ATWT: November Discussion

[Chris B]

I know I'm in the minority, but I actually thought the show was better before Brad died. Everyone seems to cite that as the time ATWT became good again, but I was enjoying the show more overall before. I hate the new direction for Dusty and Jack's pity party annoyed me. This Mick story is very weak which sucks because Paul and Emily were totally revived pre-Kriezman. Right now I find myself in love with Katie and I'm loving the Lily/Holden/Damian/Meg/Molly story. Ironically enough, when the show was great a few months ago that was the worst story. Now it's one that I'm enjoying the most, lol! Crazy MEg and the introduction of Molly is adding a new dimension to it. I'm looking forward to whatever is going to come.

On the subject of Nancy, I must say she still has it! What I love most about Katie and Nancy's relationship is that they truly feel like girlfriends. I love when Nancy comes over and talks to Katie about her problems. She doesn't feel like a grandmother or that old matriarch giving advice. Their relationship seems real and they have great chemistry. I just wish for old times sake they had Nancy mention babysitting Snickers during this tough time.

[DRW50]

Is this anything new for Dusty? I know he was better with Bonnie, but they were never shown. He's felt like a spare part to me for years and years. I'm still not sure why they brought him back after McCouch left.

I agree that Nancy looked somewhat frail, but then, she's over 90. For over 90, that she's still alert and can deliver lines and give a good performance -- how many people who are 20 can do that on soaps today?

[P.J.]

IA, it's HW is still eloquent as the matriarch of the Hughes clan. I only mentioned it because now she's always sitting while on screen.

I think it's easier to single out Brad's death as a turning point. I didn't particularly like the Audrey nonsense, which really seemed to dominate the summer---although I felt the show was more energetic. I think the first time I really noticed the show on an upswing was the end of Paul/Meg earlier this summer.

[DRW50]

She does sit now, and there's more of a frailness in her voice and appearance. I think it's only more noticeable now because she has held up so well for many years.

ATWT's vets really do know how to age properly.

[Quent]

I wish Nancy had mentioned Dan MacCloskey when she was talking about loss to Katie. I realize her marriage to Chris was supposed to be 50 years, but the Nancy/Mac romance had a real sweetness to it. It must have been tough for HW to deliver those lines,since her husband just died recently.

[DRW50]

I can't remember the last time they mentioned Mac. I think someone decided she is only known for being married to Chris, even though the main point of the love story with Mac was to remind people that you can still move on when your partner dies, that you aren't betraying them.

[Jennyboom]

I agree with you about the good and bad points. I thought Luke and Noah scenes were very romantic and cute and we actually got to see them on a bed acting like a real couple. I loved Luke's speech to Noah and I loved Holden's speech at the end. I just would have loved to have seen Kim and Bob.

[P.J.]

Skatie was Nuke, pre-Nuke. Comic, short term villains brought in to "test" their commitment. Bruno and Dahlia look like Shakespeare compared to the Ztwins and Mason though.

[DeeeDee]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Soapsuds]

Great to see you posting on the ATWT threads DeeDee

PJ...I see you werent a Skatie fan....lol

I didnt care for them but at least it made Katie tolerable. She was so into Simon that she didnt have time to wreck other marriages...lol.

[P.J.]

And damn proud of it! I never bought the "ConMan and Twit ONS turns into Twue Wuv" crappola. And I think I officially invented SkatieHatie around the time Carly willingingly gave Katie the wedding dress she would have worn to her first ceremony with Jack to that selfish little bitch for her "dream wedding" (complete with lambs, indoor snow and Craig walking Snickers down the aisle.)

It always seemed like Skatie got all the "happy happy joy joy" crap, while Carjack got (and still does) heavy emotional stories that pull them apart. Pissed. Me. OFF.

[jfung79]

Pretty good week. I liked all the people coming and going, in and out, here to there, for Thanksgiving -- a bit jarring, but gave a sense that Oakdale is a town with lots of different connections. The most heartwarming moment was probably Parker leaving the farm to spend Thanksgiving with Carly so she wouldn't be alone. It was also nice to have Damian at the farm, feeling like a real part of the Oakdale community.

I loved seeing Nancy with Katie, and then with Margo, talking about family. Helen Wagner is performing pretty well for someone over 90, although obviously it is going to be more stunted and awkward. I didn't know she lost her husband in real life this year, how sad. I agree with everyone it was weird though that we were supposed to assume at least Tom and Casey, and probably Bob and Kim, were there but off-screen for the Hughes Thanksgiving. At least there was the photo of Bob, Kim, Nancy, and Chris. Seeing Nancy also reminded me her last scenes in February were with Jade and Casey, and I am still missing Jade!!

The Tuesday episode felt a bit like the old "Inside the Light" episodes on Guiding Light in terms of the flashback and the editing to go straight from one scene to the next -- nice change of pace and focus on two stories on Tuesday. I was fine with Jack yelling, but Tuesday reminded me, and I can't resist the urge to point out, Jack yells a lot more than Luke -- if it was Luke yelling in addition to having subtle scenes, there would probably be negative posts here by some posters about Van Hansis.

Minor, but annoying -- I was very confused by the weather graphic on Wednesday referring to "October." Huh?

But ATWT continues to be on a roll ... Can't wait for all the exciting stuff in the previews too! Barbara in the Mick story again, Simon and how Brad and Katie will react to him, Lily seeing Damian and Meg.

[P.J.]

I hadn't thought of Tuesday's eppy being an Inside the Lightesque---but you may have a point.

The graphic was in error, and no one caught it. I assume ATWT asked the Pittsburgh affiliate to help them out, and used their weatherman in the clip.

Re: Jack v. Luke---well, it hasn't gone unnoticed Jack yells a lot. I just think everyone recognizes there are a lot of layers to Michael's performance. He can yell one moment, and be breaking down the next. Personally, I don't see those levels in Van's work.

[P.J.]

I admit---didn't watch the show too closely today. Too much Nuke to hold my interest.

But I will admit----BSCMeg putting the screws to Damian is fun.

[DRW50]

I am still way behind, so I'm sorry to come to the party late. I'm up to around the time Jack called Carly to help Molly.

I have to say I don't think the "Never Surrender" stuff is bad at all, aside from that stupid name, which doesn't seem to be mentioned on the show anyway. I know Branco said why should we want to see this when Jack has children back home and this isn't a real way to grieve for his brother, but isn't that the whole point of the storyline, that Jack is running away from his grief? I do think they could have used Ben more. I think the stuff with Mike worked fine, but then I was never a fan of his character so I might have low expectations. Molly's introduction was generally very Molly, and had some good work from Lesli Kay, although the stuff with the weatherman was much too "cute" and repetitive. I think Michael Park's done a wonderful job grounding the story. When I compare this to a lot of the other cheapie location shoot stories on ATWT this decade, I think it worked well.

My only real complaint would be with a lot of how soaps are today, they frontloaded the story at such a rapid pace. Mike is married with a little girl and he's poor and has permanent nerve damaged from an accident! All told in a few days. Molly is an anchorwoman again and she's having an affair with a married politician but she exposes him live on air and loses everything! All told in a day. I know they only have so much time but with stories that involve actors who will stay around for more than brief stints, I hope they can work on the pacing.

My favorite scene was probably the one with Carly and Craig eating a chocolate bar in her hotel room, and him questioning her about whether she'd taken a drink. I don't want to see Craig and Carly as friends, but I thought the scene was very well-written, a nice, quiet moment which we don't get on soaps very often now, and Maura and Jon had a nice connection which did not seem as forced as a lot of Craig moments do.

I don't buy Jon as Craig, but this scene did remind me of the old days when you would have Scott Bryce's Craig having these personal talks with women he had once burned over, like Betsy.