I've never seen this many people on a show--soaps are usually intimate stories about character development and quirks in a small town we grow to love. Not everyone piling on a cruise ship for a dang adventure that makes no sense and is heading in 9 different directions.
Look if GH could write multi-cast stories I'd be all up in this but..nope.
First off: 90% of the cast is above average in acting and I say that based on my eons of watching soaps. There are a few I'd get rid of off the bat, but even with newbies streaming in, it would be hard to cut people solely on acting. So, I'm not attacking the actors.
Now, let us begin.
Today we learned that the talented (yes, I saw him on AMC) James Patrick Stuart is coming to GH. I don't even know who the hell he's playing but it's like--WTF? Seriously? I get soaps are 'fluid' and changing. Problem is--GH has become so fluid and changing the stories are just being lost in the great water slide of life.
Jax is coming back for Joss' Kidney Saga. The kidney RIC went to find. Yeah, RIC. :throws up hands: That right there is a reason to be pissed off. So, while we are looking for Joss' kidney, Carly and Hammy Finn were trying to do some things together, but he's also involved in his syringe usage-lizard loving ways. I forgot for a minute he was even helping her. He's now BFFs with Hayden for some reason. I guess with Nikolas gone, they had to get someone in there to fill up her time.
Mommy, Diamonds..and...? Oh, by the way if Hayden had those diamonds why was she broke enough for Ric to hire her on some dating app to fool Jason into being his wife? Oh posh-- why you thinking like that!!
GH Murderer: Here's the thing. 2 old people bite the dust (they were on exactly ONE day) and Lucas almost dies. And? Um? Is this exciting? I was so happy for it all but the convolution of Hammy's drug/potion use over lapping the "killer" is so weird. I get it may all tie into the kidney story but lord, at least tell it in a way that makes me care! Instead of having all these people come on why not, I don't know, bring on guest people to die in the hospital? Ones that last like a week or so?
Or...god forbid use the cast you have.
Case in Point:
Laura's mystery is just pathetic now. I can't even talk about it without getting mad. You can't show something like that exactly 3x a month and expect us to be all excited about it. Last I knew she and Kevin might be going to Beecher's Corners. SO? Um?? what? WHAT!!???
Lucy's in limbo again. Scotty seems to have vanished. We did get Diane for a bit but I'm not holding my breath on that front.
Brad and Lucas left on their honeymoon and I bet boots that we see them...well, will we see them again? Hmmm. What happens when you have a giant ass'd cast! Lucas and Griffin had exactly 2 talks when he first came on. The next time he talks to him it's all 'You're a Priest"? Why wouldn't you foster that relationship so that Griffin's religion and beliefs would have really affected Lucas? Nah, we get a 3 min scene while he's buttoning his shirt to go home.
TJ finding out Shawn was his Dad today? Hilarious because that was so long ago who cares? Jordan isn't even shown to be his mother most of the time. Curtis hasn't had a convo with the 2 of them since like February. So? Whatever. Molly and TJ gonna move in? Probably so Sonny can get pissy. Then I'm sure we won't see them.
What can happen when you have too many things going on without weaving them together?
Alexis doesn't find out about Nikolas (that we know of and Sam leaves without talking to her at all about anything)
Lulu doesn't find out about Lucas until way after (or did she at all?)
Brucas Wedding is reduced to a rushed house wedding done while there's a search warrant going on.
See, it's all about the stories. Right now this show can't concentrate on one thing long enough to make it ebb/flow at all. I'm not saying show the same thing every damn day but this jumping around is just plain exhausting. It's like they are adding people to see if they'll fit the stories. Not the other way around.
I'm going to list all the characters on GH right now. Contract and recurring.
Sonny
Carly
Morgan
Michael
Sabrina
Tracy
Monica
Alexis
Julian
Kristina
Molly
TJ
Jordan
Franco
Nina
Paul
Dillon
Kiki
Anna
Maxie
Maddox
Nathan
Griffin
Curtis
Scott
Hammy Finn
Sam
Jason
Ava
Olivia (remember her?)
NED..ahhaa. Ned.
Hayden
Hayden's Mother (I don't even know her name)
Nikolas
Laura
Lulu
Dante
Elizabeth
Dr. O
Kevin
Bobbie
Valerie
Kids:
Jake
Cam
Aiden
Josslyn
Spencer
Danny
all the babies
Ric (ahahhaa...oh poor Ric)
Diane
Felix
Brad
Amy
Lucas
Dr. Crab Pants
Epiphany
Huxley
Felicia
Mac
Parker
Aaron?
Mayor Lomax? Such Promise..such... :thud:
Spinelli--comes/goes
Emma--comes/goes
Max
COMING: Newbie AMC guy, Claudette--and about 3 other people that have been in the casting news, including a girl named "Athena".
AND I KNOW I've missed people. I can't think enough! Who'd I miss? NOTE: I missed Hammy Finn, Scottie and Ava. The fact that no one told me about Ava until early this morning tells you something right there!
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| EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: NEWLY installed Male Dressing Room at GH |
I think that introducing new people allows new stories to evolve. How many times can the same person be arrested for murder (Alexis, Jason, etc)? New people in the mix interact with some characters and maybe they are temporary and will be the eventual culprit in some crime.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is summer and the big guns take leaves/vacation so they need people to come on and keep stories moving. After the fiasco with Fluke (all the absences), they are listening to fans to keep things moving- thus the temp recasts.
Summer is the best time for the younger set to be featured (no school).
But it's still a totally bloated cast. If I actually read it aloud I'd get winded! LOL!
DeleteBut it's still a totally bloated cast. If I actually read it aloud I'd get winded! LOL!
DeleteFinn.
ReplyDeleteI agree about new people allowing new stories to evolve, Sallie. The problem is that they haven't been giving them all time to assimilate into the canvas. They did with the OLTL 3 (several times) and they seem to have with Griffin. But this takes time and when they introduce new characters every week and give them lots of air time to become known, they need to let them interact with old cast members too. (And not just Carly and Sonny) That way people become accepted. If they just drop most of the old cast for months at a time while new people keep moving through the revolving door they are going to lose fans because fans lose interest. They've been trying to offset this by bringing in familiar faces from other shows but that just becomes confusing after a while. They just need to slow this train down.
ReplyDeleteWTH is Alice?
ReplyDeleteI agree. There are so many that can go. I would start with Molly, TJ, Hayden's mother, Morgan, Kiki, Julian (no longer useful), Jordan, Dr. Crab Pants, Huxley (already hate him), Aaron, Paul, and Valerie. I do have to say that I am loving Curtis. His character is just so smooth and interesting.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteOMG HAMMY FINN! I forgot Valerie and Bobbie in there too
Curtis is awesome. He and Jordan should have been talking and interacting SO MUCH MORE
I was going to say Valerie didn't even notice Bobbie was missing.. I'm once again hating GH writers. I would rather watch old episodes of GH on YouTube. Why have they change the way they tell stories now. Do they actually watch the show to see they have too many stories running at the same time. And yes way to many cast members that leave the original cast with no air time.
ReplyDeleteUntil they start telling stories with the cast they have, no more new additions! I also have no problems with letting half these people go. They're not using them anyway. I would start with...
ReplyDeleteJulian - They've done quite the number on him lately, it's at the point of no return. He can go.
Hayden (and her mother).
Nathan
Morgan
Paul
Recast Lulu and Lucas - Sorry, they're not working. Maybe Bree can be NuLulu?
Any new character on the way, obviously.
TJ
Molly - She can go off to school and come back in a couple of years.
Ric - It's clear they have no interest in him.
Sabrina - I'd give her another 6 months to see what they have in store. If it's more of the same, she can go too.
Michael Corinthos - It's Michael Quartermaine or he serves no purpose as far as I'm concerned.
This Huxley person can stay (short term) only because I want to see where this Nik and Ava story goes.
No kids unless there's a damn good reason - like Emma's return.
See? That wasn't so hard.
Great rant, Karen. ITA. So many of the characters don't even interact at all with other people in Port Chuckles.
ReplyDeleteIts all a out the writing. And they don't give a zhit. They could care less a out gh history. They cant write for nuclear cast solution bring in my people . Bah. I think before they hire new writers gbey need to take a gh history test and in their contract lay out exactly who and what they are writing for. I am beginng to tbink they are trying to get gh cancelled. Idiots
ReplyDeleteEmma
ReplyDeleteI didn't put Emma because we know she's 'off the show' and only visiting now and again but I can add her.
ReplyDeleteGreat rant. You are speaking for a lot of GH fans right now. It's why I read recaps instead of watching. It just bores me as there is no follow through and it takes too long between a story starting and when it is picked up again.
ReplyDeleteGreat rant!!! This is just unbelievable! Have they ever considered the fact that there is absolutely no drama or suspense on this show? There is nothing to make us yearn to see the next episode unless it is just out of habit. A few newbies is fine for some storylines but this is insane. I loved seeing Felicia this week and considering she looks amazing and has a history on the show, why can't she be on more often? Total mess!
ReplyDeleteLindaV
Without new people who haven't aired yet, that's 56 adults and 7 kids. I didn't count babies because I can't remember who has one.
ReplyDeleteEduardo
Rocco
Leo
Avery
???
This town needs a good tornado.
"kdmask said...I didn't put Emma because we know she's 'off the show' and only visiting now and again but I can add her."
ReplyDeleteGlad you added her since she's on more than any of Liz's kids, and more than most of the adults! Ric. Ned. etc.
Word is GH hired ELEVEN NEW people & Athena - this was not including recasts for Maxie & Nik. Not only did Hayden get a Mommy but she is supposed to get a brother too, maybe that's who JPS is going to play. Hopefully this is a big push for Summer & they will just be short term. This is the main reason the "kids" ALL of them are not seen on screen unless they directly connect to the sl. TPTB announced this a long time ago but people continue to whine about all the lousy GH Moms not spending time with their babies....they are not supposed to. Anna is taking an extended leave to begin soon also. I am guessing now they ruined Liz & Jason forever - they need to bring back Jax to screw with Carly & Sonny - another old triangle. Maybe Jass kidney story will turn out to be a big conspiracy, black market type sl with a lot of prominent people from the hospital as well as "upstanding PC residents" - then they can send them all "up the river" & thin out the cast!! LOL ;) nice rant.
ReplyDeletenice rant...I hear ya on all of it. I'm betting it will be a long time before we see Brad and Lucas now that they gave us the wedding we've been asking for. Of course we aren't supposed to complain about the search going on...see they can multitask lol on the men's dressing room
ReplyDeleteI can't even say it was a rant because everything you said is the truth. I only watch on days when you and Sonya give is a thumbs up. So very sad to see them destroy a show I've loved for so long. 😡
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the new nurse, Amy? It is a CRIME that they are not using Ned, Felicia, Scottie, Ric, Lucy, Mac, Olivia, Epiphany, et al.--a CRIME!!
ReplyDeleteMy DREAM is that ABC is gearing up to surprise us with some kind of spin-off!!
ReplyDelete" How many times can the same person be arrested for murder (Alexis, Jason, etc)? New people in the mix interact with some characters and maybe they are temporary and will be the eventual culprit in some crime. "
ReplyDeleteWell, today Alexis was arrested again for murder so all the new characters don't matter.
And with a cast this size, the stories are stalled anyway. There are plenty of people already on contract and recurring that could be front and center while the "big guns" go on vacation. We really don't need new characters just for the summer.
I have been asking ABC, When will we get some Valerie and Carly scenes or Valerie and Lucas scenes. Why weren't Valerie or Lulu or Maxie at the wedding. Bree should have been Lulu. Ever been to General Hospital Snark on facebook, Because they are saying the samething about GH.
ReplyDeleteisnt it true that writers get residuals/bonuses/commission based on NEW characters they create and not characters create by former writers? Hence the new characters and total ignoring of older characters. By the end of the year, it will be a whole new show with new characters that the writers can get money out of and not vets.
ReplyDeleteRants do a body good!!! Adding new characters to enhance story lines, to add new dimension or give them a new viewpoint is always a good thing, but it feels to me like the writers haven't got a clue how to write or what to do with the GH characters we all love and depend on, so they've thrown up their hands and figure they'll start over with brand new characters that have no history or connection to what fans have loved for 50 years and maybe they'll have better luck with that.
ReplyDeleteThey need to think again because THAT'S NOT WORKING.