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With the hooplah of the Live Shows gone, GH returned to "normal" on Tuesday--plunging me into the depths of remembering why I'm so frustrated by this program. I really did have a great time with the live stuff and it certainly gave us some game-changers but it also set me spinning. These next few months will be meat and potatoes-- there are no more 52nd anniversary shows, no more Nurses Ball-- no Live shows, Just STORIES.
And boy oh boy-- the stories right now?
MESS.
With that said, I'm having a Garbage Plate today! What is that? Well, it's a Rochester Fave! Has about everything on it.
Sort of like GH.
I've sat here and tried to figure out how to start the blog. I have so much to say. I guess I'll just dive right in.
It's a marathon so settle in. I'll apologize ahead of time.
Monday's show was a tangled web of "What the hell"?! Now, don't get me wrong, I love me my shockers but these were out there even for GH.
Shawn (of course) doesn't shoot his target--some OTHER Guy sent by Nikolas is really behind Hayden's Head-Wound (OMG, that sounds like a book! LOL) We thought at first Sam was shot (what did she do, faint?!) but then Hayden laid there. She could however, talk and told Sam "there was someone else" that knows about Jake's identity. Saying "Jason" would have taken ONE word, girl... not a sentence. Liz is flipping out thinking Hayden is going to tell Sam/Jake the truth in the hospital. She's saved by a seizure. Patrick operates and tells us she's in coma. Supposedly, this is RB's exit.
What does all this mean?
THAT THE STUPID JAKE/JASON thing is going to be going on even longer. And since we all live by the "sweeps" that can only mean it's coming out in Sept or Nov. God HELP us all.
I suppose it will whip up the "Jason Wars" between Jasammers and Liasonites..but whatever. This isn't a fun/exciting/intriguing storyline. It may have been for like a month or 2 but seriously? Hell, Monica isn't even on to have the Q connection in there. :throwsuphands:
Sonny and Carly stood in Sonny's living room and discussed Jake. The killing of Jake. The non-killing of Jake--yada yada. YADA YADA. With Duke dead, Sonny will be right back in the coffee seat again. And just so you know, this was another CarSon conversation that went no where fast.
On to the next one. Nina and Ric's marriage. You heard right. I thought for sure Nedly was going to pop in and say: Ok I'm marrying Nina, give me back the shares or we are going away together. Franco would cave. Ned could have ran in from his hospital ruse to just get it in there. But RIC? What's his angle? If I thought we'd hear about it in a timely fashion, I may be curious. So--where will this go? He must know how to get her money back? No idea.
And then.... There's Anna. She takes matters into her own hands and shoots Carlos. A LOT. She just doesn't plug him once. Nope..she just lays those bullets right in. She owns it. Then ol' Sloane comes along to ruin my buzz. I did love Carlos--but I also understood and "got" the Anna scene as well. She was on the edge. She's too old to screw around anymore. Hell, she put Fiason under THE FLOOR and that didn't work--may as well just kill the next one.
But--Sloane had to amble in there with his wooden, flat delivery. "What did you do"? "We must get rid of the body". His explanations were weird: " I put you through hell, now I'm going to help you". Anna stood on the docks like a zombie. Liz came out of the darkness on Wed. to tell them both about Hayden being shot. Neither one even knew. :giggle: Later the two went to her hotel room and she sat there while he tried to touch her hair and I gagged. The entire dialog that followed made NO sense. I even rewound to see if I was missing something. Nope. Basically Anna thinks Sloane should 'release" Jake from his undercover and tell the world Carlos shot Duke.
Ok, got it up to that point but then....
HE goes on and on about her going to jail if they tell. Um, why? Last I looked no one knows Carlos is dead. Not one person. Not Sabrina, not Liz--no one. Unless something happened off camera (which is entirely possible) there is no way they couldn't just say: "Carlos Rivera is our suspect and is believed to have fled to South America".
BOOM. Right? What is this? Anna's also cracking up over killing Carlos. Stop that sheeze right now. We know she's taking a vacation, just have her "lay low" for awhile. Anna doesn't break down. Damn it. Nope. How many women have lost it on this show? STOP! Just have her go on vacation...I'm begging you.
Friday's show had Carlos coming back to torment Anna. Great scenes yes, but in the scope of things? I don't want Anna falling apart because of this. Plus the fact that Sabrina was there crying in her face. Finola can act the hell out of the material but I wish it hadn't gone this way.
Oh! Jordan got outed as a cop. We also learned that Monday was Sean Blakemore's last "taping" day. What a waste of a character. His story has been in fits and starts since day one. The scenes between he and TJ and Jordan come few and very far between. When we do see them they are in bed for days. The whole TJ Thing and the dad backstory? Welp. Come on. So, now, Shawn the hitman is gone. Bye! What will Sonny do? Max back out of the closet?
When Jordan told TJ the truth, I should have felt something but again--fits and starts. She barely seems like his mother. He was mad at her for being in the mob; now he's mad at her for being a cop.
Circles.
Circles.
Circles.
Jordan gets Scotty to give Shawn a deal if he'll flip on Sonny. *sigh* Yeah, like that's gonna happen in our lifetime.
Hey, Speaking of Circles, let's talk about Kiki and Morgan. (My eyes are rolling around in my head, wish you could see them). These two have been off the show since before the Nurses Ball. Now they are back and doing what? Arguing about how their idiotic plan didn't work. But wait! Nope, this is supposed to be "sexual banter" --so get all tingly because they are going to kiss! Then they jump in bed. Anyone care? *crickets* You can't have 2 characters that do nothing but play revolving beds. These two DO NOTHING. No job.. no hobbies. NOTHING. You know, they did do something--refinished the brownstone which is now EMPTY . They have had so little character growth they have mold growing on their backs.
*sigh* And STILL no Silas. Yes, I'm pissed off about that baby coming back and not one person mentioning his name in his own damn apartment! HOLES! As big as Montana!!
Nikolas got a little darker which you know I like. A bad Cassadine is my cup of tea. I do however, have a bone to pick by the name of Valerie. Valerie shows up after the shooting went down and hears Nik talking to the hitman.
WHY is she even there? WHY? Please listen to me: Rosie would have been perfect for this position. I'm a broken record. Rosalie should have been the secret Spencer daughter of Pat. Rosie should be living in Wyndemere. She and Hayden would have been such a great pair. It even makes sense to have her living there if she's "helping" Nikolas with the scamming of ELQ! (which, by the way, she does OFF camera). So--there's that. There are enough characters on GH without adding ones that bore me. (because yes, I matter most :)
Olivia and Ned cook up a plan to tell Julian that the baby is dead. Dr. O played her part perfectly. Ned gives the hospital a chunk of change and she's more than happy to go along with any set-up she can. Need me to say we cremated the kid? Done. Need some fake ashes? Done. No problem. Julian bought it. He's crying into Alexis' bosom as we speak. Olivia tries to tell Dante the baby is dead too, but caves and tells him the truth.
By the way, Julian should have asked the baby's name and who christened him, gave him last rites. He knows she's RCatholic, that could have helped him see a light. I'm trying to figure out how Olivia will come back from this. Hide her kid forever? Come back with an adopted baby? Rumor has it that Ned is recast. (Sobbing) By the time Lisa LoCicero actually does get back I'll have forgotten anyway, so doesn't matter.
Julexis. Thursday was the BIGGEST recycled piece of show I've ever seen. Well, actually NOT because I've seen it with Julian and Alexis at least 3x, there's Sonny and (insert name) 22x, Jason 4x, Johnny 2x and Duke 3x! EVERY single guy was going to "leave the mob" on this show since 1997. I have no idea why they'd go there again. Julian was JUST "out"! Remember? Now he's in! Sonny's Out..prolly coming back in... and oh holy hell put an end to this. We all know it's NOT going to happen or even if it does, it will take so damn long we won't care. If you want Julexis together PUT THEM TOGETHER and have her say to heck with the fact Jules is in the mob. Trivia: on the same day, one year ago May 21st, Julian had a dinner with his family to announce his leaving the mob; Lucas got shot. (Silas, Felix, Lucas, Sam and Alexis were all there).
Friday: the whole family ('cept Molly because she's probably babysitting the entire town's children) gathered to support Julian and the lost baby. How sweet. He had Duke killed but just like Sonny, we are to see a softer side to him. Awww, isn't that special? DING DONG!? Who could it be? Lucas thinks it's Brad but NOPE. It's Flava. AVA but not AVA. Ava doing the stereotypical Brooklyn chick. Bad wig, chomping gum, make up, animal print. Seriously?
Here I go...here it comes:
You write Ava into a corner by having her kill Connie and being arrested for it. How does she get out of this?
Well, cook up a great "right to die" story only to have her in a hospital room by herself and Silas for weeks. Impact: 2.4 on a scale of 10. Have her get saved by Avery's bone marrow and ..what?
Why not have her pretend to be another person!!?? Hey, that's FUN!!! :giggle: Will people be fooled? :giggle: Oh geesh, look--she's just a hoot. Such a funny character. How long can she keep it up? Will her DNA show up as someone other than Ava's because of her marrow treatment? (doesn't matter, Silas can always switch it). "Flava" will see Avery from across the room. Or peeking into a window. Can she resist picking her up? Can she keep the ruse up for Kiki? THIS is exactly what happens when you paint characters into a corner and look for ways out. Haven't we had enough of twins/masks/personalitysplits...? Well, I have. When they opened that door and Faux Gaudy Ava said "I'm parched" I could have just died. UGH. Now I have to wait for not only Jake to be Jason ..I have Flava to be Ava.
Speaking of "out of the life" and a recycled story: could Sam and Patrick BE anymore Patrick and Robin? Just because St. Jaysus changed his face and name doesn't mean this isn't the same damn story. "Keep your distance from Jake" says Paddy with a straight face. You know what happens next. Rinse, repeat.
Oh the flow of this show bugs me to know end. I'm going to give you a small example. Michael goes into the Q mansion, he and Tracy sit alone on the couch. He eats a snack. They discuss ELQ and the fact that Franco has the shares. Next up Michael is at Sabrina's. He sits on the couch and eats some spanish food and they discuss Carlos. They kiss. He leaves.
So stilted and isolated. So disconnected. Those scenes could have been filmed anytime. Been about anything, really.
SCENE(s) OF THE WEEK: Anna and Carlos. Jeffrey and Finola were on point! I don't have a photo of him haunting her but they were sooooo good. Shows what great actors can do--even if I don't like what's happening, they sell it.
FACE OF THE WEEK: The collective audience, caught between Sam and Liz, begging the soap gods to just let it BE already.
PROP OF THE WEEK: The non-dead-baby bracelet. And Shout out to the Props guy Jimmy who danced with Spence on the 2pm show!
I look back at early soaps, and especially Ryan's Hope to remember true character driven stories. Would it work now? Sure would..even reality shows are based on character change, growth..with messy stuff thrown in. GH is ALL "Shock and Awe" right now. When you make a show character -centric and they interact with each other it can be glorious. Chemistry, natural flow all come together. Alexis, Julian..Molly, Kristina--Jeromes all could be so much further along by now. No, we are still back at square ONE with the "leaving the mob" sheeze. Same with Sonny! We need stories about people growing older, facing challenges--youngins trying to figure out their lives. Instead? We get Kiki with either Morgan or Michael, going to bed, doing something stupid and switching again. NO character growth there! Michael is about the only character on the show that's blossomed in the past year. That's it.
I'm not pointing blame; I've had people say it's not the writers, it's production. Well, whatever it is they need to take a good look at things, imo. Keep your good actors. Give them great material that makes a difference. Build families. Have a crisis like Alzheimer's bring a family and the hospital together. Don't bring on newbies with no ties. Don't drop story threads only to pick them up later when no one cares anymore. You have such talent. Day to Day dialog can be stunning but the "whole picture" is just one big fragmented mess.
Where are Spinelli and Ellie? Did they go back to her hotel or back to Portland? If they did, what about baby Georgie? Did I miss something?
Where's Bobbie? She'd better be around for this wedding.
The kids: Sorry, if you have a ton of kids on the show not showing them is just...weird. Danny is a huge example. So is Liz' empty house. "the kids are at Gran's for a few days'. @@ Josslyn has just evaporated. I won't even start on Monica. Who I still think could do a kick ass Alzheimer's stories. I would like to see some of the challenges we face raising kids. Oh and one more thing. I swear they need kitchen sets on this show. So much communication happens in a kitchen! Who remembers the Martin kitchen on AMC?!
Showing my age, no?!!
Ok, off my Soap Box. Get it? Hardy har-har. I will try my best to keep watching. It will be tough next week with the Flava thing going on. Maura West will no doubt do a great job but-- I am just not up to that shennanigans anymore. Hope you have a nice Memorial Day tomorrow. Remember those that gave for this country..and are still giving.
Screencaps thx to General Hospital Snark on FB and Lisa's GH Stills (Fotki)
The show is adrift. Absolutely the worst year since Guza left.
ReplyDeleteLoving show. Watched since 4 1 63. Best since Gloria Monty days. Love that story is spread around.... got so tired of the daytime Sopranos show. Boy, I only watch what I get enjoyment out of. FV as EProducer and RCarlaviti as HWriter has been a blessing to us GH fans.
ReplyDeleteI love most of the show, but the storylines drag on too long. But most of your points are right on. Thursday's show was a snore.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog Karen! Right on point!
ReplyDeleteGH is an absolute nightmare. Time for Ron Carlivati and his ego to hit the road. GH needs a head writer who can execute well-written, thought out, long-term storylines that give viewers something to invest in, with strong character development. Plot points just do not cut it. Off screen happenings and constant flashbacks are just lazy writing. It's very insulting to viewers. I'm very worried for the future of GH. *siiighhhhh
Thanks for the great read, as usual. Love my Sunday morning coffee and blog.
ReplyDeleteI wish they'd recast Monica if Leslie Charleson is unable to continue. I know they want to go with younger actors because they said it was hard to have love interests for older ones. Love interests?? Just make her what she is - the family matriarch. No one expects great grandma to have a freaking love interest. We want to see her bickering with Tracy and sticking her nose in family and company business. Edward was recast several times and he never had any love interest. He was just a cantankerous old man that we loved to hate. All communities have an older generation. Even a soap community!
And that brings us back to Morgan and Kiki. Yes, they're young and young people love getting it on, but that's not what they do all day and night. For the love of G.. Give them jobs!
Why haven't Sonny and Carly cut Morgan off after the baby fiasco? Have a story where he's actually trying to figure out what to do without someone giving him a job he's not qualified to do. Have him go back to college or join the armed forces. ( I think that would be a great way to redeem this character and have him grow up!)
Silas should say he's staying in NY and he's giving up the apt. so that Kiki also has to stop freeloading. Whatever happened to her getting a job at the hospital? Wasn't he going to get her a job years ago? Have her changing bedpans and cleaning up ( not some cushy PR job) till she realizes that she needs to get some education and do something she'd actually like to do.
Write something for them. Don't just push rewind on the sex button!
I'm also going to miss Carlos. He was a good actor. I wish they'd shot Sloan instead. And Valerie.
And you know where I stand on this Anna story.
I don't want to get too negative so I'll stop right there. I will say I also hope Jake/Jason getting his memory back soon and that he doesn't go back to being a hitman. We need him back with the Q's. And Ned too. ( even if he's recast. *sniff* )
Come on writers....thinking caps...beginning...middle...and END...and easy on the camp.
Since All My Children and OLTL went off the air, I started watching Days of Our Lives and continued watching GH. Karen, I think if you watched Days, GH would be less disappointing. It works for me anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'm just trying to get past the fact that after sex all night and morning Kiki & Morgan just grab clothes and run to Julian's GROSS!!
ReplyDeleteCarly/Sonny remating is a bore. Frank & Ron have negated all her character growth. She was the best w/ Jax. Ron might be able to start interesting stories but he doesn't seem to know how to make them work... the soap genre consists of 3 storylines going at the same time... one just starting, one in the middle of its arc and the last winding down. All 3 stories should be highlighted during each week at some point allowing the audience to keep abreast of what's going on. You don't start a story, then wait 4-6 weeks to pick it up again. GH is overloaded w/ cast - many of whom we could care less about. Good dialogue writers can't make silk out of a sow's ear no matter how good they are. We should have seen Ava confront Silas on where he got the marrow or something about her treatment... we don't needs shit to happen off-camera to be explained later thru exposition. We need to "see" stuff not be "told" stuff. GH needs to trim it's cast and learn how to construct stories w/ real character arcs. And you're right, Karen, the only character that seems to have grown this entire year is Michael. I used to love Kiki, but this truly horrible actress has destroyed her. And Morgan is a whining, entitled rich boy. A redux of AJ... in fact the whole Michael being the "good/favorite" son and Morgan being the "forgotten" on (in his eyes) is a redux of AJ and Jason - which would be fine if it were written as well as the AJ/Jason story was. Off my soap box.
ReplyDeleteNeaneah, that's exactly what I said after that episode. Ewwwww
ReplyDeleteI gave up watching several months ago, tuning in only for "events" as that is all Cartini seems to do well and even then they seem to have failed with the Nurses Ball.
ReplyDeleteAbsence of major characters from "major" storylines, without explanation are just lazy writing.
- Monica from Jake/Jason, Michael and baby, Luke and Tracy, Ned and baby, ELQ, Nurses Ball
- Robin from Jake/Jason and Duke's death,
- Lucky/Laura/Ethan/Lesley from Luke's storyline
- Robert from Luke and Duke storyline
- Tracy from Nurses Ball, Ned baby
The dumbing down (Tracy), weakening (Anna), or horning up (Alexis) of strong female characters is especially insulting.
The inability to retain great characters/actors like Brit, Ned, Duke while forcing useless characters / poor actors like Kiki, Valerie, and Sloan upon us.
Having cartoons like Franco, Nina and now fake-Ava chewing up scenery and screen time when legacy characters and kick ass actors like Monica, Tracy, Patrick, Alexis, Maxie, Mac, and Lucas are crying out for a real, substantive storylines.
I just hope Cartini is fired before even more viewers end up like me - tuned out and not missing it after more than 35 years of watching.
PS: when I heard both Duke and Sean were gone all I could think was perhaps they should have Anna and Jordan become involved romantically.
Not only are Sam and Patrick a Robin and Patrick redux because of Jason. Robin told AJ that Michael was his kid, and look at all the repercussions since. Sam told Julian that Olivia's baby was his. So, are we gonna get years of strife because of that little revelation? I know there is no new thing under the sun, but is it too much to ask to make it interesting/innovative at the very least??
ReplyDelete"Karen says With that said, I'm having a Garbage Plate today! What is that? Well, it's a Rochester Fave! Has about everything on it.
ReplyDeleteSort of like GH."
ROFL! Yes true. Sort of like GH. :) I haven't had a garbage plate in several years! They were always so yummy!!!! :)
"Patrick operates and tells us she's in coma. Supposedly, this is RB's exit."
What?!!?!?! She is leaving?!! Nooooo! :( I hope it's not true! I really enjoy her playing the horny nympho! :)
"Friday: the whole family ('cept Molly because she's probably babysitting the entire town's children)"
ROFL! Probably. :) Maybe she is watching teeny tiny microscopic 8 pound Julian Jr! :)
"neaneah said...I'm just trying to get past the fact that after sex all night and morning Kiki & Morgan just grab clothes and run to Julian's GROSS!!"
ReplyDeleteAnd I doubt they even used protection! Unless she is on the pill!!!
I guess I'm the only viewer who thinks Sloan will get better. I'm not sold yet, but I think he has the potential.
ReplyDeletePlease PTB, get rid of Valerie and Kiki, characters we don't need at all. Nina, even Franco (though I've always loved Roger). Obrecht, Ava (a good actress, but has run out her entire usefulness). Sonny--Oh, I would LOVE to see Sonny gone, but I know that ain't happening. But at least retire him. He's another character who has long ago run out any usefulness whatsoever. Any story you could give him he has already done ten times at least.
Get rid of the PC mob. Why does this relatively small town NEED a mob? With Shawn, Duke, Carlos gone, we have a good start. Now finish the mob and let's get on with good, solid soap stories, the kind that involve characters we love, like Anna, Alexis, Monica, Tracy, Laura, Nathan, Maxie, Lulu, Olivia, Ned, Julian, etc. This show is overflowing with talent, but there are just too many stories and not enough of any. I love Anna, I always loved Laura--these should be the main GH leads. Then Alexis, Olivia. Excellent characters and talent. Then Monica, Tracy, Bobbie, as the older generation, rich in history and knowing each other well. Patrick, Sam, Liz, Michael, all good for the younger group.
Some careful pruning would help emensely.
GH is awful. GH usually drags out stories beyond their expiration dates but the Jason/Jake storyline is the worst I have ever seen. It's unwatchable and Elizabeth has become a dreadful character. Simply unwatchable.
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