Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

Episode Discussion II: The TFGH


Guest

Culture Check: How can we discuss a character's or actor's appearance without objectifying them? How can we express likes or dislikes and still respect an individual's humanity or be mindful that a character represents a person someone else might relate to or identify with?

  • Reply
  • Start Topic

Recommended Posts

(edited)

I was curious to see what I would think about the controversial Liz/Finn scene, which I had read about here before seeing it.  

I have to side with Liz. I thought Finn was falling back into an addict's way of looking at things, which Liz can recognize well. When she brought up taking Violet home while Finn goes to a meeting, he said no, that isn't going to happen, he didn't need a meeting, because he just watched two strangers wheel his dead father out. That's a dangerous place for him, and by extension Violet, to be. He is essentially saying, "Yes, I'm drinking again, but I have a good reason."  What if a day or two later, a week or two later, he's still drinking? The whole concept of addiction survives on addicts being able to come up with "good reasons" to continue, or to resume.

I did not think she came on too strong, honestly, and I think Finn (as he's been written most of the time) will ultimately thank her for putting her niece's well-being first. Anyone whose opinion matters to Finn—Chase, Alexis, Tracy, Anna—would have encouraged the same course of action: arrange for someone to look after Violet, and get to a meeting.

Edited by Asp Burger
  • Like 7
  • Applause 3
  • Love 1

All this talk about the stress on Kristina if/when she has to testify against Mooby just made me roll my eyes.

Of course, Mooby wouldn't admit to guilt of any kind; but would he be willing to let Diane rip Kristina on the stand-if it got that far-to trial? Not all assault cases do. But this is a soap, so of course it would.

And Mooby's story keeps changing with each person he speaks to about it; to "she saw and heard everything" to "she didn't know what she saw, but she's afraid of me now"  and so on.

I laughed when Alexis' eyes bugged out when Mason Fergus Byrne announced his name at the hearing. But I also giggled when she whispered to Diane that there was something familiar about him. You know **wink**wink** Mason. But just ignore that Fergus is Cameron's doppelgänger, eh?

But I'm very confused where they are. Are they in front of the NY Court of Appeals? Or the tribunal of fellow judges from the bar? Because if it's the former, shouldn't they all be in, well, court? That did not look like a courtroom to me.

 

  • Like 2
19 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

So basically, Joss and Michael think Dex needs to let it go or Kristina and the baby will be in severe distress/possible miscarriage. 

Isn't she 5-6 months along?  Surely they can wait until she gives birth for her to testify? Postpone the trial or whatever, by a few weeks/months?  Not like they haven't played fast and loose with the rules before....

  • Like 4

I really hate this “Kristina is a delicate flower who has to avoid stress at all costs” thing the show has going. Yes, of course she shouldn’t be put in stressful situations, but if she’s really that fragile, she shouldn’t have been allowed to be a surrogate in the first place.

It’s also deeply annoying to me that Kristina might actually miscarry or have some other traumatic event when we constantly heard about Carly being thisclose to stroking out when she was pregnant with Donna, and absolutely nothing abnormal happened.

  • Like 6
  • Applause 2
(edited)
22 hours ago, JMO said:

We didn't get a preview of Tracy's learning the news,

She learned off-screen. Today's show started with Ned back in the house comforting his daughter and Chase getting the phone call from Elizabeth. We may still see Tracy because Lois encouraged Ned to check on her, saying she believed Tracy had developed feelings for Gregory and was really hurting over this loss.

Wow, RS and WK demonstrate again what fantastic scene partners they are. WK/Ned looked like it took his breathe away when she said ILY and I appreciate you. They are a wonderful, united front of support for their daughter and her new husband.  

Again, Elizabeth had the right idea but telling Finn "I won't let you throw your sobriety away!" was definitely the wrong thing to say. Finn was able to be calm and honest with his brother. Chase and BLQ handled the situation well. I think BLQ is going to be a wonderful aunt. 

Carly being rude to Anna and the Carly/Sonny/Ava stuff is just more of the same crap. Although I assume Alexis will want to take Ava down hard now. 

I guess cousin Gio from the old neighborhood living at the Q mansion is Lois's new storyline, aside from being a supporting player in BLQ and Chase's mourning storyline.

ETA: Tracy is in the previews for the 5/24 episode. 

Edited by Bringonthedrama
  • Like 2
  • Love 1
59 minutes ago, ffwbe said:

They’re really backing the bus over Ava. Now she’s the reason Alexis lost her law license? And over Julian, who IIRC was in a full on relationship with someone else before Alexis ever laid eyes on Neil.

Funny that they mentioned Julian, because this is the exact same box-the-character-into-a-corner writing Julian got just before he was murdered.

"This little girl's" mom is Elizabeth's sister, Finn, so yes she does get some sort of a say in what happens to her niece. Hayden didn't abandon or walk out on you, she disappeared under mysterious circumstances soon after she delivered Violet to you and is presumed dead. The absolute weirdest part of the entire Finn/Elizabeth relationship is how the show is determined to gloss over not only the fact that Elizabeth is Hayden's sister and thus Violet's aunt but also that for years neither Finn nor Elizabeth care to look for where Hayden actually is. 

  • Like 7
  • Applause 3
21 hours ago, Auntie Velvet said:

I know it's a fool's errand to try to apply logic to the plot, but two things bug me about the Dex beating:

--Since he got treated as a hospital, it's strange he didn't have to answer questions from law enforcement. 

--Wouldn't the most sensible plan be to document Dex's physical condition now, then have him report the crime after Kristina delivers the baby? I think victims have more leeway to report than a couple of months. 

 

Doesn't Dex still have to go to work or the academy? He's going to show up looking like that and offer NO explanation? I think his superiors are going to need to hear something, because if he wasn't attacked then was he in a fight? That wouldn't go over well, considering that some of them didn't really want him there in the first place. 

  • Like 2
  • Useful 1

I'm sorry but to pretend like Finn should have anything other than utter disdain for Hayden is unfathomable. This is a woman:

1. Who left him at the altar

2. Told him she had a miscarriage

3. Tried to lure him to her side, uppending his life years later, in the process hopefully destroying his current relationship

4. Returned to PC but kept his child from him hidden away, lying to his face multiple times, all the while getting her flirt on since his gf was away

5. Only told him said child was alive because she was sick

6. Took off and abandoned said child to keep her safe (suuuure, Hayden).... yet, she's made exactly zero efforts to contact her, call her, reach out, send a sign, anything!

But, right, Finn is the bad guy on this scenario for not showing proper respect to Hayden. OK, then. I'll just sit here in my corner disagreeing.

  • Like 3
  • Applause 2
(edited)

The death of a parent is bad, but there are worse things that can test a newlywed couple. Try the death of a parent and a spouse undergoing chemo at the same time, as my brother had to deal with. I wish they'd left that dialogue at Chase and BLQ being challenged immediately after getting married.

1 hour ago, Bringonthedrama said:

WK/Ned looked like it took his breathe away when she said ILY and I appreciate you.

I have to think there was some RL emotion behind that scene.

"You know how to make an omelet?" Uh, it's basically scrambled eggs, Kristina. It's not that hard, unless you demand a French-style omelet. That does take some finesse.

I'm not sure BL telling Violet that Finn would be around for a long time was the right thing to say after Gregory died so suddenly (even if he was terminally ill). It happens to everyone and in all sorts of situations. And anyway, Violet asked what would happen if Finn died, and I think what BL should have said was that she had lots of family around who love her deeply and would happily take care of her. I'm all for being honest about death, and Violet is old enough to hear some tougher facts. But whatever.

Ugh, tomorrow we have to sit through scenes with the smuggest domestic partners on Earth.

Edited by dubbel zout
  • Like 3
  • Mind Blown 1

Ava turning Alexis in - didn't see that coming. Adds a layer to her prodding Nina to call the SEC and then back pedaling. 

At least Finn left the bottle out in the open. (Over at Y&R it felt like years watching Nikki sneak swigs of vodka.) And we saw both Elizabeth and Chase/Brook Lynn's reactions right away. Wherever it's leading, they aren't dragging it out. 

I feel cheated by Tracy learning about Gregory offscreen. And bored by pretty Gio moving in, though Rena Sofer just looked so gorgeous today. 

Anna needs to stop thinking like a spy and do her job. 

  • Like 6
11 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Hayden didn't abandon or walk out on you, she disappeared under mysterious circumstances soon after she delivered Violet to you and is presumed dead. The absolute weirdest part of the entire Finn/Elizabeth relationship is how the show is determined to gloss over not only the fact that Elizabeth is Hayden's sister and thus Violet's aunt but also that for years neither Finn nor Elizabeth care to look for where Hayden actually is. 

Technically Hayden walked out on Violet after saying good-bye and she didn't know how long they would be apart. However, she didn't abandon Finn because they weren't together at the time. 

Elizabeth demanded a few years ago that Nikolas find Hayden, because his attempt to scare/intimidate her is what caused her to leave without saying where she was going. Nikolas later told her he did everything he could but was unable to locate Hayden, so they had to accept that she died.  Once Shawn Butler left and his "justice for Hayden" attempt at a storyline evaporated, Hayden is rarely to never mentioned. 

This is the time Violet should be really upset and depressed. Finn confirmed Hayden left five years ago. We know Violet was 4 years old when Finn met her when she was a patient in GH.  So in 5 years, her mother left her and never came back and now the grandfather she met and got close to after her mother left her has passed away. That's a lot of pain/sadness for a 9-year-old. I felt so bad for her when she was talking to BLQ about loss and her dad.

  • Like 6

Anna says, "I hope I didn't discourage you from reporting..." and "The law is the law" - right after she lays out all the ways that reporting Sonny could affect the rest of his family. Since when does the Police Commissioner care about how charging a criminal with a criminal offense affects the rest of his family? She's not a social worker. 

  • Like 11
  • Love 2

So we got a whole day of Lois preparing for people to gather at the Qs (why???) but we couldn’t get even ONE scene of Chase telling Tracy about Gregory? This fakakta show!

snd of course Dex goes straight to Anna, who basically tells him not to press charges. 🙄

I did NOT see the twist with Alexis coming. AVA? Damn, I wouldn’t wanna be her when Alexis gets home 🤣

  • Like 5
  • Love 1

We're blaming the writers for Tracy being told off screen, but maybe it's an example of deference to an older veteran's wishes. I don't know anything about JE's personal life, but maybe right now she couldn't handle the rawness of those first moments -- as professional as she is.

I wouldn't be surprised if Elizabeth and Finn have a respectful conversation about how they both reacted in that moment. But it doesn't look good for their relationship prospects.

  • Like 4
  • Useful 2
45 minutes ago, finnzup said:

Question--Has Tracy been told about Gregory yet?  I find it odd that we haven't seen her reaction.  Did I miss a scene? 

Yes, Ned and Chase told her off-screen. Lois asked about Tracy; Ned said he hadn't seen her in "a while" and was giving her space/privacy after they gave her the news. She is in 5/24's episode so we should see some sign of how she's grieving Gregory's death. 

  • Like 2
5 hours ago, ffwbe said:

They’re really backing the bus over Ava. Now she’s the reason Alexis lost her law license? And over Julian, who IIRC was in a full on relationship with someone else before Alexis ever laid eyes on Neil

I'm gonna have to hand wave this because I have no recollection* of why Ava would feel the need to turn Alexis in over Julian.

*please no one try to explain it, as I really don't care, lol.

  • Like 2
  • LOL 6

Im trying to be hopeful that this is actually the beginning of good writing for Finn and Elizabeth as a couple. I've been frustrated with the lack of not seeing them since the new team took over, but in light of this story, I have a different thought now. Maybe that was deliberate to give them a light reboot. 

I had commented when Finn called Alexis--who is his sponsor so it does make sense--that it would have been nice to have him call Elizabeth since she had a partner with addiction in the past. I even wrote: There is a STORY there.

And, whaddya know.... here we are.

As for why I'm hopeful this IS a story for them, for realsies, and not the beginning of the end?

Well, Finn interacts mostly with five people. (Sadly, not six because we barely see Tracy and him hang anymore, so.....) Gregory. Is gone. Violet. Is a child. Chase. Just got married, has Brooklyn and Dante and Qs as well. Alexis. Is starting up a new story with Lane Davies' character. Elizabeth. ??? Yup. That leaves Elizabeth.

Also, how they both reacted after Finn had her leave. Finn basically broke down over it. This was someone who needed that other person (Elizabeth), but because of his grief, and shame over drinking, he couldn't deal with the consequences of his actions. So he pushed her away. That's some good romantic angst and drama set up right there.

Elizabeth was in shock, and then immediately went into action. She wasn't angry with Finn, she did what needed to be done for him (and Violet), but she was looking out for him. She called Chase. Sure, she wasn't OK, but that didn't matter right then and there. Finn did. His little girl did. And Elizabeth was looking out for him. That's Elizabeth being an awesome heroine in love getting ish done. 

Gosh, I hope I'm right, and that this is a story that is FINALLY going to do these actors and this pair right.

  • Like 3

I don't know, the writing for both Finn and Ava looks like  exit writing.  But I've seen it before and then there was no exit.  Still... I wouldn't want money riding on it.  I wonder if they are setting up a "who killed Ava Jerome" thing?  I just hope it's not Nina leading to Cynthia's exit to top it all off.  I knew there would be cast cuts, but damn do I have a list and none of them are going to be cut.  

  • Like 5
2 minutes ago, driver18 said:

How is an addiction storyline exit writing? Addiction storylines happen all the time on soaps. Lucky, Finn, Alexis, Sasha off the top of my head on GH. I know there have been more.

In Finn's case a month or two ago he was wistfully talking about his stint in Doctors Without Borders. That's usually a red flag when you have regime changes. Combined with going off the wagon and Gregory dying (running away from the pain) it still could be an exit story. The pieces fit. But who knows anymore? 

  • Like 2
  • Applause 2
45 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Anna is a MORON.

What was even the point of Anna calling Carly in to act like a self important jerk to her and inform her Brennan got shivved? She obviously didn't know about it, how could she? It's not like Brennan has a cell phone in the hospital and called her. Then Anna's warns Carly not to go see him. Carly wouldn't even know he was at GH, if Anna hadn't just told her! And also there is also a guard at his door.  ~So stupid, and I hate Carly! Look what you are doing to me, Anna!!!  😂

  • Like 3
  • LOL 1
1 hour ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

Anna is a MORON.

They’re trying to have their cake and eat it with her. She keeps blowing smoke about how she’s going to hold Sonny accountable and trying to force people like Molly to assist because they have to overcome their biases but everytime she gets wind of a crime he’s involved with, she comes up with some bs reason to not go through with charging him. I’d almost rather they go back to the old way of the PCPD trying to get Sonny and failing if the alternative is Anna not even trying, 

  • Like 5
  • Applause 1
1 hour ago, ffwbe said:

They’re trying to have their cake and eat it with her. She keeps blowing smoke about how she’s going to hold Sonny accountable and trying to force people like Molly to assist because they have to overcome their biases but everytime she gets wind of a crime he’s involved with, she comes up with some bs reason to not go through with charging him. I’d almost rather they go back to the old way of the PCPD trying to get Sonny and failing if the alternative is Anna not even trying, 

Again, seems like treading water and possibly BTS weirdness.

The force and a lot of the daily writing behind the change in the town's attitude towards Sonny has been strong for me, if awkward in places (Kristina's selective amnesia/denial I can handwave to a point as she has always been a spoiled Daddy's girl, but Laura making it about poor Cyrus who put her daughter in a coma is silly - she should be rid of both of them). But every time they have great scenes with Anna or Laura speechifying about it there comes another scene where Anna turns around and says well, no, maybe let's not file this today. Anna's not Commissioner Hamlet, let's put it together. It feels schizoid and I wonder if it is partly due to whatever has gone down at the show.

That being said the entire assault sequence on marine/SEAL? Dex from a 60 year old man was laughably shot and put together - if he'd ambushed him more clearly you might've been able to put it over - and a black mark on what I thought were otherwise a series of very strong character episodes last week, minus the unspeakable Violet song experience in which I lapsed into Nikolas Cassadine's rage epilepsy and blacked out. So I also would just as soon find a better thing to charge him with. Anything!

  • Like 4

Based on Anna's logic nobody should be arrested.  

Ava is just pathetic in her comments to Sonny. 

Ava turning in Alexis is really writing her in a corner on top of everything else.  

Gio moving into the Q's is ridiculous. He's right they don't know hom. Why is he there? And be gets to be told onscreen Gregory died. Lois should be leaving that house not bringing her family in. 

  • Like 5
  • Applause 1
4 hours ago, Artsda said:

Based on Anna's logic nobody should be arrested.  

Ava is just pathetic in her comments to Sonny. 

Ava turning in Alexis is really writing her in a corner on top of everything else.  

Gio moving into the Q's is ridiculous. He's right they don't know hom. Why is he there? And be gets to be told onscreen Gregory died. Lois should be leaving that house not bringing her family in. 

It would nice to see some Quartermaines in the Quartermaine mansion.

  • Like 2
  • Applause 2

Violet has been pretty good in these dramatic scenes.  I think she's a terrible actress in her "look at me, how cute I am" scenes.  Hopefully we'll get an addiction story so she can keep working on her drama chops.

So is Alexis going to get her law license back or will they drag that out with another hearing?  I want her to get it and get back to lawyering.

Speculation here has Gio in a possible triangle with Joss and Dex.  I think it makes more sense for him to pair up with Trina since they are both into the arts.  Oh wait, making sense doesn't matter on this show.

4 hours ago, tessaray said:

Weren't they (WK/RS) married IRL eons ago? 

They were, and have a daughter who's now 19 or 20 or something? 

Interestingly (to me, anyway) I just saw a headline about Rena Sofer remarrying her husband and for a moment got all misty about WK and her falling back in love. But it's her second husband, the soapily named Sanford Bookstaver, who she just remarried after having divorced him in 2017. Still kind of sweet, I think. 

  • Like 3
  • Useful 2

I enjoyed the Rena/Wally scenes and Rena’s “I love you” looked like an adlib from Wally’s reaction and the long pause but who knows, I loved Lois/Ned back then and it’s nice to see them both in a good place.

I don’t know how casting works when you have new then soon to be former writers so I don’t know if “writing into a corner” happened because Frank said X has to go (as when Roger Howarth got the shaft in the most ridiculous on-screen nothing story) or if it’s a mutual agreement thing so I’m just taking the show day by day until the Fabulous Exoneration of Sonny comes on screen and everyone has to kiss the ring.

That said, I don’t understand Gio’s appearance and apologies to all the fans, but Lane Davies looks frail and in need of dental surgery and he didn’t make those scenes spark in any way, despite NLG’s efforts.

Of all the characters learning about Gregory’s death, Tracy would’ve been at the top of my list, but I take what I can get as long as JE is willing to give it.

After a few days though, I wish the show hadn’t gone to showing so much of Gregory’s corpse, especially the scene where they move him to the gurney. The images linger in my mind. I guess they did it to ensure we saw Finn’s pain, but Finn is a doctor and I wish we would’ve at least heard him talk about the difference between a patient passing and a loved one without the showing.

I may be more vulnerable to this because my mom passed last month (in hospital) and I’m seeing the lack of dignity in most deaths so much more clearly.

And I wish I had fun GH to look forward to but with a mix of fired-not fired and new soon to be gone writer, I find it to be a mess and the non-mess coming I won’t want to see.

  • Hugs 6
10 hours ago, ffwbe said:

They’re trying to have their cake and eat it with her. She keeps blowing smoke about how she’s going to hold Sonny accountable and trying to force people like Molly to assist because they have to overcome their biases but everytime she gets wind of a crime he’s involved with, she comes up with some bs reason to not go through with charging him. I’d almost rather they go back to the old way of the PCPD trying to get Sonny and failing if the alternative is Anna not even trying, 

It feels like the show is building to a big confrontation with Sonny vs. law enforcement, so they have to keep coming up with reasons why the PCPD can't arrest Sonny yet and it's making everyone, especially Anna, look foolish.  I also have the feeling when Sonny does finally pay for his crimes, the payoff is not going to be remotely satisfying.

The Chase/Finn scenes were gut-wrenching and I especially loved Finn's "Yeah, I had a drink, I might have had more then one"--he's clearly in pain and just reacting in the moment.  ME has been fantastic these last couple of episodes.

  • Like 3
  • Applause 2
  • Love 1
(edited)
1 hour ago, kitmerlot1213 said:

I also have the feeling when Sonny does finally pay for his crimes, the payoff is not going to be remotely satisfying.

It never is. The show has always been afraid to give him anything remotely resembling real consequences for his actions. He mopes that it's not his fault (I really liked Carly asking him yesterday how far back he was going to go with the blame game [I also liked how LW played it: very calmly and nonconfrontational]), everyone is taking things too seriously, and they need to get over it immediately, 

Edited by dubbel zout
7 hours ago, graight said:

 

Speculation here has Gio in a possible triangle with Joss and Dex.  I think it makes more sense for him to pair up with Trina since they are both into the arts.  Oh wait, making sense doesn't matter on this show.

The only way this would be interesting is if Gio was torn between Joss and Dex. The speculation over what childhood event made Gio so self-hating would be fun.

 

  • LOL 2
(edited)
Quote

 

Hey all, either there is something very wonky going on in the writers' room or I totally misunderstood the scenes yesterday. I was under the impression Ned and Chase caught Tracy and gave her the news before she left for a ride. Now it turns out Tracy does in fact find out on-screen today about Gregory's death, from Cody, after returning from riding a horse. JE gives it her all but the comparing him to Gregory was just weird.

You can pretty much feel Chase and Finn's grief through the screen. ME acting Finn's remorse for drinking, and Chase's love and compassion for him... excellent stuff. Finn decides for himself to go to a meeting.

VW and JE are such lovely scene partners! Nice moment between Elizabeth and Tracy, too. 

LD's new character screaming at Alexis in front of the panel that she destroyed his family (blaming her for both brothers deaths), made me roll my eyes.

Could Molly care any less that her mother has lost a dear friend? How about instead of TJ being concerned about Molly walking alone, he joins her for a walk off into the sunset. Or they can walk off the pier together. At this point, I'm not picky!

ETA: An episode without Sonny, Carly, Jason, Sam, Blaze's bigoted mother, this yucky version of Anna, Michael and Willow, and Josslyn and Dex, is an episode to be savored!! Also, JE demonstrates she can give a master class in acting restrained grief. 

 

 

 

Edited by Bringonthedrama
  • Like 2
  • Applause 2
(edited)
On 5/24/2024 at 2:29 PM, Bringonthedrama said:

LD's new character screaming at Alexis in front of the panel that she destroyed his family (blaming her for both brothers deaths), made me roll my eyes.

But did Alexis win? Will she be able to get her license back? That's all I care about right now.

Edited by GHScorpiosRule
  • Like 2

I don't think Cody is anything like Gregory, but it was such a pleasure to see JE get a meaty scene for a change. And we getTracy and Stella!

I'm surprised Molly and TJ don't know about Sonny yet and aren't haranguing Kristina for accidentally seeing him beat up Dex. We'll see how long this new reasonableness lasts.

As long as Finn doesn't come to work drunk,  Portia can't do anything about him drinking.

I miss Carlos, that hair-tossing, Sabrina-loving nut job. Wow, is Alexis's hearing a bore.

  • Like 1
  • Love 1
Guest

Culture Check: How can we discuss a character's or actor's appearance without objectifying them? How can we express likes or dislikes and still respect an individual's humanity or be mindful that a character represents a person someone else might relate to or identify with?

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...