6 hours ago, Vee said:

The problem with Willow and Drew is not that it finally happened (after far too much dithering post-Mulcahey), it's that in the moment that it did it made zero sense. As I said before: Willow recommits herself to her husband and takes Michael to bed while proclaiming her brief infatuation and couple kisses with Drew were a terrible mistake. The next day, Sam dies and Willow initiates sex with a grieving Drew in her baby's nursery. Huh??

It was an actual story before, with beats being played out weekly. Cliche as all hell, but it was going somewhere and Mulcahey’s character work made Nina actually watchable, and Drew didn’t seem like a scumbag. Now it’s back to FV GH mode- dropped for weeks at a time, then dragged back out just to create a twist. And before it was at least like three people making choices that made some kind of sense based on the parameters we were seeing. Now it’s like a kid playing scandal with Barbies. It’s once again so generic and poorly paced, and worst of all, completely unsexy.

I honestly do not know what happened to GH. The instincts of the creative decisions are just all wrong. I didn’t think it was great before by any means, but it wasn’t as mishandled. Around the time they killed Spencer and Esme the show has been really in trouble creatively, with one bad turn after another.

11/12

Absolutely loved Liz reading Lucky for filth. I genuinely have no interest in seeing her reunite with this guy at all. Let him just run off and not come back this time please.

Frank and the current writers just cannot write character. It's just plot, plot, and more plot. The actions of most of the characters don't make sense, since the writers never take the time to flesh out their motivations, intentions, emotions. Mulcahey was a master at this, and sadly none of his genius for character work has rubbed off on the new writers.

 

 

Edited November 16, 20241 yr by Jdee43

26 minutes ago, Jdee43 said:

Frank and the current writers just cannot write character. It's just plot, plot, and more plot. The actions of most of the characters don't make sense, since the writers never take the time to flesh out their motivations, intentions, emotions. Mulcahey was a master at this, and sadly none of his genius for character work has rubbed off on the new writers.

Considering how confused and clunky many motivations were even in his return, I'd say that most of the writers aren't allowed to write for character even if they want to.

9 hours ago, detroitpiston said:

Today’s episode was really solid. I liked Jason and Carly playing role reversal with her chewing him out for acting reckless. Ric and Drew was a surprising team up but it works well and lead to some great Jason vs Ric scenes at the end of the show. Carly and Drew finally addressing their break up over her loyalty to Jason was good too, I can’t wait for her to find out about Drew sleeping with Nina and Willow.

I agree with @Vee that they allowed too much of Lucky and Aidan’s dynamic play out off screen so now he looks like a bum trying to once again run out on his family. This is a potentially good story with great actors being killed by poor guarantee management. That said I did like the material today with Lucky boxing with Sonny and debating staying in PC as well as Liz talking to Terry on how she’s fed up with his antics.

Did a Hulu binge yesterday so I got some thoughts on stuff that aired throughout the last week or so. First off I loved seeing Jason whoop Drew’s ass 😂 much deserved and Ned’s reactions were hilarious.

Willow and Drew finally banging was outrageous and I do like how shameless they both are behaving. Drew embracing his inner Quartermaine has been a much needed shift I just wish Michael wasn’t being written as such a wuss having his daddies fight his battles while he mops around town distraught. Hopefully his call to Diane leads to more torturous behavior towards his wife and uncle.

Kristina is absolutely insufferable to me now and those scenes with her making Sam’s death about herself to Natalia and Alexis were gross. I did like her remembering Molly’s birthday tho.

They really gotta just cool it on Sonny and Natalia btw, its never happening. At this point just put him with Alexis.

Jack and Carly on the other hand is the best LW pairing I’ve seen in ages. He should have been a Jax recast but I kind of like Carly dealing with a new man that can observe and be jealous of her dynamics with fresh eyes

Isaiah has been a great cast addition and I’m glad he’ll be added to the hospital roster. His chem test with Molly was really good, this actor has worked well with every screen partner they’ve put him with.

I couldn’t believe they added two more young black male actors, BTG really has TPTB shook 😂 I think the sidekick had a bit more presence onscreen but I do like Kai and his chemistry with Trina so far. I wish somebody would work with Tabyana Ali on her unnatural line delivery though…she’s been on the show too long for that, it takes me out of scenes and at one point it seemed like it was rubbing off on Kai’s actor.

This whole Sasha paternity reveal and Sidwell kidnapping was incredibly hamfisted but its made me warm to the actress more so, mission accomplished I guess. Tristan Rogers has also sounded ready for retirement all year so I’m glad they put him and Holly together and ushered them off.

The show has been strong overall IMO but some episodes have been killed with the 40 second scene editing. The episode that had Sasha and Felicia talking about Holly and Alexis being comforted by Diane was the worst offender of this, good scenes that never were allowed to breathe. It must test better with audiences but I hate it, same with the pots and pans background music.

My goodness, you are totally in my head. I agree with every last word. 

Molly and the surgeon: so good. "I hope you like chocolate". "Oh yes, I like chocolate". :drool

I'll get dragged for this but Trina? She's awful. And they are pairing her AGAIN with another 6'2"+ actor partner. I hate that and it reinforces my distraction when she's with another actor who is so much taller than her. She needs to be directed to tone it down. Reminds me of her angry motherly scenes with NAC when they were in the bank vault and she came off sounding so bi%chy. They ruined her there. I don't like her in this storyline with the football star. We all know where this is going. rme

I am so warmed up to Sasha. Hate that they tied her into so many PC families, but she can do no wrong with me. Hope she's pregnant with Michael's kid. Willow should leave. Her turnabout in character is so off-putting that she disgusts me now. Good job if that's what they were going for.

 

11/13

Glad the show remembered that Nina is part of this storyline. Also liked Michael telling Jason. The show often ignores the Drew/Jason of it all so it’s nice to see his reaction as this is something that Jason absolutely would NEVER do to Michael. Doesn’t Drew even have all of Jason’s memories too? 
 

Biggot Natalia and Nice Guy Sonny, barf.

 

Edited November 16, 20241 yr by Antoyne

11/13

Glad the show remembered that Nina is part of this storyline. Also liked Michael telling Jason. The show often ignores the Drew/Jason of it all so it’s nice to see his reaction as this is something that Jason absolutely would NEVER do to Michael.
 

Biggot Natalia and Nice Guy Sonny, barf.

What are we doing with Kristina? Somehow Sam’s death has become about her? It also just hit me for the first time that Kristina’s brother was engaged to her sister 😂

11/14

Wow absolutely loved Jason kicking Drew’s ass. I do wonder if Michael and Willow would’ve actually been honest with each other. Always enjoy Michael’s interactions when it’s the Quartermaines in particular because of him being an adult now. If he completely cut out Sonny and just kept Jason, I could live with that.

Oh wow, are they chem testing Isaiah with Molly? Oh gosh the mess if she cheats on TJ with one of his coworkers.  I did see chemistry there. 

I did like that the show remembered TJ existed and gave his point of view again with everything.

It’s actually laughable hearing Kristina say Ava never pays for her crimes when her dad is Sonny 🤦🏽‍♂️.  And it’s also laughable her thinking she can handle Ric in court. If Kristina is supposed to be unlikeable, Mansi is doing an excellent job.
 

Absolutely loved Ric’s little villain to villain heart to heart pep talk with Ava.

 

Kristina confiding in Future Trump Appointee Natalia was insane. Natalia sabotaged her relationship with her ex-girlfriend and is on record as being a fundamentalist bigot. Yet suddenly they're great and Kristina is comforting her re: Blaze not talking to her anymore?

5 hours ago, DRW50 said:

They had a good thing going with Liz's sons, mostly played by decent actors and tied to the past, present, and future, but that was all squandered and now we're left with a 30 year old Aidan. 

The twunk playing Aiden seems reasonably capable and talented thus far, and God knows the prior Aidens were dreadful so I can understand using him. I'd still de-age him a bit (or at least dress him differently) simply because he can easily look ludicrous opposite both William Lipton and Hudson West as their little brother, or any contemporaries of theirs we can assume might appear as their future recasts (both of which NuAiden could have played). But yes, they've squandered both talented brothers and I hate it.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Considering how confused and clunky many motivations were even in his return, I'd say that most of the writers aren't allowed to write for character even if they want to.

There were a lot of hard and at times awkward character resets during that brief era, from the job merry-go-round which seemed based in BTS conflicts over cutting people to how the entire community began to view Sonny (and Kristina once again regaining her blinders for him, which given both past and now present post-PM behavior I still found in character and typical for her). But it was still more compelling to me to see Anna and Laura (or Molly or others) reckon with who and what Sonny has become vs. not, and long overdue. Anyway, it's moot because we're back to factory settings again. I expect in another year Ava, Carly and Sonny might inexplicably be besties once more too as they'd become under CVE's last run. Which is idiotic and always was.

Edited November 16, 20241 yr by Vee

5 hours ago, titan1978 said:

It was an actual story before, with beats being played out weekly. Cliche as all hell, but it was going somewhere and Mulcahey’s character work made Nina actually watchable, and Drew didn’t seem like a scumbag. Now it’s back to FV GH mode- dropped for weeks at a time, then dragged back out just to create a twist. And before it was at least like three people making choices that made some kind of sense based on the parameters we were seeing. Now it’s like a kid playing scandal with Barbies. It’s once again so generic and poorly paced, and worst of all, completely unsexy.

I honestly do not know what happened to GH. The instincts of the creative decisions are just all wrong. I didn’t think it was great before by any means, but it wasn’t as mishandled. Around the time they killed Spencer and Esme the show has been really in trouble creatively, with one bad turn after another.

It really was. And like I've mentioned, we got to see everyone's POV or got to the point we did. Totally agree with everything you said. 

3 hours ago, Jdee43 said:

Frank and the current writers just cannot write character. It's just plot, plot, and more plot. The actions of most of the characters don't make sense, since the writers never take the time to flesh out their motivations, intentions, emotions. Mulcahey was a master at this, and sadly none of his genius for character work has rubbed off on the new writers.

 

 

And say what you will about PM, but I felt he slowly but surely gave characters agency again...slowly, but surely.

 

I wish he had gotten more time. 

Drew showed us he doesn't know his twin, not at all. I don't know what we're supposed to think about Drew having Jason's memories, except maybe that's not a thing anymore. Here's the thing, Drew paid off Cody to get his silence, we can see that, but, then, to turn around & use the same stratagem on Jason, boy, I get it that Drew is entitled, arrogant but I never before thought he was stupid. Jason would never say anything not because of Drew but because of Michael. Ric's trip to Jason, what a joke!

6 hours ago, Taoboi said:

And say what you will about PM, but I felt he slowly but surely gave characters agency again...slowly, but surely.

I wish he had gotten more time. 

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.

I have been ruminating on why this isn’t working for me now when before it was. And two things come forward.

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.

Two- where is the charm? One of the things I consider part of the GH DNA (from Monty on certainly) is a sense of charm. Even dark as hell Guza gave us motor mouth Maxie, Spinelli (YMMV on how you feel there), and the Quartermaines bickering, Robin and Patrick flirting. Even Sonny and his dimples seducing a woman had an element of charm. It’s all gone. 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.

2 minutes 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.

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.

46 minutes 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.

But, didn't you love Maxie at the congressman's victory cocktail party going up to Nina with people all around & saying quite loudly, "Have you told Willow yet that you are screwing Drew?"

I know that I did.