Episode Discussion: TFGH

[jsbt]

2 hours ago, ulkis said:

Like jsbt has mentioned, I don't think anything particularly new happened . . . I think FV got the word GH is safe for another year or two, so he went loose on things he may have been holding back on for the sake of ratings . . . giving Budig a contract, hiring Easton back, and cutting Julian/WdV loose.

Yep. As soon as FV got that reprieve he started making Big Frank Moves, and the latest is finally coming down on deVry, who he (allegedly) cannot stand. Plus, neither he nor Ron ever intended Julian to be long-term.

That being said, this is always who Julian was. He has a psycho history going back to the '80s and early '90s. Even before they started their ridiculous attempt to sell Julexis as the Love of the Ages, he had imprisoned Duke for decades, killed his sister(?) and then had Duke assassinated for good.

Edited July 8, 2016 by jsbt

[tvgoddess]

I wonder why Frank hates him so much?

[Artsda]

I really didn't like Melanie Jonas on DAYS, but I am liking Molly as Maxie. She seems to bring some maturity with the Claudette storyline that KS might not pull off.

 

Julian and Alexis sure went from married to extreme violence between each other in minutes. Surprised they're taking Julian so far. This is beyond coming back and repairing them.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Artsda

[tvgoddess]

I'm just hazarding a guess, and it's too early to say for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if Friday's episode will be pre-empted in light of what happened in Dallas tonight.

[LeftPhalange]

The PCPD is an embarrassment. Actually, every single thing about this roach infested show is embarrassing. 

I should have known that me finally getting my wish for Sam to get a father would come with strings attached. I'm actually surprised he made it this long. 

Someone explain to me how killing Alexis helps Julian? Jordan still has audio of him confessing to murdering Carlos and having Duke killed and I would imagine ii would be easy to get an indictment for Alexis' murder given the circumstances. And I'm sure Sonny would wave around his gun and eventually get around to shooting him, His best bet would've been to leave the country and hope for the best. 

Of course Claud is a freak. Of course.

I wouldn't be mad if KSt decided she needed another break and MB took over again. 

[bannana]

2 hours ago, jsbt said:

Yep. As soon as FV got that reprieve he started making Big Frank Moves, and the latest is finally coming down on deVry, who he (allegedly) cannot stand. Plus, neither he nor Ron ever intended Julian to be long-term.

That being said, this is always who Julian was. He has a psycho history going back to the '80s and early '90s. Even before they started their ridiculous attempt to sell Julexis as the Love of the Ages, he had imprisoned Duke for decades, killed his sister(?) and then had Duke assassinated for good.

I didn't realize that Julian had imprisoned Duke.  For some reason I thought it was Faison.

[sunnyface]

Quote

The PCPD is an embarrassment.

The local police department could sure use Robert Scorpio.  Although, I am kind of scared to see how they would ruin his character.

[ByaNose]

I am sort of surprised that they would take the route with Jullian & Alexis. Those two actors brought a lot of attention to the show, got great press and appear to like each off screen as well. When he was holding the knife to her throat and basically terrorizing her I was like well there ain't no going back now. LOL!!! I'm guessing DeVry is leaving, right? Granted characters get redeemed all of the time but this might be a tough one. Maybe, FV didn't like that William DeVry was losing his hair. LOL!!! It's been months since Jullian took his shirt off and that's has fallen to the way side. I think DeVry is a good actor and compared to Maurice Bernard he's practically Marlon Brando. LOL!!!

[P3pp3rb1rd]

37 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

Granted characters get redeemed all of the time but this might be a tough one.

I only hope that Julian won't claim a convenient brain tumor for his treatment of Alexis. Or he will be Faison in a mask. Something preposterous.

[ByaNose]

4 minutes ago, P3pp3rb1rd said:

I only hope that Julian won't claim a convenient brain tumor for his treatment of Alexis. Or he will be Faison in a mask. Something preposterous.

He's either be written out or there is going to be some lame storyline as you have mentioned. I rather him be written out the way it's being written and played out now. If not, it will be a copout.

[LeftPhalange]

Don't you have to have a warrant to even be allowed to put a wire on someone? Meaning it would be useless to try and find a judge now because nothing Julian said would be admissible in court since it was obtained illegally? Also, how are there no judges available? Crime doesn't stop just because it's a holiday. Don't at least some of them have to be on-call like doctors are?

[In2You]

I just don't care about Julexis drama and wish both would go away. Let hyprocrite ass Alexis get what's coming to her for constantly hooking up with dangerous men.

Kristina and her bf have no chemistry. That love scene was so bland and boring. She doesnt have any with Parker either. And LA brings no spark/charisma to screen.

Anna the cop was a joke for me the day they had her read the Miranda Rights off her smartphone while Todd taunted her for it. Its only gotten worse.

 

Maxie is a character who can go on an extended break offscreen until they are ready to permanently recast and mature her.

[ByaNose]

5 minutes ago, In2You said:

I just don't care about Julexis drama and wish both would go away. Let hyprocrite ass Alexis get what's coming to her for constantly hooking up with dangerous men.

Kristina and her bf have no chemistry. That love scene was so bland and boring. She doesnt have any with Parker either. And LA brings no spark/charisma to screen.

Anna the cop was a joke for me the day they had her read the Miranda Rights off her smartphone while Todd taunted her for it. Its only gotten worse.

 

Maxie is a character who can go on an extended break offscreen until they are ready to permanently recast and mature her.

I will say that LA had more charm and screen presence when she was first on the show in her first stint. Of course, she was much younger but she had "it" then but this second go around I'm not seeing it as much. I guess it's because I don't care about Parker and the new guy (while okay) isn't setting the world on fire. He looks like you typical soap hunk (and, shockinly with chest hair) but so far is kind of meh. Maybe, if she had a good storyline I'd be more into LA. Right now, not so much.

[tvgoddess]

Quote

Also, how are there no judges available? Crime doesn't stop just because it's a holiday. Don't at least some of them have to be on-call like doctors are?

I didn't think judges were on 24 hour call, but maybe I'm wrong and I just don't know. Didn't they say it's like midnight?

Julian destroyed the recording, correct?

[dubbel zout]

2 minutes ago, tvgoddess said:

Julian destroyed the recording, correct?

He destroyed the wire. They still (for now) have the actual recording on both a laptop and a thumb drive. I fully expect both of those to disappear/be damaged/are otherwise useless, however. The PCPD is beyond lame.

[In2You]

4 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

I will say that LA had more charm and screen presence when she was first on the show in her first stint. Of course, she was much younger but she had "it" then but this second go around I'm not seeing it as much. I guess it's because I don't care about Parker and the new guy (while okay) isn't setting the world on fire. He looks like you typical soap hunk (and, shockinly with chest hair) but so far is kind of meh. Maybe, if she had a good storyline I'd be more into LA. Right now, not so much.

I thought she was really screechy and whiny her first stint. I wasn't impressed and didn't understand the hype she got. This stint she's toned down the whining and screeching but she's still not good. She lacks charisma and they're trying so hard to make Kristina this sexual character and she just can't sell it. 

[dubbel zout]

The terrible writing is a big reason I'm not disappointed Liz's boys haven't been SORASed. 

[Syndicate]

12 hours ago, TeeVee329 said:

...because wackos and troublemakers never outstay their welcome on this show and are never given new back stories so we understand their secret pain? *coughNinaFrancoRebeccaBudigcough*?

Point taken! But guess what? I still don't see her lingering for very long. 

[dubbel zout]

The writers are thrilled they have her; I'm pretty sure she'll stick around as long as BW wants the role. She'll be one of those "we can't resist writing for her" types the HWs mentioned in a recent interview. Sigh.

[Francie]

10 hours ago, teenj12 said:

Really surprised at what Julexis has become. I always got the sense that they were a writer's pet as far as pairings go.  Now we have Julian being a physically abusive psycho - threatening to murder the woman he claimed to love with the same knife that took her mother.

I guess I'm gonna be most interested in seeing Sam's reaction to all this. As for Molly, I can see her kicking herself for giving Julexis her blessing for marriage.

I think he was a pet of someone at the network, but never a pet of Ron or Frank.

[ByaNose]

45 minutes ago, Francie said:

I think he was a pet of someone at the network, but never a pet of Ron or Frank.

I always thought he was a pet of RC. Didn't he create the whole storyline and write that Juliian had to have his shirt off everyday wearing black boxer briefs?

[Francie]

6 minutes ago, ByaNose said:

I always thought he was a pet of RC. Didn't he create the whole storyline and write that Juliian had to have his shirt off everyday wearing black boxer briefs?

I think it went down like this:

RC brought on Julian as a foil for Duke. Julian started out a moustache twirling villain, taunting Duke about his 20 years in a Turkish prison and shooting an unarmed underlying who was trying to get away point blank on the dock.  Julian was withholding his marrow as a bargaining chip.

Then RC was forced to write for Julian and Alexis, and RC made the most of it from his vantage point, and simultaneously played to WdV's acting strengths, by having him go around barely clothed.

[NutmegsDad]

9 hours ago, bannana said:

I didn't realize that Julian had imprisoned Duke.  For some reason I thought it was Faison.

No, it was Julian. Like Julian kidnapped Robin and Robert, and killed Kannie, and killed AJ and framed Sonny, and poisoned the town's water with his toxic balls and froze the world and raped Laura....

20 hours ago, TeeVee329 said:

Oh for fuck's sakes, Sonny paid for the town's fireworks?!?!  These writers are shameless.

Sonny also paid for Dante's house. And got Alice's heart. And kept the US in the EU. And will make his presence felt in the November elections. Heck, vote for Sonny!

So Sonny is the most powerful mobster in the Eastern Seaboard. So, where all the West Coast mobsters? Heck, someone get Elon Musk and his rockets to take out Sonny....

Oh NOES! Claudette changed her name. That means she's Rachel Berlin, the daughter of the most evuhlest evuh....

[NutmegsDad]

Oh my God! He discovered the wire on her, and that beeeeech must die! Go kill Brenda, Sonny! She betrayed you!.....

Wait, it's not Brenda and Sonny? It's Alexis and Julian? Am I still allowed to cheer for Julian?

[rur]

Isn't wearing a wire a sign of true love in Port Charles? 

Brenda wore one on Sonny and he's been eternally in love with her (more or less) and Carly wore one and he's remarried her how many times since that  betrayal? 

So Julian should realize Alexis is doing this because she really really loves him. And Sonny should realize the depth of their love.(/sarcasm font)

Edited July 8, 2016 by rur

[Sake614]

12 hours ago, ciarra said:

Where is the real Alexis?  The one who'd have a keychain made of Joolian's balls by now?  I'm so sick of her whimpering.

And right to the poster upthread who said they could put the wire anywhere in the house, it wouldn't have to be on Alexis.  And when she was about to be discovered?  Excuse yourself and get rid of the wire.  "Julian, I'll be right back after I go pee."  How hard is that?

Julian never would have found the wire if she hadn't started talking into it as soon as he went into the kitchen! 

[dubbel zout]

29 minutes ago, NutmegsDad said:

So Sonny is the most powerful mobster in the Eastern Seaboard.

And yet, dumbass Aaron had never heard of him except as a coffee importer/restaurateur.

Edited July 8, 2016 by dubbel zout

[rur]

So I  can see Aaron as the hospital killer -- he's been auditioning for Sonny all along.

[TeeVee329]

1 hour ago, Francie said:

RC brought on Julian as a foil for Duke.

Well then he did a bad job of it because Julian didn't seem to remember who Duke was 85% of the time.  Julian was always more interested in targeting Sonny and seducing Alexis.  And really, I think Ron lost interest in Duke altogether once the Faison mask stuff was over.

[ByaNose]

I like nuPaul Hornsby when he's in charge and in cop mode. I hated that they made him a villian. He's a good actor who didn't need to be in the mob. Of course, he gets points for shooting Sonny. No one has any idea that he shot Sonny, right?

[Sake614]

 No, no one has a clue Paul shot Sonny. They all still think it was Carlos. And since he's dead, there's no one to contradict them.

[TeeVee329]

Paul shooting Sonny might have been retconned away altogether, the writing for Paul has been so weird.

[yowsah1]

17 hours ago, Syndicate said:

I can't see Claudette as being anything but a wacko and a troublemaker. Surely she's not in town to become a friend and a drinking buddy to the ex-husband who tried to kill her. Instead, she probably wants him as her lover. WACKO!

She could be in town to get Griffin back.

[Sake614]

19 minutes ago, yowsah1 said:

She could be in town to get Griffin back.

Could be but likely isn't. Not the way she was hugging the wedding photo of her and Nathan.

[ulkis]

12 hours ago, tvgoddess said:

I wonder why Frank hates him so much?

I think he probably just annoyed him somehow. For months about two years ago he kept asking William Shatner to come on GH on twitter and it was awkward as hell. I wouldn't be surprised if he kept pitching ideas like that to Valentini and it just annoyed him (Valentini). If FV does in fact dislike WdV I don't think it was anything big, just clashing personalities.

[tvgoddess]

Oh yes, I remember the William Shatner stuff well.

2 hours ago, Sake614 said:

Julian never would have found the wire if she hadn't started talking into it as soon as he went into the kitchen! 

She really was an idiot about the whole thing at the end. Julian did seem to catch on to her before she tried to get away though. But she was anything but subtle.

[amaranta]

What is this new name = fresh start bullshit?  First Hayden/Rebecca now CJ/Claudette (her last name.)  I'd like a fresh start to my weekend.  I think I'll start changing my name on the occasional Friday.

I didn't see the previews but please let anyone other than Sonny save Alexis and/or kill Julian.  Let Sonny keep basking in the glow of the fireworks he paid for.  Which was another huge WTF.

The previous episode:  I like Laura Wright but please stop the asinine, end of scene giggles.  It's just irritating.

ETA: Oh!  I almost forgot my Nina giving Curtis a job rant.  They're going to hook up Curtis and Nina, aren't they?  Noooooooooooooooooooooo!  He's so beautiful!  He's one of the guys on GH I really and truly like!  Please don't ruin Curtis for me! 

Maybe it'll be okay?  Somehow the wonderfulness that is Curtis will make watching Nina bearable?  It could happen, right?  *cries*

Edited July 8, 2016 by amaranta

[Francie]

1 hour ago, TeeVee329 said:

Well then he did a bad job of it because Julian didn't seem to remember who Duke was 85% of the time.  Julian was always more interested in targeting Sonny and seducing Alexis.  And really, I think Ron lost interest in Duke altogether once the Faison mask stuff was over.

That's after the switch over, and not right at the beginning. After the Julexis "phenomenon." I almost posted clips, but no one should have to suffer through Duke 2013 scenes. There's plenty there, though in August and September 2013.

Agreed that Ron had no idea what to do with Duke after Faison. This was his attempt, and he combined it with Danny donor storyline and ELQ intrigue. 

I love that initially all Alexis remembers of that night was that she was black out drunk:

 

[TeeVee329]

15 minutes ago, Francie said:

That's after the switch over, and not right at the beginning. After the Julexis "phenomenon." I almost posted clips, but no one should have to suffer through Duke 2013 scenes. There's plenty there, though in August and September 2013.

Agreed that Ron had no idea what to do with Duke after Faison. This was his attempt, and he combined it with Danny donor storyline and ELQ intrigue.

What switch over?

I do think one of Ian Buchanan's best performances was when Anna broke the news to him that Derek Wells was Julian.  But the first confrontation between them after he found out happened, randomly, in the middle of a Wednesday episode with Julian and Ava basically dismissively laughing at him.

I don't deny that Julian's presence was meant to light a fire under Duke's story, but in no way do I think that was Ron's primary purpose with bringing in Julian, not the way most of it centered on Sonny, Sam, and Alexis.

[Francie]

35 minutes ago, TeeVee329 said:

What switch over?

I do think one of Ian Buchanan's best performances was when Anna broke the news to him that Derek Wells was Julian.  But the first confrontation between them after he found out happened, randomly, in the middle of a Wednesday episode with Julian and Ava basically dismissively laughing at him.

I don't deny that Julian's presence was meant to light a fire under Duke's story, but in no way do I think that was Ron's primary purpose with bringing in Julian, not the way most of it centered on Sonny, Sam, and Alexis.

The switch over from being a moustache twirling villain to [sarcasm] dreamboat [/sarcasm] Julian. He was a sociopath right from the beginning (go to 8:00 if it doesn't queue to that point):

 

Julian was  centered on Duke as much as he was on Sonny, even more so, in the beginning.  Re-watch August and September 2013 again. Anna and Duke coming up on Julian in the hospital. Duke interviewing with Julian. Julian hiring Duke working together. Duke and Julian were very much entangled when Julian first arrived.  Ron inserted Julian everywhere -- he taunted Connie, he challenged Sonny's territory, etc. But he was brought in because he was Julian Jerome, the ex-best friend and wannabe killer of Duke.

Then, in October, the Robin rescue story heated up. And then the week-long art gallery scenes, where there seemed, to me, to be a change in direction. Suddenly instead of Alexis being weary of this possibly dangerous guy, it switched to the story of the Shirtless Guy and His Giddy Girlfriend.

I get the sense that after the Robin rescue storyline ended, Anna was to return to the Derek Wells storyline. But instead of Julian being the out-and-out villain, he was like Paul -- a mix of conflicting traits. At that point, Duke and Anna looked like idiots for wanting to contain a threat. In fact, instead of containing a threat and catching a bad guy, they were seeking revenge. And Julexis fans loved to repeat, over and over, exactly what you said earlier -- that Julian wasn't even interested in Duke. After October 2013, sure. But before, they were quite entwined in each other's scenes and lives. That's why I'm saying something switched.

Edited July 8, 2016 by Francie

[LexieLily]

As if I didn't think the PCPD could be any more incompetent, they just stand there and allow themselves to be (rightfully) railed at by Alexis' daughters and meanwhile Sonny, the town mobster, is the one to save Alexis and take the rap for her stabbing Julian with The Dagger. Because of course he does.

When Molly called Kristina and then said she was going to call Ric, I suppose it would be too much to ask for to have Molly call her big sister. It's not like Sam would want to know that her mom has been kidnapped by her dad and is about to be murdered.

These stories are all so isolated, it's so dumb. Does Alexis even know her nephew is "dead" and her daughter and (ex) son in law are on the run? I didn't think so. Which means she has no idea where her grandson is either.

Why is Sonny covering for Alexis, anyway? Alexis clearly has a case for self-defense.

Edited July 8, 2016 by LexieLily

[TeeVee329]

Holy hell, I was sorta kidding yesterday about Sonny rescuing Alexis, given that he and Carly were heading to bed when last we saw them on Wednesday.  But today, Carly's having midnight meetings about the stupid kidney storyline and Sonny, of course, shows up on the dock just in time to heroically pull his gun and save the day.  And then they push it further by having Sonny arrange to take the blame for Alexis stabbing Julian, even though it's clear as fucking crystal it was self-defense.  And THEN he steps to Jordan, the goddamn police commissioner.

I just...why...what...AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#rageembolism

Edited July 8, 2016 by TeeVee329

[Lillybee]

10 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

As if I didn't think the PCPD could be any more incompetent, they just stand there and allow themselves to be (rightfully) railed at by Alexis' daughters and meanwhile Sonny, the town mobster, is the one to save Alexis and take the rap for her stabbing Julian with The Dagger. Because of course he does.

When Molly called Kristina and then said she was going to call Ric, I suppose it would be too much to ask for to have Molly call her big sister. It's not like Sam would want to know that her mom has been kidnapped by her dad and is about to be murdered.

These stories are all so isolated, it's so dumb. Does Alexis even know her nephew is "dead" and her daughter and (ex) son in law are on the run? I didn't think so. Which means she has no idea where her grandson is either.

Why is Sonny covering for Alexis, anyway? Alexis clearly has a case for self-defense.

 

Because that is what he did when Michael killed Claudia while protecting Snarly and Joss and we all know how well that went.

[rur]

Why shouldn't Sonny fabricate a story about how Julian was stabbed (even though Alexis stabbing him would be a pretty perfect example of self defense)?

Things worked out so well for Michael the last time Sonny came up with a story that obfuscated the truth. RME.

ETA: Lillybee, you beat me to it! Great minds and all that . . .

Edited July 8, 2016 by rur

[TeeVee329]

Okay, I got a cold compress for my #rageembolism so I can proceed:

Jax trying to discourage Carly from looking into Joss' kidneys was like a neon sign announcing, "Jax is involved somehow!  He's an evil villain compared to Sonny and Carly!  Don't worry, we'll have Carly strip him of his paternal rights and let Sonny adopt Joss!".  UGH!

I swooned when Kevin called Spencer a ham.  Him and Laura outsmarting him was delightful.

14 minutes ago, rur said:

Why shouldn't Sonny fabricate a story about how Julian was stabbed (even though Alexis stabbing him would be a pretty perfect example of self defense)?

Things worked out so well for Michael the last time Sonny came up with a story that obfuscated the truth.

RME.

And Julian's not dead, lying about exactly what happened just gives him leverage.  So stupid!

Edited July 8, 2016 by TeeVee329

[Lillybee]

Will show ever explain how Sonny the savior of PC knew that Julian was planning on killing Alexis on the docks after Krissy told him that Alexis was missing?

[dubbel zout]

1 hour ago, amaranta said:

What is this new name = fresh start bullshit?

It can work as long as no one finds out your old name. It also helps to not move to a town where people might already know you. Though Claudette didn't so much change her name as start going by her initials.

57 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Which means she has no idea where her grandson is either.

I had to stop and think for a minute who this was. Alexis and Danny are rarely together or mentioned in the same breath.

57 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Why is Sonny covering for Alexis, anyway? Alexis clearly has a case for self-defense.

Michael's ordeal taught him nothing, clearly. ETA: Ha! We're all thinking the same thing with this!

Edited July 8, 2016 by dubbel zout
Groupthink.

[tvfanatic13]

Thoughts from Wednesday's show- I thought Avery was saying "I want mommy Ava" which was adorable. Even if she didn't say that, she is adorbs! Also, there is no way that a Cassadine would use such a pedestrian wine opener (which he couldn't use anyway and no offense to users of that wine opener- including myself). Took me out of the scene. 

[nilyank]

Quote

Will show ever explain how Sonny the savior of PC knew that Julian was planning on killing Alexis on the docks after Krissy told him that Alexis was missing?

Well that is the same spot where Julian kills anyone and where all the crime in Port Charles seems to happen.

[Lillybee]

Can someone explain it to me as though I were Sonny, why would Snarly have a picture of Helena on her phone.