GH: December Discussion Thread

[quartermainefan]

I don't think he thought he wrote her badly. He doesn't know he sucks as a writer, no one knows they suck. Everyone thinks they are capable of the Great American Novel. Also, I don't think there has to be redemption to be seen as being written well. Claudia's problem wasn't that she was evil or bad, her problem was she was dull. She didn't do anything for a year except sit in her living room and have the same conversations daily with Sonny, Ric and Trevor. Not surprisingly, those three are as dull as she is. What is so wrong with doing horrible things on a TV show? The quality of any story rises and falls on the villain and that is why they are the best roles. They get the best dialogue, do all the things that are fun, and get the reaction from the audience. Unfortunately, Claudia was a dull villain.

[Ann_SS]

I'm not crying for Sarah Brown either. I am not a fan. Her acting style irks the hell out of me. She has those quirks and likes to show up other actors and is all about "look at me" in her scenes. Like you said, she got paid a bundle for all that airtime for a crap character. I think that she couldn't stand playing a character that didn't give her loads of attention and love which is why she complained publicly about the writing. If Guza had written Claudia better, she would have shut her mouth and take all the adoration. She had been threatening not to re-sign. I bet she was shocked when Phelps fired her. GH did let her out of her contract early so she could take the B&B job which is generous enough.

[DeeeDee]

Every soap does.

That's one of the main problems with Daytime.

[JaneAusten]

I don't know if they let her out of her contract early? I think they intended on writing her off of GH for months. That't why her miscarriage was not used to redeem the character but just to make it worse. The storyline of her demise was too well prepared and planned to be an after thought. I think they wanted her "murder" as a sweeps event. If they released her from her contract obligations so she could take the B&B gig, I guess I give them some credit for being half human.

I'm just wondering, I know the writng for a character changes over time when a new actor comes into play a role but I want to know if there was anything as blatant as what GH did to the Lucky Spencer character anywhere else, on any other show.

[Ann_SS]

Sarah Brown's contract was up in February/March. She and Brad Bell thanked GH for letting her out early. GH was probably planning to do her death in February sweeps, but decided to do it in November instead so she could take the B&B job. She got a soft landing spot unlike Greg Vaughan who had to go find work.

What is interesting about the miscarriage is that Sarah Brown in that Branco interview talked as if she expected the baby to be born and tie Sonny to Claudia. She kept saying that Claudia wasn't desperate to keep Sonny with the baby, but that love could come after the baby was born. Guza turned on her for sure.

[DeeeDee]

Blair Cramer

Jack Abbott

Mackenzie Browning

Reggie Montgomery

Kendall Slater

[JaneAusten]

I thought her contract was up sooner but I guess in the end it doesn't matter. She didn't have that B&B gig lined up when she announced she was leaving. It wasn't until about 3 weeks after her announcement of her departure that she announced she was going to B&B. Now maybe it was all being worked out over that timeframe who knows.

I just wonder about the baby. I thought they were actually going to try and bond Sonny and Claudia through the miscarriage like they did with her Carly and Sonny years back.

Good examples. I honestly had totally forgotten about Jack Abbott.

[DeeeDee]

The cast was already woman heavy.

Carly, Sam, Liz, Kate & Olivia were around as concubines/apologists for Sonny & Jason which made Claudia unnecessary.

[Ann_SS]

Not a bad episode. I admit that Robin and Patrick were cute playing darts. I'm still rooting for Steven Lars to wreck their marriage. LOL!

I could not enjoy Spinelli finding out Maxie cheated on him any more. Someone tell Maxie she would have to hire a prostitute to find a woman desperate enough to sleep with Spinelli.

I'm tired of Michael's problems. Either get him therapy or let it go.

[JackPeyton]

So spinelli needs a hooke rto get laid but you think a man like steven would go for that thing robin?

[quartermainefan]

This was a nice episode. I liked the Luke and Sonny scene and thought TG did good work. Lucky just seems a little young now to be giving Carly advice. They recast her to where she looks more like Lucky's mother than Olivia looks like Dante's. I liked Ethan today. NP always plays Ethan as charming, and his being articulate is refreshing compared to the mundane street level way of talking everyone else has. And always a treat to see Diane and Keifer.

[bellcurve]

It's a treat to see a guy who beats the crap out of his teenaged girlfriend?

[quartermainefan]

No it is a treat to see anyone who when you know when you see him, story is sure to follow. Keifer brings story with him. Everyone else in that room with him just exists waiting for Keifer to do something so they have something to react to.

[Ann_SS]

Just when I think that GH can't go any lower, Liz uses her rape to prevent Rebecca from spilling about the affair with Nikolas.

SOD's Mala blogged about it better than I ever could: http://www.soapoperadigest.com/opinions/mala/

[DRW50]

I read her latest three opinions and I totally agree with all of them. And she was very well reasoned and not trying to impress us with her brilliance.

I can't believe she has a major job at one of today's soap magazines.

As for the rape, it's obvious Guza sees rape as just a plot device, and not a big deal. He proved that with Emily's rape story. If he can trivialize Liz's rape, and make it about even more about the men in her life, he will. Even back then more of the story was about Lucky than Liz. Now he will just eradicate any last shred of dignity that story had.

I'm surprised he doesn't have Audrey show up and tell her that Liz/Nik means Liz actually liked the rape.