I still blame that more on the pace, production schedule and shallow short scenes. Laura will never be my preferred Carly but I have defended her as selling it from Day 1. In the Guza years she still had some nuanced beats or emotions to play from time to time, and during Jason's initial return last year (again, when PM was on the scene) they gave her some quieter, more emotional stuff with him re: Bobbie, etc. that I thought was very unshorn and strong.
I also thought she did well with the Bobbie memorial eps and Kristina Wagner and Jane shortly before that, particularly when she talked about how Ruby had essentially trafficked Bobbie. Tracy noted that what Ruby did was seen as something else in those days, and Carly quietly and kindly took that but said that it was still what it was. She understood the nuance of the backstory and didn't overplay it as outrage or anger.
I think when Laura has to simply service plot beats she goes hard at them because that's what she's expected to do. I don't really put that on her, and I think Carly's role is also often different from some other characters. She has to push more and do it harder and louder a lot of the time. They give cartoonish stuff to Tracy too, but generally give Carly less facets on the page these days.
By
Vee ·
