Big Blue Plate

Adams is one of the best things on the show... I never got a sense she could act as well as she does during her prior runs.

So was Dina blurting about Ashley and Brent stuff a sign of dementia? Or was she just so thunderstruck she forgot herself? I recall Sally talking about the Dina Alzheimer's story. But she's been on so long maybe there was a change there. However, if Graham is about done, which he must be, they have to take the character somewhere and I guess we're still in Sally's arcs? That scene, though, was badly written and badly directed. It seemed muddled and imprecise... Graham's rationale was pathetic... he lost his beloved STEP FATHER! That's a switch. Usually it's the wicked step whatever. And when did Dina lure Brent Davis away again? That's retconning and not for the better. In fact if I recall she told someone she only ever saw Davis again when she returned in the eighties. And if I recall further she gave him her best nine irons before she hot footed it out of town originally (another bit of retconning... actually Dina was a bad girlfriend to Brent... she nine ironed him back in the day and then tried to shoot him upon her return... that woman's out of control.) And then Dina blathered about Ashley and Brent and no one seemed shocked... Traci might have got a gasp out in a blurry background shot. It was verging on classic Bell type layout but it lacked... the sure footedness (and slow speed) of the old days. It's amazing to me -and I imagine frustrating and painful to many others - that of all the underemployed actors in L.A., that the best they could come up with for Graham was that lump of wood. I mean, hot body and nice face but Jesus, he's like Yvonne Zuma in a silver fox.

Graham's scene would have been great if only the actor could act. The last time I saw something go that flat John Abbott left the show.

From a Sally interview, post firing: I wanted the show (and the genre) to be more topical; to do issues that were really affecting people's lives: example Dina Abbott's struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

Who's she going back as? She plays about fifty parts.

Also, I am good with Jack and Nikki. There are so many right things about it, starting with age. But I don't know where that leaves Phyllis... current morass aside, I like GT. I wish there was a good place for her. I don't know about the lesbian love story... I just have a hard time imagining it playing well - or be being played honestly - on Y&R. They used to like a good STD or sexual violence story but the nuance of gay? And women? I thought straight women often preferred gay romance between men? I have so little faith in the show to do it properly. But I gotta say the actresses are playing it well. There's chemistry. And I recall it was hugely popular on Guiding Light when they did it.

Thought Jack and Ashley were hilarious today... it was well written dialogue, well delivered by both. Davidson's facial expressions were hilarious. And loved those lines especially (paraphrasing) I ran into Victor today With your car, I hope.

I really prefer they don't waste Dina on a dementia storyline. They won't do it well and the disease doesn't deserve to prettied or made sentimental.

Finally (albeit in scenes for tomorrow) Nikki draws the (apt) comparison: Nick, you pulled a Victor. And thank God at last - this Dina beating her children storyline can only mean one thing: Cricket with a message all summer! (Am I alone in believing Marla Adams, against the odds, is one of the best actresses on the show right now?)

It's nice when the intern gets actual experience. A for effort, at least.

She also has a brief, amusing scene with her father. I giggled. She played it well. Victor even made me laugh with the curfew line about Ravi. They all played well today, except Abby. The young woman really is barely adequate. Thought Dina looked smashing. BTW - and I imagine you've all coped well - but sorry for dropping the ball on Friday... the week got away from me all weekend.

I laughed out loud when Kevin Voorhies returned to Case NotGothic. I was surprised yesterday when Paul was strolling down mental case lane and the destination turned out to be Ricky, not Patty. You know how Patty acts out when she's ignored.

You know I never bought the Sally has a lot to fix but lately I think the show is much better than it has been in a long time. Yet the numbers are down and more, seem to be declining, month over month. It's odd. For all I snark, I think it's pretty good across the board. Not perfect but a hell of a lot better than a year ago.

Peaches, I agree. There's nothing menacing. Particularly when you consider they recycled in the Abbott's hitherto unseen orangey yellow hallway. I wasn't sceered a bit.

It's the 4th and the GCAC is throwing a rooftop pool party to celebrate! So the show that goes on location for those exciting parking lot scenes and then up to a real rooftop quick quick quick to fake a fake park, decides to hold it's pool party on set, indoors so everything is cast in an oddly gray light. Let the fun begin! Open on Hillary, with her handsome if unimpressed man statue Jordan (who for some reason all this time I thought was called Marcus). She is seeing Mal's gray and raising it chill because she's cold as ice to Jordcus, who's persisting in any event. He is shirtless. He is cut. He seems unsnively - and more about Devonstar later... but enough for now that IMO Hillary should consider who she was banging and who she could be banging. Factor out a billion dollars or so and all things aren't equal. Downstairs, Devon and Neil are talking business, or what passes for it on Y&R. Neil announces he's planned all the way to Q4 and chief among his goals is to maintain a steady cashflow. Wow. Steady cash flow. Is there no end to his genius? Devon doesn't think so. He observes: Dad, you're the smartest businessman I know. Ruh roh. Can Dina get her money back? But anyway enough fussing with the till, it's time to par-tay! The only sad thing is Lily is so upset this 4th due to the machinations and reliable fertility of her erstwhile husband, Barnabas Collins II, whom neither Devon nor Neil think is a very nice man. And these guys understand the importance of cash flow, so really, human nature is like rolling out of bed. At Crimson Lights Sharon and Neanderthal are chatting about Nick's general suspicion that Scott is not necessarily... well, there's something that make Nick scratch his head. Sharon says things like please be happy for me, but what she really means is mind your own business, nobhead. On cue, enter Poldim (he being sort of Poldark light,) and he and Nick act macho about their wimminfolk. (Poldim has just had a long conversation with Paul, who proves again he is to detective work what Neil is to business, as he frets about Kevin's lengthy disappearance and then goes into confusing monologue about loving someone who is bad and can't be saved... I thought he meant Patty but it turned out he meant the son he shot and killed. Poor Paul... Detective Inspector Willy Loman when you think about it. Meanwhile, down in Louisiana, Chloe (the bad you cannot kill, apparently) and Kevin, are moaning about how bored they are locked up in Dr. Doogie Hoser's Sears Furniture Showroom house. Kevin's had it and he's gonna escape them all. But first he has to go get Ding dong, who is back in Genoa City being raised by? Esther? Gloria? Wolves? So back at the pool party, Devon and Neil show up, fairly stripped down, and while I fear Neil has lost some brain function to age, he's still stacking up in the stacked category. He and Devon and both sporting a series of tattoos and strutting about casing the joint in a vaguely Wild and Crazy Guys kind of way. And they're getting about as much action. I don't recall what becomes of Neil - so it wasn't a plot more - but for the balance of the episode Devon is seen in a variety shots (medium, close, fuzzy long) staring with jealousy at Hillary and Marcdan as they rub oil on each other. They've made up and its full steamy ahead. Because it's summer under gray skies. Elsewhere, Noah and Tessa find the road to love rocky because he's inarticulate and she's too willing to assume each half sentence means the end of that. I think they've found some level of happy confusion by the time their tedious scenes end but I wouldn't call the movers or a wedding planner. That's drama for ya. And at Coffee Central, in a timeworn cliche, Poldim decides Sharon is swamped - swamped I tell ya - with customers and he'll just step in. Well, doesn't he just learn his lesson about how hard it is to run a steam machine and make a coffee these days. He and Sharon do justice to Y&R's deft capacity for romcom dialogue... a highlight second only to the writer's authentic grasp of business. I'd quote some but I got so bored they are currently checking to see if I died. But the real kicker is down in Louisiana, where Doogie Hoser is apparently Dr. Demento. (That Victor sure can pick 'em! After Patty, you'd think when he hires somebody to enact one of his evil schemes he would ask for sanity references.) Turns out Chloe resembles Dr. Dorian Gray's long dead daughter. (she died in her twenties. In a car wreck. So like, he must have left out the teen pregnancy storyline (which being Y&R shocks me) because he's what... forty himself? Anyway, Chloe resembles his dead daughter - and not just because she's spent her fair share of time in a casket - so the good doctor wants to keep Chloe around all to himself. He even boops the end of her nose. Oh and by the way, he tells her, Kevin's not coming back because... cut to Kevin, driving along a deserted road (which so often characterizes the trip to the airport, I find) and suddenly... well there's a pop. I think it's a blow out. We'll have to tune in... well in about ten minutes at this end. That's drama. (I give them credit, the crazy doctor imprisoning somebody is pure soapy goodness... very retro... except why are they blowing on a character who is supposed to be leaving the bloody show? Sally and her Big Pen... breaking all the rules.)

So I think Billy Miller is a very problematic Billy Abbott because physically and acting wise, he's diminutive bar fridge man child who relies far too heavily on mugging to the camera and talks from the back of his mouth. I just find him very limited and think he only really works with AH. But there doesn't seem to be anything grown up about him.

TPTB are in a strange situation.... renewed for three more years yet sucking in the viewer department. It might just be a big enough stunt/coup to cheer up the big offices for a day. It might even work. It sure would get some buzz. But I agree... I cannot see BM with GT or Phyllis, so I assume she'd be written onto the fast train back to Jack if this comes to something.

I know she was a smoker - don't know if she still is - but I thought she just sounded like she had a cold or throat infection. Anyway, I also thought she looked great... she's plainly lost weight.... long time since she's been seen in anything but dark pants and sort of a flowing, loose jacket. The form fitting dress looked really good on her. She looked good.

For some reason I posted this in spoilers but sorry I deleted the Friday episode so can't babble about it this week.

Sorry, folks, for those who care (assuming anybody!) but I deleted my record of Friday so can't babble on it.

I am amazed it's been renewed for three years. One year I could see... TBH, given the ratings, I thought it was toast. The show just can't seem to get it right (though lately I have been enjoying most of it most of the time.)

You remember too! Lief Garrett! Robby Benson! THE BAY CITY ROLLERS!!!!! Calgon, take me away to Clariol Herbal Essence's garden of earthly delights.

Open on Phyllis, launching a scene so obvious and boring that what really caught my attention was how beat up her fridge was. Was Traci trapped in that condo once or is somebody shopping scratch and dent? Phyllis is wearing an odd, taupe polyester sarong of some sort. Which I note because it sure didn't come from Giorgio of Beverly Hills. At any rate, she and Billy are having a subtext conversation where Billy is worried about uber business woman Victoria and where Phyllis is saying all the right things but is actually grinding her teeth so hard there's a creaking sound gathering volume as the roots give way. She's telling Billy, sure you've got to support Victoria but her emotional health is not your responsibility any longer (translation: I'm worried your dick still thinks it's a boomerang.) Meantime Michael and Victoria (and Cane, but as ever he's barely worth mentioning except that he's acting canestipated again) are conversing about the litigation and Leslie's agreed to a rush to judgement process and basically don't worry about it... but Cane's worried. That shitpile of lies he's under is getting bigger all the time and it's going to be a hot summer. He bolts to break the news to his oddly close in age family. Au Jabot, Jack et That Girl are in one of those conversations where Jack talks really LOUD to show how much he CARES, MOTHER. He wants her home. He even says John barely changed the house just in case her roaming ended in Oz and she thought sepia was better after all. Even Dina, who's done a modest job of sucking up to her abandoned and still sore about it progeny, is kind of like: give me a break, Don Giovanni, I thought you guys hated me too much - because ya did! As is so often the case during important meetings, Jack has to leave for a meeting because momentum is nothing in winning an argument. Enter Gloria, who has, with Dina, one of the funniest scenes in awhile - but DINA owns it. She asks Gloria how long Jack's been sampling at Gloria's perfume counter. No judgement, Dina just seems to be curious/amused. She wants to know her son better. (I hope she's not going to go all Stephanie and Ridge, because, really, she's not going to learn much of value IMO when probing her son's sex life with his father's last wife. But then again, I'm not European and Dina is. Perhaps things are different there.) At the GCAC, Ashley is playing charming lady detective with the somewhat fey Graeme, who might well be playing charming femme fatale. Although if he was acting on Thursday, today I think he's given up again. Among the backstory she pries from him: his surname is Bloodworth. (Is it foreshadowing? Or is just a pull from the California Guide to Elegant Surnames for Writers Who Need to Get to the Beach?) As the scene unfolds and pops up throughout the show I am seeing signs of attraction between the two (although most days I think Graeme would do better with Michael Baldwin, all things considered.) But can it be true? Is this the love of her life that Ashley is slated for? Ravi was a benchwarmer for this? At Brash & Sassy Michael announces that a protective order is in place, so everything in the record will be sealed and off limits. Victoria rehearses her testimony. She's got her one word answers down. It's very exciting. And in a similar vein, Phyllis and Billy continue in a similar vein, where Phyllis won't admit she's worried and to make herself feel better, sends Billy off to have dinner with his kids at Victoria's house. I swear to God, if we get one more alcoholism storyline outta this... At Jabot, Jack has a moderate hissy when he finds out Dina got all the news she could stomach and tottered off to whatever interested her more... but Gloria has remained... re-delievering the last scene where she complained about the end of their pants off dance off. Ridge is more worried about Mom. Gloria thinks it's the 1940s... at least she's acting that way. After some more dame or moll whining and grimacing she wanders back to her desk, UNsatisfied. Hillary and that hunky guy are at GC Buzz where he dumps her. Or seems to. Like Hillary, me somewhat confused. So she texts Devon. Or maybe she texted Devon earlier. Anyway, Deon's going to come over. At the GCAC Graeme's long story continues. I can shorten it. Says he's midwest born, went to Paris after college it, loved it, stayed, had beautiful parents with a beautiful marriage until it wasn't And they're dead. He encourages Ashley to make the most of her time with Dina (I still can't get a handle on whether this means he knows time is running out or not.) Ashley is so moved - or possibly grateful he's stopped telling this long and exceedingly unexciting story - that she reaches out to TOUCH HIS HAND. (Bye, Ravi? And she didn't even Mrs. Robinson ya.) And now it gets good. Who's standing on the landing but Madame Mergeron, who shrugs or twitches. Not quite sure, because, commercial... And after the break, that was not a shrug that was SULKY STINK EYE. Dina's not happy. But she waddles over and pretends to be happy. Ashley heads back to Jabot. Dina heads to the bar. Plainly neither Ashley nor Graeme know what this lady can do with a nine iron when she's not having a good day. (I KNEW Sally with the Big Pen was making shit up as she goes but so far as I am concerned, this storyline is rapidly becoming one of the show's success stories... and it's got a 78 year old actress (with previously hidden talents) at the core of it! It's not clear who is up to what, it's not clear how it ends, it integrates and spills over into other characters while not always involving all of them in every aspect... I super love it.) Victoria and Billy seem happy that their forenamed -ie sounding children, Johnny and Katie - are AWOL. They chatter, largely so Victoria can assure him (and us) that "I am good at what I do." (Margaret Thatcher would say being powerful is like being a lady, if you have to tell people you are, you aren't. But Margaret Thatcher is not writing the Young and the Restless, for one reason in particular.) Devon and Hillary chatter, mostly about what a bitch Hillary is (even she thinks so.) She tells him I thought you were trying to control me. I realize now you were trying to protect me. You were my balance. You were my voice of reason. You're my touchstone, Emma. They hug. Not sure why. (Show, you can have enough of a good thing and too many triangles are actually a lot like real geometry, which many would FF through if they could.) At 1970s house, the hideously recast children lumber into the living room for a family meeting with the tortured Canestipation and Teen Mom Lily. Harriet Potter thinks they're acting weird. (Oh, honey, you're lucky these two are acting at all.) They revisit the problem du jour, leaving out the good bits through either total ignorance or cravenly self-serving omission. Harriet Potter, having invoked the word disgusting at some point (though she hasn't convicted) leaves to do more homework (and get away from Canestipation.) Teen Mom Lily runs after her, probably just to get away from another parenting scene at her young age. Back at oh-ho-ho central, Dina is grumpy - not Phyllisian insecure, I'll give you brain damage grumpy. What did Ashley want? Fishing, sez G, but fear not, I'm all yours, bebe. Dina refuses to let him kiss her hand and goes upstairs alone. Someone is the chien house. At Jabot, Jack and Ashley revisit the same scene, but Ashley's recall is different. Maybe the hand grab was just a lure, she's not waxing poetic. She's already asked Ravi to do an extensive internet search on Graeme - and worst news for Ravi, she asked off screen. Jack says they don't have time to scour the far reaches of the internet (About 6,950,000 results in 0.66 seconds notwithstanding) and decides they have to get to the bottom of it all, drive a wedge between Graeme and Dina and, given her smarts and cunning - plus she's "gorgeous" - Ashley's just the girl to call. Way to pimp out your own sister, Jackhole. Ignoring the tradition of the big finish and always leave them wanting more, the episode ends with Canestipation and Charlie. It was hugs and shit. Scenes for next episode: Jack to Gloria: Help me out here (clothes were on.) Everybody shows up for the depositions are what have you, presumably setting the scene for the sex bomb. Fun!)

Was Graeme actually, um, acting today? 'Cause, like, he seemed less like software.

So as penance for my endless snark I have to say I watched the whole episode today... I wasn't gripped the whole time but I found the dialogue for everybody was well written. I also though (UO territory here) I liked Phyllis taking a well argued run at Nick and I thought Chelsea performed well in her scenes.... I find her quite natural most of the time... she's a good soap actress. I also liked Mariah... she looked so pretty... and Noah's kinda beefed up. I want him to have some sessy time to see more. On the snark side I had this stray moment in the Septic Tank where I thought they should have hot male actors making out in the background, just to see if anybody noticed (it's Pride Month... Y&R needs to gay up a little)... and to whoever penned the line 'Explain it to me like I'm Lily'.... that's all that's in my head whenever I watch that woman lately.... so thank you, evil friend, come sit by me.