I wonder how long PM has been gone and when we could see the first EK.CVE episode?

I knew something was up when we had those string of QVC (or whatever that network is called on the show) episodes. They felt like filler and were some of the worst daytime I have ever seen. No, television.

Just now, Vee said:

Those Tracy/Gregory scenes were pretty good, though. I'll miss that level of intelligence.

And that's another thing: all signs of Tracy maturing into a proper Q matriarch will likely vanish, and she'll be back to being the snarky grandma who says inappropriate and hurtful things.

Well given it was Van Etten pitched the Heather's hip poisoning her story, I don't hold out much hope, they seem to want to redeem her lol 

16 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

I’m curious. PM isn’t naive to the current realities of soap. What made him come out of retirement for this? Could have been money but soap HW gigs are tough. 

My hunch: Nathan Varni (or someone else at the network level) decided a change was needed and went to PM, given his reputation, with the promise of being allowed to write the kind of material he wanted.  Frank Valentini, however, had other ideas.

8 minutes ago, Contessa Donatella said:

You didn't think the scene between Nina & Ava wasn't top notch writing for both actresses?!!! Well, I did. 

I was talking about the general treatment of the character. Frank and company apparently didn't see that as the right scene, whether we did or not.

2 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

Well given it was Van Etten pitched the Heather's hip poisoning her story, I don't hold out much hope, they seem to want to redeem her lol 

The only part of the story that could be interesting is the consequences for Laura, but it mostly seems like a way to keep a plot device psycho on the show, or an actress they like.

1 minute ago, Khan said:

My hunch: Nathan Varni (or someone else at the network level) decided a change was needed and went to PM, given his reputation, with the promise of being allowed to write the kind of material he wanted.  Frank Valentini, however, had other ideas.

That and firing Howarth. I wonder if there was any clashing over plans to get rid of the other pet (Easton).

4 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

Well given it was Van Etten pitched the Heather's hip poisoning her story, I don't hold out much hope, they seem to want to redeem her lol 

No, I tend to think it was PM who wanted to redeem Heather, since he had worked previously with Alley Mills at B&B, and CVE was just the one who came up with how to do that.  (Whether or not PM actually liked that idea or was, in fact, overruled by Frank and maybe EK remains to be seen).  But, even without the evil hip, it'll still be easy for CVE and EK to say Heather hasn't really changed.

Something else: I think this pretty much guarantees that Lane Davies won't be sticking around for very long again, lol.

Edited May 16, 20241 yr by Khan

8 minutes ago, Khan said:

And that's another thing: all signs of Tracy maturing into a proper Q matriarch will likely vanish, and she'll be back to being the snarky grandma who says inappropriate and hurtful things.

I think she's been a mix for awhile now really, but the writing for her was much more intelligent and nuanced since the writers' change.

The glimmers of stuff that felt a lot like PM to me - the really wonderful series of scenes about Marshall's misdiagnosis; Trina's long series of monologue segments at Spencer's gravesite; Drew and Nina's business/political canoodling and possibly this Ross Marler-esque political setup for Drew Q - and just the enhanced focus on families and connectivity and character really stood out, as well as righting the scales re: Sonny however clumsily it was done at times. Maxie especially improved tremendously. But there was also a ton of random mess. You can't tell me PM was invested in the Home and Heart/QVC 'Let's Pay For My Daytime Friends' Insurance' Showcase stuff.

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

Something else: I think this pretty much guarantees that Lane Davies won't be sticking around for very long again, lol.

Ohhh yeah, I forgot about that. I was gonna drop it this week but I guess I'll wait out the month!

I do think PM probably was all in on the kooky Heather thing to keep using AM. I was into some of it unlike most, but I also thought it was over-featured.

Edited May 16, 20241 yr by Vee

8 minutes ago, Vee said:

Ohhh yeah, I forgot about that. I was gonna drop it this week but I guess I'll wait out the month!

I'm not waiting it out.  I'm done.  I just don't see any point in sticking around even for a little bit longer.

Edited May 16, 20241 yr by Khan

2 minutes ago, Khan said:

I'm not waiting it out.  I'm done.  I just don't see any point in sticking around even for a little bit longer.

I'll probably stay through Davies' first day. I am in no rush to stay current anymore though, lol

I had a brief glimmer of hope when Kay Alden returned to Y&R, even though she was saddled with Sally Sussman Morina, whom I consider a mediocre writer. I hoped Alden's influence could result in at least some positive changes and help make Y&R...Y&R again.

Now history has repeated itself. I was gratified to see Patrick Mulcahey coming aboard GH, even though I wished it had not been alongside Elizabeth Korte. I'd like to see Nancy Curlee take a shot at headwriting duties instead, with Mulcahey writing as many GH scripts as he wants. A Curlee-Mulcahey team would have my full support (with a change in executive producers of course).

But once again, failed mediocrity is rewarded with important positions at a dwindling soap, leaving discouraged viewers to see this latest idiotic decision as yet another nail in the coffin of yet another troubled soap. 

Can I have Curlee, Mulcahey and maybe Lorraine Broderick as a team on The Gates?

5 minutes ago, Khan said:

I'm not waiting it out.  I'm done.  I just don't see any point in sticking around even for a little bit longer.

Especially when most of the GH cast was raving about PM day to day long meaningful writing. 

A long time ago, I remarked that the intelligence level of the writing on GH is exactly what you'd expect from a comic book aficionado and a YA author who (I kid you not) wrote this sentence: "This was clear to Cole Redeker, as his bus farted its way through a November slush to the entrance of Springfield High School."  Dan & Chris might've been longtime ABC/GH fans, but watching their work was like watching two white teenage girls named Becky try and write a soap opera, and failing every damn step of the way.  Frankly, I'm not interested in a return to that kind of mentality.

Edited May 16, 20241 yr by Khan

8 minutes ago, Vee said:

I think she's been a mix for awhile now really, but the writing for her was much more intelligent and nuanced since the writers' change.

The glimmers of stuff that felt a lot like PM to me - the really wonderful series of scenes about Marshall's misdiagnosis; Trina's long series of monologue segments at Spencer's gravesite; Drew and Nina's business/political canoodling and possibly this Ross Marler-esque political setup for Drew Q - and just the enhanced focus on families and connectivity and character really stood out, as well as righting the scales re: Sonny however clumsily it was done at times. Maxie especially improved tremendously. But there was also a ton of random mess. You can't tell me PM was invested in the Home and Heart/QVC 'Let's Pay For My Daytime Friends' Insurance' Showcase stuff.

The tender material with Gregory feels like it might have been more from Mulcahey. 

I had forgotten Lane Davies was coming back. I guess they will just stick Finn with Alexis, but hopefully they can' find something worthwhile for Lane. Or at least not make him use a Colonel Sanders accent like MEK.

I think what's most disappointing is now you won't even be able to look forward to those glimmers of quality or wondering what might be. Now you are just going to be shocked if there's one scene that doesn't feel lifeless or agenda-laden.

17 minutes ago, Khan said:

No, I tend to think it was PM who wanted to redeem Heather, since he had worked previously with Alley Mills at B&B, and CVE was just the one who came up with how to do that.  (Whether or not PM actually liked that idea or was, in fact, overruled by Frank and maybe EK remains to be seen).  But, even without the evil hip, it'll still be easy for CVE and EK to say Heather hasn't really changed.

Something else: I think this pretty much guarantees that Lane Davies won't be sticking around for very long again, lol.

I agree with that, makes perfect sense!