B&B: July 2021 Discussion Thread

[pdm1974]

I would have preferred if the Carter/Quinn affair would have been allowed to develop more with them actually falling in love with each other. The fallout would have been even greater with more nuances. Again, the show seems to speed through story before I get really invested in it.

 

The whole Justin takeover of Spencer would have had much greater impact if it had been built up over months versus days, maybe even with Katie and Justin developing a relationship so it really seems like Justin is taking EVERYTHING over in Bill's life.

 

So many potential story beats looked over...

[FrenchBug82]

 

I agree. We have said it a gazillion times but Bell manages to both drag certain things ad nauseam (cut to watching the same scene about Liam over and over again) and yet move them at breakneck speed at the same time.

It is bizarre pacing.

My favorite thing about this was the years of the Taylor/Brooke wars where Taylor/Ridge fans would throw Brooke's having dated the father and three brothers in the face of Brooke fans... only to have Taylor having done the exact same thing AND the fourth brother (Rick).
So technically Taylor was even trashier.
That being said, I like Brooke but I don't mind people pointing out her hypocrisy at times - certainly her advice to Hope on respecting marriage changes whether Hope is the married one or Steffy is. But let's not pretend that it disqualifies her from outing other people's secrets when those secrets are worth outing.

[Faulkner]

These shows feel like they can get more mileage (and social media “moments”) with the completely out-of-left-field twist than the well-paced story. It’s sad to see and really disrespects their audience. It’s also overused in primetime as well, but for soaps in particular, it goes against their main reason for being.  (Not that Bradley has ever demonstrated a skill for pacing…)

 

A good surprise or twist every once in a while can keep viewers on their toes, but it has to feel earned, and this one does not. Justin just seems desperately opportunistic rather than methodical or strategic.

[Videnbas]

 

Agreed, the impact of the affair would have been  lot greater if it had been emotional as well as sexual.

 

And Justin's desire to take over SP really comes out of the blue (and makes no sense - even if Bill and Liam are in prison, Justin is still just an employee who owns nothing of the company and answers to Bill). Besides, we have had zero indication that Justin has any interest in anything but the legal aspects of the company. What is it that he wishes to DO with this new-found power? Spencer Publications is a publishing/media corporation. Is it really Justin's lifelong dream to, say, start a new magazine or news channel? Have a say in what gets published and what doesn't? Gain control of the media? Do even the writers have any idea what SP actually DOES these days? Sometimes it seems the company is just a generic "big international business empire" and nobody really remembers they are in fact in the publishing business.

 

 

Yes, I've noticed this weird pacing problem as well. The storylines manage to be simultaneously repetitive and rushed.

 

I think the thing is that Bell's "storytelling" moves by quantum leaps rather than a gradual progression. So his idea of a "dramatic" storyline is:

1) Sudden twist that starts a new storyline

2) Stuck in a holding pattern of people either talking about 1) or trying to keep quiet about 1), for several months

3) Sudden quick and unsatisfying resolution of storyline (often simply consisting of someone failing to keep quiet and just blurting out the big bad secret, and everyone else going "oh, okay then" and moving on with their lives).

 

Sometimes there's not even a lot of drama or twists involved, and then it goes like:

1) THING happens out of the blue.

2) Everybody says "oh, look, THING happened".

3) THING stops happening with no explanation.

4) Nobody ever mentions THING again.

This is, for the most part, how he does "romance".

[Ponds]

I thought the water birth of Douglas, with Caroline & Ridge, was much more authentic in the writing and the filming.  Personally, I find them kind of disgusting, but I'm an OLD broad.

[Chatty Cakes]

I was Team Taylor but she did make the rounds with Brookes leftovers and did everything they used to shame Brooke for.

[Planet Soap]

My thoughts exactly!!  

 

Granted, everyone on this show has had their slutty moments..*ERIC*, but no one surpasses Brooke Logan. I don’t hate her character though, she’s added some great comical drama over the years. I don’t find Brooke evil, like she still stood in front of the gun when Sheila was about to shoot Stephanie back in the day, and she was there for Stephanie in the end during the cancer storyline.  Her main issue is she cannot control her self when it comes to inappropriate relationships like sleeping with her daughter or her sister’s husband. 

I wonder if the actress at any point said maybe we’re dragging the character too low?

 

Someone said at one point they should explore a sex addiction storyline with Brooke to add some depth to her actions besides being a “hopeless romantic”. 

 

As for Donna, they’re pushing her affection for Eric too hard. They could ease more into that. She belongs with someone like Bill. If there’s anyone for Eric it’s Brooke based on their past behaviors.

[Faulkner]

This Quinn reveal is anticlimactic. Zoe’s absence in particular is a huge miss, especially when they heavily played her part in this story for weeks.

[FrenchBug82]

 Agreed. Now I understand that the fact she landed another job probably forced changes in the original plan but this still should have played out with a tinsy bit more twists and turns and drama.

This is instead by-the-numbers.

[Faulkner]

Just embarrassing:

 

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[KMan101]

Brad Bell is so bad. He really needs to step back and just be EP. He has some good writers under him which makes it all the more a shame.

[Liberty City]

 

He'll never relinquish control, even though he should.

[AbcNbc247]

Agreed.

 

It's time for him to step down as head writer and hire someone who actually plots out storylines in advance

[Chatty Cakes]

That sanctimonious slut smirking at Quinn and Eric! And that rat Paris ruining her bosses life. How DARE Eric question Wyatt and Flo? Eric knows what it’s like to cheat, he needs to forgive Quinn and throw that slut and rat out of his house and life and company. Instead he throws out his beautiful wife. 
The guy that plays Justin is a good actor. He looked so cold at the jail. I’m enjoying the storyline other than seeing Liam so often.
 

[KMan101]

 

I know

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 lol he just can't let go. He really really should.