Episode Discussion II: The TFGH

[Sake614]

seeing as how Ferncliff is for the criminally insane, I doubt they're overly concerned with aesthetics...

 

[ffwbe]

What exactly did Cody pretend to do to warrant him being committed in the first place? Having an outburst at the PCPD and suicidal ideation wouldn’t lead to an involuntary commitment, especially not to a place intended for violent criminals. At best, it would be a 72 hour hold in the hospital with a pysch eval. Also why does Sam need to be his POA for any of this? 

[Sake614]

yeah this whole Cody thing is ridiculous. There is no way he just gets admitted to a hospital for the CRIMINALLY insane after one brief evaluation with a doctor. Wouldn't he have to be sent there by a judge?

[IWantCandy71]

I would rather 70 year old Tracy marry fatally ill Gregory and get pregnant with a miracle baby like a days of our lives rip off plot, than have to sit through watching Tracy vs.Lucy.

You heard me.

 

[perkie1968]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!   Adam Huss is back!!!

  With all the Nik talk today first with Alexis/Spencer and then with Ava/Mason/Austin, including a flashback , in the form of Adam Huss, I was wondering if we were going to get Nik back soon, so I was quite delighted to see him at the end.  And I'm an Adam Huss fan, so it was all good in these parts!!

 

[statsgirl]

So I guess they rehired temp Nicholas for a longer sting. So many anvils dropping today.

Why are both Mason's boss and Selina so concerned about what Sonny is doing with Pikeman? Sonny is letting Pikeman move goods through his warehouses. It's a big nothingburger.

Spencer being angry at Nik for prioritizing Ava needs to be dropped. It was petty back then and it's even worse now.

Diane, just because Drew saved Liesl so that Willow could survive (because let's face it, if it wasn't for a Carly he wouldn't have lifted a finger) doesn't mean that the judge can't sentence him to send a message to other white collar criminals.

"And that book was Kafka."  Nice reference to to The Trial. Today's Robert/Diane convo was the best they've had. But I still hate them as a couple.

If the Deceptor trial is 6 months away, Lucy should be able to ask the judge to unfreeze Deception's accounts so that the company can continue to function. It's ridiculous to ruin the company on the off-chance that they stole the Deceptor. Also, the judge's long hair was very distracting. At least put it in a ponytail.

Joss/Dex today Zzzzzzzz.

If anyone is interested in a real place for the criminally insane, John Kastner's film  Out of Mind, Out of Sight shows the conditions in the Belleville psychiatric prison. It's horrifying.

[Sake614]

Ugh. Definitely not an Adam Huss fan (he looks too much like a thug to be Nikolas), so not sure how that's going to work. But I guess we'll see...

[CeChase]

Adam is back?  I am happy to hear this!  I want Nicholas back to take Esme off of Trina's hands, and I also just think he's needed.  Of course I want Tyler, but I liked Adam.  I am an anybody but MC girl myself. 

[ffwbe]

Drew didn’t rescue Liesl. He tagged along while others did. Even if he did save her, what does that have to do with his insider trading charge? 

[ciarra]

9 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

Even if he did save her, what does that have to do with his insider trading charge? 

A good deed erases a criminal act.   Just ask Sonny, who was pardoned by the governor.

[ffwbe]

14 minutes ago, ciarra said:

A good deed erases a criminal act.   Just ask Sonny, who was pardoned by the governor.

I get the show’s twisted logic but damn, Drew wasn’t even a Good Samaritan in this case. He only saved Liesl because it benefitted someone he cared about. It’s not like he went to rescue the baby. If Liesl wasn’t Willow’s donor match, he would have stayed home twiddling his thumbs and playing life coach. 

51 minutes ago, CeChase said:

Adam is back?  I am happy to hear this!  I want Nicholas back to take Esme off of Trina's hands, and I also just think he's needed.  Of course I want Tyler, but I liked Adam.  I am an anybody but MC girl myself. 

I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. The way this show is going, they’re going to have Spencer team up with Esme to keep Nik away from Ace. They’ve made it very clear that Spencer wants to stay actively involved and thinks Nikolas was a crappy father. Plus Esme seems infatuated with Spencer so she’d be all for it 

[YaddaYadda]

1 hour ago, ffwbe said:

Drew didn’t rescue Liesl. He tagged along while others did. Even if he did save her, what does that have to do with his insider trading charge? 

Drew almost killed Leisl is what Drew did.

[KittyQ]

1 hour ago, ffwbe said:

Drew didn’t rescue Liesl. He tagged along while others did. Even if he did save her, what does that have to do with his insider trading charge? 

For some reason, some people think that if you've done something good (even if it is completely unrelated to the issue) then you shouldn't be responsible for whatever crime you've committed. Might as well claim that because Drew likes kids and puppies he should be given a pass on the insider trading - also he shouldn't be in jail because whoever turned him in had some ulterior motive (as if many, many people who "drop a dime" on someone don't also have ulterior motives).

[tessaray]

Well, I didn't see that ending coming at all. I prefer MC but will take any movement in this story. Not sure I like what this means for Austin (and Ava) though, since he and Nik seem pretty chummy at the end. 

56 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

wouldn’t hold my breath on that. The way this show is going, they’re going to have Spencer team up with Esme to keep Nik away from Ace. They’ve made it very clear that Spencer wants to stay actively involved and thinks Nikolas was a crappy father. Plus Esme seems infatuated with Spencer so she’d be all for it 

Oh lord. I suspect you're right. We can't have nice things, can we?

[TVbitch]

Yes, @statsgirl, what in the Gene Simmons was with that judge's hair, yesterday?!  

Well, I wanted Nik back sooner than later, but I was really hoping they would find the next iconic Nik. Someone powerful but mannered, stoic but sexy, dark and brooding, well-read and complicated. Nothing against Adam Huss, but he seems pretty basic, and is not going to be an iconic Nik for me. 😢

And of course Joss wants to turn over the evidence against Sonny as soon as her mob boy has to cancel a date with her. "We had PLANS!!!" 🙄

[Sake614]

To paraphrase Dirty dancing, ‘nobody backs out on josslyn Jacks. Nobody!’ 🙄

[dubbel zout]

19 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

And of course Joss wants to turn over the evidence against Sonny as soon as her mob boy has to cancel a date with her. "We had PLANS!!!" 🙄

Not so much her mother's daughter after all, as Carly is always crowing that she's the only one who can handle "the business."

LOL that today is when Ava decides to put away the thing she bludgeoned Nik with.

What did Leo have in his hand? It looked like a slice of red pepper. That's what Olivia thinks will ruin his appetite? And look at Olivia, shocked—shocked!—that Tracy blackmailed Brook Lynn.

I don't care who plays Nik if it moves this story along.

[sas616]

Good Lord, I won't be surprised if Nicholas has amnesia from getting clocked on the head.

[Artsda]

If Ava is going to sell she should have gone to a Cassadine first like Valentine. 

Is Nik just sitting around having a beer?  Does he have amnesia from the hit on the head. 

Alexis fits better in Cassadine stories. 

 

[ciarra]

1 hour ago, Artsda said:

Is Nik just sitting around having a beer?  Does he have amnesia from the hit on the head. 

Maybe he thinks he's Eddie Maine?   I don't recall Nik ever drinking beer out of a bottle, not very princely.

[susannah]

This Nik looked like a refugee from the Russian Revolution! I also thought it was rather late for Ava to be moving the whacker. Leo is such a sweetie. I thought he was holding a piece of fabric or something, as it seemed he had it close to his cheek. Olivia's comment about it ruining his dinner did seem odd in that context. I loved Tracy's scene with Brook Lynn and Olivia. "Don't you have a lasagna to make?" was a great shot. Brook Lynn doesn't seem to be the sharpest knife in the drawer if she was so clueless about the Quartermaines, and getting Tracy mixed up with Maria von Trapp. " You sang with us! You ate pizza with us!"

I also thought that Spencer's story about his not having had a mother when he was growing up made no sense, since Ace has a mother. The fact that he hasn't liked Esme in the past doesn't change that. It really seems creepy that he feels that he has more right to be a guardian to the baby than Ace's own mother but that sounds like ego and entitlement more than parental fitness.

Edited September 1, 2023 by susannah
clarity

[superdeluxe]

13 hours ago, Sake614 said:

Ugh. Definitely not an Adam Huss fan (he looks too much like a thug to be Nikolas), so not sure how that's going to work. But I guess we'll see...

What does that mean?  He looks normal to me.

[ffwbe]

Doesn’t Joss have friends, school, a life? Lol why do they make it seem like she has nothing going on outside of Dex? Most pre-med students I knew who were in serious relationships had the opposite problem of trying to make time to spend with their SO instead of waiting around for them all day. You’d think a bigger issue would be that she’s missing out on the traditional college experience with her peers because she’s dating someone who’s much older and not a college student so he can’t join her. 

[Asp Burger]

16 hours ago, ffwbe said:

The way this show is going, they’re going to have Spencer team up with Esme to keep Nik away from Ace. They’ve made it very clear that Spencer wants to stay actively involved and thinks Nikolas was a crappy father. Plus Esme seems infatuated with Spencer so she’d be all for it 

That sounds to me like a good guess. They'll probably have Spencer and Esme scheme up a marriage of convenience to strengthen his position. "My baby brother" will become "my baby brother and stepson!" Trina will be heartbroken. Stella and Curtis will hate Spencer. Portia will hate Spencer even more. Josslyn will hate Spencer even more. Sonny will approve, because Spencer stepped up and did a difficult thing for the good of his fambly. Laura will make her concerned eyes and repeatedly say, "Oh, honey," in couch scenes with Spencer. 

Trina and Spencer will still get the occasional scene to remind viewers that she's the one he would prefer to be with, but he'll continue to have increasingly pro-Esme feelings too. Then, with his contract up, NAC will hand off the role to a twentysomething equivalent of Adam Huss.

I'm not a disgruntled Sprina rooter (I lost interest in them post recast), just trying to think like the trend. And the trend has been "obstacles, obstacles, everywhere." 

[Sake614]

4 hours ago, superdeluxe said:

What does that mean?  He looks normal to me.

I just think he looks and acts more like one of Sonny's goons than a man who grew up with every privilege imaginable. He doesn't come across as distinguished IMO, which is what Prince Nikolas Cassadine should be. YMMV of course :)

[ffwbe]

2 hours ago, Sake614 said:

I just think he looks and acts more like one of Sonny's goons than a man who grew up with every privilege imaginable. He doesn't come across as distinguished IMO, which is what Prince Nikolas Cassadine should be. YMMV of course :)

I completely agree with you. He doesn’t pull off wealthy, suave European. The actor also doesn’t do much to hide his NY accent so that doesn’t help. Also, to be completely honest, his acting in that recast flashback was subpar and this is coming from someone who thinks all of the Nikolas actors had their moments where they checked out. I’m not an MC fan by any means but they should have gone back to the drawing board and recast because he disappointed me.  

I don’t care about Nikolas much on his own but he has strong ties to some of my favorite characters so I want their scenes to be enjoyable 

[Asp Burger]

Yeah, I hate to be unkind, but Huss's fill-in Nikolas didn't make it shocking to me that he had failed to get both Shiloh and Nikolas when he auditioned for them. I think TPTB made the right call in both cases, and I hope "fill-in Nikolas" is what's still going on. 

But I accept that others see something I don't see. I saw a lot of whooping and celebrating in various soap-talk places yesterday from the "Hussies." 

[CeChase]

The hussies!  Lol that is so funny.  Listen, I would have been so open to a great recast, but since they were going with someone who already played the role, I was just glad it was Huss and not MC.  And my real Nicholas will always be Tyler but I understand how that's just not possible, and I hope he is well.   I really was an anybody but MC girl.  I would have even accepted Nick Stable back.  But out of MC, Stable, and Adam, I would have chosen Adam.  And really Frank's recasts are about 50/50.  Yeah we got NAC, but do I need to remind anyone here about NuMolly?  This may have been the safest bet.  lol

[YaddaYadda]

14 minutes ago, Asp Burger said:

Yeah, I hate to be unkind, but Huss's fill-in Nikolas didn't make it shocking to me that he had failed to get both Shiloh and Nikolas when he auditioned for them.

The Shiloh actor was very charismatic. This Nicolas actor is not as far as I can tell.

I'm willing to give him a chance, see what he can do. I don't think he was given much rope when he came in the last time, right on the heels of MC's firing to play super emotional scenes.

[ffwbe]

I forgot how nice Lulu’s house looked and it looks huge. Sam was an idiot for fighting to stay in that tiny PH she got from Jason 

Hopefully they treat Sonny getting arrested by Homeland Security like it’s a serious charge and not something Diane can immediately get him out of with her clownish grandstanding. 

[statsgirl]

I guess we won't see Joss volunteer for MSF/Doctors Without Borders since she thinks that people shouldn't put themselves into dangerous situations. Or maybe it's just danger situations for Sonny.

Why are Willow and Michael taking Wylie out to dinner at the Metro Courtso late at night.?I hate that Nina has to ask Michael and Michael's permission for anything to do with Wylie.

Why is Olivia so determined to force Eddie to remember? Just let it happen when it does.

Nina: "Marika told me that you closed the pool"  (I like that they do nods to the crew. Marika Kushel is the show's editor and assistant director.)

The books behind Cyrus in the prison library were The Therapeutic Interactions and the ICD 9 (European version of the DSM). These books that should have been on the shelf of the psychiatrist who committed Cody and the fiction ones here.

I don't like Georgie but the actress looks like she might be KW's granddaughter.

17 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

What did Leo have in his hand? It looked like a slice of red pepper. That's what Olivia thinks will ruin his appetite?

I thought that it was piece of apple but that makes more sense. Heaven forbid that Leo ruins his appetite for all those carbs and dairy fat with a fruit or vegetable.

[mbluecpa]

6 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

That sounds to me like a good guess. They'll probably have Spencer and Esme scheme up a marriage of convenience to strengthen his position. "My baby brother" will become "my baby brother and stepson!" 

I’d not thought of that twist but it makes perfect sense with the telegraphing of Spencer/Esme they’re doing. Also that the writers would do a retread of the Michael/Willow getting-married-to-get-Wiley story (am I remembering that fast forward-fest correctly?). 

I’m glad the over-acting hyper/crazy scenes with Cody are hopefully over. I realize they were written and directed like that but just weird to watch. I also assume they’re building up the Cody as hero positioning given that JK is now clean-shaven and is wearing t-shirts a size smaller. 

[ffwbe]

19 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

 

I guess we won't see Joss volunteer for MSF/Doctors Without Borders since she thinks that people shouldn't put themselves into dangerous situations. Or maybe it's just danger situations for Sonny.

 

I’ll never how that’s supposed to be a healthy relationship. She bitches at him over something he’s doing, immediately apologizes or gets him to apologize, only to turn around and bitch about almost the exact same thing the next time she sees him. She doesn’t like what he’s doing but she’s not truly accepting it for his sake either since she keeps bringing it up. Also, I think her recent complaining has been more about him being too busy to spend time with her and she’s using the mob as an excuse. I think she’d still be mad if he was working at a bar or restaurant and couldn’t hang out with her. 

[YaddaYadda]

So what I'm getting from today's episode is that it's Valentin who turned Sonny into the feds.

[lala2]

I do not like AH’s Nikolas. I loved MC in the role. I had no issues with him in the role. He really worked well - IMO - with everyone. With AH back, I have no interest in Nik. I was invested in MC’s Nik but I can’t with this guy. I don’t care what happens to the character now. This Nik is real rough and acts like a thug. All other Niks had a princely air about them. 

[ffwbe]

What was up with Brook Lynn’s cough? Is she sick or was she pretending?

[Cheyanne11]

2 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Why are Willow and Michael taking Wylie out to dinner at the Metro Courtso late at night.?I

He must've told them he had a craving for caviar.  I guess he's not a 'salt of the earth' type kid or they would've taken him to Kelly's for one of Grandma Carly's blue plate specials.  

[statsgirl]

1 hour ago, YaddaYadda said:

So what I'm getting from today's episode is that it's Valentin who turned Sonny into the feds.

That's what it feels like. But why? What possibly gain could Valentin or Pikeman itself have from Sonny being arrested? Valentin would be better off making more money with his ELQ stock.

I also got the feeling that the prison warden is in cahoots with Cyrus about some plan. Again, coming out of nowhere especially since she doesn't seem to be protecting Cyrus from getting beaten up.

When Carly told Joss that she won't change Dex and he'll always be leaving her to do something dangerous, I thought that she was talking about her relationship with Jason, not Sonny.

5 minutes ago, Cheyanne11 said:

He must've told them he had a craving for caviar.  I guess he's not a 'salt of the earth' type kid or they would've taken him to Kelly's for one of Grandma Carly's blue plate specials.  

That dock worker certainly seemed to be doing all the compliments for the changes that Carly's made since she took over, none of which I have noticed. I guess it's the service in a blue blazer, no apron and hair flying all around that does it.

[ciarra]

11 minutes ago, Cheyanne11 said:

Grandma Carly's blue plate specials.  

Would that be microwave popcorn or frozen pizza?

7 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

all the compliments for the changes that Carly's made since she took over

There was a new doormat with Kelly's logo.

[YaddaYadda]

24 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

That dock worker certainly seemed to be doing all the compliments for the changes that Carly's made since she took over, none of which I have noticed. I guess it's the service in a blue blazer, no apron and hair flying all around that does it.

She added white flowers to the tables and on the counter and planters inside. That's the only difference I noticed.

Carly deserves praise for the strict minimum as always.

[Cheyanne11]

1 minute ago, YaddaYadda said:

Carly deserves praise for the strict minimum as always.

I bet the customers DEMANDED she raise the prices. 

[YaddaYadda]

Just now, Cheyanne11 said:

I bet the customers DEMANDED she raise the prices. 

They started a GoFundMe page for her.

[susannah]

I just can't stand seeing Carly working around food with all that hair, and she was even touching it. Yuck. Joss too with her long hair. No one wearing aprons either. 

I am really seeing the Stepford vibes with Willow, having to look to Michael for approval of anyone's move, including Nina's. She should be able to allow her kid to go a few feet away without checking with "the man," who then mentions to her how much she is seeing Nina and if SHE is all right with it, meaning HE is not all right with it.

Who is this Warden Garten and what does she have going with Cyrus?

I know the woman who plays Maxie has gained a bit of weight, but I have not seen her yet without horribly heavy eye makeup and hair that looks unwashed. I think wardrobe could do better.

Sonny got arrested! Who's the rat?  I wanted someone to pop out of that box like a birthday cake!

[susannah]

56 minutes ago, ciarra said:

Would that be microwave popcorn or frozen pizza?

There was a new doormat with Kelly's logo.

Carly also made cookies for the girls on the night of Avery's emergency sleepover. I have been watching the show for a few months only and haven't seen Donna or Bailey yet. I have no hope of having any idea which kids are whose, and they seem to be mostly Corinthos.

[perkie1968]

20 hours ago, ciarra said:

Maybe he thinks he's Eddie Maine?  

Maybe he thinks he's nunuMolly!!

 

4 hours ago, statsgirl said:

What did Leo have in his hand? It looked like a slice of red pepper.

It looked like a fruit roll up, unrolled.  Which would explain the comment about loss of appetite.  

[TVbitch]

In addition to her blazers and flowing hair, today Carly wore tall spiked high heels to serve food all day, as one does. 

It could be a red herring, but Charlotte got a bit creepy with her "Yes Papa, just the two of us" comment to Valentin. I was like, OMG, is she the one going after Anna?! Didn't they start to take Charlotte down a dark path when she was younger, with her putting snakes in someone's bag or something. Is her Cassadine coming out again? 

[Cheyanne11]

2 hours ago, susannah said:

I am really seeing the Stepford vibes with Willow, having to look to Michael for approval of anyone's move, including Nina's. She should be able to allow her kid to go a few feet away without checking with "the man," who then mentions to her how much she is seeing Nina and if SHE is all right with it, meaning HE is not all right with it.

He's totally gaslighting her with making it seem like he's concerned that SHE'S bothered by Nina, when it's really him. 

It also dawned on me today when Nina was doing her deer-in-the-headlights look just thinking about Ned getting his memory back, that it was perfectly OK for Michael to do any and all things shady to get back at Sonny and get him "put in prison for the rest of his life," but Nina will be seen as the devil incarnate when the truth comes out about her being the whistleblower. 

I wish I had a million eyes right now so I could roll them ALL at the ridiculous scenes of plot point dock worker first blowing smoke up Carly's ass about how much better Kelly's is since she 'took over,' (me: Bobbie has owned the place forever, so I guess he's saying she sucked and Carly just smiled and took the compliment) and then of course warning her about the FBI bust, thus saving Dex's ass.  What's next--the nuns from the local church coming in and saying they thank god every night in their prayers for the chili cheese fries?

[susannah]

33 minutes ago, perkie1968 said:

 

 

It looked like a fruit roll up, unrolled.  Which would explain the comment about loss of appetite.  

That would also explain why I thought it was a piece of fabric!

[superdeluxe]

11 hours ago, Sake614 said:

I just think he looks and acts more like one of Sonny's goons than a man who grew up with every privilege imaginable. He doesn't come across as distinguished IMO, which is what Prince Nikolas Cassadine should be. YMMV of course :)

Well, I disagree and you could’ve just explained it that way.  The only Nikolas that had that had the whole princely air about him was Tyler.  But he’s never coming back.

[Cheyanne11]

10 minutes ago, superdeluxe said:

The only Nikolas that had that had the whole princely air about him was Tyler.

yeah, I agree with this.  I liked MC well enough as Nikolas--and thought he had great chemistry with MW--but he didn't scream 'well bred European' to me.