GH: May 2024 Discussion Thread

[Sapounopera]

Six weeks of random scenes. Some were good, others were just boring.

But no real story. It is not as though we were watching early Ryan's Hope, which felt like a play. RH had structure and interesting dynamics.  

I have to say though, that any writer who doesn't "get" Sonny, will be out of the door, sooner or later. And that's insane. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Now here, in my dissenting voice, I would say that we have seen both structure and interesting dynamics. 

Every day I am engaged. I care about people I never did before. I see constant positioning of people. Whether it is Pikeman which now covers everything from the FBI & Cates & Jason to Valentin & Brennan plus the unknown executors of several mob bosses to knowing that Jason & Cates have taped action scenes, we know who is set up against whom. And, of course, the meds tampering falls under Pikeman, too. 

Other positioning, Sonny can be a mobster but not a philanthropic fine upstanding citizen, wandering around town dispensing sage advice. Now Jason has been moved from being a black hat to a white one. 

Joss v. Kristina is just an extension, or a metaphor, for Good v. Evil. 

And, so on. 

Heather & possible redemption is a thorny issue. Laura is now set v. several. 

[Sapounopera]

This I don't understand at all Contessa. Do you mean that they are the modern day Meg and Vanessa Dale?

I haven't found Sonny interesting in the last ten years. 

The Pikeman saga doesn't interest me at all. 

Heather was gone with Robin Mattson. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, this may be moot. I think Patrick was setting up Sonny/Bad v. Jason/Good & Joss v. Kristina was just an extension of that. Krissy stuck on the wrong side but someone has to be on Sonny's side. I believe Patrick was gonna allow Sonny & the mob to exist but only if they became labeled as bad guys, not masquerading as upright citizens. Does this help any at all? And, there are other Carly/Jason fans who subscribe to this theory, too. However, with Patrick gone, I have NO IDEA if they will continue with "rebranding" Sonny. ??? 

[titan1978]

For all the talk about how boring it has been (and I am not denying that it lacked action), did any of you watch during the latter half of Guza?

It was miserable people being miserable between sweeps months, doing essentially nothing. While being explored nearby daily (look at the episode counts!), Sonny, Jason and Carly had very little evolution during that entire decade. The changes that did come were due to Carly recasts, and eventually the arrival of Dante as a fourth lead with the same counts.

The scripts were better back then, it had more depth. It had entertainment factor during sweeps, but that was it for me. At least some of these people smiled and for once Sonny was being treated like the monster he is. 

[Sapounopera]

Can I say that GH's hugest problem is Sonny? MB is no longer charming, sexy or charismatic and he can't be treated as the show's lead. I can't see him in a new romance and he is not soap patriarch material. Whenever a writer shows that Sonny is problematic in his writing, he is shown the door. 
PM and EK's GH was nothing to write home about. But we got some well written scenes. Someone seemed to care enough to try and make characters human. When was the last time Y&R, B&B and DAYS had that?
Can well written scenes work with mediocre actors and random characters? That's another thing.
Another weird thing I noticed watching GH promos. 80% of the characters featured are over 50/60. The show needs some new blood.

And Liz Webber at the Nurses Station. 

[Contessa Donatella]

And Casey Hutchison of THE CHAT podcast is predicting some female about to be fired. Of course, in their last podcast they claimed to know many things & some of the things they said were totally untrue. So, many grains of salt are needed. 

My Bolded: That too is Frank & it used to be one of his assets. He respected the vets, would keep them on, would write for them, would not change them, etc. 

Now I think that NuTracy began before PM came on so maybe Korte is some of Tracy with a heart, the new matriarch & if so, well, that is one good thing. 

Edited May 17, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
combining posts

[titan1978]

What pisses me off is that the show still has core GH characters and they are barely given stories. But Roger Howarth and Michael Easton have been shoved down our throats until the last 7 months or so. I finally enjoy Nina, and Ava is at her best when she is up to no good. Both credit to the current writing team.

Laura, Liz, Dante, Alexis, hell even Sam are all on contact and they give them crumbs or stories about other people in the last year. Trina and Portia- both capable and neither one being used in an actual story. Liz had to deal with a story about her own history being hijacked first by Franco and then another one by Finn. I am fed up.

And if the ratings continue to erode through the summer months, I have no doubt Frank will protect his budget by getting rid of someone the audience of this show actually likes. But not one of his faves or besties.

Also- did it not seem like Liz and Aiden were headed towards a bullying story? And that the PC law was this close to charging Sonny for beating up poor old Cyrus? More abrupt drops like all this job hopping. I am reminded of times when Chris and Dan actually were on to something and it got derailed by FV- it happened at least twice in the last 5 years.

 

[Vee]

Didn't Laura run for mayor twice because FV tried to can Genie?

[Contessa Donatella]

I only know that he would prefer her on Recurring which she did not agree with. 

[DRW50]

I'd say that describes most of Guza's run, which is a reason why I would not ever want him back. He hated soaps and he especially seemed to hate GH as the years passed. His scripting team deserves the credit for any of the better moments.

[titan1978]

Yes. Twice in like two years, only won because Spencer rigged something (because god forbid she did it on her own).

Was she ever re-elected?

And the fan outrage is the only thing that got her a contract and story. I think that’s when she got her penthouse apartment set too.

He coasted for me for years after how good his 1996 and most of 1998 were. I just kept waiting to see that guy again. Glimpses during events like Brenda’s first return, the  Metro Court and Scrubs/refocus on the Hospital. But nothing like his earlier runs.

Edited May 17, 2024 by titan1978

[DRW50]

I didn't even care about most of 1998 so that's how I knew he just wasn't for me, but I respect those who did admire his work. 

[BetterForgotten]

Back when Wendy Richie and Guza had their power struggles, I blamed Wendy and thought she was burnt out. But I was wrong once we got to see Guza’s true intentions at play in subsequent years. 

It’s too bad FV has gone unchecked for so long and continues to have a job when the show has failed with multiple HW’s under his watch at this point. 

[TEdgeofNight]

Frank Valentini needs to be fired. Today. That b.s. that the enablers have been spewing for years has got to stop. He’s good with a budget. lol He saved GH and can manage a budget. 
Well so can others! I’m glad Mulcahey was fired because he cannot headwrite a soap but Frank needs to also be fired. He’s burned out. Time to go Frank. Someone else CAN do your job.