KerleyQ

So, to clarify, it's ANY characters' past history that cannot be discussed here, even as it relates to the current goings on? And I don't expect thewhiteowl to answer as to a specific poster's posts here, so that's not an issue. I just want to clarify if it's just Sam/Liz that can't be discussed beyond the current episode or any characters. Because that still seems fuzzy to me, based on what's happened and been said today. And, where's the line there. Because, with a soap, we can't completely ignore history when talking about any given story line, character, or plot points. I mean, if someone says "I can't believe Nik would prioritize getting laid over his family!" Then someone would, naturally, respond "remember when he had the tumor and was willing to die and leave his child orphaned so he could continue to have tumor ghost sex? Or the time he cheated on Emily with SheHulk because she wasn't getting over being raped by his doppelganger quickly enough and he had his needs?" So, I guess what I'm asking is, with any character, whether it's Liz, Sam, Nik, Jason, Alexis, Sonny, Carly, or Morgan's hair plugs, is something like that considered on topic in relating the current episode to the past? Or is it something where we have to respond to that initial "I can't believe Nik would prioritize getting laid over his family!" post with "I'm taking this to the history thread"? Or do we only have to do that if it pertains to Liz and Sam?

Well now I'm just more confused. There was a post in the mod thread asking why a post about Jason's history was removed with no explanation, since it didn't relate to the Sam/Liz history, and the response was that the rules apply to all, and the follow up post by you in the mod thread says that rules apply to every fan of every fan base. Which, OK, that makes sense. But, now we're back to just the Sam/Liz stuff can only be discussed as it pertains to the current episode. Again, OK, but it contradicts what you just posted in the mod thread. (And poor GHScorpiosRule still, then, won't know why her post was removed when it wasn't about the Liz/Sam wars, but a response to an ongoing conversation about Jason relating to today's show.) I'm honestly not trying to be a pain in the ass here, but it's really not coming across clearly to some.

There were so many freaking hallucinations, it's almost impossible to tell for sure what was real, but I thought the scene of Jason running back down the stairs from the second floor and to the basement door showed him clearly just turning the knob and the door opened - no flipping a lock or anything.

That door didn't seem locked to me when Jason got there. He just turned the knob and opened it - no unlocking involved.

Clearly, he's the surprise at Helena's will reading - she had her brain implanted in his body.

NLG's been here 20 years? OK. I'm old.

If he wants to stay as part of the WWE, he can replace whoever that new Smackdown announcer is that does an obnoxiously fake affected Marv Albert-like voice.

I think it's more Franco than Liz (if it even is Liz at all). They skipped over a lot of the fallout from the whole Jake/Jason reveal to get right to using Liz's story to prop Franco up. They won't put in the work to redeem her from the crap they've piled on her, but they'll absolutely use her to redeem Franco.

I assume that this is a rhetorical question, since we all know the answer to any such question is "because they don't give two shits whether what they put on our screens today completely contradicts what they put on our screens yesterday."

I can't be the only one who cracked up when Sam told Jason he "always keeps her safe"? Oh, honey, no, he definitely does not. Does she have amnesia now, too?

Honestly, I think it's largely still the Caleb fans.

True. But, unless they get thrown into some potential thing right off the bat, I'd imagine their fans would take them being related as a slap.

I can't imagine that they'd make ME a Cassadine, just because I don't think they want to piss off the Caleb/Livvie shippers. I can just so easily see them treating them the same way they treat the remaining Liason fanbase - keep giving them little bits to string them along, but never really give them a payoff. (Of course, that will piss them off, too, but this regime is not really clear on that concept, so...) Even if they have zero intention of pairing KeMo and ME up, I think they'll want to leave that hope dangling out there for their fans.

So Valentin Cassadine would finally be showing up, about 3 head writers later?

If Nattie isn't just always playing things up for the camera, I cannot imagine how TJ has lasted this long married to her. It has to be exhausting.

Honestly, pretty much every story on this show feels like they haven't fully decided where they want to go with it, so they're just biding time, waiting for inspiration to strike.

It would suck, but it would be realistic. I've seen it happen more than once that kids who are hurt that one parent isn't around (for whatever reasons) take it out on the parent who has always been around. I remember, specifically, one of my cousins. Her father was a deadbeat - never bothered to spend any time with his kids. She took it out on her mother, and would blame her for "keeping him away" and talk about how he really wanted to be with her, but her mother was just such a bitch, it could never happen. None of that was remotely true, but I think kids sometimes find it easier to take all that anger, sadness, and disappointment out on the parent they know won't abandon them. They're hurting and don't know what to do with that hurt, and the absent parent isn't around for them to take it out on.

That wouldn't surprise me. Honestly, at this point, I assume most hook ups and fights on this show are to secure a spot on a future Exes or Rivals season. On a related note, I will be surprised if we don't get an Abe/CM Exes team soon. Whether their drama was manufactured for that reason or real, the only way it won't happen is if Abe refuses to do it. They'd be a pretty kickass team, too.

Since Wyatt makes it look like he was just with Ivy because he couldn't get his hands on Steffy, he really has no room to be mad at Ivy.

She's taken on the Liam role this time around. So in need of someone of the opposite sex at her side that she'll likely end up accepting a proposal from Wyatt while Liam's engagement ring is still warming her finger. Hell, she could go full Liam and just decide that her engagement ring from Liam can now be her Wyatt engagement ring.

If they want to tie her to Paul, they won't hesitate to just retcon some other older daughter he either never knew about or never told anyone in PC about.

I assume that's just how Kiki does math.

Seriously, if there's one thing The Challenge isn't, it's a show that rewards morality. I always get so annoyed by that "deserves to be here" stuff. If someone manages to perform well, either in the tasks/eliminations themselves or at the social aspect of the game, and they manage to continue to avoid being eliminated, then, under the rules of the game, they "deserve" to be there. You guys aren't electing the next Pope, Aneesa.

In terms of a season hinging on a cast member, I think The Island kind of hinged on Ev, with her season long fight against Johnny before eventually cutting a deal with his alliance for the win.

I think it's the same kind of thing as Brooke and Taylor's over involvement in the Hope/Liam/Steffy mess. They were playing out their own rivalry and issues through their kids. Now Quinn is playing out her issues with Bill (and his obvious favoritism of Liam) by being unhealthily involved in Wyatt's love life, particularly when it comes to besting Liam. Part of it is also that she's spent Wyatt's whole life with him being her whole world. She's not capable of shutting that off.