1 hour ago, prefab1 said:

I heard everyone talking about how dull Rory Gibson was on Y&R, but I thought he was pretty good today playing a steelier version of Michael.

Well, the writing wasn't helping him so it's good to hear.

 

13 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

-- Rory Gibson is off to a good start as Michael, and is expressing more emotion than he did in his entire run at Y&R.

VERY good to hear.

I hope Rena Sofer, as Lois, remains at GH for a long time to come

1 hour ago, carolineg said:

Yes.  I won't be able to articulate this correctly, but Tracy's delivery to Gio was almost clunky and perfect.  Gio didn't really understand how important her parents and their legacy is to her.  It was so Tracy.  

Jane Elliot's nuances as an actor are very strong, yet subtle. She masters text perfectly.

What a masterclass today was. 

Great acting, great writing. Episodes like this (and like yesterday's Days) are truly what soap opera is. And I agree with everybody that every character's actions are defensible in some way. 

Giovanni Mazza is still shining brightly. His scenes with Jane Elliot were the best part of today. I'm so looking forward to seeing their relationship grow. And I'm also looking forward to what's going to happen with Brook Lynn and Lois, and how they're going to come back from this. Amanda Setton killed it as well. Plus, this is a much better way to use Lois/RS than that My Fair Lady ripoff that they did last year. And I couldn't be happier that Dante's sudden animosity towards Gio didn't lead to the reveal be dragged out for any longer, because with the way that GH is sometimes, I was really worried that it was going to be. This storyline can go in so many different directions and I'm totally here for it. Hopefully, Gio is kept in the Quartermaine's orbit, as opposed to Sonny and his dopey family.

Speaking of Sonny's dopey family, I enjoyed Rory Gibson's scenes with Wiley. He seemed believable as his father. But I also thought that his scenes with Sasha were a little...  ehhh. I won't compare him to Chad Duell though. 

Trina and Kai were really sweet too. They're no Sprina, but I enjoy them together. And Kai looked hot too 😍😂😂

And despite the height difference, I'm glad that they didn't have Tabyana tiptoe to kiss Jens. That's a Sprina thing 😂😂😂

15 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

Jane Elliot's nuances as an actor are very strong, yet subtle. She masters text perfectly.

Just an actress that truly knows her own character and plays it so real.

11 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

And despite the height difference, I'm glad that they didn't have Tabyana tiptoe to kiss Jens. That's a Sprina thing 😂😂😂

Hehe, but true.

First DAYS yesterday and now GH today with big emotional scenes and wonderful acting all around.  Amanda Setton was once again really good in those Brook Lynn and Lois scenes. I said months ago that the episode where BL learns that she had a baby boy was going to be her Emmy reel episode, but now I think today should be. Kudos to Rena as well. Then we have Jane Elliot in those scenes with Giovanni Mazza.  Can't wait to see more of these two together now that Tracy/Gio know they are family.   I too even found Rory Gibson to be better than what I remember of him from Y&R.  It's not like he was bad at Y&R or anything.....must've been the writing. 

I think GH's two best stories these last 6 months or so have been the Gio story and this custody battle/everything involving Drew story.  They are two stories that deal with family drama.  No mobsters. Nobody trying to takeover the world. No supervillain.  No gun fights.   Just emotional drama with lots of build up. 

I even liked Trina/Kai today - probably the first time I've said that.  LOL  Anyone know the same of the song that played during their scenes today?  I really liked it but I can't find the song by shazaming it or typing out the lyrics on google. 

Today was so so good. Everyone has basically said all my thoughts but I did want to add: I was anxiously waiting for Tracy to find out about Gio and the show didn’t make us wait long at all. Jane Elliott was perfect today.

I love this moment at Gh: Tracy discovers Gio's her family!!!

 

Just echoing all the above comments but I was so moved by Jane Elliot's work in this episode and I'm very glad the show did not try to ignore Tracy in all of this or to make her look like a shrew or a joke. The writing helped, but Jane was key as she was so willing to play the material with the utmost vulnerability. Tracy spent so many years feeling unloved by her family, and often giving them reasons to justify their rejection, but the love she felt for them, and their legacy, is integral to the character now, integral to the whole family, and the show. She is the matriarch who never thought she'd be a matriarch, which is what adds so much poignancy. 

The loss of Monica hung over the scenes, even though Monica is still technically alive, somewhere in the mansion. Monica's children and grandchildren are still important to the show but Tracy's family has made up the multi-generational dynamics the Quartermaines need and lacked for such a long time. 

So much of the episode revolving around Quartermaines, not just the Tracy branch, but Michael too, tells you just how central they are to GH's strengths and have been for nearly 50 years. 

I appreciated Amanda Setton snapping out of some of her haze and giving a very forceful performance with Rena Sofer (and I could actually believe they were mother and daughter).

I've had my criticisms of Lois and at times not been the fairest to Rena's work in the part, but I thought she was excellent here - what Lois did, the amount of times she played god with three innocents, was horrible, yet through Rena's very pure work, and some decent scriptwriting, I understood why she did what she did, and I felt sorry for her. 

It's not as good, please don't get me wrong, but the fallout of the story reminds me of why the Truth About Aaron plotline on ATWT was so powerful - there were no stunts, no psychos, just a lot of people who genuinely care about each other and that caring leads them to make very damaging decisions.

That's what soaps should be about.

I still struggle with this whole thing being in character for Lois, but Rena did an excellent job selling it to me.  

I wanted to mention I like Cody and Lulu together.  Not as any endgame type of pairing, but JK and AH have more natural chemistry than Cody/Molly and it seems way less contrived.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Just echoing all the above comments but I was so moved by Jane Elliot's work in this episode and I'm very glad the show did not try to ignore Tracy in all of this or to make her look like a shrew or a joke. The writing helped, but Jane was key as she was so willing to play the material with the utmost vulnerability. Tracy spent so many years feeling unloved by her family, and often giving them reasons to justify their rejection, but the love she felt for them, and their legacy, is integral to the character now, integral to the whole family, and the show. She is the matriarch who never thought she'd be a matriarch, which is what adds so much poignancy. 

The loss of Monica hung over the scenes, even though Monica is still technically alive, somewhere in the mansion. Monica's children and grandchildren are still important to the show but Tracy's family has made up the multi-generational dynamics the Quartermaines need and lacked for such a long time. 

So much of the episode revolving around Quartermaines, not just the Tracy branch, but Michael too, tells you just how central they are to GH's strengths and have been for nearly 50 years. 

I appreciated Amanda Setton snapping out of some of her haze and giving a very forceful performance with Rena Sofer (and I could actually believe they were mother and daughter).

I've had my criticisms of Lois and at times not been the fairest to Rena's work in the part, but I thought she was excellent here - what Lois did, the amount of times she played god with three innocents, was horrible, yet through Rena's very pure work, and some decent scriptwriting, I understood why she did what she did, and I felt sorry for her. 

It's not as good, please don't get me wrong, but the fallout of the story reminds me of why the Truth About Aaron plotline on ATWT was so powerful - there were no stunts, no psychos, just a lot of people who genuinely care about each other and that caring leads them to make very damaging decisions.

That's what soaps should be about.

This is an excellent take on the situation 

Good soap is like this Gio parentage storyline, when you understand where all the characters are coming from.

It reminds me of Days when Marlena learned there were two Romans and she loved them both.  And the famous scene where she talks to Abe about how Abe gets to be friends with both WayneRoman and DrakeRoman and he doesn't have to choose.  And she doesn't want to choose.   You can see all the points of view, and nobody is completely right or wrong. 

Because it's about the human condition and not about shipper wars or fan favorites.

Or as Toups said upthread, no mobsters needed.  Just human nature being explored.  

I have been reading the recaps and discussion of the most recent GH episodes, and have watched some clips.  Amazing stuff. I will have to find a temporary subscription to Hulu just to watch these Gio reveal scenes. And the Michael stuff.

I'm also glad to read that they dispensed with the Lucy-in-her-underwear trope from the Nurses Balls of previous years.  I'm glad Lynn Herring got to show Lucy as fun and irrepressible but also with some dignity.   I was going to skip watching the Nurses Ball this year, but with that and the Gio stuff and Michael stuff, I will watch.  And of course Queen Jane Elliot.

Edited May 28May 28 by janea4old

Speaking of Wayne Northrop as Roman...
segue back to GH: 
After Wayne passed, I was saddened to learn that he'd had Alzheimer's for several years.  So Lynn Herring had been running their farm without him, and supporting his care at the place he was treated, *and* acting on GH.

2025 is the first Nurses Ball filmed since  Ms. Herring lost her husband.  Another reason I'm glad that they gave Lucy some dignity this year.

This is what she wore this year (thanks to MichaelFairman for organizing the photos.)

Edited May 28May 28 by janea4old

I actually watched GH before watching the recording of BTG and I'm so glad I did.  Everything was done extremely well, except I think the sex scenes should have been saved for another day!