GH: February 2025 Discussion Thread

[Vee]

I actually think she would've stayed if Frons had not played hardball on her very reasonable request for time off for her baby in 2003. I think it was you who said she had one day offscreen between September '02 and her exit.

2011 I suspect may have been a similar situation, but by that time ABC had made the decision to nuke the soap line-up and it was all Frons could do to keep GH on the air before losing his own job as well. Nobody was checking for Vanessa that spring-summer. And today they're clearly not interested.

[Liberty City]

Same. YES!

The last contract tenure felt like a one-year deal only.

[Darn]

You mean the dragon lady from a 1970s crime drama? Like I said to you the other day having her shake down Cody for 5k makes her look small and petty. She's meant to be this scary mob boss but doing the work of underlings. Why is this doofus in her office?

Drew is the only "villain" on this show worth the screentime. Cyrus is weird. Blaming everything on him is weird. Sidwell is weird. Valentin is weird. And not good weird where they're captivating but just...why are you here? They're all on canvas without any clear or interesting motivations or agendas. And they'll stay there forever because this show does not know how to introduce a story, tell that story and then let the damn actors go. 

[carolineg]

I think it was just the Faith New Year's Eve Cellar show that she had a day off. I think Vanessa was willing, but her return became so much bigger than expected and she took the buzz and ran.  I do think the accommodations made by GH were awful, but she would have been a fool not to accept the offers thrown at her.   Las Vegas may be a trash show, but I am sure it paid better than Gh.

In 2011, I just felt like she was personally disappointed.  It just clearly wasn't what she was expecting and then later Frank just decided she was too much trouble because she might actually question how her character is being written.

[Vee]

Which is why I keep saying you can get a year or two more at least of hellraising out of sprung and vengeful Willow, then it's time to toss her a la Susan Moore! We keep talking about characters like Stone or Mary Mae who still have the juice and impact after only a couple years (or Lois for that matter, whose original run was fairly short) but what that proves is that finite characters and stories (whether intended or not) can have a real purpose - not unlike, say, the doomed socialite Harding Lemay introduced on AW back in the '70s whose name escapes me, whose death on the patio or whatever people still talk about today.

Drew I am agnostic on keeping or not keeping for the same reasons, but it is undeniable that the scandal saga of him and Willow is the only organic, interesting drama the show currently has. It's not entirely what Mulcahey had intended but a lot of it can really work. Instead they too often want to rush to the next stupid thing cueball Sidwell does, right down to literally copying the same exact things they did with Cyrus a little over a year ago (him eavesdropping on Nina in church = Sidwell eavesdropping on Sasha in church).

Absolutely.

Edited Saturday at 02:40 AM by Vee

[carolineg]

I am going to assume being wise with investments and her Las Vegas and 90210 money keep her comfortable today.  I also believe she came from a wealthy family, but the narrative varies on this. She claims to be from Indio, so IDK. So while Las Vegas wasn't a huge stretch for in the  acting sense (and let's remember James Caan whored out for this), I don't hate her for knowing her value.  I obviously don't think Frank has offered her anything, but I don't think she's waiting for his phone call either.  All the other soaps would have picked her up at this point just for buzz if she cared.

[Vee]

Again, agreed with all of the above. I hope the situation at GH changes someday. (And I still wouldn't be shocked if she stunted with an appearance on BTG, lol)

[Contessa Donatella]

@carolinegJust watched the first 2 episodes of China Beach. It's a double episode. Wouldn't you just know it? Dodger spoke exactly 2 lines. "You have round eyes. It's been a long while since I've seen a woman with round eyes." And, that was all he said. I'll have to watch another, to be able to tell anything at all about his speech patterns!!!

[carolineg]

Lol. I wonder if the Selina Wu actress speaks that monotone in real life or if it's an actual acting choice she's going for with Selina.

Perhaps I have been too focused on JK's speech patterns for years, but do we even know what Cyrus's motivation has ever been?  I think I remember some whining about his mother, but what on earth does that have to do with Sam or Dex?

As for Sidwell, I have been bored since the second Lucky poker game.  Tying him to Natalia isn't helping.  It's still such an odd choice to completely dump Blaze but build an entire crime family around her after she leaves.  It also makes zero sense from everything we were told about Blaze initially.

[Contessa Donatella]

The thing is serial killers don't have to have motivations in the usual sense. But, I think I know what his motive was about Sam. I think he was clearing a path to Dante for Lulu. I believe that is what he referred to yesterday.

 

[titan1978]

She was also smart with investments including property back in the day, and is very frugal. I know from her podcast and her social media that she has struggled with cash flow many times while fighting Brian Austin Green over custody issues with their son. He really comes across as a scumbag, and I do believe her accounting of the details.

She has made it pretty clear she doesn’t want to be forced to work under crap conditions and writing just to keep herself on screens or keep Brenda onscreen and completely diminished. And Frank is not about to hire a huge star for GH that walks in the door with a significant salary (for today), and probably also wants some scheduling preferences.

I will always respect the fact that she loves the show and doesn’t trash it or talk down about it being a training ground only. She still has relationships with costars and bts folks.

[jasonminer1974]

Great Canadian food show it's quite old trying to find it. Also had no idea his wife played the Ada during Ava's trial‽

[Liberty City]

I think it's more pronounced in how she plays Selina. This is her during the 60th anniversary cast shoot:

 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

But, now it's more than that. Now she has a reputation - as a diva. And, when you think about it, why shouldn't she? In today's terms, she is one. WTH she's earned it. But, diva does not have to mean "difficult". I suspect she is just one of the gang. But I don't think anyone there gives her credit for just being an ordinary cast member! And that's what is really wrong.

[carolineg]

Lol.  I remember when BAG sued her over a what he considered a "loan".  I always thought that was a scummy thing to do to the mother of your child especially when it was clear VM was working and not just mooching off his 90210 money.

 

Oh, she's much better here!  Her voice is still monotone, but she seems to have actual real life emotions when speaking.

I am pretty sure that's a reputation Frank put out.  While I don't doubt she can be strong willed and particular, it doesn't seem like her being a diva was ever a notion before her anniversary return.  She sits there smiling and laughing when MB practically takes all the credit for the pairing and her acting when he should be legitimately thanking her.  Vanessa still has tons of friends from her GH and soap days.  I don't think she's perfect or anything, but there isn't any evidence that's she's doing anything more than asking for her worth.