GH: Discussion for the Month of April

[Cheap21]

RC didnt write Blair's rape story. That happened about 4-5 years before he even became HW

[quartermainefan]

Luke has always cared about Lulu. When she needed an abortion he was there for her, I vaguely remember him being beside himself when she was dying from the monkey virus.

[SweetPea36]

Rape is as much a soap cliché as WTD stories. Good writers don't need to resort to clichés. Good writers don't ignore history or rewrite it to suit their purposes. Good writers use their characters, flawed as they may be, rather than throwing a bucket of whitewash on them and declaring them redeemed because it's easier to write for them without flaws.

Cartooni are terrible soap writers. Why on earth are they doing this?

[Juliajms]

Yes, I think he has always been there for the big moments, but I feel like he's now there for her in a day to day way, that he wasn't before. He's interested in her happiness and safety even when she's not in the middle of disaster. He's giving her advice that's more substantial than "just do what you want".

[VirginiaHamilton]

Thank you for the honest response. I just want to make sure that the praise for Luke isn't going overboard because he said something nice in one episode.

I'm not sure if JJ Lucky ever plans on returning before this show goes off the air, but I'd rather that Luke's final storyline arc be about attempting to right the wrongs that he'd done (under Guza's poison pen) and acted out towards his two children (I say two because I don't count greasy-ass Ethan as his). IMO, the Spencer* legacy deserves that much.

*I purposely omitted Laura because I honestly can't see Genie Francis returning to a show that holds so many bitter memories for her.

[Khan]

Because, no one else wants to.

[SweetPea36]

Surely ABC could go to the local unemployment office, pick out someone who has never written before and do better than this. I know the good writers have fled, but there are a lot of people out there who would love to make the kind of money Cartooni is making. They couldn't be much worse, that's for sure.

[frequentsoapfan]

They have awhole bunch of young writers from their talent showcase who would be up for the job

[SweetPea36]

There is also a large pool of skilled writers who haven't written for soaps, although they have written for movies and primetime TV. If RC can break into the soap business, so can they. The advantage with them is that they have writing talent and creativity, not something GH has now.

[Khan]

Yes, they COULD do better. But good luck convincing ABCD that fresh blood is needed. After all, if they hire some novice even at half the veteran HW's salary, that's still a major financial investment. TPTB would rather play it safe, then, and hire someone who has experience -- not skills or talent, but experience -- in writing a daily soap opera.

Frankly, at this point, if they want to find a new, good writer, or even just lure one back to the fold, TPTB have to make a sweetheart deal, one that includes, among other things, enormous creative freedom and personal "perks," such as an overall development deal with the network, or the promise of being moved to another show (either primetime or daytime) should the job not work out. But -- guess what -- no network is going to make that kind of deal, especially now that soaps are seriously on the decline.

[SweetPea36]

That makes perfect sense. ABCD painted themselves into this corner by ignoring what their viewers tried to tell them for years. Now there's no way for them to get back out of the corner without spending more money than they want to.

Their choice is to come up off some cash and hire good writers or let Cartooni write GH into the ground, an inevitability if Cartooni stays. No reason to believe they were suddenly hit with a creative stick somewhere between OLTL and GH.

The odd part is that anyone wonders why ABC is being boycotted.

[AMCHistory]

The Maxie/Mac scenes have really been making me watching worthwhile, albeit as short as the scenes are. John York emotes this feeling of compassion and empathy that is pulling at my every heart string. He is broken man, facing loosing the two girls that he raised and gave the world to. These two kids who have their own fathers, who at times seemed to have favoured their biological kin over the man who sacrificed everything to be there for him for their driving tests, graduations, proms, etc.

Oh man, I cannot wait for Felicia to return. I really hope that the writing does justic to the complex Jones/Scorpio family dynamics and more importantly, the unappreciated talent of John York.

[SweetPea36]

I agree with you about John York. He's been one of my GH favorites for a long time.

[AMCHistory]

Seriously, he is such a natural actor. Perhaps because he has not been front burner is years and appreciates all and any screentime he gets, he is seriously "on" in his scenes. Especially in recent weeks since so many of the tragedies have revolved around him.

I would kill for Anna to move in to the Webber house with him, and Felicia? Start making that home into something of the brownstone, a family linked in friendship because more loving and stable than those bonded by bloom (e.g. the Quartermaines).

[R Sinclair]

Let me break it down in comprehensive chunks...

- A woman's a slut

- Goes after good guy

- Good guy rejects her for being such a slut

- Slut gets raped.

- Good guy now cares.

- Slut is now vulnerable and dependent on good guy

- Slut becomes reformed

It's happened with Gloria Marsh, Julia Santos, Kit Fisher -- and in retcon form -- Erica Kane. Women who are sexually aggressive and don't submit themselves to the superiority of the penis are then raped and become vulnerable, thereby needing the protection of the superior penis.