General Hospital: May 2023 Discussion Thread

[Khan]

A Lois/Olivia rivalry might sound good "on paper," but I think the two are too similar for any rivalry between them to be effective.  Often, I'll watch scenes with LLC/Olivia and think you could exchange her for Rena and barely notice the difference.

I won't argue with your current assessment of GH, @Vee.  The show ain't nowhere near being perfect -- the overall writing still feels shallow and superficial to me -- but I do think they're at least trying to give their audience good, old-fashioned entertainment (...even though I think many of their choices are questionable).  That's more than you could say about Y&R, which feels like it's on auto-pilot at this point; or B&B, which is running on fumes and needs new blood, stat; or DAYS, which is just so batshit crazy now that it feels like watching a Japanese game show without subtitles.

[Vee]

One thing we've talked about here recently is how remarkable it is that, be it through happenstance or other people leaving or whatever else, the show now suddenly has a very, very sturdy veteran corps which is actually featured pretty regularly: Not just Laura, but Anna, Felicia (on contract!), Mac, Kevin, Lucy, Scorpio, etc. The relationships there feel lived in because they are; those friendships go back 30-40 years. And they are all featured together very often. You can go back and watch Mac, Felicia, Lucy and Kevin in the '90s or Felicia and Anna in the '80s any day on YT and the ties are still there. They had remarkably deep and emotional scenes with Mac/Kevin/Felicia (an inseparable unit in the '90s) about Ryan's death recently and the history and weight was there, and they played it onscreen and talked it out - something Ron rarely bothered to do beyond name-checking because he was always rushing to the next plot point. Whether it's a need to fill the hour or whatever else, these scenes and these characters are being regularly played. Compared to what we've gotten in the past or are getting elsewhere it's remarkable. Say what we will about her ability, but I never thought I'd see Kristina Wagner on contract or regularly featured again. And I'm happy for it, because she's part of the historical fabric and she is wonderful with her IRL/onscreen friends.

I do agree about Lois and Olivia, something we've talked about a lot around here - they are almost the same person, down to the same neighborhood, same longtime friends (Sonny) and growing up together. LLC auditioned for the Lois recast in the 2000s and she might as well have gotten it. And the Lois angle is one they have studiously avoided since Ned and Olivia linked up. I like Olivia and I'm fine with her staying with Ned, but I've said before I also wouldn't blink if she left and Lisa returned in a month with a different haircut calling herself Lois, lol. There is no point in playing a rivalry but I do think you could play out the issue of Ned marrying almost the same person (something which has not been touched on since RC first paired them up and had them briefly discuss Lois).

Edited May 8, 2023 by Vee

[Khan]

I agree.  Didn't Lesli Kay land the role instead?  Lord, what a mistake that turned out to be, lol.

It's almost as if you'd have to change either Lois or Olivia in order to have a real rivalry, depending on who's supposed to be endgame with Ned.  Frankly, I had enough of Lois behaving out of character when she hooked up with Alcazar.

Sometimes, when you watch GH these days, you DO get the impression that Chris Van Etten and Dan O'Connor have watched the show for years; that they love the show and want to do right by it.  They're no "dream team," but they're trying to be.  That's why, at the end of the day, I hope I'm not coming across as being terribly hard on the two, because it's better to have a HW or HW-ing team that carries genuine affection for the show they're writing for than to have one who clearly has never watched the show before and probably wouldn't under any other circumstances.

Edited May 8, 2023 by Khan

[Vee]

BTW, Khan, in case you missed Ron Carlivati wishing happy anniversary to GH, it's about what you would expect.

[Khan]

RME.

Stay classy, Ron, lol.

[Aragorn]

Hi, I'm new. I am a fan of Kristina. Do you think the new Kristina actress will be a contract player? Will the new Kristina be on as much as Michael? Will she continue to be a loser, or will become a more successful person?

[Khan]

Wait, who's Kristina again?

[John]

Just Love how he wont take responsibility for how shitty GH became in his last 6 plus months as HW

[Khan]

No writer outside of William Goldman likes to think they fucked up a show they grew up watching.

[Liberty City]

Alexis and Sonny's daughter.

He's such a classless person. He genuinely is.

[Aragorn]

I think Carly should go to jail. The show currently has two Carlys, and only needs one. Only the younger one needs to be around. Carly is 50 and feels like a spent character to me. Laura and Anna are older than Carly but feel like more vital characters to me. They should be the female leads and Carly should go away.

[Darn]

Probably because Carly went through about 40 years of story in 15 years. Who is the other Carly on the show lol? Nina? Joss?

[Khan]

Sorry, @Liberty City, I was joking.

Who's the other Carly?  There's two Carlys now?  Like two Todds?  What am I missing?

[carolineg]

I think that poster meant Josslyn.

[Khan]

That makes sense -- although, I don't see Joss as just another Carly, even if she's Carly's daughter.  Carly might be self-centered like Joss, but at least she's still "root-able."  I don't root for Joss; I root for the Mack truck that will eventually run her down (God & Frank & Doris & Gloria Monty willing).