Episode Discussion II: The TFGH

[DanaK]

2 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

It was good. We went through this with my mom, and I understand both sides. But if Gregory starts having someone in the house now, when he just needs someone to be there in case of trouble, it will be so much easier when the care needs to be more constant. For now, the person could do light housekeeping or whatever and stay out of his way. That hovering is what drove my mom crazy, as well as having a stranger in the house. But start early and you get used to each other.

When my parents got to the point of needing more help while they were still in their own home, my mom refused to allow it initially because she didn’t want people in her house. Things happened as mom got sick and needed some rehab for a few weeks to regain her strength before she returned home, whereupon she allowed the home health aides in to help with some things but it was at set times. Unfortunately she got sick again, it was determined she couldn’t remain independent in her home and she and my dad went to assisted living.

I do think Finn should either move with Gregory and Violet to a bigger place that would better help Gregory, including room for a live-in aide or have Gregory go to assisted living (Turning Woods?)

[dubbel zout]

38 minutes ago, 30 Helens said:

9 hours ago, ljr said:

Ace is the best part of the show.

Be careful what you put out there. Violet was cute once, too…

As was Wylie. It's when they're old enough to be prompted that the ickiness starts.

20 minutes ago, DanaK said:

I do think Finn should either move with Gregory and Violet to a bigger place that would better help Gregory, including room for a live-in aide

For the life of me, I can't figure out why this hasn't even been talked about. The family has plenty of money to make this happen.

[Mirabelle]

1 hour ago, TVbitch said:

Could someone with superior memory skills kindly refresh me.. does Laura know that Spencer stole the election for her?

I guess Sasha is sticking around so she and Cody can continue to bandly flirt until she is ready to become a bland couple with him. I struggle to see any potential drama with them that I could possibly care about. Otherwise, some great moments today.  

This is why Cody should be running a con or scheming to get money from a Quartermaine via BLQ or Tracey or Willow. Sasha could be someone he befriends in furtherance of that goal but then they genuinely become friends and he catches feelings which are contrary to his agenda. The con man/woman genuinely falling in love with their mark is a soap staple for a reason. 

Edited April 26 by Mirabelle

[Cheyanne11]

Strong episode to end the week.

Very good:

Laura laying it all out there for Sonny and NOT backing down to his usual go-to martydom excuses.  "Your good deeds don't absolve your bad ones" and saying Cyrus's crimes don't negate his?  *Chef's kiss* no notes!  And I know--because this isn't my first rodeo--that all will be forgiven when it's revealed Sonny's meds were tampered with, but I'm liking the rose-colored glasses being removed by the townfolk right now.

Tracy/Gregory and Finn/Alexis: Great support systems for both men and they both made excellent points. 

Nina telling Carly "so much for you earning the MC back on your own."  Hahahahaha, boom.

Also, both of them agreeing Ava and Sonny are a toxic combo.

Lastly, Ava's blous.  I want it.

The not as good:

Carly again acting like Nina ruined the MC and taunting her about it.  God, she's insufferable.

Olivia has too much to do?  Sure, Jan.  Also, very plot-point-y to get Sasha into the action more, but I don't hate it? (question mark intended)

Edited April 27 by Cheyanne11

[Sake614]

Good scenes between Laura/Sonny, Finn/Alexis and Gregory/Tracy. As hs been asked before, why the hell is Finn still living in an apartment? The minute he asked his dad to move in, he should have been on the hunt for a house with room for them all, and a bedroom on the first floor. or space to build one. I completely understand Gregory’s reluctance to a home aide. My mom hated it when she came out of rehab several years ago, and the aides were horrible. Sadly a few years ago the time came that she could no longer be alone so we had to hire live-in help. At that point I was grateful she still lived in the apartment where I grew up so there was a spare bedroom for the aides. AL is insanely expensive but it’s not as though Finn has no money. 

I also really liked Nina’s parting line to Carly about not getting the hotel back on her own. 

Good scenes between Laura/Sonny, Finn/Alexis and Gregory/Tracy. As hs been asked before, why the hell is Finn still living in an apartment? The minute he asked his dad to move in, he should have been on the hunt for a house with room for them all, and a bedroom on the first floor. or space to build one. I completely understand Gregory’s reluctance to a home aide. My mom hated it when she came out of rehab several years ago, and the aides were horrible. Sadly a few years ago the time came that she could no longer be alone so we had to hire live-in help. At that point I was grateful she still lived in the apartment where I grew up so there was a spare bedroom for the aides. AL is insanely expensive but it’s not as though Finn has no money. 

I also really liked Nina’s parting line to Carly about not getting the hotel back on her own. 

Good scenes between Laura/Sonny, Finn/Alexis and Gregory/Tracy. As hs been asked before, why the hell is Finn still living in an apartment? The minute he asked his dad to move in, he should have been on the hunt for a house with room for them all, and a bedroom on the first floor. or space to build one. I completely understand Gregory’s reluctance to a home aide. My mom hated it when she came out of rehab several years ago, and the aides were horrible. Sadly a few years ago the time came that she could no longer be alone so we had to hire live-in help. At that point I was grateful she still lived in the apartment where I grew up so there was a spare bedroom for the aides. AL is insanely expensive but it’s not as though Finn has no money. 

I also really liked Nina’s parting line to Carly about not getting the hotel back on her own. 

ETA so Sasha is content to be a servant at the Q mansion because it comes with room and board? And Olivia knows she can cook because she made ONE shepherd’s pie?

Edited April 26 by Sake614

[Artsda]

Sasha the Quartermaine chef? Will she live in the barn now too? 

Laura's truths to Sonny would mean a little more if it wasn't days ago she was defending Heather the cop killer and trying to free her. Sonny bad, but Heather she supports?

Laura's kids are where? Jail, MIA, and coma because of Cyrus.  Yet she's going to judge Sonny about children and protection? 

Nina and Carly agreeing with each other look out Ava. 

[Blackie]

Ugh why would Sasha want to go from spokesmodel to cook. I laughed when Sasha asked if she had to eat her own cooking. I guess the Q mansion is going to turn into Downton Abbey and Cody and Sasha are going to be the "downstairs".

 

Edited April 27 by Blackie
ghosts in the machine

[ljr]

Why does Olivia only cook lasagna? Did Dante eat lasagna every day growing up?

[Sake614]

2 minutes ago, ljr said:

Why does Olivia only cook lasagna? Did Dante eat lasagna every day growing up?

Now now, she doesn’t make ONLY a lasagna. She also cooks baked ziti and manicotti! Apparently in Olivia’s version of Italian cooking, it’s pasta with red sauce every day. 

[Auntie Velvet]

Sasha should not be the cook at the Q's -- what the hell? In my fantasy, that's Nina's take if they finally sit down for lunch. Nina will say that in fact she was just about to offer Sasha an opportunity to host shows on Crimson's digital platform, edit the print makeup section, be the model wrangler for the magazine -- ANYTHING that's more in her beauty background wheelhouse.

[Mirabelle]

3 hours ago, ljr said:

Why does Olivia only cook lasagna? Did Dante eat lasagna every day growing up?

How else are you going to know she's an Italian mama from the old neighborhood?

[dubbel zout]

16 hours ago, Cheyanne11 said:

Also, both of them agreeing Ava and Sonny are a toxic combo.

Enemies teaming up against a common foe is a soap trope for a reason, too, and I wouldn't mind seeing Nina and Carly try to take Ava down together. They'd have to be equals, though, not just Carly bossing Nina around. The new writers are still kind of feeling their way with those two.

[GHScorpiosRule]

THIS is my Laura!Fucking!Spencer! Aside from the truth bombs, her EYES said it and expressed it all! Even in the scenes with Ava, her reaction and eyes told this viewer, she wasn't buying any of Ava's bullshit.

Now if only Anna could follow suit. Instead of the teary-eyed waterworks whenever she talks about Mooby and how he wasn't who she thought he was broken record.

I must have missed it, but someone mentioned how Alexis told Molly that TJ's over reactions were on him? I didn't see or hear that. Just Alexis listening to Molly and letting her spew WHINE. If she can't defend her sister or stand up for herself to TJ, they have a problem. And it's NOT Kristina.

I really hate what the writers or was it the scab writers who decided suddenly that Kristina and Molly couldn't stand each other and didn't get along? When the reverse was the reality? I was on the Barge. But I do remember all the comments and scenes of the "Davis Coven" and TJ was around for that.

Speaking of which, he can just jump down the well, or you know, just take a gazillion SEATS and STFU. So again, IF Kristina loses the baby, I hope it happens when TJ is railing at her, causing early labor, then losing said child. And let him SUCK on it.

This show STILL gets so many things wrong. If PC were a small two traffic light stop town, I could see Cujo seating customers, or whatever, but that kind of stuff is the MANAGER'S job. Unless Show is trying to tell us the Cujo is Owner, Manager, Maitre' D, Waitress, AND Hostess?

And Olivia just her cheerleader? But whatever.

[Cheyanne11]

1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

must have missed it, but someone mentioned how Alexis told Molly that TJ's over reactions were on him? I didn't see or hear that. Just Alexis listening to Molly and letting her spew WHINE. If she can't defend her sister or stand up for herself to TJ, they have a problem. And it's NOT Kristina.

Alexix DID tell Molly that and Molly, to her credit, has been trying to defend Kristina while still *trying* to listen to her husband and reason with him. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

12 minutes ago, Cheyanne11 said:

Alexix DID tell Molly that and Molly, to her credit, has been trying to defend Kristina while still *trying* to listen to her husband and reason with him. 

Sorry I wasn’t clear-I did see where Alexis told Molly to talk to TJ, but not where she said it was on TJ-his constant bitching and problems with Kristina.

And he’s her domestic partner. They’re not married. Decided that was the best thing since she refused his marriage proposal. 

[mbluecpa]

Dear writers, we get it: the MC descended into an unkempt, falling-apart, and atrociously painted fleabag hotel under Nina’s 50% ownership.  Can you please give it a rest?  The assemblage of the staff members to worship at the altar of Carly was the perfect allegory for, well, the Carly worship.

I was bracing myself during Carly and Kristina’s chat but was pleasantly surprised as the writers wrote and LW played a degree of “hey I’ve been there, and understand the truth is rough.” TJ, on the other hand, is now auto Fast Fwd.

The adult conversations amongst the veterans (plus Alexis/Molly) really highlighted what happens with good writing and great chemistry/performances. 

Sasha becoming the cook at the Qs is dumb as hell, but I’ll hand-wave as a device to keep her around.

[Asp Burger]

To see that proud, beautiful man having his gift of art rejected...there are no words. Laura is a monster.  

(Sarcasm/callback to something on social media last decade involving Sonny and Nelle. I bring it back once in a while with the "monster" person and the story details updated.) 

[GHScorpiosRule]

If Blaze doesn't want to come out, then maybe she shouldn't be kissing Kristina in public? Like at the Metro Court? Where I'm sure, Nina's sleazy Invader gossip columnist hangs out? Or does she think no one will see when they do kiss in public? That's definitely not a way to keep her sexuality a secret.

And I loved Brook Lynne telling her it's 2024 and that there are a lot of artists who are out-even those in the music business. 

[ciarra]

16 hours ago, mbluecpa said:

Dear writers, we get it: the MC descended into an unkempt, falling-apart, and atrociously painted fleabag hotel under Nina’s 50% ownership.  Can you please give it a rest?  The assemblage of the staff members to worship at the altar of Carly was the perfect allegory for, well, the Carly worship.

Didn't you adore how Carly ordered her staff member to put more booze bottles out on the shelves?  How have they survived without her expert advice?

[tessabq]

1 hour ago, ciarra said:

Didn't you adore how Carly ordered her staff member to put more booze bottles out on the shelves?  How have they survived without her expert advice?

Thank goodness because I'm certain Nina had them filling them up with colored water. She also had housekeeping simply flipping dirty sheets over to the "clean side" instead of changing them. Carly's degree in hotel management from Cornell is finally back in play.

[Bringonthedrama]

Josslyn sort of apologizing to Kristina and then showing a quality resembling humility is shocking to me.

Good to know Anna has functioning brain cells ... but c'mon Jason being her friend/amateur therapist is not a good look.

Valentin is either really naive or just stupid.

I just can't with Carly, Michael and Willow. Same with Nina wanting another round with Drew. Ugh.

If I'm supposed to think John/Jagger is some big bad regarding Jason and Carly, GMAB. 

I don't buy that Nikolas would be teary eyed with worry about Nina. He looks like he's totally over the presumed death of his own son and no thought to ask about his son's beloved girlfriend even though he's talking to her mentor.  Ugh. 

Edited April 29 by Bringonthedrama

[YaddaYadda]

Michael being invited to be part of a meeting Drew was having with Willow about a job proposal was so bad. Then Michael speaking on her behalf about how she is a private person. Please stop! We know. Michael is a controlling husband. He didn't want her to be a nurse, he doesn't really want her to accept this offer. Controlling disguised as caring and attentive. Miss me with that, show. You're gross.

Also, they should've never brought the "cancer" storyline back. 

Anna understands that Jason is also a criminal, yes?

[dubbel zout]

OMG, Kristina is outside doing something vaguely cardio. Does TJ know?

Why was Willow so nervous about Amelia learning how to swim? It's not as if someone was going to just throw her into the pool and let her sink. If it was to put Willow in proximity of Drew so they could eye-bang, mission accomplished, but Willow isn't a first-time mom. There's no need for her to be that concerned.

Drew, Willow survived leukemia ENTIRELY due to her bone marrow transplant. Michael, let your wife talk for herself. Ugh, he's so awful. I don't think the writers are aware of how controlling he's coming across.

16 minutes ago, Bringonthedrama said:

Good to know Anna has functioning brain cells ... but c'mon Jason being her friend/amateur therapist is not a good look.

It sure isn't. If she can't separate shooting Charlotte from looking at Valentin dispassionately, she has no business being the police commissioner. Good grief.

There are too many women being written as pathetic: Nina, Anna, Willow.

Drew is one to talk about Nina barging into his office during a meeting without knocking.

[Sugarbaker]

Did I hear that correctly? Carly (Ms. Self-reliant) *only* accepted taking the MetroCourt back for Jason and it giving him some sense of normality after so much change in his absence? 

What's wrong with just saying yes he offered and I took it. 

[Blackie]

Did Jason not have access to google the whole time he was gone? Was he not even curious to check in on the news of Port Charles?

[GHScorpiosRule]

24 minutes ago, Blackie said:

Did Jason not have access to google the whole time he was gone? Was he not even curious to check in on the news of Port Charles?

Nope. Didn't you see last week, where he told Cujo it..."hurt too much?" Or some nonsense like that? Though I did cackle that hers was the last person he thought of after Sam, Elizabeth,  Jake, Danny, and Monica!🤣

[GHScorpiosRule]

Dear Current Writers Who Can’t Bother To Do Research:

Anna was no longer in the WSB in the 80s! She’d given birth to Robin, and turned to life as a fence for stolen merchandise!

And can we PLEASE get Anna to stop crying already?! Clearly she can’t handle being Commissioner and should just resign. JEEBUS CRIPES. Confess and wail to Robert or Robin.

WHYYYYYYY  is Jagger making GOO-GOO EYES at Cujo?!!!!!

Edited April 30 by GHScorpiosRule

[Sake614]

39 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

WHYYYYYYY  is Jagger making GOO-GOO EYES at Cujo?!!!!!

Because she’s brave and strong and loves with her whole heart. And everyone must worship at the alter of Carly. Didn’t you get the memo? 

[JMO]

Just want to make sure I'm following the plot.  Valentin, Brennan and Anna were all in the WSB together (presumably Robert as well).  Then Valentin and Brennan decided to start Pikeman as a side business (using ill-gotten money??), and have been profiting by using Pikeman to sell arms to the WSB.  Jason was somehow found by the FBI after being in that tunnel collapse, and coerced into going undercover with Pikeman, which coercion worked because his handler, Jagger, threatens to prosecute Carly if he doesn't cooperate.

Is that it?  Jagger has said he's in Port Charles because he's supposed to protect Sonny against a threat (Pikeman, apparently).  Is that true?  Is it just a coincidence that Jagger ran into his Pikeman plant in Port Charles?

Re: Anna's history---yes, she had become a fence by the time she arrived in Port Charles.  But then she became the police commissioner (!), and then I think she and Robert both went back to the WSB, all in the 80s.  Weren't they supposed to have been working a case when they were reported to have been killed in a boat explosion?

[Bringonthedrama]

2 hours ago, Sugarbaker said:

Did I hear that correctly? Carly (Ms. Self-reliant) *only* accepted taking the MetroCourt back for Jason

Yes indeed. 🤣

[jacourt]

Jason is working for the fbi in pikeman 

[MissPhoenixGirl]

So what exactly is the point of this new Drew/Nina pairing? Is Drew secretly planning to get revenge on Nina by humiliating her somehow? Is Nina somehow going to get pregnant with Drew's kid and she's going to be locked in a nasty and prolonged custody battle with Drew for years on end? If Nina and Drew is long term, I actually won't be surprised if Nina does get pregnant with Drew's baby and it ends up being born very sickly and we have a redux of the baby Lila storyline that happened years ago where Molly and T.J.'s baby dies and Molly and T.J. agree to have blood or bone marrow be donated to Nina and Drew's sickly kid. Then again maybe Nina will finally stop focusing and obsessing over Carly and/or Willow so much because she'll finally have the baby that she's always wanted. So if that's the case, then bring it. 

[luna1122again]

Surely the baby train is long off the tracks for Nina? Tho her being knocked up with Drew's baby would make Carly and Michael's heads explode. 

Why does Carly guffaw after every other line? 

Please keep Jagger away from her

 

[Cheyanne11]

Why was Michael at the meeting with Drew and Willow as if Willow was a minor and needed a parent there?  Ugh, he's so ridiculously controlling. 

Hey, Drew, if you're having a meeting and expect someone to knock before entering maybe actually close the door.  Knocking on air doesn't really have an effect. 

Carly explaining that she accepted the MC back for Jason needed a laugh track.  GMAFB.

[Sake614]

not that it matters but Britt told Nina years ago that she was in menopause and couldn’t conceive. 

[tessabq]

The three of them, Drew, Michael, and Willow, acted as if Michael needed to sign a permission slip for Willow to be the spokesperson. 

[Artsda]

So Anna is all about trusting and working with Jason, but Sonny big bad mobster? Jason has been what for decades? She tells him about things Dex turned in. 

Michael really wanted Willow to not take your offer. 

Joss told Kristina about Cyrus to help Dex? Lol what that's not what happened.  Then she tells him pcpd would be lucky to have him?  Did she get a new brain from last week? 

Ava really is pathetic, all this and betraying Nina for Sonny. Carly slamming door in her face, doesn't Ava drop her daughter there?

Would have been nice Cassadine thing to have a scene with Nikolas and Valentine. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 hours ago, JMO said:

Re: Anna's history---yes, she had become a fence by the time she arrived in Port Charles.  But then she became the police commissioner (!), and then I think she and Robert both went back to the WSB, all in the 80s.  Weren't they supposed to have been working a case when they were reported to have been killed in a boat explosion?

Yes, and yes, and yes! She and Robert “died” in ‘92 or ‘93. So it would have been more accurate for Anna to say it was the 70s, since she was in Port Charles from 1984-1993ish.🙄🙄🙄

[ComeWhatMay]

Realizing they do whatever they want here, I recall Nina went through premature menopause, and that was back when she first came on the show played by Stafford? I wasn’t watching then, but read it when I was catching up. I suppose they could decide to pull a very late in life pregnancy, but I somehow doubt it. 

Turnpike Nik still has a very young son alive, but I didn’t see any of the feeling I would’ve expected to see in a grieving father. Speaking of which MW did a great job in the scene with Laura. When Laura mentioned seeing Spencer every time she looked at Ace, I saw Ava visibly wince. Ace is her then husband’s ONS with his son’s ex baby. She’s never going to have any particularly warm feeling for him and I imagine that Turnpike Nik’s feelings for Ace are complicated too. It really makes Ace’s whole existence very tragic as beautiful as he is. Trina’s ability to look past the pain and love the baby is a testament to her character.

Kristina should keep out of her dad’s orbit now, but I feel like she won’t and as much as I hate baby and child loss stories (I have never gotten over BJ), the loss of the baby she is having for Molly and TJ would create infinite, reverberating drama. 

[kitmerlot1213]

13 hours ago, JMO said:

Re: Anna's history---yes, she had become a fence by the time she arrived in Port Charles.  But then she became the police commissioner (!), and then I think she and Robert both went back to the WSB, all in the 80s.  Weren't they supposed to have been working a case when they were reported to have been killed in a boat explosion?

Anna wasn't the police commissioner back then, she was Chief of Police, then she was a private investigator, then the bombing happened where everybody thought she was dead and I guess when she was declared alive again she went back to working for the WSB?

[ffwbe]

Ava isn’t really in the inner circle. They were getting along with her better prior to this recent shift. Sonny temporarily trusts her but he isn’t getting along with most of his inner circle right now and none of them like or accept Ava because she is hanging onto Sonny while they’re frustrated with him. Hell Sonny doesn’t seem to really respect her either if you consider how he talked about her to Brick the other day. So she’s doing all of this for no real gain and will get blasted once everyone finds out she knew about his meds being tampered with. I don’t get where she ends up at the end of this because they are taking her back to her 2016-2018 town pariah era but she doesn’t have people like Julian and Kiki around anymore. She’s already thrown over Nina, Trina will likely jump ship once Ava gets exposed, and we already know that Sonny is petty enough to keep her away from Avery. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 minutes ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

Anna wasn't the police commissioner back then, she was Chief of Police, then she was a private investigator, then the bombing happened where everybody thought she was dead and I guess when she was declared alive again she went back to working for the WSB?

No she turned up alive on All My Children-with amnesia. Then when Robin/Kimberly left the show, she decided she was going to look for Anna. She and Felicia had an emotional scene where Robin said she missed her mom (this was after the Robin told AJ about baby SLS) and wished she was around to talk with or something. I'm not sure what made her think Anna was still alive, but that reunion, which SHOULD HAVE been on this show, took place on All My Children-where Alex was a good character. And that Reunion was EVERYTHING.

Then Anna showed up again on this show, about a year after Robin returned, I think? After the Monkey Virus, to jump out of a helicopter and drop kick Robert's ass for faking his death and not telling her or Robin he was alive. But of course, by then, we learned the WSB weren't the good guys of the 80s; they had threatened Robert to keep and stay dead if he didn't want anything to happen to Anna or Robin.

Ahem.

Sorry for digressing. But yes, then Anna was WSB, and I remember investigating, Ted King's Alcazar.

Sigh. I miss when the WSB was one of the good guys.

[jsbt]

4 hours ago, ffwbe said:

 I don’t get where she ends up at the end of this because they are taking her back to her 2016-2018 town pariah era 

That's who she should be. She's always been bad news. And if she can get custody of Avery from an unstable local crimelord with a target on his back, she has her ballgame.

Edited April 30 by jsbt

[TVbitch]

Wow, John's skin looks flawless again already. I wonder what balm he uses! 

Carly: If Jason had been around, I never would have lost the Metrocourt due to my own stupidity, so really, it is totally his fault. And while he can't right the wrongs of being away from his kids and causing everyone so much pain, he can right his most egregious mistake of not being here to save me from being an idiot. So, even though I hate it, and have always ALWAYS paid my own way in life, it is truly the only decent thing to do for me to put aside my own wishes, and allow Jason to waste even more of his kids' inheritance on me. It just makes me so happy to be able to make this sacrifice for him. 

John: You are the most selfless woman I have ever met, may I fall in love with you?  

[lilabennet]

^This show is unwatchable.

[tessabq]

49 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Wow, John's skin looks flawless again already. I wonder what balm he uses! 

Carly: If Jason had been around, I never would have lost the Metrocourt due to my own stupidity, so really, it is totally his fault. And while he can't right the wrongs of being away from his kids and causing everyone so much pain, he can right his most egregious mistake of not being here to save me from being an idiot. So, even though I hate it, and have always ALWAYS paid my own way in life, it is truly the only decent thing to do for me to put aside my own wishes, and allow Jason to waste even more of his kids' inheritance on me. It just makes me so happy to be able to make this sacrifice for him. 

John: You are the most selfless woman I have ever met, may I fall in love with you?  

Re: John's skin. Perhaps he should be Deception's new spokesperson?

[Ambrosefolly]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:19 PM, mbluecpa said:

Dear writers, we get it: the MC descended into an unkempt, falling-apart, and atrociously painted fleabag hotel under Nina’s 50% ownership.  Can you please give it a rest?  The assemblage of the staff members to worship at the altar of Carly was the perfect allegory for, well, the Carly worship.

It didn't fall apart when Jax, an international wealthy businessman sold his half of the hotel. It didn't happened when Kate Howard, an Ivy league educated, cultured and successful fashion editor was murdered by Ava and the hotel was left to her ungrateful and judgmental cousin Olivia who lacked her cousin's refinement. No, it happened when Carly, who pretty much decided she wanted to run a big fancy hotel just because but with no schooling, experience or even bringing advisors (I don't hear her mention anything in bringing advisors) into learning business or management, lost the hotel,  that's when things went to crap. While it isn't out of the realm of possibility for someone with a humble background to work their way to the top, that has never been Carly's story. She was always exalted as a naturally good business person, despite never building or even running businesses for very long.

I would argue between Nina and Carly, Nina would be naturally better at owning a hotel, because she grew up wealthy, so she would be exposed to legendary hotels around the world and that more exposure to luxury from an early age. Carly on the other hand, grew up in a trailer park. Nothing wrong with that, Kate Howard also had a humble background. But Carly never had any tales of working around the world. Also, even though she got her status by marrying rich, she never really left Port Charles to travel aboard, save for the occasional short trips to Australia & Europe. I remember several years ago Carly was talking to JMB's Lulu how her mother Laura was a "homebody" and how adventurous her and Lulu were. It was hilarious because since Carly had Michael in her twenties, she better much stayed put, while Laura went on international adventures with Luke and Robert, went on the run with Luke and Lucky for years, and lived in France with Lulu when Lulu was a toddler. The "homebody" myth came  about because she wanted to stay put near family for young Lucky and later Lulu's sakes.

If any of these writers ever ventured out their bubble, instead of making Carly so awesome at running a hotel, the threat could of come from Nina in talks to sell her half of the hotel to a private equity firm, and having the Olivia and staff rightfully freaked out about that. If you know anything about the bane of private equity, they ruin just about anything: fashion houses, food, and even health care Say what you will about Carly, but as long as she is living her luxurious life, she isn't that money hunger, but she is very possessive of the things that give her status, like that hotel. If I was the architect of the story, I would have that while the Metro Court was well reviewed, since Carly had no real business experience when she bought the hotel and with Jax and Kate gone and Olivia taking on a bigger role as co owner instead of a manager, it wasn't making the profits it should have. And Nina, now completely fed up with Carly and a lot on her own plate, was seriously considering selling her half of the hotel.

[jsbt]

I will say that if this was 15 years ago or more, Carly might very well have sabotaged the MC herself to get it back from an otherwise amiably clueless and disinterested Nina. And that would be fine with me. All of that behavior is in character for all parties. That being said I honestly don't care that she has it back since it never made much sense for Nina to have it anyway.

[tessaray]

I thought the scene with Ava and Nik was oddly interesting.  You can still see why they worked as a couple, that acceptance of who they are and their past misdeeds. 

And why they didn't. Ava is as hypocritical as Sonny. Murder, no problem - personal betrayal, unforgivable. 

[jsbt]

31 minutes ago, tessaray said:

I thought the scene with Ava and Nik was oddly interesting.  You can still see why they worked as a couple, that acceptance of who they are and their past misdeeds. 

The problem wasn't with the couple or the chemistry IMO, in any incarnation (though I am hardpressed to see Adam Huss playing a romantic lead - he is very good but too intense for it IMO, and his brief attempts at putting the moves on Ava a few months back were very awkward). The problem was the writing. They put two very sophisticated morally grey characters who were both in a dark place together, then they tried to make them sweet and conventional. Even before Tyler left, in that pairing's earliest beginnings after they'd gone on the run together, they eventually had Ava waxing on about her dreamy childhood fantasies of being a fairy tale princess, and this kind of inconsistent and often schmoopy approach to the couple continued with Coloma in the role. Sometimes they were dark and dysfunctional, other times they were trying to be Jack and Carly from ATWT. Ava became a weeping heroine too often for the plot, and she is never good in that role. I don't care what MW played as Carly Snyder; it's not Ava, and any time they try to make her 'more viable' it sucks for the character. She's already lasted over a decade, let her be what she is and let the chips fall where they may.

Nikolas and Ava could've run for many more years if handled properly. And if Tyler was still alive I would not be averse to them trying again when he was well, but sadly he isn't and I'm not interested in Nikolas #5. I'm not sure anyone at the show is. So this is where it's at.

Edited April 30 by jsbt