Episode Discussion: TFGH

[Aurora2]

58 minutes ago, ulkis said:

@Aurora2, have you looked at the "Wishlist: Hoping for a Cure (or Not)" thread here? There was some recent conversation that I think you might find interesting.

Thank you.  I'll have a look.  I've been pretty busy lately some days - and, on some other days, I've been wondering it there has been anything I want to talk about. 

[dubbel zout]

Wow, today was awful. Nina acting like she had sex for the first time, Tom sleazing on Nelle, Nelle whining about her dress, Sonny zoning out about Nelle (TELL CARLY, YOU IDIOT), Tom in a cage, Elizabeth giving Franco yet another chance...

Valentin called Nina and said, "It's your boyfriend." HOW OLD ARE THESE PEOPLE?! Sorry to shout, but the stupid on this show has reached yet another level.

[Aurora2]

1 hour ago, ulkis said:

@Aurora2, have you looked at the "Wishlist: Hoping for a Cure (or Not)" thread here? There was some recent conversation that I think you might find interesting.

Thank you again!  That is an interesting read- a number of points with which I agree and others which are interesting to discuss. 

[ciarra]

Quote

Of course he's in the wrong for concealing Charlotte from Lulu, but he wasn't complicit in the creation of the embryo.

Yeah, but he could have flushed it instead of enlisting Clodette.  And then we wouldn't have this inane story line.  I loved how BSC Lulu was going on about Charlotte while Dante looked like he just ate a bad chili dog. 

Poor Nelly without a ball gown.  Nothing wrong with a basic black dress, you whiner.  And then discuss your frail non-drinking self, while standing outside in the cold.  Michael, "Wait out here in the cold, while I bring our coats." 

[Ambrosefolly]

4 hours ago, ulkis said:

Has anyone noticed this is like the third time Kiki has colluded in a pretty big crime?

- helped Franco escape from the holding cell to find Carly/Heather (and lied to Michael about hiding Franco when they all thought he was a suspect).

- helped Morgan drug Michael.

- lied about Sonny murdering AJ.

- helped Franco lure Tom in. And no doubt she'll once again gasp and say she didn't know Franco/the situation would go THAT far, even though she's met him.

Would she know how to stop without a page telling her it was "End of Book" though?

 

1 hour ago, Aurora2 said:

Thank you for the review of Kiki's questionable resume.  She sure fits right in on Criminal Hospital, doesn't she?  I knew there were other reasons she is losing her appeal for me. 

As for Valerie, she most definitely knows when things are over.  Even though it took her while to sort out her non-place in the mess that was Dante and Lulu's marriage at the time, once she figured it out, she put an end once and for all to her part in that situation.  Even more so, she quckly saw the end of the Curtis book when he betrayed her at the PCPD.   Gotta give some credit where it's due.

That is why I wonder why Tracy would be encouraging a relationship between Dillon and Kiki. I don't have a great love for Michael, but not only has Kiki endangered his life instead (even though not long ago she professed to be in love with him) and was much of the source of tension between Michael and Morgan (who used to be fairly close and loving before her), why would she want someone like that near her son? She has shown some Carly-like tendencies (drugging Qs, committing crimes, ruining the lives of mentally ill men) and remember what Carly did to them directly and indirectly.

[ulkis]

I forgot: I love how Franco has what, for GH, amounts to a Vatican mural on his walls while everyone else gets grey walls.

[Oracle42]

Was there ever any indication that Franco learned to paint or draw? His entire backstory was about graffiti art and "edgy" art installations. 

[Ambrosefolly]

6 minutes ago, Oracle42 said:

Was there ever any indication that Franco learned to paint or draw? His entire backstory was about graffiti art and "edgy" art installations. 

Pretty much in line with current modern art. 

[TeeVee329]

I  tried to think of the last time any US daytime soap had a character lock another character in a cage.  All I could come up with was Jan on DOOL when she locked up Shawn, and maybe Sheila did it to Lauren on Y&R kinda recently?

In any event, in these two examples, the people doing the locking up were portrayed as straight-up psychos, they certainly weren't supposed to be rootable romantic leads.  WTF! 

[ulkis]

Just now, TeeVee329 said:

I  tried to think of the last time any US daytime soap had a character lock another character in a cage.  All I could come up with was Jan on DOOL when she locked up Shawn, and maybe Sheila did it to Lauren on Y&R kinda recently?

In any event, in these two examples, the people doing the locking up were portrayed as straight-up psychos, they certainly weren't supposed to be rootable romantic leads.  WTF! 

Grant Putnam and Anna, but again, also crazy.

Can Anna putting Faison in a hole be equivalent? 

[amaranta]

Quote

I need to say that I don't EVER need to see Nina feeling herself and discussing her sexual healing ever again.

That was so embarrassing.  I spent most of this episode in cringe mode, what with Tom in a dog crate, Nina making Dillon (and the audience) uncomfortable as hell, and Lulu reacting to her daughter all the while not noticing that Dante looked like he was going to become ill upon hearing the news.  Combine all that with an alcoholic and being blackmailed Alexis, Julian with all his evil plans, Nell getting weirdly edgy and slipping Sonny a roofie and you have ...

Happy, Happy Holidays from GH!  No benefit, no speech from Santa.  Are there even holiday decorations anywhere?  Are they gray?  I was too grossed out to notice.

I want some Christmas romance, a little cheer.  Maybe from Kevin and Laura.  And of course we get no follow up on the declaration of love. 

This show has become so dark.

[LexieLily]

7 minutes ago, amaranta said:

I want some Christmas romance, a little cheer.  Maybe from Kevin and Laura.  And of course we get no follow up on the declaration of love. 

Seriously. I like Kevin/Laura together (they're one of the only good things about GH, though I do hope Kevin knows what he's getting into with his girlfriend's family, lol), but even if I didn't, this is a horrible way to write a story and build momentum. Kevin tells Laura that he loves her, she looked surprised, that dumb little boy knocked on the door and interrupted before she could answer - and that was a week ago. At least twenty-four hours has to have passed in GH-world, right? And we've gotten nothing from them since. Not even a throwaway line from Lulu.

[rur]

52 minutes ago, Oracle42 said:

Was there ever any indication that Franco learned to paint or draw? His entire backstory was about graffiti art and "edgy" art installations. 

If you remember back to the "Sandwich Art" days, Franco conned Heather into painting them for him because he couldn't.  (Something that drove me crazy at the time because it was PAINTING STRIPES ON A CANVAS !!! -- sorry about the yelling). So, at least on the show in my head,  he has no actual skill or training, despite that self-portrait in the studio today. 

[Oracle42]

Dillon and Valerie were cute. That's all I got.

[Cheyanne11]

4 hours ago, Darklazr said:

Lulu looked and sounded deranged when she was yakking about Charlotte being her daughter and the look on Dante's face was a total, WTF?!  Dante is probably wishing he was still sleeping with Valerie at this point!

I'M wishing he was still sleeping with Valerie.  OK, not really, but those scenes today were painful.  ER was just flat-out bad with the bugged-out eyes and the shrieking. 

[Asp Burger]

I might be into this story if it were Franco with the collar in the cage, put there by Sam.

Sam lacks the energy. The most she could ever do to anyone is tell him off while slouching against a wall. Only 60 percent of the words in the telling-off would be easily understood, because she'd be speeding through it on gusts of breath at a low volume. Then Jason would come in and punch the guy in the face, ask Sam if she were okay, and carry her out in his arms.  

Speaking of Jason, it cracked me up that even Sonny finds the Billy Miller version of him too boring to listen to. Even after Jason got him to focus for a minute, and started in again with "Curtis and I investigated..." Sonny started zoning out. Thinking about Nelle, of all people.

The cage/collar thing is gross. It reminds me of Windom Earle and Leo on Twin Peaks, but Twin Peaks was not positioning Windom Earle as the troubled-but-good love interest of any of the leading ladies. Or of anyone.

I don't really get the idea of revisiting Tom Baker in any fashion. He wasn't played back in the day by some beloved actor. Fans haven't spent 18 years saying "One thing that really bothered me is that Tom Baker was not punished enough for what he did to Liz and Emily," or "Tom Baker should come back to Port Charles and cause more problems; he was so deliciously evil." But, then, no one was pining for a Franco recast either.  

[bannana]

1 hour ago, TeeVee329 said:

I  tried to think of the last time any US daytime soap had a character lock another character in a cage.  All I could come up with was Jan on DOOL when she locked up Shawn, and maybe Sheila did it to Lauren on Y&R kinda recently?

In any event, in these two examples, the people doing the locking up were portrayed as straight-up psychos, they certainly weren't supposed to be rootable romantic leads.  WTF! 

Victor Newman locked his wife's lover in a cage, and I think fed him rats.  That was a long time ago, so tough to remember.

Molly's father on GH (Rick?) locked a pregnant Carly in a panic room. Is that worse or better than a cage?

Definitely the Jan Spears locking up Shawn thing.  I cannot remember if it was a cage but I think it was.  And he was chained to a bed?  Funny thing, I think Jan is still in a coma.

And on AMC, was it Janet who locked up her sister Natalie in a well?  That was pretty disturbing. 

[Asp Burger]

Definitely the Jan Spears locking up Shawn thing.  I cannot remember if it was a cage but I think it was.

It was. Also Stefano/Marlena, same show. "Lady In A Cage" was the big summer 1996 storyline. Stefano was trying to make her his Queen of the Night. Fortunately, this did not extend to Deidre Hall singing Mozart.  

[P3pp3rb1rd]

I'm going into DVR and fast-forward mode until the show ceases and desists with the cage and with Nina's sexual healing. The show is just too painful to watch live right now. I hope the writers realize that they have forced me and others who are easily nauseated into FF through all the commercials too....Throw that marketing money down the toilet, Show....

Edited December 13, 2016 by P3pp3rb1rd

[LeftPhalange]

9 hours ago, Perkie said:

Dillon:  Here's a job for you on a silver platter that you're probably not qualified for but as long as you can deal with Nina's inapropriate gonadal gestures, you're golden.

Kiki:  Bitch please, I don't actually want a job, I just want to complain that I don't have one  Plus, you and your cooties work here.  

I don't understand what Kiki's problem is. She complains about not having a job and having no idea what she wants to do with her life. Dillon arranges for her to get a job a Crimson so she doesn't have to do any actual job hunting or interviewing herself, and instead of being grateful she slaps him. What the fuck is wrong with? Also, is she still living in Nina's apartment rent free? She's such an obnoxious lazy brat. 

[jsbt]

Kill Kiki immediately and leave her head on a pike at the coffee kiosk as a warning to others

[tveyeonyou]

12 hours ago, Darklazr said:

Lulu looked and sounded deranged when she was yakking about Charlotte being her daughter and the look on Dante's face was a total, WTF?!  Dante is probably wishing he was still sleeping with Valerie at this point!

I first read this as "Dante is probably wishing he was sleeping with Valentine at this point" . I think I'd prefer that instead of pretty much every other pairing on this show except if it happened then we'd never see Dante or Valentine again. And damn if Valentine isn't managing to melt my frozen heart.

It's probably just the holidays approaching because for half a second I almost didn't hate Kiki yesterday. I think I could like a bad Kiki way more than this sniveling mess whining about a dead douche who will probably end up alive anyway.  I wouldn't hate Kiki and Todd* doing a Port Charles Revenge Tour on behalf of everyone who was ever fucked-over by Sonny and Carly. Bonus points if they somehow bring AJ back. Triple bonus points if RoHo turns out to be AJ. I'd hand-wave the hell out of that. Especially if he got a haircut.

 

*I watch RoHo as Todd most of the time, sometimes he's NotDead AJ, other times, anyone other than Franco. I refuse to recognize him as Franco, never have, never will. I can't stand James Franco because he's the one who started all this garbage. JMHO

[dubbel zout]

10 hours ago, ciarra said:

I loved how BSC Lulu was going on about Charlotte while Dante looked like he just ate a bad chili dog. 

The writing for her was all wrong, as usual. Lulu should have had a ton of conflicting emotion, not jump straight to "OMG! A daughter! Squee!" Dante had the right idea: "I feel sick...."

8 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

I don't really get the idea of revisiting Tom Baker in any fashion

It's purely to prop Franco and give him his hero moment. At least have Tom kidnap Liz so there's a decent reason for Franco to take revenge. The current story shows no reason for Franco to put Tom in a cage.

[Asp Burger]

1 minute ago, dubbel zout said:

It's purely to prop Franco and give him his hero moment. At least have Tom kidnap Liz so there's a decent reason for Franco to take revenge. The current story shows no reason for Franco to put Tom in a cage.

Also, from the way the preview clip looked, it's once again not Liz's story. She's the sympathetic person here, but they're setting up some bullshit where she comes to the door and we're supposed to think, "Oh my God! What if she discovers Tom in the cage? She'll be horrified, and she might dump Franco! When his heart is in the right place!" I could be wrong, but that looks like how it's going to go -- "suspense" where Franco is trying to keep Tom quiet and we're supposed to hope he gets Liz out of there without his relationship-ruining secret being discovered.  

[rur]

9 hours ago, Asp Burger said:

The cage/collar thing is gross. It reminds me of Windom Earle and Leo on Twin Peaks, but Twin Peaks was not positioning Windom Earle as the troubled-but-good love interest of any of the leading ladies. Or of anyone.

This was where I went, too.

And now, I'm afraid that we're going to get the scene where the captive gets the shock-controller and tries to use it on his torturer, but forgets he is still wearing the shocking device.  

 I'll admit, it was kind of funny on Twin Peaks, since we knew Leo was a) not very nice or bright and b) had been beating his wife. And it was also funny when it was done on Cheers when Cliff was trying to change his behavior, since we had come to know Cliff's personality and understood why he was trying to change. But if it's done on GH, it will just be a) because it was an idea already out there and therefore didn't require any original thought, and b) because recent history has shown that the writers apparently think that GH is the only show we watch and therefore don't recognize recycled ideas.*

 

*I don't mean standard soap tropes; I'm thinking about instances where it's been clear that lines or ideas have been taken from other shows, like How to Get Away with Murder, or Orphan Black. 

(end rant -- with the realization that I'm getting all worked up over something that may not even happen. I guess it's time to head back to the barge.)

[Michel]

1 hour ago, dubbel zout said:

It's purely to prop Franco and give him his hero moment. At least have Tom kidnap Liz so there's a decent reason for Franco to take revenge. The current story shows no reason for Franco to put Tom in a cage.

That's why I don't think it's Franco getting his "hero moment."  I really do think they're setting things up so that Elizabeth really sees the -- the thing she's dating and opens her eyes.  I truly don't think we're supposed to be seeing him as the hero in this. 

I mean, come on!  The fact that the show juxtaposed Elizabeth's comments that she didn't want to be seen as someone who needed protecting with footage of Franco making the preparations to his plan says it all.  He doesn't respect Elizabeth or her position at all, even after she begged him to respect it.  I can't see Elizabeth looking the other way after this, because as @Darklazr essentially said above, this is basically Ric and the panic room all over again.

Edited December 13, 2016 by Michel

[Asp Burger]

I hope you're right, michel, but I'm thinking it's going to be like Morgan/Kiki/Dillon (when they were all three still alive), where much of the audience is wanting the pretty girl to move on with the equally pretty sane guy, but the show is playing it as "Poor insane guy with bad hair, he keeps trying. Give him a break!"

[Michel]

16 hours ago, ulkis said:

- helped Franco lure Tom in. And no doubt she'll once again gasp and say she didn't know Franco/the situation would go THAT far, even though she's met him.

At the very least, she deserves some credit for trying to stay out of suspicion that he was going to go past the line.  Yeah, it sucked that she ultimately was convinced to leave, anyway, but at least she didn't blindly believe him, which is more that can be said for Elizabeth right now.

[dubbel zout]

Yeah, I'm not hopeful this is so Liz finally dumps Franco. Her comments to Griffin indicated otherwise: She knows he's got a dark side, but she can see him struggling with it and trying to change. Plus, she feels safe with him. This after seeing him explode more than once. GAG. 

[Aurora2]

11 hours ago, Oracle42 said:

Dillon and Valerie were cute. That's all I got.

They are!  They have a natural, appealing friendship I'd like to see featured more.  Lord knows they could both gain dimension from having a good friend to talk to. 

But then our current GH is more about what is forced and contrived than on what is natural and sometimes very needed.

[dubbel zout]

I thought it was very sad that Valerie said she didn't need a day off. GURL. Everyone needs a day off.

[Aurora2]

11 hours ago, Cheyanne11 said:

I'M wishing he was still sleeping with Valerie.  OK, not really, but those scenes today were painful.  ER was just flat-out bad with the bugged-out eyes and the shrieking. 

I know what you mean.  As bad as that story was in places, I think the characters were definitely more interesting then than they have been with anything they've had since (with the exception of Dante being allowed out of the Lulu bubble long enough in October to react to Morgan's death). 

Dom takes some knocks for checking out in the last part of that story; however, overall, he actually acted a helluva more in that story with Valerie than he has most of the time since. 

And that story was the first time I started to like ER better - a like dampened by the fact that, at the same time, I was liking Lulu less.  But, since then - and yesterday was just another current example - I have been very unimpressed with her performances. 

[LeftPhalange]

1 hour ago, Asp Burger said:

Also, from the way the preview clip looked, it's once again not Liz's story. She's the sympathetic person here, but they're setting up some bullshit where she comes to the door and we're supposed to think, "Oh my God! What if she discovers Tom in the cage? She'll be horrified, and she might dump Franco! When his heart is in the right place!" I could be wrong, but that looks like how it's going to go -- "suspense" where Franco is trying to keep Tom quiet and we're supposed to hope he gets Liz out of there without his relationship-ruining secret being discovered.  

I don't really think the writers are making Liez look all that sympathetic right now. She knows he's a psychotic rapist serial killer yet she still dates him and makes excuses for him. At least when Carly was with him they at least attempted to pin his previous deranged behavior on the tumor, which they're not really doing much of these days. Plus, we're supposed to root for Freako over Tom so I totally expect for them to have Liez forgive Freako for what he's doing pretty quickly. 

[HeatLifer]

1 hour ago, Aurora2 said:

Dom takes some knocks for checking out in the last part of that story; however, overall, he actually acted a helluva more in that story with Valerie than he has most of the time since. 

Dom has been blah for quite awhile for me. Dante and Anna should have been given a chance. Lulu should have hooked up with Dillon or Johnny or whoever, I don't really care. But we have enough "we are never breaking these couples up" on this show. Dante and Lulu did not need to be included in that.

[Oracle42]

Dating Franco is honestly grosser and less sympathetic than the Jakeson lie - it's like they're determined to find rock bottom for this character

[NutmegsDad]

Me reactings to Valentin's tale of woe to Lulu about StavLu Charlotte:

 

[dubbel zout]

10 minutes ago, Oracle42 said:

Dating Franco is honestly grosser and less sympathetic than the Jakeson lie - it's like they're determined to find rock bottom for this character

Seriously. At least Elizabeth had a reason—twisted and gross as it was—for the Jakeson lie. There is really nothing about Franco that should be romantically appealing to any woman now that everyone has seen his behavior post-tumor.

Why on Earth does Elizabeth feel "safe" with Franco? He's proven to be a violent creep. Did someone secretly implant a chip into Elizabeth offcamera and we just don't know about it yet>

Edited December 13, 2016 by dubbel zout

[TeeVee329]

17 minutes ago, NutmegsDad said:

Me reactings to Valentin's tale of woe to Lulu about StavLu Charlotte:

 

Mine?

(I'm Val, duh.)

Edited December 13, 2016 by TeeVee329

[tveyeonyou]

11 minutes ago, NutmegsDad said:

Me reactings to Valentin's tale of woe to Lulu about StavLu Charlotte:

 

Dead.

In a good way.

Oh Allison, if only you could come to Port Charles, and bring Donnie and Helena. Can you imagine a Helena-off? They would tear Sonny apart in a heartbeat. I want an Orphan Black/General Hospital crossover. Is that too much to ask?

[magnolia11]

12 minutes ago, tveyeonyou said:

Dead.

In a good way.

Oh Allison, if only you could come to Port Charles, and bring Donnie and Helena. Can you imagine a Helena-off? They would tear Sonny apart in a heartbeat. I want an Orphan Black/General Hospital crossover. Is that too much to ask?

It hurts my heart to picture poor, awesome Tatiana Maslany forced to be on this shit show.

[TheMediaHo]

Regarding Kiki's financial status, hasn't daddy Dr. Silas's estate been settled -- and wouldn't she be his sole heir? I know, logic, but still, unless Dr. Silas had a drug habit and pet dragon to support, I would imagine his estate to be pretty hefty.

And it's days like yesterday that make me really miss JMB.

[HeatLifer]

16 minutes ago, TheMediaHo said:

And it's days like yesterday that make me really miss JMB.

Me too.

[dubbel zout]

29 minutes ago, TheMediaHo said:

Regarding Kiki's financial status, hasn't daddy Dr. Silas's estate been settled -- and wouldn't she be his sole heir?

Last we heard, the estate was still going through probate, which to be fair, can take a long time. However, I think it was a Ron plot point, so of course the current writers are ignoring it.

[rur]

35 minutes ago, magnolia11 said:

It hurts my heart to picture poor, awesome Tatiana Maslany forced to be on this shit show.

Since most of us remember the crapshow that RoHo foisted on us the day Shirley Jones was on, (and outacted him by just breathing) I shudder to think what he'd do if he were forced to confront his mediocrity by being on the same screen as someone who's good enough to play multiple roles as well as play those characters impersonating other characters. 

[Oracle42]

35 minutes ago, TheMediaHo said:

And it's days like yesterday that make me really miss JMB.

I miss the actress more than I thought I would but I'm also kinda glad she's not dealing with any of these shite stories

[Sake614]

42 minutes ago, TheMediaHo said:

And it's days like yesterday that make me really miss JMB

 

25 minutes ago, HeatLifer said:

Me too.

 

Me three!

[TeeVee329]

Liz (to Franco): I don’t need you to be a hero, because...

Me: You're your own hero, you don't need a man to protect you, like you said yesterday.

Liz: ...to me, you already are.

Me: FUCK YOU, SHOW!

[dubbel zout]

OMG. Really, Show? REALLY???

[ulkis]

1 hour ago, TheMediaHo said:

Regarding Kiki's financial status, hasn't daddy Dr. Silas's estate been settled -- and wouldn't she be his sole heir? I know, logic, but still, unless Dr. Silas had a drug habit and pet dragon to support, I would imagine his estate to be pretty hefty.

And it's days like yesterday that make me really miss JMB.

I'd be cool with a recast, but I don't want Julie back. She's free, darn it.

[TeeVee329]

Everyone* in today's episode needed to SHUT.  UP.

*Well, maybe not Tracy and Rebecca Budig, their scene was kinda good.

Edited December 13, 2016 by TeeVee329