Episode Discussion II: The TFGH

[sacrebleu]

4 hours ago, perkie1968 said:

 

I also loved all the digs Nina was throwing out about Carly.  CW seemed more light and happy than she's been in awhile.  

I know they shoot weeks in advance, but I can't help but think Nina's 'biker chic' crack about Snarly was a direct response to all the talk about the ridiculous leather blazer Carly wore to strut into Crimson's offices as editor-in-chief.

(Also, if Alexis and Nina leave the Invader, who's gonna run it? Are they gonna bring girl-reporter out of her coma to take over?)

Edited March 22 by sacrebleu

[perkie1968]

1 minute ago, sacrebleu said:

Also, if Alexis and Nina leave the Invader, who's gonna run it? Are they gonna bring girl-reporter out of her coma to take over?)

Gregory, when we find out he was misdiagnosed?

Sasha, who no longer wants to be a pretty model?

Heather, when she becomes sane after her surgery?

[dubbel zout]

56 minutes ago, Cheyanne11 said:

More than a bit gross--FULL ON gross.  So, let me get this straight: Jason >>>>> Willow.  Because that's basically what Michael told Willow; YOU have to risk getting in trouble so *I* can protect Jason. 

He's definitely his mother's son. I thought the manipulation was gross, but it's not as if Willow wasn't eager to help. She willingly stole drugs. I can't feel sorry for her.

[Grinaldi]

I think the Invader may just cease to be a location we care about. I'm fine with a one line of Nina sold it back to Todd and HQ is moving to Llanview. The Invader is the former Sun right?

Calling it: Nina and Drew are going to hate fuck at the same time Sonny and Ava have non-crypt sex for the first time.

This is the first time I have seen a Michael/Willow scene with actual conflict. Now I usually blip past them so maybe I missed something in the past. But it was nice to see Willow have some backbone.  And I can see Michael's point as well regarding Jason.

[ljr]

Sasha never modeled for a magazine before? I'm confused

I learned something from the show. I never heard of the peter syndrome 

[ffwbe]

I’m really confused where they are going with this Heather story. Wasn’t she already in prison before they made her a serial killer? Was her hip replacement surgery supposed to have taken place before she committed any crimes or just the most recent ones

[MarciNJ]

13 hours ago, MissPhoenixGirl said:

he has been pretty verbally abusive and threatening to her in the past. 

that does seem to be her type, though.....

[YaddaYadda]

14 hours ago, Cheyanne11 said:

More than a bit gross--FULL ON gross.  So, let me get this straight: Jason >>>>> Willow.  Because that's basically what Michael told Willow; YOU have to risk getting in trouble so *I* can protect Jason.  Husband of the year, there.

Willow should learn her place and her children's places in Michael's list of priority.

She could get arrested, get fired from her job, go to jail.

Michael: Well Jason went to prison for me. But let me call Spinelli to fix the inventory.

[MissPhoenixGirl]

1 hour ago, MarciNJ said:

that does seem to be her type, though.....

Except for Valentin though. I don't recall him ever acting that way towards her. And I don't think Silas acted that way towards her either as far as I know either, but I could be totally wrong. 

[dubbel zout]

13 hours ago, Grinaldi said:

The Invader is the former Sun right?

I think it was originally a printed scandal sheet that someone turned digital, and when Alexis took it on, she wanted to make it a respectable news source.

29 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

Michael: Well Jason went to prison for me. But let me call Spinelli to fix the inventory.

That cracked me up. Let's cover up one crime by committing another. Totally in character for those dumbbells.

[KittyQ]

3 hours ago, ljr said:

I learned something from the show. I never heard of the peter syndrome 

The Peter Principle was a book in the 1960s (or around then), which became well known at the time. The idea is that people in business (or really anything) continue to get promoted until they get to a position where they are no longer as competent and so they stop progressing. It sounds like a pop-culture idea, but I have to say, I've seen examples of it for years. Where it hurts is that it applies to everyone, including yourself, so you might keep wondering when you've hit your Peter Principle plateau. :-)

[dubbel zout]

In more popular terms, you're promoted to the level of your incompetence.

[ciarra]

4 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

[Willow] could get arrested, get fired from her job, go to jail.

I would think that nursing school would cover that.  Missing meds = no job, arrest.

But there is a long history on this show of a revolving door on the drug closet.  Wasn't Liz suspended/demoted at one point for stealing meds?

And what's up with Willow wearing her giant Princess Di ring at work?

Edited March 22 by ciarra

[dubbel zout]

Ugh, the Deception stuff is so stupid. Lucy isn't wrong, even if she's annoying about it.

"Too many people are getting pulled into this." Then maybe you shouldn't have stayed in Port Charles, Jason. Or at minimum, not gone to see Carly. 

Olivia made manicotti! She can use pasta that isn't ziti.

I did not miss the dumb stare off Jason has with law enforcement. 

Edited March 22 by dubbel zout
clarity

[Bunnyto4]

Has Lynn Herring been taking acting lessons from Michelle Stafford? The arm waving and histrionics are really annoying. 

[DanaK]

Can anyone summarize the first 15 minutes? The 2pm telecast was interrupted for news about the UK’s Princess Kate’s cancer news

[ciarra]

58 minutes ago, DanaK said:

Can anyone summarize the first 15 minutes?

http://wubtub.blogspot.com/

Also, check the comments section for scene by scene.

http://wubtub.blogspot.com/2024/03/friday-turning-in-day.html#comment-form

Not sure if it's complete.

[Grinaldi]

 

1 hour ago, Bunnyto4 said:

Has Lynn Herring been taking acting lessons from Michelle Stafford? The arm waving and histrionics are really annoying

Even when we thought Lucy was a mousy librarian, Lynn was not subtle. The woman has out-hammed Richard Simmons. But she's like family to me at this point so I just go with it. But yes, very annoying.

[jsbt]

7 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I think it was originally a printed scandal sheet that someone turned digital, and when Alexis took it on, she wanted to make it a respectable news source.

I could've sworn it was tied into the PC Press, which I believe Todd Manning fused with the Sun during his time in town. Someone got the paper from him and it became the Invader. I could be wrong.

Lucy's histrionics vary in tolerability by the day for me - sometimes I still adore her, sometimes I just cringe. Anything that gets Sasha out of Deception works for me though. Sasha has all the charisma of wet cardboard. The Faces of Deception: Brenda... Gia... Sasha(??)

Edited March 22 by jsbt

[KittenPokerCheater]

I wonder what they are going to do with Sasha now?  Go to work at Crimson with Nina?  Work in the stables with Cody?  

[ciarra]

5 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I wonder what they are going to do with Sasha now?  

IDK.  She's still a Deception shareholder.  Board meetings?

edited:  Plot contrivance -- she has to give up her shares to end her stint as the Face of Deception. 

Edited March 23 by ciarra

[dubbel zout]

29 minutes ago, jsbt said:

7 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I think it was originally a printed scandal sheet that someone turned digital, and when Alexis took it on, she wanted to make it a respectable news source.

I could've sworn it was tied into the PC Press, which I believe Todd Manning fused with the Sun during his time in town. Someone got the paper from him and it became the Invader. I could be wrong.

Maybe it's a mashup of both? I remember some publication in PC was always printing salacious stories.

Didn't Shawn buy the Invader from Aurora? Maybe Aurora bought it from Todd? This would have to have been during the days when Sam was forced to wear the Skirts of Oppression.

There was that awful day player Invader reporter with the dumb name who was always sleazing around trying to get the scoop. He worked with Alexis early in her tenure at the Invader and then I forget how they got rid of him. I know for sure she wanted to change the direction of the Invader.

 

[jsbt]

36 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I wonder what they are going to do with Sasha now?  Go to work at Crimson with Nina?  Work in the stables with Cody?  

Swift death?

[Cheyanne11]

Diane gets a call from Jason, presumably they discuss that he's going to surrender, he does, and then when Chase goes to book him Diane says "I'd like a word with my client" and pulls her fucking power trip/intimidation on him.  Like, what did you talk about on the car rode over?  How the Yankees did last year?  God forbid the bad guys ever have to sweat it for a minute and the police get to look competent. 

[TVbitch]

Jason is all good with Danny helping a fugitive and lying to Sam, but Mikey says his hiding out is not working for him and Jason immediately turns himself in. 🙄

Why is Sasha such a terrible model, when the actress was a pretty big model in Sweden?! 

More importantly, why did Cody bop the horse on the head with each carrot before feeding it to him?! Are you supposed to do that? 🥕🐴

[KittenPokerCheater]

3 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

why did Cody bop the horse on the head with each carrot before feeding it to him?! Are you supposed to do that?

When I rode horses as a kid, we did things similar to our horses (in my case, lightly bopping sugar or something on their noses before feeding them.  It a sign of teasing affection for the horse.  It was not meant as anything mean or thoughtless. 

[jsbt]

15 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

More importantly, why did Cody bop the horse on the head with each carrot before feeding it to him?! Are you supposed to do that? 🥕🐴

Listen, I still can't get over that this show (which used to be all gun-metal gray Metro Court rooms ten years ago) can afford a live horse. Back in the day Frank would have the silhouette of a toy horse going up and down in the background and some canned audio of Mr. Ed whinnying. And Sasha is not the first model turned actress to have the stage presence of lint in front of live tape.

Edited March 23 by jsbt

[Grinaldi]

I think Lucy's whole point was the Sasha is "too commercial." Tyra certainly sent girls home for that. And in terms of sound decision making, histrionics and mental stability, those too are about the same. Which is the meanest thing I have ever said about Lucy Coe.

Maybe Sasha goes to work at Crimson. Maybe she goes back to her home planet. I don't care. I have been asking "why is Sasha" for two years. You dated Michael and lived, girl. Take the win and go back to Sweden.

[jsbt]

A few thoughts on the remainder of the week that was (the first half of it, anyway) - I already addressed Monday, so here's Tuesday and Wednesday.

Say what we will for Ron Carlivati back in 2012 but he came in hot and started killing people on Day 1 and ending stories, and I was all for it at that time lol. The writing and dialogue was pure camp and nonsense at the time but it was also very satisfying to see almost instant changes. Yet a number of those changes led to stuff that was less than fantastic (the Connie saga), and more importantly and relevant at that time I think is that the show was believed to be on a clock: Most believed GH had a year or less left and I think FV/RC felt the same. The situation here is more nuanced; GH does not seem to be facing doomsday, so the show is changing slowly and carefully. And we're seeing that slowly.

The biggest change for me in the first proper week is, again, a really sharpened-up series of interpersonal dialogue scenes and a continued focus on family and social connections; the stuff with Wagger and Anna was very human, not just plot-driven, as they had Wagger present himself as both vulnerable and flawed re: how he approached Danny and as they talked through the Sonny stuff re: Stone and Robin. Finola was also excellent. It wasn't all plot-driven, and it gave me the first indicator that maybe they won't simply throw Wagger under the bus over whatever this setup is with Jason, because he admitted to being fallible in those scenes. Even the BLQ/Chase and Cody/Tracy stuff feels smarter to me, focusing on just the engaged couple's relationship (actually appearing at their own apartment and not infantilized within a clan on a family estate - imagine that!) and on Cody and Tracy connecting re: Dante. I appreciated that, even if little James is intolerable. Cody had the right idea in the first place: Lasso Maxie's brat and yeet him off the grounds!

This leads to another issue: I think the stuff delineating and defining Jason's two sons differently is a great idea, and while the kid playing hero-worshipping Danny is very green I think he has some charisma and potential. This is not the case for Aiden or James, and while the new team's attempts to push family connectivity and these relationships are very admirable, these kids do not need to be given more dialogue lol. (You can also sense the mounting apprehension in manchild Chase as he tries to exert big boy authority over Aiden, who is rapidly gaining on him in height.)

Anyway: Those two are terrible. It's time to recast Aiden yet again and James, well, I don't care what happens to him because I still can't get over the fact that he exists (third child? what third child?). I don’t care what Little Mushmouth thinks of Tracy! That's her horse! Yet I suspect this is another adorable kid Uncle Frank thinks is too precious to recast, so I expect we'll see yet more of him.

The material itself is not perfect - some of the dialogue with Liz and Aiden in particular is very B&B-esque and artificial as they continue to work overtime to set up various characters' new personal parameters. Elizabeth standing there monologuing about how Jake's (offscreen) feelings have changed hers for Jason to nobody in particular while we can’t get Jake onscreen that day does not work lol.

Spoiler

Jake

is going to be on quite a bit next week so that's fine, I get there are likely guarantee/availability or block taping issues in Uncle Frank's world and I am happy for the changes and differentiation in character on paper, but with some areas it's a bit forced and kludged together. In others I feel it sings. The scenes with Alexis and the latest terrifying Molly recast were smart and heartfelt, I felt. Even Valentin and Nina had some good dialogue, and people know I can't tolerate that whisper-thin simp. He nailed it when he said Sonny isn't complicated, just erratic. The Sonny/Natalia stuff, tedious, but that's how I feel about the entire Kristina/Blaze plotline so far. If you want to get Kristina a girlfriend find someone you didn't hire as a dayplayer.

Another week of scenes where Willow has inappropriate chemistry with anyone but her weak tea husband! She clearly wants more of Stone Old (not a typo) Uncle Jason in her life. Also, it's time to stop letting people bring clothes from home or letting the wardrobe dept repurpose quite so much stuff. That denim/blue jean top LW wears often looks like something she brought in IRL and is not favorable, it does not suit Carly or her. Nor do I understand what kind of horrifying Amish blue dress Eva LaRue was wearing at the brewpub with Sonny. It looked like a set of repurposed window curtains and she resembled one of the stars of Women Talking. Meanwhile, BLQ's latest wardrobe is giving Super Mario.

Also: Frank’s Next Time previews are so random now. it's just random snippets of dialogue from almost a dozen scenes and we're getting bits like little James saying 'are you a bad boss?' Who cares! How is that second grader a teaser for the next episode? It reminds me of Peapack teasers. Those need to go. Back in the day (and not that long ago) GH previews had fewer scenes but used to hit hard. Anyway, that's enough ranting, I'll get to Thursday and Friday later. Sasha already looks like a mime, BTW.

Edited March 23 by jsbt

[Grinaldi]

I was really happy that the most fallout for Jason's return was played out with his kids (including Mikey in that) and NOT Sam or Liz. Yes the kid actors are green/not great (also including Michael in that). But I'll take that over a bunch of handwringing over which woman Jason will let love him.

And you can tell some of the actors are excited by the new material, particularly Cynthia and Jane.

The canvas already seems better balanced. Carly, Jason and Sonny did not monopolize the show. Even the umbrella Jason story still left room for lots of other plots. I'm still feeling real Pollyannaish 

[ciarra]

Apparently Wardrobe hates Sasha as much as jsbt.

 

 

Edited March 23 by ciarra

[graight]

They finally brought up the smell that must permeate Cody's living space (apartment?).  I also cracked up when Cody said Gladys' name and a horse whinnied in the background.  So she's related to Frau Blucher?

[jsbt]

3 hours ago, ciarra said:

Apparently Wardrobe hates Sasha as much as jsbt.

 

 

Even the horse looks skeptical on that one. "Wwwhoa!" Damn!

3 hours ago, Grinaldi said:

The canvas already seems better balanced. Carly, Jason and Sonny did not monopolize the show. Even the umbrella Jason story still left room for lots of other plots. I'm still feeling real Pollyannaish 

It may be a function of Uncle Frank's crazy frugal block taping which often leaves stories hanging for days or weeks, but in this case it definitely serves the show to have less Jason per week (for now, anyway).

I think the kids are variable - Hudson West is great when given decent material, Asher I Cannot Even Begin to Try His Last Name is very green but at least somewhat charismatic as NuDanny and may grow into something (or not), Rocco might be decent and the rest are a wash. It's good they want to play these families and the next generation but they need to start casting for the writing, don't make it rely on whatever random teens or small children Frank hired one day a year or two ago. And do not give extensive dialogue to Jamethhhhh (James) again.

Edited March 23 by jsbt

[ffwbe]

I find Lucy annoying but I don’t think she’s the villain in this arc. Maxie missed BL stealing company info to hand it over to Tracy which led to the lawsuit and ultimately Deception’s stock crashing and Tracy getting half the company. That played into a big reason that Maxie and Sasha are now broke. They might have lost their money for other reasons but they can’t see off the almost worthless stock to recoup anything. Maxie also doesn’t seem to know how to put business ahead of friendships with BL and Sasha. Now in Lucy’s case, she’s probably not as close to either of them so that likely plays a factor but she’s also way more invested in Deception’s future than any of them are. 

[lala2]

I’m firmly Team Lucy. She said nothing wrong or out-of-pocket. And what was wrong with Lucy wanting Sasha to know what she would lose if she sold early? Are informed decisions out of style or something?!? I hate that Brook Lynn’s corporate espionage has been swept under the rug and forgotten by everyone while everything Lucy says and does is criticized! 

[JMO]

Can't help but wonder if the strife between Lucy and her partners will end up with her moving to The Invader.  Might be a good fit for her, and she did write that tell-all book back in the day.

[DanaK]

I didn't think about this until now, but it looks like GH will be preempted on Monday April 8 in favor of a live 2 hour Solar Eclipse special on ABC and other Disney-owned channels and streamers, from 2-4pm ET. Science over soaps folks

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/eclipse-across-america-abc-news-nat-geo-april-8-1235949142/

[Sake614]

I guess I’m in the minority but I liked Sasha’s dress.

I still don’t get how Cody lives in the stables. And EATS of China in the stables. I love horses and have limited sense of smell, but even I wouldn’t hang all day/night with them.

[YaddaYadda]

Lucy is just a super abrasive. I get that the stock tanked, but I still don't understand how Sasha or Maxie are living pay cheque to pay cheque. Even when Gladys was embezzling money from Sasha, it didn't sound like she made a dent in the bank account.

Also wasn't Valentin involved with Deception?

Yesterday made me hate Jason even more. Him staring Chase down was stupid as all that. Too bad he wasn't really crushed under those boulders.

[dubbel zout]

17 hours ago, TVbitch said:

why did Cody bop the horse on the head with each carrot before feeding it to him?!

Boops are a universal language no matter the species.

14 hours ago, jsbt said:

Also: Frank’s Next Time previews are so random now.

They're starting to remind me of Mad Men previews, which were just characters saying lines out of context. You knew it was Matthew Weiner trolling AMC: "You want teasers for next time? I'll give you teasers for next time."

[mbluecpa]

I don’t know if the missing medication was a one-day plot point or part of a long game, but either way shaking my head that a board member would be involved immediately on discovery.

For the first time in a very long time, I’m genuinely wondering (in the positive sense) “where are they going with this?” in regard to multiple plot lines so to that extent the shift in writers is working for me.

[Bunnyto4]

On 3/23/2024 at 2:13 AM, graight said:

They finally brought up the smell that must permeate Cody's living space (apartment?).  I also cracked up when Cody said Gladys' name and a horse whinnied in the background.  So she's related to Frau Blucher?

"He vas my BOYFRIEND!"

[dubbel zout]

It's always gratifying to see Joss get called on her blind worship of Jason, even if he's never the bad guy. I wish Trina had asked Joss why she's adoring of Jason despite what he does and Dex is some terrible hit man. 

Trina, you can change your reality if you want to.

Spencer's headstone will never not crack me up. Shouldn't the patronymic come before "Stefan"?

Poor Elizabeth. It wasn't her fault, but she wasn't all that helpful in answering the boys' questions about Jason.

[Sake614]

So Willow, who insisted in the adoption papers that Julian not be allowed anywhere near Wiley because (gasp!) he’s a mobster, is perfectly okay tending to Jason (a mob hitman), KNOWS he’s innocent (because Mikey said so) and would do it again? Gah! Where’s a good crane when you need one?

I know Trina will be forced to apologize to Josslyn when the truth comes out but it was nice that she got to be pissed for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Joss is still team Jason the hitman (the fact that the shooter missed Sonny is PROOF that it wasn’t Jason 🙄) but Dex possibly being a mob hitman is too much for her to bear so she breaks up with him? Um, okay sure. And Trina’s grief is still all about Josslyn. ‘When Oscar died…’

so the deal Jason cut to cooperate with the FBI has to be about protecting Carly. Maybe Sonny, but 100% Carly. 

[dubbel zout]

10 minutes ago, Sake614 said:

I know Trina will be forced to apologize to Josslyn when the truth comes out

Maybe not—Joss didn't seem as bent out of shape with Trina as she was when Cam dared to think Jason might have shot Franco. And Joss knows Trina is grieving, and Joss will think she's being magnanimous by letting it go.

12 minutes ago, Sake614 said:

so the deal Jason cut to cooperate with the FBI has to be about protecting Carly. Maybe Sonny, but 100% Carly. 

I think it's Michael.

[CeChase]

2 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Maybe not—Joss didn't seem as bent out of shape with Trina as she was when Cam dared to think Jason might have shot Franco. And Joss knows Trina is grieving, and Joss will think she's being magnanimous by letting it go.

I think it's Michael.

It could be Michael, I just don't know what he did to accrue Rico charges.  That's  why I think it's Carly, because she took over as mob boss while Sonny was "dead".  It's one of them for sure though. 

[jsbt]

I'm just so tired of hearing the word "Pikeman". Both that and Cyrus have been so lame and non-threatening from the beginning. At least 'the Balkan' sounded ominous!

[Cheyanne11]

46 minutes ago, CeChase said:

It could be Michael, I just don't know what he did to accrue Rico charges. 

Is boring someone to death a federal crime?

[Sake614]

46 minutes ago, CeChase said:

It could be Michael, I just don't know what he did to accrue Rico charges.  That's  why I think it's Carly, because she took over as mob boss while Sonny was "dead".  It's one of them for sure though. 

Yeah I agree. Jason would certainly do anything to protect Michael but I can’t think of anything he did to incur RICO charges. I don’t think ‘felony stupid’ is a federal crime.

[TVbitch]

How are some of these people not crushed by the weight of their own double standards and hypocrisy! 

I feel bad... but I had to FF'd Trina. Girl did go on.