more traditional was intriguing, but it is  hard remember the social strata when everyone's set looks the same. I know the Quartermaines have money, but it's not like Chase should be struggling. Gregory is a doctor and Jackie was a reporter so it's not like they grew up clipping coupons and counting pennies.

I thought the insight into Tracy's life is interesting. I imagine they will revisit a bit of Tracy's grief over Luke with her interest in Gregory.  

14 minutes ago, Vee said:

Judging by CM's interview about their hook-up in the spoilers section (only pertaining to today and tomorrow) I don't think this is any ploy, at least not right now. It seems like Drew has a sense of humor about things. I just hope it's not a one-off because tbh these two crazy fools getting together is one of the main points of interest on the show right now. Again, it was one of the hottest, least tame sex scenes GH has done in many years and Watros and Mathison know how to deliver that from the old school.

I am trying to be spoiler free for once in my life lol so I haven't read the article. I only asked because the fact that they brought up how Nina was asking for help with her child while mentioning how Drew was kept from his by Nina's involvement in his SEC fraud imprisonment was an interesting lead up. Also, with the hinted at Jordan/Drew angle, I wasn't sure if there was more to the story. Personally, I love the idea of Drew and Nina as a sorta hot mess powercouple.

4 hours ago, Bright Eyes said:

"You're such a boy scout."

"A real man lets a woman say no."

"Did I say no?"  - - That was hot! Cameron Mathison still has an insane body. This version of Drew makes me understand how he was initially cast as Ryan Lavery the conman, because I had only ever been privy to the holier than thou, can do no wrong Mary Sue version.

It is a damn shame Leslie Charleson is out of commission because her presence and POV under this regime would elevate things even moreso.

During the Willow/Michael scenes all I could think about is the fun fan-wanking that happened here about her being a secret villain. Her mentioning specifically that it's still all Michael's money and not hers ... if she somehow finagles her way into those millions legally, maybe villainWillow could still be a thing.

I thought there was a lot nice setup here. I think Nina on the board of Aurora in order to get closer to Michael and eventually Willow is intriguing. There seems to be an attempt to rebuild a business community, which I hope they follow through on especially if they maintain the civic angle as well. The hook up with Drew and Nina worked for me. I'm curious to see how this will play out. 

I caught the line by Willow and I thought they were alluding to the fact that she might lean into the money from Nina and the Reeves clan down the line. 

4 hours ago, John said:

Things I liked:

Nina/Drew: Been saying that would happen and they both went in for it. This could make them both interesting

John/Carly: They do have Chemistry and are good actors

Kristina/Sonny: Loved the Dad/Daughter Talk and that Kristina is wary of Ava

Ava: Still wondering what her end game is

Willow: Understand she wants to be stay at home while her kids are young

Not Liking:

Diane/Jason: There was zero need for those scenes just Diane giving history that wasnt all correct

Michael: He seemed to happy that Willow wanted not to work. Seems like he wants Willow to be a Society/Stepford Wife

I appreciate how some of the focus in the Kristina/Sonny/Ava scene was on just Kristina reacting to the dynamic between Ava and Sonny. I also think there is just a lot of nice beats played. Sonny learning Nina was back at Crimson leading him to question Ava, who had a good deflect. Ava's manipulation works well for me. I hope that Ava blows the lid on Drew and Nina's hook up to Sonny. I really want to see Maura West and Cynthia Watros tear each other to shreds. 

Some of the Diane stuff intrigued me because it almost sounded like the government signed off on Jason's death certificate in order to investigate his holdings, but would hey really need to do that? Or did I misread the situation?

I feel like Willow should suffer some consequence for her stealing the meds. I don't need her to lose her license, but I think it is a beat that needs to be played. I will be curious if Willow will quit before it becomes an issue or if this will just set up her life post-hospital work. 

32 minutes ago, Vee said:

That was just one of many crazy lines of dialogue over the last couple years lol. Everyone (but especially Psycho Drew in recent months) has wanted to wear Nina's entrails for fine jewelry, so I was fine with any change. He's been a little nuts but the character softened towards Nina considerably with the writing change and that's when their cute whole love/hate office banter thing started; he no longer talks about her like he's waiting in her pantry with a butcher knife for revenge re: his prison sentence. They try to push that 'he is an abuser!' line because they're Sonny/Nina stans.

Are we sure that revenge isn't Drew's endgame here? Seems like they could very much go the route that Drew is building up Nina's dependence on him which could lead to an even bigger fall for Nina when she realizes that Drew is only playing her. Also, if Drew happens to hurt Carly in the process, that would just be icing on the cake.

I think what I appreciate the most about what I am seeing with the show in general is the potential. There are many directions that the show can go in.  

@carolineg You were asking about Tom Hardy's role at the hospital. He was a psychiatrist, but in November, 1990, he was promoted to assistant chief of staff. This is probably would you were remembering. He replaced the departed Harrison Davis, who was briefly presumed to be the father of Tommy Jr. Before Davis, I believe the position was held by Alan Quartermaine, but I might be wrong on that. Maybe he held it afterwards. 

I'm in mid-December, 1990. Joseph Hardy's final days are a bit bittersweet. I find the story with Rita Lloyd Jones to be quite compelling still. Frisco has discovered she was getting money sent to her in San Francisco by a series of men and assumes she must be a high end call girl. It's an odd angle for Frisco to harp on given Bobbie's history. It's almost as if they are purposely trying to make Frisco look bad. Anyway, Rita remains a pretty neutral character despite being pushed into the center of Tony and Bobbie's marital issues. Not only is she lending Tony an ear so he can talk about his issues, she has run into Bobbie on several occasions going into Broxton's suite at the Port Charles Hotel (Bobbie is there to get proof about Lucas' adoption). In the later episodes when Monty is there, Rita is portrayed as a clear schemer and quickly run out of town by Scorpio. 

The Edge/Dawn relationship continues in Decker's absence. Now that Edge isn't a Jerome he is said to be pursuing Dawn because he thinks she got a huge divorce settlement from Ned. Obviously, this isn't the case as she is living at Willow Shores. Dawn is now pretty sick in the hospital as the polluted water continues to wreck havoc on her system. Dawn has also managed to get involved in some modeling for Frankie, who clearly wants Dawn and has used her to further his own chances to work with Edge on the music video he will be producing for Frisco. It's all very plot heavy with not enough introspection. 

Cheryl seems to be losing touch with reality more and more each day. The show seems to continue to build towards the revelation that Lucas is Robert's son, but I think Monty undoes that pretty quickly. Her and Shep's relationship seems to be wrapping up as well as he is super jealous. Poor Bradley Lockerman. I think Shep has some potential, but I won't say I'll miss him. 

It was pretty wild realizing that it was Don Jeffcoat playing Robin's older boyfriend. It's actually a bit unsettling. 

The end of diamond caper is pretty silly. I've been working on some episode summaries for Palumbo's run of "Rituals" and I find myself seeing the same scenario play out: Scheming woman (Lucy/Taylor) trying to convince her potential suitor (Scotty/Logan) of her new ways with something ended up thrown into the lake (the diamonds/Taylor's sable coat). Scotty and Lucy are fun. Alan and Lucy are done. I think the show would have gotten more mileage out of Alan and Lucy's marriage if the baby had been Alan's and the child had lived. Monica raising Lucy's daughter would have been something else and filled the void of Dawn's loss. 

I'm not sure how far I got into 1991. It wasn't very far, but I know I was also jumping around. I'm morbidly curious to see the day to day, blow by blow deconstruction and reconstruction of Monty's 1991 "General Hospital."

4 minutes ago, Vee said:

I have begun to wonder based on LW's public comments if they're not actually pairing them up again, which would be very intriguing since there's been a lot of internal exploration of Jason and his effect on his family and loved ones instead lately. Reconceiving both characters is badly needed IMO.

I have zero interest in Wagger and Carly, but AH has done a very strong job IMO with better scripts recently and there is a tick of chemistry. I still feel this would come off better for me with an actor similar in look to Sabato, like Paul Anthony Stewart or Jordi Vilasuso.

I mean if you are faking your death and keeping away from your kids, I would hope that they would at least explore a relationship between Jason and Carly. Either way, Jason comes off pretty bad, but I think it's worse if they don't at least try and go there. Not that I necessarily need that. 

Paul Anthony Stewart would have worked. Hard pass on Vilasuso. 

10 minutes ago, Vee said:

I have no idea. I suspect Wagger (White Jagger, as I will always call him) was a pre-PM/EK move because he tended to do nothing but wander around mouthing clumsy expository dialogue til the writing change.

That was kinda why I was asking. He seems to have purpose with his role in Jason's return, but otherwise, he just feels kinda there. I don't hate Adam Harrington, but even though Anthony Sabato, Jr. wasn't the strongest of thespians I always feel there is a level of pain just below the surface with his performance (whether it is missing his brother and sister or pining for Karen). I just find Harrington rather cold. He seems more than competent, but John Cates feels like a different person than Jagger.

10 minutes ago, Vee said:

PM and EK both wrote a ton for classic Jason and Carly in the mid-late '90s. PM in particular has expounded at length about becoming enchanted with Sarah Brown when she was hired, and writing a ton of her material while the character remained controversial BTS from the jump (apparently because of concerns about a message re: adoption). These writers created their very hot and heavy friends with benefits relationship in '96. I think they wrote their best work, and I do think they've taken pains to start putting Jason in particular back to basics in some ways (living above Kelly's). I generally always want Jason exterminated and/or gone and have little use for him myself, but I agree he's a necessary evil and do think the material thus far has been pretty compelling and I will give Steve credit for actually showing up to act so far this time. LW always sells her share of the work of course, but it's not the same for me without Sarah Brown and I will be curious to see how Mulcahey adjusts, as he wrote entirely for Sarah's Carly and was extremely fond of the actor who he helped craft Carly with.

I am definitely aware of Mulcahey's feelings on Carly. I also really enjoy Laura Wright as a performer (from not only "Loving," but "Guiding Light"). I still don't necessarily get a sense of where all this is going for Carly as she seems sorta consumed with Jason's return that I cannot really get a handle on what they will do with her. I think Eden McCoy does a good job emulating some of Wright's mannerisms and I don't find Joss as painful as I expected, but I definitely don't root for her as a heroine rather as a self-absorbed catalyst for drama. I thought Carly's role as talk-to for Joss' dilemma with Dex was compelling given Carly's only place in the mob world. I suspect we might end up with Jason/Carly/John, which I think could be a surprise hit or a complete disaster.

I am also curious to see how Mulcahey handles Carly without Bobbie. One of the strongest moments I saw in the last couple weeks (of many strong moments) was Carly trying to recount seeing Jason and discussing how she had to tell him Bobbie had died. 

12 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

Adam J. Harrington auditioned at the same time that Charles Mesure did & with the same people. They liked Mesure for Brennan but they really liked Harrington & so tucked him away, or put a pin in him, until they could figure a part they wanted to use him in. I realize that doesn't answer your question but it is generally more information. 

Thanks. It doesn't answer my question, but it does in a way. I was wondering if they shoehorned in John Cates into other material that was already completed. It would also explain why he might have just meandered around if they were trying to lock the actor down in a role in a story they knew would be coming up. 

11 minutes ago, Vee said:

According to Errol and others, yes. My understanding is the original C&D pitch for Jason's return involved more brainwashing, undead villains (not Valentin but possibly Jennifer Smith and somehow Susan Moore), possibly a resurrected Morgan, etc. Valentin dismissing the "Stone" clue the other day was their dispensing with some of that groundwork from the prior writers (Stone was Morgan's middle name).

Wagger's big speech about Sonny is on the first Tuesday or Wednesday of March, right after Steve's first airdate - which I think is the same day Dante gets shot. Mulcahey/Korte really started with Steve on 3/3(?), and maybe tweaked a bit the week or two before, but their official credited start was the 15th.

Ok. I noticed that O'Connor & Van Etten were basically credited for 64 or so (I'm sure there were premptions somewhere in there) episodes in 2023-2024 after the end of the strike, which is just short of 13 weeks. Do we think that they had to wait a certain period of time because of the strike to pull this writers switch? Also, in that case, who's idea was the return of Jagger since he seems pretty tied to Jason's current situation?

None of what you stated that was planned for Jason's return sounds anywhere near interesting. lol That said, the current situation seems very pro Jason / Carly, but maybe I am just not used to post-Riche (or even late stage Riche) GH to understand the dynamics between Carly and Jason. Not that I really care one way or another. Jason seems like a necessary evil, like Sonny.  

In general, I still struggle with what I am seeing. I don't get a sense of where anything is going, which seems neither good or bad yet. I am surprised, and not surprised, that some of the more compelling material I find myself tuning into are from characters who were pretty well despised in recent times. I think Cynthia Watros is playing some of the material brilliantly. Everything Nina does in regards to Sonny seems like she fears for her life, which works for me because Nina seems to think Sonny is her life. Her attempts to worm her way back into her own marriage fascinate me because it's clearly a fool's errand. Drew as her foil has been a real delight and I am truly interested to see what might happen with these two combustible messes. Maybe I am just finding the potential of it all wickedly appealing. Ava's manipulation of Sonny as well as playing Nina for a fool is also delightful. I cannot wait to see Nina learn that Ava has gotten herself so deep into Sonny's world. 

I will say, I wish the show had better script writers. I don't think the current scripts are terrible, but I find so much of my interest comes from the ideas in scenes rather than the words between the characters, if that makes any sense. Occasionally a line or two will stand out, but I want more.