Similarly, they tanked Brennan/Carly when Charles Mesure left and they replaced him with a friend-of-Frank who might as well have been playing a totally different character. Chris McKenna might be a nice guy, but he lacks the twinkle Mesure had in his eyes, his Antipodean accent, and his chemistry with Laura Wright. And don't get me started on how Ric Hearst, who has amazing chemistry with several different actresses on the show, has been MIA for several weeks

Is Chris Mckenna really a "friend of Frank's" because he was on OLTL for a few years more than 30 years ago? Or is there another connection between them?

As for Hearst, I'd love to see more of him, but he lives on the other side of the country, and has a job in real estate there, so I tend to think him disapearing has as much to do with his schedule as it does with the show.

3 hours ago, Liberty City said:

Is it wrong that I kind of prefer the second? The first looks like rejected Nintendo Power cover art for Castlevania.

27 minutes ago, carolineg said:

A lot of that period felt ugly. The show, the writing, the acting, even the fanbases. It wasn't entirely unwatchable just very contentious, and everyone was unhappy.

There was just pure hate - for women, for the show's history, the Qs, everything. It was very ugly. The only time some in charge seemed to get more life in their work was when they could have characters go on self-righteous, abusive tirades.

One of the positives around that time was making Sam so dark and crazy, but that was seemingly just done because Kelly had contract issues or whatever.

At first they had Gio in a lot of scenes with Joss and Trina while he kind of settled into the role. I love him now, he has an inherent sweetness that comes through and he played the sadness about his family life blowing up pretty well. Putting him fully in the Q orbit with Tracy and also Emma was great for both of them. But I will also not forget him just smiling all the time for months before that and his hilarious reaction to Kristina flying out of the window and into the pool. He has come a long way.

3 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Is it wrong that I kind of prefer the second? The first looks like rejected Nintendo Power cover art for Castlevania.

The original image is comically over the top. It’s supposed to be gothic and have at least one turret. I picture it more like Balmoral Castle but a little smaller.

1 minute ago, titan1978 said:

The original image is comically over the top. It’s supposed to be gothic and have at least one turret. I picture it more like Balmoral Castle but a little smaller.

I can see that. The Windsors are more like the Cassadines than they'd care to admit...

17 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

Is it wrong that I kind of prefer the second? The first looks like rejected Nintendo Power cover art for Castlevania.

It does look like it. Haha. I don't know why... but it made me instantly think of the grand mansion Hayley and Bill live in on BTG... which looks like a cheap escort service work station inside. 😂 I need to see the inside of that castle.

27 minutes ago, SadPim8696 said:

Is Chris Mckenna really a "friend of Frank's" because he was on OLTL for a few years more than 30 years ago?

Yes. Their relationship has been a key thing in his interviews.

Gio was initially intended for Trina, per magazine stuff at the time. That never really materialized beyond Gio taking intrigued note of her when they first met, and Trina noticing a resemblance to Spencer. I think TPTB obviously decided they didn't want to 'waste' a potential young male on a young woman of color they didn't care about and then spun their wheels for months.

Then Emma came along and that clicked for Gio, but that too clearly wasn't really expected to be a big thing. Both Mazza and BB have said they had to interject physical stuff into their scenes for most of last year to try to jumpstart the story, probably because FV and co. were going full tilt on the WSB Agent Joss saga with Vaughn, Britt, etc. at the time. Now they're getting a bit more focus and Joss is once again in a liminal place, but I would not be hugely shocked if they tried one last ditch effort at putting her with him since he's become popular. I don't think it'll work though. If they were going to do it they would've already.

4 minutes ago, Vee said:

Yes. Their relationship has been a key thing in his interviews.

Gio was initially intended for Trina, per magazine stuff at the time. That never really materialized beyond Gio taking intrigued note of her when they first met, and Trina noticing a resemblance to Spencer. I think TPTB obviously decided they didn't want to 'waste' a potential young male on a young woman of color they didn't care about and then spun their wheels for months.

Then Emma came along and that clicked for Gio, but that too clearly wasn't really expected to be a big thing. Both Mazza and BB have said they had to interject physical stuff into their scenes for most of last year to try to jumpstart the story, probably because FV and co. were going full tilt on the WSB Agent Joss saga with Vaughn, Britt, etc. at the time. Now they're getting a bit more focus and Joss is once again in a liminal place, but I would not be hugely shocked if they tried one last ditch effort at putting her with him since he's become popular. I don't think it'll work though. If they were going to do it they would've already.

There was such a vehemence against Gio from Sprina fans, it never would have worked even in the slim chance the show had gone for it, but I think the actors would have worked well together if they'd had the chance.

It's a shame that Joss remains some dark cloud over the younger set. Even when she does something I should agree with, like believing Michael is innocent of shooting Drew, I still don't have much use for her.

5 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

It's a shame that Joss remains some dark cloud over the younger set. Even when she does something I should agree with, like believing Michael is innocent of shooting Drew, I still don't have much use for her.

I've said before I think Eden has certain skill at certain things. The relationship with Tabyana feels very real when they play it with Joss and Trina. I think she actually has a facility for comedy if they let her play the spoiled/scheming heiress side of the character. I think she works very hard, above her actual skill level. But she's never going to be a lead no matter how hard Frank has pushed to make her the second coming of the Starr Manning youth demo numbers from about 20 years ago just because she is young, white and especially blonde.

I would put her in comic B-stories for a bit or with a Spinelli/geek type, but probably ultimately recast a little down the line.

5 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

There was such a vehemence against Gio from Sprina fans, it never would have worked even in the slim chance the show had gone for it, but I think the actors would have worked well together if they'd had the chance.

I think it could have worked, but they weren't there for it. I still might play with them today having a fling as part of a quad with Emma and someone else in the ways I've mentioned before, but the endgame would remain Gio and Emma. Those two are gold, and TA could be again too with the right partner. I also do still think GM could've pulled off a Spencer recast, but I am happy with where he's at.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Vee

1 hour ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Here's something 😂😂😂

🤣🤣🤣

-- I liked Vaughan, primarily because he made Joss bearable. She's better playing off a romantic partner. Alone as a WSB agent? No.

-- If the WSB is so big and powerful, why the hell would Joss have to ask Brick about cutting the power to Spoon Island? Talk about a third-rate organization.

-- Involving Joss in the power grid stuff is laughable.

9 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

-- I liked Vaughan, primarily because he made Joss bearable.

I did not find either of them bearable! YMMV. But yes, Joss playing saboteur with SAS is hilarious.

Vaughn/Joss was DOA for me because there was just too big an age difference between the actors. That just doesn’t fly IRL anymore and the show already has a hard time dealing with their online fandom’s complaints. He’s an attractive man and fine for a WSB hunk. Just not for Joss. Especially because the show wouldn’t touch the complexity inherent in her having sex with an older man who has authority over her.

Age gap relationships are one thing if handled well; it can still be done. But Eden isn't convincing as a lead let alone mature, plus he was just boring to me and the story sucked.

The reality is Vaughn was cast as a dayplayer and little more than a cutesy walking in-joke by someone BTS. "Agent Vaughn" was the name of secret agent Jennifer Garner's handler on ABC's Alias, the show GH was clearly ripping off with this storyline. It's one thing to do a dumb gag like that with a random dayplayer you'll see a few times and then never again. But to then try to lean into a goofy bit like that and put them over as a serious lead just because he happens to be white and have a haircut from 1994? No. It was thrown together schlock.

Lord.

The past Wyndemere in the late 2000s/early '10s opening did look a bit Big Bad Beetleborgs/Young Frankenstein at times, but it still had the character. I'll just pretend this one never happened.