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| Hmmmmm,wonder if Nell has that bra on right now? |
I don't even know where to start. I'm going to launch into one of the biggest rants you've ever seen. This week was one hot damn mess, all brought to you by people that can't be bothered to keep a story straight, get history right OR make the finale of a long arc exciting.
And...let's be clear: I love this show. I've watched since the seventies. I wouldn't put myself though this if I didn't. The actors are amazing--and it's worth the watch to get a nugget of gold now and then. This doesn't mean I'm going to gush over it when that praise is not due. With all the writing talent in all the world, I expect way more than what I'm seeing. Soaps need to evolve with the times. Soaps also need to honor and respect history because we as soap fans count on that. Following multiple plots and waiting for the clues to come together is what we live for. So, don't be all sloppy with us, it won't fly.
You'd better just get a bloody Mary or 12 and sit on down for this one....
I'll get through the "easier" stuff first:
Sam fell off the bridge last Friday. She was down there all week in labor. Jason finally found her and they embraced and reaffirmed their love. JaSam fans swooned, I found it to be yet another "Sam falls down and waits to be saved" moment. In other words, been there, done that.
One thing stood out to me: Why Sam? Why this? Sure Olivia's pissed at Julian but Sam didn't do anything to her. Anna was the real one she hated. It was just contrived and strange. Olivia had Julian handcuffed to the radiator during the GH board vote. If they didn't vote for the sale, she'd kill him.
YAWN. Really? yeah, I don't think so.
Then on Friday, Olivia actually stands in the parking garage and talks to Julian. Doesn't sound bad right? Well, he was TIED UP IN THE TRUNK. And she leaves the TRUNK OPEN to just yap it up with him!! Did they even TRY to make this anything but dumb? ugh.
Problems with the Olivia arc:
1. She was hidden for weeks...all we saw was hands then just her with the body guard.
2. She was totally isolated from the characters she knew from the past. Bobbie? Nope. Scott? Lucy? Anna? Nope. Oh, well, ha ha..funny thing-- Anna did "See" her but couldn't "See" her because she has a deadly disease all of a sudden. Olivia should have absolutely come in like gang busters and owned her place in Port Charles. It would have opened up so many stories and interactions.
3. She and Ava haven't met yet. TW has been on for ages. She and Maura would knock our socks off. So--um..what happened? It would have been epic! Ava should have met her day ONE. Her big "dead" sis--how would it have played out? Ava worship her? Hate her? What? We'll never know.
4. Days on end of the same dialog. Geesh how much can we hear about her wanting the hospital? How Julian has to follow orders? How much she loved Duke? She talked to Alexis and Julian. That's it. oy.
5. Olivia should have known about and been obsessing over Griffin from day one on the canvas. He's Duke's son. It would have been great if she swept in and was trying to take over the hospital and was trying to weedle her way into Griffin's life. Oh, wait, Griffin doesn't have a life--well, he could have if they'd gone in this direction.
Meanwhile, Down in the Ravine....Jason spends an entire episode trying to find Sam. Sam is down there, moaning. He finds her and calls an ambulance. Of course that doesn't show up so he has to deliver the baby. The editing was crazy. It should have been a continuous scene or possibly two. Instead, it was chopped into six. It took away all the drama -- even when Sam passed out. Jason carried she and the baby up the steep hill and there was the ambulance! Sam was taken to GH where she went into the OR... then was in a coma for about 15 minutes.
My one saving grace was Alexis talking to her and bringing in the baby. Again, great stuff for JaSam fans but, hello...Sam was in a coma in 06. Elizabeth had big complications with Jake. Watching Jason cry at a bedside isn't exactly new.
Bizarre alert!!! Laura was kidnapped/knocked out in the GH parking garage. We didn't see her for a day, then she wakes up at JFK, in the parking garage. (With her seat belt on :giggle:) Anyway, Kevin shows up and said she texted him. Ok, did she text him in a stupor and then fall back asleep? Did the kidnapper text him? So, set that aside. Next up, Kevin tells Laura he found her at the airport using an app. Does that mean he had a tracking app on her before she went missing?? He was acting hella weird in this scene. The whole thing was just strange.
Ok, on to the Hamilton Finn Drug Alert story. Hammy Finn came on as an "addict"..but we found out he was ill and needed a cure. He gets the cure and then...becomes an addict. He ends up selling the patent for his cure and wound up buying the hospital. Hayden's mad at him. She tells Tracy. Tracy's mad at him. He promises to get help. "STOP OR ELSE" -- there, that should do it! Another big ol' yawn.
Glad I got some Anna and Robin time. Glad they talked about Robin's HIV and the pregnancy. Anna also talked a lot about losing her baby after Olivia rigged the elevator. I'm getting a hinkey feeling on that though, aren't you? Especially with the Griffin/Robin vibe. I'm not even going to go into the territory of 'someone stole the dying fetus and put in in another womb' theory because I'll have a melt down. It was bad when they did it on AMC and it will be bad if they do it here. Anna was hardly pregnant when that happened. So..leave it alone. Thanks.
AND NOW...TO THE MAIN EVENT!!
NELL. OH the NELL story..our long suffering journey. Remember back when Carly found out that Nell was the donor? Jax was all up in that story. Jax was acting cagey...he was on the phone with someone mysterious. Then (of course) he left before anything was solved on that mess. Meanwhile, Nell continued to worm her way into Carly's life. We knew something was up because she'd be in the shadows all slit-eyed watching. Bobbie was suspicious. Everyone looked for clues as to why she was trying to make everyone think she slept with Sonny. Nell stared at a baby rattle for weeks! Nell was pouring over old photos that Joss was using in her scrapbook! Nell was trying hard not to get close to Michael!
So we waited. And waited. Through a "trail of flowers and a bra" (thanks, Sonny) we waited.
What did we get? Well, finally there was a scene where Carly confronted Nell. FINALLY we were going to learn the truth!! Only...only... wait a minute. HUH? None of it makes any sense.
Turns out Nell is Frank Benson's daughter (which we had figured out ages ago so no big reveal there). She's mad at Carly because supposedly when Frank wrote Carly for money she just tossed the letters away. (Why her adoptive father who left she and her mother when she was 3 would ask her for money was never explained). Nell was mad--!! Mad because they were poor! MUST be Carly's fault, right?
So, if you could swallow that... the most baffling thing was yet to come. Seems Nell believes that Carly called Frank to "demand" a kidney. Um..who's kidney would that be? Surely not Nell, who would have ZERO DNA shared with Carly. Right? I mean, why would she ask FRANK for a kidney --???? HUH? What? Frank's not her bio dad, John Durant was. We had a whole story arc on that for 2 years. Too bad Bobbie wasn't in these scenes to stop all the nonsense.
So again, I ask WHY in the world would Carly call a guy she didn't even talk to for 40 plus years and ask for an organ for her daughter? And..why, when Nell said this stupid thing didn't Carly at the very least say: WHO contacted him? Not me! Who told you I contacted him? WHY the HELL would I contact him? But--nope that dialog never came up. This whole thing now seems to be about the fake-out Sonny Sex. Michael's mad at Nell, Carly's mad at Nell and Sonny well, he's just standing there like a boob. (Who can't tell if they'd had sex or not the next day, especially when you're 50 years old?? )
Many people surmised that Nell was really Carly's daughter she gave up right before leaving Florida. It would make Nell a few years older than Michael but not by much. Then it seemed the writers had the bright idea of putting Michael and Nell together, ergo she couldn't be his half-sister. So, if they are going in that direction and don't want Michael and Nell related, we have to assume they know Frank isn't Carly's bio Dad, right? And if he's not her bio Dad WHY WOULD SHE ASK HIM FOR A KIDNEY? So maddening. So wrong. So everything. Even if something eeks out of this (because they scramble to have it make sense) the moment is over. The huge reveal needed to come out in that room on that day.
Given there was a Jax tie in this, the other thing that would have made sense is that Nell is really Jerry Jack's daughter and Jax knew. Unless Jerry Jacks' daughter somehow ended up being raised by Carly's adoptive father, this won't fly now either.
Carly's biological father is John Durant--unless they change that history. Jax would have gone to him to buy a kidney if he was buying one, right?
So, thanks for nothing. I can't tell you my disappointment with this. It's right up there with the text message killer and that was a big low for GH.
A Giant "SHAME ON YOU" for sticking Ava in jail . How much time was wasted not putting she and Liv together? TOO MUCH, that's how much!
Phew..I'm exhausted. Whatever else happened this week was just shoved down because I was obsessing over this whole mess. No one better tell me to just 'enjoy this story' like the past never happened. Nope. It's not why I watch soaps. (I'm really not sure why I watch soaps at all right now.)
One last note: don't think I've forgotten about Jake suddenly popping up to mention the Helena curse. Um, writers, that ship passed about a year and a half ago. You dropped the entire thing and now you want us to care? You could have brought it back up when Charlotte came to town (and shown she and Jake communicating in some code) but..nah. So don't try to make me care now.
Photos thx to @soapreporter @FyeahGH @Daytime_Spoilers @SourceJenn via twitter
You are absolutely right! General Hospital has a wonderful, but too large, cast. But the writing has been terrible. No attention to history. The plots are downright silly, too often depressing, run on for way too long, and seem to have no master plan, changing direction as the writers' whim of the day.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen, for a great SS, couldn't have said it better myself!!
ReplyDeleteSad but true I only watch highlights of the show now because I refuse to believe it will stay written so poorly. I read your post and it gives me hope that I'm not the only one that sees how bad the writers are doing I just can't figure out how Frank doesn't realize it I would think the veteran actors would complain or advise him I don't know maybe they fear losing their job with a new actor brought GH every week I'll continue to follow highlights for now I can't sit through an entire show at this point it's just stupid right now I won't give up on soaps must days I go on YouTube and watch old episodes when GH was at it's best maybe you could tell the writers to watch the archive videos and see how a story has a beginning middle an end ok I'm done venting just pissed off wish I could fire every writer
ReplyDeleteLoved today's blog. You are 100% accurate. I can't quit because I've watched since day one, but... I sure miss the real General Hospital.
ReplyDeleteI stopped watching GH a month ago because frankly I found it more exhausting and exasperating than entertaining, and I had been watching since the early 80s. After reading this, I see it hasn't improved.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what kind of pressures the show producers and writers are under from the network to keep this show afloat. I'm sure it is considerable, and it may be a big reason why GH is a hot mess. But it's just sad to me what it has become.
Great SS! And these writers just won a Writers Guild award? I think, just as the cast is too large so is the writing staff. At the beginning of the show there are different writers each day. No wonder the stories are so ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteLindaV
Also, FYI, the name Scout originated from To Kill a Mockingbird.
ReplyDeleteLindaV
I guess, as you said Karen, they had no end in mind when they wrote the beginning of the Nelle story, and first thought that she would be Carly's long-lost daughter or sister. Then, as you said, pairing her with Michael (who she certainly looks like), they had to re-think this. This is NOT FAIR to the viewers, now they have written a story that makes no sense, and we all are frustrated!
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love watching GH your blog always hits it. I thought this week was a good one but I have to agree with you on almost everything. They have these great actors and such amazing story potentials, but most times it all falls short. And the editing...oy. I will always watch regardless and will always look forward to your opinions. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMumble and Tumble have never read a book in their entire life. Except books with pictures.
ReplyDeleteI care about what happened to Jake on CI, even if it's a year later. My problem is that it will be badly written and that they will insert jasam in this story.
I agree general hospital is a great ABC soap gh just got renewed to that is great news to get and hear.gh needs new writers again but I don't know if ABC can get new writer because they got new contracts and so did.
ReplyDeleteI'll add my two cents. The only thing I liked about the whole week was the inner action between Anna and Robin. The dialogue was believable and I teared up on their scenes. As for the JaSam saga, although Billy did a good job acting, I thought the dialogue sucked. I just couldn't believe it ... Sam being such a strong woman and a wonderful mother when she hardly stayed home with Danny, running around being a PI. I couldn't buy it.Just didn't make sense to me. I think the writers aren't doing the actors justice. Other than that, I'm still watching and will still watch.
ReplyDeletegreat SS, I feel the same. I loved the Robin and Anna stuff. The only thing that bothered me was the mention of Lenora, I'm hoping that doesn't mean David Hayward is on his way. Nell's reveal was so ridiculous. I can't believe there haven't been any scenes with Ava and Olivia, now that would be good to watch. I've watched this show for years, almost gave up during the Guza years but didn't so I guess I won't now but totally disappointed in it.
ReplyDeleteI just find it funny that everyone is complaining about the writers but we're so excited when Ron et.al left. At least when he was writing the story lines moved forward and I thought were more interesting. Not saying anything negative towards kdmask but just my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteI liked Ron, when he and Frank came over to GH after OLTL got cancelled I was thrilled.
DeleteThank you for the summary and rant (ITA). This Nelle reveal has been extremely upsetting to me because I came up with a fanfic scenario a few years back that would have played out much better than this pile of crap and was actually linked to storyline that already occurred on GH.
ReplyDeleteIn my scenario, Carly really did have a child as a result of her affair with Reese's (Charlotte Roberts) father Dan, but it was a son. After Reese's mother told everyone including Dan that Reese died in a car accident after finding Carly in bed with him, Dan became an alcoholic and committed suicide. Grief-stricken, Reese's mother kept tabs on Carly and knew she was pregnant as a result of her affair with Dan. When she found out that Caroline (Carly) was giving up her son for adoption, she took desperate action to adopt the child as her own. Although she came to love the child, she was unable to come to grips with the longstanding feeling of being responsible for Dan's suicide, and she lost her grip on reality and was institutionalized - or were there other actions in play? As a result, Reese stepped up and took on the responsibility of rearing her half-brother, named Jamie, who she passed off as her own with her new husband Evan (who years later showed up in Port Charles). At that time, Reese blamed Evan for the death of their son because he was involved with the people who kidnapped and "murdered" Jamie. Jamie's death is what prompted Reese to join the FBI and in this role, brought her to PC to help Sonny find a kidnapped Kristina. Although Reese knew that Jamie was really Carly's biological son, she felt no need to disclose this to Carly because of his kidnapping and death.
As it turns out, Jamie was never actually murdered, but was kidnapped by Victor Cassadine’s associates, one of whom was Evan. Additionally, Dan and his wife were not who they claimed to be and had actually created new aliases for themselves many years prior. They were actually Tony Cassadine and Alexandria Quartermaine, who were assumed to have died in Mikkos Cassadine's ice chamber in the early 80's, but escaped the Cassadine compound to start their lives new. This would make Reese a Cassadine/Quartermaine and Jamie a Spencer/Cassadine/adopted Quartermaine. While still in prison, Victor had realized that his deceased brother Tony had previously lived another life and had a biological son. He made it a point to have the child found, take him, and rear him as a Cassadine once released from prison.
Years later, the child, now going by James Alexandria, is an accountant who arrives in Port Charles with his partner Lucas Jones. James seems like a very nice guy and he and Lucas seem happy with each other, but we later find out that he is quite dangerous and secretly harbors much anger and hatred towards Carly for giving him up for adoption and setting into motion the events which resulted in his real father's death, his adopted mother being institutionalized, as well as Sonny's influence in Reese's life which also led to her death. What kind of revenge would he have in store for them, as well as his half-siblings? How would this revelation (that Carly gave up a child for adoption) affect Bobbie and Carly's relationship and Bobbie's perception of her newfound grandchild who has kept her own son Lucas in the dark? Would the revelation of James being the adopted son of Alexandria Cassadine entitle him to anything at ELQ? What would be the backstory with Victor’s influence on him as a Cassadine?
In any case, I digress…
Incidentally, why couldn’t they make Olivia Jerome the adopted mother of Brad considering her adoration for Asian decor? That would put a monkey wrench in his relationship with Lucas.
Fan fic is always better than the show!! YES Olivia being Brad's adoptive mother?? BRILLIANT!!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I actually Liked Ron..I think when Varni came on the entire thing shifted--and the budget drove the choppy stories.
Look I read you page on GH some of what I agree with but, I must say we have to blame the viewers many of them and they know who they are. They hate this Nelle,/Sonny/Carly story line and wanted it gone. In defense of the writers they are trying to do just that as it didn't make sense why, so many flaws was wrapped up in this story line. I think many flaws don't understand and they know who they are. GH has to have story direction and it takes time to develope that story if you rush it it, will sound like just what you wrote about up above.This is what I love about the late William Bell Sr he took his time with story line creating and people complained about him but when it was time for it to climax it was worth the watch but in today's world it a microwave society you want everything right now. as long as that's in play the viewers that's are clueless about the business will not get that the story line or direction must be build up so as GH will remain on air. Be care viewers,fans how hard we're hitting at story line direction as we maybe doing what the networks want us to do kill all the soaps off.
ReplyDeletekdmask said...
ReplyDeleteBTW, I actually Liked Ron..I think when Varni came on the entire thing shifted--and the budget drove the choppy stories.
** That was definitely a big factor. I know a lot of people just HATED Ron, for the whole Fluke mess. I'm a little bit more forgiving with him on it, primarily because there were factors completely out of his control. But, I still think he should have left everything the way it was originally intended to play out. It was VERY obvious that Tony was playing Bill Eckert, instead of Luke after some mental breakdown. All of the signs and connections to events in the past that Bill was involved in were coming up, and Tony was acting the same way he did when playing Bill originally, everything fit. When Ron decided to change things at the end, to surprise people, then it made no sense. At least in my own headcanon, it was Bill the whole time.)
Also, it would have been kind of hard for Jax to get a kidney from John Durant at the time, since he was killed 10 or so years ago.
I figured since I still haven't seen anyone else mention it yet this last week: I'm still curious how Sam was able to give birth through her pants, when they were still on.
K
I hated the Fluke stuff but I know alot of that mess was created because of Tony's back surgery which couldn't have been helped either. I liked Cartini together and can't stand Jelly.
DeleteJust think. The writers will probably win ANOTHER Emmy award for this storyline, get raises and extended contracts.
ReplyDeleteOne pot, way too many cooks. Should have kept Ron.
DeleteI loved Ron and I blame TG and MB for his firing.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteI didn't like Ron. FV and RC brought 12 new characters in one year and started this mess. Also, he only wrote for his favorite characters while legacy character like Elizabeth was backburned and thrown under the bus. He fat shamed SK. The only thing he did well was write funny, witty, sharp dialogues. There was no romance. Except a love triangle between Spencer-Emma-Cameron... I stopped watching the show for 3 years until people on twitter were gushing so much about Friz that I caved in and started watching again. FV and NV need to stop interfering with the stories, they need to hire a creative consultant and get rid of 8 characters.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite an exaggeration. Who is SK?
DeletePersonally, I think they are closing current storylines quickly for whatever is forthcoming that starts with Nora coming on the show. If that is true, then its sad, as the thing that soaps have with viewers is an investment in the show, its characters and development. To go through months of these storylines being developed only to have them end in an abrupt way to get to new storys is a disservice to the viewers. Perhaps I'm wrong and this is how it was planned. The thing is we already know with the actor who plays Morgan abrupt and unplanned leave, the show had to react fast...and now with his return, the same thing. These things are unplanned things, but the writers should be more responsible in how they handle such problems.
ReplyDeleteSince when is Morgan coming back??????
DeleteDecay, Nora is only doing just a small handful of episodes. HBS finished taping weeks ago. She is NOT sticking around. It was just a case of needing someone to play a lawyer for Valentin for the custody hearing. Since ABC had just recently got the rights back to AMC and OLTL, they thought it would be great for Nora to come for a few eps, and that's that. There are NO plans to bring her on board permanently. With the way things are currently, I'd be VERY surprised if they brought ANYONE on full time from AMC or OLTL right now. (Except possibly Vincent Irizarry) As has been said over and over again since the ABC got the rights back, that the most likely course of action would be to occasionally bring other chars in for a short arc, here and there. Really, the way $ is these days, being offered a contract is nowhere even remotely common, as in the years past.
ReplyDeleteK
Exactly.
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