GH: November 2024 Discussion Thread

[carolineg]

I think GH is taking the stand that they are proud of following the actor's wishes.  Which, of course, is nice. 

There are a million jobs they both could take that would not require such restrictions.   

As someone who's worked normal jobs like everyone else here it would be like me taking a job that requires me working Sunday.  Then deciding I had to go to church every Sunday and couldn't work that day at all.   It's not hating beliefs, it's just literally not being able to fulfill the job requirement anymore.  They aren't willing or able to fulfill the job duties currently.

Same.

[Taoboi]

Or...not. *shrugs*

 

In any case, now knowing why it has been going on when Chase and BLQ have a love scene, I gives excellent reference to why since we all have been picking on it for a while. That said...while I understand why they are doing it, I can't help but go back to what I said a few days ago. If they feel uncomfortable, surely the right director can do camera angles so that the audience get love in the afternoon and JS and AS feel comfortable they did not go too far. Something tasteful. I mean Y&R does do steamy with their current love scenes really, but they give just enough.

Yep. Pretty much.

[Vee]

It's only because the soaps are so conservative now period that they don't care. Frank just wants to keep his cast intact, probably keep Setton above all as an old OLTL fave and not rock the boat.

I've rewatched a lot of classic stuff over this holiday period. People used to mock Tom Hardy and Felicia's horny-ass scenes but they got pretty hot and heavy, from blocking to camerawork (KW practically goes into Matt Ashford's underwear and the camera lingers on her unzipping him with his chest bared, then he does her on the damn kitchen island). Imagine that airing now. Would not happen on Frank's current show.

And BTW he didn't used to be this tame at OLTL (or early GH) either. Back in the day on his shows people would still fúck. From Troy and Lindsay hitting it from the back (shout-out to @Darn) to Nash and Jessica to Victor/Todd and Téa's deranged sexcapades. Frank, who is all about survival, has just decided in these times to do a very vanilla, conservative show IMO.

Edited November 30, 2024 by Vee

[DRW50]

I swear I remember a scene from earlier this year where they were passionately kissing at the police station. So clearly they were willing to do something. This isn't me praising them - that's small potatoes compared to some past scorching soap moments - but it does make me think they aren't completely against any form of intimacy. And it does make me blame the direction choices a little more for just how lifeless the bedroom scenes are.

[Vee]

In fairness, I do think some of the love/sex scenes on this show still have some heat - the Dex/Joss stuff is clearly uh, animated on their part, Finola tends to deliver in her material as do Maura, LW, etc. when they get it. Cameron and Cynthia Watros certainly ramped it up when Mulcahey brought some sexuality back to the show, and I would argue that Cameron and Katelyn MacMullen also have some spark and brought some to their tawdry nursery room fúck. Even Kate Mansi and the dayplayer known as Blaze brought some heat to their sex scene earlier this year. But the show definitely isn't intense re: sex and passion as it used to be overall. Most of all, not nearly as much time is usually taken to showing it beyond the early moments or afterglow, versus the explicit lingering you would get back in the day.

[Taoboi]

Yeah, back in the day camerawork was everything.

[carolineg]

Oh, you did not just bring up Tom/Felicia's porno romance!!!!  The bane of my 90's GH experience lol.  They were explicit AF for no good reason.  The scenes with them "fixing" the AC at the Brownstone weren't even trying to be coy.  It would never air today.  It also takes two professionals like Kristina and Matt (who both have kids and were married at the time) to be willing to act it out.

[Antoyne]

The fact that this show is catering to two nothings in the soap world comparatively is just another symptom of how stupid the behind the scenes is at this show. They filmed those awful scenes and said oh yeah we did it and moved on. Pathetic. Actors have been fired on soaps for less even on this same damn show.

[titan1978]

I keep harping on this, but I do think their wishes could be met and still seem like they are deeply in love. Flirting. That bed scene with her wearing a silk pajama set and robe. Them doing something like eating ice cream in bed. Sex is fun, they could at least look like they had fun. But it’s like they got what they needed for their personal comfort and then decided they weren’t even going to try at all. Chaste kisses and her dressing like it’s freezing in the Quartermaine house at bedtime is just beyond stupid. Once upon a time soaps sold a lot without ever seeing a bedroom. But they always had passion.

Again, another example to me of an Exec Producer not taking a step back and actually looking at their product, instead of just rushing to get something to air. Knowing these scenes are coming up, they should have worked on the staging. I have to stop myself from saying production like an assembly line because I think actual assembly workers produce less sloppy work.

[Contessa Donatella]

"Assembly line" is the exact phrase that keeps leaping into the forefront of my brain, constantly now, when I think about GH. I've avoided saying it till now.

[carolineg]

I wonder if BLQ and Chase just talking or alluding to sex would be better than actually having to see whatever is happening in those love scenes.  Even flirty banter or them coming down disheveled and late for dinner or something would seem sexier. 

The first example that comes to my mind is Marlena/John on Days.  Yes, I know they were/are old and did plenty of hot sex scenes in their day, but they stopped doing full on loves scenes years ago.  They still seemed in love and like they were still getting it on in their scenes with Marlena's blazer buttoned up to her neck, but we didn't actual follow them to the bedroom anymore.  The correlation isn't exactly fair.  I just think there is a way to show love and desire with some touching, looks, or words that Josh and Amanda don't seem to know how to do.

[Liberty City]

That would be better; or seeing them go upstairs, knowing what they're going to do, and either them "going to bed" afterwards, or talking about it out of the dang bed. Setton looked beyond uncomfortable in those post-coitus scenes. Swickard looked more comfortable, but... it just didn't look like a happily married couple trying for a baby. Alluding to the act, sometimes, is sexier than post-act or being in-act.

[Vee]

I mean, not to defend FV because I really don't care to but we've heard over the long years at both shows that he is very hands-on on the floor, in the booth, etc. That he'll work over scenes with actors re: intent. But he is also still totally an assembly line and very focused on merely going fast. Peter Miner, one of the great soap directors (going back to Dark Shadows I believe) focused on rehearsal and stylistic flair when possible, reunited with him after retiring from OLTL and said Frank told him 'what you did was great but we just don't have time anymore.' And that's true, to a point. But numerous recent GH actor interviews indicate that when Frank wants to convey narrative or character intent he will tell actors about it on the day.

So what's the issue with love scenes? I still think it is a calculation on his part: These are more conservative times, they have even less taping time than before, so FV has decided to gut all lovemaking and just focus on getting those especially in the can and move on. They clearly don't give a shít about many of them when they could do more.

[carolineg]

Yeah, it's clear both are uncomfortable so just tell us it happened or have them joke or allude to it.   It feels like that would be more natural for them and I don't know if BLQ and Chase have the fanbase that demands seeing them in love scenes.

@Veeposted Stone's death in the Classic thread and even Robin/Stone talking about them making love in the park while he was dying was more romantic, sexy, and believable than anything Chase/Brook have physically done on screen.

I don't really think Chase/Brook's interactions or love scenes are Frank's fault entirely.  It just seems like he doesn't care and their beliefs are giving him an easy way out to shoot the very bare minimum.  JS and AS are making it uncomfortable with the way they interact.  Even if it was rehearsed, wardrobed, lit better, etc I don't know how much it would make a difference.

[Vee]

I agree, but I think it is his fault that he allows it. He can and will do more when he chooses, was my point above but he doesn't here. It's ridiculous.

And yeah, I was surprised they got away with the Robin/Stone moment.