The rape storyline though as vulgar as it was looking back did serve a purpose. It brought the Kane women full circle which is what was Megan's intention all along. I have heard that she wanted Kendall to be raped..... but the network chose it to be Bianca. I think it would have been much more effective had it been Kendall and a lot less repulsive. Raping Bianca ended her relationship with Lena, and lets be honest here, Bianca has not had a real relationship since then.... BAM was so totally screwed up and treated with no respect... and now we have BARF which I do not support in anyway.

While at the time I enjoyed the drama of the rape because it spawned off a great saga and gave us such amazing performences from Eden, Susan, William, basically everyone involed... looking back it can just be added to the long line of insulting stuff Megan penned. But we are all acting as if we are shocked. Megan's MO is rape...

I am pretty sure every HW job she had had, one female character has been raped.

Megan hates the notion of strong independent women. I mean..... just look at what Greenlee, Erica, Kendall, Liza, all became under this latest stint?

And men always riding to the rescue and telling women how things should be.

Like I have said, I am still shocked Babe was not raped.

I do think McT may be suitable for more of an interim writer and should be out the door after a year. She basically had two strong storylines, Bianca's rape and the babyswitch. Well, maybe that is only one because it all started with the same event, the rape. So one big storyline that lasted a year and a half. After that, her stuff just got worse and worse.

And the stuff that Culliton started with the hiring a bunch of newbies and teens, McTavish did the exact same thing last summer. We had Jamal/Sean/Colby/Sydney/Annie. Carlos started to get more interesting to me when they moved him away from Greenlee and they started toying with Simone and him. I also liked the idea of Greenlee being in love with a blue collar man but maybe it should have been Aidan instead. And her and Michael had a lot of chemistry. I thought that would have been an interesting pairing if they hadn't turned him so dark. And I loved Juan Pablo...he was all kinds of latin sexy to me!!! I enjoyed Fusion not so much because of the storyline but because of the chemistry between the characters and the actresses. You could tell they were having fun.

I would rather have a show that is more character driven and maybe a little bit boring than the mess McTavish made out of AMC. I am hoping that I can get to that point where I can't wait to find out what the spoilers are and what is going to happen next on the show like I did back then. Right now, I could care less.

I am sorry McTavish has killed your interest in AMC whyamcwhy.

You one of the many reasons this woman should never be allowed to touch a pen again.

Megan McTavish, be gone.... oh yeah that's right, YOU ARE! :lol:

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS...

Sorry. I just had to say that bit of comedy one last time.

But, seriously, I am able to give Rayfield/Cascio the benefit of the doubt because -- at least they tried. Like I said, if you break the "mess" down to their basic cores, their ideas... THEY WERE TRYING. They were trying to stay true to an AMC viewers knew of the past. They were trying to be multi-generational. They were trying to tell stories based on realistic premises.

The "idea" of raping a lesbian character is not moving. The idea of a blonde whore who slept with her husband's brother and then STEALING the baby of her best friend -- again, it's not moving. The idea of a man balling his fist up at his wife when she tells him she's pregnant -- NOT MOVING! The idea of a beloved character TORTURING another man to his death -- NOT EFFING MOVING!

It's all sensationalistic, no matter how you look at it. It's a woman who has spent the last 3 1/2 years playing "What if THIS happens?" and using the characters to suit her particular needs -- and then showing NO after effects. We're just supposed to believe Ryan's a hero after his abusive relationship with Greenlee. We're just supposed to accept that Babe is Love after all of the utter BULL she's done to everyone on this show. We're just supposed to enjoy watching Josh be possessive over another man's wife.

Rayfield/Cascio had Edmund paired with Mia, and you saw how Maddie struggled with that as well as struggling with the fact her mom was right there alive and well. I'm sorry if that's "boring" but that's what AMC used to be. Stories of the human condition -- not sensationalistic crap.

Go watch Passions if you want sci-fi, special effects, supernatural crap. Oh, wait! I'm sorry. That sh!tfest got CANCELED!

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS...

Sorry. I just had to say that bit of comedy one last time.

But, seriously, I am able to give Rayfield/Cascio the benefit of the doubt because -- at least they tried. Like I said, if you break the "mess" down to their basic cores, their ideas... THEY WERE TRYING. They were trying to stay true to an AMC viewers knew of the past. They were trying to be multi-generational. They were trying to tell stories based on realistic premises.

The "idea" of raping a lesbian character is not moving. The idea of a blonde whore who slept with her husband's brother and then STEALING the baby of her best friend -- again, it's not moving. The idea of a man balling his fist up at his wife when she tells him she's pregnant -- NOT MOVING! The idea of a beloved character TORTURING another man to his death -- NOT EFFING MOVING!

It's all sensationalistic, no matter how you look at it. It's a woman who has spent the last 3 1/2 years playing "What if THIS happens?" and using the characters to suit her particular needs -- and then showing NO after effects. We're just supposed to believe Ryan's a hero after his abusive relationship with Greenlee. We're just supposed to accept that Babe is Love after all of the utter BULL she's done to everyone on this show. We're just supposed to enjoy watching Josh be possessive over another man's wife.

Rayfield/Cascio had Edmund paired with Mia, and you saw how Maddie struggled with that as well as struggling with the fact her mom was right there alive and well. I'm sorry if that's "boring" but that's what AMC used to be. Stories of the human condition -- not sensationalistic crap.

Go watch Passions if you want sci-fi, special effects, supernatural crap. Oh, wait! I'm sorry. That sh!tfest got CANCELED!

PREACH IT!

Promise me you'll never change! I effin love your rants!

Is it REALLY necessary to drag PASSIONS into this?

Is it REALLY necessary to drag PASSIONS into this?

Maybe not, but it certainly drove his point home!

I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYBODY SAYS...

Sorry. I just had to say that bit of comedy one last time.

But, seriously, I am able to give Rayfield/Cascio the benefit of the doubt because -- at least they tried. Like I said, if you break the "mess" down to their basic cores, their ideas... THEY WERE TRYING. They were trying to stay true to an AMC viewers knew of the past. They were trying to be multi-generational. They were trying to tell stories based on realistic premises.

The "idea" of raping a lesbian character is not moving. The idea of a blonde whore who slept with her husband's brother and then STEALING the baby of her best friend -- again, it's not moving. The idea of a man balling his fist up at his wife when she tells him she's pregnant -- NOT MOVING! The idea of a beloved character TORTURING another man to his death -- NOT EFFING MOVING!

It's all sensationalistic, no matter how you look at it. It's a woman who has spent the last 3 1/2 years playing "What if THIS happens?" and using the characters to suit her particular needs -- and then showing NO after effects. We're just supposed to believe Ryan's a hero after his abusive relationship with Greenlee. We're just supposed to accept that Babe is Love after all of the utter BULL she's done to everyone on this show. We're just supposed to enjoy watching Josh be possessive over another man's wife.

Rayfield/Cascio had Edmund paired with Mia, and you saw how Maddie struggled with that as well as struggling with the fact her mom was right there alive and well. I'm sorry if that's "boring" but that's what AMC used to be. Stories of the human condition -- not sensationalistic crap.

Go watch Passions if you want sci-fi, special effects, supernatural crap. Oh, wait! I'm sorry. That sh!tfest got CANCELED!

I agree with Hogan. There is NO reason to bring "Passions" into this. And what's with that smart "Oh, wait!" comment? The show is still on the air, if canceled. So they can STILL watch that as the alternative.

Dude, digs at canceled soaps are SO NOT cool.

I have heard that she wanted Kendall to be raped..... but the network chose it to be Bianca.

No, actually what I heard is they were planning to have Kendall raped by Michael, and McTavish recommended Bianca instead and thus got back her job. I'm sure the story seemed attractive to some of TPTB's because it avoided literal lesbian romance and such and gave Bianca baby without going through the process a lesbian might, which is wrong. But, I liked the story.

Now, I don't think AMC has even been as on the ball as they were in mid-April through Juneish of 2003. Whoever was writing then was magnificent, I want names and proof. The Kane women, excellent, they were written as very strong women and the relationships were starting to evolve (without actually using 100% rape). Edmund and Mia were great (first relationship I liked him in since Brooke Round 1) and Maddie's struggle was realistic - I wanted to kick her a**, but I was also eeeing when she started to become accepting. Lena and Bianca were great. Simone/Kenny, charming... Greenlee/Kendall's friendship was awesome (but that was even pre-that period).

The "idea" of raping a lesbian character is not moving. The idea of a blonde whore who slept with her husband's brother and then STEALING the baby of her best friend -- again, it's not moving. The idea of a man balling his fist up at his wife when she tells him she's pregnant -- NOT MOVING! The idea of a beloved character TORTURING another man to his death -- NOT EFFING MOVING!

ITA! Which is exactly why I stopped watching this show on a regular basis well over a year ago.

Rayfield/Cascio had Edmund paired with Mia, and you saw how Maddie struggled with that as well as struggling with the fact her mom was right there alive and well. I'm sorry if that's "boring" but that's what AMC used to be. Stories of the human condition -- not sensationalistic crap.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me, the reason why that story was boring was because I saw no chemistry in Edmund and Mia. It was a great idea, IMO, because it was an effort at developing characters who otherwise had no storyline, but they didn't work as a couple for me. I liked them more as friends, but then again, that's how I felt about Edmund and Brooke as well. Not to mention I was never a fan of Edmund and Maria either.

I wish a writer could come in who was a fan of the show back when Agnes wrote it in the 70s. It's a fricking shame that the episodes from 1970-1976 do not exist because the viewing of those eps should be a mandatory pre-requisite for becoming AMC headwriter. It wouldn't even have to be all of it, either.

No, actually what I heard is they were planning to have Kendall raped by Michael, and McTavish recommended Bianca instead and thus got back her job. I'm sure the story seemed attractive to some of TPTB's because it avoided literal lesbian romance and such and gave Bianca baby without going through the process a lesbian might, which is wrong. But, I liked the story.

Now, I don't think AMC has even been as on the ball as they were in mid-April through Juneish of 2003. Whoever was writing then was magnificent, I want names and proof. The Kane women, excellent, they were written as very strong women and the relationships were starting to evolve (without actually using 100% rape). Edmund and Mia were great (first relationship I liked him in since Brooke Round 1) and Maddie's struggle was realistic - I wanted to kick her a**, but I was also eeeing when she started to become accepting. Lena and Bianca were great. Simone/Kenny, charming... Greenlee/Kendall's friendship was awesome (but that was even pre-that period).

Interesting. See what I mean.... she was shopping that rape storyline around.

What is with her and victimizing women?

I agree Angela, that stuff just prior to McTavish taking over was brilliant. Wasdn't McTavish though consulting in the months leading up to the July 1st date when she was first credited as headwriter?

ITA, except I never really quit watching. I only watched off-and-on throughout early summer 2003.

Rayfield and Cascio or just Rayfield by himself...that was horrid stuff. Absolutely horrid. Let's see, we had a teen scene played ENTIRELY by newbies. Two of the characters, sure, were the kids of long-running characters (JR and Jamie), but their little girlfriends were total newbies that we were suddenly thrust into "caring" about. Oh, aw, Laurie has a drunken father and she wants to go to an Ivy League college. Cry me a river, !@#$%^&*]! Joni was the only interesting character out of that little set. The ball was totally dropped when it comes to Joni and Reggie giving each other their virginity at the Habitat for Humanity house. Once Reggie got with Danielle, that was the perfect chance for Joni to come back and for a triangle to start. By then, we would have been used to all three characters and performers and we would have cared. Unlike the teen scene of early 2003, lead by Andrew Ridings, who sucked, Micah Alberti, who was mediocre at best, Alexandra Daddario, who sucked, and Amanda Seyfried, who was/is awesome and who I loved in "Mean Girls." It was just a mess all the way through.

And then we had the incredibly boring tale of Maggie and Henry. I liked Henry a lot at first, but then he started to spaz over the most idiotic things. He became a major cry baby and Maggie, by that time, I think she should have had more respect for herself to get involved with that mess. However, I [!@#$%^&*] LOVED LOVED LOVED Henry's mother, Alma, who was SUCH A !@#$%^&*]. My GOD, I loved that woman. I would have gladly put up with Henry and his uncle if it meant keeping Alma around.

And then we had Carlos. Enough said.

By then, the Fusion girls had all pretty much lost their charm. When it became "The Greenlee, Kendall, Simone, and Mia Talk About Sexy Men All Episode Long Hour," I started to lose it. I distinctly remember episodes where those four would basically go around the circle and ask about the men each was seeing. Greenlee had Michael, Kendall had Aidan at the time, I believe, Simone had an off-and-on thing with Kenny (which was GREAT), and I forget who Mia was shacking up with at the time. Or perhaps that was when she started to fall into the wallpaper category.

There were some plusses, I will admit. Of course Alma was great, so was the pairing of Simone and Kenny, and I really liked Lysistrata, the therapist that Tad and Greenlee would go to. The stuff with David, Anna, and Leora was magnificant as well, but the minuses so greatly outweigh the plusses, I swear.

When McTavish came into this environment, anything she could have done would have been a step up. And I'm sorry, but I will never believe that Bianca was raped simply because she was "the lesbian." I never bought that and I never will. Her rape was very...justified isn't the word, but it was understandable to me that Michael would go after her. He had already attempted to rape Kendall and Erica, but failed, so he went after the person that they both cared so deeply for. It made sense to me.

And most of McT's 2003 stuff was just great, IMO. The introduction of Babe and Krystal was great. Remember, this was back when these characters were rootable and represented something new. Here, we had these two women who have lived their entire lives from paycheck to paycheck, suddenly being thrust into the world of a wealthy family. It was GREAT STUFF, in my opinion! I'll never forget the greatness that was the dinner party that JR held to introduce Babe to everybody. Babe thought that Liza named Colby after the "The Colbys," which was a spin-off of "Dynasty," her favorite show. That was the Babe I loved and the one I understood. Her obsession with cow decorations, her love of "Dynasty"...it made it so hard to hate the character back then. We had the seeds of Tad and Krystal slowly being planted.

Joe was getting so much airtime, as well. I have an episode on tape where Tad shows up at his house one morning to find out that Jamie had held a wild party there the night before (I believe this was Justin Bruening's first episode). Tad and Jamie had some good scenes, then Jamie had to go somewhere (school, I think), so Tad called Joe over and while they cleaned up the party mess, Tad asked Joe for ideas for raising a teenager. And this wasn't just a thing that last for one or two scenes. This was spread out across the whole hour.

The Cambias murder mystery did indeed go on for a very long time, but the performances and writing just made it all worth while for me. My God, just thinking about the AMAZING episode that featured Michael's hearing for Bianca's rape...it makes me shiver! That was some of Alicia Minshew's best work. Ditto with Susan Lucci and Eden Riegel. I loved how Bianca's rape affected so many characters. I have an episode on tape where Bianca met with Maria at the hospital and Maria told her all about Julia's rape and pregnancy and how all that happened.

I don't care what ANYBODY says. When it comes to AMC in the 2000s, I will tell you that THE best period was August 2003 to about May 2004. The baby switch was so much better and more involving when only Paul knew about it. It was still entertaining throughout, but it became a total mess towards the end, and by then, so many characters had been ruined. The last storyline that I truly enjoyed and looked forward to watching everyday was the domestic abuse storyline between Maggie and Jonathan. But that was all explained away as a "brain tumor."

Somebody asked why they keep hiring McT and I can tell you, it's because she's a quick fix. If a show is at the bottom of the ratings, they could bring her in and she'd make it rise, but nobody should make the mistake of keeping her for over a year. That is when she starts to bomb out big time. She should go into interim-writing only, because that's the only way her reputation could possibly be saved.

I can agree that AMC 2003 was great. McTavish, despite having been burned by her at GL and OLTL years before really impressed me. You had SOOOO many characters interacting in the Rape/pregnancy/murder story. Remember, there was the baby shower, Palmer/Adam interacting, Tad and Simone. Wow. But anything aftr Jack and Erica's wedding...garbage (Di notwithstanding). I remember crying Summer 2006 because the show was just a sublime kind of awful I had never experienced before...worse than GL/ATWT (with McTavish writing GL) circa 06, worse than previous McTavish AMC. That woman should never be allowed on television again.

Interesting. See what I mean.... she was shopping that rape storyline around.

What is with her and victimizing women?

I agree Angela, that stuff just prior to McTavish taking over was brilliant. Wasn't McTavish though consulting in the months leading up to the July 1st date when she was first credited as headwriter?

To be fair they were already planning a rape storyline, lol, which probably just attracted her more strongly back to the pot (uhm no pun intended).

Was she consulting? I have no idea, I do know that she was recapping watching the episode where Erica hugged Kendall after Kendall saved Erica from Michael and she said something like "I was sitting there watching the hug and thinking I really want to write stuff like that." That was in May I believe, and I do believe McTavish's first scripts were the rape in July. She could have been said what she said as a consultant who didn't write that. Darn, I can't find the site that had a few of her 2003 interviews up to get the exact quote/date.

To be fair they were already planning a rape storyline, lol, which probably just attracted her more strongly back to the pot (uhm no pun intended).

Was she consulting? I have no idea, I do know that she was recapping watching the episode where Erica hugged Kendall after Kendall saved Erica from Michael and she said something like "I was sitting there watching the hug and thinking I really want to write stuff like that." That was in May I believe, and I do believe McTavish's first scripts were the rape in July. She could have been said what she said as a consultant who didn't write that. Darn, I can't find the site that had a few of her 2003 interviews up to get the exact quote/date.

Thanks Angela. I just remember hearing somewhere she was consulting prior to taking over. And directing the stories to fit with her future vision. Who knows if that's true I just remember hearing something to that affect.

19, I remember hearing similiar rumblings, so there's a chance that she was definitely consulting which doesn't necessarily mean she had any real influence over the show (but I also definitely read her waxing poetic on wanting to write those E/K type scenes). It would explain how she knew a rape storyline was coming up, but other things would also explain how she knew.