10 minutes ago, bossruen said:

don’t need Willow and Drew to be Monica and Alan because I’m enjoying their particular [!@#$%^&*]ed up dynamic. Two years ago, both characters and performances were flat and boring—reconceptualizing Drew as a narcissistic [!@#$%^&*] and leaning into Willow’s pathology as a cult follower with Daddy issues has revitalized both characters and freed the actors to do their best work.

Yeah, their messed up dynamic is fascinating to watch. Especially now that Willow has lost her good sense. And to think it all started while PM was around is just a good feeling. Good to see these writers ran with it.

12 minutes ago, bossruen said:

When audiences complain about characters and stories like this one, I honestly don’t know what they’re asking for—endless scenes of Laura and Scotty reminiscing about the ‘80s over tea?

I think they are just so used to 'factory settings' on this show and playing it safe, that seeing people being oh so messy is foreign to them.

1 hour ago, Taoboi said:

But it is sad that Sonny could go to jail vanish tomorrow, and the canvas would not be affected at all. How the mighty have fallen.

Think that's partly due to MB's health if anything. Guy is no longer the spring chicken he was 10 years ago.

Not at all. Sadly.

3 hours ago, Vee said:

I don't think either Michael nor Drew and Willow add up to a new Alan and Monica. I suppose you could try with Michael and the new Willow but I'm not interested in that. They can have hate sex, they can relentlessly try to destroy each other but ultimately it would end. They should never be in love again.

I do think Michael and Willow have some similarities to Alan and Monica (more than AJ and Carly did), so I could see that type of tense reunion working, but I agree I'd rather see Michael put in a strong new pairing for a while at least. You knew that Monica was always going to be Alan's forever - he was even brought into the show for her. Michael has a decade history of other women. Willow also has seemingly no love for Michael, even if Michael may still love her underneath all his disgust.

3 hours ago, Vee said:

It's even hypothetically possible to redeem Drew too [...] but not only would most of the audience likely never be there for it, mostly I simply see no need for that. He's a great villain. Why mess with it?

Because, all Drew is at this point is Snidely Whiplash with a six-pack. That's okay in the short-term, but the longer he goes on without any redeeming qualities or psychological layers, the less interesting he becomes even as an antagonist. To paraphrase the late Hank Williams Sr., he's gotta change or I'm gonna leave.*

(*Well, not really, lol).

But can these writers keep that edge to Drew and give them a redeeming quality?

6 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

But can these writers keep that edge to Drew and give them a redeeming quality?

I don't think the writers need to "redeem" Drew. They just need to keep him three-dimensional by reminding us how, in Drew's head, he's the hero, the white knight who's protecting his lady love from the corrupt and powerful Quartermaine family. But it might be a good idea for them to pull back from the scenes of Drew being hurtful towards children, like his vendetta against Danny or treatment of Scout, which aren't quite as well-motivated and do seem to tip him over into Snidely Whiplash territory, where he only exists to antagonize the show's "heroes."