1 hour ago, carolineg said:

You know what GH could have done instead?  Left Monica's house to a mysterious trust and make it a mystery that eventually leads to AJ or Emily instead of this mess I don't care about.

I agree with all that. And yeah, I don't have any interest in another story with everyone beating up on Tracy.

I am sure this will all be a con, we will move on, and no one will care in 6 months, but it's a waste of time and space.  You could do so much better with Monica's will instead of Tracy's entire family bashing her to the point she has to stay on Lulu's couch.  While Cody and Ronnie are talking about Tracy's horse for half an episode.

I do get people love Erika and I don't deny she's talented, but this just feels like Frank is giving a friend a job.  What's next?  Kassie DePaiva as Willow's real, for real, mother?  Kristen Alderson as a recast Violet?

I think making Erika Monica's sister was a worthwhile idea, given Monica's mysterious family and origins. I just don't see a point in a tedious short-term story where everyone does another round of moaning about mean old Tracy. I'm behind by a few days and this does not compel me to sit through it. I've seen this team do this crap before. And like I said a few pages back, I think they want it both ways. They want to have Tracy as the head of the family (and often do well with that stuff, especially post-Mulcahey giving her a bit more grace) but still want to do these scenes where BLQ and all the 'good' Qs haughtily huff and get outraged with mean Granny. Like, who needs this?

As for Ronnie, you could've done something simple and delicate about lost time and a broken family, or you could still do something fun with a con artist. But right now it's not fun, even though I think Erika and others are doing good work. It's just like, let's move this along. (And yes, regardless of the story I would've tied it back to A.J. or Emily.)

(And don't get me started on how they both dress Alexa Havins down onscreen and keep just hurling Lulu into the worst situations imaginable.)

18 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Kristen Alderson as a recast Violet?

Kristen (allegedly) made the foolish choice to ask for a pay bump after many years of service so Frank don't know her no more, lol. At least not in terms of a job.

Edited October 23Oct 23 by Vee

22 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I am sure this will all be a con, we will move on, and no one will care in 6 months, but it's a waste of time and space.  You could do so much better with Monica's will instead of Tracy's entire family bashing her to the point she has to stay on Lulu's couch.  While Cody and Ronnie are talking about Tracy's horse for half an episode.

I do get people love Erika and I don't deny she's talented, but this just feels like Frank is giving a friend a job.  What's next?  Kassie DePaiva as Willow's real, for real, mother?  Kristen Alderson as a recast Violet?

At this point I would be totally fine with retconning Willow to not be Nina's daughter after all, especially since they will never have an actual relationship as mother and daughter anyway. Just leave Nelle as Nina's only child. 

Nina is saner than Willow at this point. Their fúcked up relationship with each other and Drew is the only thing that's given either of them real juice on this show. Otherwise you could've nuked both of them long ago. Willow was especially pointless and boring til last year.

Edited October 23Oct 23 by Vee

46 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I am sure this will all be a con, we will move on, and no one will care in 6 months, but it's a waste of time and space.  You could do so much better with Monica's will instead of Tracy's entire family bashing her to the point she has to stay on Lulu's couch.  While Cody and Ronnie are talking about Tracy's horse for half an episode.

I do get people love Erika and I don't deny she's talented, but this just feels like Frank is giving a friend a job.  What's next?  Kassie DePaiva as Willow's real, for real, mother?  Kristen Alderson as a recast Violet?

I suppose this year be the peak of FoF (beyond what went on with Howarth and Easton - not sure how much was Frank and how much was ABC), what with Erika, with being willing to let Josh Kelly have a flexible schedule and also bringing on Chris McKenna as an emergency recast. I'm not sure how many are left in the Rolodex. (maybe Kirk Geiger will show up as Sidwell's secret boyfriend)

On paper big scenes between Jane Elliot and Erika Slezak should be interesting to watch, but even beyond knowing Erika won't be around long, I wish they'd handled this in a way that would be interesting after she's gone. And while I'm not surprised, seeing Brook Lynn and Olivia being fine with turfing her and not even letting her stay in the motel will annoy me when it's papered over (and did Ned even have a reaction). It annoys me mostly with Brook Lynn as we're meant to believe she cares about Tracy, whereas Olivia and Tracy have never been close.

If we do find out Martin is behind all of this, rather than him just being a Drew lackey, I hope Tracy squashes him like a bug. I don't find their interactions cute and I don't really have any great use for the character.

Edited October 23Oct 23 by DRW50

2 hours ago, carolineg said:

I'll be that person.  Erika Slezak is wonderful and I am glad she found this job.  She's doing good work, but it's too much.  I don't care about this outsider, I don't care for Tracy being ostracized, I don't need her having excessively long scenes with everyone who ever appeared on OLTL with her.

You know what GH could have done instead?  Left Monica's house to a mysterious trust and make it a mystery that eventually leads to AJ or Emily instead of this mess I don't care about.

That would be a great idea! Or even an actual mystery. Instead here’s Ronnie and she’s just mostly accepted by everyone? And we know she’s not going to be there for years, so it’s just a hollow stunt as far as story goes. I also love Slezak, she is still doing good work, and it does give me an emotional reaction to even just see her. The injustice of OLTL.

And I hate Tracy being devastated by another will. She didn’t even expect the house, she thought it was going to Michael. But she got slapped in the face again, and then demonized by her family again. And she has absolutely deserved it in the past. But not now. The only way this is worth it at all is if we get a story beyond this, where people like Ned and Brook Lynn have to come to terms with the fact that they never have her back, and how deeply she is hurt by this. They shouldn’t just be let off the hook. 

53 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I am sure this will all be a con, we will move on, and no one will care in 6 months, but it's a waste of time and space.  You could do so much better with Monica's will instead of Tracy's entire family bashing her to the point she has to stay on Lulu's couch.  While Cody and Ronnie are talking about Tracy's horse for half an episode.

I do get people love Erika and I don't deny she's talented, but this just feels like Frank is giving a friend a job.  

Can't disagree with any of that.

-- I love Slezak, who's doing good work, but what they're doing with Tracy ruins the story, and as you said, this will all be forgotten by next Easter. Rehabbing Tracy as a human and then doing this? Yes, it gives Jane Elliott some meaty scenes, but I hate when characters regress for plot convenience.

-- I'm already on record that moving Tracy to Lulu's is ridiculous and something I don't ever see Tracy doing. And while I have no problem with a Josh Kelly/Erika Slezak reunion, those ENDLESS scenes of exposition today were painful.

-- Gio and Lois had some nice scenes today. Giovanni and Rena both did really good work.

-- The blocking in the Chase and Michael sauna scenes was special. 😂 I think the script directions said the boys should peacock around the room and strut their masculinity.

-- The sauna set is up, so tomorrow we get a Carly in the sauna scene🤣

59 minutes ago, Vee said:

 

I think making Erika Monica's sister was a worthwhile idea, given Monica's mysterious family and origins.

 

I know I posted this before, but the story actually makes me sad. Because until the last few years, Leslie was willing and able to come to work. And they did use Monica. But imagine being given something like this while she was still living?

It’s just been handled all wrong for me, and I love Slezak. I don’t even hate Ronnie, I just don’t think it’s come together quite right.

For several months the show was high octane but still relatively tight. And from like the day after Drew was shot it’s still moving at a fast speed, but the tires are no longer secure and it’s messy AF. Filled to the brim with half concocted plots of a similar nature- Who shot Drew? Who is Ronnie, is it all a fake? What is Britt Hiding? Is this really Nathan? All of them purport to be mysteries at some level, and they are all hollow and in a weird holding pattern to get to a climax.

Edited October 23Oct 23 by titan1978

27 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

If we do find out Martin is behind all of this, rather than him just being a Drew lackey, I hope Tracy squashes him like a bug. I don't find their interactions cute and I don't really have any great use for the character.

It's so weird and endemic of this show and team that they kept spoilering about pivoting Martin to Tracy romantically like a year ago, and this is still where it's at and it's no less unappealing an idea than it was then. You can always tell when FV just does not want to spend more money on certain folks so he rotates them through the recurring players. I hope JK finally gets his way re: Cody and Tracy.

I am pretty sure the height of Frank's Hospital was still when he had Howarth and Easton playing Characters #3-5. But he's certainly most likely safer than he's ever been atm, and empowered.

1 minute ago, titan1978 said:

What is Britt Hiding?

I am a couple days behind but I about saw red when Britt took her time out to snark at Marco and Lucas' table. Just leave! Of course we are supposed to know that Marco is in fact hiding dark secrets from Lucas (he knows his father killed the judge), but still it's a hot, very sexual gay couple. I don't care what the str8 woman/fake gay icon has to say! Nor do I care about her struggles.

Edited October 23Oct 23 by Vee

4 minutes ago, Vee said:

I am pretty sure the height of Frank's Hospital was still when he had Howarth and Easton playing Characters #3-5. But he's certainly most likely safer than he's ever been atm, and empowered.

I tend to agree - I just had an asterisk as I didn't know how much of that was down to ABC wanting them (when ABC seemed to finally have enough both men were gone within the space of a year). 

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

I am a couple days behind but I about saw red when Britt took her time out to snark at Marco and Lucas' table. Just leave! Of course we are supposed to know that Marco is in fact hiding dark secrets from Lucas (he knows his father killed the judge), but still it's a hot, very sexual gay couple. I don't care what the str8 woman/fake gay icon has to say! Nor do I care about her struggles.

I do wonder why they don't have Brad around for any of this, unless Parry Shen isn't available. I assume Brad knows she's alive.

Edited October 23Oct 23 by DRW50

31 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 (maybe Kirk Geiger will show up as Sidwell's secret boyfriend)

Ooopphh, you pulled a good out the way back machine. 

1 minute ago, Vee said:

I am a couple days behind but I about saw red when Britt took her time out to snark at Marco and Lucas' table. Just leave! Of course we are supposed to know that Marco is in fact hiding dark secrets from Lucas (he knows his father killed the judge), but still it's a hot, very sexual gay couple. I don't care what the str8 woman/fake gay icon has to say! Nor do I care about her struggles.

The miscalculation with Britt seems to be noticeable to lots of folks this time. Usually only here at SON do I really see anyone that dislikes her. But this time the Rocco stuff and her attitude seem to be annoying the vocal part of the audience online elsewhere too. And if she is supposed to be back so Jason can have a pairing they are butchering that.

Just now, DRW50 said:

I do wonder why they don't have Brad around for any of this, unless Parry Shen isn't available. I assume Brad knows she's alive.

He's so behind tired and pathetic a character at this point, but I am sure he will come back soon enough and we'll have more of the force meme Britt/Brad duo shoved down our throats. I still remember when they first made them a thing artificially snarking at the Nurses Ball on TV and tried to act like it was this big post-modern deal and kept bringing it back again and again. The beginning of trying to make str8 limp Britt a 'gay icon.'

I don't think ABC would ever have crusaded for any actor to get between 3-5 separate characters on one soap opera in rapid succession. That was all Frank to me.