On 12/25/2025 at 4:01 PM, Maxim said:

Merry Christmas to everyone in Llanview! @DRW50 @soapfave06 @mar4331 @janea4old @alwaysAMC @AMCOLTLLover @Franko @Sapounopera @chrisml @Khan @yrfan1983 🎁🎅 ❤️

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Maxim! Thanks as always for your dispatches. I’m learning so much.

One comment - when you observe that specific episodes have a lower quality than previous… I wonder if it’s because of the scriptwriter (working under Malone) assigned to that episode. I’m sure some writers are more talented than others.

1 hour ago, yrfan1983 said:

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Maxim! Thanks as always for your dispatches. I’m learning so much.

Merry Christmas to you again @yrfan1983 ! You are so welcome!

2 hours ago, yrfan1983 said:

One comment - when you observe that specific episodes have a lower quality than previous… I wonder if it’s because of the scriptwriter (working under Malone) assigned to that episode. I’m sure some writers are more talented than others.

That definitely makes sense. Unfortunately, not all episodes have credits, so I can't track which one is written by whom, but I have noticed a change in quality for sure. It often stems from the less developed characters, as it's easier to get lost in them since they aren't as evolved. For some reason, Alex has moments of sharp clarity, wit even, followed by episodes where the dialogue writer gives her nothing but nonsense and cartoonish drivel. Again, it's tough to determine if it's the dialogue writer's fault or the overall chaos of the character. But I believe it's a 50/50 situation. I find it quite interesting how dialogue can either enhance or ruin a scene... we've been discussing this in the BTG topics for nearly a year now, and it's easier to track which episode is written by whom - we receive that information as soon as it starts airing, there's always people who report who it is. I'll make an effort to pay more attention to the credits from now on, and if I notice anything interesting or feel a significant difference, I'll be happy to report it. 😊

3 hours ago, mar4331 said:

@Maxim What a review. I had a smile reading the whole thing haha. I'm glad you like Robin! I do wish she would have went back to brown hair for Dorian though. Please dont take too long to watch the next couple episodes...lots of drama!

Ah, hearing that you were smiling reading it... makes me smile instantly too! They say smiles are contagious, so it must be true. 😄 Thanks for hyping me up like this about what's to follow in the show... now I'm going to tell my husband to hurry up with his cooking and come watch the next 2 episodes with me ASAP.

I'm literally screeeeeeaming. I can't believe I'm watching post-coitus Viki and Sloan... while he is feeding her strawberries.

@mar4331 I'm glad I followed your advice! This is wild!!! 😄 Poor Clint is on his way to the inn...

@Maxim that gif needs to have a trigger warning lol!

Just now, mar4331 said:

@Maxim that gif needs to have a trigger warning lol!

🤣

I recently have been doing a OLTL history dive. Why the heck did they kill off Meredith Lord? I read Lynn Benesch didn't renew her contract, but they could have recast. Maybe Jacqueline Courtney could have been recast Meredith instead of playing Pat. I think that was a major mistake as the character could have driven story for decades. Did she die in the garage at Llanfair?

They also killed Victor off 3 years later. Then it became all these convoluted stories of Vicki having long lost siblings and then making Victor the ultimate monster (The DID) storyline. Erika Slezak hated that storyline. She joked that Ernest Graves who originated the role would be rolling over in his grave if he knew what they had done to that character.

Thanks @Maxim . Another great review for the various stories on display. I'm glad that posting some old clips of Robin as Dorian helped ease her in. I like that Elaine and Robin both had strong enough work that you and your husband each have them as a favorite. Someday maybe you could both watch Nancy Pinkerton and Claire Malis for even more of a difficult choice.

You're right about Robin's version tending to seem younger, and more blatantly connected to the lost child in Dorian.

They really are ramping up Sloan's hatred of Dorian. I'm glad they had Viki ask him to leave so she and Dorian could face off. Erika and Robin always had a strong chemistry.

41 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks @Maxim . Another great review for the various stories on display. I'm glad that posting some old clips of Robin as Dorian helped ease her in.

It was incredibly helpful. 🙂I wanted to tell you... I noticed some lines from Strasser's Dorian that suggest to me the new writers might have referenced iconic material before writing for her again. Phrases like "Let Sloan brutalize me if he wants to..." reminded me of the clips where she portrayed herself as a victim when being thrown out of Llanfair. The wording could be coincidental or just Strasser's style in playing it, but it possessed that same playful, provocative tone - like she's saying, "I'm the actual victim in this, at least that's my story for the Intruder!" I love it. I'm seeing many different nuances with this new Dorian in just 4 episodes. One notable one is how she dominates Cassie. Strasser's Dorian has a powerful presence that Cassie struggles against, unlike Princi's gentler physical demeanor. For the first time, Cassie seems to fade in scenes with her mother, as Strasser's energy outshines her. This isn't a criticism of Laura Koffman... I think this chemistry works better. With Princi and Koffman, Cassie sometimes felt too strong next to someone meant to be so menacing. Now, you truly believe this is a mother from hell... from the famous gallery ofmothers like Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest.

I think I'm rambling, but I'm just so excited and wanted to tell you this!

52 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I like that Elaine and Robin both had strong enough work that you and your husband each have them as a favorite. Someday maybe you could both watch Nancy Pinkerton and Claire Malis for even more of a difficult choice.

From your lips to God's ears - I hope 2026 is a year where we uncover more and more lost material from the 70s. I would love to see the other Dorians. This is a role, a character that... as evidenced by Princi and Strasser can be played in so many different ways, without losing the core of it. It's like a different translation of a book - it still keeps the main characteristics and the story, but the tone, the language and the humor are somewhat different. It's fascinating. I think someone must do a documentary called "The Dorians" and look into each one of them individually. I would love to watch something like it.

Edited 42 minutes ago42 min by Maxim

18 minutes ago, Maxim said:

It was incredibly helpful. 🙂I wanted to tell you... I noticed some lines from Strasser's Dorian that suggest to me the new writers might have referenced iconic material before writing for her again. Phrases like "Let Sloan brutalize me if he wants to..." reminded me of the clips where she portrayed herself as a victim when being thrown out of Llanfair. The wording could be coincidental or just Strasser's style in playing it, but it possessed that same playful, provocative tone - like she's saying, "I'm the actual victim in this, at least that's my story for the Intruder!" I love it. I'm seeing many different nuances with this new Dorian in just 4 episodes. One notable one is how she dominates Cassie. Strasser's Dorian has a powerful presence that Cassie struggles against, unlike Princi's gentler physical demeanor. For the first time, Cassie seems to fade in scenes with her mother, as Strasser's energy outshines her. This isn't a criticism of Laura Koffman... I think this chemistry works better. With Princi and Koffman, Cassie sometimes felt too strong next to someone meant to be so menacing. Now, you truly believe this is a mother from hell... from the famous gallery ofmothers like Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest.

I think I'm rambling, but I'm just so excited and wanted to tell you this!

From your lips to God's ears - I hope 2026 is a year where we uncover more and more lost material from the 70s. I would love to see the other Dorians. This is a role, a character that... as evidenced by Princi and Strasser can be played in so many different ways, without losing the core of it. It's like a different translation of a book - it still keeps the main characteristics and the story, but the tone, the language and the humor are somewhat different. It's fascinating. I think someone must do a documentary called "The Dorians" and look into each one of them individually. I would love to watch something like it.

You're right. Cassie does tend to fade more, at least at this time, with Strasser's Dorian. I am sure some was intended.

Each Dorian does bring different flavors. The most interesting may be Nancy Pinkerton, but part of that is so much of her run being gone. I'd love to see the time when Dixie Carter filled in as Dorian.