To be honest I don't think this will affect ratings (although I do think the three OLTL rejects together hogging too much airtime will eventually lower ratings). The numbers GH has now are probably a base who will watch just about anything.

The best part of this is basically the dropping of any pretense that Ron and Frank are any better than anything which came before them. Never again can we hear that they know the real GH. Now we have the soap press, and Laura Wright herself, essentially saying that our status quo are telling the exact same sick rape porn storylines that a million other writers have done, and that we should never expect anything out of them beyond what has been vomited up before.

Watching now but I'm genuinely surprised and happy that Lulu wasn't raped. Yay! I see how/why Nik was shot now.

Hate Michael having to re-live his rape but I'm glad he had that line about Franco not controlling him anymore and having a bit of empowerment about it.

Finally seeing Emme bring it and some chemistry between Dom and her. Yay no more amnesia too.

It could still all be retconned. I felt it was a bit too much "Dante's obsessive love brought Lulu's memory back even though psychiatry could do nothing--ok let's move on to next story and pretend this never happened until we need some drama and she can have flashbacks and realize she was raped" or something. Coming in the same episode as people being told they weren't raped they just thought they were or thought someone else was in charge of it it seemed extra cynical.

I thought Chad Duell did some fantastic work in todays episode. I really like him in the role of Michael, and Michael as a character. Michael, Liz and Carly have kept me watching and happy for the most part in recent months, but the show as a whole is such a disaster right now.

To be honest I don't think this will affect ratings (although I do think the three OLTL rejects together hogging too much airtime will eventually lower ratings). The numbers GH has now are probably a base who will watch just about anything.

I am not sure I can watch Kiki Quartermaine.

I am not sure I can watch Kiki Quartermaine.

I think she'll probably be like Starr within a month or two. Although that may not help any...

I wonder who's paternity is about to be retconned so Kiki and Michael can get together?

I imagine the next defense to be trotted out will be the Constance Towers/Helena Cassadine one - where a megastar was recast with another actress who, though she had a background in Sam Fuller B-movie classics from many years prior, was best known to soap fans for daytime work.

The difference is, Helena was an iconic, beloved villain with a rich history who had been offscreen for almost twenty years, and was never redeemed or made palatable as a semi-heroine and even a gray character. She has always remained exactly as she was - pure evil.

By comparison, Franco, unlike Helena, is being played by an actor who has just finished playing another major character on the same show less than three months ago, and Franco has a backstory of serial murder and conspiracy to rape (which he gleefully reveled in at one point, but Ron is ignoring that). Again, unlike Helena, his misdeeds are already being filed away and frantically retconned in an attempt to make him somewhat viable. His serial killer days are next, I'm sure.

It's all such sweat-drenched, desperate bullshit. I could actually respect them doing a Constance Towers Hail Mary with Roger on Franco, only if he was a straight villain like her - unredeemed, not whitewashed (and we can pretend he's not being whitewashed but yes, he is already beginning the process of that to a substantial extent, and yes, he will be paired with Carly - that's whitewashing) and menacing the canvas for years to come. He's not going to be that. He's being made into some mutant fantasy version of the character Ron thinks he can put over, no matter what. It's ego.

As for Kiki, watch those scenes this week. She's already exactly like Starr. Boring. Only Maura West is making this work. And it's pointless because she's clearly not even a Q at all.

Edited May 31, 201312 yr by Vee

I imagine the next defense to be trotted out will be the Constance Towers/Helena Cassadine one - where a megastar was recast with another actress who, though she had a background in Sam Fuller B-movie classics from many years prior, was best known to soap fans for daytime work.

The difference is, Helena was an iconic, beloved villain with a rich history who had been offscreen for almost twenty years, and was never redeemed or made palatable as a semi-heroine and even a gray character. She has always remained exactly as she was - pure evil.

By comparison, Franco, unlike Helena, is being played by an actor who has just finished playing another major character on the same show less than three months ago, and Franco has a backstory of serial murder and conspiracy to rape (which he gleefully reveled in at one point, but Ron is ignoring that). Again, unlike Helena, his misdeeds are already being filed away and frantically retconned in an attempt to make him somewhat viable. His serial killer days are next, I'm sure.

It's all such sweat-drenched, desperate bullshit. I could actually respect them doing a Constance Towers Hail Mary with Roger on Franco, only if he was a straight villain like her - unredeemed, not whitewashed (and we can pretend he's not being whitewashed but yes, he is already beginning the process of that to a substantial extent, and yes, he will be paired with Carly - that's whitewashing) and menacing the canvas for years to come. He's not going to be that. He's being made into some mutant fantasy version of the character Ron thinks he can put over, no matter what. It's ego.

As for Kiki, watch those scenes this week. She's already exactly like Starr. Boring. Only Maura West is making this work. And it's pointless because she's clearly not even a Q at all.

+ infinity

Not that it would save the writing, but if Roger Howarth were as talented as Constance Towers, it might help a little. Essentially he's a very limited, charismatic guy who became popular because some people have triggers about sexy bad boys who just need love.

In a way, this is what they are doing again - Franco is now a sexy bad boy who needs love. And once again, rape is written as a tease and a leer, as something to get people talking. I'm sure that Ron is thrilled right now. People are talking.

People who want to see Roger Howarth find redemption through snappy patter and Cady McClain's old hairstyles can be thrilled. And everyone else will be dismissed and jeered, as always. It's just kind of pathetic how cynical they are about this, and how this is gushed over by the soap press. By next year I think Ron will recreate the pinball machine scene in The Accused, and I fully expect the soap press to get the vapors.

Edited May 31, 201312 yr by CarlD2

I think he's doing an alright job with what he's given - at times he's quite creepy. The problem is it's just so ridiculous; nothing can save it, really. He's playing Franco Lite and that's just death. And the wisecracks are more Howarth/Todd than Franco, and just come off ingratiating and obnoxious. While the original Franco was somewhat zany, to be sure, it's just not the same thing. His performance on OLTL at the moment, while it definitely has its lightness, is considerably more grounded.

Edited May 31, 201312 yr by Vee

I think he's doing an alright job with what he's given - at times he's quite creepy. The problem is it's just so ridiculous; nothing can save it, really. He's playing Franco Lite and that's just death. And the wisecracks are more Howarth/Todd than Franco, and just come off ingratiating and obnoxious. While the original Franco was somewhat zany, to be sure, it's just not the same thing. His performance on OLTL at the moment, while it definitely has its lightness, is considerably more grounded

I doubt RC/FV would ever admit that this is a complete disaster and just let those 3 go.. I guess Roger needs the money if he's going from Todd Manning to Franco, I say RH certainly downgraded

I doubt RC/FV would ever admit that this is a complete disaster and just let those 3 go.. I guess Roger needs the money if he's going from Todd Manning to Franco, I say RH certainly downgraded

Yes, because a web show to a tv show is an epic downgrade. He must be near homeless, im sure. Poor guy.

Yes, because a web show to a tv show is an epic downgrade. He must be near homeless, im sure. Poor guy.

+1

+1

You change your mind so severely from moment to moment I worry if you have whiplash

I remember Franco killing a young dayplayer nurse a few years ago. I guess he has a tape for that also.