AdelaideCate007

3 hours ago, DRW50 said:

This is a good read, especially the part about how well Harold still managed to fit into a Neighbours that was so different than his own.

http://perfectblend.net/comment/theperfectend.htm

If I had any real complaint about the final episodes, beyond Terese/Paul (which the actors did sell), it's that I wish they'd let a few more characters actually leave - Leo, for instance, I am not sure would want to stay in a place where he saw his girlfriend/mother of his children die not that long ago and was then involved with a con artist he watched get dragged away in handcuffs. I do get the power of the imagery in almost everyone staying, of course.

Other than  trying to figure out just why they were there (I guess Shane brought them as a goodbye surprise when he thought Paul was leaving Erinsborough) even the Charlene and Scott parts work well enough on a rewatch. It adds a certain multi-tiered quality as they are literally in their own little sphere, Susan is in her own, and they both look at all around them as the credits roll.

I thought they were there because Shane had rung them up and told them he bought the old house and they decided to come down and see it lol.  They never really explained why though so I guess we’re just supposed to assume. It definitely tied into Shane though since he had that line telling Jane and Mike that he had told some old friends of theirs to wait at the house for them. 
 

I do agree that it worked nicely to have them all in their little worlds and groups and then we see them all together as it ends. 
 

I’m sure it hasn’t made the news outside of here in Australia, but Nicola Charles and Craig McLachlan have been whining in the press about “cancel culture” keeping them out of the finale. Nicola Charles’ whining is especially funny since she claims it’s because she’s anti-vax and her political views. Considering there was at least one person in that finale who isn’t vaccinated and another with similar political views to hers, I imagine it’s just that they didn’t want her there lol. 

This is good news for the Dems right? They were covering the US election on the news here and said that the Democrats have basically regained all the momentum, at least on the Senate front. It seems wild that the odds are stacked against them but they're still polling that well, especially since apparently most of these polls don't take into account the abortion issue from the past few weeks it seems.

7 minutes ago, DaytimeFan said:

Yes, that's how I watched it. Global also made the second Beyond Salem available on its Stack TV platform. 

That would be the lingering concern that Global will shift DAYS onto Stack TV...but the issue for Global is what they'd be able to air to fill the timeslot. 

Yeah, we only got the first one after the fact in Australia and unless I completely missed it, we never even got the second series. Days is fairly popular here so that’s always been slightly worrying and confusing to me. 

 I imagine this means it's done internationally soon enough.

@DRW50 Oh I watch more often than not these days too and think the show is in pretty good shape. As pointed out in the other thread, they've really basically abandoned the history the past decade or so (outside of Alf's family) whereas Neighbours had really circled back to the history in recent times. Once Sally was gone, the appearances from people like Pippa and Sally's siblings stopped and that whole side of the show faded away.

Neighbours really had a lot of older characters back towards the end and active connections that allowed them to bring back characters like Scott, Charlene, Mike, Shane, Izzy, etc. Home & Away is basically down to Alf, Irene, Marilyn, and I guess Roo and Leah and they haven't done the best job of keeping the connections to past characters active. I guess that comes down to Neighbours having a lot of families whereas Home & Away doesn't. All those connections on Neighbours allowed for such an emotional episode and I'm just not share Home & Away could reach that again outside of the few people mentioned. I'm sure they'd go for people like Sally, Pippa, Don, Colleen, Ailsa, Bobby, and even people like Hayley, Brax, Gypsy, etc though when it ends. The people that would really serve a nostalgic punch, like you said, would be so far removed from the current show outside of Alf, Irene, and Marilyn that it would be kind of jarring even if done nice. The show that Ailsa, Don, and Sally existed just feels so far removed from the current show, at least to me.

3 hours ago, Adamski said:

I'm about to watch the finale for the second time, and there was so much to take in, but I got the impression that Amy and Joel hooked up after crossing paths in Cairns. So when Toadie asks if she's pregnant she replies 'Ask me in two weeks' or something. I may be wrong, though. 

(I did see on Twitter that people are very taken with how the actor who plays Lance looks now).

Also, thank you everybody for sharing your thoughts on the finale. They really did go out on a beautiful high.

Oh it was defo Joel that got Amy pregnant I think. I just meant that Lance said in his message that he never got to marry Amy but there was still time and raised his eyebrows and they cut to Amy smiling. It was like a reverse of the 20th when Amy appeared in the montage and said for Lance to give her a ring and they cut to Lance in the audience reacting. I would have loved if they had had them finally get together instead of doing another thing of them just hinting at each other, but the moment was cute either way.

I forgot to mention it before, but I'm so glad they gave Susan the last real lines of the show (not counting the chatter when Harold and Paul ran up on Scott and Charlene) and ended on her and Karl. I was slightly worried they would give that honour to either Jason Donovan or Kylie, and that would have been fine, but I'm glad it went to Susan who really has been the constant all these years. I also thought ending on the Scott/Charlene/Harold/Paul group, over to Jane and Mike, then to Melanie and Toadie, and finally on Karl and Susan was the right way to end it. It just felt right that all of them were the last ones we saw.

I've seen and heard a lot that if/when Home & Away ends, they'll have a hard time touching this. I agree with that. Not to turn this is into a H&A discussion, but I don't even know who they could bring back that would get this much of an emotional response outside of Sally or ghost visits from Ailsa and Bobby. Bringing back Chris Hemsworth and the likes of Bec Hewitt and Steve Peacocke just wouldn't have the same feelings that Neighbours got out of all their returns. It just shows I think how uniquely special Neighbours and those characters were.

Another life long Neighbours watcher and fan here. I've gone in and out of watching it the past ten or so years, but started catching up when I knew it was ending. I loved the final weeks. I'm glad it went out with a dignified end and in a way that I think pleased everyone pretty much. Started tearing up during the video messages to Mel and Toadie and was full on in tears by the time Susan imagined Madge, Sonya, Hendrix, and Doug at the party. Just a lovely, classy ending. Also, good on Guy Pearce for so game with his appearance. He was great.

As for stories and characters, I was a child the last time Jane and Mike were a couple but I'm thrilled they got together in the end. Even with only an hour, they really sold the love story. They were better to me than Scott and Charlene (not that I didn't like finally getting to see them back). I've always loved both Melanie and Izzy and I'm glad they both ended in a good space. Loved seeing Nina, Lance (should have brought him back in person for Amy instead of just having them hint at it), Billy, Joe, and everyone else in the messages. I know both of them have some troubling views now IRL, but I always loved Flick and Steph too so I'm glad differences could be set aside to get them both there as well. Beth's shoutout to Ned was lovely.

A little surprised they couldn't get Jane Hall (Rebecca) and the woman who played Ruth back, especially since Phil was there and I assume he's still married to Ruth. I would have liked to have seen both of them one last time. But other than that, I think it was a terrific and heartfelt finale.

5 minutes ago, Vee said:

I do! I'll never forget this. It won't embed, so the glory has to be viewed up close!

Finola Hughes' expression throughout is incredible.

How could I forget! I don't know how any of them kept a straight face. This and Luke and Felicia's singing at the Nurses Ball one year are truly the nadirs of my GH viewing. Few things reach the depths of those two moments.

That early 90s era of GH always had people doing cheesy pop singing, even before the Ned days. I don't remember the specifics off the top of my head, but I have memories of various people singing at the Outback way before Ned and Miguel. It was always horrible and cheesy lol. 

12 minutes ago, Vee said:

The Sean stuff is a bit campy with a drawing-room mystery but it's a fun one-off and true to the spirit of the characters. Reilly's daughter (a Tiktok star, IIRC) is very good but sadly will likely not be back given her fame, so they should recast the Annie role. Sharon Wyatt's voice cameo was touching.

They should've locked down Carly Schroeder as Serena when they had a chance. She kept acting long after she grew up. Now she's in the armed forces. Too late.

I've seen clips and it did seem nice.

I do wonder what they'll do for the 60th next year since it's probably the last big one, unless they make it to the 70th by some miracle. Most of the vets they brought back for the 50th ended up staying but I assume they'll at least try to get Robin, Brenda, Lesley, and Tracy back.

For non-GH shows, I remember really enjoying whichever anniversary it was on AMC where they brought back literally all the big past characters and they had a party at the Martin house. Also, for as horrible AMC was in it's last decade, the memorials they did for Phoebe, Palmer, and Myrtle were very nice from what I remember, as well as the 40th anniversary episodes.

GH can usually pull it together to do a good anniversary or tribute show. The 10,000th episode isn't anything great, but I remember the 30th anniversary episode being good.

I haven't watched the Sean tribute episode; however I thought the Lee and Gail ones were nice for what they were. I don't think the Gail one should have been tied to the anniversary but besides that, I thought it was nice. You see people complain about not enough guests coming back for the memorials but I don't know what more they could have done for Lee and Gail when all those characters are gone. It was nice they brought Serena back for the Lee one. Again, I haven't watched it, but the Sean episode was missing just Frisco, no? And that's not really a situation the show can do anything about when JW doesn't want to be there. As for older memorial episodes, the Mary Mae one was very well done from what I remember.

The whole 50th celebration was really a good era for GH. The Sabrina stuff was a bit much but other than that, I think that was a good time for the show and they pulled off some great episodes around then. The Nurses Ball has always gotten a bit silly (both in the 90s and in recent times), but I remembering think that first one or two they did when they brought back were excellent.

11 minutes ago, Vee said:

He's literally just Michael Easton's brother (or son, maybe)! That's it! But Michael does need a break, and a serious recast. Chad is not viable anymore IMO.

That whole teen to 30s scene- outside of Trina, Spencer, and Brooklynn- is a dud to me and I'd get rid of or recast all of them. That includes Maxie and Michael, both of whom need LONG breaks. I'd bring Michael back as a recast in a few months but Maxie needs a years long break. That she has three kids and two dead baby daddies is obscene.

Like it's been mentioned, there's heaps of untapped potential out there that the audience knows about and would accept and they do nothing with any of it.

It's been so long I wouldn't mind them trying another around of Liz's brother even. Sarah I think is basically a lost cause at this point, but I think they could do something with Steve.

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

 

I still can't tell Willow or Sasha apart. I don't know who Brando or Harmony are at all and I don't think Chase is particularly interesting. People act like I'm crazy.

I'd rid of all of them in a heartbeat if I was in charge. Willow and Sasha are interchangeable from what I could tell. There's got to be some 20 or 30 something year old girl out there in GH history they could bring on to date Michael that's not one of these two duds. Chase is fine I guess but there's no reason for him to be getting so much story while Lucky and Dillon are MIA. 

8 hours ago, carolineg said:

Julia doesn't seem like the Yoga type.  She probably has another company or something, but I still want to know why she sold her pride and joy Barrett Industries lol. 

I don't have any desire to see Jenny Eckert again, but I do think both Julia and Sly could add something to the show and still be viable these days. Like you said, there's the business angle, along with everything involving Sonny and Brenda (even though she's offscreen). Besides those two, she has relationships with Ned and Scott. I think last we heard she was friends with or friendly with Lucy. She knows Mac, Felicia, and I think Anna and Robert. There's some stuff they could work with. Like Vee mentioned, she always fit right in when she popped in during the Guza days so it's a shame they never circled back to her.

Sly could easily be filling any of these nobody guy roles they have on the show- Roger Howarth's character, Chase, Brando, etc. I think he'd be a better love interest for Liz and Maxie than the ones they have too.

For whatever reason, GH has a lot of characters that are basically gold mines with family ties or connections just sitting offscreen. There's heaps of untapped potential in a lot of those characters but they'd rather focus on Willow, Sasha, Brando, Roger Howarth's latest role, Harmony, whoever. It's baffling.

I think around that time was when they also started dropping in a few Jenny and Julia mentions out of nowhere. Stuff like I think Ned ringing Jenny and Sonny mentioning Julia to Fluke. There was also something with the Eckert house and Luke and Bobbie's long lost sister but I don't remember if that was before or after they changed the story. 

It was definitely a mistake for Ron to change the story because people figured it out. It's not like they'd been subtle about who he was up to that point.

I don’t think JW will ever be on GH again, or least till the show ends. I just don’t think he’s interested. Plus, like Vee said, it was just incredibly awkward for everyone last time he was on. I think even KW talked about how bad that whole experience was for her and she needed the rest of the cast to help her get through it. 
 

Anyway, Felicia has always been my favourite GH character so this is great news. Thanks Steve and Ingo!

for the people still doubting it

34 minutes ago, OzFrog said:

The sad thing is, even if Ingo did return to Australia, he would almost fit in right at home with the current Australian government - a lot of the MPs in that coalition share IR’s level of bats*** crazy.

We don't want him back lol. He would definitely fit in though whew.

I wasn't going to comment on this cause I don't watch or care about GH really these days, but yes, some of them refused the vaccine. They're leaving. GH never comments on actors' statuses anyway so you shouldn't be waiting on it to come from Deadline. Either the actors will say it themselves or they'll just leave onscreen.

Anyway, this is good news and there's going to be some surprising benefits to them leaving.

I know a lot of military and foreign service/UN workers and they're all thrilled it's over. A lot of them are worried about the women and refugees, but say it was always going to end this way. The media is extremely wrong on this one.

1 minute ago, amybrickwallace said:

Even worse than that silly doll story with Felicia and her girls in 1997?

Yes.

I always loved Stefan- both with Laura and without. It was a huge mistake to lose him I think. Katherine was another story. Like Vee said, I don’t think she ever worked past the original story with Scott and Lucy. She was amusing with the Quartermaines and when she was in the middle of the Ned and Lois, but it was a mistake I think to move her away from that side of the canvas. I think worked best as a foil for the Quartermaines or when she would aggravate Lucy, Felicia, Mac, and characters like that. If they hadn’t been so insistent on her and Stefan, I think they maybe could have used her on Port Charles, especially in the early years. She would have been good there as a thorn in Lucy’s side while trying to get back in Scott’s good graces but alas. It was completely insulting though that Frank Valentini thought he could have Stefan on recurring and just use him once a month. While that works for people like Scott and Bobbie, I don’t think that you can use Stefan like that. 

With the Hardy discussion, GH more than any other show has so many good characters just languishing offscreen. They just see so many of these very viable characters as either radioactive, only allowed onscreen when someone dies, or just best offscreen. They could make people like Sarah, Tommy, Dillon, Tom, etc work but they chose not to. It’s completely baffling. Instead we get Willow, Dev, and an invented character for Roger Howarth. 

Also, I have started a GH episode vault. I’ll still post the 80s to 2000s episodes on YouTube, but I’m  also going to also upload them to this vault, along with pre-80s stuff I don’t really feel like sharing on YouTube. I have all the full years of GH from the mid-80s to mid-2000s and they’ll all go here and to YouTube. The vault will also have the other ABC soaps, AW, Passions, and the UK and Australian soaps. If anybody wants to contribute, just let me know. I’ll post the link to the vault today or tomorrow

1 hour ago, Vee said:

It was so bad. I'll never forget the music, budget schlock, etc. I once compared the bedroom pillow fight between Geary and RKK to a battle to the death with Elaine Stritch, IIRC.

 Hands down one of GH's worst stories. I mean really with all that. 

I have about 30 episodes from between around 1975 to 1977. All in pretty bad condition so I'm not sure they're really worth posting without trying to really clean them up. The ones pre-Quartermaine and Spencer families are pretty bad. It does seem like the show was just trying anything to get a character off the ground. It's jarring to see Lesley, Jessie Steve, and Audrey and a cast of long forgotten characters lol. You can definitely see why they ran with people like Laura, Alan, Monica, Bobbie, Luke and Tracy once they realised they had something there.

13 minutes ago, John said:

So kMC didnt film? Damn

I was talking about Kristina Wagner.