BTG: March 2025 Discussion Thread

[Taoboi]

Same.

There was.

 

 

Hehe. Not Porsha just in time for tonight's RHOA premiere. 

 

Same. I rewind during both of my viewing just to watch her.

 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Triple pole. 

[VelekaCarruthers]

Ms. Veleka binged watched the first 10 episodes in a 24 hour period this weekend and she has opinions, of course. She's been watching soaps since 1969 and saw the live premiers of (Loving, Passions, B&B, Y&R, Capitol, Santa Barbara, Sunset Beach, The City, PC)

First, congrats to the entire team for putting on a (generally) fabulous first two weeks. I won't quibble about the lighting or some of the stiff acting because all of the actors did a great job and so many of them had chemistry together.

Stand-outs in order of my personal star power rating!
Daphnee Duplaix (Nicole) is a star. She nails every scene and I want more. She's classic soap. I bet she will carry major storylines and bring in audience (while they're trying to fix the Dani mess/more on that later). The show needs to revolve around her. She reminds me of several of daytime's best: Julia Barr, young Tamara Tunie, Crystal Chappel.  I'm glued to the screen when she's on.  And the writing has been consistent for her (as opposed to Dani/more on that later LOL)

Sean Freeman (Andre): he improved (and was pretty good from the start) over the ten episodes but really was fantastic from the start. He reminds me of young Taye Diggs when he appeared on GL.  He's going places. Sexy as hell. Chemistry for days with Ash and Dani.  

Trisha Mann-Grant/Dana Leslie: love, love, love her. She's a grand dame. This may be controversial but while watching I kept wondering how things would have been if she had been cast as Anita (and I love Tamara but not so much the writing for Anita in the first ten episodes which may contribute to my wandering thoughts) 

Mike Manning/Smitty: just wow. Sexy as hell. Nails every scene even when the dialogue is a bit stilted. Not a surprise as I watched his stellar work on Days.

Ambyr Michelle/Eva: I'm not sold on the plot with her Mom but she is wonderful.

Timon Durrett/Bill: Outstanding. Reminds me of a younger Ron Raines as Alan Spaulding. 

Runners-up.
Marquita as Haley: very good and improving with each episode. Jen Jacob/Ash: I like her; she's got presence and spunk and plays the scenes so well with whomever is opposite her. Ben Gavin/Derek: I think many on this board have trashed him, but I think he's fine. Every soap has to have a dumb but lovable muscle dude who sounds a little wooden and seems stiff. He has some gay vibes too. I want him to have a one night stand with Smitty. Colby Mohammed/Kat: class act; handled lots of dialogue with creativity and skill. Lauren/Vanessa: great character and the actress will chew the scenery in a good way. Classic soap nympho. Love her.

Needs work: Maurice Johnson Ted (I'm ambivalent about him but the character is one note so far). Brandon Clayton/Martin: he is stiff but it mostly plays okay because Martin seems to be a stuck up douchebag. 

Writing Team: Here's what stood out for me: Scripts that struck me as less than: Danielle Paige (Episode 10) stilted/uninspired; Lynn Martin (Episode 5) gimmicky lines that didn't land . Stand out script and outline: Episode 8: Jazmen/Teresa. This was my favorite episode of the ten.  It felt like the show had been on for years. I loved the B and C plots being fleshed out. I felt Jazmen knew how to write for the younger group. I thought all the outlines were mostly well paced. 

Plots: My biggest issue is with Dani's plot. I have whiplash trying to make sense of it. Huge problem for me is casting a 43 year old beauty who looks 33 as a 49 year old mother of two grown daughters who supposedly gave up her modeling career (she was 19 when she married Bill 30 years ago). I groaned with the wedding/gun scenes. Episodes 6 (wedding) and 7 (press conference) had some major cringy elements for me (and I don't blame Ron C for Monday). First, Dani's meltdown and Dana Leslie's revenge plot are too similar and too extreme without building more foundation. Re Dani: it felt like the writers needed a huge first Friday tag but didn't think how it would play out. I won't go into the details as you all watched it unfold but the whole thing just didn't work and by this Friday, she's normal but being arrested. I could go on. My second gripe but all in good fun because I think the show is great is Anita. Love me some Tamara but MVJ dropped the ball IMO not establishing Anita's relationship and influence over Dani more clearly. Ditto for background on Dani/Bill. I would have maybe started the first episode with a flashback of when Dani discovers the affair and have Dani connect clearly with her daughters and mother over the betrayal with flashbacks of their happy times in the first four episodes, not late in the second week. As I look back on the ten episodes this is what surprises me the most.  Classic soap is mother and daughter. I felt more detail went into Leslie/Eva.  In short, Dani is a mess of a character in two weeks partly because Karla is too young for the role and partly the inconsistent writing. So Dani loved Bill so much, gave up everything but was willing to pull a gun, endangering her family, because Bill slept with a family friend who's so young. Meanwhile, she goes and screws Andre who is at least 20 years younger than she.  I can't even with the wedding/gun scenes with everyone standing around. More nuanced writing might have had Dani pull the gun and point it at them then turn it on herself as a threat. It would then make sense that no one would want to approach her physically. But of course, they're using the suicide threat this week with Dana. Karla was great through it all even the bug eyed / no blink scenes that we all know she can do (and it is annoying). Runner up gripes: not into Naomi and the husband.  I felt that Kat/Naomi/Chelsea/Eva need work to set each apart. 

I have a free paramount plus week through Saturday and will watch week 3 then determine if I pay the annual. 

Overall: A-

PS: I want more of Shanice and Mona.

 

[Contessa Donatella]

I was surprised as well & very pleasingly so!!! She is fabulous! With KaMo, I had a feeling that this was in there just waiting for a chance to get out. 

[janea4old]

Assume this is a typo.  MVJ wrote episodes 1-5.  Lynn Martin wrote episode 6.

[Contessa Donatella]

1. Do you often refer to yourself in the third person?

2. You & I have more in common vis a vis soap history than anyone! I began watching in 1970 & saw the live launches of Santa Barbara, Generations, Sunset Beach, The City, PC.

[kalbir]

Yeah I think Andre is going to be the hotness of BtG. I can't find anything online about how old the actor is though. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Agree, Andre is the easy winner of Male IT!!! Female IT, an embarrassment of riches!

[ranger1rg]

-- Very much enjoyed and appreciate the comments by Ms. Veleka. Lots of praise there, but also plenty of things that could be better. Very fair.

-- I'm fine with these monthly threads. It ain't broke, so don't fix it. Daily threads would be a disaster, and there's no reason BTG posters need weekly guardrails to find their place.

[janea4old]

same!

[janea4old]

I really love the musical cue from this scene at end of episode #1.
 

 

 

[Maxim]

I second this.

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[Taoboi]

I second this. Still my favorite moment to date. The family walkout (with that music cue) is EVERYTHING. 

 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Love both the music & the "procession of shame"!! It's quite a moment, sets the tone!

[dragonflies]