JPI/ABC
(From l. to r.) Y&R’s Jack (Peter Bergman), DAYS’s Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) and Vivian (Louise Sorel) and GH’s Michael (Chad Duell).
Playing old rivalries is Soaps 101, and some shows are acing it right now.
Y&R’s story of Daniel being blamed for Heather’s death resurrected two great feuds: Phyllis v. Sharon and Phyllis v. Christine. Both of those started over a man, of course, but decades later, they are still percolating with Phyllis’s son at the center. Chance arrested Daniel, so naturally Phyllis flipped out and made everything worse. Christine ordered Phyllis to shut up, and things went downhill from there.
Christine (sarcastic): “I don’t have time for our usual friendly banter.”
Phyllis: “I know what you’re doing.”
Christine: “I’m making sure Daniel has a good lawyer.”
Phyllis: “Great. Do you have the number of one?”
Phyllis accused Christine of taking the case to tank it and tried to “override” Daniel’s choice of an attorney by hiring Michael. He told her that’s not how it works.
Phyllis: “Christine hates me. She wants to destroy my life.”
Michael: “You act like Christine framed Daniel.”
Phyllis: “Not Christine. Sharon.”
Michael: “Do you have proof?”
Phyllis: “Mother’s intuition.”
Michael: “That’s not admissible in court.”
The irony of Phyllis getting help from her enemy, Christine, to bust her other enemy, Sharon, is not lost on anyone who watched this show in the 1990s — and that’s what makes it great.
The Victor v. Jack feud goes back just as far with even more vitriol. The latest chapters involve Victor hiring Jack’s son Kyle, Kyle sabotaging Jabot, Jack firing Diane, and Diane joining forces with Victor to get revenge. Jack and Diane’s breakup came out of the blue, so much so that some viewers suspect the couple staged it, but it has been entertaining.
Diane: “Good morning.”
Nikki: “Yes, it is. Be a shame to ruin it so early in the day.”
Diane: “I think you’ll be pleased by what I have to say: Jack and I split up.”
Diane launched into how Jack called her a gold digger, threw her out of the house, showed her no loyalty, etc., ultimately asking for Victor’s help making Jack pay. Tell me more, said Victor, metaphorically stroking a white cat like the villain in a James Bond movie.
Nikki was horrified, adding another layer to the drama.
Nikki (to Victor): “Are you driving a wedge between Jack and Kyle because Jack tried to save my life? I refuse to let you further your vendetta against Jack.”
Victor: “No one dictates to me.”
How many couples will be collateral damage in Victor and Jack’s war? Something’s up with Jack and Diane’s split, though. Traci called it, saying it was too sudden and questioning why Diane would admit to scheming to get the top job at Jabot.
Traci: “You make yourself sound so calculating. I don’t buy it. I’ve seen you change.”
Diane: “Since I abandoned my son and faked my death?”
Oh, that.
Steffy and Hope’s rivalry on B&B has taken a turn since Hope got the Forrester COO in her, ahem, corner. She’s got Carter ripping his shirt off and kissing her at work which shocked even long-time office schtupper Brooke Logan.
Brooke (walking in): “Oh my God, Hope! You and Carter?”
Yup. B&B looked around and asked, “Who’s single?” before suddenly pairing two characters who’ve been lukewarm to each other for over a decade. (Carter even officiated Hope’s wedding to Liam in 2018, which should at least be a conversation, but I digress.) The good news is that their unlikely pairing has ratcheted Steffy up to 11. First, Carter became Hope’s cheerleader in meetings, which Steffy did not appreciate.
Carter: “This Forrester vs. Logan nonsense is hurting the company.”
Steffy: “As CEO, I’m still your boss.”
Carter (later, to Hope): “I’ve got your back.”
And her front! Then, Carter’s behavior raised suspicions with Ridge, who discussed it with his daughter.
Steffy: “The timing makes me wonder if Hope is getting into Carter’s head somehow.”
You could say that. Hope donned a negligee in the office (those Logans never learn) to surprise Carter and mistakenly surprised Finn instead — and then tripped and fell on him.
Steffy: “Get off my husband right now!”
There goes any hope for her future.
Xander’s hope for his future — to trade his Titan stock to Kristen for some fakakta serum developed by Dr. Rolf that will “heal Sarah’s spinal injury” — was upended by a shocking return on DAYS.
Justin: “Someone has filed an injunction prohibiting the transfer of Xander’s Titan stock.”
Xander: “It would have to be a family member. It can’t be Alex, he’s not Victor’s son.”
Philip (entering): “But I am.”
Welcome back to Victor’s most entertaining offspring! I’d feel sorry for Xander if he hadn’t lost all rooting value when he tried to kill Brady for a crime Brady didn’t even commit.
Xander: “I’m appealing to you as my brother. Drop this lawsuit.”
Philip: “Not a chance in hell.”
Across town, Vivian — the woman who birthed Philip after swiping Kate and Victor’s embryo, wreaked similar havoc when she returned to interrupt her other son, Stefan, engaging in the No 1. activity at the DiMera mansion: Talking to Stefano’s portrait.
Stefan: “I am not giving up on my marriage to Gabi. I’m going to fight for the woman I love!”
Cue the taser.
Vivian: “Is he breathing?”
Ivan: “He lives, Madame.”
Vivian forged Stefan’s divorce papers, put his wedding ring in an envelope addressed to Gabi to save him from his “debilitating weakness for that cuckolding shrew,” and drove him out of town in the trunk of her car. What a sadly anti-climactic end for that once powerful couple.
Powerful rivalries ebb and flow on GH. Nina and Ava fought over Sonny and recovered, but half brothers Sonny and Ric will never get past their painful childhoods. Personally, I find the Quartermaine battles the soapiest. Lucy and Tracy’s feud goes back to the 1990s (when Lucy was married to Alan), which fuels their hatred while working together at Deception, and the wars over who will be ELQ’s CEO are endlessly entertaining. Score one for Ned, who hired a private detective to follow his cousin Drew around for dirt — and boy, did he get it. Quartermaine stablehand Cody got drunk, spied congressional candidate Drew slumming it at a bar with Nina, and punched him.
Cody: “You smug bastard. You’re making out with your nephew’s wife while you’re banging her mom?”
Nina (head in hands): “Ughhhh.”
Ned had video of the altercation in the span of a commercial break.
Tracy: “Tell me that’s real.”
Ned: “I hired a PI.”
Tracy: “My darling son, you are a genius. Remind me to give Cody a raise.”
Ned and Tracy tried to blackmail Drew, who turned around and told Michael he kissed Willow, which made Michael drown his sorrows at the same bar where Sasha was drowning hers over her forced breakup with “cousin Cody” and… Sasha and Michael woke up in bed together. Hilariously, Sasha tried to defend Willow kissing Drew to Michael, who had just had sex with her.
Sasha: “Willow’s been hating herself.”
Michael: “Maybe she should.”
There’s going to be a lot of hatred going around in the next few months… Will Sasha, the Q family cook, turn up pregnant with Michael’s child? That baby would be a member of all four major families in Port Charles: Scorpio, Quartermaine, Corinthos and Spencer. Picture grandmothers Carly and Holly (with Nina as Sasha’s de facto mom) and grandfathers Sonny and Robert carrying on their rivalries while actually related to each other. Talk about Soaps 101!
Hey. It’s only my opinion.
