5 minutes ago, BetterForgotten said:

I think Leslie could easily pivot into being a Delia Ryan-type character - always an annoyance to the Duprees like Delia was with the Ryan’s, but over time, you get to see her develop her own life and independence, and even a fire romance with a Roger Coleridge-type character. She’ll always be her own worst enemy and make terrible decisions, but often with the right intentions.

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Edited 6 hours ago6 hr by Vanguardian53

That was such a good week. Now THAT'S how you do follow-up.

And next week promo's looks like it's just going to organically flow into that even more. And Andre/Dani/Bill snatching B story status outright (before moving back to the A story it should be) is the right move with the all the tornado aftermath/fallout taking up A story status this week and next.

Fingers crossed this means the writers have found their footing.

On 6/19/2026 at 10:55 AM, Aback said:

That was John F. Smith.

Oh yeah that’s right! Latham didn’t show up until around 2006 or 2007. How did John F. Smith get the OK to move forward with THAT story? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Re: breakdowns.

I have to agree with @Liberty City that Giddens’ breakdowns leave a lot to be desired. His scenes end abruptly (maybe the directing doesn’t help), they do not flow one into the other because he tends to jump from one story to the next. It seems to me he’s trying to give primetime maybe? Obviously failing at it.

On the other hand I disagree that the dialogue is good. On the contrary it’s often clunky and the exposition is just too much.

I also have issues with the format of the show: with the show featuring one big prominent family you get multiple scenes where family members are informed for the first time of the very same thing. Take Eva and all the scenes with Nicole, Anita and Vernon, Bill… We don’t need EVERYONE’s reaction to this. Sometimes things are just shared in the family group chat.

6-19

Now that was a good week. I love that they have continued to play out momentum in their stories. It feels like the writers have found a rhythm and working with it. For that, I am grateful. And what I really liked about this week was that there was a main story, a solid B story, and very little (but still there) C plotting. Which worked so well last week so good 'head, BTG!!!

It's kinda funny to me that there has been all this bother about Eva. But on the other hand, it really has produced some good and divisive drama. I again have to point out the foreshadowing last week of Kat being worried that because she and Eva were together at the time of the tornado that everyone was going to be anti-Kat and it's all her fault. And what happened? People were coming for her and not even allowing her a chance to breathe. But SHE'S selfish? Yeeeeah NOPE. TeamKat who has picked at her when she's been stupid. And this...especially given the timeline...felt realistic to me. I loved her talk with Ted in the stairwell. I loved Kat having a POV. I liked her talk with Anita on first viewing (I saw some notes in hindsight here that makes me want to rewatch the scene). I felt it was nice...even with everyone ganging up on her...that Chelesa, Dani (especially), Nicole (and more especially), and Anita had Kat's back. At least from my perspective. While it felt like everyone felt Kat would do the right thing, I did like the clear divide within the Duprees. And over EVA. It would be interesting to see if that divide will widen given the teaser of Next Week promo or will people not care. Divided Duprees...what a story idea!!!

And YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS to Andre/Dani/Bill. I believe everyone knows that I hated them being backburnered when they could be THE story. So I love that the story has come roaring back in as a solid B story after too long having Andre/Dani in the background and Bill/Hayley in a stalled storyline. And I knew that flashback episode was a good prologue/recap/reset to get things moving again. SO...Bill and Dani DID have sex. Uh oh. I've enjoyed the fallout from that. Dani/Vanessa scenes where Vanessa is VANESSA. Those Dani/Bill scenes on Thursday was a masterclass, echoing for me (and love the shoutouts in dialogue, too) to their very first scenes together where it felt like Timon and Karla were dancing and knew each other's steps. I had to just stop what I was doing and watch. Karla did such great work and some of her inflections just took me out. And Timon can play a prick one minute. Then he's doing longing the next. Just superb. And of course, Bill is going to toy with Andre. And I do live for Bill vs Andre. Just a mess. Since I felt the flashback episode was going to do what it did, I feel it's safe to say that now that Andre/Dani/Bill are running hot in storyline in a B story position, the writers should finally be building back up Hayley's poisoning plot in the next two weeks. But I am hoping with the cotillion as the main May storyline and the Y&R crossover/tornado as the main June storyline that Hayley Exposed is what's coming next as the main July storyline. Fingers crossed. That last scene of Hayley's this week gives me some hope.

In terms of C plot, I will not forget Krusty Rubber Ducky anytime soon. LOL. But whatever is going to happen with Deanna and Joey/Vanessa feels like it is going to be a slow burn. Same for Sarah Joy Brown Ashley Jones as the Impaler. I can only think this will drive people crazy cuz 1) it's Joey. and 2) Now he has family. He's too polarizing to have family. And especially how Joey was positioned during the Y&R crossover.

As much as others might not want to hear it...I think the Hawthornes is that second family. At least for now. So it was nice to see Darlene pop up. I know she said she wanted to try to have a truce with Silk Press Sheila. I hope that falls through. Sorry. Darlene vs SilkPress could work for a good while and is better than SilkPress vs Anita. It was also nice to get them all in the same room to support Izaiah.

I continue to like how Derek has not been forgotten.

To me, the show still seems obsessed with each week focusing on almost one story instead of doing what soaps used to do and give equal focus to multiple stories. While I enjoyed watching the Kat story this past week, we had almost no other stories going on except for an occasional focus on the Dani/Bill fallout and a bit of focus on Hayley's attempt to still be a con artist.

This is a telltale sign that MVJ hasn't quit shaken the stench of working for nepo Baby Bradley Bell at B & B.

In regards to breakdown writers, Jamey isn't the worst one on the show... Ron C was the worst breakdown writer with his ADHD esque tendency of 30 second scenes that made you suffer from a slight case of whiplash.

Jean P (former head writer of ATWT) was known for her breakdowns, it's a shame she and Lorraine Broderick aren't still active in the daytime scene to teach people how to do a proper breakdown .

Edited yesterday at 09:08 PM1 day by Soaplovers

25 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

To me, the show still seems obsessed with each week focusing on almost one story instead of doing what soaps used to do and give equal focus to multiple stories. While I enjoyed watching the Kat story this past week, we had almost no other stories going on except for an occasional focus on the Dani/Bill fallout and a bit of focus on Hayley's attempt to still be a con artist.

This is a telltale sign that MVJ hasn't quit shaken the stench of working for nepo Baby Bradley Bell at B & B.

In regards to breakdown writers, Jamey isn't the worst one on the show... Ron C was the worst breakdown writer with his ADHD esque tendency of 30 second scenes that made you suffer from a slight case of whiplash.

Jean P (former head writer of ATWT) was known for her breakdowns, it's a shame she and Lorraine Broderick aren't still active in the daytime scene to teach people how to do a proper breakdown .

Well that's funny to say giving how B&B is these days with its story rotation for the most part. Which ironically is how I've been feeling about this show the last few weeks. It hasn't felt scattered to me. If anything, the story with Kat and Eva has been allowed to breathe in all its forms...dare I say...beats? I wouldn't even say occasional with Dani/Bill...they have given solid fallout this week...which a B story should do. Moreso if you are not here for the Kat/Eva part of the story. And yet...Hayley...along with a few other stories...giving that C plot. But I also did my speculation on that part of the story. If anything it is all under the umbrella of the tornado fallout and it's been well-done to spread out the story wealth.

I don't think Jamey is the worst either. And to his credit...which most people should remember I rarely give him any...RC's only bad breakdown IMHO was his first one. I respect that he improved before he left. And his breakdown were the ones that were the most soapiest. I am aware that mileage might vary with some.

Be careful. Saying Jean P might bring out one of them crazy folk. ;P

I would adore if Lorraine was around.

The only thing Jean P is known for is being a hack. Keep her far away from this soap.

As a HW Passanante is a notorious, boring hack. Yet as a breakdown writer she has been praised to the heavens by cast and crew alike for decades.

But would I bring her out of retirement for this show? Not a chance.

Exactly!

It's interesting learning about how writers who are not good at one aspect can be brilliant at others. Until watching a soap from the very beginning like I have Beyond The Gates, I never thought about the writing hiearchy other than the head writer.

Definitely a fascinating discussion to be sure.

32 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

to his credit...which most people should remember I rarely give him any...RC's only bad breakdown IMHO was his first one. I respect that he improved before he left. And his breakdown were the ones that were the most soapiest. I am aware that mileage might vary with some.

I still haven't forgiven Carlivati for naming Eva and Thomas' favorite scifi romance author "Carl Ivati" with that name shown on the book cover.

This week's episodes were so good. I think Colby Nixon did stellar work and I felt Kat's dilemma.

Trisha Mann-Grant was also great this week, as was Karla Mosley.

BTG just keeps getting better and better.

I agree there should be variety and a rotation of stories, but there are times when it works for one story to take center stage for a week and that was the case for Kat's dilemma this week.

It was only a day or two in BTG time and it gave the opportunity to really delve into the nuance and implications.