Episode Discussion: TFGH

[peachmangosteen]

I basically fast forwarded this entire ep. I watched the Lulu/Laura and Parker/Kristina scenes. They were fine. 

[mybabyaidan]

I really think they are actively trying to get this show cancelled.

 

That's all I can come up with when watching this shit.  It HAS to be deliberate.  The Lizard, the fact that Hayden's identity gets more of a blowout than the Niz/Jason lie....Garbage.  Just garbage.

 

Team Hayden..all the way.  If only because it's TeamAnyonebutNiz

[KerleyQ]

If there had been some setup for her being the daughter of a notorious Ponzi schemer, it might have worked. Instead, we find out all at once and are supposed to care that she's now disgraced and a poorz. Who cares? Tying her an existing family wouldn't help that. It's not as if Valerie is a roaring success because she's a Spencer. The show leans too heavily on family ties, expecting that fact alone to do most of the heavy lifting. Sorry, but I'm done lifted out.

 

I just mean from the stand point of the mystery.  The "oh my God! Who is she, really???" mystery falls flat when it's someone we've never heard of and have zero reason to be remotely jolted by the revelation.  There's just no point to the whole thing.  (I smell another T-shirt!)  

[Oracle42]

So...were these two hired to make RC look less terrible? Because so far FV has presided over some of the worst years of GH I've ever seen

[Chairperson Meow]

So...were these two hired to make RC look less terrible? Because so far FV has presided over some of the worst years of GH I've ever seen

It's possible because I'd take a mask right about now. The only thing I like now is Lizard/Dr Michael Easton/Tracy Quartermaine /Dr Cat. And Dr. Cat better watch himself.

[lencidoll]

Dear Laura: 35 years ago when Scott Baldwin was a law student, he had to sit through really boring lectures.  He amused himself by circling random letters in one of his textbooks!

[Auntie Velvet]

I actually remember the Law Books debacle. It's not exactly how the writers have Laura remembering it (she was already working at the disco when she decided to buy them, and also she had met Luke before she began working there), but kudos to them for coming up with something that really was a bit of a plot point at the time. 

 

ETA  I found an poorish quality clip which seems to indicate that the books came up just before the rape. I'm pretty sure she borrowed the money for them from Luke. 

 

Edited March 26, 2016 by Auntie Velvet

[P3pp3rb1rd]

 

It amuses me that all it took was a name and a web search, and Elizabeth knew who Hayden was, while Sam, our ace detective, still doesn't know.

 

Sam gets by on her looks. Brainless otherwise. Wears black all the time, which is creepy. Talks in a smoker's raspy voice. Dumb as a box of rocks, IMO. Seems like she hardly ever thinks of Danny, her son.

 

[BlackMamba]

So ol girl real name is Rachel Berlin. Is this FrankenVarni telling fans Rebecca Budig's existence on GH is the new wall!

[UYI]

Yeah, I was about to type exactly that. I've long thought the Younger Actor/Actress categories should be 18 and under, but with the Emmy's ever-increasing irrelevance, there's not much point in changing the rules.

 

I kind of get it, though, because there are usually many more twentysomethings (or were in the past) than those below 18. There have always been a few nominees here and there under 18, of course, but that depends on when a soap actually wants a soap kid to do more than just come in the kitchen for cookies twice a week or something. Even having actual teens playing teens on soaps isn't always a guarantee. 

Edited March 26, 2016 by UYI

[TwistedandBored]

Now days, GH is the type of show where everyone in the wrong get the victim treatment. 

[ciarra]

Kristina sure is her father's daughter.  ME, Me, me, I, I, I.  Someone should send her to work at a soup kitchen for a week, then maybe she could focus on something other than her sexual angst.

 

Parker gives me flashbacks to Ally McBeal.

[ulkis]

I really hate that Lulu and Nik keeping telling Laura not to investigate the key. What's it to them? If they don't care about their bequests from Helena, fine. But let Laura do what she wants. Gah.

 

I think they would probably leave her alone about it though if she stopped talking about it to them. She needs to just go and do it. But also to be fair to them they also probably think she'll sucked into some whirlwind of crap. I can understand them wanting avoid that, especially since they'll probably be affected by it.

[dubbel zout]

Of course you're right, but it's annoying that her children treat her like she has no idea what Helena could do. It's the mild condescension that she won't be able to handle it that really annoys me. And frankly, Nik and Lulu are self-absorbed enough that their own crap is going to keep them plenty busy. 

[ciarra]

 

whirlwind of crap

Hey, Ulkis renamed the show.

[ulkis]

whirlwind of crap

 

Hey, Ulkis renamed the show.

 

Now I'm imagining "Faces of the Heart" playing while toxic balls fly around in a swirling wind.

 

And frankly, Nik and Lulu are self-absorbed enough that their own crap is going to keep them plenty busy. 

 

this is very true.

Edited March 26, 2016 by ulkis

[HeatLifer]

the fact that Hayden's identity gets more of a blowout than the Niz/Jason lie....Garbage. Just garbage.

I was legit watching the show with my mouth wide fucking open as Nik was yelling and Liz was blowing up a lie after a YEAR of watching them both do insane shit. THE WRITERS THINK I MUST BE DUMB BUT IM NOT, FELLAS.

[Chairperson Meow]

Now I'm imagining "Faces of the Heart" playing while toxic balls fly around in a swirling wind.

 

 

this is very true.

I've always known Sonny's balls would end up as the opening.

[Syndicate]

People on Twitter as well as a site called Daytime Dish have been saying that Griffin is Claudette! I actually made a joke the other day about Finn being Claudette, but other people have sounded pretty serious by saying that Griffin is, even calling him transgendered. What did I miss? I feel like I need to go back and review some clips for any possible details or hints of this.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Syndicate

[KerleyQ]

I think they would probably leave her alone about it though if she stopped talking about it to them. She needs to just go and do it. But also to be fair to them they also probably think she'll sucked into some whirlwind of crap. I can understand them wanting avoid that, especially since they'll probably be affected by it.

 

What I don't get is why anyone would want to pay an ounce of attention to these bequests.  They all have to know that anything Helena left them is just going to be one big old mind fuck.  Throw that shit away and move on with your lives.  When Lulu said "this could be a trap," I was thinking "could be???"  It's Helena.  Of course it's a trap.  It may not be evident immediately, but it will eventually be revealed as a trap of some kind.  Laura, of all people, should know that. Lulu, Nik, and all of her grandkids are there in Port Charles in her sight, so call Luke and Lucky, make sure they're OK, and forget all about pursuing whatever mess Helena wants her to throw herself into.  

[TheGourmez]

 

So I basically watched a month's worth of the show over the last week, and I need help. I honestly have no idea as to the status of Rebecca Budig's memory. Did she never lose it and only her and Tracy know and she's really a Rachel? Does she still not have it and started scheming with Tracy anyway? Has she actually fallen for Nikolas? Are we supposed to be playing a guessing game of whether she has or not?

 

Thanks for all the likes, y'all, but I really, seriously would like an answer to these questions. Does anyone know? Are there answers or is GH now abstract art?

[Chairperson Meow]

Thanks for all the likes, y'all, but I really, seriously would like an answer to these questions. Does anyone know? Are there answers or is GH now abstract art?

Tbh... speaking for myself, I honestly don't think these writers know wtf they're doing. They're so far in over their heads that Frank, Nathan Varni, and The Intern Squad are putting promos in the budget again.

To answer your specific questions : Tracy has brain worms and is having dreams about Alan and visions of Ned, so who knows? But apparently, Liz spyder findered and found out that Hayden is Rachel Berlin. Her father is Raymond Berlin, a Bernie Madoff guy who swindled people and lied. Nik, who stole ELQ and swindled many out of their shares and hired someone to murder Hayden, is appalled that Hayden wanted to start her life over free of her father's crimes and tarnished name. He, a Cassadine, cannot understand that. Of course. As a portrait of his dead grandmother sipped tea in the background. Liz, who lied about Jason being alive because she loved him, was appalled at Hayden lying to Nik because she fell in love with him and couldn't understand. So they read Hayden the riot act for lying- even though they both knew that Nik hired someone to murder Hayden. So, yeah.

[ulkis]

Thanks for all the likes, y'all, but I really, seriously would like an answer to these questions. Does anyone know? Are there answers or is GH now abstract art?

 

Did she never lose it and only her and Tracy know and she's really a Rachel? Does she still not have it and started scheming with Tracy anyway? Has she actually fallen for Nikolas? Are we supposed to be playing a guessing game of whether she has or not?

 

Let's see. She lost it for a while but she finally remembered. She knows everything including who she is and that Nik had her shot. She's actually fallen for Nikolas. The guessing game is whether she will "betray" Nik by helping Tracy get ELQ back. No, seriously, that's the story angle they've given, Nik in the position of poor dupe who might get betrayed yet again by another woman.

[Mrs OldManBalls]

Spencer is going to be a fucking serial killer thanks to all the emotional dramas, trauma's and unceremonious departures of his mother figures. 

[Bill C.]

After binging all of the past week's episodes:

 

Lizard >>>> random courtroom boobage >>>>>>>>> everything else, which brings us to FilmTVGeek80's all too apt statement that

 

Anyone with the last name Cassadine judging anyone for the actions of a gross, criminal relative is laughable! Hayden's dad bilked people out of their money. Your grandfather tried to FREEZE THE WORLD!

 

There are moments when the usual soap trope of this year's misdeed trumping all others drives me bonkers.  This is one of them.  And making Hayden the daughter of a nobody Madoff-a-like doesn't really help.  Who are we supposed to sympathize with here?  I'm coming up with Liz by default, which is just...strange.

 

And Parker's flyby just to "check on" Kristina and encourage her to move on and embrace her inner fluidity seemed oddly mandated--as if something were being cut short.  And it definitely seemed like Parker was getting off relatively scot-free, which I'm not quite okay with.

[LeftPhalange]

Who are we supposed to sympathize with here?  I'm coming up with Liz by default

 

No.

[Oracle42]

Who hires and fires writers? Because it feels like whoever does that doesn't actually watch the show

[KerleyQ]

Spencer is going to be a fucking serial killer thanks to all the emotional dramas, trauma's and unceremonious departures of his mother figures. 

 

I think Spencer was on his way to serial killer well before even losing Britt as mother figure.  That kid's messed up.  I can easily picture him becoming one of those rich frat boys who "charms" people into trusting him and then offs them.  The kid's a mixture of Cassadine and Corinthos. He was always destined to kill people. 

[Lobsel Vith]

Spencer is going to be a fucking serial killer thanks to all the emotional dramas, trauma's and unceremonious departures of his mother figures.

Well, he did try to kill Emma and Cam during his absurd 'Phantom' moment, and presumably since people are so desensitized to murder because of Sonny, everyone handwaved it.

And Parker's flyby just to "check on" Kristina and encourage her to move on and embrace her inner fluidity seemed oddly mandated--as if something were being cut short. And it definitely seemed like Parker was getting off relatively scot-free, which I'm not quite okay with.

I heard that the actress who plays Parker is pregnant so that might be why this is being cut short, which just means Kristina will join Lucas and Brad in the closet sooner rather than later.

[backhometome]

Im def. not sympathizing with Liez or Nik. Its making me root for Greenlee. Nik did (pay someone) shoot her in the head but some how her changing her name is worse???.

Edited March 27, 2016 by backhometome

[Chairperson Meow]

I think Spencer was on his way to serial killer well before even losing Britt as mother figure.  That kid's messed up.  I can easily picture him becoming one of those rich frat boys who "charms" people into trusting him and then offs them.  The kid's a mixture of Cassadine and Corinthos. He was always destined to kill people.

Oh God. And now Jake and Spenthaw are in the same house now. When Mommy and Daddy issues collide..... it's like Silence of the Lambs meets Dexter, but really lame and annoying. I hope Rocco and Danny end up being law enforcement and Aiden or Cam go to law school or take up psychology. That family will need it. And we need a future wee police duo.

Im def. not sympathizing with Liez or Nik. Its making me root for Greenlee. Nik did (pay someone) shoot her in the head but some how her changing her name is worse???.

Well, duh. It's like that time his wife couldn't get over being raped or his kid kidnapped himself.

[dubbel zout]

And Parker's flyby just to "check on" Kristina and encourage her to move on and embrace her inner fluidity seemed oddly mandated--as if something were being cut short.  And it definitely seemed like Parker was getting off relatively scot-free, which I'm not quite okay with.

 

For whatever reason, Show decided to wrap up the Parker side of this story pronto. I don't know if it's because the actor is pregnant IRL (the way this has been paced, her mat leave with coincide with her next appearance) or the writers lost their nerve/got bored/whatever. I don't really mind, but I agree that is seems Parker is escaping some sort of punishment. Her relationship with Kristina still isn't merely professor/student. 

 

Still neither TeamLiz nor TeamRebeccaBudig. It's all SO BORING.

[Oracle42]

Im def. not sympathizing with Liez or Nik. Its making me root for Greenlee. Nik did (pay someone) shoot her in the head but some how her changing her name is worse???.

 

I think the writers are determined to do Nik/Rebecca Budig character so they've set up a story where RBc commits a "forgivable" crime against Nik while they ignore the fact that HE PAID  SOMEONE TO MURDER HER. Nik and RBC can get past her lying about her name because its's something about which he can be naturally sympathetic, they can live happily ever after and JP gets to write Pwincess Greenlee stories. 

TC and RB are fine together but the tepid chemistry they generate together is not enough to overcome their history. I've watched Luke & Laura on YT, I totally understand why the writers just said 'fuck it all' and paired them together. TC/RB DONOT HAVE THAT and I don't think even TG/GF could get away with that if their story had taken place in 2016 instead of 1977.

 

I think that the writers have mistaken a dynamic that works for Nik (bad girls) - with chemistry between the characters. I think that could've worked long-term with Claudia because she wasn't a snarky, mean girl like RBc; she was legitimately dangerous. No matter how much they loved each other, there would've been future clashes - there was built in soap there. Rebecca Budig character doesn't have that. Unless she has a sex addiction that compelled her to throw herself at every guy she met until Nik caught her, there's no inherent story after he "forgives" her for lying to him. Plus, you surrender any bad girl cred you can lay claim to when you offer unconditional lurve to a man who unapologetically tried to murder you because he thought you were inconvenient. 

Edited March 27, 2016 by Oracle42

[dubbel zout]

Another woman unhinged by lurve. Ugh.

[tvgoddess]

This episode was just as gross as I feared, which was why I had to put off watching it for a couple of days. Nik can just fuck off and die. The audacity that he's APPALLED at Hayden changing her identity and starting over then lying about it after he tried to have the woman killed is just utterly insane and ridiculous. I really didn't think it was possible for Liz to get any smuggier (my new invented word) than she already has been. Boy, was I wrong. Never underestimate the power of Liz to be a self-righteous, hypocritical bitch. HARD PASS. And why didn't Hayden/Rachel/Rebecca Budig tell them that she was getting death threats as I'm sure she probably was? Not that it would have done anything to dissuade these two. They both need to hook up at this point because they're both just gross. And Niz was gross the first go around, so it wouldn't even have to be much of a change.

 

I've lost interest in Kristina and Parker. The ending looked more like she was consoling her daughter. Whatever. The message that exploring your sexuality and she shouldn't feel fear or shame was good though.

 

And this is going back a day or two, but why is Carly having scenes with a lizard instead of oh, I don't know, visiting her son in a mental institution? Has she been to see him? Has she even asked or talked about him since he left?

[Bill C.]

Pfft.  ME's the new (old) hotness, so naturally niggling little things like "Oh, my other son's in a mental hospital...I should probably go check on him" are almost literally shoulder-blocked out of the way in favor of "Oh, hey, I'm new here.  Check out my lizard."  (And you just read that in ME's voice.)

 

I've lost interest in Kristina and Parker. The ending looked more like she was consoling her daughter. Whatever. The message that exploring your sexuality and she shouldn't feel fear or shame was good though.

 

I'll give the show points for letting Molly be in Kristina's corner about the whole thing, and halfsies for Parker (though I still can't get past the fact that she's seemingly getting out clean here after leading Kristina on, emotionally or otherwise), but the thing that needs to happen ASAP is Kristina completely outing the whole thing to her mom and dad.  Until that happens--and we see the end result of it--there's still a big question mark looming over this.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Bill C.

[LeftPhalange]

Is the professor gone for good?

[Chairperson Meow]

I dunno. I'd choose Lizard over Morgan any day. Btw, remember when some poster named Morgan "Morgun".... he totes lived up to that. He also lived up to MWOP in a way because I seem to lack pity when I must suffer through the many trials of Morgan.

[TheGourmez]

Thanks, guys. If such a thing is actually possible, I now have a firmer grasp of Hadychlee Budig's supposed mental state.

[Auntie Velvet]

Of course you're right, but it's annoying that her children treat her like she has no idea what Helena could do. It's the mild condescension that she won't be able to handle it that really annoys me. And frankly, Nik and Lulu are self-absorbed enough that their own crap is going to keep them plenty busy. 

 

I don't know Lulu's deal, but I think Nik is just reflexively trying to stave off any investigations regarding his grandmother -- like Hayden examining the painting -- given that he killed her. 

[fishcakes]

There are so many problems with the Kristina and Parker story, but the main problem is that it's boring as fuck. It's basically: Krissy has a crush on her married professor. Professor thinks Krissy is attractive but isn't going to risk her career and marriage so nothing will happen. Thanks for wasting our time with this, idiots.

 

Why is Nik such a crapweasel now? I can't help comparing Nik's reaction to Liz outing Hayden's secret to his reaction to Liz outing Britt's secret about Rocco. (And as a special super secret message to Liz: you need a better hobby. How about raising your kids? Actually doing something about getting a roof over their heads? Maybe? You think?) Britt did a truly horrific thing that hurt a lot of people, one of whom was Nik's sister, and her secret needed to come out. But Liz, of course, revealed the secret in the way that allowed for maximum sanctimony on her own part (and also ended up getting Rocco kidnapped in the process.) Nik, still being an okay guy at that point, recognized that Liz was thisclose to having an orgasm over Britt's humiliation and angrily threw her out of Wyndemere. Now here comes Liz again, and it's the same thing, except Hayden's secret is not all that bad and in fact fairly understandable; if I were Fake Bernie Madoff's kid, I'd be trying to hide it too. But not only does Nik not tell Liz to even leave the fucking room so he can talk to his wife, he lets her stand behind him and pop her head out at a weird angle that looks like Nik has a second self-righteous head growing out of what passes for his neck, so that they can yell in tandem about what a liar and a con Hayden is. I think I understand though. Hayden's hideous flaw is that she's neither an attempted murderer nor someone who's keeping quiet about an attempted murder; those kinds of people are the best.

[peachmangosteen]

+100 for that entire post, fishcakes!

[fishcakes]

Remember when we loved Nik? Maybe that was just me. Now I want him to appear on-screen every day, get punched in the face, and leave.

[peachmangosteen]

I just can't get over my mom just full on belly laughing at Nik the other day. And like before he even said like two words. Even people who haven't watched this show in decades can see Nik is a joke.

[dubbel zout]

The audacity that he's APPALLED at Hayden changing her identity and starting over then lying about it after he tried to have the woman killed is just utterly insane and ridiculous.

 

She came into town in the first place as a liar, and for fairly sleazy reasons. I get you want your spouse to be honest with you, but it's ridiculous Nik is shocked—shocked!—that the woman he tried to murder hadn't told him the truth. And we viewers are supposed to be on Nik's side here? I guess? 

 

The message that exploring your sexuality and she shouldn't feel fear or shame was good though.

 

I hope we get more of this, as it's the only thing making it watchable.

[Darklazr]

There are so many problems with the Kristina and Parker story, but the main problem is that it's boring as fuck. It's basically: Krissy has a crush on her married professor. Professor thinks Krissy is attractive but isn't going to risk her career and marriage so nothing will happen. Thanks for wasting our time with this, idiots.

 

Why is Nik such a crapweasel now? I can't help comparing Nik's reaction to Liz outing Hayden's secret to his reaction to Liz outing Britt's secret about Rocco. (And as a special super secret message to Liz: you need a better hobby. How about raising your kids? Actually doing something about getting a roof over their heads? Maybe? You think?) Britt did a truly horrific thing that hurt a lot of people, one of whom was Nik's sister, and her secret needed to come out. But Liz, of course, revealed the secret in the way that allowed for maximum sanctimony on her own part (and also ended up getting Rocco kidnapped in the process.) Nik, still being an okay guy at that point, recognized that Liz was thisclose to having an orgasm over Britt's humiliation and angrily threw her out of Wyndemere. Now here comes Liz again, and it's the same thing, except Hayden's secret is not all that bad and in fact fairly understandable; if I were Fake Bernie Madoff's kid, I'd be trying to hide it too. But not only does Nik not tell Liz to even leave the fucking room so he can talk to his wife, he lets her stand behind him and pop her head out at a weird angle that looks like Nik has a second self-righteous head growing out of what passes for his neck, so that they can yell in tandem about what a liar and a con Hayden is. I think I understand though. Hayden's hideous flaw is that she's neither an attempted murderer nor someone who's keeping quiet about an attempted murder; those kinds of people are the best.

 

Elizabeth gave Lulu the origami with Britt's confession about stealing her baby and did NOT out it publically, that is ALL on Lulu.  Elizabeth warned Nik from the jump that Britt was bad news, it's not her problem if he ignored her advice and planned on getting engaged to a woman that he knew for three weeks, tops!

[ulkis]

Remember when we loved Nik? Maybe that was just me. Now I want him to appear on-screen every day, get punched in the face, and leave.

 

I know. It's tragic what this show has done to these two. sigh.

[katie9918]

Nik and Liz both need to be punched over and over.

[LeftPhalange]

Nik and Liez need to be repeatedly thrown off a parapet. 

[katie9918]

Elizabeth gave Lulu the origami with Britt's confession about stealing her baby and did NOT out it publically, that is ALL on Lulu. Elizabeth warned Nik from the jump that Britt was bad news, it's not her problem if he ignored her advice and planned on getting engaged to a woman that he knew for three weeks, tops!

Except then Liz immediately turned around and did basically the same thing (or something just as devastating) as Britt did after being appallingly self-righteous about it all over the place.

Lied? Check.

Ignored the well-being of a child (Spencer in Britt's case/Jake in Liz's case)? Check.

Manipulation? Check.

Used the child as well? Check.

Liz's active denial of self-awareness is appalling and she is far too little removed from her latest round of deception to be looking down her self-righteous, hypocritical-to-the-extreme nose at ANYONE ELSE right now.