49 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

I would wager Maxie's 180 in personality and Alexis' return to law were one of the two main things Mulcahey did that was needed. Stripping Sonny of the ass-kissing audience of Port Charles was another highlight for me, as well, but we saw what happened with that.

Yes, that’s true. Alexis and her family’s place on the canvas has been fully reestablished after years of neglect. NLG has been a true MVP this year. I still go back and watch the scene where she confronts Ava about losing her law license. Both of them were great. Nina and Ava’s confrontation was also great.
 

I think NLG did a lot of the work that sold the family breakdown after Molly and TJ’s baby died (I’m never going to call flighty Kristina that baby’s mother).

40 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

Yes, that’s true. Alexis and her family’s place on the canvas has been fully reestablished after years of neglect. NLG has been a true MVP this year. I still go back and watch the scene where she confronts Ava about losing her law license. Both of them were great. Nina and Ava’s confrontation was also great.

I think NLG did a lot of the work that sold the family breakdown after Molly and TJ’s baby died (I’m never going to call flighty Kristina that baby’s mother).

Yes to all of this; while I hated the breakdown of Ava & Nina's friendship it did give me what I wanted from the moment Cynthia Watros was cast in the role of Nina: her vs. Maura West. Two powerhouse performers going at it. Sure, it wasn't in the exact tone I would have hoped for, but we got some super juicy moments of feuding (a.k.a. a return to form for the two characters).

Just now, Liberty City said:

Yes to all of this; while I hated the breakdown of Ava & Nina's friendship it did give me what I wanted from the moment Cynthia Watros was cast in the role of Nina: her vs. Maura West. Two powerhouse performers going at it. Sure, it wasn't in the exact tone I would have hoped for, but we got some super juicy moments of feuding (a.k.a. a return to form for the two characters).

Maura West especially got to show shades of actual evil glee in upsetting Nina. It was a welcome return to what Ava should be- a viper.

18 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

Maura West especially got to show shades of actual evil glee in upsetting Nina. It was a welcome return to what Ava should be- a viper.

It was a return-to-form for Ava... back to her Jerome roots where she didn't need a man to help her. She was a woman playing in the man's game, as she should always have been. West said this in a 2013 interview with Michael Logan:

❝ It's awesome! And it makes Ava even cooler. She's like, "So what if I'm not a guy? I'm an heir!" She didn't marry into the mob. She is the mob. When you grow up watching your father come home and wash blood off his hands, you don't give it much mind. There are no rules when you've been raised in a world like that — and that's very freeing as an actor. I loooove Ava! I love that she is so poised — almost hyper-poised — as she struts around town yet she's also gritty, angry, really abrasive. I love that she's hiding things. ❞

And I feel like, despite my feelings of impending exit for Ava under Mulcahey's pen, he really did put Ava back on that track, which she needed. And you could tell West was selling it (as she always does).

I feel like PM "got" Nina and Ava more than any writer has and it's probably the only time I enjoyed both characters.  I even liked Drew a lot more under PM.

7 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I feel like PM "got" Nina and Ava more than any writer has and it's probably the only time I enjoyed both characters.  I even liked Drew a lot more under PM.

Agree on all points. I still miss Patrick. Which is rather amazing given to what lengths Frank is going to erase him. 

26 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I feel like PM "got" Nina and Ava more than any writer has and it's probably the only time I enjoyed both characters.  I even liked Drew a lot more under PM.

He really did; he understood them. Drew was a bit more likable under Mulcahey, too, but the role is completely destroyed beyond repair. Re-watching Billy Miller's Drew vs. Cameron Mathison's Drew, and it's a complete 180° turn in characterization. Disappointing.

3 hours ago, Liberty City said:

I agree: again, I think under a creative executive producer, he would have really done some change. Yes, [some things] happening I wasn't in-love with, but overall he was fixing a lot of problems previous regimes had.

Very true. I might not have liked some changes as well, but at least I trusted that he knew what he was doing. 

3 hours ago, titan1978 said:

They don’t even want to use Maxie correctly, and she was maybe the one actual vet that was brought back to life under Mulcahey’s script doctoring.

Yeah, he performed a miracle by resurrecting a Maxie that people can connect to again.

 

3 hours ago, titan1978 said:

One- all these affairs are completely unsexy. Nina and Drew had some heat before, and the tortured nature of Willow fighting to stay away from him should have been fully played out. Sasha and Michael could have easily had an emotional connection that they have a history with. Instead they wanna blame it on the a aa a a alcohol.

Every good soap affair has some heat. This is just miserable people being miserable together, without any desire being focused on.

I agree as well. Drew could be a prick, but you at least saw the heat with Nina. And you could see them slowly respecting each other. Then you could see them slowly falling for each other. And they were sexy. There was even a basis for Drew/Willow.

 

Now it just Drew just seems so creepy that it's ewww. 

3 hours ago, titan1978 said:

They don’t even want to use Maxie correctly, and she was maybe the one actual vet that was brought back to life under Mulcahey’s script doctoring.

Yeah, he performed a miracle by resurrecting a Maxie that people can connect to again.

 

3 hours ago, titan1978 said:

One- all these affairs are completely unsexy. Nina and Drew had some heat before, and the tortured nature of Willow fighting to stay away from him should have been fully played out. Sasha and Michael could have easily had an emotional connection that they have a history with. Instead they wanna blame it on the a aa a a alcohol.

Every good soap affair has some heat. This is just miserable people being miserable together, without any desire being focused on.

I agree as well. Drew could be a prick, but you at least saw the heat with Nina. And you could see them slowly respecting each other. Then you could see them slowly falling for each other. And they were sexy. There was even a basis for Drew/Willow.

 

Now it just Drew just seems so creepy that it's ewww. 

1 hour ago, carolineg said:

I feel like PM "got" Nina and Ava more than any writer has and it's probably the only time I enjoyed both characters.  I even liked Drew a lot more under PM.

Them miracles.

 

I remember how over Nina and Drew were on here. Then PM came in and Nina got her claws back and Drew actually got more purpose as a prick. I could go on about his work on Ava for days. 

3 hours ago, Liberty City said:

I would wager Maxie's 180 in personality and Alexis' return to law were one of the two main things Mulcahey did that was needed. Stripping Sonny of the ass-kissing audience of Port Charles was another highlight for me, as well, but we saw what happened with that.

Alexis's journey was definitely a highlight for me.

 

And...same re: Sonny worship. 

21 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

Nina got her claws back

She had an actual point of view, had a backbone, and seemed like a real character for the first time. The lines of dialogue should overall not be interchangeable between Carly, Ava, and Nina.  But they kind of were before the change, and now it’s like they are all rudderless. Without a story or point of view. Even Carly is just floating around.

Liz being back to prominence is a great thing the new team has done since August. Dante being given something to do is great as well. And I like that Molly and Kristina had enough focus that I feel like I know who they are again, even if I despise Kristina. At least I watch her and have a reaction at all.

34 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

Very true. I might not have liked some changes as well, but at least I trusted that he knew what he was doing. 

Yeah, he performed a miracle by resurrecting a Maxie that people can connect to again.

👏🏻

5 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

She had an actual point of view, had a backbone, and seemed like a real character for the first time. The lines of dialogue should overall not be interchangeable between Carly, Ava, and Nina.  But they kind of were before the change, and now it’s like they are all rudderless. Without a story or point of view. Even Carly is just floating around.

Liz being back to prominence is a great thing the new team has done since August. Dante being given something to do is great as well. And I like that Molly and Kristina had enough focus that I feel like I know who they are again, even if I despise Kristina. At least I watch her and have a reaction at all.

I so enjoyed Nina during that time so it's sad to see her as such an afterthought given so much is going on that does affect her.

 

I meant to say it the other day when we were discussing Carly, but I noticed that, too. Carly really does not at all have anything going on. Which I found funny given isn't Korte the biggest Carly fan? Yet now that Lucky is home, she has nothing really going on other than the Slow-As-Molasses relationship with Brennan? How...unCarlylike.

 

Yes, I've loved every minute of Liz being...if not front and center...then a more important player on the canvas. I can also say the same for Dante...who I also felt greatly benefited from PM giving his life more layers. Because I feel a lot of any feelings I have for Sam's death was greatly helped by PM deepening the Dante/Sam relationship as well as the feel of their blended family. I feel if this death still happened under PM, there would be a battle coming up on where the kids would go. There might still be one, given how Drew's been acting, but I do not feel it will be the same impact. 

 

Well, I definitely don't feel indifferent to Kristina. But I am no longer on her side, either. Credit where credit is due.

8 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

👏🏻

 

4 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

 

We had it good. SO friggin' good, and then we didn't. BOO!

6 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

We had it good. SO friggin' good, and then we didn't. BOO!

Woulda coulda shoulda.

Jaqueline Grace Lopez is on this For Charity Podcastathon tomorrow midday eastern. (Samantha's Friends)

 

IMO, there’s too many agendas in the writing. And too much spoon-feeding the fans about who they’re supposed to love and who they’re supposed to hate #PoorJagger. 

It seemed to go away a little when PM was there, but now it’s back to the same old stuff. And it seems like they’re trying to spoon feed us about Drew.