BTG: April 2025 Discussion Thread

[janea4old]

As I commented above, Joey seems to be known to the locals as a gangster.  So how was he let into Fairmont Crest to meet with Vanessa?   They frown on Hayley but he walks right in?
I can't remember if Joey has been seen at Orphey Gene's?

Just sayin' if mobster Joey is hanging out at Orphey Gene's Soul Kitchen, that's not quite as bad as Stefano on DAYS hanging out at the Brady Pub, or Sheila Carter waitressing for all the regular B&B characters, but still...
Keep the mobsters out of Orphey Gene's!

Edited 7 hours ago by janea4old

[Antoyne]

I’m still enjoying the show but as others have mentioned the awkward cuts are very jarring. It’s a soap opera, you can let it breathe for 2 seconds.

[Maxim]

I'm gonna shut up before the "you guys are being too negative" police comes to inspect me. I STILL LOVE THE SHOW... but I'm calling a spade a spade. 

[Soaplovers]

I think MVJ and company envisioned Dani to be the main draw of the show.  This is the downside of the show early filming 60 or so episodes before the first episode dropped.  

I've not seen many positive comments about Dani.. so I'll be curious if MVJ can accept feedback and can adjust based on what viewers want.

The initial focus of the show should have been Naomi and her feelings about the betrayal of her father and her best friend.. while Dani/Chelsea are off canvas and not on the show.  Have weeks/months of conversation about Dani, talk her up, and then introduce her down the line once the show is firing on all cylinders.

MVJ obviously never watched Dynasty or Y & R.. shows that knew to keep the vengeful ex wife off canvas until just the right time.

Today's Dupree 'Pick Me' event was fast forward material for me.  I was more interested in the Eva/Tomas scenes and the Leslie/Jan/Mona scenes... and yes even the Joey content was more interesting then the Duprees.

Edited 7 hours ago by Soaplovers

[Gatecrashers]

Tamara was born as late as 1959! And, she doesn't even look her age. She is far from the age of the Supremes - I picture the Articulettes more as En Vogue, both in style and when they were popular. They were more glamorous and mature than contemporaries like TLC, Jade, and Xscape. Though, the name still screams early 60s Phil Spector girl group.

[Maxim]

When I think about Dani Dupree... what comes to mind is "too much - too fast - at the same time". They are trying to make her a soap opera diva, I got that... But her character is like an overdressed and over-accessorized toy doll that some child wanted to put everything on, because it was the only doll they got. It's soap opera cliches... one after another and everything is being put on 1 character to an overwhelming extent. She is giving "20 years on a soap opera and ran out of storylines" vibe. TOO MUCH. AT THE SAME TIME. 

She can work... if stripped from some of that. Show me more raw scenes with her children. More scenes with her mother and Nicole when they analyze WHY she is like that. More interactions without camp. More soul. And please... no alcoholism so early in the game. Ditch that. Don't make her like that. We've seen this type of cliche so many times. 

I am still not losing hope for Dani. I know she can be great if worked on. 

 

[Taoboi]

That was not the only thing he was packaging for most of the episode today.

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And to echo off another post...yeah two months in...I clearly don't expect too much yet. And I have definitely given some less than good writers more grace than what I've been observing here. But again...I know and accept my perspective and love of slow burns will differ versus others' thresholds.

Edited 6 hours ago by Taoboi

[Gatecrashers]

Like when Nicole told Vanessa that she and Doug used to have a great sex life, and that they can find a way for him to give her what she needs in bed. Suddenly, the scene jumps to Doug telling Joey that he "doesn't have the right skills." I mean, that HAD to be on purpose, right?

[te.]

I think this is the issue with the in media res storytelling they're doing - clearly they're acting as if the show has been on for 30 years and sometimes that works and sometimes it don't. Sometimes it hits that cozy feeling of having to known these characters for a lifetime... but sometimes things don't feel deserved even if they're acting as if it should be. 

Again, growing pains and I'm hoping it'll even out in a year from now. Soaps are a marathon and not a sprint after all.

Edited 5 hours ago by te.

[Taoboi]

Very much this.

[Paul Raven]

I think the problem is taking the long term bible and then writing that on a day to day basis. Finding the right balance and interesting story beats along the way.

We've discussed many of the story decisions that haven't gelled.

Not making Martin Vernon and Anita's child.

Or having making Tyrell and Samantha Ted's niece and nephew who they raised along with older brother Andre . They would be more suited to that than Martin/Smitty.

One thing we're not seeing is a couple meeting and following through their love story, complete with obstacles- misunderstandings, rivals, parental interference etc. The closest to that so far is Kat/Tomas and that's not riveting.

And pretty much everyone else is either married eg Vernon/Anita, Ted/Nicole, Martin/Smitty,Naomi/Jacob,Doug/Vanessa.

Ashley/Derek is a misfire-not only because of the casting but the relationship itself. There is no conflict. Why not explore a coersive relationship - with Derek slowly assering control? Very topical.

Or have Ashley as single as the story begins and have her meet Derek as a patient and we follow their relationship from its beginnings.

Martin/Smitty could have been way more interesting if in ep 1 we see them meeting up through an app and a relationship developing.One or the other wants to keep playing around- something more current. Not turning them into Ward and June Cleaver and dull domestic stuff.

 

The Articulettes is so wrong on a number of levels. It reads early 60s girl group eg Marvelettes, Ronettes and Primettes (the Supremes original name.

And it just sounds lame -even the Sonettes would have been better.

[ranger1rg]

The Articulettes is an awful name. Sounds like an SNL skit.

[te.]

See, I think there's an interesting perspective here, which is how some gay people try to fit into the heteronormative and Martin, being a politician, has gone too far in that direction and effectively suffocating his partner. But so far it's been sort of blah - they're not talking about it other than Bradley wanting to go back to work... which could be any soap heroine story. 

I feel like there's a lot to mine there, but they're so far not doing it. Bradley's being written like a hausfrau - odd for a show with gay writers. 

[Maxim]

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I would have loved something more close to this... in vibe and style. Just... powerful. Simple. No Faye Dunaway-Dani lurking and dancing behind. 

[janea4old]

Re: various posts above wondering about the name "Articulettes" ...

fyi, In real life, Michele Val Jean was once a singer in a real group named The Articulettes.

Tamara Tunie says that the backstory for fictional Anita is that Anita and her high school friends were discovered at a talent show, and became the Articulettes and then later Anita shifted from pop R&B into becoming a solo jazz artist. 

Tamara Tunie and Sheila Ducksworth discuss all this (including MVJ's real group) at about 36:40 of this Paley Center panel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg5rFNDyBHg

Edited 2 hours ago by janea4old