Negatives/Disappointments

S

Sparkster

Guest
So we have a thread about positive thoughts about the new writing and I've seen some comments and made some of my own about things about the show over the past month that have been a bit disappointing and thought I would start a thread.

-Steve's return: mostly ok so far but the fact that he has made no visit to Adrienne or Jen/JJ/Abby or Caroline is disappointing. I get that he is immersed in the "search for Bo" story and dealing with Kayla and Joey but they could have had a few scenes with his blood relatives he has in town.

-Bo: I get they want to create some build-up and erase the past 3 years (sort of) but they need to get on with him escaping or being rescued because if the actor didn't sign on for a long term contract then they are just wasting time in my opinion. I have no idea how long Peter Reckell (Bo) is supposed to be back but IF it's only a short time then they've wasted 3 weeks already.

-Paige's death: I loved the immediate fallout scenes with Eve coming to terms with her daughter's death but they missed the boat on a few issues here like has been discussed in the other thread about this topic. I can understand Shane and Kimberly not being able to be there and that's fine but they made a point to show the article of Paige's death on Theresa's tablet but then proceeded to have her not see the article or get any word from Eve about it. That made zero sense. A scene with Abby comforting her brother would have been nice too as well as a reaction from Daniel and Kayla.

-Aiden turning bad: I can sort of see where the writers thought this would be a good idea and might make for good story but it's rather jarring as a viewer. I mean, Hope and Aiden weren't the most exciting couple but I feel like they are throwing Aiden under the bus very suddenly for absolutely no good reason at all.

So what negatives have you all noticed so far with this new writing regime?
 
I agree with everything you said, Sparx. While they've made great strides in fixing what was wrong, they've left these matters hanging.

It really is ridiculous that we didn't see Steve visiting with his sister as well as Jen and the kids. Also would've been nice to see him mention visiting his mother and Vern.

And after that scene with Eve and Theresa talking, while cooing over Tate, it would've been nice to see Theresa finding out about Paige and being there for Eve.

Then we went through the whole thing with "is Aiden nice or a homicidal maniac", only to find out Chase accidentally shot his mother. He was a good guy after all. Now we're back to wondering what's going on with him again.

I'd also like to see John having a phone conversation with Belle about her new brother.
 
Yes, I see negatives, but only because the new writers have had to try and deal with a humungous number of negatives, and thus everything cannot become positive in a flash.
I do agree about Steve's return, I so looked forward. If the show could not show us scenes with his bio family, it could have been mentioned at least.
And then, Bo. Not handled well at all. So, I have read that the show is accomodating Peter Reckell, in that he flies in, films a whole bunch of scenes all at once. So I guess this is why all the cell/torture/moldy food stuff. Sorry Days, should have all been shown over 1-2 days. We got it long ago.
Mr. Reckell...You know you are very beloved on Days by huge numbers of fans. If you agreed to return, then I hope you have adjusted your schedule.

As to Aiden, yes, thrown under the bus is a good assessment. O.K. the writers decided to have the character depart. Why not just have it come out he really did shoot his wife? Chase never talks about losing his mother, he could.......to Ciara, who tells Hope. never mnd, all is already filmed, too late for any change.
O.K. these writers were hardpressed for quick fixes. Understand that. Doesn't make it easier to accept, but that is what we do in Soapland.

Mostly, I sympathize with the task of trying to fix/eliminate the bad stuff, while trying to move on.
Daniel has really been shoved far back on the burner, very suddenly.
Paige's funeral? Not a mention.
Stefano as a hospital patient. It is ridiculous and asinine that the victim of a heart attack, whose heart stopped in the ambulance, is not in ICU. But O.K. It is even more so that so many "visitors" have such easy access to his room.
 
They could have every character turn to the camera and say, "I hate Jason [Real Last Name Here]," and I'd still like the show better than the Travesty that we saw under Tomlin/Whitesell. (Will would have to say he loves me, though, for it to be offensive. LOL)

Certainly - I do remember being happier when the ex-head writers were brought in, at first, but now, there is the clear intent to tell better, faster, more exciting stories, and it shines through.

That being said - I second the slowness of the Steve/Bo story, the lack of mention of Steve and his family, the tossing of Aiden's character (if he's being ousted in favour of Bo, fine - but he's still a great lawyer and a heck of a character), and the choppiness of the scenes. But I do get that they had to make some cuts and decisions to fix the steaming pile of rancid dung that they inherited.

One thing I'd add that I'm not happy about is the murders, especially Paige's. The scenes could have played just as powerfully if Paige told JJ, "Good-bye, I'm going to Stanford, I still love you, but I can never, ever trust you again." I'm hoping there's something worthwhile in the upcoming weeks. Dena Higley's a smart writer, and so I have faith there is. It's a soap rule not to kill a character unless it opens up more possibilities for the story than it ends.
 
Thanks for starting this thread. I had been thinking about starting one myself. I agree with everything that's been said so far, most of which I've mentioned in other threads. I will be careful with my words since this is not a spoiler thread yet.

I'm not liking the pacing either. I get they have a lot to fix but this is not the same show we were watching in August. The show has suddenly been focusing on a select group of characters, even if there is no movement in their stories (i.e. Steve). How many times will he talk about Bo or tell Kayla he wants her back? We get it! Do something about it! The issue is the show is focusing on characters that were not the focus 1 month ago, a complete 180. I love the vets and love where things appear to be going but there should be a bit more balance too instead of suddenly back burnering characters who were not backburnered before.

I don't like that it seems Higley and Griffith are trying to slowly get rid of all the new characters from the prior regime. I still don't know where they are going with Aiden but he has potential with or without Hope. Plus Salem needs a lawyer. I hope there is still a twist.

The serial killer storyline falls flat for me so far for all reasons stated plus they dropped the ball with Eric, Nicole and Daniel after Serena's death too.
 
I agree with most of what everyone else stated above. While I am enjoying the show much more than I did last month, I too, would like to see some more movement in some of these stories. Steve, having the same conversation about Bo with Kayla, John, and Hope without going to see Adrienne, Jennifer, Abby, or JJ, and Bo lying on the floor of the prison for the last few weeks. If his story is short term, we should be seeing him try to get away by now.

Heather, I agree with you about too much focus on select characters that were barely on during the previous writing regime but are now on several days a week. We have barely seen Paul and Will. This was the first week we have seen them since the new regime took over. Also, Nicole, Eric, Brady, and Theresa have only been seen in a handful of episodes and were not on at all this week. Some of the repetition from those that are on 4 to 5 days a week can be cut down so we can have more balance and even characters not the main focus for the 50th can be seen in a supporting capacity at least once a week.

I agree with what has already been said about the serial killer story. Nicole, Eric, and Daniel should have been on the day after Serena's murder to get their reaction, and Eve should have had Theresa with her after Paige was killed to support her with the devastation Eve felt, while Jennifer and Abby should have been there for JJ right after Paige died. I hope the storyline picks up.

We also seem to have some dropped scenes. When did Victor and Maggie invite Caroline to stay at the mansion with them?
 
I'm starting to have this sinking feeling about the show. Things are moving too fast.

I like that - but it makes me fear that the writers are burning up material too fast, and in a few months we'll be back to the slower-than-molasses-in-January pace (or worse). It's certainly happened on this (and other) show/s before when writers change....

Maybe I'm just worried that we're getting "too much of a good thing" and I'm waiting for the balloon to pop...but, take for example the reveal about Rafe/Paige. I did enjoy how quickly the info was learned by Eve and related to Rafe. But to go from a slow pace (where it might have taken weeks for all the points to happen) to a day is very jarring.

I didn't mind the fast pace fixing some of the Tomlin/Whitesell mistakes...Rafe off the force, Gabi in jail, etc...but with their own plot points...? And then there's the matter of proportion. I'll expound more when Jason47 releases the cast charts.
 
I totally get that Jason. As a soap viewer you come to expect certain beats to be played and in a timely manner. Certain storyline aspects need to be paced out more slowly than others. As to the one you brought up (Paige being Rafe's sister) had Eduardo shown up prior to Paige's death then I think they could have dragged it out a few weeks but at this point we are already 2+ weeks post-mortem. I think the writers wanted to give Rafe the added drive to find the killer since he now knows his sister was a victim. I have faith in these writers and so far I have been mostly pleased with what they have done. No matter the writer they can't make all viewers happy all the time. That's part of the reason I started this thread so we could voice our concerns about what is not working with the show. As evidenced by my original post, I'm not happy with everything but I sure am enjoying the show! :)
 
Oh I am as well, I hope the momentum and goodness continue. :) Sort of just a stray thought I've been having lately.

As far as Rafe is concerned, it doesn't change things. Because Rafe is an awesome cop, unlike his alleged partner, Hope. :wink:
 
The writers had a monumental task, which was to "fix" all the damage done by the previous writers during their 3 years helming the show, while heading towards to big 50th celebration. There have been tons of complaints for years now, which the previous writers ignored and just continued on their path of destruction.
I think the story is still leading up to more surprises, or at least one more.
I don't know what is in store, there are just a couple of characters brought on by the old regime that I would hate to see leave.
right now, the "Bo" story, to me, is dragging out entirely too long. Same for Joe & his sullen attitude. But, that is a story that is slowly building, is my guess. So everything is not being done with the speed of light.
 
:clap::clap::clap:

Thanks Just Samantha!! Good grief....it's not like I made some generalization that ALL VIEWERS hated Hope/Aiden. I actually liked the coupling for awhile myself but they certainly weren't my favorite and if I want to say "they weren't the most exciting couple" then that's MY right to voice that opinion. If you read my entire comment on the issue I am against the new direction they have taken Aiden. Sheesh.
 
I don't like how we have barely seen Will or Daniel, but we know they have big things coming up. Its hard to care about them at all since we haven't seen them, I think.
 
JasonDíSpeech said:
One thing I'd add that I'm not happy about is the murders, especially Paige's. The scenes could have played just as powerfully if Paige told JJ, "Good-bye, I'm going to Stanford, I still love you, but I can never, ever trust you again."
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Agree. Days is vastly improved, but I don't care for the current death toll. The only way more deaths would happen would be for the bubonic plague to strike Salem. There could have been a necktie strangler, but why not scenarios where the victims survive like Marlena did. Melissa Archer (Serena) was given short shrift by the old writers. Why not keep her alive so she could return someday with a better story line. As noted above, the same goes for Paige. Kassie DePaiva (Eve) has turned in a great job as the grieving mother, but I'd rather not see a parent losing a young child, even on a soap.
 
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