1 hour ago, carolineg said:

Instead of insane blocking taping to save costs perhaps he can look at getting rid of 25% of his cast.  I am sure Kelly wasn't cheap and frees up some money, but why pay JJ to do basically nothing when there are multiple stories he could be involved in?

I would assume JJ's return was an ABC mandate, helped with the salaries of Howarth and Easton (and Monaco). This way they can just keep half-using Jackson to the very limited fanbase he even has these days until he leaves again. 

4 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I would assume JJ's return was an ABC mandate, helped with the salaries of Howarth and Easton (and Monaco). This way they can just keep half-using Jackson to the very limited fanbase he even has these days until he leaves again. 

My exact thoughts.

Genie Francis also signed a new contract recently. I wonder if returns of Lucky and Lu Lu were parts of that new deal. 

Edited November 13, 20241 yr by John

2 hours ago, carolineg said:

Very true.  I was thinking maybe the show clearly wanted to free JK/Cody up for something new and, no,  I don't believe it's Tracy.  Cody/Sasha could easily had a misunderstanding that led Sasha to get drunk and sleep with Michael and get pregnant.  They really didn't have to be blood related lol.

I still think they are going to reveal at some point that Sasha and Cody aren't actually related. 

Having them break up over something that was in no way their fault and both spiral downward is interesting or would be on a better show.

I agree Cody/Tracy doesn't seem likely, although I hope the show at least keeps the relationship ambiguous and doesn't try to paint her as pathetic and obsessive. 

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

THIS.

 

But I feel like...as a loose theory...that perhaps the New/Old Writers are kicking any PM story loose ends off the boat. Heather, the Drew Q, Nina/Drew, etc. to spin off into what will be their actual stories. Again loose theory. 

They do seem to be winding down most of his stories, although some, like the Heather flop, I am still not sure who to blame as didn't Alley Mills brag that CvE was responsible? And isn't she supposed to be coming back (yet again)?

I'm still surprised they even decided to go for Drew/Willow, although clearly they would only do so if Nina was not involved.

Just now, John said:

Genie also signed a new contract recently. I wonder if returns of lucky and Lu Lu were parts of that new deal. 

I'd be surprised if she had that much say but it would help explain why no one wants Lucky there.

3 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

They do seem to be winding down most of his stories, although some, like the Heather flop, I am still not sure who to blame as didn't Alley Mills brag that CvE was responsible?

She definitely said this. Twice. 

7 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I would assume JJ's return was an ABC mandate, helped with the salaries of Howarth and Easton (and Monaco). This way they can just keep half-using Jackson to the very limited fanbase he even has these days until he leaves again. 

Probably.  It doesn't seem like JJ is very enthused with the material either.  I just get confused with who is mandating what and who's calling the shots.  It's no wonder the show is so up and down and disorganized.

2 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

I still think they are going to reveal at some point that Sasha and Cody aren't actually related. 

Having them break up over something that was in no way their fault and both spiral downward is interesting or would be on a better show.

I agree Cody/Tracy doesn't seem likely, although I hope the show at least keeps the relationship ambiguous and doesn't try to paint her as pathetic and obsessive. 

 

I was thinking Sasha/Cody might not be related, but either Mac loses his only bio kid or Holly is lying again.  Both those options are extremely annoying to me.

3 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

They do seem to be winding down most of his stories, although some, like the Heather flop, I am still not sure who to blame as didn't Alley Mills brag that CvE was responsible? And isn't she supposed to be coming back (yet again)?

I'm still surprised they even decided to go for Drew/Willow, although clearly they would only do so if Nina was not involved.

She was. I mean the hip story was started before PM. It has crossed my mind though since most of it was written under PM, and we are talking about an EP who is petty enough to feel a way about someone or something and get rid of it so I could see him telling the writers to get rid of this arc for Heather since audiences were already clowning it due to Portia being made the villain and yet the audience STILL rooted for Portia over Heather. Seeing it as a sore spot, the story gets tabled until they can have Heather pop up again. 

 

Watching I'm surprised as well. And I knew nuances were going to be gone, but darn! From understanding 2/3 of a triangle to finally getting the third POV only for one of the characters it started with (Nina) to be completely shut out is...bizarre. Only than that plotpoint lunch with Ava, Nina is just...gone.

 

Then again...it is kinda like a story that winds up adding in Carly, Sonny, or Jason. OR a story about Liz that gets hijack by another character. Now that I think about it...not unusual for THIS show. 

 

 

25 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

They do seem to be winding down most of his stories, although some, like the Heather flop, I am still not sure who to blame as didn't Alley Mills brag that CvE was responsible? And isn't she supposed to be coming back (yet again)?

I'm still surprised they even decided to go for Drew/Willow, although clearly they would only do so if Nina was not involved.

Nina is now barely on, so that checks out. Whereas with Mulcahey the focus was clearly on those three (and Drew and Nina's hate sex/power playing moving towards romance), now Nina is the afterthought and the actual story for Willow and Drew is largely a series of hollow plot mechanics. It made zero sense for Willow to fúck Drew when she did, a few mere hours after she re-dedicated herself to Michael and resolved to put the kiss with Drew behind her, with zero knowledge that he'd slept with Sasha. A day later, maybe less, Sam is dead and she decides to bang Drew in her infant's nursery. It felt like they wanted Event A (Willow and Drew having sex) to happen but weren't ready for Event B (anyone knowing what Michael did) to occur, so they just shrugged and did it anyway. But in this instance, without having a deep enough romantic connection or at least sexual obsession established between her and Drew, it makes Willow come off totally schizophrenic and insane.

God knows I blame plenty of things on Frank's whims but again I don't think Lucky's return is a big conspiracy. I think the show is purely and simply that inept on plotting returns and story (and Jason's showed this - it was on ice forever due to the same block scheduling and probably creative turmoil) and working with the relentless block taping chaos that leaves key story and characters plate-spinning for weeks and months while they rotate some in and some out to save cash. I do not think FV is prepared to stick his neck out to sabotage Jonathan Jackson's return if it came from the network.

I am convinced Heather and Violet will be back soon enough. Frank never lets go. They did have Alley Mills' last(?) scene, I think, whispering creepily in the obviously unnerved Ace's ear "I'll be baaaaackkk!" You can play that beat ambiguous and still have it turn out she's harmless and happy in Sedona, but they clearly wanted to leave the audience guessing/suspicious.

Edited November 13, 20241 yr by Vee

12 minutes ago, John said:

Genie Francis also signed a new contract recently. I wonder if returns of Lucky and Lu Lu were parts of that new deal. 

Thank you for the news!

Just now, Vee said:

You can play that beat ambiguous and still have it turn out she's harmless and happy in Sedona, but they clearly wanted to leave the audience guessing/suspicious.

And yet we are all dreading its eventual happening. SMFH.

2 hours ago, carolineg said:

Very true.  I was thinking maybe the show clearly wanted to free JK/Cody up for something new and, no,  I don't believe it's Tracy.

Lulu?

She's apparently staying at the Quatermaines, and Dante is clearly going to be grieving Sam for awhile.

Just now, Vee said:

Lulu?

  Hide contents

She's apparently staying at the Quatermaines, and Dante is clearly going to be grieving Sam for awhile.

 

.... I would not hate it, although, it's very evident Dante & Lulu are endgame.

5 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

.... I would not hate it, although, it's very evident Dante & Lulu are endgame.

I don't love the idea of ruining that male friendship, and again I'm more into Cody and Tracy. It feels like a waste of time to me, but if the options are Lulu or Sasha then yes, I'll take Lulu.

6 minutes ago, Vee said:

Lulu?

I could get behind that idea.  

I also agree on the Willow/Drew/Michael et al story being very chaotic.  Nothing happens for months and then 3 huge things happen in a week. 

1 minute ago, Vee said:

I don't love the idea of ruining that male friendship, and again I'm more into Cody and Tracy. It feels like a waste of time to me, but if the options are Lulu or Sasha then yes, I'll take Lulu.

I'm so into the idea of Cody & Tracy, hardcore! Especially after suffering with L*ke all those years. Give Sasha back to Michael, where she should have been, and call it a day. Tree can go away, permanently.