1 hour ago, alwaysAMC said:

It doesn't bother me much, but this is what I'm curious about - the why just two.

Yes. Why just that one white lady and that one black lady who happen to play best friends on the show upgraded and no one else? But you're right, it certainly isn't bothersome, just curious.

Ashley is ultimately going to have Andre, I do believe. Jordi's character is very likely the classic latest soap distraction before the real love birds come to fruition.

I have decided to catch up with this show (on the last few episodes). The show has improved but I hope it will improve some more going forward. Tamara Tunie is getting an opportunity to flex her thespian skills, even though the storyline is making people wonder if Tunie will be on the show down the road. This a public service storyline but it will also be a storyline that provides an Emmy nomination.

There are still a lot of characters with no stakes storylines, who are just there. Dropping Ben Gavin's status was a good move, they need to do the same with Jen Jacobs. There is nothing for her really to do, and she and Sean Freeman have no chemistry that I can see.

Carlton is dull. When I first saw the character, I thought he might have some connection to Leslie and Eva because of that odd encounter between he and Eva on the night of Ted and Nicole's disastrous anniversary party. There was something about the tone he had towards Eva that seemed "paternal". It got me wondering if there is some twist to Eva's paternity, like Carlton is her actual biological dad and Carlton and Leslie have been "low-key" keeping it under wraps to pursue the people they have been after for decades (Nicole and Leslie). Leslie has been known to play the long game where Ted is concerned and Carlton has practically been lying in wait for an opportunity with Nicole (did Carlton ever get married or have kids?). It would zhuzh up this quadrangle, or whatever it's supposed to be.

Also, this thing with Vanessa and Joey is spinning its wheels right now, with no real stakes. Vanessa is openly trying to play a pimp at her friend's family's (Black-owned) country club, there are no stakes at this point because neither she nor Joey much care about anything. Time to bring in the Feds to apply some pressure to their money laundering operation. I hope this is what we will see. If we are to believe these two are living dangerously, show us the danger.

Months ago, I complained/suggested something in a past BTG thread and I am seeing traces of it onscreen. I won't mention what it is 🤭🤐but I am somewhat interested in seeing where it eventually lands.

There is still too much awkward exposition in scenes, rather than allowing for flow with the dialogue that sounds distinct and more natural to the character.

Edited January 5Jan 5 by DramatistDreamer

Carlton's only personality is that funky beard growth. "Imma keep growing this out til you fall for me fr, Nicole."

Joey in the opening credits has me like.

4 hours ago, Vee said:

Yes, all part of MVJ's continued conspiracy to turn her own show into a white paradise.

You can't make this stuff up.

1 hour ago, DramatistDreamer said:

I have decided to catch up with this show (on the last few episodes). The show has improved but I hope it will improve some more going forward. Tamara Tunie is getting an opportunity to flex her thespian skills, even though the storyline is making people wonder if Tunie will be on the show down the road. This a public service storyline but it will also be a storyline that provides an Emmy nomination.

There are still a lot of characters with no stakes storylines, who are just there. Dropping Ben Gavin's status was a good move, they need to do the same with Jen Jacobs. There is nothing for her really to do, and she and Sean Freeman have no chemistry that I can see.

Carlton is dull. When I first saw the character, I thought he might have some connection to Leslie and Eva because of that odd encounter between he and Eva on the night of Ted and Nicole's disastrous anniversary party. There was something about the tone he had towards Eva that seemed "paternal". It got me wondering if there is some twist to Eva's paternity, like Carlton is her actual biological dad and Carlton and Leslie have been "low-key" keeping it under wraps to pursue the people they have been after for decades (Nicole and Leslie). Leslie has been known to play the long game where Ted is concerned and Carlton has practically been lying in wait for an opportunity with Nicole (did Carlton ever get married or have kids?). It would zhuzh up this quadrangle, or whatever it's supposed to be.

Also, this thing with Vanessa and Joey is spinning its wheels right now, with no real stakes. Vanessa is openly trying to play a pimp at her friend's family's (Black-owned) country club, there are no stakes at this point because neither she nor Joey much care about anything. Time to bring in the Feds to apply some pressure to their money laundering operation. I hope this is what we will see. If we are to believe these two are living dangerously, show us the danger.

Months ago, I complained/suggested something in a past BTG thread and I am seeing traces of it onscreen. I won't mention what it is 🤭🤐but I am somewhat interested in seeing where it eventually lands.

There is still too much awkward exposition in scenes, rather than allowing for flow with the dialogue that sounds distinct and more natural to the character.

Too many characters who are "JUST THERE." Yep. That is just one of several problems with this show. They have all of these people so why aren't they using them? Isn't it their job to write?

Did we point out Colby going by "Colby Natasha Nixon" now in the opening?

4 hours ago, Broderick said:

I think there's 3 areas where things desperately needed improvement.

(1) The "triangle" with Derek, Ashley, and Andre just never worked at all --- very little chemistry among them, and the writing for that story was disjointed and lackluster at best. I'm sorry someone lost a steady job, but that entire debacle needed to be dropped from the canvas.

(2) The actor playing Tomas is horrible (and has been horrible since Day One).

(3) There was entirely too much "DuPraise" in the dialogue (people endlessly praising the Duprees). I've noticed that's finally lessened-up over the past couple of months.

I do agree that there is too much praise of the Dupree family. Any great soap first family has opposition and Leslie ain't enough. I am hoping that the budget gets expanded over the next year, so they can add a rival family to Fairmont Crest. They can easily just give Anastasia (the country club gossip) family.

Again, I think Derek just needs to be re-routed and he'll be fine. Put him alongside Jacob and out of Ashley's orbit and he'll be fine. To me, Ashley is the worst character and should've been the first on the chopping block. The potential could be there, but I don't see them expanding on it. I find her to be a drip of a character and Jen Jacobs is not the strongest actress.

I don't mind Tomas. He's a classic, model-esqe soap actor with little ability. I feel like Tomas could be more interesting much like Ashley if they possibly did a personality shift on him. Both characters are one note and saccharine. If Tomas was a social climbing sl*t and owned it, he'd be more endearing.

14 minutes ago, NothinButAttitude said:

I don't mind Tomas. He's a classic, model-esqe soap actor with little ability. I feel like Tomas could be more interesting much like Ashley if they possibly did a personality shift on him. Both characters are one note and saccharine. If Tomas was a social climbing sl*t and owned it, he'd be more endearing.

Agreed that Tomas is very saccharine. It was glaring today when he was talking to Kat. I wanted to reach through the TV and put an energizer battery in his back.

4 hours ago, Liberty City said:

• It is very, very sweet that Andre is there to just hold Dani as she sleeps.

Andre, be still my heart 🥰 That's a man in love.

2 hours ago, ReddFoxx said:

Joey in the opening credits has me like.

Who is the heck is writing Joey Armstrong as some sort of sexy lothario? Nothing against Jon Lindstrom but it is unbelievable that Joey is as magnetic as the writing would try to convince us as being. It's also diabolical that we are going to see more of this character who uses Black men as brainless muscle to be ordered around. Not to mention, how Armstrong is portrayed as some sort of omniscient, omnipotent force who has all the agency in every situation, except with his new bleach blonde kitten Vanessa (they're both trash, at this point). Someone needs to challenge Armstrong's dominance and it ought to be the Feds (how is the actor who played Doug McBride doing these days? Wouldn't mind if Doug has been working with the Feds this entire time).

1 hour ago, Vee said:

Did we point out Colby going by "Colby Natasha Nixon" now in the opening?

I totally didn't even notice that! I know she got married in real life, but interesting to add the middle name in the mix.

Izaiah Hawthorne is another character that needs to be worked on. I don't sense the former badness that everyone accuses him of. I know he's supposed to be reformed but still. And maybe that's a mistake. Both Hawthorne brothers are do-gooders. There's no drama in that.