Sunday, March 20, 2011

General Hosptial-- Sunday Surgery: Synergy

synergy: [noun] a mutually advantageous conjunction of distinct elements. 



Well. This week has certainly been a lesson in synergy.  Or not.  Taking a tiny grain of a story and shooting it off into the television universe.  Throwing things and hoping they stick. Multiple characters driving on the same road, all going too fast; distracted. A healthy child suddenly coming down with a life-threatening illness in a blink of an eye.  A story that was first done so brilliantly years and years ago.  Can you capture lighting in a bottle twice? Especially when 60% of your audience saw it the first time around? 
That's for you to decide.

The actors certainly did their job. They always do. The problem this week lay on the cutting room floor. So many scenes not shown--so many, many MANY questions not answered. Whole chunks of dialog seemingly just not there.  I'd love to go through them one by one, but you've already read them down the blogs below.  I have to say the worst one was the Jason standing there with a gun on Johnny in one scene, and the next has Lisa and Robin walking into his empty apartment. He walks in later, unfazed.

I'm not sure if Brenda really even reacted to the news of Suzanne's being married to Theo. I'm not even sure Sonny or anyone told her about it. Maybe he mentioned it when she was coming out of her Toxic-stupor.  You'd think that just might be a powerful scene right there. You know, the woman Brenda trusted all these years, the one she basically lived with in Paris, Rome,  Africa is married to her enemy. Mother to the guy she murdered.  Wouldn't it have been great for them to have "met" in the Cave? Had it out? Seen Brenda's face when she realized just who Suzy was?? Eh, but why dabble in the details. Off to the honeymoon with you! 


 So many pivotal characters are going to be missing from the Jake story. Having Luke leave the hospital so quickly was just not right--they should have had Tracy go there.  Suppose it was easier to have them alone, sitting on the Haunted Star when filming fitted in the blocks better. Like I said Friday, they'd better show at least one Tracy/Jason scene--if not Tracy/Jason and Edward. I'd hope for Monica but--come on. That might just be hoping for too much. Will Audrey even get a mention? Bobbie? Leslie? Bobbie should be in there especially since Jake AND Joss are both related to her. Would it have been nice to have her giving Scrubs a pep talk or just a "please save my nephew"? 

Synergy.  Two ladies on a wild goose chase for a syringe that really, in the end can prove nothing. A syringe that has driven a story that has gone on far too long. I can't tell you how many ideas there are floating around for Johnny--but having this little game wasn't one of them. It also totally took away from the fact he planted the limo bomb!! They were shoved together so stupidly, you can't even begin to understand what's going on.  No wonder Jason got the hell out of that situation--it time to give the girls the clues!! 

I still say threading a story together takes quite a bit of talent and forethought. Day to day dialog is easy because you just  put great words into great actor's mouths. I so need someone to thread this together for me.  Have it make sense beyond the moment of impact and crying in the emergency room. 

This is all kind of like "Brenda's Return" and the "Bus Crash"...huge to the hype, tiny on the follow through.  I really want more. *sigh*


                                                    Photo by: @JaxFan57 feel free to send in!

Of course, how can I not mention the HUGE RUMOR about Bob Guza leaving GH that was quickly dispelled by the very magazine that put it out there? Heh... oh to be a fly on THAT decision. What the heck happened?? I don't think that sort of thing gets up on a website by accident. Something's up folks. Time will tell.  Maybe we'll get a little of that synergy after all.

*** NOTE: Last night, after about 11pm, SOD reported that Tyler Christopher was let go from GH. Now after the flip-flop on Guza, I'm not saying it's true until an official announcement.  I will say that his pilot got picked up and lord knows, he's looked miserable on the show for a couple of years now. My only sorrow if it's true, probably no more Helena. I will update the blog today if anything else comes in on this. Hopefully, Tyler will tweet himself later.

18 comments:

  1. Karen, everything you said is right on, of course, about the horrible story-telling. It all bothers me, but, what no one mentioned or explained to me: OK, so Theo and Suzanne took off in a plane or something, where did they go? How are they back in PC? And why, oh why, of ALL OF THE PLACES IN THE WORLD, is Brenda's alleged child allegedly with a family in PC? Does this make any sense to anyone? Can anyone explain this to me?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry, that was me, AntJoan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Were they back in Port Charles? I didn't even notice that piece of stupidity!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. it is too bad about Tyler Christopher. I always thought he and Ingo Rademacher were 2 of their better actors but neither have been given a decent storyline in years. now with this Jake storyline I wish my favorite Rebecca Herbst was going to young and restless.

    ReplyDelete
  5. It was like they all drew a piece of paper w/ a clue on it out of a hate and wrote something and then filmed it.
    I was very pleased w/ Becky and even JJ, I'm not a fan of his overacting, crying style, but they both were great. I would have loved a Q appearance with jm -SBu always looks the same when he's given 'heavy' material so there was that. The Robin/Lisa thing was not interesting and frankly if S&B blew up right now that would be way more interesting.
    The folks on the road was stupid considering where she lives. Joss suddenly being sick and all this happening within 24 hrs-asinine.
    To kill off this child is so far beyond the pale I can't describe it. Fool us all, make us all look like dummies and DON"T do this. Give us something to actually talk about on Monday.
    I don't blame TC if he is leaving--he'll be happier away that that crazyland.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am not sad in the least about Nicholas leaving...I just pray he takes Brooklyn with him. Guza should not have a problem with that as it means another Q off the canvas.

    I think Helena can still come back. Her interactions with Luke and Lucky were always better then her silly scenes with Nicholas anyways.

    I think Nicholas should move back to Greece. Maybe he can also take Siobhan with him? For her own protection of course. Hell, have him take Terrell (private doc for Spencer), Ronnie (body guard), Kristina (babysitter), Sam (private PI), Brenda (a dress up doll for Spencer...but only in stretched out sleeves!) and Sonny (as his personal plate smasher - OPA!). On second thought, never mind, I would never wish that on lovely Greece.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Frisco, I actually Like Kristina. She's like a young Erica Kane. Spoiled, beautiful, etc. I agree on the others though. TC gave some good performances in his career @ GH. Just not recently. So Alexis loses another family member. Hopefully they'll leave the door open for him and not kill him.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Even if they kill nickie by letting him fall off that damn invisible horse of his, they can ALWAYS have Hells keeping him in a dungeon somewhere!

    ReplyDelete
  9. on the rumor page, the 2 co workers who do not like each other is it steve burton and kelly monaco?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Karen that is the problem w/GH the writing!!!
    we have more holes than cheese lol seriously, You are writing big stories Brenda Jake these stories are going to be high of the fans intension,why can't you just take your time and write it right???

    GH has the best cast in the soaps world!!
    friday episode showed that EVERYONE was amazing.. It was hard to get in to the story,thanks to the writing but when they all got it to GH I started to be sad..
    Steve John Becky were amazing!!! they all killed me..
    next week of course there will be more holes like how can Jake be match for joss?? isn't Kae older than Joss??
    but the acting will be phenomenal as always!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Karen, Theo and Suzanne are suspects in the Jake hit and run, so they must be driving in PC.

    ReplyDelete
  12. At 3pm (eastern) Soaps In Depth confirmed over twitter that Tyler was indeed let go on Friday. Tyler's contract was up this coming June.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I look forward to the Liz/carly scenes. Both actresses will bring their game. Wanted these 2 to be friends years ago back when Carly came on the canvas and Liz was a baddie.

    I'm thinking the 2 actresses not getting along are the portrayers of Diane and Alexis. Heard that a few times other places.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Confused...Theo and Suzy are in a limo, so they can't be the ones who hit Jake, they have a driver. Unless it happened before they got in the limo.We didn't see Edward driving and far as I know nobody has even told him Jakie was hit.We know Sam was on the road with a headache (too obvious)and Robin and Lisa were running around like banshees, again too obvious. Luke drove to Lucky's wedding and he was flushed and hurried so he's a possibility.(he didn't act intoxicated though) This would leave tons of room for a character change for him. Alcohol withdrawal, guilt over his lifestyle in the past, the loss of his grandchild at his own hands...good stuff there and TG could surely handle it. However imagine if Carley was the one who hit Jake. She's now killed the little boy her bff fathered (imagine when Jason finds this out)and she's killed the child who saved her own child...again character changing storyline. Either Luke or Carley could bring on Emmy winning performances...in the hands of another writer. I don't think Guza has it in him.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Josslyn's grandmother, Bobbie works at the hospital. Surely she will take time from her nursing shift to comfort her daughter Carly.

    Right?

    ReplyDelete
  16. It could be Luke. He was so rattled when he heard about Jake being hit by a car (it would also really cause a lot of drama within the Spencer family). I still think it would be very powerful if it was Carly...all that history between Carly, Jason, and Liz...I also think Jason and Carly need some true angst/drama between them. It's time.

    ReplyDelete
  17. the person that hit Jake is on the wubs net front page.
    Go see the clue.
    Pretty giant clue. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  18. David, if you didn't get the memo...here's an excerpt.

    We are supposed to suspend belief even for what we deem as normal behaviour. Such as, families interacting especially during medical crises. Because if they do, that is just weird and unfathomable.
    On GENERAL HOSPITAL, we only allow for interaction during crises that include Bombs, Guns, Bullets, Mobular stories, and that's all!!

    Though the show should be revolving around the hospital, it will not whatsoever except to kill off characters for a ratings stunt.

    We appreciate that you love how the show is now so there is no need to make any changes.
    Thank you for your viewership and continued loyalty.

    ReplyDelete

COURT

  So people are at the courthouse.  Joss talks to Kristina about Jason and says he's not guilty. Kristina says: YAH he is! They keep arg...