Soapsuds, don't be so pessimistic. I have hope that one day Luke will be rid of boring Noah.

The crux of ATWT's problems is bad storytelling and catering to any one fanbase isn't going to remedy that situation. I am constantly amazed by Goutman's poor decisions. Why have Katie marry Brad so quickly when Janet and Liberty were on the way? Brad should be drawn to Janet causing Katie to finally realize that she loves him and fight for him. Bringing back Mike was not a bad idea, but instead of his sole purpose should not be an obstacle for Paul and Meg who are beyond played out. Mike should be in Carly and Jack's storyline. It is far more believable that Carly and Mike's old feelings for each other could resurface than Carly developing feelings for Holden and vice versa.

But there are some good things though not enough. This Vienna/Henry/Bonnie story shows promise. I find Emily and Casey distasteful, but the story is good because it has the potential to flare the Stewart/Hughes feud. Yet, Casey doesn't have an appropriate love interest waiting for him as summer picks up steam. Either hire a new actress to play a new character or better yet recast Maddie if the original actress won't return.

With Jean Pissant and Goutman at the helm it's hard not to be pessimistic.

ATWT's problems are bad writing. But Jean continues to be at ATWT. I dont see Goutman catering to any fanbase. Unless, you call Katie a fanbase.

Of course Mike should have been involved with Katie and Carly. Instead he got stuck with boring Meg and Paul storyline. One of Goutman's brilliant ideas.

The only good thing about Casey and Emily is the possible feud with the Stewarts and Hughes.

Kim: It's all your fault. It started with you sleeping with my husband ...kiddo!!

Susan: You werent giving Bob the attention he deserved!

Maddie was let go by Goutman...so I think A. Chando would come back if asked.

The problem is TIIC always seem to go in the worst probable direction in every story. They had a decent set up with the Bonnie/Holden/Lily/Dusty/Em/Chris sextet, but they sold out and made it into a stupid, thoroughly dull whodunit for the InTurn winner. They rushed Katie/Brad into a marriage (because Katie needs one every year...), I swear before Katie had ever bothered to say "I love you, Brad" to his face. Carjack---beyond fucked up. Henry/V have had one MONTH of story since he left her at the altar last year (another wham-bam-sex turned to love story), and OF COURSE it was another cheating story. What TIIC have done to H&V just leaves me scratching my head. Forget Nuke for a moment...people have been screaming for Henry to have a love interest and a story for years! YEARS! Yet TIIC can't figure out ONE thing to do with them for more than six weeks at a time.

It's sad when the average viewer could easily plug in the plot holes that would give these stories some depth, and TIIC can't be bothered with such trivialities. Gray Gerard was a villian TIIC could have EASILY kept in town to stir up trouble, keep us wondering about his connection to Margo, why he was using Matt and Casey, etc...and instead they blew their wad in a month and killed him off.

And I really don't understand not playing up the story of Barb's cancer. For those of us not inclined to like Paul, it would be the perfect opportunity to redeem him for some pretty crappy behavior. Instead, it's all about propping Paul's story, whether it's Sophie borderline obsession with him or Babs trying to push him and Meg back together. FCOL, GL's last ratings spike was Reva's struggle with cancer. Viewers eat that stuff up.

Note to TIIC...if you want to shut the fanbases up, GIVE them some hope in their story. Give them other stories to care about.

The problem is TIIC always seem to go in the worst probable direction in every story. They had a decent set up with the Bonnie/Holden/Lily/Dusty/Em/Chris sextet, but they sold out and made it into a stupid, thoroughly dull whodunit for the InTurn winner. They rushed Katie/Brad into a marriage (because Katie needs one every year...), I swear before Katie had ever bothered to say "I love you, Brad" to his face. Carjack---beyond fucked up. Henry/V have had one MONTH of story since he left her at the altar last year (another wham-bam-sex turned to love story), and OF COURSE it was another cheating story. What TIIC have done to H&V just leaves me scratching my head. Forget Nuke for a moment...people have been screaming for Henry to have a love interest and a story for years! YEARS! Yet TIIC can't figure out ONE thing to do with them for more than six weeks at a time.

It's sad when the average viewer could easily plug in the plot holes that would give these stories some depth, and TIIC can't be bothered with such trivialities. Gray Gerard was a villian TIIC could have EASILY kept in town to stir up trouble, keep us wondering about his connection to Margo, why he was using Matt and Casey, etc...and instead they blew their wad in a month and killed him off.

And I really don't understand not playing up the story of Barb's cancer. For those of us not inclined to like Paul, it would be the perfect opportunity to redeem him for some pretty crappy behavior. Instead, it's all about propping Paul's story, whether it's Sophie borderline obsession with him or Babs trying to push him and Meg back together. FCOL, GL's last ratings spike was Reva's struggle with cancer. Viewers eat that stuff up.

Note to TIIC...if you want to shut the fanbases up, GIVE them some hope in their story. Give them other stories to care about.

Excellent Post PJ.

The problem is TIIC always seem to go in the worst probable direction in every story. They had a decent set up with the Bonnie/Holden/Lily/Dusty/Em/Chris sextet, but they sold out and made it into a stupid, thoroughly dull whodunit for the InTurn winner. They rushed Katie/Brad into a marriage (because Katie needs one every year...), I swear before Katie had ever bothered to say "I love you, Brad" to his face. Carjack---beyond fucked up. Henry/V have had one MONTH of story since he left her at the altar last year (another wham-bam-sex turned to love story), and OF COURSE it was another cheating story. What TIIC have done to H&V just leaves me scratching my head. Forget Nuke for a moment...people have been screaming for Henry to have a love interest and a story for years! YEARS! Yet TIIC can't figure out ONE thing to do with them for more than six weeks at a time.

It's sad when the average viewer could easily plug in the plot holes that would give these stories some depth, and TIIC can't be bothered with such trivialities. Gray Gerard was a villian TIIC could have EASILY kept in town to stir up trouble, keep us wondering about his connection to Margo, why he was using Matt and Casey, etc...and instead they blew their wad in a month and killed him off.

And I really don't understand not playing up the story of Barb's cancer. For those of us not inclined to like Paul, it would be the perfect opportunity to redeem him for some pretty crappy behavior. Instead, it's all about propping Paul's story, whether it's Sophie borderline obsession with him or Babs trying to push him and Meg back together. FCOL, GL's last ratings spike was Reva's struggle with cancer. Viewers eat that stuff up.

Note to TIIC...if you want to shut the fanbases up, GIVE them some hope in their story. Give them other stories to care about.

Great post totally agree.

The problem is TIIC always seem to go in the worst probable direction in every story. They had a decent set up with the Bonnie/Holden/Lily/Dusty/Em/Chris sextet, but they sold out and made it into a stupid, thoroughly dull whodunit for the InTurn winner. They rushed Katie/Brad into a marriage (because Katie needs one every year...), I swear before Katie had ever bothered to say "I love you, Brad" to his face. Carjack---beyond fucked up. Henry/V have had one MONTH of story since he left her at the altar last year (another wham-bam-sex turned to love story), and OF COURSE it was another cheating story. What TIIC have done to H&V just leaves me scratching my head. Forget Nuke for a moment...people have been screaming for Henry to have a love interest and a story for years! YEARS! Yet TIIC can't figure out ONE thing to do with them for more than six weeks at a time.

It's sad when the average viewer could easily plug in the plot holes that would give these stories some depth, and TIIC can't be bothered with such trivialities. Gray Gerard was a villian TIIC could have EASILY kept in town to stir up trouble, keep us wondering about his connection to Margo, why he was using Matt and Casey, etc...and instead they blew their wad in a month and killed him off.

And I really don't understand not playing up the story of Barb's cancer. For those of us not inclined to like Paul, it would be the perfect opportunity to redeem him for some pretty crappy behavior. Instead, it's all about propping Paul's story, whether it's Sophie borderline obsession with him or Babs trying to push him and Meg back together. FCOL, GL's last ratings spike was Reva's struggle with cancer. Viewers eat that stuff up.

Note to TIIC...if you want to shut the fanbases up, GIVE them some hope in their story. Give them other stories to care about.

Great post PJ. Hopefully JP and Goutman will shock us all and give everyone something to look forward to.

I dont see Goutman catering to any fanbase. Unless, you call Katie a fanbase.

I do see Goutman catering to nearly every single vocal ATWT fanbase e.g. Maul, CarJack, Bratie, Nuke, Lilden, etc. He doesn't make their couple happy, but keeps them in each other's orbit so that the fans keep watching in hopes that they will reunite and/or be happy for awhile. It kills me when these fans say that they are unhappy when I'm miserable from years of having these tedious couples shoved down my throat.

As a Carly fan, I have had to watch her destroyed so that CarJack can go on and on. I cringe every time I see Carly in jeans running around after Jack and her brood of too many children. The ambitious smartly dressed woman I used to know and love has disappeared.

About Henry and Vienna, their story should be is that Henry finally comes out of the closet with Vienna's support. Vienna should then hook up with Jack or Mike.

Henry & Vienna are pretty popular, Pissant just needs to stop using them to kiss Fluffy's ass

Edited May 26, 200817 yr by Zendall Fan

Henry + Vienna = BORING.

I'll take BORING over Katie propping in a heartbeat

What is going on with Paul and Sophie? Please tell me they arent together. And is she purposely supposed to look like Meg? I saw her today and thought she was Meg at first. They have the same hair now

Why was Meg with Barbera. I thought Babs despised her. Has she changed her feelings about Meg?

Whats going on with Casey? Whats his deal with Emily?

Edited May 26, 200817 yr by Cheap21

I do see Goutman catering to nearly every single vocal ATWT fanbase e.g. Maul, CarJack, Bratie, Nuke, Lilden, etc. He doesn't make their couple happy, but keeps them in each other's orbit so that the fans keep watching in hopes that they will reunite and/or be happy for awhile. It kills me when these fans say that they are unhappy when I'm miserable from years of having these tedious couples shoved down my throat.

As a Carly fan, I have had to watch her destroyed so that CarJack can go on and on. I cringe every time I see Carly in jeans running around after Jack and her brood of too many children. The ambitious smartly dressed woman I used to know and love has disappeared.

I guess this proves that TIIC can satisfy no one. I hate it whenever Carly hooks up with a loser (lCraig, Simon) so TIIC can pay lip service to Carly's "ambition". I hated it when Craig or Simon pulled her strings, and she had to play the poor, put upon worker bee that couldn't possibly get ahead without some dick's "help". Then, said dick would sabotage her for her his own good. Carly being a successful, ambitious business woman just isn't going to happen on this show. ATWT only gives women careers to take them away.

Henry and V are boring because they don't do anything besides screw and try and fix Katie's life. I think Trent and Ewa have tons of chemistry.

What is going on with Paul and Sophie? Please tell me they arent together. And is she purposely supposed to look like Meg? I saw her today and thought she was Meg at first. They have the same hair now

He screwed her when he got in a jealous snit over Meg spending time with Mike. Sophie's obsessed with him. Babs has seen it, and tried to steer her away with the jewelry business thingy. I think the hair thing is supposed to make her look older. You should have seen this one day when it was all frizzed out like an afro. (scary!) Half the cast now has Meg's hair. Ali, Lily, Meg, Sophie, LIberty and Janet. I don't know what was with Meg's hair today, it looked like crap.

Why was Meg with Barbera. I thought Babs despised her. Has she changed her feelings about Meg?

Babs is going soft. Knowing her son robbed the cradle and her cancer scare has made her see the light. LOL.

Whats going on with Casey? Whats his deal with Emily?

They screwed. She keeps trying to break it off, knowing Tom will be pissed.

I guess this proves that TIIC can satisfy no one. I hate it whenever Carly hooks up with a loser (lCraig, Simon) so TIIC can pay lip service to Carly's "ambition". I hated it when Craig or Simon pulled her strings, and she had to play the poor, put upon worker bee that couldn't possibly get ahead without some dick's "help". Then, said dick would sabotage her for her his own good. Carly being a successful, ambitious business woman just isn't going to happen on this show. ATWT only gives women careers to take them away.

Henry and V are boring because they don't do anything besides screw and try and fix Katie's life. I think Trent and Ewa have tons of chemistry.

Your justification for keeping Carly tied to boring, judgmental Jack shows why Goutman and other headwriters cater to vocal online fanbase even to the detriment of the soap. I am convinced that is one of the main that the soaps are dying. Most of the audience aren't members of these couple fan bases. When I talk to the few people I who watch CBS soaps, we are beyond bored by these couples going back and forward. Yet it is all we get. Too bad.

Henry and Vienna have chemistry because she is his fag hag.

Just a note: Ambitious business women had careers on ATWT under Doug Marland. I miss his ATWT.

Edited May 26, 200817 yr by Ann_SS

Henry and Vienna have chemistry because she is his fag hag.

Oh please, Henry is far from gay, GMAB

Henry and Vienna have chemistry because she is his fag hag.

LMAO!! I love it.

Oh please, Henry is far from gay, GMAB

lol...I always thought Henry was gay. I was shocked when I heard he had feelings for Katie. I thought he was her gay sidekick

Edited May 26, 200817 yr by Cheap21