3 minutes ago, Planet Soap said:

It's amazing to see Sonny, Jason or Carly not at the center of the show. For the moment Willow, Drew and Michael are the primary drivers. There was a time a few years ago when Sonny & them's show eating grip slipped, until Steve/Jason returned.

Michael will only truly come into his own as a lead when they begin casting new women for him in major, fleshed-out roles of their own. Be it a driven new doctor or someone like socialite-philathropist Serena Baldwin, a Ward girl like he once got paired with late in the Guza years, whoever. Just as they used to bring on real love interests for Sonny or Jason. Not just cheap, trumped-up dayplayers. That being said this team (as well as Passanante and Altman's) has historically had very little success creating any fleshed-out all-new characters of their own, particularly the women. There was a reason Willow and Sasha were basically the same person for years. Say what we will about Carlivati but Ava at least left an indelible impression. For the team today, Gio and Emma were strokes of luck (a preexisting core child, and Mulcahey/Korte created Gio) and Trina was a happy accident they've been running from ever since.

Fans have been frothing mad online at both Drew and Willow for at least 18 months now. If it was going to truly hurt the show's numbers it would have already done so. They keep watching because of the havoc those two wreak and how much they hate them, a la Kristen DiMera, Annie Dutton, etc. The show made the right choice letting Willow skate - there is so much more she can do.

At least half the show is still a total mess (Britt, Valentin, cold fusion, etc.) but I hope they continue to capitalize on Drew/Willow/Michael, etc. and surprise me by improving it further.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by Vee

4 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Vanessa would probably return if actually asked. Frank has proven he has no time for Brenda regardless if it's for the good for the show.

If they cast a real love interest for Michael (like the options I mentioned above), found someone new for Steve and then Frank swallowed his pride and called Vanessa, I think all those combined elements on top of the ongoing Drew/Willow chaos could take the show to a new place. It wouldn't be the end of the many changes needed, but it would be a major boon.

You could even play Steve and Vanessa again I suppose, but at this point I am just thinking about containing Maurice in a workable role lol. As DRW noted, he is simply no longer capable of heavy story nor can you fire him without taking a real hit.

35 minutes ago, Vee said:

As DRW noted, he is simply no longer capable of heavy story nor can you fire him without taking a real hit.

IOW, Maurice Benard and Sonny Corinthos have become albatrosses around GH's neck.

What happened to Jen Lilley that made working at GH so unpleasant for her?

3 minutes ago, Khan said:

What happened to Jen Lilley that made working at GH so unpleasant for her?

Someone else will know better than me but I think she was very upset by how fans treated her.

2 minutes ago, Khan said:

IOW, Maurice Benard and Sonny Corinthos have become albatrosses around GH's neck.

Has been for years. But Brenda is the way you make it all work for you IMO. Sonny in a reduced role, with a partner Mo has real chemistry with, who elevates him and makes him work harder, who can take the major share of story herself.

caroline or others would know more specifics about the JL mess than I do, I can't remember them all. I felt she was unfairly treated while working hard tbh (and Kirsten supposedly was not helpful) but she wasn't exactly quiet about it either.

Anyway, here's another bit of tale-spinning: Willow’s next move after she and Drew both find each other out and have freaky S&M demon sex should be to weaponize Drew to use his congressional power to open up the Wagger case. Willow and Michael were still in a good place when Michael was involved in the Wagger cover-up that got totally dropped; she must have some inkling of what went down. Sonny murdered a fed and Michael helped. She can also start gaslighting him to drive him nuts, drug him etc. Tapping into his recent PTSD. That’s her next custody strategy.

Drew also still has Jason’s memories, which means he knows all about Sonny and Jason’s operational security with the business. He knows where they hid a lot of bodies for decades. He can do a live press conference about Wagger and start digging all over the Pine Barrens or wherever else. Meanwhile, Willow is openly cucking and taunting him, flaunting her affairs (Chase), only giving him sex on occasion as a reward for a job well done as their sick relationship continues and they both have other lovers.

It writes itself! I'm here all month, Frank!

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Vee

53 minutes ago, Khan said:

IOW, Maurice Benard and Sonny Corinthos have become albatrosses around GH's neck.

What happened to Jen Lilley that made working at GH so unpleasant for her?

Jen got a lot of blowback. She made some silly comments on twitter? that said Maxie would have been killed off if she didn't step in and Farah Fath and Kirsten got involved. She got a lot of hate and for me it was unfair. I thought she did a fine job as Maxie.

Personally, I felt Jen made some dumb statements but Kirsten, Farah and the fans made it all mean girl behavior. Like, Kirsten took 2 years off casually and was upset? She's still lucky to have a job.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by carolineg

26 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Jen got a lot of blowback. She made some silly comments on twitter? that said Maxie would have been killed off if she didn't step in and Farah Fath and Kirsten got involved. She got a lot of hate and for me it was unfair. I thought she did a fine job as Maxie.

Personally, I felt Jen made some dumb statements but Kirsten, Farah and the fans made it all mean girl behavior. Like, Kirsten took 2 years off casually and was upset? She's still lucky to have a job.

Thanks. I'd forgotten all that mess.

What a pointless and ugly exercise, especially involving someone who didn't even work at GH.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by DRW50

That is what I remember as well. Jen clapped back at some people in a way that was in fairness unnecessary, then both Kirsten and Farah got involved and stirred up the fans even more. Which was the part I found really egregious against a temp recast who was there what, the better part of a year? Longer?

Kirsten was lucky her job was still there to return to in '12, and Lilley did hard work. idk who it was here who said FV openly considered killing Maxie off when he first came aboard during this period due to the long absence.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Vee

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

That is what I remember as well. Jen clapped back at some people in a way that was in fairness unnecessary, then both Kirsten and Farah got involved and stirred up the fans even more. Which was the part I found really egregious against a temp recast who was there what, the better part of a year? Longer?

Kirsten was lucky her job was still there to return to in '12, and Lilley did hard work. idk who it was here who said FV openly considered killing Maxie off when he first came aboard due to the long absence.

I think Lilley took the job as a temp and thought it would be a few months at most. It ended up being well over a year. Kirsten kept delaying her return for health reasons that were so vague and then got mad the character was still going strong and fired up her fans. It basically soured me on Maxie in general and I think we all know I really, really wanted to support John/Marlena's only child in any soap capacity.