Thanks to Betty at SOC:

8/26 Issue

Jack goes on a date w/ Carmen, & Walt Willey shares that he's playing it that Jack really likes Carmen, but that it's Erica he loves. After what Erica did to Jack, w/ Sam, right after getting out of prison, he just can't go right back to her. Something very deep & emotionally wringing has to happen for that to happen.

An AMC setsider notes that Pratt's writing style is more episodic, w/ lots of surprises because much happens offscreen. AMC is casting the short-term role of Lew Roth, the New Beginnings exec Erica charms.

YaYa DaCosta (Cassandra) is out (8/20), as is Mario Van Peebles (Sam).

Kendall spills Ryan's secret to Greenlee, & both women bring Ryan disturbing news. Ryan later wonders how many secrets Annie is keeping.

Erica is jealous of Carmen...Kendall is one step ahead of Annie...Greenlee has a sexy surprise for Aidan...

So Nelson was right about Yaya. I wonder how (other than him) they managed to keep this under wraps until basically her last airdate?

I wonder what the story is with her. Was it her choice? She has other stuff going on career-wise so I guess so but wasn't she on contract?

So SOD is reporting MVP is out for good? But SON is saying he'll be back If MVP is out for good then Dre is as good as gone.

I'll reserve comment on Pratt's episodic writing until I see it. I don't need to see to everything happen onscreen (and I don't really want to). I'm quite capable of connecting the dots. I guess it just depends on how much is taking place off-screen.

Edited August 12, 200817 yr by LeClerc

Ugh, that doesn't sound too good, that alot things will happen offscreen. I don't like being TOLD stuff, I like to be SHOWN it. I'm not saying every little thing has to happen onscreen, but alot of times we can miss something big when they do this.

Damn - I was hoping the YaYa thing wasn't true. I thought she was really good as Cassandra...and I think it's a much needed character in the Hubbard family. So anyone know what's happening with her? Will she move back to Paris...are they recasting?

More episodic sounds good bc I think we'll get much better cliffhangers! We're still going to see stuff...I'm not too worried about it!

Looks like I will be tuning out. Oh well.

Can we keep Yaya and get rid of NotColby? I'll sacrifice NotColby if it means we can get Ambyr back

Ugh, that doesn't sound too good, that alot things will happen offscreen. I don't like being TOLD stuff, I like to be SHOWN it. I'm not saying every little thing has to happen onscreen, but alot of times we can miss something big when they do this.

It could go either way I think. It could make the show alot sharper or be a total disaster.

I remember when Richard Culliton started HWing at AMC he hads some scenes where we were led to believe Mia was confiding in Stuart. At the end of the epsiode we found out she had just spilled her guts to Adam, who had been posing as Stuart. It was different because they didn't spell it all out from the beginning. Today they would show us Adam dressing up as Stuart, and make it clear over and over again throughout the scenes that it was Adam posing as Stuart (instead they gave no indication at all that it was Adam), and would probably toss in a few flashbacks of Adam getting dressed as Stuart because we must be too damn stupid to follow along.

If it's something like that, or Adam & Arlene's off-screen marriage, to make the show sharper then I'm all for it.

But I can see him taking to too far and making it very hard to get into the stories.

Can we keep Yaya and get rid of NotColby? I'll sacrifice NotColby if it means we can get Ambyr back

No. NewColby has become so much better then Ambyr IMO. They'd be taking a huge step back if they re-hired Ambyr IMO.

Edited August 12, 200817 yr by detroitpiston

It could go either way I think. It could make the show alot sharper or be a total disaster.

I remember when Richard Culliton started HWing at AMC he hads some scenes where we were led to believe Mia was confiding in Stuart. At the end of the epsiode we found out she had just spilled her guts to Adam, who had been posing as Stuart. It was different because they didn't spell it all out from the beginning. Today they would show us Adam dressing up as Stuart, and make it clear over and over again throughout the scenes that it was Adam posing as Stuart (instead they gave no indication at all that it was Adam), and would probably toss in a few flashbacks of Adam getting dressed as Stuart because we must be too damn stupid to follow along.

If it's something like that, or Adam & Arlene's off-screen marriage, to make the show sharper then I'm all for it.

But I can see him taking to too far and making it very hard to get into the stories.

Agreed, LeClerc. It's a fine line between those Mia/Adam scenes, and Guiding Light's "They slept together off-screen MONTHS ago, which is how he's the baby's father! See? We gave you this great plot twist by playing it off-camera and not showing it to you!"

I'm still gonna try to give Pratt a chance, but from the things he's said, and reading this makes me seriously fear for AMC's future

I'm not saying every little thing has to happen onscreen --

I am, lol! I'm saying "every little thing" has to and should happen on-screen, because, that's what soap opera is. Soap opera is about the moments. Every. Single. One of them.

I've lowered my expectations thanks to B&E. Pratt's got his work cut out for him. Right now, all I want is for what I see on screen or what they tell me happened off-screen to make sense and be believable. The show needs to stop the 180s and the over the top, blatant character propping (stop having Kendall/Greenlee/Annie say what a great guy Ryan is...let me SEE it for myself) and character bashing( I can see Annie's crazy. She's seeing her dead brother, so I don't need hear she's crazy. I can see that for myself) It's all happening at the expense of other characters.(Free Kendall!) If Pratt can at least do that, then I can handle the off-screen stuff.

That stucks about Cassandra, but I see her character as another B&E creation that had to go. It's too bad. I liked her and Dre.

No. NewColby has become so much better then Ambyr IMO. They'd be taking a huge step back if they re-hired Ambyr IMO.

They've already taken a step back by hiring someone who can't act her way out of a paper bag. Sorry but from what I'm reading a great deal of people want Ambyr back. This is probably the most pointless recast ever

I am, lol! I'm saying "every little thing" has to and should happen on-screen, because, that's what soap opera is. Soap opera is about the moments. Every. Single. One of them.

I kind of agree, but I do think it can get tedious, I like some things left to my imagination. For me to see every little thing the element of surprise is gone

Not too upset about YaYa DaCosta. Her "acting" wasn't much and really showed it when the "kids" were arrested. I wasn't too impressed with Sterling Sulieman(Dré), but he was just ok. I hope AMC re-casts Cassandra. SID hints that they are. I still think former Y&R Davetta Sherwood would be good in the role. Kimberly Kevon Williams(ex-Carmen, DAYS) might be good too.

No. NewColby has become so much better then Ambyr IMO. They'd be taking a huge step back if they re-hired Ambyr IMO.

I agree detroitpiston. Briane Moncrief has really upped Colby imho. Ambyr was whiney and wouldn't have done much with Colby's storyline.

Ambyr was whiney and wouldn't have done much with Colby's storyline.

LOL sorry but ALL Brianne's Colby does is whine

I don't like the fact that stuff will be happening off-screen. I mean I know we can't see everything, but damn...I dunno. I'll try to reserve judgement