BTG: March 2025 Discussion Thread

[kalbir]

Today's show didn't feel like a Friday episode. Yesterday's totally did. Maybe they're trying to slow the pace to ease into the March Madness break.

Oh yes.

Agree.

[dc11786]

You can focus on the blood relative part. That's fine. Most people will probably agree with you. I don't think Andre pursuing someone he is unaware is his cousin is a terrible story idea. Especially if Eva is briefly led to believe that Ted isn't her father. 

I do think it's purposefully tawdry that a motherless Andre is pursuing an older woman who has acted as an aunt to him since they've made such a point of how close he was to the Richardsons and how close the Duprees are as a family. I think that's a deliciously messy story point that I expect should cause a nice rift between Nicole and Dani. 

 I think an Eva / Andre story could have an equally messy quality to it if told right. But truth be told, I'd probably be less upset by any other story combination than Ashely / Derek / Andre becasue it isn't working.  

[MontyB]

It didn't but I wasn't bored at all like some.  In fact the hour went by to quickly to me.

[Maxim]

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I wonder why.

[Liberty City]

And I'd have to disagree. The idea of Andre/Ashley, to me, is more alluring than Andre/Eva would ever be.

[MontyB]

LOL!

[1974mdp]

I loved Thursday's episode, but I have to admit that this was the first episode of BTG that I felt a little...bored.

I don't know if it's the writing, the acting, a combo, but for me, it feels like Ashley and Derek just suck all the energy out of scenes that they appear in. The characters are just so...bland. I still don't know why I should even care about these two people.  Derek, especially. I mean, who is this guy, besides saving cats??? It almost feels like Derek and Ashley belong on some other show or a Hallmark G-rated rom-com with the perky perfect "Girl next door" heroine and the generically handsome white guy. They feel sort of shoehorned in to show "Hey, we got white people, too!" But, the characters are not developed or interesting...at all. I can't fathom why Derek is even fascinated by Ashley. 

I feel like what happened yesterday is what should have aired today if that makes sense.

I'd also like to see Anita and Vernon dig more into their own relationship beyond their children and grandchildren.

Edited yesterday at 04:48 AM by 1974mdp

[janea4old]

exterior of Bill and Hayley's house

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[Jdee43]

Friday was the first episode I was FFing. It's just 3 weeks, yet the show is so repetitive. They need to start blowing things up with abandon.

There are a lot of echoes on this show of past soaps that the writers were involved in. Definitely seeing a lot of echoes of 90s General Hospital. Also seeing shades of Santa Barbara, with the emphasis one big, rich family, for example. 

I hope this show doesn't follow the path of Santa Barbara's first few months: a strong open followed by a descent into boredom. By the time SB blew things up with an earthquake, 4 months after the premiere, it was too late, no one cared, the show was so boring. It needed a serial killer story to give it some life and begin a reboot, 2 months later. 

[detroitpiston]

I do wonder how the show will address the general reception to Ashley and Derek going forward. Just based off convos I’ve had with fellow viewers irl and glancing through various forums and socials I’ve heard mostly dislike and indifference towards them.

And it only seems to get worse with each episode.

[Paul Raven]

Intentionally awful, I hope.

No way does that pokey foyer and ugly living room connect with the exterior.

Fail.

Santa Barbara made the same mistake of giving us high powered front burner stories, then inserting wacky high school hijinks with Jade, Danny and Ted. And look what happened to that story.

Beware Ashley/Derek!

[Chris B]

I've been watching Sunset Beach for the first time and it had a similar start. Very strong first month or two and then it felt like nothing happened, especially during the summer when you'd think they'd be trying to court new viewers. The show premiered in January and I'm currently in October and I'm just bored out of my mind. I've heard it gets better the second year so I'm trying to stick with it.

With BTG I'm still not bored. The only characters I just can't get behind are Derek and Ashley as a couple but other than that I'm good. Sheila Ducksworth mentioned that the end of April some big stuff starts to happen so I'm hoping they avoid the Santa Barbara/Sunset Beach curse of a hot start followed by a period of boredom. One plus for BTG is that we know they launched with a well thought out bible that MVJ worked on for years. Ducksworth said about 90% of her bible is what we will see on air. That gives me hope they at least have the first year planned out.

[Contessa Donatella]

Also not bored, not at all. Friday was not the best day but it was still a good day, at least to me it was. I'm still having all kinds of fun. I do not have Dani fatigue. If I have any kind of fatigue it is with fans taking things far too seriously. This is not a Ken Burns documentary. This is trying to be a modern soap &  so far so good. I am not even that tired of the stupidity that is Derek. I mean I do not like him but he is not killing me just to have to get through a scene with him in it. There's no question but that Ashley could do better. Although I don't want her paired with Andre. He is for Dani. She deserves him after all those years with the Lout.

[Chris B]

I like Andre and Dani as a fling but I really don't see them as a couple. I don't think he'd satisfy her. On paper I do understand the idea of Derek/Ashley/Andre and I do think it could work but they'd have to recast at least Derek to gain any momentum.

What I want for Dani is Robert Christopher Riley's character to be developed as a love interest for her. I refuse to believe they'd cast him as just a guest star so I'm hoping there are further plan. I'd love to see Dani start to fall for him which would drive Bill crazy and cause further strain to his marriage. 

[te.]

To be honest, I think the main issue is that 90% of the scenes so far has been about propping up Ashley one way or another, but particularly with them continuously telling us what a great nice nurse-person she is rather than showing us. And it's not like it would be hard to show her being caring, compassionate etc. They've done a great job with showing us that Nicole is level-headed, caring and compassionate so I'm not sure why they feel the need to hit us over the head with Ashley.

Just give her more scenes with other characters where the scene isn't about the other characters telling us how great she is. I'll never get why writers sometimes insist on doing this sort of insane propping up since it never works and is always awkward.