Okay, I'm behind. How was my Viv?

2 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

Okay, I'm behind. How was my Viv?

Watch the episode.

Just now, Soapsuds said:

Watch the episode.

3 hours ago, reallyhateskateonlost said:

Yay Vivian!

Finally some fun in Salem.

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Faulkner said:

Kate has looked amess all week. That horror yesterday with the drawstrings...

 

Maybe it didn't register as much since I was spoiled, but I felt the Vivian reveal lacked impact. Some of that may have been the budget way it was staged. 

 

I agree that the reveal lacked impact because nobody was in the room who mattered to Vivian aside from Kate. Victor and Maggie and John and Marlena should have been there. 

 

Kate is usually styled beautifully but this week has been awful for her. The hair on all the women this episode looked dreadful aside from Kassie DePaiva who can rock that short hair beautifully. An updo is not always the answer.  

2 hours ago, Faulkner said:

Kate has looked amess all week. That horror yesterday with the drawstrings...

 

Maybe it didn't register as much since I was spoiled, but I felt the Vivian reveal lacked impact. Some of that may have been the budget way it was staged. 

Kate/LK has looked like a mess for most of the last 10 years.

 

It must be the budget. The show has the same lifeless feel regardless of writers, directors and producers. Even scenes that are supposed to be big or shocking are usually low energy.

1 hour ago, Sindacco said:

Kate/LK has looked like a mess for most of the last 10 years.

 

It must be the budget. The show has the same lifeless feel regardless of writers, directors and producers. Even scenes that are supposed to be big or shocking are usually low energy.

 

It is the budget... that is most apparent when Eileen Davidson appears on Days vs when she appears on Young and the Restless.  On Days, her hair looks a hot mess and her outfits are quirky... while on Young.. her hair is styled nicely and her wardrobe is much more flattering.  Some would argue it's due to the character.. but Kristen in the 90s had decent (for the 90s anyway) fashion.

14 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

 

It is the budget... that is most apparent when Eileen Davidson appears on Days vs when she appears on Young and the Restless.  On Days, her hair looks a hot mess and her outfits are quirky... while on Young.. her hair is styled nicely and her wardrobe is much more flattering.  Some would argue it's due to the character.. but Kristen in the 90s had decent (for the 90s anyway) fashion.

Yet, I always think ED is one of the best dressed females on DAYS.

2 hours ago, Sindacco said:

Kate/LK has looked like a mess for most of the last 10 years.

 

It must be the budget. The show has the same lifeless feel regardless of writers, directors and producers. Even scenes that are supposed to be big or shocking are usually low energy.

The budget is definitely the common denominator.  However, I thought RC really improved on this issue by leaps and bounds, but then Theo waking up fell completely flat.  That should have been an episode brimming with relief and rejoice.

 

I haven't seen the party yet, but if this isn't going to be an all-cast event, why bother hyping it so much?  I was shocked that the double wedding was basically all-cast... first time we got one of those in several years, and hopefully not the last.

2 minutes ago, DynamiteKiddo said:

 

 

I haven't seen the party yet, but if this isn't going to be an all-cast event, why bother hyping it so much?  I was shocked that the double wedding was basically all-cast... first time we got one of those in several years, and hopefully not the last.

The NYE party didn't come close to the double wedding event. At the wedding it seemed like all of Salem was there.

I'm still catching up ... but lol at the NYE party having nearly no one in attendance. Doug and Julie can't be at their own place? Not that I mind FINALLY seeing Chloe though.

 

And why bring Vivian in with only Kate really in attendance with any sort of history with her. Where was Maggie and Victor? John?

 

Why didn't we get John, Marlena, Will, Paul, Eric, Brady, Belle and Claire on Christmas Eve? They could have had a really nice scene with John and Will where Will is overwhelmed by family and John tells him he can understand what he's going through. Why is Claire so isolated from her entire family? She's more Carver than Brady/Black. Why do John and Marlena never interact with Brady? Claire and John had a really cute bond/relationship when he was RoboJohn in 2008. Where is that now?

 

Where's Steve and Kayla? Why are they so isolated?

 

I think Ron's done a decent job and I noticed a massive improvement in cast interaction when he began, but I still have some issues. We just aren't seeing a lot of things we should be on screen. But then Ron wasn't always about character development.

 

The JJ episode just proves this because other writers have failed as well at this, we should have seen all of those newly created flashbacks. They did wonders for JJ's character development. (Which is ironic it was under Ron because he skipped a lot of character development on both OLTL and GH, moreso GH and he's skipping a lot again on DAYS, although not that it was always stellar on OLTL either)

Edited December 30, 20177 yr by KMan101

15 minutes ago, KMan101 said:

I'm still catching up ... but lol at the NYE party having nearly no one in attendance. Doug and Julie can't be at their own place? Not that I mind FINALLY seeing Chloe though.

 

And why bring Vivian in with only Kate really in attendance with any sort of history with her. Where was Maggie and Victor? John?

 

Why didn't we get John, Marlena, Will, Paul, Eric, Brady, Belle and Claire on Christmas Eve? They could have had a really nice scene with John and Will where Will is overwhelmed by family and John tells him he can understand what he's going through. Why is Claire so isolated from her entire family? She's more Carver than Brady/Black. Why do John and Marlena never interact with Brady? Claire and John had a really cute bond/relationship when he was RoboJohn in 2008. Where is that now?

 

Where's Steve and Kayla? Why are they so isolated?

 

I think Ron's done a decent job and I noticed a massive improvement in cast interaction when he began, but I still have some issues. We just aren't seeing a lot of things we should be on screen. But then Ron wasn't always about character development.

 

The JJ episode just proves this because other writers have failed as well at this, we should have seen all of those newly created flashbacks. They did wonders for JJ's character development. (Which is ironic it was under Ron because he skipped a lot of character development on both OLTL and GH, moreso GH and he's skipping a lot again on DAYS, although not that it was always stellar on OLTL either)

Totally agree about the Black/Evans family... seriously glaring oversight for Christmas, and in general.  Belle came back hot this time with tons of natural relevance, then disappeared without even seeing Brady or Eric (weird omission for RC and Anderson).  Wtf?!?

 

Another huge oversight is how MIA Steve is with Abby and JJ.  Really criminal.  At least Adrienne has had a presence in their lives.

 

But block taping is obvs. a huge problem... we'll see people for a solid few days, then it'll be another week.  This is particularly evident with the likely expensive Dee Hall, Drake, Missy, Mary Beth, and Stephen (and Wally & Judi are basically MIA again).  Kris Alfonso feels like the only vet star to be regularly featured.

36 minutes ago, DynamiteKiddo said:

Totally agree about the Black/Evans family... seriously glaring oversight for Christmas, and in general.  Belle came back hot this time with tons of natural relevance, then disappeared without even seeing Brady or Eric (weird omission for RC and Anderson).  Wtf?!?

 

Another huge oversight is how MIA Steve is with Abby and JJ.  Really criminal.  At least Adrienne has had a presence in their lives.

 

But block taping is obvs. a huge problem... we'll see people for a solid few days, then it'll be another week.  This is particularly evident with the likely expensive Dee Hall, Drake, Missy, Mary Beth, and Stephen (and Wally & Judi are basically MIA again).  Kris Alfonso feels like the only vet star to be regularly featured.

 

Totally agreed with all of this.

 

I really don't understand the point of Belle and Shawn returning this month only to leave again after being seen a couple of times. And Belle/Claire even had scenes that were cut from an episode. I mean ... we need to see these things! And Belle not sharing a scene with Brady or Eric was so annoying. Especially Brady. Did she even see John and Marlena? I can't really remember. And I haven't seen their last episode (but they'll be back soon, I believe, at least Shawn will, he was on a script for early next year and something is going on in Hong Kong)

 

It's interesting in that Kayla, Hope and Adrienne played a big part in Abby's life when Kate Mansi was in the role and when Marci came on they've barely interacted with her. I mean, we rarely got anything with Hope and Abby when Abby worked at the PD. I like the very little of what we've seen between Hope and JJ. Steve not being there for Abby and JJ makes NO sense to me. He would be all over JJ trying to be a father figure to Jack's son.

 

I also really hate we've lost any semblance of character with Abby. She's become Chad's dutiful wife. I don't dislike Marci but my problem is that she plays Abby WAY too reserved. I think she thinks that's "strong" but it's not.

 

Block taping is a massive problem. Episode guarantees and how they tape just really seems to hurt flow in storylines and keeps characters mostly isolated in the same people's orbits.

Edited December 30, 20177 yr by KMan101

@KMan101  Belle had lunch with Will and Marlena at the pub. It was the time that Belle blabbed to Will that he had been unfaithful to Sonny with Paul.

29 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

@KMan101  Belle had lunch with Will and Marlena at the pub. It was the time that Belle blabbed to Will that he had been unfaithful to Sonny with Paul.

 

Yeah, that's true. It was John she hadn't seen.

Kate’s dress was a nightmare, but Abby looked even worse. Who’s dressing these women, Stevie Wonder?

 

i had to LOL when Kate entered the club. They don’t clean their entranceway of snow (gee, no liability problem there) So Kate’s gown sweeps the fake snow along with her, right into the club. Something ne needs some lessons in fake production from Hallmark.

 

The Doug’s Place scenes were poorly produced beyond words, starting with Lighting by CVS. It was as bright as day in there, drawing even more attention to the lack of people in the room. The background music was barely noticeable. The countdown to midnight was low key and boring. This was a New Year’s celebration? UGH.

 

Sonny is a jerk so I’m glad Smirking Will is going full blown wh_ore on him.

 

The Viv reveal at the end was good— if you’re not an internet person and we’re clueless about her return. For those of us who knew, this was no great entrance.