GH: Discussion for the Month of August

[remos]

I keep trying to picture what Lucky would be like if they had given GV the writing they have given JJ, and if they didn't shove Sam back with Jason. LuSam was a fabulous couple and Lucky could hold his own with and against anyone. He might have been boring some of the time, but how much of that was the writers/directors holding him back? And he has sexual chemistry with every woman he stood beside. I kinda liked the inappropriate vibe between Lucky and Tracy the few Trucky scenes we had.

Sometimes the past just needs to stay in the past - revisiting it rarely fares well. JJ's return was just a bad idea for some easy ratings numbers, and it's turned out to be less than stellar.

[JaneAusten]

I never found GV's Lucky boring. THat was all writing. And his work during the Lucky drug story trumps this nonsense JJ is doing now. I know the soap press falls all over JJ and his acting but honestly he has one trick in his arsenal. The only thing he excels at on GH are scenes with TG's Luke. Thats the only time I see a Lucky I actually can tolerate return, Watching him with Liz I feel like I am watching 2 teenagers. And I detest Liz as a character I mean hate because the show keeps trying to push her off as some high moral center of the show when she's not, yet while dysfunctional I really liked her romance with Ric. Its the only time she had a real adult relationship that worked for her. Jason is so dull and Nikolas was just a putrid character for years up until the last 2 weeks he was on the show.

And I agree with leaving things in the past. I think I am actually over Luke and Laura for good now. I don't nor have any interst in seeing her back anymore at all with her kids or with Luke. time has passed. I think watching AMC and Dixies snoozeworthy return number 3000 made me realize you just can't go back.

As for JJ being brought back for ratings, when when had this worked. They tried it with Brenda part 2 and it flopped and flopped badly

[Skin]

I always thought Lucky was a good character. I never had a problem with him after he went to rehab and flushed the drugs out of his system way back in 06' from then on the character was golden to me. All of Lucky's problems stemmed from his faithless tramp of a wife Elizabeth beyond that point and he was shackled with her because Guza wanted to keep Lucky in a vacuum and could love no one but her for the long-term. He was Liz's safety net for Cam, Jake and all of her other children from previous one night stands and infidelities and Lucky played father while Elizabeth got sweaty with someone who wasn't her husband again.

This wouldn't have been so bad if Becky cared enough to put in effort to make the ship work and doled out some affection and love for GV's Lucky but no dice. It also would have helped if she didn't telegraph to the entire soap audience that she wanted to ride Jason's disco-stick every time they crossed paths. The echos of her one night stand with Jason and eventually Nikolas destroyed LL2 to the point of complete ruin.

Lucky is in a rut but that's because so many characters on GH are in the same predicament. They are all in insulated orbits and almost never criss cross and intersect each other or if they do it is all in service of the amazing threesome.

LuSam started dwindling soon after Elizabeth wasn't an obstacle anyway though and they soon made Sam and Lucky boring just like the rest of the GH couples. I'm thankful they got JJ back in the role because it gave the writers a much needed catalyst to make them start caring about Lucky again. Without JJ Guza probably would have had Lucky shot by accident by Jason during a drug bust or something equally ridiculous all the while Liz humps Jason in her grief for her lost husband and then goes to his grave before she has the chance to shower. I have no doubt in my mind it would have been that bad and that disrespectful to the character and everything their relationship once meant to one another. Add to the fact that Becky seems to actually be involved now with JJ and there is at least a semblance that Elizabeth cares for Lucky again which should have always been the case. I would say we got more out of JJ coming back then we lost with GV exiting.

[JaneAusten]

Except I get nothing from Becky/Liz caring about Lucky except the same teenage garbage and permanent lock and everytime JJ emotes his eyes are always watery. I see nothing in Lucky as being any better a charcter. He is the same pathetic loser weeping after Liz that GV was except with more screentime and now Jason is his friend. Big deal. LL2 are not at all interesting or compelling as a couple like at all. They might have some natural chemistry but they have no romantic chemistry or sexual chemistry at all and have to rely on flashbacks from 13 years ago to sell their connection. I say I was never a Nikolas/Emily fan but I totally bought them being romantic and sexual and in love as adults more than ever with LL2. And thats about the only similar relationship I can compare LL2 to on GH in recent year where teenagers were in love. And JJ still looking 18 doesn't help.

[Skin]

I actually do see romantic chemistry between JJ and Becky and I do think that transcendent soulmate kind of love chemistry is there it's just not raw, sexual or animalistic kind of chemistry. They don't have that kind of energy around them and well that doesn't fit Liz much at all IMO. LL2 were always different then that and they were never that kind of relationship, actually one of the highlights for them was that they weren't sexual because Liz was a rape victim and Lucky was non-threatening. LL2 wasn't a very sexual relationship they always focused on them being more spiritual and emotional and I think that works better with JJ/RH honestly. I never got GV as being a very spiritual guy and he was very masculine and he was more hardened then JJ's Lucky. JJ's Lucky is sensitive enough to make that side of their relationship work more. But Lucky's relationship with Elizabeth was never all that sexual, rip your clothes off kind of relationship. Not when GV was in the role and certainly not when JY was in the role.

I personally never thought any one in that foursquare was sexy original or otherwise in reference to Nem or LL2.

I do think that LL2 don't work though not after everything that's been done to them in the past five years. It's been torpedoed.

[DRW50]

I don't think it had that much to do with Liz. It had a lot to do with Guza's loathing of the Spencers being anything but broken and worthless. Lucky represented a lot of the happiest Luke/Laura memories, and that meant both Guza and Tony Geary seemed to zero in on him (I think the only reason Geary tries with JJLucky is because he and JJ have a bond). Years and years of Luke being openly contemptuous of Lucky, his job, his life, his kids (who weren't his real kids, according to Guza and Luke). Years of Lulu sneering at Lucky and telling him she'd choose her mobster boyfriend over him any day. Then they had Ethan come in just to remind us that this was Luke's true son and that Lucky was a loser in comparison.

The show was left with this once GV was fired, and it has never worked. Lucky continues to have no relationship with any of these people.

[JaneAusten]

This is the part I dont get. How is Lucky such a better character now with JJ. Its what I keep hearing so many people say? What says that. He's been turned into almost a carbon copy of this version of Luke, who is a total zero and loser now. How is that redeeming or rootworthy. GV's Lucky at least had his charisma and laura's heart and warmth as reminders of Laura and better days. JJ's Lucky is just a vapid Luke clone with limited charisma and no warmth about him and you're right, no relationships with anyone other than Luke and Liz. I even was disappointed with JJ and TC's scenes after JJ returned and much preferred the bond GV"s Lucky shared with TC on screen, It was far more connected and believable. But then the show spent no time really rebuilding their bond

[Mr. Vixen]

Hey AMD@GH or OLTLFan, can one of you PM me a link to those Claudia/Liv scenes? Since apparently we're not allowed to post videos anymore.

[quartermainefan]

I think he is certainly up there. I can't think who is a better actor than he is. TG I guess, maybe John Ingle back ten years ago when he was a little younger and able to do a little more. Jane Elliot..other than those three there isn't anyone on the show even half as good as JJ. That's probably why the show has spent the entire year having him to the heaviest material. While Steve Burton and Maurice Benard wave their toy guns around, JJ had to play one heavy scene after another and even this week spent his whole time as a shivering addict. And for much of the time he had to do all this with an accent.

[JaneAusten]

The problem with JJ is its all "look at me I am acting". There is nothing natural about that. They give JJ the heavy material because he can handle it? I've read people in this thread complementing a lot of actors on this show, KS, KMc, JMB as being great at various times when they get heavy material also. Most actors I contend do not just JJ. Heck I think MB even has had some good moments when given heavy material. Call me when any of these actors can do the mundane stuff and make it interesting. Tony geary is one. And I think Ingo Rademacher was another, A very underrated performer but he never let down ever and I could watch him every day and not ever think he was mundane, monotone, or bored and I don't recall anyone over the years ever complementing him. I can't say the same for JJ or all the rest here who are touted as such greats. I don't see many actors on this show putting much energy into any of that stuff. TG, IR was, I would argue Jason Thompson too who is also underrated. Jane Elliott. Thats about it. Most of the rest of these people are mediocre at best with highs when they get kickass material. Emily O'Brien is my example of an actress who never let down who delivered every day of the week she was on. She got some of the most god awful material on Y&R but she always brought it on and tried to do something with it. Thats an actress. And her reward for that was geting fired while all those others on Y&R touted as such great actors still collect a paycheck. Call me when the emmy;s start rewarding consistant performances and not the one trick or emmy baiting performances the voters get to see.

[Antoyne]

No, you can post videos. Just not the ones made by people who do full episodes..If the scene is like titled Claudia vs. Olivia it would be fine, but if it's like GH 8-11-11 part 2..that's where the problem arises.

And I totally agree with you JaneAusten about Ingo and Jason Thompson, and like you said consistency is not rewarded. Crying is.

I'm not even going to start another JJ and his one trick rant. I honestly feel nothing for his incarnation of Lucky and the drugs...

[Cheap21]

I thought it was recent videos of full episodes. We cant post old ones either?

[Antoyne]

I think those are fine...I meant to add recent. My b.

[OLTL_fan]

Here SoapBoy. I guess these are allowed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTAdC_Fxe_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nxc8vooiec&feature=related

[AllMyDaysatGH]

LMFAO! Now there's the clip I was talking about. So badass!!

Wasn't sure which types of clips were allowed ;-).