The playlist I am using has back tracked incredibly, so I have gone from arriving to the Halloween costume party to moving prior to Max returning I believe.

This led me to watch the Viki exposes Cain/Tina visits her pirate past life episode again and I think it really may be one of my favorites of all time. Karen Witter has me laughing out loud and Erika slays those scenes exposing Cain, I wish it was a bigger moment but I know he has more up his sleeve.

I can now quite literally not get enough of Jason Webb. This man is so real. He broke my heart when he realized he gave Wanda the wrong medication and I could only laugh when he taunted Kevin that “Mommy’s here!” as Viki paid a visit to LeeAnn, which were also nice scenes.

I am back and forth on the Bo and Cassie stalker story. Maybe it’s the editing, but also the episodes move very differently, and it could be the pacing of the show as they experiment.

I actually love how well used Viki is across the canvas, this could’ve done well for them in later years even in simple ways. She has exposed Cain Rogan, aided Bo and watched Porter die, confronted LeeAnn, gotten herself involved in the Jane Ebert drama and unknowingly tied into Blair’s upcoming schemes.

I don’t mind this Kevin, but he’s just there, and I imagine a lot of his scenes with the upcoming Kevin (Kirk) playing them and I think they would hit a lot better.

She is used well so far, but my only complaint is that Sheila Price/Valerie Pettiford should have been a LEAD on this show. I will never drop it.

I'm just sorry we couldn't help you watch it in order. That took me a few weeks to figure out and do properly. The numbering rights itself after Halloween.

Edited 23 hours ago23 hr by Vee

8 hours ago, Vee said:

I'm just sorry we couldn't help you watch it in order. That took me a few weeks to figure out and do properly. The numbering rights itself after Halloween.

I appreciate that! I am glad I made it through the hurdle and am now enjoying an era I have long ignored.

I have made it through the 11/5 and I really can’t get over how on fire the show is. I think they are handling the transition from old to new and getting their bearings while keeping Llanview feeling like a community and it still feels like a soap, I really don’t get all the hate from the press at the time.

I loved the Halloween episode: the costumes, LeeAnn and Luna, Jessica as Dorothy and getting spooked by Addie, Roger in the clown costume to track down Jane, etc.

Cassie faking her breakdown to lure out the stalker is both interesting but moved at odd pacing. I wasn’t expecting the charade to continue through an episode and a half and thought it would just be one big moment. She did take it a bit far, poor Bo, Herb and Dorian.

The fire at Llanview was very cinematic, especially the exterior rooftop window scenes and everyone slowly running down the alley. Great work by cast and crew.

Max’s return from start to current has been great-loved seeing him back with Megan and then reaching LeeAnn and at her side.

1 hour ago, soapfave06 said:

I have made it through the 11/5 and I really can’t get over how on fire the show is. I think they are handling the transition from old to new and getting their bearings while keeping Llanview feeling like a community and it still feels like a soap, I really don’t get all the hate from the press at the time.

I loved the Halloween episode: the costumes, LeeAnn and Luna, Jessica as Dorothy and getting spooked by Addie, Roger in the clown costume to track down Jane, etc.

Cassie faking her breakdown to lure out the stalker is both interesting but moved at odd pacing. I wasn’t expecting the charade to continue through an episode and a half and thought it would just be one big moment. She did take it a bit far, poor Bo, Herb and Dorian.

It was Doug, but yes we all thought of Roger!

I don't get the hate either - I think so far the overall storytelling shift have been overstated re: the novella-type stuff. It is still following the fundamental framework of a year-long soap opera with larger storylines and throughlines running alongside or above the shorter-term stories (Doug and Jane, or the Wanda medical stuff which is more a B or C-plot). OTOH Gottlieb and Malone did change a lot about the show very fast, and the Eber (I don't think there is a 't') saga does get much more prominent very quickly and becomes a bit tedious so I can understand some of the critique. But in the end this story is going to both begin and wrap in about a month or less and it's far from the only story on the show, all of which are paced and plotted like normal soap opera.

Laura Bonarrigo was done no favors in '91. First she looks like RSW's midlife crisis made manifest when she comes on as a notably young love for Bo under Rauch, then she spends this back half of the year howling, shrieking and sobbing while 'pretending' to go crazy (sure, Cassie). It's been driving me up the wall, and I am someone who grew up adoring LB and Cassie on the show for years and think she was deeply underrated. This stuff is a rough ride for her even though it seems like someone new at the show must've seen her talent and thought the way to use it was to keep giving her very big, broad material to showcase her chops lol. Instead whenever she starts to lose it I cringe and go for the volume on my remote. She's definitely playing it to the hilt but it's exhausting. Laura is lucky she survived this period and got better story.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Vee

7 minutes ago, Vee said:

It was Doug, but yes we all thought of Roger!

I don't get the hate either - I think so far the overall storytelling shift have been overstated re: the novella-type stuff. It is still following the fundamental framework of a year-long soap opera with larger storylines and throughlines running alongside or above the shorter-term stories (Doug and Jane, or the Wanda medical stuff which is more a B or C-plot). OTOH Gottlieb and Malone did change a lot about the show very fast, and the Eber (I don't think there is a 't') saga does get much more prominent very quickly and becomes a bit tedious so I can understand some of the critique. But in the end this story is going to both begin and wrap in about a month or less and it's far from the only story on the show, all of which are paced and plotted like normal soap opera.

Laura Bonarrigo was done no favors in '91. First she looks like RSW's midlife crisis made manifest when she comes on as a notably young love for Bo under Rauch, then she spends this back half of the year howling, shrieking and sobbing while 'pretending' to go crazy (sure, Cassie). It's been driving me up the wall, and I am someone who grew up adoring LB and Cassie on the show for years and think she was deeply underrated. This stuff is a rough ride for her even though it seems like someone new at the show must've seen her talent and thought the way to use it was to keep giving her very big, broad material to showcase her chops lol. Instead whenever she starts to lose it I cringe and go for the volume on my remote. She's definitely playing it to the hilt but it's exhausting. Laura is lucky she survived this period and got better story.

Ha! Really shows what an icon Roger was. I was waiting on Doug to have a big moment in the costume.

Oops, I wish we had closing credits for the spellcheck reasons.

There is no balance to Cassie faking the insanity, she isn’t quite coming off as a strong woman which considering she battled Mitch Laurence and was nearly burned alive tied to a tree doesn’t add up. Also, the way she says Sarah kills me, I’m not hating on it though.

I have made it to episode dated 11/8 (the dates don’t add up though when I checked the weekly ratings) and I see what you mean about Jane and Roger. I wouldn’t have hated if Jane was less one note, she could’ve been a background character, longterm waitress, something. But I won’t miss Jane or Roger. Not hating the story though. Roger confronting Viki in her office and Blair coming to her aid was quite chilling, the background score was great.

I’m actually missing Jason, he’s gone more to the background, and the scene where LeeAnn called out for Max as he sat vigil with her in the hospital made me feel for him. This actor is phenomenal.

I am LOVING the ongoing work life at The Banner and Blair making her moves. Cord comes off icky flirting with Blair constantly, although I would’ve liked to see them in the absence of Andrea Evans.

Yawn at Max vs Asa.

PS-

Stephanie is now leaving, they are making moves fast. Kevin left for Texas, I’m assuming that’s the end of that Kevin?

Also, were their any other characters pre-1991 that could have taken the place of Jane and/or Roger to avoid them being randoms?

27 minutes ago, soapfave06 said:

I have made it to episode dated 11/8 (the dates don’t add up though when I checked the weekly ratings) and I see what you mean about Jane and Roger. I wouldn’t have hated if Jane was less one note, she could’ve been a background character, longterm waitress, something. But I won’t miss Jane or Roger. Not hating the story though. Roger confronting Viki in her office and Blair coming to her aid was quite chilling, the background score was great.

Stephanie is now leaving, they are making moves fast. Kevin left for Texas, I’m assuming that’s the end of that Kevin?

Also, were their any other characters pre-1991 that could have taken the place of Jane and/or Roger to avoid them being randoms?

Doug, lol.

Like I said, it was weird about Stephanie. They added her, Joey Thrower's Kevin, Lee Ann and Jason to the final Tour of Llanview opening in September, played her a fair amount that month with Jason in a very Malone way, and then had her trading barbs with Lee Ann and closer to Joey in October. Then with no preamble they very abruptly write her out in a single day to go to Chicago, and Robyn Griggs is immediately removed from the opening as JDP is re-added (the final change to the 80s opening, I think - strangely Luna and Blair are never added despite it being the same timeframe).

A lot has been said about Griggs alienating people BTS at her various soaps and Joey Thrower talked about her being an issue at OLTL, so I assume that between her initial story pre-Gottlieb/Malone being so lousy, their adding a bunch of new people plus her offscreen behavior, they just quickly did a 180 and decided to cut bait on Stephanie in this period. I don't know if Stephanie comes back before the spring '92 story where she returns following Carlo's death (and is used simply to end that story). I suspect not. I do know Thrower's Kevin is back shortly. Why they sent him away for a few weeks I really don't know.

I know Pat Elliott (Renee) said they should've told the Eber story with Asa and Renee so the audience could invest in it vs. two new people. Asa and Renee's relationship was growing very toxic at this point but I don't think that would've worked - I understand her point but it would've ruined Asa permanently, and the audience didn't want to watch him do that. I do think some of the stuff with Doug and Jane is well-written especially as she talks about how their relationship first turned abusive, and how she can't remember if it hurt the first time he hit her. Gottlieb was very clearly trying to educate during this period with this story and the Wanda subplot about female medical care, and it's always admirable for daytime to do that and was well-scripted but a bit too didactic, especially in the Eber story with random all-new characters. Maybe they could've brought back some minor past players instead to do the same short story, like one of the O'Neill girls or (shudder) Wade and Mari Lynn.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Vee