1 minute ago, Maxim said:

Absolutely. If they had done the work (the writers) and shown us the process instead of the result... In other words if they had let us reach our own conclusions of what kind of person she is instead of constantly telling us what she is... It would have worked. They shoved her in our throats without any substance. For what? To be the antipode of Dani?

I fear you may be close to the truth with wondering if they even know who she is. 

I don't think they do.

I've been critical of Jen Jacob, but some of the stuff they're giving her is really awful. Look at last week when Derek took her out for coffee and essentially to apologize for breaking up with her.

They could have written her response a number of different ways. Instead, they went with having Ashley get annoyed and twist his words? And then to walk out on him? Meryl Streep couldn't make that ish work.

6 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

I don't think they do.

I've been critical of Jen Jacob, but some of the stuff they're giving her is really awful. Look at last week when Derek took her out for coffee and essentially to apologize for breaking up with her.

They could have written her response a number of different ways. Instead, they went with having Ashley get annoyed and twist his words? And then to walk out on him? Meryl Streep couldn't make that ish work.

Poor Jen Jacob is getting rough material that is more uninspired than even some of Bradley Bell's stuff. I really feel empathy for her and I hope the writing (for and about her) improves.

I don't fault her at all.

Edited August 4Aug 4 by Maxim

28 minutes ago, Maxim said:

Absolutely. If they had done the work (the writers) and shown us the process instead of the result... In other words if they had let us reach our own conclusions of what kind of person she is instead of constantly telling us what she is... It would have worked. They shoved her in our throats without any substance. For what? To be the antipode of Dani?

I fear you may be close to the truth with wondering if they even know who she is. 

I'll give more credit to Ranger for my train of thought on the writing for Ashley, but thank you.  

 

I guess my critic is starting to show more now that we are hitting that six month mark, but I agree. No need for shoving Ashley down throats. Telling, not SHOWING why we should care about her. I would have loved to see her journey through her job. I still feel that sabotage storyline was a missed opportunity for Ashley and Silk Press Sheila. Moreso if you remember that SilkPress knows Ashley due to her close friendship to her mother Jan. Speaking of...Eva and Ashley haven't shared scenes often, either. 

Does anyone know when the first episode with the new head writers will air?

18 hours ago, Ryanc2 said:

Does anyone know when the first episode with the new head writers will air?

MVJ is still the head writer.  Guza completed his time and now Tracey Thomson is co-head

[Edit to correct my misspelling from Thompson to Thomson.]

details here
https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/69078-article-tracey-thomson-named-co-head-writer-of-beyond-the-gates/#findComment-2033822

 

Edited August 4Aug 4 by janea4old

13 minutes ago, Ryanc2 said:

Does anyone know when the first episode with the new head writers will air?

 

8 minutes ago, janea4old said:

MVJ is still the head writer.  Guza completed his time and now Tracey Thompson is co-head

details here
https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/69078-article-tracey-thomson-named-co-head-writer-of-beyond-the-gates/#findComment-2033822

 

I think they mean when Tracey Thomson's name will appear in the credits as co-head writer with Michele Val Jean as head writer. 

It's my understanding that Guza left somewhere between when the show premiered in February and early April. So, his name should remain in the credits for a few more weeks. I'll check, but the shift could/should happen around or before September.

Oookay I’ll be watching out for that and see if there is any change in the writing style.

it may seem like a weird critique but I would like to see the storylines be a bit more isolated. Not too isolated because that’s not good either, and I get that mostly everyone on the canvas is related but sometimes it feels like they’re all a little too involved in each others business and I don’t need that in order to buy that they’re a close knit family. Keep the stories separate. So, for example if something is going on with Chelsea or Kat I would 100% expect to see scenes with their mom/dads but I don’t need cousins, and aunts and uncles all getting involved. A good example of this is the character of Naomi. She is just all over the place and in everyone else’s orbit but doesn’t seem to have much going on herself. Give her and Jacob something juicy and good and spend the time building momentum. I don’t need endless talking scenes with relatives who are frankly irrelevant to the progression of story. JMO !

@Ryanc2^^That might be because of the way they crafted the stories. I get what you're saying; it feels like all the storylines involve the whole family in a way. I believe if they had crafted them like an A. Family base storyline. B. Hospital-based storyline. C. A couple-based storyline would have separated the characters a little bit more.

12 hours ago, janea4old said:

In my opinion, it should always be the plan that the villain be present for 3-month or 6-month arcs and then disappear.   Coming back periodically every two years for a completely unexpected arc to stir up trouble.   If a villain is hanging out with the heroes in regular public places year round, then it defies logic and dilutes the drama. 

I wholeheartedly agree. That is the best way to use a villain so that it doesn't get old or repetitive for a much longer time. On the flip side, I see ways Dana/Leslie could thrive by sticking around. 

10 hours ago, Maxim said:

Absolutely. I've been saying this for months. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking it. Even though they are improving... The first 6 months are one tabloid headline after another. One culmination after another. What is in between is what bothers me. They flatline after powerful moments. It seems like they only think of how to wow and shock and not much about how to sustain quality build up. I get that they are battling for ratings in order to survive... I get that, but still... I can't only wait for culminations.

Still. They are improving. So I am becoming optimistic.

You were not alone❤️

6 hours ago, Aback said:

As for the rest of the storylines… looks like even the latest big story (Martin’s) has fizzled. Good luck going from point A to B. I expect some more friction with Jacob and then everything will be swept under the rag, much like what happened with comic-relief Leslie. 

The writers indeed have a rotation problem. 

 

3 hours ago, Maxim said:

 Because TMG is amazing and she can deliver creepy and evil as much as she can deliver camp. It's just the balance is not right. Again... If they continue presenting us with results and past scandals and secrets, this is not gonna change. At times the show feels like it's in season 14 and not season 1 and that is not a good thing for me.

ICAM with the bolded. I would like to see TMG lean more into the creepy angle. I feel the same way about the show, minds come from a story viewpoint. 

Edited August 4Aug 4 by DemetriKane

wow they do a good job of making her look younger on the show bc without the barrettes and ponytails, she does look alot older out of costume

2 hours ago, DemetriKane said:

On the flip side, I see ways Dana/Leslie could thrive by sticking around. 

Oh? What would you have in mind?

1 hour ago, Cheap21 said:

wow they do a good job of making her look younger on the show bc without the barrettes and ponytails, she does look alot older out of costume

Yep.

8 hours ago, DemetriKane said:

You were not alone❤️

I'm in good company! 🤗

13 hours ago, Ryanc2 said:

Who are these June and Regina characters? I know they’re new cause they weren’t on when I started watching earlier this year. I’m intrigued.

 

Love love love that they’ve decided to expand the cast and showcase different storylines. This is going to keep me watching 

June is a homeless lady that Naomi is helping. Why, I don't even remember anymore haha. But June carries an old picture of a young boy and young girl, which we all here assumes are Tyrell and Samantha (but hasn't been confirmed yet). Regina just came on last week and is June's sister. She recognizes the picture and says those are June's kids she gave up to the foster system. 

You'll start to pick up on this, but BTG likes to showcase a story full on for a week, then they get backburner'ed for a couple weeks, then they pop back up. The A stories cycle through in that way, which some people love and others don't. 

13 hours ago, Ryanc2 said:

Also, did not realize Ashley and the fireman broke up. This date with her and Andre is rather boring. Is Derek still even on the show, anyways?

Ooooh I see a triangle brewing here between Kat and Eva or this Tomas guy. I definitely see potential here with continuing to build that rivalry between them. 

Still. I wish everything wasn’t millennial grey. Sigh. So many of the sets look too similar. Some color would be nice! 

Yeah, so Ashley and Derek moved in together and it didn't work out at all. Ashley criticized everything about him. So they eventually took a break. Now Derek and Shanice are flirting and went on a date, while Ashley and Andre are doing their thing, but one night they all showed up at Uptown together on their own dates and Ashley got very jealous/annoyed and the entire date was about Derek being there and how to make him jealous. She's a bit neurotic, which finally makes her a little more interesting.

I remember Tracy Thomson's name. IIRC she started at GH during Guza II, and later jumped to JFP's Y&R with her and did time with Pratt, I think both there and at AMC.

I don't expect a massive material change with her addition as MVJ's co-head tbh. If Guza was going to have had a heavy hand in the show's plotting over the past months I frankly think we would've already seen it. I suspect Thomson is another trusted pair of hands MVJ knows well (like Guza) to help her facilitate her vision. But for right now the place I'd personally look for real day to day changes is in watching if they hire some more veteran dialogue and breakdown writers with stronger background and expertise. That daily work IMO is what the show needs the most.