I realize that writing a soap opera is high pressure work. The writers have to turn out a full script every day, five days a week, and there may not be time to check things closely.
However, with James Franco due to debut on General Hospital tomorrow, and new viewers probably tuning in (at least for two months), I'm hopeful that the writers are going to pay the tiniest attention to detail to give him the best story arc possible and perhaps interest a few new viewers in staying around.
Normally, the writers ask us to accept an awful lot of sloppy writing. The latest gaffe is Maxie Jones waiting at Kate Howard's house at 3 a.m. for an emergency visit from the pool man. While there, she sees Sonny Corinthos return home with a bloodied shirt.
Port Charles, last I heard, was in upstate New York, where I live. Very few homes have pools, even expensive ones, because they're used so infrequently. Okay, so some homes have pools, and let's just say Kate's is one of them.
I must then ask why a pool man is needed on an emergency basis in the middle of November at 3 a.m. Even in sunny California, unless the pool sprang a leak and was flooding someone's home, I don't understand why a pool man would be there at 3 a.m.
Maxie could have been housesitting for the out-of-town Kate and, unable to sleep, peered out the window when she heard a car. That would have made a lot more sense. Now, every time I hear about the pool man, I become annoyed. The show has been on the air for 46 years, and the writers still don't know where it takes place? It's like the New York-based sitcoms that ask in offices if they validate parking. These are California things.
Dealing with another badly-handled incident, a viewer recently wrote the following:
Why wouldn't Sonny and Jason have enough brains to use credit cards to make it look like Claudia ran away? ... Darnn fans have better ideas than we get on the show.
My sentiments exactly.
Photo: Adam Larkey/American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.
Comments
Wasn’t it raining hard that night and the night claudia died was october 29th. The pool coul over flood from the rain. All aside I really like the writing of GH I think its outstanding and real as a soap can get. My opinion
No, in upstate New York, by November, the pool would have been either drained or covered.
I like some of the writing on GH, but I think it is mostly sloppy, lacking in imagination, and using the same plots over and over. One of the actors told me his best scenes were during the writers strike. The writers are capable of doing some great writing, particularly Meg Bennett, who brings a lot of humor to the show.
I agree, the writing is sloppy. But to me what’s most sloppy is when they can’t keep a character strait. The writers hated Greg Vaugh. The improvement in the writing for Lucky (suddenly he’s on Sonny’s tail, while for years he seemed to be a do-nothing detective… because the writers hated Greg) … anyway, that’s they kind of sloppy that drives me bananas. I realize that they are setting Port Charles in California. That would probably make it unwatchable for me if I lived upstate. I can’t watch CSI: NY for that reason… it’s so… California.
PT Chuckles is in upstate NY, and I too was wondering where the emergency laid at 3am in November to get the pool guy out there.
Lousy and sloppy writing on that one!
Not sure who this new person is, but he is getting publicity so I trust it will be a good story.
The writing for the most part is good on GH, they do however get sloppy, which in return we notice immmediately. I hope they have learned this past year when ENOUGH is ENOUGH. Spinelli & Maxie and the famous PPD was so drawn out. Is lost most viewers during that time period.
The pool man in upstate New York is also an irritation to me. How about Liz and Lucky on a picnic in mid-November? Or the fact that the women wear sleeveless dresses all winter long?
I have to chuckle at the picnic scene as well. The only conclusion I could come to is there are less ants in November??
I recall Maxie mentioning the pool was overflowing into the koi pond due to the heavy rain.
As I mentioned above, in November in upsstate New York, if you even have a pool (not to mention a koi pond), the pool is covered or drained.
I rest my case, Johnathan Jackson is a flake and greg vaughn is a stud!
WHAT is a “koi pond”?? And what is with Maxie…??? Did she have dark hair one day and blond the next? Or am I on to many medications right now?
Midwestern
Maxie did have gingerbread hair one day and blonde the next. I thought that was strange.
On Maxie’s Hair… OK, it’s dyed. That’s news to no one, and her character would dye her hair to match her dress, so, I don’t see that as a real issue.
A Koi is a large, Japanese Goldfish. A Koi pond is a pond with koi in it. If it is deep enough, so that it doesn’t freeze solid in the winter, in fact, the koi can overwinter in the pond. In upstate, you would probably need a pond 6 to 8 feet DEEP to be sure it didn’t freeze solid, but in theory, you could do that.
Could Kate have an INDOOR pool and koi pond? Have we ever seen either her pool or koi pond? An overflowing INDOOR pool would be a problem at any time of the year. Just curious.
Barb, it’s noble of you to attempt to justify the stupidity of this plot device. However, my understanding is that the flooding of the pool was due to the heavy rain. So I assume it was outside, and as I mentioned, if you have a pool in upstate New York, and not a lot of people do, you’ve drained it or covered it by November. The koi pond, yes, people can and probably do have koi ponds here and there. However as far as I’m concerned, these things REEK of California.
You have to remember that this is the show that has people picniking outside in November and also called the highways in Canada the thruway, and got Sonny from France to Port Charles in a matter of seconds. It’s just not known for realistic atmospheres. Sometimes that’s okay, and a viewer goes along with it; at other times, it just seems silly, when a more reasonable explanation is possible and less intrusive and sloppy.
OK how many women dye there hair?? NO SURPRISE!
She changed her hair for one day. How many women do that??
I have fast forwarded through general hospital everyday. This show is not worth watching. James Franco does nothing for me and how could Maxie have sex with a guy she just met with no kind of protection. The writers need to be aware of std’s in young people. James Franco would have been better paired with Jason. (After all, Franco did play gay in the movie MILK). The macho gay cop on one Life to Live is very handsome, I hope that they bring back Lucus Jones as a handsome hunk! At least the girls to look at a muscular gay guy. I will continue to watch the Young and the Restless, which is a show that has good storylines and no mob or only centers on three characters. The young and the restless also does not forget its’ history, general hospital has forgotten all about the webbers, hardys and baldwins. General hospital is so far sunk that it can not get out of the pit it has dug itself into. Unless they get back to the basics and original characters and the hospital, I hope they cancel it.
Maxie is a slut! James Franco is a waste of time! I continue to fast forward through this mob messed up show! How could you sleep with a guy you just met, with all the diseases out there?! One life to live and All My Children are better shows! General hospital needs to write more like they did for the “Night Shift” shows which were about the hospital!
I like the mix of old characters with new characters. The writers have a responsibility to attract new viewers while keeping the old. I especially like the keeping of traditions like the Q’s Thanksgiving pizza. And, how many times have the characters talked directly to the viewer, thereby revealing that it is only a TV show for entertainment.
in november upstate new york should be cold are snowing .so kate pool should be dry that time of year .