[Challenger: The Final Flight]

I went into this series only knowing basic facts related to the Challenger disaster. I wasn't born until the end of 1986, so my knowledge of the event wasn't very thorough, and mostly involved the hype surrounding Christa as a teacher in space. This series helped provide a broader framework of the Space Shuttle program in general and what the Challenger and its crew meant to the American public. NASA's bill of sale touting the Space Shuttle program as something explorative and accessible, opening space up to ordinary civilians and inviting them to watch every step of the journey, made the Challenger launch into a cultural milestone. There was a frenzied anticipation obvious in every bit of footage leading up to the big day. Even if the explosion hadn't happened, this would still have been a moment in history we'd be discussing today, only in terms of triumph instead of tragedy.

It's appalling to know that the engineers knew full-well of the issues with the o-ring, knew the problem the cold temperature posed, and that still wasn't enough to sway NASA to delay the launch. The distant stance NASA took during the investigation of what went wrong is beyond belief. Larry Mulloy, in particular, is a disgrace for not owning up to his knowledge of potential catastrophe at the time, and for his unwillingness to admit to this day that he prioritized the Space Shuttle schedule and promise of glory over the safety of the crew.

There's no way to watch coverage of that morning without feeling a pit in my stomach. The cheery optimism and confidence, vanishing in 73 seconds. Seven bright, passionate souls with so much unfulfilled potential, gone in an instant. It's simply devastating, and it didn't have to be.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

The timeline of this week's episodes is driving me nuts. It was late enough in the evening for Avery to go to bed, wake up from a nightmare and go catch fireflies, and then wake up AGAIN and go Nancy Drew-ing outside and find the lost half-heart necklace (hire this girl at the PCPD, y'all). Yet it couldn't have been too late since Alexis and Diane were eating salads at Kelly's yesterday like it was dinnertime. And Brando was at Turning Woods for a while and still had time for a full nine-inning baseball game with TJ and then hang out for drinks afterwards. We joked about how long it took Mike to bite it, but seriously, how long is this night?

I like Brando, and I'm willing to forgive the age difference between him, Molly, and TJ (though Molly most definitely needs to chill) as those are about the best options for friends he has right now. I'll take Brando + Molly/TJ over Brando + Sam/Carly any day of the week and twice on Sundays, please and thank you.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

FINALLY. Though I think if we had to have Angelic Courtney leading Mike into the light, then we could have skipped that cheesy as fuck butterfly effect. Anyway: good night, Mike. Travel well.

How typical that Mike had barely been dead five minutes before Jason was bending over backwards to tell Carly how amazing and special and selfless she's been through all this. I don't know if it's my TV or what, but Jason's face has looked ashen as all hell during these scenes, and he honestly looks more corpse-like than Mike, and it's terribly distracting.

Well, well, well, Ava must have taken Nikolas for quite a ride for him to have such a rapid change in attitude towards her. I still don't like him and think Ava would be better off without him, but I won't lie, it was nice to see Ava happy today, hanging with her kid and having a moment of peace with Nikolas.

So I guess Alexis has drawn the short straw and gotten stuck with the sudden-onset medical emergency story this show is so fond of giving us, because hey, GH is ostensibly a medical drama, right? Except it seems cruel to saddle Alexis with this when she's also reeling from finding her dead lover in her bed. Couldn't we just have revisited Bobbie's diabetes and let Alexis catch a damn break for once?

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

...You mean to tell me that after all that, Mike still ain't dead yet? I mean no disrespect to the character, and certainly not to the actor, but man oh man I've had my fill of the Corinthos gang sniffling and mourning and closing ranks to support one another. A whole episode devoted to them with no other stories to balance things out was way, way too much for me. Plus, today's episode was heavily focused on the afterlife and the certainty of "a better place," and that kind of sudden spirituality feels forced coming from characters who have shown us time and again they're devout to Sonny Corinthos and their own self-interests over anything else. 

I guess the show does get credit for portraying the excruciating timewarp that occurs when you know the end is inevitable and you can't do anything but wait for it to come. But we've now heard from all the pivotal characters and the longer this drags on, the more it feels like grandstanding. 

[S10.E03: Blood and Water]

Jesus fucking christ, Briana. How many times do we gotta go over this???

Who gets an STI test and immediately continues to have unprotected sex? The girl who represents a TV show that purportedly strives to have a dialogue with teens about sexual health, that's who. She's a slow-moving trainwreck and a giant example of what NOT to do if you value your health and sense of personal decency. I'm embarrassed on her behalf and on my own for watching this mess.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

I think I would have preferred it today if the show created memories of Joss and Mike for her to reflect back on instead of showing us multiple versions of a future where Mike's still living. We already know Mike's going to miss milestones in Joss and everyone else's lives; dressing her up in a wedding dress to hammer home the sentiment is too cliché for me. As good as Max Gail's acting is, these scenes were underwhelming and way too Josslyn-centered. (Side note: has Kristina been mentioned at all lately, even in passing? This is her grandpa dying, too.)

Hey, Britt! Thank you for recognizing how Monica and Bobbie are 100% culpable for their actions and for questioning the ethics of their supporters!!

I hope however Liz and Franco's scheme to play Nikolas and Ava shakes out (it seems safe to say that's what's happening here), Nikolas winds up eating shit. He's so dismissive of Liz's marriage, whereas Ava has the grace to admit she doesn't actually want to jeopardize Franco's relationship, despite enjoying getting close to Franco.

As I've been typing this post Joss is STILL TALKING. Move over, Carly Jr., Mike has other family who might like to squeeze in a moment with him if you're done monopolizing a dying man's time with your idealistic fantasies.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

I think Brick popping in to tell us that Sonny's amazing is almost worse than seeing Sonny being fawned on directly. Dude has zero personality outside of being a Sonny and Carly sychophant and today's scenes were especially tedious.

I'd watch a whole hour of Julian and Ava cat-burglaring together, y'all. Love that she pulled the fire alarm when the text message failed. And Ava making nice with Portia was much appreciated; am I alone in thinking there was chemistry between them? I would totally welcome the show letting Ava explore a different facet of her sexuality.

Sorry, Sam, you don't get to make entitled, self-centered decision after decision and come through with a flimsy "oops, my bad." Not buying it at all.

I worry about Alexis holding on to her sobriety and really hope the show doesn't make her full on relapse. It doesn't help that her primary support system is her toxic ex and her bitchy daughter (RIP to her friendship with Jax, since it seems nonexistent these days). NLG is very good at playing Alexis in misery, but man, I wish she didn't have to.

[S10.E02: About Last Night]

I watched TM2 last night for the first time in probably a year, and I realized it didn't even matter that I've been gone for so long, these people never change. Briana: still clueless and still making trashy decisions (sex with Luis without a condom? GIRL). Kail: still creating drama with her kid's father like its her job, for no reason at all (a 10 year old needs to see his dad regardless of it being "boring," Kail, stop treating Jo like he's inessential here). Chelsea remains the most stable mom but with a slightly unlikable air of superiority, Leah is doing the best she can with her child's health problems, and Jade REALLY needs to cut out Sean's dead weight before she sinks into disrepair right alongside him. I might keep watching to see how the show covers Kail's pregnancy, but I don't know, man, the whole production continues to feel sad and exploitative of the kids' highly sensitive personal business.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

If Neil died of a drug overdose, then are we supposed to suspect it was a forced overdose courtesy of Cyrus Renault? That fits with his methodology, though the timing of it seems impossible since Neil was safely at Alexis' place getting busy. I'm really glad Alexis has Finn to lean on; even when we don't see them that often, their scenes always display the warmth of a true friendship.

I nearly threw my TV remote across the room at Sam suggesting Brando staged his beating, though LOL at Jason having to patiently explain to her why that was dumb. I actually don't mind having Brando around anymore, but man does it stink having Sam inserted into his stories. I guess now that she doesn't have a parole officer to harass, Brando is the unlucky recipient of her attention.

What's a person like me supposed to do when I hate smug Peter but find Spinelli equally loathsome? Who do I root for here?? Yeah, Peter's a manipulative phony, but Spinelli is a meddlesome creep who REALLY needs to stop surveilling people without their consent. I wish Maxie would tell them both to shove it and put her focus on her kids and career instead of being weighed down by these obnoxious men.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

My GOD do I hate Sam. Did she think Valentin freakin' Cassadine would have no ulterior motives in cutting her a deal? Her sanctimonious attitude is insufferable. It is not Valentin's fault that she's too dumb to see beyond the tip of her nose, and besides, it's clear she doesn't really care about anything other than Jason anyway. 

Alright, we're finally doing the Michael and Willow thing, I guess. This is a pairing that might actually benefit from the COVID no kissing restrictions; it's all wholesome family schmaltz and none of Chad Duell trying to generate passion. 

Dammit it to hell, show, I said to kill NELLE, not NEIL. Why can't Alexis have more than a fleeting moment's happiness?? This sucks.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Well, today sure was special in all the wrong ways. Nelle makes the very cogent point that Michael sees himself as morally superior to her while also having the mob at his beck and call, and we roll right past it. Carly lies her ass off that she ever gave Nelle a chance (when? Fucking WHEN, Carly?) and gets her moment of glory telling Nelle this is ALL. HER. FAULT. And then the coup de grâce, Carly reaching to help save Nelle (because she's all magnanimous like that), only to watch Nelle tumble to her death/whatever purgatory exists for villains before they pop back up to commit more acts of wickedness. Except this time, I wish Nelle could truly stay dead and spare me any more of this repetitive, one-note nonsense. Over. It.

And meanwhile, the police are nowhere to be seen during this showdown, save for Jordan hanging out at her desk with little to no urgency for the situation. Though I guess if this whole thing had to be handled by civilians I'm grateful it was Jax there supporting Michael instead of Sonny or Jason. He's much more competent and just as believably paternal toward Michael, and I like the show giving him a part here. Otherwise, this was trash.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Sonny muscling his way to Brook Lynn's bedside to pump her for information was so painfully Sonny, i.e. painfully obnoxious. It could be argued that time is of the essence here, but she just woke up from surgery, I think she needed more than two minutes with her dad before recounting her trauma. The actress playing Brook Lynn did do a pretty good job with her mostly non-verbal material today, though.

And Sonny pulled the same in-your-face act with Taggert as soon as Taggert opened his eyes, too! I hope Taggert tells Sonny that him being alive is about as big a mystery as how a coffee importer is always squarely at the center of every crime in town.

"We've had the tracker on us the whole time." You know, for someone who planned reuniting with her son the whole time she was in prison, complete with vision board, Nelle sure is bungling things at the eleventh hour. The writers are, too; the court case, the arranged marriages, and now the abduction have all been a giant snooze. If Michael gets interesting and murders Nelle tomorrow in a fit of rage (hey, a girl can dream) then I'll revise my opinion, but as of now this story is a huge flop.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Who knew that singing a ballad while playing the piano was the truest sign of vulnerability and sincerity, and that would be enough to cloud Nina's judgment and put Valentin back in her head? Everyone knew, because Nina is very, very dumb and very, very easy when it comes to Valentin. Get it TOGETHER, woman, please.

Really wish Liz hadn't gone quite so starry-eyed at Nik starting a foundation in her name. Sure, it's nice, but ultimately it's him tossing around a small bit of his considerable fortune just to get back in Liz's good graces, and it shouldn't be this easy. If he wants to bring Hayden safely back to town to her daughter and sister, then we'll talk.

How is Julian kidnapping Wiley any better than Sonny finding out that Julian conspired from the beginning to keep Wiley away from his family? What in the world, Julian. Poor Monica, she and her Group Home for Invisible Children don't deserve to have their sanctity violated like this.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

I have to say, using the Nurses' Ball as a telethon for frontline workers is a pretty cool way of acknowledging the current pandemic while still keeping the characters in a COVID-free bubble. It's a nice way to show support and compassion for current events without going to the extreme of making the characters wear masks or worry over sickness. And the whole telethon being Carly's idea is hilariously on-brand for GH; gotta make sure everyone understands that Carly is the best, smartest, most marvelous creature to ever call PC home!

Fucking AGAIN with Sam riding Brando's ass? Girl, please. There's no justification for the relentless attitude she shows him when he so much as breathes the same air as her. 

If we keep spinning on this Nik/Ava and Franco/Liz merry-go-round for much longer, I'm gonna puke. I don't think the writers have any clear idea what they're doing here and it shows. It's so poorly-plotted, and maybe I'm projecting, but the actors don't seem terribly into it, either.

Chant it with me, y'all: Tag-GERT, Tag-GERT, Tag-GERT! And I spied Trina in the previews, too!

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Annnnnd Michael finds out he lost his job and control of his family's company without so much as a bat of the eye. WTF, man. He is truly more Corinthos than Quartermaine if he's not even slightly pissed off that ELQ is in the hands of Valentin Cassadine of all people.

I hate that the show waited until the very end of the episode to reveal to Sam the mess she helped facilitate. Though Michael's careless response to the situation kind of undercuts any angst or guilt Sam should feel. That's it, show, give her a reason to continue only thinking of herself and what's good for her.

God, I need Ava to pull a Carole Baskin on Nikolas' ass once and for all. What an enormously unlikable waste of space he's amounted to.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

So Nelle lost the custody case today (no surprise there) and I can't get over how relatively subdued the whole thing was. Carly's smug sense of entitled victory was not nearly as strong as she's capable of providing, and Willow's comment that Nelle chose revenge over motherhood was truthful and fair. I'm still sick to death of Michael and Willow and wanted Nelle to at least win visitation, but still, the assessment of her today was accurate and much less harsh than I expected.

Poor dumb Sam grinning her head off at being free from Dolores, having no clue her actions have led to Michael losing his job. I hope Jason breaks her heart and tells her he'd rather have Dolores keeping them apart than have anything mess up the stability of Michael's life. We all know he'd easily chose a year away from Sam if it meant protecting Michael.

I loved Valentin's "well yes, OBVIOUSLY" head nod when Lucy voted with him. This ELQ takeover is much more fun than I anticipated, and is really the story I'm most into at the moment. Bring on the reign of Valentin (and please, please let Michael cry when he finds out he's been booted and is no longer the Quartermaine savior).

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

It really is a shame that a stronger actress playing Sam can't alleviate the shitty, shitty writing for her. Berating Brando about Jason's accident without a shred of evidence AND dragging up the Molly stuff was totally unnecessary. She's also an absolute fool for trusting Valentin with her kids' legacy just so she can stay close to Jason, when the alternative was simply playing by the rules of her parole for another year or so. Truly an idiotic and selfish move by her today.

Julian trusting Ava enough to confide his secrets to her was good to see. Julian's hair: it's gonna be a no from me, dawg. And oh, how I've NOT missed Nikolas taking verbal jabs at Ava and cozying up to Liz. The whole situation still sucks.

Since everyone used the word "reputation" 50 times in a row to describe the Cyrus business, looks like I'm going to have to spend the afternoon listening to reputation by Taylor Swift. Thanks for the inspo, GH. Seriously, though, is Jordan being in Cyrus' pocket any worse than her or any other cop showing leeway to Sonny or Jason? They ALL get away with murder, quite literally, so I don't know that it's fair of Curtis to judge Jordan's dealings with Cyrus as inexcusable yet put trust in other members of the mob without issue.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Jesus Christ it was hard to take Carly and Sam patting themselves on the back today for single-handedly holding down their families while Sonny and Jason freely run around committing felonies. Like, congratulations for staying in relationships with selfish partners and tolerating the circumstances that make you the sole "backbone" for your kids. Very cool of you to ignore the threats and the danger and the arrests and give tacit approval for the mob business superseding all else. Totally normal and admirable behavior, right here.

And Sam saying that chasing after Shiloh was her way of reclaiming the Sam she was before she had kids was really pathetic, because that's a dilemma Jason won't ever understand and Sam won't expect him to. He hasn't given up anything to be a stable parent to Danny and Sam KNOWS that. She KNOWS that as much as Jason may love her kids he isn't ever going to be a full-time, day-to-day parent to them, and she finds that acceptable. It's sad, really, how Sam holds herself up as so strong without holding Jason accountable for all the ways he lets her and the kids down.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Lindsay Hartley was more energized in her first five minutes on the show than Kelly Monaco has been in the last five years. And in that brief conversation with Jason she showed actual feelings. Can we keep her? She needs to swing by GH and see Portia while she's here, too. (RIP, Passions.)

The show repeatedly has Nelle highlight the discrepancy between her public image and that of Carly or Nina's, despite their similarly checkered pasts, and then just...lets that unfair treatment continue. Everyone unabashedly points the finger at Nelle and refuses to believe she can change, and that makes me root for her all the more. 

Estate planning with Jason is a discussion that's just now coming up? I'd think after the first "death" and five missing years of his life he'd be locking that shit down, but what do I know. Carly as power of attorney makes sense based on their super-duper extra-special bond, but like...Robin. That's all.

Martin's careless shrug at the mention of Pine Valley gave me a chuckle. I like when the show successfully gives a wink to breaking the fourth wall. 

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

DANTE! Too bad he's stuck in a dingy cell with the tiniest stub of a pencil imaginable, but still: DANTE!

I liked Ned and Olivia's fight; it felt genuine from both sides how they've hit this roadblock in communication. It's also really nice to see a marital squabble that does NOT center around Sonny and Carly.

Again, Jax is in a room simply to remind Nina how awesome she is. *sigh*

Nelle losing her shit in the middle of court to prove how "passionate" she is about Wiley was fucking delightful. Man, how I've missed this daily hour-long reprieve from reality.

[The Baby-Sitters Club - General Discussion]

I sat down this afternoon planning to watch a few episodes of this show and wound up bingeing the whole thing. No regrets; the show pulled off a modern spin on the wholesome heritage of the books in a seriously impressive way. A lot of credit goes to the young cast, who were all likeable and engaging as individuals and full of chemistry as a group. But I think what I appreciated most was that this didn't seem like a reboot standing solely on the legs of nostalgia. The nods to history were nice (Claudia's see-through phone purchased from Etsy was especially cute), but the show has its own voice and perspective for an audience in 2020 and beyond. It blended the memories of the book series with just the right amount of adapted elements to turn this into something unique; a creation where the characters feel comfortingly familiar but still utterly relevant to kids discovering the BSC for the very first time.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Oh, JULIAN. Listen, though, him marrying Nelle is arguably one of the least contentious moves he's made in service of covering his own ass, especially since Nelle did thoroughly put the screws to him (as thoroughly as one can in GH's la-la land of justice, anyway). Plus I'd like to think he was partly motivated on Wiley's behalf, since he's always cared about his well-being. I also prefer the dynamic between Julian and Nelle over the dynamic he has with Brook Lynn, so this union has that going for it, too. And there's no denying that it is DELICIOUS seeing Carly and Sonny clutch their pearls that a marriage was leveraged as judicial capital, how outrageous. As if Julian cares that their opinion of him has been docked another negative 5 million points due to this marriage, please. Adjust your scorecard accordingly and move it along, Sonny.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

It is so damn satisfying that just when Carly/Michael/Willow/Diane thought they had served up a game-winning ace to close out this tennis match with Nelle, she lobbies the ball right back at them with absolutely no fear. I've never enjoyed Nelle more, honestly. She is the cockroach that refuses to be squashed under the heel of the almighty Corinthos, and despite her general unhinged tendencies,  the show has actually managed to make a case for her POV and her right to be in Wiley's life. And I'm willing to look past some of her awfulness just because her shenanigans are WAY more fun to watch than the endless angst train that everyone else in this story is riding. And not only was today's wedding reveal spectacular (can't wait to find out the groom's identity), but it can't even be used against her without the acknowledgment that Michael is guilty of the exact same stunt. Loving. It.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

"Jason would die for you, but his first priority is my dad and Carly." Welp, it's about time someone had the guts to tell it like it is, and finally Kristina's hot-headed Corinthos tendencies paid off in my favor. Between this stellar line and her dig about Sam only preferring a safe life when she was with Drew, I'd gladly pick up her tab at Charlie's for the next month. After the harsh way Sam has treated Alexis, her parole officer, Brando, and now Kristina, she deserves to get real comfy with the ugly reality that she and her children will never, ever, be Jason's true family. He'd drop her like a hot potato to go count to ten with Carly and deep down Sam knows it. But she's settled for her spot on the fringe of Jason's orbit and she'll defend it endlessly, regardless of the fact that it comes at her own expense and especially at the expense of her kids. No wonder she's so miserable all the time; her life is so far from ideal and it's all because of her dependency on a relationship that's never been fully functional.

[Episode Discussion II: The TFGH]

Nikolas and Ava's marriage has been such a six pack of nothing that I no longer care what happens between them, and using Spencer as an impetus for divorce is awfully weak sauce. There's been no scandal, no sex, no oomph at all for the past five months, and this letter from Spencer all the way in France is the icing on the meh cake. (Though I did love the detail of him referring to Ava as a "turncoat." That is 100% vocabulary Spencer would use.)

Franco emphasizing it was 10 years since his serial killer craze made me realize this is my 10 year anniversary of regular GH viewing, and I can't believe I've put up with this guy's whining for so long. No, Franco, helping to put away all the Ryan Chamberlains in the world won't erase all the truly heinous stuff you did. That stuff still MATTERS, despite where you are in your life now and what you've done since then.

Holy shit, Sam, pulling the "everyone is responsible for my actions except me" attitude against your own sister, the cult survivor. It's like every day she finds a new creative way to outdo herself at being the absolute worst of the worst, and really, she can stop now, I've had enough.