57 minutes ago, Khan said:

You know, when you think about it, Cody/Molly is what you could expect from a third-rate YA novelist.

Lol! You aren't wrong.

2 hours ago, carolineg said:

If the show framed it like Molly was being ridiculous because TJ was basically her only partner (I'll ignore the Brando situation for now) I could maybe understand. She was with TJ since she was practically a child so I can grasp that angle. However, she doesn't seem to be mourning the loss of her relationship or her child and is just being neurotic Molly because the show thinks it's cute or something.

I tend to get Cody's reluctance since the last person he dated was his cousin lol.

The TJ aspect isn’t even played at all which is ridiculous. His child died and they literally disappeared him.

12 hours ago, carolineg said:

don't think you are in the minority. TJ/Molly were fine. They didn't get much to do for most of their run. There really wasn't much to dislike lol. I always liked Haley's Molly and both Tequan and Tahj as TJ. I am more irritated they ditched the pairing and TJ once they finally got something to do. TJ and Molly working through their problems after so many years together would be far more entertaining than Molly and Cody acting like dumb teenagers.

Awww well that makes me feel better. But isn't that how it always goes before a character or couple leave re: they get interesting. I am still sad the story was so dismantled when the aftermath still had so much more traction to it. Totally agree that them working on their problems (and still could have thrown Cody into that...and to be delicious since someone mentioned it back then...let's throw Lucas into that with TJ) would be more entertaining than Dumb Teenagers Misadventures.

10 hours ago, Rocket Man said:

Love love love love Rick Hearst's Ric Lansing. Just wished he would be paired up with either Liz, Ava or someone. He does have chemistry with almost everyone on the show which a lot of actors do not have. It takes charisma, talent and character to have it.

That he does. Chemistry with EVERYONE. Fits in anywhere on the canvas. His presence writes itself. Rick Hearst has it in spades.

11 hours ago, Khan said:

V.O.:"Valerie Bertinelli is a grandma who learns her days as a mom aren't THAT far behind her! In 'All Over Again,' coming this September to Peacock!"

HAHAHAHAHA

10 hours ago, Antoyne said:

Ava and Ric didn’t truly get a fair shot. They’re literally perfect for each other so of course the show said nah.

Not at all. And did add on Liz and it would have been a mess to boot. So can't have that.

7 hours ago, Khan said:

You know, when you think about it, Cody/Molly is what you could expect from a third-rate YA novelist.

Same.

5 hours ago, Antoyne said:

The TJ aspect isn’t even played at all which is ridiculous. His child died and they literally disappeared him.

Just smh.

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

Awww well that makes me feel better. But isn't that how it always goes before a character or couple leave re: they get interesting. I am still sad the story was so dismantled when the aftermath still had so much more traction to it. Totally agree that them working on their problems (and still could have thrown Cody into that...and to be delicious since someone mentioned it back then...let's throw Lucas into that with TJ) would be more entertaining than Dumb Teenagers Misadventures.

That he does. Chemistry with EVERYONE. Fits in anywhere on the canvas. His presence writes itself. Rick Hearst has it in spades.

HAHAHAHAHA

Not at all. And did add on Liz and it would have been a mess to boot. So can't have that.

Same.

Rick Hearst is quite literally a chemistry magnet. Like you literally can slot him with anyone and it works. I honestly just ignore most of Ric’s misdeeds because I love Rick Hearst so much 😂

1 hour ago, Antoyne said:

I honestly just ignore most of Ric’s misdeeds because I love Rick Hearst so much 😂

Now if you could do the same for Sonny runs

1 hour ago, Antoyne said:

Rick Hearst is quite literally a chemistry magnet. Like you literally can slot him with anyone and it works.

He really is. So is Maura West. So it's just crazy how they are usually put in C plots. You can use both ANYWHERE. Heck, I can say the same for Cynthia Watros on the current canvas.

6 hours ago, Taoboi said:

He really is. So is Maura West. So it's just crazy how they are usually put in C plots. You can use both ANYWHERE. Heck, I can say the same for Cynthia Watros on the current canvas.

You know I think Cynthia Watros is hit or miss. She had the best chemistry with Drew, was okay/decent with Sonny/Valentin, and had no chemistry with Jax. I know no one cares about Jax, but I was one of the few people that actually liked Nina/Jax when Stafford was in the role. That was probably the only time I didn't mind Stafford's Nina. To CW's credit, I am pretty amazed she's kept Nina going for so long on the canvas.

10 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I know no one cares about Jax, but I was one of the few people that actually liked Nina/Jax when Stafford was in the role. That was probably the only time I didn't mind Stafford's Nina. To CW's credit, I am pretty amazed she's kept Nina going for so long on the canvas.

I thought Watros would be a hit with Ingo back then. Didn't happen but tbh I was barely ever watching at that time.

Stafford I could never tolerate in the role, but Nina has always been a very weak character sketch Ron and Frank only brought on so they could say they had Michelle Stafford (see also: Budig/Hayden). Watros makes her watchable via sheer commitment and the force of her wild personality, and I've enjoyed Nina much more post-Sonny. But I'd still usher her out soon enough, maybe after a meaty role in some Willow stuff. Maybe give her a happy ending with some dude, who knows.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Vee

1 minute ago, Vee said:

I thought Watros would be a hit with Ingo back then. Didn't happen but tbh I was barely ever watching at that time.

Stafford I could never tolerate in the role, but Nina has always been a very weak character sketch Ron and Frank only brought on so they could say they had Michelle Stafford (see also: Budig/Hayden). Watros makes her watchable via sheer commitment and the force of her wild personality, and I've enjoyed Nina much more post-Sonny. But I'd still usher her out soon enough, maybe after a meaty role in some Willow stuff. Maybe give her a happy ending with some dude, who knows.

I actually thought Watros and Ingo would work well too. They looked good together. Ingo did strike out with love interests more often than not. He was lucky he worked well with the most important two.

I wonder how Watros would have done with her own character. Nina's backstory is so hard to overcome.

Stafford played Nina like a cartoon and she's not my cup of tea, but she did really have to play out the wackiest parts of Nina's ridiculous baggage. For a few years it felt like the show kept piling more insanity on top of an already insane entrance.

As far as Budig, that should have worked better than it did. I often forget she was ever on the show unless her brat started to sing.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by carolineg

10 minutes ago, carolineg said:

As far as Budig, that should have worked better than it did. I often forget she was ever on the show unless her brat started to sing.

I often do. Yet people try to convince me Hayden was some indelible, important character. Sure! She was reheated Greenlee at best, and weaker.

Just now, Vee said:

I often do. Yet people try to convince me Hayden was some indelible, important character. Sure! She was reheated Greenlee at best, and weaker.

I recall wondering why Violet called her dad's girlfriend "Aunt Liz" and then was like...oh. I guess she is.

I don't think the idea of bringing Liz's sister back was bad. You had Sarah already in existence. You could have made Budig Sarah. I don't know how believable RB would have been as a Dr, but it can't be worse than believing Van Hasis is.

I don't know how anyone could think Hayden was important. The show didn't. They left a bunch of her stories hanging when she left and I am still not sure why she doesn't come and collect her child from alcoholic Finn (off screen of course).

3 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I don't know how anyone could think Hayden was important. The show didn't. They left a bunch of her stories hanging when she left and I am still not sure why she doesn't come and collect her child from alcoholic Finn (off screen of course).

A subsection of fans liked Budig and some of them were desperate for ME to have any remotely viable pairing (they weren't interesting). That's about it. The same people who think Finn and Liz were great.

IMO Budig was an obvious shoo-in to play Sarah but they stupidly didn't do it. I suspect again they thought the role was not 'edgy' or new enough for a star like her, which was also allegedly part of Ron and Frank's reasoning for not casting Roger Howarth as either Steve Webber or Tom Hardy in 2013 vs. Franco.

Pretty sure Budig pissed Frank off, hence her multiple abrupt exits. Maybe money.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Vee

Ava and Nina are both something of a struggle for me, but when she gets the chance I think Watros can find more of a real person in Nina, whereas Ava, outside of some nice moments with her female friendships, is all artifice.

1 minute ago, Vee said:

A subsection of fans liked Budig and some of them were desperate for ME to have any remotely viable pairing (they weren't interesting). That's about it. The same people who think Finn and Liz were great.

IMO Budig was an obvious shoo-in to play Sarah but they stupidly didn't do it. I suspect again they thought the role was not 'edgy' or new enough for a star like her, which was also allegedly part of Ron and Frank's reasoning for not casting Roger Howarth as either Steve Webber or Tom Hardy in 2013 vs. Franco.

Pretty sure Budig pissed Frank off, hence her multiple abrupt exits. Maybe money.

Budig was probably ME's best pairing, but that's not saying much.

Sarah wasn't terribly well defined after two fairly brief stints years ago. You could have worked around Budig's strengths and basically molded a new Sarah. I don't think Budig herself would have been against it. Sarah is a built-in legacy character and wasn't she rumored to be in the running for an (imaginary) Brenda recast?

Makes sense she pissed Frank off. Her exits have always been abrupt and the dialogue about Hayden since she left has been very negative.

I think the difference with Ava is that at core she is a villain and a very arch, cynical personality. When they try to domesticate her it rings false for me because that is not who she is or how she's meant to function. From the very first day she appeared she has been right on the edge of high camp. That's not a bad thing IMO because Maura ate the role alive with gusto at that time and often still does, but the writing struggles to keep up with who she is. Which is part of why her being relegated to C-story is tedious for me.

Just now, carolineg said:

Sarah is a built-in legacy character and wasn't she rumored to be in the running for an (imaginary) Brenda recast?

The version I heard was that FV considered making her Robin in 2014-15 despite Kimberly regularly being available and it being RC stalling out that story lol. High on their own supply (if it was true). No one would've tolerated that, though Daytime Confidential and a couple others dutifully tried floating the trial balloon for him. This was in the dying days when Jamey, etc. kept running interference for Frank and Ron gushing about all their star hires like Stafford and so forth, up until FV shivved Ron and suddenly they all began to admit the stories and characters hadn't worked.