BTG: September 2025 Discussion Thread

[Tisy-Lish]

Agreed.  Finally Keith is playing Ted as a strong character. And I love it.  But please do not make him have sex with Leslie.  Jesus Lord...   I do not want to see that!!

[ranger1rg]

-- This show certainly can make you side with and even sympathize with a character one day, and then reject that character the next.

-- The Smitty/Martin kiss was great. These actors know how to make a kiss look real. That will never make Smitty's "You're still on the couch" the right thing to say. 

-- The time to have that "I still don't trust you" talk along with the "You're still sleeping on the sofa" was BEFORE the sex, not after. Smitty was completely wrong. Anyone in Martin's shoes would have expected to be back in that bedroom.

-- THE DUPREES are beyond saintly, sanctimonious, and self-righteous. Anita remarked that it was having a little fun? What??? Meanwhile, Bill makes jokes and insults and they smile at him. It's all nuts.

-- Ted only started to beg for a thank you after what he did was ignored. He not only got no credit, but was treated like he was transactional -- and he wasn't. He never thought that was the magic repair for his marriage.

-- Betting on Nicole or Ted was obnoxious and disgusting. 

-- #TeamTed

-- Why was Allison chained to that chair in the police station for so long? So we'd get absurd scenes of THE DUPREES yelling at her and threatening to attack her. I'm ready to become #TeamAllison.

-- Who in their right mind would allow Chelsea to get near Allison?

-- Chelsea's discussion about social media with Madison and Dani sounded like the writers asked Chat GTP to script a PSA about stalking on Instagram. The storyline itself explains the problem today. Too much exposition is eye-rolling stuff.

-- They need to pick a lane for Chelsea. Either she struggles mightily with her role in this and with the Allison problem or she blames Allison. Instead they have her all over the place.

     If she'd been held hostage for weeks and months, I'd buy into Chelsea being all over the place, but not with this one-day kidnapping.

-- Kind of hilarious to see Derek in that hospital bed dressed like Himbo of the Week.

[GLATWT88]

Just watched today's episode:

The whole betting thing was weird, especially the fact Bill initiated it. Bill, if anyone, should know what Ted feels being apart of the Dupree family while not a Dupree. I am glad Ted read him down. 

Agree to the Chelsea/Madison scene sounding like a PSA. I think the idea for this storyline is great - the whole toxic/dangerous parasocial relationships we have with "famous" influencers on social media, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. 

 

[Chris B]

I still don't see chemistry with Nicole but I was happy to finally see Ted standing up for himself. With that said, he does keep minimizing what he did due to the fact that it was so long ago. Still, it wasn't a one night stand, it was an ongoing affair and he also has acted a fool since the news came out. 

As much as he wants to compare himself to Bill, that's doesn't work because Nicole and Dani aren't the same person. For some people infidelity is a dealbreaker and it seems pretty clear that this is where Nicole stands. She has every right to feel the way she does. He needs to go ahead and move on.

I loved the scenes with Alison at the police station. I'm glad they have a fun villain like this in their back pocket. I certainly didn't expect this so soon. I'm also finding that I really enjoy Madison with Chelsea. The actress is very natural and their chemistry is strong. It still feels so bizarre that a US soap would have a lesbian couple at the forefront of such a major story. Comparing it to what Y&R is doing with Mariah and Tessa is like night and day.

The weakest part of the episode was Derek and Ashley. I don't understand why the show keeps pushing them as these fated lovers. They have no chemistry and absolutely do not work together. I'm open to both characters separately but nothing is going to make them work as a couple. If this is the long term plan, this will remain a miss for me.

The Smitty/Martin scenes were surprising and very interesting! I love that once again the show is showing us the grey in each character and not making everything feel so one-sided. I've gone back in forth on both of these characters so many times and that's a credit to the writers.

 

[Tisy-Lish]

After today's scenes with the Duprees, Ted, and Bill, I've come to believe the Dupree family desperately needs at least one character to be the the family's moral compass.  That role could easily be filled by Anita. The writers would just need to soften her slightly -- giving her a bit of empathy for outsiders.  Similar to Miss Ellie Ewing on Dallas.  Miss Ellie was living in a house full of vipers, while she loved and supported each of them -- sometimes to a fault.  But still -- when things got out of hand, the viewers could see in her eyes, that Miss Ellie was not happy with what was happening. She seldom had to say a word, but we could see it subtlety in the acting skills of Barbara Bel Geddes.  Our Miss Tunie could certainly play that type of subtext.   

I'm not suggesting Anita should become a clone of Ellie Ewing, but simply suggesting the family needs someone who is capable of seeing a side the rest of the family refuses to see -- whoever that might be. And Anita might be a good choice.   

[janea4old]

 

I agree that the characters have many facets - sometimes I like a character one day, and dislike them the next.  That's great writing because it's not a retcon of the character, but instead another facet being shown.

(with the exception of Eva changing over time, which feels more like a retcon)

Edited September 11 by janea4old

[skiman12082004]

I know I sound like a broken record but BTG was awesome today. The show feels contemporary and it absolutely does its job of entertaining. 

I'm happy Smitty & Martin finally had several passionate kisses and an actual love scene. 

I can't stand Chelsea & Madison but they are a realistic couple and I know people like them.

I love how Bill continually ingratiates himself to the Dupree's. His need for their acceptance is quite sad. I thought he would have been more of a support to Ted but he's using Ted's problems with the family to his benefit. 

I want Shanice to stop being a stan for Derek & Ashley. Derek has way more chemistry and potential with Shanice than he does with Ashley.

But yeah, I love BTG!!!

[Gatecrashers]

I vote for Naomi.

[Cheap21]

F the Duprees! I dont like how they did my guy Ted today but I loved how he rightfully checked all of them especially wannabe Bill. She talk alot of ish but that made Nicole wet. I see through her

 

F Smitty! It was so manipulative nad grimey of him to treat Martin like a $2 hoe to bang him out and then discard

[Antoyne]

Anita is way too far gone on high off the Duprees are the best thing to happen to the world for that to be her role. She’s just as to blame as Vernon for the whole family thinking their [!@#$%^&*] don’t stink.

[Cheap21]

 Agreed. Anita would never work as the moral compass of the family as she's the biggest hypocrite of them all since day 1. Ive been saying that about her. She is all about optics and how people view her and the family while protecting and not letting them being held accountable for their BS

 

And she is worse than Vernon. She wears the pants in that relationship and is alot more cold and less empathatic

[Antoyne]

She’s definitely the matriarch of that clan but she’s just as bad as the Stephanie Forresters and Nikki Newmans of the soap world. Complete hypocrites.

[Soaplovers]

Oddly... I think Chelsea might eventually be that black sheep of the Dupree family.. the one who has empathy and could be the moral one of the family.  She's always been the sweetest of the Duprees and has been the voice of reason in her interactions with Dani and Kat.

Martin/Smitty do have chemistry and it was about time there was some love and affection between the two.  

[Paul Raven]

I mentioned months ago that Anita could have been  somewhat supportive of Hayley-seeing her as misguided and somewhat of a victim of Bill- to give another flavor to her character but that ship has sailed. Intentionally or not, the Duprees come of as sanctimonious and hypocritical.

[Vee]

The moral core is Nicole. Easy.

I do think the corruption is intentional with the Duprees - it's pointed out so often onscreen - even though again, the show like many soaps wants to have their core families be seen and valued as both light and dark. Which they can be.

I'll say this though: For all her stunts and volatility, Dani is just as honest and upfront at her core as Nicole IMO. They're just fire and ice. It's the elders and some of the other relations that are the operators and gameplayers.

Martin and Smitty have had notable intimacy onscreen and kisses over the last several months, but I am glad they stepped it up even further.