GH: March 2025 Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I have never really watched full episodes anyway, in recent...um...decades, and am just glad people are still putting up clips. If it's Q-adjacent or some of the moments with other characters like Lucas, Ric, Alexis, Trina, I am more likely to watch, and they do still manage some good scenes here and there. I wonder if I am luckier than if I was watching in full because in full these scenes would be about 5 minutes spread out between more of Sonny shouting robotically, Kristina's dead baby tour, and Joss playing Honey West.

[Darn]

GH is hardly top tier entertainment but I don’t know how much longer I can handle comments suggesting that BTG is the saving grace of daytime television. I don’t find a lot of it dissimilar from the complaints we’ve had about the writing, acting, pacing and production of every other soap the past 20 years. I genuinely think that the newness of it all is clouding people‘s judgment. But hey, that’s just me, let’s see how everyone feels six months from now!

Jane Elliot was fantastic today, she really knows how to deliver a biting remark to close out a scene and I have to hand it to the show, they’ve been writing some really good ones for her lately. Luckily she’s going up against Drew, who in a case of awful ham-fisted writing everyone in town hates with a passion despite his track record as community hero only up until 6 months ago, so there’s less chance we’ll be treated to a “funny” comeuppance for old harridan Tracy.

Laura and Lulu lamenting who Valentin could have been if he had only chosen another path was…demented. Have they not hated him for years? Didn’t he just decide to un-kidnap Lulu’s daughter only last week? What in the world is going on?

Please explain to me how Sonny went from “Okay Val, you’re free to go” to “I hope Brennan kills him”. You just had him at gunpoint! You are a mob boss who had your biggest opp at gunpoint in your house, you dumb slut. Kill him! “Oh no I’ll wait for Brennan to do it! I scared!”.

[DRW50]

The fondness TPTB have for JPS and "Vanna" seem to cloud anything they write for Valentin.

That's why I do wonder if we will get a turnaround on Drew soon enough. I'm surprised they haven't yet, as they have been fine with killing other stories which could have had ready-made drama. 

They're so lucky Jane was willing to come back. I'm glad they are least allowing Tracy to have some layers and not just be the shrill figure the 'good' characters jeer at. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Look, if I had had any idea at all that it would be met with a reaction like it did, I would not have posted it. That is 125% regret

[Contessa Donatella]

I am taking this to the Retro thread. Follow if you wish.

[carolineg]

 Oh, I made my peace with that years ago.  I am not even sure I like Sonny anymore.  He is just like the toxic friend you defend even though you know they are awful. 

I don't think BTG is much better than GH.  The acting certainly isn't for the most part.  There is a freshness and energy that BTG has that GH and other current soaps lack.   I feel like everyone working on BTG is passionate and excited about the show.   GH seems to just move along on factory settings just getting a show out every day.   I understand why everyone is gushing over BTG, but if I am just comparing episode to episode I think GH is more consistent daily.  Sometimes its consistently boring though.  Like you said, let's see how everyone feels in 6 months or a year.  

This isn't really here nor there, but I remember dipping out of Passions after a week so BTG seems to be doing better than that lol.

[Aragorn]

I am glad Ava is broke. No husband, no castle, no Cassadine money. Esme is winning against her.

[Contessa Donatella]

Ava  had  money of her own before she ever met Nik. I want to know what happened to that money? Speaking of Esme, I continue to wonder why did they tell her they were going to let her go in 6 months time? Who gives that kind of lead time & why?

[titan1978]

Yeah my post could have been more clear. It’s not like I swapped one out for the other. I see all the flaws with BTG, I have no rose colored glasses. The big difference for me is that at least they are not afraid to have organic conflict between characters, and not everybody is supposed to be genial. You can also see there are actual stories being crafted and beats being played, even at an accelerated pace. I don’t watch that show and immediately notice that a potential budget issue is why a story has just stopped and then reappears a month later.

But you watch let’s say Dani for a month, and Carly for the last decade +. And you can see that almost psychotic level of terrible impulse control and self destruction that brings others down too that Carly used to have left with the writing team that created her. Dani is much more like Carly used to be as far as upping the ante (not saying their backgrounds are similar at all).

There was plenty that did not work when Mulcahey was there. But the dialogue and work they were doing to have actual characters again made the show more interesting for me. We had natural conflict brewing with Jason and his kids, Valentin revealed, Ava with Nina and Alexis, Sonny and Anna/Laura. I’m not saying it was all going to end up in stories. But it was at least building up natural places to go so people in scenes had more to chew on than just regurgitating plot points.

Up until Mulcahey’s initial couple of months, I hadn’t watched a full episode in ages, but I was at least exposed to the whole show by watching on Hulu with my finger firmly over the FF button. When he got there the dialogue was so much stronger I wanted to see what better scripts would do for some of the duller characters (like Willow). And in the process they made me actually enjoy watching Nina for about 6 months. Which was a first.

Edited March 20 by titan1978

[Liberty City]

The dialogue under Patrick Mulcahey was complex and unpredictable, to a point, and I enjoyed it. He wasn't afraid of trying to make some change.

[Contessa Donatella]

Talking about PM is to me predictably a sad discussion. However, at least 2 things that he began continue and in a good way. Jason is not under Sonny's thumb as he once was. Carly for her part is no longer propping Sonny every scene. This movement began with PM but Korte has done her best to maintain that distance.

Of course, the first fight between PM & FV was longer scenes. Korte has not continued them. Longer scenes are just gone.

This is particularly of interest right now because it's been a year.

 

[Vee]

BTG is far from perfect and has definite issues in casting and scripts IMO, but it feels fresh for a lot of obvious reasons. It has a ways to go on a number of levels but it's consistently more pacey, entertaining and intriguing than trying to barrel through a week of GH.

[Contessa Donatella]

I understand & there's  no problem betw us.

[Khan]

I'd rather barrel through a week of BTG than barrel through a week of GH.  In fact, I'd barrel through a week of ANYthing before I'd barrel through another week of GH.  (780 characters on this show, and I swear none of 'em are doing a [!@#$%^&*] thing.)

Edited March 20 by Khan

[Contessa Donatella]

All I know is what was said, the usual, schedule conflicts. I really hated it. I wanted to see him in those particular dramatic beats. The only way I know the show is invested in L&L2 Redux is the flashbacks. Taking old show & doing modern digitizing is costly so we know they have more than a passing interest in the couple. And may I just say the use of those flashbacks has been one high point, so well done. Slow dancing back then, then today. Just perfection. Ric is fun but he has no chance. And, of course, the writers' quote, "foundational" to our view of the current show.