5 hours ago, DRW50 said:

This is not uncommon for soap actors - I remember one talking about their co-star going up on his lines because he or she smudged their hands on a cloth or something during taping - but if they are going to let Maurice do this they should make sure to keep his hands out of shot.

We all know Jacquie Courtney did it as I'm sure did many others. The difference is Courtney and those others didn't often seem barely there onscreen.

The Sonny stuff has been crap. No stakes, no emotion, no pay off, just filling up airtime. I never liked the rewriting of the history between Mike and Sonny, of how the Sonny of the last few years is now supposed to give a damn about Mike; please.

Sonny should just leave already. Give Maurice another character if he wants to, maybe the hospital chaplin, so he can still be mushy and hug it out with people. 

Also I don't understand why the show chose an attractive young female to be the assassin; a little misogynistic touch there perhaps?

Edited April 29Apr 29 by Jdee43

They need to start giving Maurice Tony Geary breaks. Let the audience miss him insofar as they can.

I  love Kristina but she is deep in a world of trouble & she is right in saying that recently she was some better. We know it was the guilt driving her to be more like everyone else. Now there are literally no good alternatives for her

1 hour ago, Contessa Donatella said:

I  love Kristina but she is deep in a world of trouble & she is right in saying that recently she was some better. We know it was the guilt driving her to be more like everyone else. Now there are literally no good alternatives for her

she has a legit insanity case

6 minutes ago, jasonminer1974 said:

she has a legit insanity case

Okay, you are right about this. Legally, she is def blah blah "by reason of insanity". I see what you mean there.  

 

7 hours ago, Vee said:

They need to start giving Maurice Tony Geary breaks. Let the audience miss him insofar as they can.

I feel like he'd hate it; he's been pretty honest about how working helps his mental state of mind, and I feel like taking a Geary-style break (which Genie Francis now gets) would result in... something.

3 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

I feel like he'd hate it; he's been pretty honest about how working helps his mental state of mind, and I feel like taking a Geary-style break (which Genie Francis now gets) would result in... something.

He might, but he needs a break and the character needs one too. If Maurice can't function mentally without being on 3 days a week that is an issue in and of itself. The show cannot be functioning as that kind of release valve forever. It's not healthy for him, and certainly not for the show's stories.

Edited April 29Apr 29 by Vee

3 minutes ago, Vee said:

He might, but he needs a break and the character needs one too. If Maurice can't function mentally without being on 3 days a week that is an issue in and of itself. The show cannot be functioning as that kind of release valve forever. It's not healthy for him, and certainly not for the show's stories.

ICAM!

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

He might, but he needs a break and the character needs one too. If Maurice can't function mentally without being on 3 days a week that is an issue in and of itself. The show cannot be functioning as that kind of release valve forever. It's not healthy for him, and certainly not for the show's stories.

Oh, I absolutely agree. But I'm also trying to be considerate of someone who has been very public about their mental health issues and trying to be heartfelt in taking that into consideration. Trust me, I'd love a break from both Maurice Benard and Sonny Corinthos, but if it's at the expense of someone's mental health (Benard), then there needs to be something in place for him (if he's capable) to sustain without being on that set. And I would say the same thing for anyone taking a break from their work/regular routine that could cause some mental distress, et al.

On the one hand, I understand all too well how someone like Maurice Benard needs work in order to maintain emotional balance.  But, on the other hand, watching him clearly struggle to remember his lines and engage with his scene partners can be nothing short of painful.  It literally takes me out of the drama.

6 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Oh, I absolutely agree. But I'm also trying to be considerate of someone who has been very public about their mental health issues and trying to be heartfelt in taking that into consideration.

I am too, but that's another reason I am saying it. What happens when another producer comes along (if indeed one ever does) who doesn't indulge Maurice's need to be there everyday, or in story all the time? What happens if Frank's GH simply ceases to be able to afford it anymore and he has to cut back? When an actor literally needs a soap opera to keep going, the story always ends the same sooner or later.

Not only are they using Maurice very poorly onscreen, which doesn't have to happen in order to keep him around and keep Sonny on canvas, but IMO they're reinforcing a pattern which isn't sustainable for his health. That needs to change. Same as how they crashed last year's story with his breakdown because Maurice apparently couldn't handle it. They need to start moving the character in another more, viable direction both story and airtime-wise. As has been attempted before, by different regimes. And yes, we agree it has to be about finding a way to do this that can not wreck his health.

4 minutes ago, Khan said:

But, on the other hand, watching him clearly struggle to remember his lines and engage with his scene partners can be nothing short of painful.  It literally takes me out of the drama.

It's awful. And however I used to dog him in the 2000s or even early '10s it's gotten so much worse.

Edited April 29Apr 29 by Vee

5 minutes ago, Vee said:

I am too, but that's another reason I am saying it. What happens when another producer comes along (if indeed one ever does) who doesn't indulge Maurice's need to be there everyday, or in story all the time? What happens if Frank's GH simply ceases to be able to afford it anymore and he has to cut back? When an actor literally needs a soap opera to keep going, the story always ends the same sooner or later.

This is why Nate Varni needs to go as well; unless both Frank Valentini and Varni are ousted, and Disney ABC puts someone in place who isn't afraid to make moves (and be allowed to make them), nothing is going to happen.

6 minutes ago, Vee said:

Not only are they using Maurice very poorly onscreen, which doesn't have to happen in order to keep him around and keep Sonny on canvas, but IMO they're reinforcing a pattern which isn't sustainable for his health. That needs to change. Same as how they crashed last year's story with his breakdown because Maurice apparently couldn't handle it. They need to start moving the character in another more, viable direction both story and airtime-wise. As has been attempted before, by different regimes. And yes, we agree it has to be about finding a way to do this that can not wreck his health.

Dropping that storyline was ridiculous; from my perspective, it held promise (despite a failing regime), and to drop it because the actor cannot handle it is... a choice. I think that's why the "Smike" (Sonny as Mike) story kind of resonated. It was different and kind of moved Sonny in a possibly viable direction. Was it dragged out? Hell yes, but it was something... new, and it wasn't the same old, same old. I'm not saying resurrect "Smike" (please, do not), but something in that vein of pulling Sonny out of the usual role the character is in would be appreciated.

13 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Dropping that storyline was ridiculous; from my perspective, it held promise (despite a failing regime), and to drop it because the actor cannot handle it is... a choice.

I liked the story but I think if it actually was affecting Maurice's IRL health then they were between a rock and a hard place. (Although I sometimes do wonder if Mo's health is sometimes leveraged against story he doesn't like, intentionally or not.)

In response to that though, I simply would've sent Sonny away for a bit on a break and then tried to resume it. But their solution to this, working him as much as possible so he isn't at home spiraling or whatever while retreading the same tired plotlines, is not a solution IMO. Which is another reason I've spent years insisting that in addition to breaks they should bring back VM, have Brenda carry the lion's share of major story for a pairing with Sonny, while Maurice can take a senior/secondary role and be on less. I suspect if Maurice would feel content doing that with anyone it's Vanessa.

Edited April 29Apr 29 by Vee

3 minutes ago, Vee said:

I liked the story but I think if it actually was affecting Maurice's IRL health then they were between a rock and a hard place. (Although I sometimes do wonder if Mo's health is sometimes leveraged against story he doesn't like, intentionally or not.)

Unfortunately, I have the same feelings, and if it is... from my perspective, using it as a crutch/excuse isn't something I personally applaud or accept, and that goes beyond those with mental health struggles, et al.

4 minutes ago, Vee said:

In response to that though, I simply would've sent Sonny away for a bit on a break and then tried to resume it. But their solution to this, working him as much as possible so he isn't at home spiraling or whatever while retreading the same tired plotlines, is not a solution IMO. Which is another reason I've spent years insisting that in addition to breaks they should bring back VM, have Brenda carry the lion's share of major story for a pairing with Sonny, while Maurice can take a senior/secondary role and be on less. I suspect if Maurice would feel content doing that with anyone it's Vanessa.

And that's the problem: it does feel, in my opinion, like he's relying on the show to sustain his mental health, when in reality, that is not their job. It's a job, not a health resource. No job should be responsible for sustaining someone's mental health⏤and I mean that in a general sense, no matter your occupation⏤and if you don't have resources to assist you outside of that job, then that's on you, not your employer/place of employment.