Oops..pre-empted

@Rose…Per your “Val” comments to me further down the page: I do concur that this character got a raw deal when it came to the writing she was afforded….one minute she was a long-lost member of a beloved legacy family and then immediately thereafter, she became the “Scarlet Lettered” predator of Port Charles’ most reliably faithful married man who was a relative, no less. But having said that, I never found the casting of this role to be well-done, either. You had someone who was obviously very green being given highly dramatic material which she handled with noticeable difficulty, not to mention, to put it as kindly as possible, a rather unlikely choice for being part of the Spencer clan, with absolutely no further explanation provided. All of these factors combined for a very confusing and unsatisfying introduction to the GH canvas for yet another newbie.

And that’s exactly the problem, Rose….whenever a newbie hits town, there is endless speculation about their heritage, and there are very few examples where we actually get a definitive answer—except maybe for Griffin???—mainly, because, I believe, that the writers possess no explanations….they don’t have a clear plan for most of these characters…they are made up as they go along due to the fact they were created upon a whim to provide a role for the latest soap opera refugee get, or perhaps due to what I have long suspected has been a network agenda to increase representation of certain demographics(?) and that’s all that matters….adding the right bodies to the canvas, logic be damned, even when another avenue would better serve the program and its storytelling. Since you mentioned it, I’ll go with this Val example….the heart and soul of her existence is owed to the endearing presence of Patricia, who truly made her mark during her brief appearance in the Fluke drama….I realize it was probably not realistic to expect that someone of Dee Wallace’s caliber would have been kept for a lengthy duration, but, oh my, she was truly fine! Her stay should have been extended for at least a few months to really explore her own backstory and give her daughter an identity, but no, she was killed off almost immediately, and we were awkwardly left with her orphan?) with no purpose other than to wreck her cousin’s marriage. Who could have thought that was a good idea???? It would have been a recipe for disaster for even an accomplished performer, since there was basically little goodwill for this character or actress…..just because they said she was a Spencer wasn’t enough of a reason, and then she almost instantly became a ready and willing partner in Dante’s dastardly infidelity….for a newbie to soaps it was an impossible position in which to be inserted, and from my perspective, all the backtracking and tinkering with this character is now too little, too late….I simply do not like her….period. Furthermore, in retrospect, I think it would have been a far better idea to snag that talented actress who played young Patricia to also have been cast as her lookalike daughter….she was absolutely amazing, and made so much of those brief moments she had onscreen to receive rave reviews….how her immense talent could not have been spotted before that story unwound is beyond me……I still would not have approved of the cheating scenario, but she probably could have made it seem more of a sympathetic, emotionally tortured attraction and less of a selfish, headstrong seduction with no thought for the family that was about to be torn asunder, which was the impression I was left with during that whole ungodly mess. Finally, I agree that I hope Dante is done and dusted with this character, but the damage has already taken its toll upon the both of them. I’ll never look at him (or her, given her part in that adulterous episode) in the same manner again, that’s for sure.

Great post, Jim.

Great points, Jim! Particularly with regard to the endless GH mob storylines… Regarding your final comments, I compare GH with Y&R. I was always annoyed that GH rarely used (and then discarded) the wonderful actress Rachel Ames, whereas on another network, Y&R was thriving (at #1) while it gave continuous frontburner storyline to Jeanne Cooper. Y&R has always respected (and utilized) its veterans, whereas GH has been horribly pathetic in that regard…

I hear you, jimh! The last handful of GH episodes pretty much illustrates exactly why the ratings are down….just consider that to which we were treated(?): the obnoxious breastfeeding brouhaha, narly Nina in all of her contrived busywork glory running a past-its-prime, pointless publication that’s not even remotely worth saving, the nauseating Alexis, Julian and her unappealing brood with their puke-inducing personal dramas, the ever mobbed-up Sonny, Carly, Ava and their related, redundant family issues, plus the additional drudgery featuring unnecessary newbie characters like Val, Curtis, Hayden and Jordan. Hardly the romance and adventure for which this show was once renowned. Other than Anna and Griffin’s superbly-executed emotional scenes, Epiphany’s little chat with Liz and Obrecht and Franco’s fun, but far-too-brief, encounter, there was nothing of any interest or substance to speak of. (Even Sam and Jason’s long-awaited reunion fell flat, thanks to the glacial pace of his regaining his memory.) There are enough other major storylines which reference the soap’s great history upon which to focus….Helena’s postmortem(?) mirthful hijinks with Laura, Lulu, and Liz, Tracy’s illness, Griffin’s paternity backstory and hopefully, Michael Easton’s debut, which, with some luck, will connect to characters of yesteryear. Enough with all of the other waste of time and space fillers which seem to constitute at least 75% of GH each week. Oh, and as @maddiehayes so cannily observed, a return engagement for Robert Scorpio would most definitely not go amiss either!!!! He has more charm and charisma than most of the current cast combined!

Thanks, Jim! Amen to your “legend” remark regarding Cooper, Ames, and Starrett! (You knew I would like that!)

Jim, thanks for your further discussion of Valerie Starrett. Also, I like your suggestion of enlisting Brooke Bundy to play Beth…

As I have stated at this site and shared with you (perhaps in nauseating detail), she will always be my favorite daytime actress. She was a terrific actress as well as beautiful and popular. Fans were outraged when she was let go in 1977, but this was a time long before the Internet… The love story of Peter and Diana Maynard Taylor was captivating. They were star-crossed lovers who faced many obstacles in their quest to be together. They simply don’t write such long-term love stories like that anymore, which is really a shame. It’s almost frightening how well I can remember certain storylines (and scenes) from 40-48 years ago, including, as you mention, when Starrett first appeared on GH as a waitress (and you watched with your grandmother then). At my age, I am forgetting so much, but these wonderful times with GH are etched in my brain vividly. Thanks again, Jim, for reminiscing with me…

Thank you, jimh! I think it’s safe to say that most, if not all, of us naysayers that frequent these GH threads with our regular critiques would be absolutely delighted were it to be the case that we felt compelled to rejoin the show for viewing on a daily, can’t miss, basis!!!! I would definitely love to see Robert Scorpio back as a Port Charles regular….that single addition, along with a lessening reliance upon newbies that don’t embellish the long-standing fabric of the show, could very well prove the magic antidote to cure what ails GH.

There are too many characters on the canvas and it results in superficial stories with no impact, too many stories to follow in a coherent way, and as Layla has said, a bunch of cheap-to-hire actors who can’t act.

FV must be the cheapest executive producer in daytime. Otherwise what does he offer? He can’t tell a story with any depth or drama whatsoever, he has no talent for using his funds effectively, he has no business acumen, and he gets duped into poor hiring decisions time and time again. Maybe he is Bob Iger’s secret illegitimate son.

Yeah, the breast feeding story was a perfect example of EVERY.THING that is wrong with GH. Superficial story with minimal emotional draw. FV’s need to go out and hire a big name to come in. Starts one day, then nothing for weeks, then picks up again when most of us could not care less. Not one element within it that gives viewers back story, ties in with another sub-story, doesn’t develop any information that ties into a larget arc. Just another vignette for a few of the cast that is meaningless in the larger scheme of things. Although I guess i have to backtrack on this opinion a little bit since Olivia was supposed to be on the cover of Crimson, tying into that piece. Oh well, still it has no impact on me as a viewer.

hey Timmm
They could bring in George Clooney– when the writing stinks it wouldn’t make a difference..