Nick and his women

They all look nice!

I get the feeling that TPTB only brought Phyllis back to play antagonist to Sharon. Some of Phyllis' stances haven't made a lick of sense. "She will never accept that Nick belongs to Sharon"?

I have to say, the fact that Camryn Grimes is such a success with this Mariah character just highlights how stupid it was to kill off Cassie and how short sighted that story eventually was.

Yes, Mariah is completely different from Cassie and has probably been shoehorned in with some bad storytelling, but she's filling in a void for the Newman's that's been missing for several years. She's made Nick, Sharon, and even Victor somewhat watchable again. I don't know how much of that is down to Grimes or down the character, though.

Actually, I disagree about killing off Cassie. It was a great storyline and launched so many others for years. The reason being was the Cassie was practically a saint. My fear was that if they tried to make Cassie into a troubled teen or whatever, the audience was just reject it. Instead, by having CG off canvas (except for real Cassie ghost), she was able to come back with a clean slate. We accept that Mariah is trouble and it works. I DO agree about CG - she is amazing and for the moment we realized she wasn't Ghost Cassie, it was apparent the impact she has on the actors you mentioned, particularly EB - he just has a whole different demeanor when he's working with CG and for whatever reason JM really kicks it with her. The mother-daughter vibe has always been there with SC. I've been saying this for months, after all the doppelganger and nonsense we endured during the past few years, this was actually a case where I was rooting for Mariah to be Sharon's daughter. If there's one thing they got right, it was this plot point. As you mentioned, there was a void in the Newman family and somehow Grimes is able to put it together. Now, the other player here is Nikki, but I haven't caught many scenes with Mariah/Nikki, but I do know that they have worked well together in the past. The ultimate irony is that Cassie/Mariah are not even biological Newmans and yet they felt more "Newman" like than other relations.

It's one of the very few exception where I think a secret twin has worked, and really, that's more down to the actress and her chemistry with her co-stars than the writing. I somehow can overlook what made the character come into being because she and the actress who plays her brings a lot to the show.

I don't think TPTB intended for Mariah to be a contract role. Grimes was only recurring for a while, but the character caught on and then they eventually made her Cassie's twin to cement her on the show. I don't think they anticipated that people would warm to the character, but it happened.

The reason being was the Cassie was practically a saint.

She was a good girl because she was only 14 and 15 and hadn't had time to really get in trouble yet - although you could argue sneaking out of the house and getting herself killed was the ulitimate trouble. I remember Cassie scenes where she was putting on (Sharon's?) make up and sneaking around, lying to her parents about where she was going etc. well before the final tragedy so I don't think she was portrayed as a saint. After she died, she asolutely was sanctfied. I remember her as a normal teenager, something the show hasn't done well or really at all since. Too bad because the teenage years are full of very believable soapy situations that most people can relate to.

, particularly EB - he just has a whole different demeanor when he's working with CG

That's one of the things I like about Victor. He accepts the various children that come his way thru his multiple wives and his own biological children without too much fuss. i remember he was reluctant to accept Johnny at first but eventually did and provided a trust fund for the kid. He provided for Adam and would have done more if Hope had let him, he has relationships with Abby, Noah, Faith etc. and was all over Connor when he was born. That's why the fact that he's very natural with Mariah doesn't feel weird to me.

She was a good girl because she was only 14 and 15 and hadn't had time to really get in trouble yet - although you could argue sneaking out of the house and getting herself killed was the ulitimate trouble. I remember Cassie scenes where she was putting on (Sharon's?) make up and sneaking around, lying to her parents about where she was going etc. well before the final tragedy so I don't think she was portrayed as a saint. After she died, she asolutely was sanctfied. I remember her as a normal teenager, something the show hasn't done well or really at all since. Too bad because the teenage years are full of very believable soapy situations that most people can relate to.

That's one of the things I like about Victor. He accepts the various children that come his way thru his multiple wives and his own biological children without too much fuss. i remember he was reluctant to accept Johnny at first but eventually did and provided a trust fund for the kid. He provided for Adam and would have done more if Hope had let him, he has relationships with Abby, Noah, Faith etc. and was all over Connor when he was born. That's why the fact that he's very natural with Mariah doesn't feel weird to me.

I agree they were trying to have Cassie grow up and be like a normal teen, sneaking around. However, I do think the audience would have been furious if they made Cassie - trampy - look at how the Sharon character was ruined

I agree they were trying to have Cassie grow up and be like a normal teen, sneaking around. However, I do think the audience would have been furious if they made Cassie - trampy - look at how the Sharon character was ruined

I think Cassie occupied the place that now belongs to Summer. I like Mariah better.

I think Cassie occupied the place that now belongs to Summer. I like Mariah better.

Agreed….

I agree they were trying to have Cassie grow up and be like a normal teen, sneaking around. However, I do think the audience would have been furious if they made Cassie - trampy - look at how the Sharon character was ruined

I don't think they were going to make her slutty at all. She seemed to headed for traditional teen story similar to that which Lily and Colleen had.

Lily's teen stories were anything but traditional.

Lily's teen stories were anything but traditional.

Besides that story with Kevin, of course it was. It's a soap staple for a teenage girl to want a boy that her parents think is inappropriate. She was rebellious and didn't get along with her mother. Very common.

Edited November 3, 201411 yr by ajsp35801

The Jabot set? Both Jack's office & the lobby? SHOCKED!

How f-cking tasteless of them to have Sharon think Mariah in her Halloween costume was Cassie. My God, they have beat the horse into a bloody pulp and keep doing it.

Ashley & Jill looked absolutely DIVINE. Gorgeous from head to toe. And when Jill met Joe? I instantly thought, here is Jill's next boytoy. Of course, they won't go there because Jill is nothing to them. And, naturally, they seem to be hinting at Joe/Lily. Poor guy. I hope he survives the vortex of suck that Lily will bring on him.

His face may be busted but I enjoyed Ben walking around naked.

Romance galore alert! Nick making that speech to Sharon about loving her actually made me cry. There is so, so much history between them and, still, so much chemistry. Bless Janice Ferri Esser for making that work. This is why, after all these years, and after all the Phyllis crap and despite the insane stans' demands, the show can't--and won't--move on from them.

Then again, of course they didn't show Nick & Sharon spending the night before their wedding together and only talked about it. Why show scenes when you can have the characters discuss them?