Keystone Cop Commando

Jake needs to be rescued…AGAIN!  And they send Aidan because he’s got a background in retrievals.  Hey Aidan did you only have only one plan?  This entire situation would have been better served if Aidan sneaks in undetected in cloak of night and that there’s a big shoot out (TPTB love their violence and guns) and the two men have a dramatic escape having to hid out for several days until they can get rescued.

I have to give the writers credit for looking up old history.  But then that credit is removed by just writing basically the same story as the last time Jake got kidnapped.  Insert Aidan for Ryan, and I’m just waiting for Ryan and Zach to get their testosterone pumping and t fly over to Darfur to save Jake and Aidan.  I’m not really sure how Ryan fits into all of this mess other than they silly reason the writers gave of he was instrumental in founding the program of relief doctors.  There he is on the phone banging things down in frustration.  I think Cam needs to dial down his dramatic flare just a bit because it’s way out of place and over the top.  Hey who knows maybe Ryan will go over there get shot and get his memory back!

So much for all that SAS training because right now all I see is a wanna be hero.  Although who didn’t catch that whole MacGuyver thing with Jake’s medical supplies.

The one s/l I’m enjoying is the haunting of Adam by Dixie.  It’s fun because since becoming pregnant with Junior Adam has tormented this poor woman and now in death she gets to turn the tables.  Yeah for Dixie!!!!  I hope she comes back from the dead soon.

Poor Julia is going bye bye.  She’s moving to Australia.  WTH?  Australia…it would have made more sense for her to go back to California with her family.  No these fools have her going to Australia.  I get that soaps are fantasy but this is rather ridiculous and out of character for the character.  Julia was on the run for 8 years only to get a chance at a new life with her new daughter and she decides to a) uproot this child who’s lost both of her parents and b) move so far away from anyone they know?  Note to Writers:  Next time KEEP IT SIMPLE!!!!

I’m angered by this because so much story was wasted on Ryan’s memory loss instead of utilizing the characters on the canvas.  Julia should be right in the middle of Tad finding Kate but instead of utilizing the character they are sending her away.  How about a big dramatic custody battle for the daughter they both love?  Jack and Julia had great chemistry that was never utilized with Erica being jealous.  Or Jack and Julia friends with Erica jealous and Julia and Josh falling for each other in non conventional way?  All of the lost opportunities for the Character of Julia Santos Keefer.  Instead she’s moving to Australia!

There are so many missed s/l’s right now and under utilized characters.  For what…everything revolving around a few people?    I know their a variables in actors contracts like how much screen time they get but if the writers and EP got it together maybe it would work out much better.  All I know is I’m am sick and tired of investing in characters (ie, Colby) only to see the actor recast or not used (ie, Josh and Amanda).  I’m frustrated too because of all of this build up.  The strikes been over for weeks and the show shouldn’t still be in the reconstruction phase.  Really for me the show has been in the reconstruction phase since before the firing of McTavish.  Enough already!  TPTB have destroyed the medium of Daytime and expect us to say thank you with a smile on our face.  We aren’t Stepford viewers we know what we want.  We know what we like and from my recliner I know all of these changes are getting old.  Soap viewers don’t like change…that’s why we’ve been watching the shows for 50 years.

So I say goodbye to Julia and what to see who else I’m going to lose to newbies on the canvas.  Sorry folks the Frankie, Dre, Cassandra and Colby s/l looks more uncomfortable than cow in a lion’s den at the zoo.  And when this doesn’t work they will retool it and retool it and then probably just drop it.

Here Endth My Rant!

Say What?

I watched yesterday and scratched my head.  Tad got a lead on Hazel, Greg Madden’s old assistant, and he and his back from the dead pal, Jesse go in search of her.

My first issue is…wasn’t Hazel a Nurse?  My second question is why is she working at a bar?  Third, why does she own a bar in the wrong part of town?  Tad talked about Hazel applying for a liquor license and that’s how he was able to find her and then track her down.  So she gave up nursing for the tavern?  Also does anyone know how much a liquior license goes for?  I do it’s about $250,000 so all of this craziness leaves me with a bald spot from all the scratching.

Moving on to Tad sharing his Greg Madden tale with Jesse he seemed to leave out an important piece of information…you know the fact he kidnapped Greg, buried him alive for six weeks and that is what cause his heinous demise.  I’m sure the writers would like us to forget about that fiasco.  I think they would also like us to forget that Josh is an un-abortion but with all this talk of Greg Madden it’s difficult not to remember all that happened and how horrible it was to watch.

And seriously, when Jake Martin gets back to Pine Valley he should never be allowed to work for Doctors Without Borders ever again!  I’m surprised though that super hero Ryan Lavery isn’t the one saving the good Doctor like he did last time.  After all it’s something that Ryan could actually remember.

Here Endth My Rant!

Knit Picking 101

Funny things happening on the show and by funny I mean odd.  Erica’s decent into madness that took one day.  Not to be upstaged by the congressman who has free and total access to a prison.  He sweeps our heroine into his arms and rushes her off to be with…Jack.  If they are pairing Sam and Erica up it is interesting to me why they are reconnecting Mr. & Mrs. Kane?  You know what would be hotter…Sam and Krystal!  Speaking of Krystal…girl, what is going on with your hair???

I’m sorry but that Dr. Jake Martin shouldn’t be allowed to volunteer for anything any more!!!  For those of you who don’t remember, Dr. Jake Martin, super-duper doctor without a border has been kidnapped by rebels before in….Chechnya!!!  Yep back in late 1999/Early 2000.  I can’t remember exactly which year.  But he was rescued by…can you believe it…Ryan!  Yeppers, back when I liked Ryan.  Gillian was married to Jake and of course we knew in the long run Gillian and Ryan’s true love would not be denied.  I’m getting off track, this is about Jake and his need to get kidnapped.  Which leaves a gaping hole in the story.  Where is Jamie?  He was working with Dr. Jake Martin.  Hopefully the writers will address this one.

I get why they are bringing Jake back in  this fashion but since it’s been done WITH THIS CHARACTER before it just isn’t working for me.  Not to take much away from the writers because it’s got all the earmarks of soaps.  Drama, separated lovers (Aidan/Greens), anxiety of will they all come home, yadda, yadda, yadda.

I read Carolyn Hinsey’s blog and apparently I’m not the only one wondering about the CBS or more to the point Y&R nominations.  Like I said before Vail Bloom (Heather) got a nomination in the Younger Actress Category and Kristin Alderson who’s had an amazing year, and by the way is a younger actress, didn’t even get a mention!

The ratings haven’t improved for AMC in the last several weeks.  They seem to be stuck at 1.8 and the show is dragging OLTL down with it.  Which really irks me because I believe that OLTL is right now the best written show on Daytime!  What has happened to General Hospital?  They’ve decimated the entire Quartermaine family from Lila (the only death that made sense) to AJ to Alan to Emily and now Michael?  Sure he’s not being raised Quartermaine but he still is by blood and yes he’s technically not dead either.  I’m confused why this show is called General Hospital anymore and not called “On The Waterfront”?

Back to AMC…why does everyone in this town hang out in the cemetery after dark?  Do they think they will be easier to see floating apparitions?  The only people I expect to see in that cemetery at night are the teenagers partying…oops AMC doesn’t have but one teenager and she’s going to University next year.  Well just as soon as she’s SORAS’d yet again!

Hard Time in The Big House

Erica, Erica, Erica, how has it come to this? The treatment of our heroine is despicable. It’s one thing to be in solitary confinement but without a hair brush and worst of all, wearing orange sneakers! Oh the humanity!!!!

Okay maybe I’m a little over the top, lol. But seriously did you see that poor Ms. Kane was sitting on the grungy floor and later laying in bed. I figured it was because she couldn’t keep her balance in those flat, non-designer, shoes. The poor woman must have fallen down and couldn’t get back up.

A very interesting side note to her solitary confinement episode. She seems to have lost her mind in a day. I’m sorry but Erica is way stronger than Greenlee Smythe, who survived a month in a hole and she was claustrophobic. If anything she should be losing her mind from all that orange. I’m sorry but orange is NOT the new pink! LOL.

Just look at how wonderful Erica looked in the hospital. I guess this is the difference of having access to the make up and stuff and just being thrown in the dungeon.

Which brings me to the obvious pink elephant. Erica Kane is a wealthy woman, with powerful friends (Remember Rupert Murrdock?). She’s got political connections and media connections. Heck she’ll write a book about her experiences. And she has a television show as her platform to trash the penal system every day once she’s released from jail. Erica’s not in prison for 25 to life. She’s in for 6 months or less. So what dumb headed Prison Warden would stick her in solitary?

Yeah, Yeah I know it’s a soap but still. If this was Dixie Cooney it would have made sense. If it had been Angie Hubbard it would have made sense but Erica Kane…this makes no sense to me.

Here Endth My Rant!

Hey Cassandra’s Coming To Town

Did you hear Cassandra’s coming to Pine Valley to visit her brother and Mother? How didn’t you hear about it Angie only mentioned it 19 million times today.

Personally I want to see Cassandra’s reaction to the fact that her stepfather looks like her father. Sure Jacob is her adoptive father but he raised her most of her life. So this should be interesting.

Today’s show was a yawnfest, as the last couple have been. They are trying to rebuild the stories and I’ll give them a little credit but only a wee little. If you’ve been a soap fan for a bazillion years like me it becomes annoying that the flow and continuity is lacking due to little direction.

My favorite writer of all time Mr. Douglas Marland would have had his story all flushed out thus leaving the dialogs for day to day. He built interesting families one member at a time and he always played on the history of the show. Agnes Nixon was from the old guard and she did the same things on OLTL and AMC that Doug did on ATWT, GL and GH. Everyday had value which is why we wanted to watch. It wasn’t all jerky it was smooth. Even during the unfortunate “Who Killed Carolyn Crawford” fiasco it all flowed. The only draw in that story was the killer was never thought of right away. They waited to see what actor was on their way out if town and bam…Gavin Kruger was the killer. But even in this mess Gavin was a viable suspect in the killing of Carolyn. And from this mess sprang the Lombard/Harper Crime stories that lead to the dramatic separation of Hal and Barbara and the reuniting just as Barbara gives birth to William Ryan Munson.

AMC doesn’t have any of these qualities right now. TPTB spent so many years beating the fans up that they’ve eroded their viewership and now are desperate to fix things with the fans. Could it be that they’ve all finally realized that without viewers they have no jobs? Self preservation should have kicked in a long time ago. I guess better late than never.

We give them all a thumbs up on playing on the past with bringing back the Hubbard’s. Giving us a real bad guy in Uncle Rob and the most important story they could tell this year…Dixie’s Ghost bringing Tad and Kathy together as father and daughter. I say to TPTB that they are very lucky that Cady McClain understood the business side of their decision to off Dixie back in 2007. Cady did what TPTB took years to do and that was put the fans first. She was upset that the whole Kate story wasn’t rectified before she left town and when approached with the idea of Dixie’s Haunting to reveal the truth about Kathy shows how much Cady cares about the character, the show and the fans.

Keep making improvements. Try channeling Doug Marland!

Here Endth My Rant!

A New Colby

Yep that’s correct Colby Marian Chandler has been recast. I went straight to Ambyr Childer’s Blog to see if this is true and she confirms it. On Soap Central they have a mixed signals kind of article. The first mention I saw of Ambyr’s leaving came from the Soapnet Boards. I was all…NO WAY! And someone told me there that it was Ambyr’s decision. But if it was then why didn’t she say I’ve had a great run but the show was gracious enough to let me out of my contract to tackle other projects? Instead her blog entry reads like a press released prepared by those trolls over at AMC.

Maybe I’m just leery of anything TPTB have to say about anything. This wreaks of wanting to age the character. You know that same character that IS the teen set! If this really was Ambyr’s decision I support it and wish her great success in the future. But if later I discover it wasn’t I’ll just be plain dang mad! This smacks of trash, like when Sabine Singh was bounced for no good reason to bring back “The Real Greenlee”. Hey don’t get me wrong, I love Rebecca Budig but as a fan who had just got use to the NEW Greenlee and became interested in the Aidan/Greenlee pairing I was mildly perturbed.

Colby’s come a long way from the shrill car stealing, boyfriend stealing, Liza-neverbe that first came on the Pine Valley scene. She learned to share, love, be loved and to stop whining. She has a complicated relationship with her father and brother but still loves them no matter what and she has a wonderful connection to Baby Jenny. Her best pals Corina and Dre make this a great youth group that hasn’t properly been taped into.

So again…if this really was Ambyr’s decision great but if it wasn’t I might have to take away some of the praise I just so nicely heaped on the show. Two steps forward…three very large steps back!

Here Endth My Rant!

Prisoner Erica Kane

So you know how I love the fact that Carmen calls Erica by her first and last name, right? Oh you didn’t, well I do. So anyway, now the Prisoners from Cell Block H (too young to remember this beauty of a show, bummer), are calling Ms. Kane by her first and last name. What a hoot!

The topic of Erica Kane’s shoes came up and I didn’t see a problem with those fabulous Manolo Blahnik’s. In fact she might need them as a potential weapon against the sisterhood of Cell Block H. When Erica was talking to Carmen about what prison life was really all about at first I laughed. You know, for obvious reasons but there was Erica Kane standing all butch in her orange jumpsuit talking trash about prison life. Way to butch it up girl! This is a fun take on Erica’s crime ridden past. Hey did the writers do some watching of old tapes while they were on strike?

So far I haven’t been completely repulsed by the writing which is a HUGE improvement. I see them trying so hard to save the show. Did they bound and gag Brian Frons and that;s why things are seemingly better?

It’s kind of odd that after all of that hoopla of “The REAL Greenlee” it is this character that’s lost in the changing tone of the show. What I learned was that I liked the direction of the NEW Greenlee better than then bringing back the REAL Greenlee. What I mean by this is Sabine came on as Greenlee with her whiny, annoying portrayal. But somewhere the writers began to develop the character. Giving the character a sense of purpose other than as Kendall’s whipping post, started to have an affect on the viewers. Not to mention Sabine’s smoking hot chemistry with Aiden Turner. I loved Greenlee and Josh and those two hooking up would have been page after page of s/l but the writers dropped it. Then I was all about Greens with Aidan. Now I’m like what the heck??? Rebecca and Aiden have very little chemistry. She does however have chemistry with Thorsten Kaye which of course would upset the Zendall cart. It’s just right now my least favorite characters are RYAN, Kendall and Greenlee.

I wonder if I would like these characters more if they actually had a storyline. This is a hold over from the strike days and frankly it should have been put out of it’s misery when the writers came back. Instead it’s been one rehash after another and I’m done with it. It merits nothing more than a push of the fast forward button!

I was reading the “Spring Highlights” in SOD magazine and can you believe they listed Frankie and Colby under “Teen Set”. Colby I get…she is the teen on the show but Frankie is a doctor which make him about 27 at the minimum. And Dre and Cassandra are in their twenties so color me confused as to where these “Teens” are. Did I miss the memo where the twenties are the new High School Seniors?

I’m liking pretty much everything else. And most of all I like Tad’s disgust for good old Uncle Rob. It’s true to the character and the story. So Kudos for that one oh Writer Geeks! If you promise to continue the positive trend I promise not to be so picky when I Rant, lol!

Spread the word far and wide my friends. Brian Frons has been hog tied and the show doesn’t suck as it used too!

Here Endth My Rant!

Spring Brings Hope

Color me surprised by the turn around the show is making!  The writing is good and the storylines are stronger than they’ve been in some time but the real shocker for me is the attitude change from TPTB.  Could they have actually wised up and listened to the fan base?  Core Characters…strong family connections…romance (okay it’s only really Jesse and Angie having the romance but there is hope on this front as well).

Ruth we’ve missed you!  To see my absolute core couple Joe and Ruth together was a treat on Friday!!!  Then throw in the Rob card and it’s got the makings of a good Friday.  But it did’nt stop there…hello Opal, who might have a little crush on her ex-brother-in-law.  Jenny’s birthday was the perfect opportunity for a large cast group to assemble.  And for the first time in a long time the flashbacks made sense.  What a treat to see Jenny and Greg and Liza in flashbacks.  And the fact that Jesse was retelling the tale of his youth to not only Jenny but to Colby (Liza’s Daughter) was priceless in my book.  And with the return of Greg Nelson in May it’s the perfect set up for his coming back to town for those who didn’t watch back in the 80’s.

I think once the word spreads around that the show is rebounding the fan will come back as regular viewers.  A lot of damage was done to the viewership over the last 5 years so it won’t happen over night but it’s smart of TPTB to bring back characters that older viewers know and loved.  Short term contracts if used properly so serve this purpose.  For one they make it easier for an old time contract player to say…sure I can come back for a couple of months.  And who knows maybe a long term contract would be inviting to some of those folks.  Look how well it has worked with Kate Collins (Janet Green Dillon).  And secondly by having short term contract players they don’t get stuck with actors they really only had a limited s/l in place. Granted there will always be a need for long term contract actors I think this just opens the door for more s/l potential and a healthier bottom line.

The draining s/l right now of course is…Ryan’s amnesia.  It just doesn’t work and instead of cutting their loses and moving forward immediately with ending this farce they seem feed it everyday.  I agree with SOD, the only good thing to come from this is little waifish Annie got a spine!  Another weak spot is Richie and his abduction of JR for his bone marrow.  Billy Miller is wonderful as a sadistic bad guy so why not play on this but they make the mistake of having him one foot in good boy land (Babe) and one foot in bad boy land.  Richie needs to be defined as being something.

I would have loved Amanda and Richie together but not after JR’s attempt to get Amanda to sleep with Richie.  Why does Amanda need to prostitute herself for JR…please!  And he plays it out like she owes him…Hello she thought her life was in danger.

What about Josh and Amanda together?  They are both hot, young and fabulous!  And Erica would definitely have pause with this match since her mother is a psychotic killer.  Sure they were BFF’s once but those days are over.  My concern is the show will lose these two fantastic kids do to lack of s/l and they won’t renew their contracts.  Then I would be sad

A show of hands who is loving Erica and Carmen?  ME ME ME!  This is a s/l I never thought in a million years I’d like but these women have chemistry.  Erica’s not been down in the real world for some time so it’s good to see her “try” to be common, lol.  It’s a hoot and Carmen as her go to girl…again priceless.  And we get to see Jackson more which is wonderful…it’s a word beyond wonderful…maybe wonderful squared!

My only concern right now is they have these lose ends dangling.  Dre is mad at Sam so much he ran away from home.  Was this because of his mother or something else?  I don’t know because they just left it all hanging.  Sam’s agenda is what?   And my last gripe would be Colby and Frankie as a pair?  She, what, takes him to the senior prom?  This is my date he’s a doctor at Pine Valley Hospital?  Yep…it doesn’t work for me.

Romance…How I’ve Missed Thee

Angie and Jesse are the cutest couple ever!  I love the romance between them.  They have a past together but now they must rediscover each other.  They had that emotional sex and got it out of the way and now they can build their relationship one romantic step at a time.

What I do not get is Kendall?  Perplexed doesn’t even cover it!  So here’s Kendall…she’s got this super hot hubby at home who loves her and, of all things, understands her and she has slept with Aidan and is obsessed with Ryan.  Why…can anyone tell me why?  And when Zach shows Ryan the real Ryan and not the hearts and flowers guy that all the women remember him to be Kendall lashes out at him.  Why???

Greenlee’s got her own hottie at home.  Heck the poor shlub even proposed to her and she ripped his heart out and stomped on it.  And if that wasn’t enough her first call when Aidan leaves the site of his destroyed love life (the beach) is to Ryan.  Kendall I would have understood but Ryan…are you kidding me?

Annie’s destroyed by Ryan’s sudden memory loss and sets out to seduce Kendall and Greenlee’s men.  So let me think about this one…My husband has amnesia so I of course become a slut.  Yep it makes perfect sense…IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

Why can’t Annie be comforted by Josh instead of someone one from that incestuous group of Commune living nut cases?  Why can’t Aidan fall for Amanda…If she marries him her monogram stays the same..Win, Win!  Why can’t Zach have an affair…okay that’s unlike him…he’s loyal to the end but the real Zach would stop Ryan’s interference in his marriage come hell or high water.

To many why’s today so Here Endth My Rant!

Babe and the Past

Ever since Amanda Baker took over as Babe the character has lost her trailer park spark.  I like Amanda Baker.  I think she’s a swell actress.  That said I kind of miss the old schemer from the trailer park version that Alexa Havins brought to the screen.  She and Mama had that good old gumption.  It’s difficult for me when they play musical actors with the characters.  I’m not good with change.  I think if Amanda Baker was cast as a new love interest for JR it would have been better.  She and Jacob have great chemistry.  Not to mention that the character of Babe was over exposed and thus became tiresome. No fault of Alexa Havins…Oh those writers!

Now on to Richie.  Mr. Evil Doer, Richie Novak is good as a bad guy but he’s been all over the map.  One second he’s sweet and the next he’s a homicidal maniac who looks like he’s off his meds.  I guess they are setting something in motion.  It’s too bad they are wasting Billy Miller on this Richie/Babe/JR triangle.  I feel frustrated by the writers.  Instead of using some of the little used contract actors they force stories that aren’t working…they retell stories over and over and yes I still can’t stand the Ryan Redux 2008.  Why can’t Julie be the one to Save Richie…or Julie be the one who Jack leans on in his agony over losing Erica and them having a night of passion resulting in a pregnancy.  It would help build up the Montgomery family since Lily probably will never have children,  Reggie has been banished to the other world and Greenlee is unable to carry a baby.  Not to mention Erica’s reaction to this child and Jack’s a great Dad so you know he’d want to be hands on.  It would give an interesting twist to Erica and Jackson’s relationship.  How about taking the s/l out of the box with something fresh.  Babe and JR…done to death.  How about Babe with Frankie?  Colby’s more suited with Dre not Frankie he’s too old for this supposed High School Senior.

It’s been nice watching Erica’s flashback of her life. I always appreciate the strolls down memory lane but I’m left wondering why all this sudden need to remind us how it was?  Is this a treat for the viewers?  It irks me that they’ve reduced this long time viewer into a skeptic.  I’m always thinking it’s a Trojan horse.  So I’m cautiously becoming invested in Erica.  I just hope it’s not another trick.