BTG: March 2025 Discussion Thread

[1974mdp]

I feel like one thing we're missing is an in-depth scene between Haley and Naomi, since they used to be best friends...what a betrayal!

I've always loved Cady, but it really seems that "character" was already there in Vanessa.

I always wish she had been allowed to stay on as Jennifer on DAYS. IMO, she brought a freshness to that role.

I'm pretty sure we've never seen Martin interact with his dad, Ted.

Edited March 18 by 1974mdp

[Vee]

They've interacted but not at length.

[1974mdp]

It really plays as if that would have been a better choice...to have Martin be the youngest child of Vernon and Anita. He's hardly had any interaction with Nicole and none with Ted. Then, Martin's kids would be Vernon and Anita's grandkids versus GREAT grandkids. But, that ship has sailed. They really need to have some scenes with Martin and his parents.

Edited March 18 by 1974mdp

[janea4old]

 

@Contessa Donatella  It took me a minute to find the original mentions because it goes back less than a day, but eleven pages because of the huge amount of posts on this thread.

I apologize for how I was quoting only a few words of your post instead of the entire paragraph. I now see how that inadvertently misportrayed your intent.

In order to shorten things, I have been recently begun trying (as a general practice) to quote only a few words from posters just to reference their original post. 
But in this case, the snippet I chose distorted your entire meaning, which wasn't my intention.

[I had requoted the entire original conversation here, but just edited it out because unnecessary.]
 
---------------------------------------------------

Okay now....  in reply to Donna's NEW Post ...

• ContessaDonatella said (new post Tuesday March 18)
  "to me it is logical to think that she was possibly 14. If she was 23 why did she need to be welcomed into anyone's home."

My reply:

We don't know how old Hayley was when she met Bill and Dani. 
So there could be any number of reasonable theories. 

I think what's confusing is the character dialogue about "we welcomed you into".

A viewer might have interpreted that as welcoming Hayley to move into/live in Dani's house, and that she actually lived there.
That's one reasonable interpretation, based on the little that we know.
Personally, I didn't interpret it that way, but that's just me.

My personal interpretation of the dialogue was that "Dani welcomed Hayley into their lives and hearts", and that Dani welcomed Hayley as Naomi's friend; and then Dani became an older friend to Hayley as well, perhaps they had Hayley as a frequent family dinner guest.  Kind of like any family friend who is often hanging out. And eventually Dani recommended that Bill hire Hayley at the law office.

Where it gets confusing (to me) is that the Dupree dialogue often said that Bill and Hayley had their sexual affair inside Dani&Bill's house/bed. 
Dani said that Bill's multiple sexual encounters with other women happened elsewhere, but Bill's sex with Hayley happened in Dani's home.

So yeah we don't know these things:

• Did Bill sneak Hayley into his&Dani's house for sex?  Or was Hayley already living there?
• How old was Hayley when she first met Bill&Dani?
• If (and only if) she moved into Dani's house, how old was Hayley when she moved in?

Obviously viewers can have differing interpretations of this and, of course that's okay.
The information given so far, is limited.
And our interpretations might change as more becomes revealed.

Edited March 18 by janea4old

[Contessa Donatella]

I don't know if it's just me or if something is there, but your posts read to me like sing-song chanting & as I read them there is a distinct rhythm to your words.

Now, totally & gratefully agree about Cady McClain who I believe is on recurring.

Jumping way down to my girl Dani & her sometime lover Andre, who we more than a little bit suspect of being "sensitive" he may not get his heart broken but Dani, who has been called a force of nature & also a tornado & we know darn well that she is possibly the ultimate drama queen, and one more thing not just a star but a meteor. From all of that what I was thinking is that Andre may get burned from exposure to all that energy.  I mean, it's a lot.

 

[VelekaCarruthers]

Monday/Episode 16 had the most cringy moments of any episode so far. 

Terrible dialogue by Davis. Hard to assess Dunn's outline because the story turns were uninspired but his scene breakdowns didn't work either.

Mostly terrible acting by all except Daphne/Nicole and Sean/Andre. What the hell was Cady doing with her mannered voice.  So obvious and put on...Marquita's Haley needs more actor coaching; her performance was rough.

But worst of all: Everything Dani and the Smitty family living room scenes. Both show the rookie head writer mistakes in full view.

In this episode Dani is really slap stick and stupid on top of the dumb premise that the security guard would let her in. Unless they're planning to write a DID story, the character is all over the place and her actions just don't make sense or further a compelling story.

I couldn't with the Smitty family scenes. Even masterful director Phideau couldn't make it work; in fact, his staging made it worse. I felt like I was watching a bad episode of Dr. Phil who had the family sitting around in group therapy. 

And why are we sitting through a Nicole/Andre heart to heart. Isn't she busy. Isn't Martin her son? Have they had one scene together, just the two of them?

All in all C-

Edited March 18 by VelekaCarruthers

[Vee]

Okay, there is no need to repost any of that.

[janea4old]

agreed. I just removed the unnecessary repetition from my post above,  although meanwhile it was quoted below which is fine.

Edited March 18 by janea4old

[Contessa Donatella]

Jane, first of all, I knew you meant no harm. 

Now, sometimes you make these amazing, remarkable, absolutely dazzling posts. Other times you make just regular ones. On rare occasions you like any of us screw up. It pleases me no end to tell you that this has been the former, one of those posts that dazzle us! You go, girl! 

[janea4old]

It has been said that the first few months of BTG are from MJV's bible and so basically her ideas.  If there's a DID thing coming, then it was MVJ's idea. But if this happens, I dread to see Carlivati's breakdowns.  He delights in those storylines and he's terrible at it.

I don't think DID is as common as soaps use it for plot devices. I'd prefer to see the writing state simply that Dani has a complex mental/emotional issue that she will get therapy for.  Perhaps she's bipolar, but maybe there isn't a specific diagnosis.

[Vee]

I do think Friday and a lot of the break-in stuff is large part on Carlivati's breakdown. The break-in itself is one thing to do as a story point, but this whole business with Dani joking about a bomb, sweet-talking the security guard, killing the cameras and then monologuing to the wine bottle, while fun up to a point, was cartoonish and silly. KM does very well with all of it IMO but it's just a bit too broad too quickly for me. Like, all this at once?

Cady's Pamela and Vanessa are clearly a riff on the same character and I do think people are right that Cady is a late addition. Vanessa fits better with both sisters, but I do like Cady in this comic aristocrat role (which I think suits her modern style) and I do think she can do well on the show either in a slightly adjusted role to Dani/Nicole or with someone else. They're clearly working many kinks out in real time, which is typical of a new show (including various bad actors and the entire miserable expanse that is the Andre/Ashley/Derek storyline).

Like others I do think Dani's mania is a setup for a story about her major issues psychologically, with alcohol or both, but they need more moderation. And I'd much rather see her being a terror back on the job, like with Chelsea. KM also excels at that business stuff so far, what little we've seen of it. Or let her and Pamela cook on something.

Edited March 18 by Vee

[BetterForgotten]

Didn’t the original character description we got for Dani say she had some sort of cocaine  addiction? I wonder if that was taken out but other elements of the character remained without that.

[Vee]

Derek: All your loving, all your caring, pour it all on me. Every drop. 

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The bit with the extremely awkward and clumsy bit with Andre trying to lunge at Ashley right at the hospital hub was also quite badly done and written before and after on both days. Please end this ASAP.

Edited March 18 by Vee

[Taoboi]

Well RC has a style that is very easy to see when you know his stuff. I simply hoped that the dialogue person could save it, but Friday was a poor attempt. Fingers crossed when he comes back around in rotation, that was just a one-off. 

[Vee]

Yeah, MG can't sell the aggression in this confrontation with Dani. Karla could've blown her off the screen if she hadn't kept the flame low. Nice girl but this is why I said go get Loren Lott for Hayley.