Captanne

True Confession Time: In the 90s, I was obsessed with the Canadian version of La Femme Nikita. God, that show was so good. BFF talked me back into GH after I had joined the military, been in the First Gulf War, and lost touch with US television. So -- La Femme Nikita as baggage -- I was introduced to Jason and Courtney and loved it. Just loved it. I still think it was a neat formula and (for a soap opera) they did it justice. Then, of course, the story went off the rails. But for a while there, I really enjoyed it. Therefore, I have a soft spot for Jason, his back story, and all the Corinthii. True dat. Anyway, I devolved into "favorite pairings" there for a second and that is not on topic. I will hopefully be able to watch today and will comment on that.

I call that "method" writing in reference to "method acting". It's all well and good as long as the fully fleshed-out parts of the characters you create are not necessary for understanding the character as written (motivation, for example.)

You make my point beautifully! That's a twofer -- two terrible smashes for one couple. LOL!

I'm not fond of anything "cutsie" so the name smashes fall flat for me, too. The absolutely worst one (imo) was "Liason" because they fucking misspelled the word liaison and you just know that wasn't intentional.

I find the actor who plays Michael seems to be fine -- he's good enough, the right age, and (for me) works well with the other ensemble around him (Carly and Sonny and Jason). I've missed most of his actual love affairs and child production, but it's amazing to me that he can't create chemistry with a single actress. Not a single one. Willow was Trying So Hard in one episode, I thought her lower lip was going to fall off from "sexy pouting". But, fizzle. That's too bad because that character needs to be primed to take over when Sonny is back-burnered 100 years from now. (Think Monica, Allan, Rick, the crazy blonde from that era, and all those other hotties from yesteryears. It's simply a fact that time will march on Benard and Sonny will be passe eventually). But, to do that, the actor playing Michael has to be able to create a family dynasty -- and to do that, he needs charisma. He seems to have it competently enough with everyone but Every. Single. Woman. They. Have. Paired. Him. With.

Some of the anvilicious treatment of Michael and Wiley I chalk up to the Exposition Fairy needing screen time. The story has to be somehow given to newbies so they understand that there is DRAMAH between Michael and the child. My issue is that (for some weird reason) I find Wiley to be one of the least likable babies on television that I've ever seen. Part of it is the creepy old man way they dress him. So I have a hard time caring at all.

Unfortunately all of this "fill in the blanks" between the aired show and the books by third parties (those of us here) and the fact that the aired show left so much out -- ADDED to the fact that French herself said she knew what happened to Jamie and Peter but "chose not to write it"* makes me think that French is not a very good novelist. It doesn't make me want to read her books, that's for sure. *She's quoted here just two entries above in this thread.

Weirdly, I kind of enjoyed Carly's very clear boundary laying speech to Gladys. In my old age, I have found that it really helps to be very clear about boundaries when someone oversteps them. I thought Gladys' comments about when and where a married couple in their own house have personal conversations was way out of line. It doesn't help, I suppose, that I have no idea who Gladys is.

Since I'm new to the mixed cast scenario (when they blended the casts is when I lost all interest and have only just returned to watching in the last year or so) -- I have no baggage with the other show's characters (the Ninas and the Evas and the floppy haired twin guy with the smoochy faces he makes all the time trying to look dramatic....) I only saw a little of the old Nina -- but, I have to say I like this one and I like the way she is playing the Valentin wedding debacle. For me, new to these folks, she is making the story grey rather than black and white. Nina is torn -- she is giving me the impression she really does have deep feelings for David Tenant, er, Valentin, but that she can only take so much betrayal. In this case, imo, the character giving me black/white is Jax who has reverted to his old "knight in shining armor" role. He's the supportive friend who understands her personal conflict and how hard this is for her to go through with (the wedding destruction and subsequent horrible scene with Valentin giving up Charlotte). He'll be a shoulder to cry on and the guy who makes up the sofa if she needs a place to stay for a while. Remember -- my eyes are looking at this purely in the moment with immediate history knowledge. No knowledge of Valentin from last year, two years ago, or any distance at all, really.

I think "manic" button might have been a typo on the Kindle for "panic" button? Because if it is, I'm stealing it forever. I love it. LOL These past few episodes have been amazing vehicles for GF and Laura -- she owns the role and is the heart and soul of the show for me. Lulu's actress just doesn't work at all for me and the comic interruptions (in delivery and in word) fell completely flat. Her running around trying to find Charlotte and then getting her back in the park was all unconvincing -- and, weirdly, I found myself rooting for Valentin because I like little Charlotte so much that I want her to get what she wants; which is, clearly, to stay with Valentin. I don't have the baggage with Valentin everyone here does so I don't have a built-in hate on for him and -- gotta admit -- he looks for all the world like David Tenant and I'm a Whovian from way back (Tom Baker's 4). No worries, if we see more of him, I'm sure I will learn to hate him. LOL But for now, I wanted Charlotte to stay with him. Bring on the judgment. ETA: I think NuNicholas is fabulous -- looks, acting, and chemistry.

I adore NLG and respect her in all ways. However, the Cassedine story goes back to Elizabeth Fucking Taylor and is rooted in the Luke and Laura mythology. Having voluntarily hitched her star to GH, one would think she would be grateful to be a part of that dynasty? Just saying.

For the record, I have ~always~ loved Laura. She really is, for me, the heart and soul of this show. I didn't see the hell rain down on Nicholas (whose recast I really like) but I did see the silent build up on Laura's face while he was telling his story. (I had to leave before the last fifteen minute segment yesterday). Boy, did I see it coming. And I smiled when she slapped him -- which is unusual for me because I'm not ordinarily one for physical violence. As for how annoying Lulu is? She certainly is and so is the actress. But yesterday's dialogue for Lulu in the Nicholas/Laura scene was so ridiculous it almost served as comic relief so I can only assume the writers are doing that intentionally. While I may want to feel sorry for the actress having to deal with that sort of writing......I really don't. She's a professional and should try to carry the role as it is written through her performance. So. Yeah. Both Lulu is annoying and so is the actress.

I think the kid playing Cameron can absolutely carry such a neat plot line as being attracted to Dev and Dev's having left Turkey the way he did to avoid being outed. I don't know if the Dev performer can but -- from what I've seen of the Cameron performer; he might be able to carry the tough scenes by himself. (I also wondered after watching today's scenes.)

As a long-time watcher (entered the GH world in 1982), I am appalled by the direction the Franco character has taken and am more disappointed with that thread in the plot line than any other. So, yes, I blink almost to the point where it looks like I had a stroke. Admittedly, I'm still trying to absorb the relationships that were all jangled up when the two casts blended, so I'm more vested in the Cassedine story than I am in the guy with the floppy brown hair from the other show who keeps playing twins. (It took me forever to figure out who Eva and Nina were/are and not to confuse the two).

OMG, I totally missed that. I just remember her driving off in the police car. [head desk]