And, with only a couple exceptions (Becky and Tony) the acting was far better, too.

I have to disagree Mama. The writing was far better. It was emotional. It was touching. It MEANT something. The dialogue was strong. Characters interacted. It was altogether written better.

And as for the performances, with the exception of BH and now TG, NO ONE even comes close to touching JZ or Brad Maule in the original story. JZ was robbed of her Emmy that year and everyone knew it.

And there aren't that many emmy winners involved here. In the core group around the children, there is only one. Becky has been nominated but never won (similar to JZ). Laura's never been nomincated. Ingo's never won, I don't think. JJ may have won, I can't recall, but that's it.

Tony (win)

Jane (win)

Jonathan (win)

Steve (win)

Julie (win)

Kimberly (win)

Becky (nom)

Kelly (nom)

Scott (nom)

The HUGE difference is the BJ story was only about 6 people - one was dead and one was in an oxygen tent, so the other four carried the show thus making it a tighter story and dialogue more intense. This story has a huge cast - almost the entire essemble - and most are given their own POV. Just the reality of the size means it won't be as intimate nor everyone having as much interaction. You can't compare the two, so I stand by my first assessment that the writing is no better and no worse between Jake's Death and BJ's Heart. It's a totally different game plan.

Joss's health is the lesser tale and no one from that even comes close to the stand outs around Jake - either in ability or delivery.

And, with only a couple exceptions (Becky and Tony) the acting was far better, too.

I think JJ has been excellent.

JJ is doing the same performance he always does.

I think the main difference between then and now is that the show has spent the last ten years destroying most of the relationships in the Spencer family, and saying they have never been close and Luke ever having kids was a mistake. They also devalued Lulu's relationship with her brother, and distanced Lucky from the kids. There is little emotional connection for me in any of this.

Steve burton won an emmy? Sad.

Julie, Jane and Kimberly are hardly thw focus of this story.

JJ does what he always does. Unimpressive.

Steve burton won an emmy? Sad.

Julie, Jane and Kimberly are hardly thw focus of this story.

JJ does what he always does. Unimpressive.

But again that underscores the difference in the two tales - all personal opinions aside. This is a far wider, more sweeping tale with many more involved or directly effected by the outcome.

I love this line

The GH writing team, which for much of the last ten years has specialized in telling repetitive stories about local mobsters that play like a low-rent version of The Sopranos

Unlike the childish ramblings of that bunch at Daytime Confidential (they are downright embarrasing), this piece is amazingly well written and thorough. I hope the entire GH team sees it. This show has been horrid since Phelps and Guza took over. And this blogger nailed every single major fault/sin they've committed. This Jake storyline is the lowest point though. I hope both Phelps and Guza go soon. As far as I'm concerned they can promote the night watchman and he'd do a better job running the show.

I do credit the casting, though, of believable performers. But other than Patrick, there isn't really a stud in the bunch. For soft porn, I'll just tune into DOOl and Dario or OLTL and all of Frankie and Ronnie's darling boyz...GH should be the Knots Landing of daytime....(without Lynn Latham as the headwriter no doubt).

^^ Differ away, that's fine. The pace was different so more could be said at any one time, but this particular telling has used the "white space" in the dialogue to great effect. I actually prefer that to the constant need to keep the dialogue going.

Claire Labine is a genius in telling human, emotionally wrenching stories. Bob Guza's writing is rescued only by the talent of his cast. There's no comparison in these two stories. Labine touched something in all of us. Guza's story is forced and plot driven, like everything else in daytime today, but especially on GH.

Claire Labine is a genius in telling human, emotionally wrenching stories. Bob Guza's writing is rescued only by the talent of his cast. There's no comparison in these two stories. Labine touched something in all of us. Guza's story is forced and plot driven, like everything else in daytime today, but especially on GH.

+1. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Claire Labine is a genius in telling human, emotionally wrenching stories. Bob Guza's writing is rescued only by the talent of his cast. There's no comparison in these two stories. Labine touched something in all of us. Guza's story is forced and plot driven, like everything else in daytime today, but especially on GH.

+2

Even more embarrassing is how the woman hasn't worked in daytime in 10 years now, yet Guza is given free reign for most of those same 10 years to recycle and spit on Labine's work. This wouldn't really be the low point to me though. That's still the 1-2 Punch of Michael's shooting and the Claudia Axe-o-rama. Especially the latter. Claudia's killing was gratuitous and entirely against what soaps are meant to represent. When I think of Guza's GH, I see absolutely no humanity in it, nor any emotion in the storytelling. With Labine, even when it was hokey (and I must say, sometimes her sense of humour and mine were a little different), it was heartfelt. Whereas now I don't even think there's a pulse.

Far as I'm concerned, this article hit everything spot on to all my major gripes with this show since Guza's Mobfest has taken over.

+2

Even more embarrassing is how the woman hasn't worked in daytime in 10 years now, yet Guza is given free reign for most of those same 10 years to recycle and spit on Labine's work. This wouldn't really be the low point to me though. That's still the 1-2 Punch of Michael's shooting and the Claudia Axe-o-rama. Especially the latter. Claudia's killing was gratuitous and entirely against what soaps are meant to represent. When I think of Guza's GH, I see absolutely no humanity in it, nor any emotion in the storytelling. With Labine, even when it was hokey (and I must say, sometimes her sense of humour and mine were a little different), it was heartfelt. Whereas now I don't even think there's a pulse.

Far as I'm concerned, this article hit everything spot on to all my major gripes with this show since Guza's Mobfest has taken over.

For me too he made a boo-boo in that Becky was not put on recurring she was out n out fired but I knew Jake very well or just as well as any other three year old on GH... from his conception, reveal, birth were major storylines usually during sweeps and he was shown on the screen throughout his short life and was up front by getting kidnapped twice hurt at the Carnivale he's been included in major storylines...not to mention popping up here and there.

Edited March 31, 201114 yr by Cyberologist

Kidnapped twice?? I swear, if one more baby is kidnapped in daytime, I swear, I'm going postal.