Soap Opera Digest "Just My Opinion" One Life to Live

[ChitHappens]

Guza was quite the serial killer - no pun... Georgie was his most heinous offense, and I absolutely hated her. However, she could have gone off to college because I saw no value in killing that girl. It was gratuitous violence for Guza only because nobody enjoyed that. For Guza, departure = kill off. Is there any character he didn't kill off when they left (for whatever reason)? I hear Nicolas was supposed to die in a plane crash.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

GH is glorified fanfiction with terrible dialogue and acting right now. I'm not seeing what's so good or interesting. It only looks good in comparison because people expect B&B to be repetitive trash, and Y&R and DAYS aren't telling any stories at all, and as Khan said, bad story is better than no story...

Carlivati gets away with murder with some people - especially his on and off plotting, which other writers would be raked over the coals for. I'm sorry, but that is not good storytelling. Coupled with his SW's hokey dialogue, it makes me embarrassed to catch an episode.

It's not even a question anymore if this is better than what Guza gave us - can't they both suck in different ways?

Many writers loved the show they wrote for, but knew when to hold back and be professional when it was approaching sketchy fanfiction territory. I don't think Carlivati knows how they do that and probably delves into Wikipedia character profiles each day in an attempt to pull some random insight out, and it never feels organic.

[marceline]

Not every criticism of Carlivati is an endorsement of Guza. This isn't a zero-sum thunderdome where one writer must die and the other wins the Powerball. That's like saying that every criticism of 50 Shades of Gray is an endorsement of Twilight. It's possible for people to think that both suck in their own completely unique ways.

[doolfan]

I agree. Guza's reign was hideous. What exactly was the point of the Balkan Story? Or the Lisa Niles story? What was the point of Brenda's return when the only story she really got was that Balkan story. Her return was butchered. I'm sure if I dig through the stories of his Tenure I could name a list that would take up a good page of stories he told that were horrific and made me ask Why did he even air this? But Wolf was just as bad. The whole Memphis story with Maggie and Steve, The Lady in White, Bensonhurst. Lol he really wasn't any better than Guza even though I had high hopes from him and thought by reading his interviews he was going to do wonder to GH but that just didn't happen and he was replaced only months after he was hired.

[ChitHappens]

Standing on furniture applauding!!!!! You said it much better than I ever could!

Ron likes to pull out the flashbacks so he can say, "hey look, I know GH's history" while at the same time penning crap that does not neatly tie to anything else.

[doolfan]

Btw, was it ever explained when Wolf was writing the show why it had a man righting Laura on a picture at Wyndemere? It didn't have anything to do with Laura and it didn't go anywhere! I thought we were about to get a good mystery but then it was dropped and never picked back up and I never understood the point of it.

** Writing

[cnathanielrichardson]

Ron Carlivati and Frank Valentini are doing a GREAT job at GENERAL HOSPITAL!!!

[doolfan]

@cnathanielrichardson

I agree!! I'm loving it and everyone I know is loving it again!

[cnathanielrichardson]

That was the stupid Lady In White story with Cassandra/Irina Cassadine whom Helena killed

[VirginiaHamilton]

Hence is why I've repeatedly stated most (as opposed to all) and have made the distinction between those who don't like Cartini period and those who've been telling the lie about the Guza regime being superior to theirs.

[dragonflies]

I want to marry this post and have it's babies

Plus from the same ones who talk about entitled viewers

[doolfan]

Oh that terrible story, I can't believe that hit the air. lol

[VirginiaHamilton]

I can write a damn dissertation on the fuckery that was written for Brenda during her last stint, as that bullshit still pisses me off to this day. As for Lisa, that character was the very definition of a plot point and further proves my point that plot-point writing existed far before Ron Carlivati was even considered as a HW successor.

[psychofan]

+1.

I feel like it should also speak volumes that it seems the response to GH right now is almost split down the middle. That's certainly better than everyone and their mother bashing it as we've seen with other soaps and even GH before.

[doolfan]

I agree 100%. But I really don't feel like Carlivati has wrote many plot points besides Trey/Kristina and the baby switch. I honestly think the Duke/Faison story is very good and I am loving it. That story is classic GH. But bringing Brenda back was pointless with that stupid Balkan mess. The story had holes galore and never really made sense. Brenda needs to be brought back for a redemption and Vanessa Marcil is open to return. Are you listening Cartini?? Bring back Brenda with a good story. lol