Episode #588

[Michael]

Episode #588 has just been posted.

In this episode: Lauren awakens from her romp with Josh and has to face reality... Travis receives troubling news about his future with Elly... JD makes good on his threats against Tim's family!

Thank you, as always, for stopping by to read!

Please note: The above link will take you to the Current Episode page. For a permanent link to the printable version of this episode, go here.

[Ira]

Fun episode! I know the Lauren/Josh scenes came easily as per your comment on Twitter, and it shows. There was a nice ease to it, even in the scene where we just got inside Lauren's head. But of course, the old Lauren I'd like to smack across the face reared her naked self this week. "Oh, I can't be with you!" Whatever, heffa. But I do hope they make it. It was nice to see Courtney/Jason finally come together, so now we've got Lauren/Josh. I'm also intrigued as to what Jason's story will be, since you hinted at him coming back to the forefront. I wonder if he'll be involved in helping Lauren/Josh get together, since I doubt he'll be involved in a romantic storyline anytime soon because this isn't a TV soap where he'd have a new partner already.

I also wonder how the Tempest/Samantha scenes went, as far as writing. It's fun having them interacting. I had no idea Tempest would get roped into this. It should go a long way toward helping to integrate her with the teens.

Travis and Elly... I can assume she'll probably end up in King's Bay, because otherwise there's no story with her or Danielle, so I was less interested in the college development of hers. I'm actually a little antsy to have them interacting with one another, so I'm hoping that it happens sooner rather than later. Though I guess with college in the fall, it'll probably happen then.

Good work this week, Michael!

[Dallas]

Fun episode indeed! The car scenes were some of my favorite moments since Courtney/Sabrina ended. I'm still wondering if Tempest is really ... well, I won't say it aloud in case not everyone is thinking it. What a total creep JD is! The man just has no morals and doesn't know when to stop, even Cassandra told him to drop since it's just going to make things worse.

Lauren, Lauren, Lauren. I wanted to smack her the entire episode. "We can't be together", but you just had hot sex with him. haha. I loved the part at the end of the scene where she got another good look at him naked too.

Nice read, as per usual Michael!

d

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Ira

Fun episode! I know the Lauren/Josh scenes came easily as per your comment on Twitter, and it shows. There was a nice ease to it, even in the scene where we just got inside Lauren's head. But of course, the old Lauren I'd like to smack across the face reared her naked self this week. "Oh, I can't be with you!" Whatever, heffa. But I do hope they make it. It was nice to see Courtney/Jason finally come together, so now we've got Lauren/Josh.

Originally Posted by Dallas

Lauren, Lauren, Lauren. I wanted to smack her the entire episode. "We can't be together", but you just had hot sex with him. haha. I loved the part at the end of the scene where she got another good look at him naked too.

It was important for me to note that she's very attracted to him, but even though they had what was apparently great sex, it doesn't change Josh as a person. He hasn't been someone she could be in a relationship with, and sex won't magically change that fact. I know people see it as her being a harpy because he's hot and they obviously enjoy each other, but for Lauren as a character, it's an important distinction, and it's crucial that she stick to her guns.

Originally Posted by Ira

I'm also intrigued as to what Jason's story will be, since you hinted at him coming back to the forefront. I wonder if he'll be involved in helping Lauren/Josh get together, since I doubt he'll be involved in a romantic storyline anytime soon because this isn't a TV soap where he'd have a new partner already.

There's so much to play with Jason, as far as "How do you rebuild your life after it gets torn to pieces?" You're right in that I have no plans to shove him into a new romance, which would be ridiculous. Of course it'll happen down the road, but there are so many stories to tell that don't involve an immediate new pairing.

Originally Posted by Ira

Travis and Elly... I can assume she'll probably end up in King's Bay, because otherwise there's no story with her or Danielle, so I was less interested in the college development of hers. I'm actually a little antsy to have them interacting with one another, so I'm hoping that it happens sooner rather than later. Though I guess with college in the fall, it'll probably happen then.

They've been very backburner, which as a writer tells me that I'm not that compelled by them. Really, Elly hasn't been onscreen much, so what interests me is what she accomplishes for Travis and Danielle. We're going to get her into King's Bay to play out those dynamics, but I have some ideas about how to shake things up. I admit this whole KBU thing is not the most fascinating situation in the world, so, uh... it's going to go really quickly?

Originally Posted by Dallas

Fun episode indeed! The car scenes were some of my favorite moments since Courtney/Sabrina ended. I'm still wondering if Tempest is really ... well, I won't say it aloud in case not everyone is thinking it. What a total creep JD is! The man just has no morals and doesn't know when to stop, even Cassandra told him to drop since it's just going to make things worse.

I think a lot of people have had the same thought about Tempest. I won't say anything one way or the other, but there is a reason I put her in these JD/Samantha scenes.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the episode, guys!

[Andy Eckles]

Another stellar episode! This was breezy and fun. I loved the intrigue with J.D. and Samantha and Tempest. I liked that you chose to rope Tempest into this drama - a nice little twist. This guy J.D. is a loose cannon and I shudder to think of what he may do. Better yet, what is Tim going to do? Aarrghh.... The pace of this storyline is going along very fast so I'm sure all answers will be provided soon, but still I'm eager.

Loved the Lauren/Josh scenes sooo much. They are two characters that really pop out off the page for me. Josh is one of my favorite characters because he's cocky and a little sleazy and I love those types of characters. But he's also a genuinly nice guy I think, which gives him another dimension. The scene with them trying to close the suitcase was pure entertainment. I can probably see why Lauren is fighting so hard to deny that she wants him (and I do think that she does), and it will be entertainment as well to see how long she can keep it up. Josh's reaction to her leaving was great too.

In addition, it was great to see Lauren missing Courtney and wishing she could call her to talk about her mess. Scenes like that are often dismissed in other series and even on TV (probably especially on TV) so it was a nice addition. A thousand kudos for these Josh/Lauren scenes.

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Andy Eckles

Another stellar episode! This was breezy and fun. I loved the intrigue with J.D. and Samantha and Tempest. I liked that you chose to rope Tempest into this drama - a nice little twist. This guy J.D. is a loose cannon and I shudder to think of what he may do. Better yet, what is Tim going to do? Aarrghh.... The pace of this storyline is going along very fast so I'm sure all answers will be provided soon, but still I'm eager.

I really love these fast-paced little arcs, but it makes me crazy because I have to pump out the eps more quickly. I thought of lumping this all into one big, long episode, but I feel the storytelling loses the daytime feel if I do that. I like an event stretching out over a few short installments, with the spikes in excitement for end-of-episode cliffhangers. Anyway, it's a good thing I have time to write FP these days!

Originally Posted by Andy Eckles

In addition, it was great to see Lauren missing Courtney and wishing she could call her to talk about her mess. Scenes like that are often dismissed in other series and even on TV (probably especially on TV) so it was a nice addition. A thousand kudos for these Josh/Lauren scenes.

Great! That Courtney bit was an important inclusion to me. Killing her has no resonance if the people who were close to her aren't affected by it in surprising moments -- the way loss hits us in real life. Lauren's perfectly capable of going about her life without her BFF, but she's caught off-guard at times like this when she's reminded how much she needs that person.

Thanks for the post, Andy!

[kira]

Like others I really loved seeing that Lauren's first instinct was to call Courtney. I'm all about emotional continuity, and that's what I adore in FP! Very touching. I was curious if Josh needs some "Breathe Right" strips for his apparent snoring.

Waitasec ... if Trevor's in Europe, why is Lauren worried that it's the middle of the night? She just woke up in the early part of the day, which means Trevor's probably in the late afternoon (depending where he is).

I can't believe these kids are already getting accepted to colleges! I thought they were still juniors! My memory's playing tricks on me--I've been misremembering that I was 18 during my senior year, but no, I was 17 like these guys are. Man. You younger types probably can't imagine forgetting something like that, right?

Kinda surprised that Travis is settling for King's Bay College; seems like the type who'd want to spread those wings! I know, I know, he has to stay on the canvas. (And such a deliciously soapy name! I love how these soap colleges are always "Pine Valley University" or "Salem University," never a regular name like Cornell or Vassar or Duke or Bigglesworth.)

More seriously, I really appreciate that Travis is still a bit of a selfish dick. He remains true to his character. Plus, he's a teenaged guy. No offense to the many teen guys out there, but... well. Part of growing up is discovering that it's not all about you, and Travis is still struggling with that, as is understandable for a kid his age. Elly's got a good head on her shoulders, btw. Like to see her knowing her own mind.

Speaking of which, go Samantha! She and Lauren are turning into my favorite characters in town. I just like level-headed people, though by their nature, they're not as easy to write dramatic stuff for. And yet here you've done it, with an exciting carjacking. And lo! JD is taking Tempest and Samantha somewhere. I wonder if they'll end up heading to Cassandra's? I wonder if anyone will recognize anyone else? (For the record: I'm really hoping not.) Anyway, how cute was Samantha reeling off Tempest's entire history to JD? I'm already trying to figure out a way how I'd escape in a similar situation, and I'm drawing a blank. Solid tense writing here. Poor Tim & Samantha! And Tempest too I guess. Still not winning me over with her "don't ask me questions" bullshit, but that's in character too. I don't mind disliking people if they're acting in character.

Back to Josh/Lauren: Great reference to their using a condom. Yay! Lauren's responsible! More true-to-herself stuff. And also that she prefers Josh a little less buffed. I'm on her side: I find a little less tautness and more humanity is waaay more appealing in a guy. What isn't appealing, OTOH, is Josh being such a total asshat. I know, everyone else here is on Josh's side. Me, I think Lauren was an idiot to sleep with him last night, and so her reaction makes 100% sense. Josh hasn't changed; he's still justifying his illegal coke deal, he's justifying his sleazy seduction of a client's wife, he still apparently thinks her cancer scare was all about him... this shit has to stop, or at least decrease, before Lauren throws caution to the wind and starts a relationship with the guy again. And I like these two crazy kids together! But Lauren's right to leave. And the rest of y'all haters can bite me.

Thanks for the fun ep, Michael!

[Michael]

Originally Posted by kira

Waitasec ... if Trevor's in Europe, why is Lauren worried that it's the middle of the night? She just woke up in the early part of the day, which means Trevor's probably in the late afternoon (depending where he is).

It's actually afternoon for Josh and Lauren. They were at lunch with the Sue Casa clients. The first paragraph of the ep says:

For the briefest of moments, she thinks it might be morning and wonders what happened last night... until she realizes that it is late afternoon, and she knows exactly what took place before her unplanned nap.

So she had no idea what time it was specifically where Trevor is, but she's in the ballpark.

Originally Posted by kira

I can't believe these kids are already getting accepted to colleges! I thought they were still juniors! My memory's playing tricks on me--I've been misremembering that I was 18 during my senior year, but no, I was 17 like these guys are. Man. You younger types probably can't imagine forgetting something like that, right?

It's funny -- I turned 17 during my senior year, but most everyone else was 18 by graduation. I got a little stuck with Travis because his birthday is in June, and when I jumped him to 15, I made him a sophomore, but that meant he didn't turn 16 until sophomore year was over, and it's gone from there. I'd already have made Landon 18, but there's a reason I don't want him to be 18 just yet. Anyway, time is killing me with these kids. My story pacing is WAY too slow for characters who are bound to a rigid schedule as with school years. That's the downside of sticking to real-world time, I suppose. I feel like I'm constantly sprinting trying to keep up with them.

Originally Posted by kira

Kinda surprised that Travis is settling for King's Bay College; seems like the type who'd want to spread those wings! I know, I know, he has to stay on the canvas. (And such a deliciously soapy name! I love how these soap colleges are always "Pine Valley University" or "Salem University," never a regular name like Cornell or Vassar or Duke or Bigglesworth.)

KBU was established from when I was a dumb 14-year-old and the Jason, Courtney, etc, crowd attended, so I figured I should use it again. It's also a public university, so I figure naming it after its location makes some sense (that was just retroactive blind luck, though). In all honesty, I'm having a bit more trouble with the idea of Samantha attending KBU, because she seems like she'd shoot for a terrific school probably out of state -- so we'll see how I handle that when the time comes.

Originally Posted by kira

Speaking of which, go Samantha! She and Lauren are turning into my favorite characters in town. I just like level-headed people, though by their nature, they're not as easy to write dramatic stuff for. And yet here you've done it, with an exciting carjacking. And lo! JD is taking Tempest and Samantha somewhere. I wonder if they'll end up heading to Cassandra's? I wonder if anyone will recognize anyone else? (For the record: I'm really hoping not.) Anyway, how cute was Samantha reeling off Tempest's entire history to JD? I'm already trying to figure out a way how I'd escape in a similar situation, and I'm drawing a blank. Solid tense writing here. Poor Tim & Samantha! And Tempest too I guess. Still not winning me over with her "don't ask me questions" bullshit, but that's in character too. I don't mind disliking people if they're acting in character.

I'm having a ton of fun with Samantha. She's a very particular character, and I can hear her in my head quite well already. This insane situation is a great way to toss her into the fire and see how she fares, and I have to say, she's a smart kid. I'm glad Tempest isn't ringing false to you, if nothing else. Obviously this "I'm not talking" thing won't last forever.

Originally Posted by kira

Back to Josh/Lauren: Great reference to their using a condom. Yay! Lauren's responsible! More true-to-herself stuff. And also that she prefers Josh a little less buffed. I'm on her side: I find a little less tautness and more humanity is waaay more appealing in a guy. What isn't appealing, OTOH, is Josh being such a total asshat. I know, everyone else here is on Josh's side. Me, I think Lauren was an idiot to sleep with him last night, and so her reaction makes 100% sense. Josh hasn't changed; he's still justifying his illegal coke deal, he's justifying his sleazy seduction of a client's wife, he still apparently thinks her cancer scare was all about him... this shit has to stop, or at least decrease, before Lauren throws caution to the wind and starts a relationship with the guy again. And I like these two crazy kids together! But Lauren's right to leave. And the rest of y'all haters can bite me.

The way I see it, why would Lauren change her mind about him just because they slept together? She's obviously still attracted to him, and she isn't denying that, but wanting his body doesn't mean she wants to form a partnership with this guy whose actions so often starkly contrast with how she would choose to live her life. I know people just want them to get together -- and so do I -- but there's no way one good round of sex is changing Lauren's mind. Sarah or Claire, maybe.

Thanks for your comments, Kira!