u/MerelyWhelmed1

It needs better and more music, and it needs humor. There is no balance at the moment.

It's still miles better than Marshals.

Why is he having to search for something that he should already possess?

We never see the cabin now. Rarely Bill's house. No more guest house at Eric's. No one has a bedroom (except that one where we saw Taylor and Deacon months ago.) The new Bikini Bar is just El Gardino with a couch and different tables. No one has their own office...everyone just shares two at Forrester and one at Spencer/Logan. Do we see the rooftop anything anymore? When was the last time we saw Finn at his office?

When this show moved, the fans were promised we would get more, but that is decidedly not the case. Not only are there significantly fewer sets, the ones we DO see are built far more cheaply. Everything on this show is less, smaller, cheaper, and sad.

Look up clips from even just a decade ago. The deterioration is obvious.

With Matthew and After Matthew.

And watching it again (for probably the 30th time,) you see nearly all the stories repeat in some form.

Mary sleeps with someone to whom she isn't married. For it, there is blackmail. (Pamuk with Vera blackmailing/Tony with hotel maid blackmailing.) Her father finds out and forgives her. (She even does it again in the third movie.)

Mary nearly marries someone, and then has a hard time getting rid of them when she has changed her mind.

There is a lady's maid and a valet/butler quarreling and trying to get rid of one another (O'Brien/Barrow, Dencker/Spratt)

Edith grieves a lost love (Strallen/Gregson)

Robert nearly loses or does lose money and/or control of the Abbey.

Tom learns he belongs at Downton...then has to learn it again.

We have a rerun of Larry the Rude at dinner.

Rose even tells Atticus he has to "do it properly" when he's proposing...just like Mary wirh Matthew.

But to be honest, the first version of all of these stories is far superior. The show truly lost its way after Matthew died. The show should have ended with the cricket match.

What scenes that are not monumental still bring you great joy. Not the proposals or declarations of love, but the smaller ones.

For me, Thomas teaching Daisy The Grizzly dance, because everyone seems to enjoy themselves.

Robert being given the new puppy.

Charles and Mary throwing literal dirt on each other.

Sybil debuting her new outfit.

Those are some on my favorites, but there are many more. What are yours?

Okay...so Rip found the man who lied about the bull's health. Rip beats him, then lets him go. And then he and Beth burn down the trailer.

Why?

What the man did was a crime that destroyed their whole ranch. I would not have been surprised if they had killed him. (Can't call the authorities, because then everyone knows about the disease.) But why not search the trailer for info about who might have been behind the scam? They didn't check even a single document...just burned it all.

What was the point of it?

Cora knows enough about a painting to have multiple discussions regarding its importance, the meaning behind it, and its journey to her possession.

Later, however, when giving tours of the house, she has no clue about any of the paintings or architecture when the tourists ask.

Where did her curiosity about art history go? It is out of character for her not to have leanred about the house where she has lived for decades.

Their relationship is so uplifting. His unwavering love and support for his daughter-in-law is so pure. I wish everyone could experience that kind of affection and devotion.

"He's broken her heart repeatedly. I'm not gonna stand back and watch him do it again."

"He's broken her heart repeatedly. I'm not gonna stand back and watch him do it again."

"He's broken her heart repeatedly. I'm not gonna stand back and watch him do it again."

How many times will RJ say this?

Isn't this the opportunity to bring back some long-missed characters? Quinn designs jewelry...Amber and Sally both design clothing. Why not bring one or all of them in?

And stop dragging every story put so slowly. Katie has been searching for a designer for months now. And she needs more than fresh-out-of-school Deke. Get on with it.

Daphne told Dylan to track the important ingredients and their ratios. Either Electra or RJ (or maybe Ivy when she gets back) will tamper with the numbers to get Dylan fired.

People don't take turns running companies based on age or how long they've been there. And WHO CARES what is "means" to someone. That isn't how things work.

As for Brooke and Ridge, they re not "fashions greatest love story." They have been married and divorced repeatedly, and have each married a dozen other people. That is not a love story people want to idolize or emulate.

The dialogue for this story is laughable.

Her insistence "it's time" is absurd. There is no reason why the company should change leadership.

And Brooke taking a swipe at Steffy because Steffy got the company back from Bill is laughable. Brooke pushed Ridge to give her a promotion while dragging him into bed.

Steffy has done a great job over the years, and has also contributed to developing lines, like her youthful lingerie line (as opposed to the post-menopausal Brooke's Bedroom.)

Brooke and Hope need to sit down and be quiet for a while.