Beyond the Gates: Daily Episode Discussion

[Rodney]

18 minutes ago, Desperado said:

Yeah, I wish the cast had graphics of their names below because my brain is too old to remember 20 people and their familial links in a few episodes. 🤣

B&B and GH used to do that in their openings.  It might help BTG if they had the actor and character names in their opening.

1 hour ago, drivethroo said:

I'm getting the feeling Hayley isn't some conniving homewrecker, that she's an useful idiot in Bill's game.

Yeah, I'm getting the feeling that Hayley's a good person deep down who made a series of bad choices and just wants to make up for them.

She's really going about it the wrong way, though.

[tessaray]

For those who could use a refresh on the cast of characters, you might want to keep @AnimeMania's post in the Anticipation thread handy. 

Edited February 25 by tessaray

[Crashcourse]

I read that thread, but even that was confusing and convoluted. 😅

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, Desperado said:

Yeah, I wish the cast had graphics of their names below because my brain is too old to remember 20 people and their familial links in a few episodes. 🤣

I’m happy to read the character info here, it’ll help greatly.

I miss the days when the closed captioning on soaps used to be script like so it'd be something like:
Vernon: Blah blah blah
Martin: Blah blah blah
Vernon: Blah blah blah

Someone on Reddit put together a family tree with pictures.  You can find it here. It doesn't have all of the characters.  For instance, nothing related to Ashley is on there.  But I found it helpful for these first few days.

[Melgaypet]

Hayley never knew her father, Bill said. So who is going to turn out to be the daddy, do we think? Vernon? That would send Dani - clearly a daddy's girl - into even more of a tailspin. Dr. Mr. Nicole? (Who is hot, btw. Let's not ignore the important things!) That would put a crimp in her "perfect" life.

Eva is the prettiest of the young women (in my opinion! They are all gorgeous, though) and I'm interested in what she and her mother - who seems, um, intense - are up to. Also Eva's coat is wonderful.

What did Martin do as a teenager that Bill fixed? Accidentally kill someone, I'm guessing. His cute husband who I will call Glasses until I learn his name is clearly not into being the househusband and Martin is too focused on his own ambition and Grandad worship to notice. Glasses and Martin don't have much chemistry yet, and it seems weird that they didn't kiss when Martin came home. More noticeable than if they had.

Dani is awesome. That is all.

 

ETA: Today's Best Non-Dani Character: Nicole's older assistant(?) who advises against marriage and babies and was totally trying to eavesdrop on Nicole and Hayley's conversation.

Edited February 25 by Melgaypet

[janeyjay]

2 hours ago, Desperado said:

Yeah, I wish the cast had graphics of their names below because my brain is too old to remember 20 people and their familial links in a few episodes. 🤣

I’m happy to read the character info here, it’ll help greatly.

I'm An Old so I watch my shows with the CC on and soap captions used to include the character names along with the lines, even if they were seen on screen. This feature would be super-helpful in these first days of the show.

[Rodney]

21 minutes ago, janeyjay said:

I'm An Old so I watch my shows with the CC on and soap captions used to include the character names along with the lines, even if they were seen on screen. This feature would be super-helpful in these first days of the show.

I really miss those days.

[ShadowHunter]

More characters today. Definitely will need another day or two to get everyone down. Bill sucks having a relationship with your daughters best friend who is probably around her age as well. Eww.

I wonder what Martin did as well. That sounds like an interesting story. Those 2 woman who visited Ashley who seem to what revenge on Nicole's husband based on the look she gave him at the elevator could be something good as well.

[sugarbaker design]

I like that there is so much going on with so many possibilities. What did Martin do years ago? (He's gotta be named after MLK, right?) What are Eva and her mother up to? Why doesn't congressman Michael hire a housekeeper? What is Nicole's doctor husband (the hottest guy with the hottest voice!) secret for looking so young? I can't believe he's Martin's father. Who is Hayley's daddy? Dani and Bill must've been married over 20 years ago, yet they look exactly the same in their wedding pix. The Substance?  Why did Eva's mother just throw her coat on a chair when she got home? Middle class women hang their stuff up!

Edited February 26 by sugarbaker design

[Joimiaroxeu]

Interesting passing reference to the Links organization. Bet there'll be a Fairmont Crest debutante ball eventually, or characters will be shown preparing to attend one which happens off-screen.

Cute how the colors of Vernon's grandson Martin's outfit matched the couches and pillows.

But Martin later sitting on the coffee table did not work for me. Apparently he didn't get good home training. 😉 He should've learned not to put his behind on a place where people might have food.

IMO, BTG Day 2 didn't do as great a job as the premiere of giving info on how scene characters are related to or know each other. Ditto comments upthread, I often found today's episode puzzling.

6 hours ago, drivethroo said:

None of the Black actors ran to Chris Rock's aid and that should tell you all you need to know about Chris Rock.

Or it should tell you Will Smith has/had powerful connections in Hollywood and no one wanted to be seen on camera judging him negatively.

[ByaNose]

I will say this soap has the best lighting in daytime. It’s like so bright and airy. Do the other soaps not pay their electric bill or something?

They are still introducing the players which is okay but I’ll be glad when the week is over so we can just move on. LOL!!! I’m so impatient. I think MJV has a clear vision of Dani and she is the defacto lead. I had forgotten about the clearing the desk scene which they showed a million times before so it was nice to see it in context. 

Also, a lot of the young guys are confusing me at the moment. The cop and the photographer are to different actors and I still can’t tell them apart. I need to see them in the same scene 🎬 to compare and contrast.

The one thing I saw that was weird was the actress who played the administrative assistant or manager or whatever tongue was completely yellow. I don’t know what it was about and how no one in production didn’t notice it. If it happens again I’m tweeting MVJ. LOL!!!!

[JudyObscure]

9 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I like that there is so much going on with so many possibilities. What did Martin do years ago? (He's gotta be named after MLK, right?) What are Eva and her mother up to? Why doesn't congressman Michael hire a housekeeper? What is Nicole's doctor husband (the hottest guy with the hottest voice!) secret for looking so young? I can't believe he's Martin's father. Who is Hayley's daddy? Dani and Bill must've been married over 20 years ago, yet they look exactly the same in their wedding pix. The Substance?  Why did Eva's mother just throw her coat on a chair when she got home? Middle class women hang their stuff up!

Eva and her mother seem out for revenge, so I'm guessing Eva's father used and abandoned her mother -- or Imaybe that all wrong.  Same thing with Hayley

 

12 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

  For instance, nothing related to Ashley is on there. 

I'm thinking the powers that be  might be having a little bit of (justifiable) ironic get-back with Ashley.  Have one token white character, less good looking than the rest of the cast, ignore her most of the time. 

Maybe I just want that to be true. ;)

[YaddaYadda]

It's funny because in the first episode, I thought that Martin might be gay. It was something he said that made me wonder.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Eva is Ted's daughter.

My biggest gripe is the ages of the children. It took me out completely when Martin and Bradley talked about the ages of their children. 

That hospital scene was pretty bad. I get the exposition, but I felt like I was dealing with a bunch of Mary Sues.

[sugarbaker design]

11 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

My biggest gripe is the ages of the children. It took me out completely when Martin and Bradley talked about the ages of their children.

Their adopted children. They could've adopted them after they fostered them, when the kids were school age, not when they were infants.

[Melgaypet]

14 minutes ago, YaddaYadda said:

My biggest gripe is the ages of the children. It took me out completely when Martin and Bradley talked about the ages of their children. 

That took me out, too. Like, how old are these folks supposed to be. It would be one thing if they were foster kids that Martin and Glasses had adopted in, say, the last five years, but they talked as if they adopted them as babies.

I mean, I get it. A soap is going to need a teen scene eventually. But surely, Dani and Bill could have had a third child who is still a teenager? Oh, well. It's not the biggest deal, but still a bit jarring.

[ASpring1900]

17 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Vernon: Blah blah blah
Martin: Blah blah blah
Vernon: Blah blah blah

1000% yes! This was the only way I learned the character's names (and how to spell them). The CBS soaps' closed captioning was like this up to the end of last year, I want to say, and I miss that formatting.

[Irlandesa]

4 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I'm thinking the powers that be  might be having a little bit of (justifiable) ironic get-back with Ashley.  Have one token white character, less good looking than the rest of the cast, ignore her most of the time.

I had that thought when it was Ashley and her boyfriend at the apartment but Ashley grew on me once she got to the hospital. 

I don't think they're going to ignore her, though.  In 2 episodes, they've given her a job, a boyfriend, a mother, a love interest, a protective boss and friends who talked her up.

Maybe I'm crazy but I'm getting some Elizabeth vibes from her.  She even looks a little like Rebecca Herbst. 

Edited Wednesday at 03:55 PM by Irlandesa

[AnimeMania]

8 hours ago, ByaNose said:

The one thing I saw that was weird was the actress who played the administrative assistant or manager or whatever tongue was completely yellow. I don’t know what it was about and how no one in production didn’t notice it. If it happens again I’m tweeting MVJ. LOL!!!!

Standing around the craft services table eating Lemonheads waiting for her one big scene.

[ByaNose]

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Standing around the craft services table eating Lemonheads waiting for her one big scene.

Ahhhh! Yes. 

[AnimeMania]

S01.E03

[Rodney]

Bill really doesn't get how much he hurt Dani, does he?

What could Martin's secret be?

So not all of the family live in Fairmont.  Naomi and Chelsea live in D.C., not Maryland.  And Naomi hates Bill that much?  Well, if my father had treated my mother that way, I probably would, too.

Wait.  Anita and Vernon decided to have the whole family attend the wedding, after all?  And make Dani go?  Talk about salt in the wounds.

Dani and her girls were adorable together.  And good casting on Chelsea.  She looks like she could be Karla Mosely's daughter.

What on Earth is Dana planning?

[JudyObscure]

Oops, change of speculation, I didn't know Eva was a widow.  Now I'm thinking Martin was driving in a hit-and-run incident and killed Eva's husband.  She's so gorgeous, she looks like she might have some Native American in her ancestry.

Nicole's super tall daughter is a good actress, she always sounds so natural!

I like Mona with her gossip and big facial expressions!

 

ETA who is Dana?  is she the one I think is Eva -- in the motorcycle helmet?

Edited Wednesday at 08:00 PM by JudyObscure

[Rodney]

1 minute ago, JudyObscure said:

Oops, change of speculation, I didn't know Eva was a widow.  Now I'm thinking Martin was driving in a hit-and-run incident and killed Eva's husband.  She's so gorgeous, she looks like she might have some Native American in her ancestry.

Eva's the daughter.  Dana's the widow.

[KittyQ]

Ep 2: Why on earth would Bill ask for the Dupree family to attend his wedding? Even in an amicable divorce, this would be asking a lot of the family of the Ex.  Maybe he has "something" to convince them, but why would you want a family that dislikes you to be at the "happiest day of your life"? Their hearts won't be in it, for sure.

[JudyObscure]

I think Bill believes Hayley wants them to come and that the Duprees presence will make the rest of Fairmont accept her.

I also think Bill is threatening to tell Martin's secret if they don't come.  

If they go and just glare at the bride that's pretty mean.

 

[mostlylurking]

I’ve been looking forward to this for a while and it didn’t disappoint.  The wardrobe, the hair and makeup, the sets…..all amazing.  And it’s so BRIGHT!  I love that. It just looks fresh and modern.  Love the cast, although there’s a lot of characters to keep straight.  I’m glad for all the exposition for now so I can remember who’s who.

I agree that Dani and Nicole look too young to have grown children, especially Dani.  Even Congressman grandson (forgot his name sorry) said his kids are teenagers. That being said I am fine with not having any young children in the cast, for the most part they are off screen anyway and then there has to be some exposition about how they are in the kitchen getting a cookie or some such nonsense and I just don’t care that much.

Anyway, it’s a strong start and I’m hoping it will continue!

[Badsamaritan]

Oh, Dana is full-blown crazy, huh? Ok alright.

I said on twitter, I hope Dani wears her wedding dress to that abomination. Full regalia. And the rest of the family wearing all black lol. 

I need some insight into Hayley's motivations. Unless of course she really is just the useful idiot as we've speculated. Gurl, you are not some naive, wide-eyed, 19 year old so I need you to fuckin act like it. 

How long before Bill cheats on her? Or, is he already cheating with someone and will get outed at the wedding? Now that would super juicy. 😁

[AnimeMania]

Congressman Martin, I couldn't believe how ugly and old his couch looked.

I really wish they would stop praising how great everybody is, I had a family and we barely admitted we liked each other. Half the show is people blowing smoke up each other's butt. Other that Bill and Hayley, everybody else is up for sainthood. The only times anyone said something that seemed real was describing Dani and it is always about her being slightly unhinged.

Someone explain how a motorcycle driving behind you makes you crash into a tree, did it have something to do with the lights? It would have made more sense if she was driving down the opposite side of the road and played a little chicken, even though Dana also known as "Leslie" would have been the loser if the other girl didn't flinch.

[Sake614]

2 hours ago, Rodney said:

Bill really doesn't get how much he hurt Dani, does he?

Bill doesn't care about anything or anyone but Bill. He’ll throw Hayley away like yesterday’s trash as soon as the next hot young thing comes along.

that said and while I appreciate how hurt Dani is, she’s way too OTT. Bill didn’t just leave her yesterday. He’s obviously been with Hayley for a while, and clearly cheated throughout the marriage. I know she was young when they married, but I don’t get the impression she grew up in a home where cheating is acceptable. I’d like to see her get over herself and move on. Maybe meet some hot young thing of her own and have mad sex, then rub Bill’s nose in it.

i don’t know what Martin’s secret is but he doesn’t strike me  as a very good husband.  The whole ‘id my dreams bother you so much I’ll sleep in the guest room’ doesn’t strike me as someone who loves his spouse. 

Agree with others who said the children’s’ ages are throwing me off. There is simply no way Dani is over 50 years old and has a 30 year old daughter. And I still don’t know who’s who with the kids. Andre is Nicole’s nephew. I guess Martin is her son? Chelsea and Naomi are Dani’s kids? 

Why did (I’m blanking on her name) the motorcycle woman run Nicole’s assistant off the road?

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

really wish they would stop praising how great everybody is

THIS!!  I’ve never seen such a ‘perfect’ family where everyone loves each other and no one can do any wrong. STOP it!

[AnimeMania]

8 minutes ago, Sake614 said:

Andre is Nicole’s nephew. I guess Martin is her son?

Andre is Nicole’s husband's nephew. Martin is her son.

[Melgaypet]

Martin...is off. At this point, I'm assuming it's a deliberate offness, not bad acting. I thought it was just clunky expository dialogue, like when he kept telling his grandad how awesome he was and how he wanted to follow in his footsteps, etc. But now I see that as a kind of performance. Speaking with his husband, he seems to drop that and seem more genuine. Sadly, genuine Martin seems to be, well, a dismissive jerk.

Bill is awesome. I mean, he's terrible. But charismatic! I might be wrong for this, but I kind of want he and Dani to have Angry!Sex. Not soon! But maybe she can wreak her revenge by busting up his marriage to Hayley by seducing and then dumping him. IF this wedding actually takes place.

Poor Hayley. I didn't dislike her before, but now I genuinely feel sorry for her. I think she's desperate for family and community and went about it in a very wrongheaded way. She thinks Bill loves her and he might even think he loves her, but it's all about his ego.

As for the cliffhanger, I don't even know what. Poor what's-her-name, who might be dead and is definitely not going to Maui.

[JudyObscure]

36 minutes ago, Melgaypet said:

 

As for the cliffhanger, I don't even know what. Poor what's-her-name, who might be dead and is definitely not going to Maui.

I didn't even realize it was a cast member, I just thought Dana (who is also Leslie but not Dani) was into road rage.  Anyway, I think the assistant's name is Mona and I liked her.  Hope she's okay.

[Crashcourse]

It's probably going to take me another week or so to figure all these people out. 

[Sake614]

11 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

It's probably going to take me another week or so to figure all these people out. 

It’s probably going to take me a month or more…

[JAYJAY1979]

Having the show start up right as Bill marries Hayley is odd timing.  It would be like if B&B debuted right before Brooke marries Eric without seeing the backstory play out.  We would have viewed Stephanie in the same way as we view Dani..imho.

With that said, the family meeting shows me that Dani always gets the shaft and it would explain why she left home to be a model.  Seeking outside validation she wasn't getting from her family...and why she dived hardcore into her marriage with Bill.  Is she being OTT or is she feeling almost 50 years of always being made to feel 2nd best?

Also, Dani seems to have complicated relationships with both of her daughters.  Naomi has distanced herself from both parents while Chelsea feels a sense of duty not to abandon Dani.

Also....final moments of episode 3 shows Wednesday episodes are no longer like episodes on your grandma's soap. 

And I think Martin feels like Smitty is beneath him.  Lack of chemistry could mean they aren't end game. 

[ByaNose]

I know it’s a soap but Karla Mosley is only 43. I guess if you squint she could have had the daughters when she 19-21-ish? LOL!!!! Good job with the outdoor scenes though. 

I’m sorta getting confused by all the guys because they all look a like with their facial hair. Can’t they were Hi, my name is stickers for the first 2 or 3 weeks? Just sayin…..

The cliffhanger left me a little confused. Did said mother want her daughter to have the job of the young assistant who she ran off the road? If not, I’ve got nothing else. LOL!!!!

[Melgaypet]

20 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

The cliffhanger left me a little confused. Did said mother want her daughter to have the job of the young assistant who she ran off the road? If not, I’ve got nothing else. LOL!!!!

I think you’re right, that’s the plan. I wonder if the daughter knows about this little murder attempt. I suspect not.

So there’s two mysteries here. Whatever Martin did that Vernon and Anita are protecting him from and whatever is causing Motorcycle Mama to target Nicole and/or Dr. Mr. Nicole. The question is, are they connected? 

Edited Thursday at 12:47 AM by Melgaypet

[Crashcourse]

24 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

I’m sorta getting confused by all the guys because they all look a like with their facial hair. Can’t they were Hi, my name is stickers for the first 2 or 3 weeks? Just sayin….

Exactly.  I have trouble telling them apart.

[sugarbaker design]

47 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

The cliffhanger left me a little confused. Did said mother want her daughter to have the job of the young assistant who she ran off the road? If not, I’ve got nothing else. LOL!!!!

Yup, it's already been established that "Leslie" has a friendship with Nicole's older assistant. Eva will move right in.

[drivethroo]

5 hours ago, Rodney said:

Bill really doesn't get how much he hurt Dani, does he?

I don't think Bill cares how much he hurts Dani; he seems to relish in it because why would you invite your ex-wife and family to see you get married to your side ho and why would you move in the same community as your ex-wife and her family's?

5 hours ago, Rodney said:

Naomi and Chelsea live in D.C., not Maryland.

That could actually be just down the street or around the corner, LOL.

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Other that Bill and Hayley, everybody else is up for sainthood.

They may praise each each other but we know:

• Martin did something shady
• which led to Vernon & Anita doing something shady to protect Martin
• Nicole, Chelsea & Naomi all resent Dani in some way shape or form
• Vanessa is cheating on her husband
• Martin is over his husband Glasses and Glasses is over Martin treating him like ass
• The high cheek boned lady hates Ted & Nicole and ran Nicole's admin off the road

And Vernon was a politician. Ain't no way he didn't do something shady along the way.

45 minutes ago, JAYJAY1979 said:

With that said, the family meeting shows me that Dani always gets the shaft and it would explain why she left home to be a model.

I don't think Dani got the shaft, it's the other way around. NICOLE got the shaft.  Dani's been spoiled and indulged her entire life. Nicole became Ms. Perfect Overachiever to get a little bit of the attention her parents gave to Dani.  But they still ignore her because both Vernon & Anita believe Nicole is stronger and Dani needs them more  (same dynamic as Alexis, Kristina and Molly over on General Hospital).

 

[Crashcourse]

I wonder if the community is based on Tantallon located in Fort Washington, MD. 

[ShadowHunter]

Anita and Vernon have a strong marriage and honestly it's refreshing to see. Them talking almost casual about killing Bill lol. I'm tired of the trope of married people hating it and acting like it's the definition of true pain. I know it's a soap but I'd like them to stay true patners. I do feel a bit for Dani since they sacrifice her happiness for Martin. Speaking of Martin I wasn't feeling much chemistry with his husband today. I guess maybe that was how it was supposed to go since all Smitty did was act like a shrink and wanted to discuss his dreams. 

[Irlandesa]

I think the person run off the road is Laura.  I think we're supposed to think it was Leslie/Dana (why two names?) but that could be a red herring since I don't think we actaully saw who ran her off the road.  But she seems suspect so I could buy it's her.

Is the realtor cheating?  Or does she have an open relationship with her husband? 

4 hours ago, Melgaypet said:

Speaking with his husband, he seems to drop that and seem more genuine. Sadly, genuine Martin seems to be, well, a dismissive jerk.

Threatening to move into the guest bedroom was harsh.  I do wish we would have had more lovey dovey times like the rest of the couples before bringing out the jerkiness but then I read that this is a Procter & Gamble show.  They were terrible with gay soap characters back in the day.  You'd hope they'd be more permissive a decade later but I'm not holding my breath.

Based on the previews for this show, I do think Smitty is going to want to go back to work as a reporter. I wouldn't be surprised if he starts investigating a story that he doesn't realize is related to his husband but it ends up being so. 

4 hours ago, Melgaypet said:

I might be wrong for this, but I kind of want he and Dani to have Angry!Sex. Not soon!

Oh that's going to happen.  I can feel it in my bones. 

[JAYJAY1979]

2 hours ago, drivethroo said:

I don't think Bill cares how much he hurts Dani; he seems to relish in it because why would you invite your ex-wife and family to see you get married to your side ho and why would you move in the same community as your ex-wife and her family's?

That could actually be just down the street or around the corner, LOL.

They may praise each each other but we know:

• Martin did something shady
• which led to Vernon & Anita doing something shady to protect Martin
• Nicole, Chelsea & Naomi all resent Dani in some way shape or form
• Vanessa is cheating on her husband
• Martin is over his husband Glasses and Glasses is over Martin treating him like ass
• The high cheek boned lady hates Ted & Nicole and ran Nicole's admin off the road

And Vernon was a politician. Ain't no way he didn't do something shady along the way.

I don't think Dani got the shaft, it's the other way around. NICOLE got the shaft.  Dani's been spoiled and indulged her entire life. Nicole became Ms. Perfect Overachiever to get a little bit of the attention her parents gave to Dani.  But they still ignore her because both Vernon & Anita believe Nicole is stronger and Dani needs them more  (same dynamic as Alexis, Kristina and Molly over on General Hospital).

 

I think both Dani and Nicole got the shaft.

Nicole was naturally smart and had the temperament to be in a high profile family like the Duprees while Dani was naturally rebellious and probably acted up to get attention.

The scene between Verne and Dani was a case of father manipulating his daughter to do what he wanted..even though her idea to go to Paris till after the wedding was a healthy one.

[mbluecpa]

20 hours ago, ByaNose said:

The one thing I saw that was weird was the actress who played the administrative assistant or manager or whatever tongue was completely yellow. I don’t know what it was about and how no one in production didn’t notice it. If it happens again I’m tweeting MVJ. LOL!!!!

That was so weird - I asked Mr. Mbluecpa if the actress had been eating Sprees before her scene.

What was the sound that we heard during Martin’s dream?  It sounded kinda like gunshots through a silencer to me.

Vanessa is a soapy mess (a good thing).  Wondering what her husband picked up from the new character/day player - a key card of some sort.

I figured when they introduced Jacob as a homicide detective that it wouldn’t be long before he went to work; maybe today’s cliffhanger is his first case. 

I do feel like I need a flowchart to keep all of the characters and family relations straight and the actor/character age differences (typical for soaps I know) don’t help.  But for throwing that many characters and potential plot lines at us in the first three episodes, the show’s doing a good job of laying the foundation.  

[Rodney]

10 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

If they go and just glare at the bride that's pretty mean.

But at least they'd still be going.

[ByaNose]

Married gay couple don’t even look like they even like each let alone love each other. They don’t have chemistry and CBS must have given them a mandate of no kissing or implying they have sex. LOL!!! I think they’ve hugged once and that was only because he came through the door after work. And, they definitely shouldn’t have saddle them with off screen teenagers. Hopefully, It will pick up for them but currently (3 days in….LOL) they are the weakest link of the show. 

[TiffanyNichelle]

18 hours ago, Melgaypet said:

Martin...is off. At this point, I'm assuming it's a deliberate offness, not bad acting. I thought it was just clunky expository dialogue, like when he kept telling his grandad how awesome he was and how he wanted to follow in his footsteps, etc. But now I see that as a kind of performance.

When they met that older woman at the diner who was a big fan of Vernon, Martin came off as too polished and a little fake so yeah I have my eye on him as well. He could be a little nicer to his husband who's just worried about him and his nightmares, damn.

I hope he finds out soon that they are all being forced to go to the wedding because of him. Dani was actually going to try and do something to help herself by going to Paris to avoid the wedding. Now she has to sit there and watch a man (she clearly still loves for whatever reason) marry his sidepiece. Because of Martin!

[dubbel zout]

I've never watched a soap from day one, so it's really interesting to see how it's starting and developing. I do think there are a few too many characters being introduced at once—and too many of them look like one another, lol—and we're getting a lot of exposition without enough corresponding action, but things started picking up yesterday with Dani threatening Bill in his office and her parents demanding everyone go to his wedding.

The nurse and her husband are blander than Michael Corinthos on GH, which is saying a LOT.

Like a lot of you, I have no idea who anyone is outside of like, five characters. LOL. But so far I'm liking where this is going, and I've always thought MVJ was a really good writer. That she's in charge of BTG bodes well if she can hold her vision.

[AnimeMania]

S01.E04