ABC
Connect: On GH, Ava (Maura West) and Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) dialogue is a highlight.
Why do soaps create farfetched drama when there are logical, compelling stories right there for the taking?
Example: Y&R trying to make fetch happen with Danny/Phyllis/Christine. Once a week we see the women stalk him and Danny ask them to go away.
Phyllis (to Danny): “I see the future the two of us could have.”
Ding dong! It’s Christine. Danny asks both of them to leave again. They spar.
Christine: “You don’t love Danny. You love making my life hell. You’re the same nasty, mean girl.”
Phyllis: “At least I’m not boring.”
Danny: “Take it out in the hall.”
Sniping about DNA tests, drugs, the octopus in the bed, being broke and alone… Where is the rooting value here? For Danny to hire a security guard and vanquish them both?
Ditto two other successful women fighting over the show’s least likable character, a guy who has screwed them both over many times.
Audra: “If you want a future with Tucker, it’s too late.”
Ashley: “You’re afraid he’s not over me.”
Audra: “If you try to seduce him, you’ll have to deal with me.”
Ashley: “Ooh, scary.”
Audra: “Admit it, you want Tucker back.”
Ashley: “I don’t have to admit anything, you bitch.”
Good Lord. That snipe fest was beneath both women, especially when Y&R is telling the same story with Christine and Phyllis mudslinging over Danny.
More compelling would be Amanda staking her claim back on Devon who spends no romantic time with Abby. Or Kyle sticking his nose into Summer’s new fling with Chance. Or Nick and Sharon reconnecting and Sally deciding she wants Nick back.
The money triangle in my book is Billy/Chelsea/Lily because it would help Billy at work to have Lily on his side and he’s just Machiavellian enough to pursue her solely for that reason.
Like I said, logical stories.
Elsewhere, Poppy and her magic mints was an unfortunate detour for B&B but Steffy’s concern about Sheila made perfect sense. It was strange, though, that Steffy went to Deacon’s out of the blue to punch Sheila. Sheila was outraged.
Deacon: “I haven’t seen you like this in a long time.”
Sheila: “Big bad Sheila isn’t allowed to feel human emotions?”
Not after you shot your own son and left him to bleed out in alley.
Sheila: “Steffy is standing between me and my family!”
Her own actions did that, but whatever. It was good to foreshadow Sheila’s death by having Finn tell Hope that Steffy said that the only way she would ever feel safe is if Sheila was dead (dun-dun-DUN) but how could Finn sit in his office idly chatting when he knew Steffy was home alone and afraid during a blackout?
Finn (to Hope): “Right now I feel like my wife needs me.”
Ya think? Sheila broke in, Steffy grabbed a knife, and Sheila wound up dead on the floor after 30-plus years of terror on both Y&R and B&B.
Ridge: “She broke into your house. That animal got what she deserved.”
Finn: “That animal was my mother! Sheila was my mother!”
Sheila was his birth mother. Where is Li in this story, Finn’s actual mom who raised him? Oh yeah, yelling at her sudden sister Poppy about her sex life 20 years ago and talking about mints.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away…
Like Y&R, GH is trying to make fetch happen with couples Finn/Liz, Sasha/Cody and Carly/Drew. That makes little sense, because look what they accomplished in a few episodes with our sweet Maxie/Spinelli! Rooting value is key to a successful couple.
Carly just proved she doesn’t need a man for her livelihood by quitting Crimson and retaking her role as Bobbie’s champion at the diner, and she has genuine heat with Brennan and Jagger.
Carly (snarky to Jagger after he trashed Sonny): “Feds making small talk with me is never a coincidence… and by the way, you’re drinking Corinthos coffee.”
Score! And who is this Stone “ghost” ordering hits on people? We all suspect Jason but it’s fun to watch the cops investigate. Sonny explaining to Ava what the late Stone meant to him was next level — their dialogue really sparkles.
Sonny: “Stone represents all the people I couldn’t save.”
Ava: “You can’t be responsible for everybody.”
Sonny: “That’s not how I feel. My mother, Lily, Courtney, Morgan – I couldn’t do anything for any of them.”
Ava: “You blame yourself.”
Sonny: “How could I not?”
Ava: “You have me.”
Sonny: “Who would have guessed?”
Cut to Nina asking Ava to interfere on her behalf with Sonny. Awkward! It would be a shame to lose that female friendship, but the messiness is too delicious to ignore. Turn up the heat on Ava/Sonny/Nina/Valentin and let us watch those fireworks.
For farfetched, look no further than the convoluted drug story on DAYS where a convicted felon in prison is ordering hits on cops and blackmailing A-listers into dealing drugs. That, plus all the actors playing confusing dual roles and I find myself starved for familiar faces like Doug, Julie, Maggie, Marlena, etc.
Well, whaddya know? Along came a bottle episode about the Horton’s history that defined drama and showcased everything we love about DAYS.
The device of the black and white reboot of Tom and Alice in 1930 felt hokey at first, but as they wove their 1930s history into the story of the charred Horton house I started to buy it.
Young Tom: “I love you, Alice Horton.”
Young Alice: “I love you, Tom Horton.”
Julie and Maggie were going through the rubble when John/Marlena and Roman/Kate joined them, bringing Alice’s donuts as a symbol of hope. (I wish it was the actual Hope, but okay back to the action.)
Using Leo as a device to learn more about the Hortons pegged to the fire had a news angle to it which made sense for The Spectator and helped soften him. I’m good with making Leo a less creepy character leering at every man on the show. He showed real heart sympathizing with Chad.
Leo (re: Thomas): “Poor little guy. You would walk through fire for those kids. You did.”
Julie explained to Leo how her mother was married to Doug before Julie married him and her aunt Marie fell in love with her own brother Tommy.
Maggie: “The Hortons had their share of drama. They had mental illness, addiction, infidelity…
Doug: “Stranglers, stalkers, demon possession…”
Julie: “But we rose above all that!”
Indeed. Alice was shown in beautiful flashbacks with Lucas, Julie and Maggie, Tom’s beloved chair was recovered (“Grandma and Grandpa were watching over it,” smiled Julie) and they even found the cherished Christmas ornaments had survived the fire in a cardboard box in the basement. (Note to the props department: It would have made more sense if the box was metal.)
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Julie, Doug and Maggie sang “Always” and DAYS flashed back to Doug singing it with Tom and Alice.
Rarely do we get to say goodbye to a beloved actor and character in real time but that was it. RIP sweet Doug Williams and even sweeter Bill Hayes.
It was the most compelling episode in years. Let’s have more of that!
Hey. It’s only my opinion.
