GH: July 2024 Discussion Thread

[Liberty City]

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Edited July 9, 2024 by Liberty City

[Vee]

Fine, I'll start.

June was interesting in that it is a clear transition, like many have said, between some of Mulcahey's work and then reverting to staid factory settings. We've talked about some of this before in the past thread. I thought a lot of the Gregory funeral/Finn downward spiral material was often quite good - particularly Tracy's reflections on Gregory, her discussion with Stella about lost loves and the razor-sharp, tense and intelligent scenes between Finn and Alexis, trading knowledge of the nuances of addiction - though I do think ME's talent gave out near the end of his umpteenth set of crying rager scenes. Some of his stuff later in the month (not his final scenes with his family) got laughable, particularly him hurling the vodka bottles and woodenly shouting "no!"

I think it was for the best to get Gregory and Finn gone ASAP and I can understand doing it quickly and relatively quietly, yet part of me also wishes they'd let him go out with a bang as I suggested previously - have a drunk Finn crash his car through the front of GH with Violet in the passenger seat, Guza-style. That at least gets the show's heart rate up, which it desperately needs right now. You don't even need to kill anyone in a setpiece like that, but it at least allows for some action. Finn's raging paranoia with Scott, ranting about the Quartermaines like this was 1999, was actually an interesting angle on the character; what if he'd lost it a month or two ago and we'd gotten several months of drunk, angry, volatile Finn like this and like those scenes with Portia and Terry, getting wilder and wilder before some sort of autovehicular incident? That could've been well worth watching, if a darker ending for the character. Still, what's done is done.

The 180s on Sonny, Ava, etc. speak for themselves: Suddenly Sonny is remorseful, sensitive and caring about his friends and family, and after a single typical tearful convo with Kristina all is forgiven. Okay, Korte. Further: A month ago Ava had Natalia on tape all but signing up to repeal Obergefell while Natalia was giving Kristina hell at Blaze's recording studio but now she's eager for a sit-down meal with Sonny and the girls. We all know she's about to be busted for her homophobic remarks so I can’t wait for Natalia’s emotional meltdown apologizing to try to redeem her.

The show clearly wants to have it both ways with Natalia: She came on strident, unpleasant and meddling, but they increasingly want her to be seen as a cute new option for Sonny because FV is excited to have Eva LaRue, who he openly targeted for the role from the beginning according to Mark Teschner, and wants to keep her around as another daytime prize for GH where yet another soap or primetime star sits around doing little of import. Meanwhile, the character has a bone to pick with everyone in town's background but the infamous crime boss she is semi-dating. 

To be clear: When ELR is in controlling bitch mode she’s quite good IMO, uncomfortably so. Natalia feels too real re: so many real life Karens. That's partly why people are so annoyed IMO. And they’re more annoyed bc Natalia doesn’t actually do anything but show up and be a bitch to Kristina, Lois, BLQ and most of the town and then flirt with Sonny. If she did something about all her complaints and threats you’d at least have a little story, but instead you have an unpleasant person who we're also expected to accept as a potential new female partner for Sonny because she is played by another soap star Frank is gaga over. I have no time for her.

Then there's Brennan, another issue I have discussed before. Why is this dayplayer still here? His FB fans cannot be that numerous. And why is Carly still hanging around talking to this villain? Every time she visits Pentonville(?) she happily gives up all the intel Jason and Anna have to their enemy over and over. Is this supposed to be her heroic role on the show? Do they not get how fúcking stupid she comes off by doing this, or is someone just using mayfly brain in the writers' room, responding to social media feedback randomly wanting more of Carly with this Australian dude, with any man? If this was Guza at least it would be about Carly being Carly and doing stupid shît, but I don't think we're supposed to think that here at all. They want us to engage her with her weird connection with this bad guy who is the co-head of Pikeman, because... LW needs another chemistry option on canvas? I don't get it.

So what have we got? 'Nice' Sonny again, throwing Ava out on her ass (not that I mind him bringing up Connie or being adversarial with Ava again, as he should be, but it defuses the entire scheme Ava had going under PM). Ava in a craven position, beginning to grasp and plead with people like Laura for help while slandering Sonny. Natalia all over the map. Kristina, Laura, etc. all slowly being set up to look like dupes over the last few months for turning away from unstable Sonny because Ava is now the one preaching that gospel - her being the new delivery system and also his gaslighter/druggist enables the show to once again handwave everything about Sonny's actual behavior and choices that most of the spring was spent reeducating the audience on. And then there's Jason and Anna. Anna now runs most of her op and decisions through Jason as of this last month.

So yeah, the show is changing quickly and not for the better. But I am glad Alexis got her license back. And hey, Drew and Nina are still in play for now. Maxie is still revitalized, and there are still some striking, intelligent scenes. I'll probably hang til PM's name is off the show, and return for Jonathan. But we'll see.

[John]

7.1.2024

HW: Elizabeth Korte & Patrick Mulcahey

BDW: Emily Culliton

SW: Charlotte Gibson

DIR: Tina Keller

 

So are we gonna meet Chelsea Grimes?

 

The LGBTGIA Center will open in August

I like the exposing of homophobic Natalia. I do not like that Blaze is outed in the process. That should always be her choice.

[John]

Kate Mansi was on point today

[ranger1rg]

Mansi was great, but I still have no time for Kristina's pity party. She knew exactly what she was getting into, and all three of them -- Kristina, Molly, and TJ -- were stupid and foolish for doing this surrogacy.

[Vee]

Kristina's delusional behavior after T.J. and Molly's one argument was so ridiculous.

[Contessa Donatella]

Delusional seems a little strong. No question that she totally overreacted but I don't seriously think she's taken leave of her senses! With a little bit of luck her "petition" won't be anything but a piece of paper that never sees the light of day. I could be wrong but I think this is mostly just angst. I really hope so because I can get on board with the soapy goodness of angst compared to real legal actions. 

[John]

The reaction i believe @Vee is talking about (and if I am wrong, please correct) is that since Molly & TJ never fight an dthey had a fight, they will break up. That was an over-reach

[Contessa Donatella]

That is what I called a total overreaction. I don't think there's any question of what it was about, just degree. 

Meanwhile, Ava sure did stick it to a lot of people. First, Natalia, who she is possibly jealous of & of course, she says so much crapola that it seems only right that she gets called out on some of it. Then, Kristina, who made the scene the other night & caused Sonny to kick her out. 

Edited July 1, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
typo

[carolineg]

One argument and the couple has been together for literally like a decade on GH!!!  TJ/Molly might be the most solid (and boring) couple in all of PC.

It was more than an overreaction.  Kristina is projecting things that aren't there so she can keep the child.   She's not be rational.

[Contessa Donatella]

I can see we have a very slight disagreement. Big deal. The point is Krissy is wrong, wrong wrong! And, we know, and she could know it if she would communicate, TJ & Molly have not only completely made up BUT, Brilliant TJ apologized & entirely blamed himself & then they had make-up sex. And, any sex on this show, counts!!!

[Khan]

Because, as I've said before, GH is like the Olive Garden: when you're there, you're family!

[Liberty City]

I agree. It's like she snapped into "Well, I'm going to keep this baby if they break up." I know hormones can really affect one's emotional mindset but, that felt a step too far.

It's become glaring clear where Patrick Mulcahey's writing was and where it was going, and just how steadfast Elizabeth Korte and her "team" are shifting things back to how they were before, and it's very off-putting to see. Was Mulcahey's vision perfect? No. But it was interesting, to say the least... and interesting is better than confusing.

Alexis re-gaining her law license and Maxie becoming Maxie again are probably the two best things Mulcahey could have brought to the soap, and for that I am thankful. I'm interested in seeing where things go from here, but I hold little faith.

[Contessa Donatella]

I am not sure if this has been posted. If I am duplicating, so sorry. 

https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/736015/carly-jason-romance-confirmed/

But Spinelli’s dialogue made it clear: The heart wants what it wants. And even if it takes a while, the heart is still gonna want what it wants until it finally gets it. Hence, there’s not only hope that “Jarly” will happen, there’s an actual likelihood, maybe even a certainty, that it will.

[Aragorn]

I am hoping that the Pikeman storyline ends before Labor Day. I then expect Valentin, Brennan, and John to leave the show. Lucky will then return in September.

I like Natalia and want her to stay. I like Natalia and Sonny as a couple. 

I am glad that Alexis is a lawyer again and she has quit the newspaper. I think that the newspaper set will now be dropped. The day player who is now running the paper might only appear once a month.

If Sonny takes on Ava for Avery, I think that Sonny will win.

Felicia is the least used contract player. Now that Mac is back, I think that Felcia will be on more.

I think that Tanisha Harper will be demoted from contract to recurring.

I also think that the next new character will Blaze's brother.

Edited July 2, 2024 by Aragorn