BTG: February 2025 Discussion Thread

[Antoyne]

As I said she’s just as unnatural and has been in just as many episodes.

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[janea4old]

amazing line of dialogue, Friday Feb. 28:

(this scene is right after Cady McClain's entrance)

Naomi to Jacob:

Sad. I’m sad that our family’s come to this. Divided. Angry. Estranged. All because two narcissists recognized themselves in each other and fell in love with their own reflections. While the rest of us sort through the wreckage.

Edited March 1 by janea4old

[te.]

Add that he's such a key part - the whole thing about Anita and Vernon having to protect him from Bill is obviously going to be a big storyline... or at least is meant to be. Chelsea is kind of just there for now - as a character, she's given more grace to grow into the part as they can always hand over too meaty material for others to carry. 

LOL, that just made me think about how people use "narcissist" as the latest buzzword. Maybe Bill is, but Hayley clearly isn't being written as one. 

[janea4old]

I agree. Hayley doesn't seem to be a narcissist.  Just interesting that Naomi sees the situation that way, and Naomi's line delivery was sincere and not bitter.

The whole way Naomi said those lines.  I was impressed with both the writing and the delivery.

Edited March 1 by janea4old

[Antoyne]

Naomi has had great lines the last two days. Out of the two sisters I’m more drawn to her.

[te.]

I agree that people are being a bit hyperbolic when they say that it's "one of the greatest first weeks ever"; I guess people are still a bit high on the "new soap smell" after mostly having cancellations for the past quarter of the decade.

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It was a nice opening week, but there are definitively things to work out. Technically, I probably prefer Dark Shadows and Sunset Beach (I love the 90s prime time soap gloss, ngl) at least.  

But in all honesty, most soaps opening weeks just aren't available to watch anywhere, so we have little to compare it to. Most of the soaps that launched since 1980 were short-lived on top of that (with B&B being the only survivor). 

[Cheap21]

What a great first week with so much happening! Had this been a Tyler Perry production, these 5 episodes would have been dragged out over the first 44 episodes of seasons 1 and 2.

[BetterForgotten]

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[Antoyne]

Or maybe just maybe to those people it is one of the greatest first weeks. What’s wrong with that? No need to call it hyperbolic because you don’t agree.

[Chris B]

In Michael Fairman's interview posted a few pages back, Karla Mosley dropped a few interesting tidbits. Their lighting hadn't arrived when filming started which explains why the first episode was so brightly lit. She also mentioned that something happened where they had to film 17 episodes in a week. My guess is that this was reshoots due to technical issues and possibly allowing the cast time to adjust to a soap production model. That explains why starting with episode two we started seeing improved lighting and some of the performances as the week went on. I think it's nice they took care to make sure they got this first week right.

I don't think it's unreasonable to say this was an incredible week. A soap hasn't been launched in 25 years. There is no model for how to launch a soap in 2025. There have been complaints that too much happened this week but in today's tv landscape, you have to draw in the viewers instantly or you're not going to get them. I'm sure post launch there will be time to slow down and breathe but had they done that for launch week that could've tanked the show. Everyday this week a clip is viral on TikTok and Twitter, the show is also trending which is proof they did something right.

Of course it wasn't perfect but I definitely think the foundation they built is stronger than some of the first weeks I've seen. Particularly I'd say Texas, Port Charles and Sunset Beach. All needed extensive retooling for the shows to work. The one thing that makes BTG stand out for me is that I do think the writing is strong. The ideas feel familiar but fresh and despite all of the action and exposition to set things up, I feel like they've done a good job of quickly developing these characters and their relationships so the world feels real and so we actually care about them. 

There is definitely room to grow but I feel like they absolutely got it right and any changes will just be improving upon a good product. I don't see them having to drastically change the show in order to make it work. Launching a soap is daunting and they definitely should be proud of what they delivered.

Edited March 1 by Chris B

[Paul Raven]

Did she mean that they had to retape scenes for 17 eps? I can't believe it would be possible to tape 17 shows in a week. 

[BetterForgotten]

Thank you. Seriously, when did having an opinion become “hyperbolic?” I don’t think anyone was claiming this first week was better than sliced bread. Everyone is welcome to their opinion, and I wouldn’t say those who felt differently were “out of touch” or “blind,” they’re entitled to feel that way without dismissing how others feel. 

I saw the first weeks of The City, Port Charles, Sunset Beach, and Passions - and I stand by this having a hell of better foundation than those soaps in their first weeks. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement and change - but this is just the first week, and because daytime soaps are on 5 days a week, they have room to make changes and improvements over time if they’re wise. But, unlike those other soaps I saw the first weeks of, I feel instantly drawn and thrown into the mix here. There are characters and relationship dynamics I already care about and want to see developed further. I get a sense of the world building in Fairmont Crest. I am excited to tune back in for week #2 (which I struggled with on the other mentioned soaps). 

Overall, while there are things to be worked out (which I’ve already gone into detail about in my posts in this chain), there is great promise and potential here, and the show is off to a solid start in my opinion. 

Edited March 1 by BetterForgotten

[Vee]

I would call it a pretty successful launch. The last 3 days showed considerable evolution and growth in the scripts out of some of the baldfaced expository dialogue in the first two, many of the characters have grabbed me, the potential is massive, the show looks great and Karla Mosley really impressed me with her power and authority. Is she subtle so far, not incredibly, but Dani hasn't really been either yet in story - she's making big moves. Nonetheless KM no longer came off like the creepy carnival doll I remembered from GL and early B&B, and I've been impressed. Whether Gen Z viewers will take to her deliberately arch performance or to soap opera in general remains to be seen. I've seen a wide range of reactions to the show or to certain scenes from the more uninitiated audiences, but what I haven't seen is anyone wanting to stop watching. That's a good start.

[te.]

I think when you look at where she started the week and where she ended up, it makes perfect sense - as I've said previously, she's been the archetypical Woman on the Verge all week, even taking shots at her dressing room table. So I don't think she's meant to be like this all the time (see how she handled the fashion shoot), it's just that we've dropped in at a very stressful time for the poor dear.

Her behavior makes sense if you're viewing it from the perspective that she's having a complete and utter meltdown, culminating in her having a shoot out at the wedding. 

Edited March 1 by te.

[wonderwoman1951]

for me, it was way too much happening.

would have been happier if everything had unfolded over a few weeks — the leslie/eva story, for example — could have gotten to know them and how they fit into the landscape before finding out their agenda.