A good, soapy character? Everyone from J.R. Ewing to Dorian Lord has engaged in trying to manipulate their children's romantic lives. It doesn't get any soapier. I'm not interested in watching Bill being a kindly father in law to Saint Hope. I don't watch soaps to be bored out of my mind by people doing the right thing.

The key is that those characters were complex and fun, just like Dollar Bill. Let's contrast that to Brooke, who is doing the exact same thing to Rick/Amber by trying to force Caroline on him. Therein lies the difference. (Believe me, I'm enjoying KKL channeling her best Stephanie, but manipulative moms on soaps are old hat. Dads like Dollar Bill, are a rarity and I love it.)

On another note, kudos for B&B continuing to find ways to get out of the studio - it's great that they talk advantage of LA to actually get outside for shots - it adds so much more. The latest Aspen shoots already look great. Glad the Bells have that home and decided to work Aspen into the story last year. It's sure beat Big Bear indoor shoot!

A good, soapy character? Everyone from J.R. Ewing to Dorian Lord has engaged in trying to manipulate their children's romantic lives. It doesn't get any soapier. I'm not interested in watching Bill being a kindly father in law to Saint Hope. I don't watch soaps to be bored out of my mind by people doing the right thing.

So there's zero middle ground between Bill treating Hope and Steffy like pieces of trash and being a "kindly father in law"?

To me, Bill smirking along, spewing bile about psychiatry and young women day after day after day, all while pimping out his ex-girlfriend for no apparent reason, is boring, because it's all about plot. There is zero attempt to explain this in the writing.

Dorian Lord never pushed her daughters to be with a man she secretly bedded (she was disgusted by her daughter having feelings for her boyfriend Jon; when her niece Kelly got with Joey, Dorian was hurt, angry, and only after years and some reluctance did she get over this). JR was also never thrilled with this type of story when his grown son showed up in the last years of Dallas.

The key is that those characters were complex and fun, just like Dollar Bill. Let's contrast that to Brooke, who is doing the exact same thing to Rick/Amber by trying to force Caroline on him. Therein lies the difference. (Believe me, I'm enjoying KKL channeling her best Stephanie, but manipulative moms on soaps are old hat. Dads like Dollar Bill, are a rarity and I love it.)

I don't see the complexity or fun in Dollar Bill. He stands in his office in every scene, glowering about how therapy means you are broken for life. It's the most cliched of soap writing, and it makes any father/son connection between Liam and Bill impossible to buy, because not once has he ever thought of what his son needs or wants, or how his son will react when he learns that he is married to a woman who was all over his father only about ten minutes before marrying him.

Edited April 26, 201213 yr by CarlD2

On another note, kudos for B&B continuing to find ways to get out of the studio - it's great that they talk advantage of LA to actually get outside for shots - it adds so much more. The latest Aspen shoots already look great. Glad the Bells have that home and decided to work Aspen into the story last year. It's sure beat Big Bear indoor shoot!

Is there any other daytime soap on the air right now that actually leaves the studio and makes use of the outdoors these days? Like you, I agree that the Aspen/LA shoots look great, as I think that it adds a bit of realism that makes the show stand heads and shoulders above the rest - as well another reason why I'm willing to let the plot fuckery slide.

Compared to the other assholes on soaps whose nastiness/dirty deeds are explained away with some flimsy excuse, Dollar Bill is a breath of fresh air because this show has no qualms about depicting him as he really is - an unrepentant jerk.

I think we're supposed to side with Steffy and Bill, and see Hope as a loser. I don't see a lot of balance. Perhaps if Steffy wasn't written in this good girl role it might be more balanced.

Is there any other daytime soap on the air right now that actually leaves the studio and makes use of the outdoors these days?

Y&R does it, although it looks like garbage.

I think we're supposed to side with Steffy and Bill, and see Hope as a loser. I don't see a lot of balance. Perhaps if Steffy wasn't written in this good girl role it might be more balanced.

I don't see Steffy as a good girl at all. I see her as temporarily humbled by being second place to Hope, but she definitely isn't playing a good girl role. By contrast, Hope is being depicted as the most cloying of Mary Sues (shades of Becca Tyree from All My Children). That is why I side with Steffy.

As for Dollar Bill, he's an unrepentant asswipe who is being treated as one by the show. When that changes, I'll stop enjoying him on my screen.

Y&R does it, although it looks like garbage.

I haven't watched that show in years, but considering that there've been complaints about every day, I'm not surprised to hear this.

If any characters actually stood up to Bill, then I would see him as being written as an !@#$%^&*]. No one does that. It's similar to Stephanie, in that no matter how crazy she got, few ever questioned her on the show (and if they did, it was over in about a week).

Anyway, I have probably said this stuff a million times so I will just agree to disagree.

Steffy's hair is the ish!

I love her current style

I forgot to say that I liked the quick scene with Caroline and Steffy, especially since they avoided any pointless rivalry and there was a little humor ("I'm running a background check on [Thomas]...kidding." "I didn't say it was a bad idea.") I think a Steffy/Caroline feud would have made more sense than the Hope/Steffy stuff, but I wouldn't mind seeing Caroline as friends with them both and torn between the factions.

I welcome the idea of Steffy having a friend her age and someone who is neutral. I hope they build something between she and Caroline

I forgot to say that I liked the quick scene with Caroline and Steffy, especially since they avoided any pointless rivalry and there was a little humor ("I'm running a background check on [Thomas]...kidding." "I didn't say it was a bad idea.") I think a Steffy/Caroline feud would have made more sense than the Hope/Steffy stuff, but I wouldn't mind seeing Caroline as friends with them both and torn between the factions.

Unfortunately, a background check on Thomas wouldn't give her the real scoop. His bombing-pyrotechnics and scumbucket lies aren't public record.

Look at Steffy sticking her neck out wanting to protect Hope. Would Hope and Skank Mama do the same if Steffy were falling apart and being harassed?

With that said, I kinda feel bad for Hope. I hope Steffy manages to make it to her and get those reporters to buzz off. The reporters chasing after Hope might have been funny if it didnt seem like a rehash of the marriace band chasing Liam earlier this year. Its kinda foolish of Hope to be clutching a bottle of pills as reporters are snapping photos of her. I can just see the headlines tomorrow.

Loved Brooke's ensemble today. Her outfit looked good. STFU though Rick in his conversation with her. Steffy better not go to the fashion show. Really? Steffy went there to work and being at the fashion show is where she should be regardless of Hope and Liam being there

To be honest this is the first group of females I have actually liked on a soap in a long while. They all have their positives and negatives but I don't find myself rooting for or against anyone in general because I just don't like the character. Its too early to see where Caroline fits in but it would be great to see a friendship between her and Steffy and one between Hope and Amber. If anything the males are the weak links and probably have been for a long time.for the life of me I don't get why either Hope or Steffy want Liam. He's I guess a nice decent guy but he's too fickle.

Edited April 27, 201213 yr by JaneAusten

Shows like today's are why I loathe this show. Stupid video montages, needless recapping by two-bit-a-day dayplayers and endless shots of ''Aspen Fashion Week". It's enough to make a preacher swear...and then go get a hooker.

I must have missed any gesture Steffi made to "save" Hope from the reporters.

I wish to live long enough to see someone on this show screw with Bill's life the way he's screwing with everyone else's. His BS about admiring the way Katie "challenges him" almost made me laugh out loud. Yeah---he "admired it" so much he nearly screwed Steffi's brains out. He spent days pissing and moaning that Katie "betrayed" and "abandoned" him---and he nearly had a heart attack when she dragged him to therapy.

Loved Brooke's ensemble today. Her outfit looked good. STFU though Rick in his conversation with her. Steffy better not go to the fashion show. Really? Steffy went there to work and being at the fashion show is where she should be regardless of Hope and Liam being there

Hmm... I'll watch today's episode over the weekend but it looks like I'm in store for another round of Steffy bashing...

Great.

Edited April 27, 201213 yr by VirginiaHamilton

Hmm... I'll watch today's episode over the weekend but it looks like I'm in store for another round of Steffy bashing...

Great.

yeah it was the usual Logan bashing of her but tis to be expected. Im sure next week they will blame Steffy for Hope being harassed and possibly taking more pills even though Steffy showed concern for her, opposed Bill doing anything to interfere and tried to track her down to get the paparazzi off her back