GH June 2021 Discussion

[Liberty City]

 

I loved the dresses they had her in around her debut, especially that pink one with the black underside..? Do you remember that one?

[AlexElizabeth]

More Scott and Leisl, please! Love that Britt told Leisl that she can open up to Scott about her Huntington's.

 

What is the point of Joss? I loved Jason's idea of Carly and the kids moving to California. Look at Carly pretending to be sad about marrying Jason. LOL. I'm assuming this will be some silly obstacle for Jason/Britt, even though Jason could just simply explain to her why he's marrying Carly... but I'm sure he won't, because soap opera.

 

I feel like Liz and Finn are just having the same scene over and over again. At least Violet was on. I forgot that Liz is her aunt.

 

Enjoying Anna and Valentin!

[Planet Soap]

Disorganized thoughts: I would like to see Carly & Jason possibly getting closer which creates friction with him and Britt, and Sonny when he gets his memory back. That would also create friction between Sonny and Jason for the first time in a while. It could also lead to Carly being obsessed with power and refusing to give it up which would blow up her possible pairing with Jason sending him back to Britt….What happens between her and Sonny, I’m not sure. 

 

This pairing with Britt is long overdue for Jason. I haven't seen him this alive onscreen with a woman since either Carly or 2010 Brenda.

 

Carly and Jason are functioning surprisingly well without Sonny’s presence. He’s not as critical to the canvas as the writers might think. Carly and Sonny have lost all steam despite my personal lobbying for their reunion and I think that’s because of Maurice’s disinterested Kelly Monaco like acting as of late.

Edited June 29, 2021 by ironlion

[Skin]

Has this ever happened before in the history of soaps? The closest cases I could think of, off the top of my head would be maybe Drucilla Winters or Dixie Cooney.  Both of those cases have a caveat in that even though they didn’t have the support of their producers and writing staff they at least had fan support and were audience favorites. Kelly Monaco’s Sam is really up a creek here. I just find it so odd, that she is so senior within the cast and she feels like such a non-entity. 

[FrenchBug82]

I don't recall them trying to recast Drucilla - or even floating it - but they had clearly brought Kelli Giddish to test the waters on her being a recast Dixie and the reaction of fans who could see them flirting with it led them to drop it. It is unknown how serious the idea was though.
 

Kinda annoyed about that Emmy because I was hoping the way the show is going without him would drive home the point to the producers.
But no we are back to him being the "star" of the show. And granted they will probably do good ratings when Sonny's memory come back
 

Again, they are using very classical soap tropes - getting married for some reason as an obstacle to your true love - but using it twice at the same time - Carly/Jason and Willow/Chase - is a bit much. Especially since 90% of soap marriages are unnecessary in the first place and divorce is pretty damn easy these days. It is not 1952.

[John]

 

 

 

 

Genie Francis

 

@GenieFrancis

 

Today at work

@MauriceBenard

approached me sheepishly and confessed about his misinterpreted comments after the Emmys. We had a good laugh together. This man is a good friend of mine and would never hurt me.

Ok Genie maybe he didnt mean to hurt you, but he still has an ego

 

On his State of Mind show on YT with Christian Leblanc, he refers to the fact that he is the star of GH and that Frank knows it

[P.J.]

 

I think the only preference of Maura's that comes through is her hair. Ava's style has gone through a couple of phases. At least they've switched it up from the all-black/black and white after Kiki died to include colors again. They've thankfully veered away from the animal print obsession they had. But mostly I think it's about budget constraints. A basic black fitted skirt is easy to dress up or dress down with a few different belts or different blouses and the occasional jacket. 

 

[Cat]

 

Count me in as a big Brenda fan and IA -- Brenda is (or was) the only GH character capable of meaningfully boosting the ratings by her presence alone. She also has that It factor where she exudes energy and glows whenever the camera is on her. As an actress, Vanessa Marcil had that ability to connect with whichever screen partners (male or female) she was assigned.

 

Kelly Monaco, by contrast, is more whispery and downbeat as an actress -- and yes, part of that is probably laziness after playing an under-written character for almost two decades. Brenda Barrett's character was strongly established early on. Sam has few truly distinctive personality traits aside from who is her love interest. The SL which IMO cemented Sam McCall on the show was when she found out she was Alexis's daughter. That bloodline gives Sam a lot of Cassadinesque potential but the show has yet to tap that to its fullest extent.

 

Back in the PC days, KeMo was a great Livvie, and the character played to her strengths. It wasn't about big monologue exposition (which KeMo's whispery delivery is not built for), it was about what anti-heroine misfit Livvie expressed with her eyes, her face, her physicality. KeMo exuded a strong natural sexiness without really trying. She still has that earthy sexiness outside of the show, but GH doesn't quite know what to do with it, so it is kept somewhat under wraps. 

 

 

LOL get out of my head! I was like: Oh Carly, stop with the crocodile tears. You've been wanting to move into Jason's pants since 1996. Now you have the perfect (and by perfect, I mean ridiculous) excuse to tie him to you.

 

 

I totally picture Carly loving being the Suburban Mom Mob Boss of Port Charles and being married to Jaysin a little too much. In next to no time, she'll be pushing him to have a few glasses of wine with her in front of the fireplace after a hard day's extortioning. Then, one day, she gets word that someone looking like Sonny is spotted. She heads over, sees him playing happy couple with Nina.... and decides to leave him there because she prefers this set up with Jason and the mob. Of course, when Sonny gets his memory back and returns to Port Charles, the sh!t hits the fans because everyone realizes Carly knew and didn't say anything.

 

I'm not missing Sonny either. I'm hoping that Maurice is enjoying the lesser workload and doing his YouTube podcast because.... 

Edited June 30, 2021 by Cat

[Vee]

Brenda is the only WMD GH has left, and I say that as someone who couldn't stand her a lot of the time. But even Brenda can't get this show out of the doldrums as long as Frank is controlling the show and it's kept in a sort of perpetual undead limbo creatively, which it has been for most of the last decade. When it's not bad it's mostly terribly boring, and it's usually both. They don't invest in quality, so they can't support Brenda or anyone else to the full extent of their capability.

 

If they somehow get a major creative overhaul (which they won't) and Vanessa, then I'd be curious. But I don't think the former will happen as long as the show is on network television. GH today is just filling space.

[titan1978]

I don’t get what was so awful about what Maurice Benard said onstage accepting his Emmy.  I’ve long stopped caring about Sonny, but no matter what I think, he is the tenured star of the show right now, and has been certainly since JFP arrived, if not a couple of years before.  Once they put him with Carly, the two corners of the show not storyline connected to Luke & Laura directly became the overwhelming majority of story.

Is it egotistical to say that out loud?  Yes.  Other people say it, not you.  But I also get he is proud of the show and his place on it.  Now his version of star doesn’t compare to what existed for the popular GH cast of the 1980’s.  But he is clearly the star of the show.

 

And I love Genie.  She will always be GH royalty to me.  Same with Finola Hughes, TR, hell even Vanessa Marcil.  She has kept me tuning in during some real boring eras of this show.  But by choice and by lack of support from TPTB she has come and gone several times over her tenure on the show.  I’m not saying her exits were not justified- they were.

[John]

Right in 2002 when ABC wouldnt give her the same vacation TG got, i get her choosing her family and in 2018 when she went recurring. She wanted to be guaranteed work, not just called in to talk to Lulu, I would have done the same in her shoes

 

As for MB, he is so ego driven and Frank Valentini by playing into this whole Sonny is GH. No he is not. And it wasnt what he said only onstage, he also tweeted a fan that told him I love you,, but Genie should be the face of GH and MB called that Boring & yes Genie said he apologized. But I dont buy that he meant it

[KMan101]

 

I'm way behind in the thread but PREACH.

 

It's felt so natural to have Brenda back over these last few years. Yet, tumbleweeds blow by and crickets chirp. [!@#$%^&*] Frank Valentini. I've always felt he was the problem. It keeps getting confirmed.

 

She should have come back in 2017 instead of Tams as a second character. 

 

Seems like Frank's arm needs twisting in order to see any vets in substantial roles. It's been a miracle seeing Bobbie with Maxie and Monica feels like she could have new relevance (but both often disappear for what feels like months at a time). Even Lucy has popped up more and they're FINALLY using her with Sasha, etc. 

 

It's very easy to use the vets in strong, supporting roles. They don't all have to lead stories 5 days a week. Like Scott with Obrecht. Give them some side stuff. Use them as mentors but not in a "propping you because that's all we're seen as" ... 

 

Dan and Chris seem like they want to use the vets in ways that make sense but they're limited in using them, for a variety of reasons I'm sure. It's annoying (and blatantly obvious onscreen). 

 

I have to say, Rebecca Herbst and Steve Burton still have crazy chemistry. Liz and Jason is where this all should have been going. Instead, Liz is eyeing Finn and propping him as she struggles to get a POV.

 

I'd be all for this Jason and Carly marriage of convenience if it was written a little better (Jason has been in charge before, lord). There are scenes and times I get into Laura Wright as Carly and then there are times like this where she's just chillin' with Jason and having a beer and it just doesn't work for me.

 

I can't believe I have to say I appreciate the soapiness of it, but the marriage of convenience coming on the heels of Britt and Jason reaching a turning point in their relationship is good. I just wish the writing were a tad stronger and we had a bit more investment, but the writers seem to be trying ...

 

The potential is here ... some cast changes need to be made .. but the show is being held back ...

Edited June 30, 2021 by KMan101

[carolineg]

 

I have to believe that was the initial idea in 2017.  The way Oscar spoke about his mother like it would effect Joss in one way or another and was so dramatic.   And then it ended up being........Kim lol

 

It's absolutely Frank.  I think the rumor was he was put off by her diva behavior at the 50th?  Or she wants too much money?  It's seems like a no brainer to try especially with the actors shenanigans he allows now. 

 

It's not like MB is blocking it.  He panders to that fanbase practically weekly.  And seems to be actual friends with Vanessa.  

 

Vanessa herself seems willing.  She hasn't been attached to an acting project in a couple of years now.   Unless she wants to retire from acting this seems like her best bet.  She is one of the few actress on soaps in her age range that could command a good salary and actual buzz. 

 

I don't worry about it too much.  I doubt we have seen the last of Brenda/Vanessa on GH.  They will bring her back when Frank gets fired, as a last ditch attempt to save the show, or when it gets cancelled.  As long as Sonny is the lead on this show she continues to stay pretty relevant and easy to plug in on the canvas.

[Faulkner]

Maura’s great, and I know people love her with Marcus Coloma, but I’m not feeling Ava these days. I need her with more of an edge.

[victoria foxton]

 Ava is feeling a bit neutered. As much as i don't like the mob stuff. Ava needs to be involved in the mob. She's a Jerome after all.  I feel like the stalker story is dragging on.