Soap Opera
Actor Of The Week: Previous Winners

  1. Jane Elliot (Tracy, GH)
    (Week Ending March 22, 2024)

    Honestly, I was struggling to come up with an actor of the week this week, the shows mostly felt like they were in a transitional place this week, on their way to the next big pivotal standout moments, so then I thought, well, it doesn’t have to be who most brought the drama, how about who most entertained me this week? Instantly, Jane Elliot came to mind. Everyone’s favorite curmudgeon had a series of warm fuzzy moments this week, she offered daughter-in-law Olivia comfort and coffee, she saw Cody in a nicer light during through James eyes and even invited the two for hot chocolate, plus she gave Stella the room to vent without verbally hitting back, which felt like the beginning of a good new friendship. Any other curmudgeon/villain who experienced that many cozy moments over the course of a week would probably feel way too far out of character, but not Tracy, Jane Elliot has mastered the art of believably combining prickly cactus with a big, if reluctant heart beating underneath it all.


  2. Steve Burton (Jason, GH)
    (Week Ending March 15, 2024)

    I don’t tend to enjoy General Hospital’s Jason, unless you count his island adventure with Karen and Jagger. However, compared to Cameron Mathison’s Drew, Jason’s now almost a pleasure to watch, at least every once in a while Jason comes across like an empathetic human (the same cannot be said of Drew). Storytelling that wants viewers to question Jason’s unwavering loyalty/moral code, is kind of absurd, fortunately though, there’s more to Jason’s return than the nonsense of Sam and Sonny doubting him, like say the poignant moment Jason learned Bobbie died, the tears that sprang into his eyes and the compassion over his best friend’s loss did feel every bit as grounded and authentic as you’d want from a scene like that. I may not be a Jason and Carly fan, but when you’ve had to endure a dud of a relationship like Carly and Drew, it does make you more appreciative of a connection between characters that is as apparent as the one between Carly and Jason and the part an actor plays in making that bond felt.


  3. Judah Mackey (Connor, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 8, 2024)

    Y&R has so far only really given one episode to Connor’s OCD, and with the way they handled the recent hearing impairment storyline mostly off-screen rather than on, I’m not expecting much for this non-business related plot, either, but after watching Connor’s first therapy session, I hope they’ll surprise me by delving into this with the depth and attention it warrants. The therapy session did feel somewhat like the writers were running through a checklist googled for OCD symptoms, the script could have done with more nuance, still, Judah Mackey sold the material with the way he played Connor, the worry in asking if he was in trouble and had he done something wrong, then the emotional arc in the therapist’s office, initially showing Connor’s fear and hesitation, letting that apprehension gradually slip away the more Connor opened up. Mackey did an admirable job with it, he’s clearly got the ability at this young age to tackle serious drama, so I wish Y&R would take this further, let us see what the day-to-day challenges for a kid navigating OCD looks like, especially since I don’t recall any soap telling this story before.


  4. Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH)
    (Week Ending March 1, 2024)

    General Hospital hasn’t been kind to Kirsten Storms’ Maxie in recent years, putting her in two relationships that did not work, having her leave the fashion world (and seemingly her sense of style) behind for a position at a cosmetics company that for the most part hasn’t been any more riveting than the business stories over at Y&R (basically a sleeping pill in television form). My hopes for any plot worthy of Kirsten’s talents has dwindled even further as it appears the show is determined to reunite Maxie with Spinelli, a romance that already failed a long time ago and still doesn’t have the necessary spark, just look at their scenes this week where they confessed their feelings for one another and rather than being the giddy head over heels moment that should be in someone’s life, they just sounded like two people very much settling for the safe bet and isn’t GH already populated with enough couples like that (Carly/Drew, Liz/Finn, Sam/Dante, Robert/Diane, Cody/Sasha, etc)? But at least there was a moment this week where Maxie demanded better for herself (unfortunately later, mom Felicia talked Maxie out of that momentary burst of self-esteem). Spinelli admitted that he’d lied about the plumbing issues so he could pay Maxie “rent” to fix her financial issues, and Maxie, upset that the guy duped her rather than trust that she is a capable adult who could come to him for help if that was how she wanted to handle her situation. Watching Maxie (however temporarily) kick Spinelli to the curb, we saw the kind of spunk Kirsten Storms can bring to the role, a spunk I fear will be smothered in a “romance” with a character like Spinelli who always seems intent on either managing or judging Maxie instead of enjoying her for the live wire this dynamic actress has crafted Maxie to be.


  5. Elia Cantu (Jada, Days)
    (Week Ending February 23, 2024)

    Days is not without issues on screen and off at the moment, but on the plus side, this week the Everett mystery finally moved forward. I feel like the soap has let down Elia Cantu more often than not when it comes to giving the actress her big moments (the most glaring was Jada pursuing an abortion off-screen rather than bringing the viewers along to the clinic for the emotional beats), so I wondered whether Jada would actually get her due in this story either, but thankfully the reveal that Everett is Jada’s ex by another name, wasn’t just all about Stephanie and Everett. Cantu took Jada from shocked to fired up in an instant, unwilling to be played for a fool a second time by this guy, even when the script called for Rafe to usher her out of there, basically stop her from making a scene, Cantu didn’t let up on the aggression Jada felt, putting Everett on notice as she left that she wouldn’t let this go and it made for a great watch, as did her charged up conversation with Everett the next day when she proved her case. After months of watching characters tiptoe around an amnesiac criminal on General Hospital, it was gratifying to see Days put Jade in a position to stand up for herself and Elia Cantu played it with gusto.


  6. Jophielle Love (Violet, GH)
    (Week Ending February 16, 2024)

    Between Drew, Carly, and Nina, this endless cycle of vindictive retaliation is just making this trio feel tiresome and childish (correction on that, Carly and Nina seem childish, Drew’s threatening demeanor and tone is veering over the edge into abusive, which is what we’re all looking for in a romantic leading man, right?). I found a whole lot more maturity and entertainment value this week in one of GH’s youngest cast members, Jophielle Love’s Violet. In tough scenes, the actress was called upon to react to the news that her grandfather is ill and won’t get better, and she did a wonderful job with the material from conveying wide-eyed concern, to Violet’s precocious decision to process the information and ultimately, bringing in a blanket and a book to read to her grandfather, ending things on pretty much the sweetest note ever. What a lovely respite Violet’s selflessness provided from the insufferable adults running around Port Charles with seemingly their only thoughts consisting of “me, me, me.”


  7. Arianne Zucker (Nicole, Days)
    (Week Ending February 9, 2024)

    I’ve always been a big admirer of Arianne Zucker’s work on Days Of Our Lives, to me, she’s one of the greatest talents daytime’s ever seen, but the courage and strength she’s shown off-screen is even more admirable.


  8. Eileen Davidson (Ashley, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 2, 2024)

    I’m annoyed all the time when soaps don’t use their vast character histories as much as they could, so I really like that Ashley’s current story taps into her many bouts with mental health struggles (including a time Adam gaslit her) and Tucker’s history plays well into it, too, his past cruelty and consistantly slippery personality make him a prime candidate for someone who wouldn’t hesitate to drive the woman he loves out of her mind, add to that the show’s smart decision to not show us their Paris breakup in ‘real time,’ instead leaving a big question mark as to whose flashback POV is closer to the truth and you get kind of an old school noir feel meets early seasons of The Affair, where the viewer doesn’t quite know which account to trust. The guessing game of is he gaslighting her or is she spiraling all on her own has an intriguing unpredictable quality, how often do we truly not know what direction a soap plot is headed in? The intrigue wouldn’t be nearly as strong though without Eileen Davidson delivering Hitchcock blonde vibes, osscilating so convincingly between absolute confidence in herself, to crestfallen self-doubt, and then fury aimed at her ex, a gamut we saw the actress so fantastically run during her conversation with the waiter in Paris and in that conversation’s aftermath. I’m sure this storyline is frustrating some viewers, particularly the fact that its keeping fan fave Ashley in Tucker’s orbit, but appreciate the big positive here, we’ve got a beloved veteran front and center of storyline and she’s basically giving an acting masterclass.


  9. Kate Mansi (Kristina, GH)
    (Week Ending January 26, 2024)

    It’s a challenging thing to come in as a recast, especially a recast for an actress the fans had loved since she was a teen (even if the show itself seemed to rarely share that same level of appreciation for her), but maybe not so surprisingly to those of us who considered Kate Mansi our favorite Abby on Days, she’s quickly found her own groove as Kristina, playing so well off of everyone around her, particularly as Kristina learned she was pregnant with a baby for her sister. Mansi has been with the show for less than a year, yet she gives you such a strong sense of the lifelong history between Kristina and her family members, especially the way she interacted with them this week, so reassuring with Molly, weary yet hopeful opposite her mom, and like she was receiving an endless hug throughout the conversation with her adoring dad. Mansi’s clear understanding of each of these relationship dynamics along with the inherent warmth she brings to those family scenes has rendered her version of Kristina every bit as endearing as her predecessor.


  10. Jessica Serfaty (Sloane, Days)
    (Week Ending January 19, 2024)

    There must be Days viewers who love the devil storyline, and love characters who pass themselves off as someone else just by wearing masks despite not being remotely being the same body type and of course, the extensive Dr. Rolf ouevre of brainwashing, revivals from the dead, etc., but I’m just not that viewer. I’m happiest in Salem whenever the cartoonish stuff takes a holiday and we’re treated to a week like this one where we get to see the characters in more every day circumstances. While most of us can’t relate to stealing a baby, we can identify with feeling guilt over something as well as nerves in a social situation, those were real life type of emotions we saw in Sloane this week, perhaps the only real life emotions we’ve seen from the character other than when she miscarried, so what do you know, as a drunken Sloane stood there at her disastrous dinner party with her in-laws, rambling about doing anything, including breaking laws for her kid and delivering painful jokes to an unamused Marlena, seeing Sloane as this vulnerable person who actually is affected by her bad deeds and is intimidated by her mother-in-law, miracle of miracles, I almost kind of liked Sloane in that moment and I did very much like Serfaty’s performance, playing drunk or high can sometimes go as over the top as playing someone possessed but the actress kept her performance fairly grounded while still convincingly giving us the hot mess of it all. If there’s any chance of me long-term liking, let alone loving the newer crop of characters on Days, it will be through material like this, contrary to what television shows and movies sometimes think, you don’t need a bunch of bells and whistles, outlandish plots or shock value for shock value’s sake, just give us characters with recognizable emotions and you can put them in the most ordinary circumstances like a dinner party and it’ll be compelling enough to ensure we tune in tomorrow. Simple actually is better when it comes to storytelling, there’s a reason a show like Yellowstone is so popular and their fans are so invested, and it’s got nothing to do with convoluted gimmicks.


  11. Bobbie’s Farewell, GH
    (Week Ending January 12, 2024)

    The Felicia and Carly team up stretched credibility with their extremely fast travel, I also didn’t love that the conversation with Felicia was yet another attempt by the writers to whitewash Carly’s past behavior, behavior that was the cruelest anyone’s ever been to Bobbie (even Lucy’s bet with Damian did not come close), plus I couldn’t help thinking where was this plot of Bobbie helping victims of trafficking when for the last decade or more Jackie Zeman was given nothing whatsoever to do other than support Carly? It would have been an excellent dramatic storyline for her to play out and you couldn’t come up with it until after she was gone? That’s beyond irritating. But, and this is a big but, GH did a lovely job with everything else here. Carly having mature conversations with Elizabeth and Sonny about Bobbie without an ounce of her usual contentiousness. Everyone’s speeches at the memorial were so well-written and delivered, especially Laura being spot on with saying Bobbie was someone who led with her heart which led to her good and bad choices, and of course, Scott’s emotional realization that Bobbie was one of the best friends he ever had. I also appreciated the show remembering that even though Lucy and Bobbie’s relationship was antagonistic, they shared a love of Bobbie’s daughter, BJ. Which brings me to the genius move to bring Brighton Hertford back, who really did wonderfully subtle work as the angel version of BJ. Lastly, the moment the Kelly’s sign broke I thought, seriously, they’re going to change the name of Kelly’s, aren’t they? All through the remainder of the episode as someone pretty married to tradition (for instance, I’ll never forgive the show for wrecking the Q mansion) I was not thrilled with the idea, but I fully admit, the moment the camera zoomed in on Bobbie’s name on that sign, it actually felt right. Now, next up, an overdue tribute to Stuart Damon?


  12. Arianne Zucker (Nicole, Days)
    (Week Ending January 5, 2024)

    This week self-righteous hypocracy and intense reactions ruled GH as Nina faced fallout for turning in guilty criminals, a highly emotional Claire on Y&R booted newfound (maybe) mom Victoria out of her life, and yay, B&B finally circled back to Thomas running a teenager off the road, every show served up juicy stuff to start the new year, but none better than Arianne Zucker as Nicole, seated at the bedside of her overdosed, comatose teenager, her voice breaking right along with her heart as she sang Hush Little Baby. I realize how early it is to say this, but did we maybe just see the best scene of the year already? It’s one of those moments so memorable that it’ll undoubtedly burn itself permanently into my soap memory bank. Singing a lullabye could have so easily strayed into cheesy-land, but I mean, this is the most talented actress to never have won an Emmy, maybe even the most talented actress in daytime period, so what we got was a life-like mom desperately attempting to cling to hope while waves of grief washed through her. Just perfection. My only complaint here is that we’re only just now seeing Nicole be a mother, how many years did Days waste keeping Holly off-screen in other rooms when we all knew from Arianne Zucker’s scenes with Sydney that Nicole as a mom, is Nicole at her best, it’s all the levels of depth and then some.


  13. Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn, GH)
    (Week Ending December 29, 2023)

    I’ve been a Lucy fan since pretty much the minute I started watching GH, however, even I have to admit those were some very low blows she hurled at Tracy over Luke this week. I’ll always love Lucy, but when your words are so cruel that they silence Tracy Quartermaine, clearly you’ve crossed a line and deserve to have someone come blasting right back at you. All that fire and heart in defense of Brook Lynn’s granny was delivered to perfection by Amanda Setton. The Quartermaine legacy is in such good hands with this actress, unlike some other additions to the Quartermaine family over the last decade or so, Setton seems to have that classic Q fighting spirit in her bones, she gets that to portray this family right you’ve got love as hard as you squabble.


  14. Christmas On The Soaps
    (Week Ending December 22, 2023)

    It’s the holiday season, so I’m in the mood to celebrate every soap, even the one that wasn’t all in on the festivity. I’ll start with the minimal festivity, that would be The Bold and The Beautiful, as I’ve said many a year recently with GH, not sure death and dying are really what viewers are looking for this time of year, on top of the fact that this has had the whiff of last minute miracle for a soap opera disease written all over it from the get go so it hasn’t been the most convincing or surprising, but Thorsten Kaye did have another stellar week, as Ridge anguished over whether he did the right thing by signing off on his dad’s experimental surgery. Y&R surprised me in that I was never a big fan of Danny and Christine, and even less so once Phyllis came into the picture, however, turns out they were my favorite aspect of Y&R’s holiday offerings, there was something just so old school fun about Christine dropping by to see Danny only to find Phyllis there, the ladies disagreeing over a Danny story, and each having their gloating moment over time spent with Danny, Phyllis initially, and Christine in the end. General Hospital has improved their festive quota by a thousand percent, there was much to enjoy, the reindeer antlers, Monica happy to stick it to Tracy by letting Lois stay, mobster Sonny negotiating with his little girl over opening gifts, Elizabeth being a supportive mom and even the heavier stuff, like Gregory’s request or little Violet worried about her dad’s future had such a heartwarming bent to it that it wasn’t a downer, it was in fact, the kind of family oriented beats I always crave. Lastly, on Days, there are nowhere near enough Hortons anymore which is just plain wrong (and fixable), but even if we someday get to the point where it’s just Julie at the tree by herself, seeing those ornaments hung on the tree will always be my favorite thing, second best this week, Steve and Kayla, John and Marlena, Roman and Kate, reminisced over past holidays, again, like the Horton population, it wasn’t enough, and the way the show seems to be islanding these characters in the Brady Pub as if they aren’t vital anymore is beyond stupid, but I’ll take what little I can get of this group until someone behind the scenes at Days wakes up and realizes they not only still have so much story to tell, they’re the reason why the majority of us continue to tune in. Can’t say I’ll ever feel nostalgic over Alex and Chanel’s threesome as the two of them did this week, but Sweetness as Santa, absolutely, that is my show.


  15. Leslie Charleson (Monica, GH)
    (Week Ending December 15, 2023)

    It’s always a good week when another Quartermaine comes home, contrary to what producers and writers of GH seem to have concluded over the last decade or so, we, the viewers, love this family, the more of them, the merrier the show. I have hopes for some classic Q squabbling between Monica and Tracy for Christmas, but even if that doesn’t ultimately materialize, just these scenes alone this week were gratifying to watch. I don’t know what kept Leslie Charleson away from the show, I just imagine whatever it was, the journey back was likely a difficult one and I couldn’t be more pleased for the actress that she reached the point where she felt up to returning to a role she clearly loves and still relishes the opportunity to play. All that said, she isn’t just actor of the week because I’m glad she’s back, it’s that she came back in administration scenes that on paper probably weren’t all that interesting, yet put those words in the hands of a pro on Charleson’s level and right out of the gate after such a long layoff, she managed to bring the emotion, she brought that flair of Monica’s trademark fire in advocating for Finn, insisting that the hospital would stand with him in the malpractice suit, it felt like old times, my favorite kind of days at General Hospital.


  16. Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki, Y&R)
    (Week Ending December 8, 2023)

    Every time I’ve heard Melody Thomas Scott mention her love of Lucille Ball, I’ve thought how great would it be if Y&R gave her a full-on comedic arc to play, but then when I see Scott perform as she did this week, I get why they always send dramatic stuff her way, she’s just so good at it. I’m sure this is similar to what I’ve said any time I’ve selected Melody Thomas Scott for actor of the week, but I love her commitment to this role and to making it real for the viewers. I love that she’s one of the most beautiful women in daytime television yet she’ll throw that vanity out the window, turn down the glam hair and makeup when Nikki’s in crisis so that the character comes off like someone in real life would when they’re in turmoil and outward appearance would be a total afterthought compared to the doom spiral inside them. But it isn’t just the willingness to tone down her look, it’s all the physical and emotional details of the performance that bring it together so impressively, particularly when we saw Nikki at her AA meeting, when she’s telling them what she knows sounds like a completely outlandish story about having alcohol forced on her, and then she took responsibility for the drinks that came after that, the guilt and shame mixed with some relief in unburdening all of it, was really, really well played. Honorable mention to General Hospital for getting their holiday season off to a rousing start with tree decorating and little Violet’s song, giving off far more festive vibes than the dark, depressing death centered stories of recent Christmas’s in Port Charles.


  17. Hayley Erin (Claire, Y&R)
    (Week Ending December 1, 2023)

    Although an entertaining few episodes for Colleen Zenk so far, the material given to her hasn’t yet lived up to the kind of complicated woman I know she can play, but while I wait for Y&R to truly give Zenk something worthier of her than one note villain scenes, another past favorite, Hayley Erin, had more to work with emotionally this week. Claire, in a stunned heartbeat, went from grilling the parents who allegedly abandoned her, so infuriated by their actions that she was willing to let them die, only to learn that they didn’t give her up, she was stolen. Just like that, Hayley Erin navigated Claire through that extreme swing in such an authentic manner, like you’d imagine it would look for a cult victim finally waking up from their indoctrination, the shock, the betrayal, the not being quite sure what to think, this character who has seemed composed and in control from the moment she walked on to the Y&R canvas very much appeared to have lost her footing. You have to think those were some seriously pressure packed scenes to pull off, really make it or break it as to whether this actress would continue to have a job on the show, I mean, Claire kidnapped the Newman family, poisoned them, alcohol poisoned her potential grandmother (an alcoholic), all of that would be too much for most to come back from in the viewers’ eyes, but the way Hayley Erin played this, the vulnerability Claire displayed in the end, how openly wounded she appeared, particularly that kicked dog expression when Victoria one last time adamently denied her parentage, that was a character who, in time, totally could be redeemed, that was an actress earning her spot.


  18. Arianne Zuker (Nicole, Days)
    (Week Ending November 24, 2023)

    Nicole’s baby switching storyline years ago rates among my all time favorites Days has ever crafted, the pacing (two years that never felt slow or drawn out) the emotion (there wasn’t anyone you didn’t feel for including the villain), the way it rippled through several lives in Salem (introducing Chad), the execution was immaculate, if it was any soap other than Days, they would have been showered with the Emmys they deserved. Initially, I thought it was too much to go the baby switch well again with Nicole, on top of this being her second child she’s separated from early in its life, but aside from some plot holes I don’t have much problem overlooking, I’m really liking this so far, I especially like that they aren’t erasing history the way soaps too often do these days, they’re leaning into it, with several characters this last week from Eric to Chad and even Nicole herself bringing up the ugly past. When writing that digs deep like that meets an actress like Arianne Zuker, magic happens all over again, even if Nicole is on the opposite side of the equation this time, it’s still Zuker who is emerging as the character to watch, the one who’s going to tug your heart strings to the breaking point, this week saw Zuker believably toggling Nicole’s grief between despondent and snappish (her daughter Holly feeling the brunt of both) and those perfect scenes with amnesiac Abe, where she poured her guilty feelings out to him, displaying so much vulnerability with the man she considers her dad. It’s yet to be determined whether this storytelling will reach the heights of the previous baby switch, Zuker sublimely managing to turn an unforgiveably villainous act into something that thoroughly garnered the viewers empathy, that will to me forever be one of the high bars of soap acting, of acting, period, actually, but I mean, if anyone’s capable of getting there again, it’s this actress.


  19. Joshua Benard (Adam, GH)
    (Week Ending November 17, 2023)

    General Hospital has too many characters. I complain about this all the time, it was one thing to have huge casts and juggle many stories back when the shows had the budget to include all the characters on a regular basis but our soaps just don’t have that luxury anymore, now they start stories then characters go MIA for financial reasons, then the story picks up again weeks or even months later leading to woefully uneven pacing on something as important as Willow’s cancer story or as mishandled as the mystery surrounding Austin and his cousin. However, the upside of all this is that every once in a while one of the seemingly superfluous characters/actors GH insists on overpopulating their canvas with, actually emerges as so undeniable that the screentime they take away from the more established cast does feel earned. That’s the case with Joshua Benard’s Adam. While the actor started his time on GH in the dubious position of harassing Joss over her sex tape, as time has gone on, the character has evolved to an interesting and vulnerable place as we’ve learned of the pressure Adam and his parents put on him academically and his crush on Joss has gradually morphed into something that feels decidedly more dangerous. Adam’s desperate plea to Joss this week to continue studying with him, and moments later, the way he pretended to calm down, pretended her refusal was okay when his body language screamed otherwise as though he’s convinced she’s all that’s saving him from drowning, those as well as the scenes after, denying over the phone that he’s in a bad way again, and popping pills, it was all so riveting to watch, and so, so well played, a kid clearly on the edge. This story does not feel like it will end in a pleasant way but the actor’s performance makes me hope this does take a detour into something more long term, into therapy sessions with Kevin, maybe the revelation that Adam’s related to a core family, just anything that continues to allow me to watch what has already been impressive growth in this young actor’s craft.


  20. Finola Hughes (Anna, GH)
    (Week Ending November 10, 2023)

    So I kind of thought it was ridiculous that Valentin didn’t just confide in Anna about his troubled daughter, I mean, Anna is not a monster, she would want to help Charlotte not just throw the kid in juvie, but I can put up with ridiculous when it leads to drama as juicy as Anna accidentally shooting her boyfriend’s daughter, mistaking Charlotte and a flashlight for the dangerous criminal Anna presumed to be after her. Watching Finola Hughes navigate the fallout of Anna’s terrible error has not surprisingly looked like a masterclass in acting, no over the top hysterics from Hughes, that is not her style, and the quiet way she approached Anna’s overwhelming emotions were arguably more effective than any wailing drop to the knees would have been. Anna seemed like someone believably in shock, her expressions those of someone who’s just plain shattered by what she’s done. A deep sense of Anna’s guilt and regret were evident in every word out of her mouth this week, on top of her rightful anger at Valentin, while at the same time, Hughes conveyed that Anna’s brilliant mind just never stops whirring, Anna’s easily the most logic-driven character in daytime, as emotional as she may be, she’d never be so rattled that she wouldn’t actively be attempting to puzzle out what happened. I’ve said it here many times before, I’m most impressed when actors have to play several things going on inside them all at once and Hughes did not disappoint with this performance, but I mean, she never does, decades into her GH run, Anna remains one of the most interesting women in daytime and that’s in large part due to the dynamic actress breathing life into her. Honorable mention to Camila Banus, who apparently wrapped her run on Days this week and not in a way I would have preferred such a loved actress/character to exit (Gabi carted off to jail, accused of killing Li) so as much as I wish her success elsewhere (Banus had one of the best Christmas movies two years ago) here’s hoping this talented lady returns to Salem someday, even if it’s only for a more satisfying ending.


  21. Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending November 3, 2023)

    This is a soap opera business plot done right, where the motives behind the characters’ actions are crystal clear and most importantly the emotions play a bigger role than the machinations. It’s a fairly common occurance for a son to be thrilled by the notion of surpassing his father, Ridge has always considered Eric the benchmark for fashion design and for the majority of this story we’ve seen so much of what this collection means to Eric but we’ve had little insight into what a win would mean to Ridge until Kaye perfectly captured that moment of elation. Unfortunately for Ridge it was only a moment of elation, Ridge’s triumph very quickly muddied by RJ’s revelation that Eric is dying. Kaye transitioned Ridge’s emotions on a dime, into all those things anyone would feel if their loved one hadn’t let them know such a huge thing, one part anger, one part hurt, one part shock, altogether heartbroken over the idea of losing the father he idolizes and adores. Sure it was predictable that Ridge would then allow Eric to believe he’d won the competition, but when you’ve got an actor as good as Kaye, you can do predictable and it still hits with all the impact you could hope for, the amount this actor said with his eyes, and that choked up moment reminiscing about the award, were beyond anything words could convey about familial love.


  22. The Showdown (B&B)
    (Week Ending October 27, 2023)

    So far this latest Eric and Ridge fashion showdown has lived up to the hype, the ideal soapy combination of fun, glamour, and drama. When you think of all the ladies of Genoa City who might join Lauren Fenmore for a fashion show, Esther wouldn’t automatically spring to mind, but she proved such a genius choice, from her nerdy flirtation with Charlie to the wide-eyed wonder of this working class woman in awe of everyone and everything around her, it’s like a smaller scale Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris, played with such beautiful earnestness and comic timing by Kate Linder that you can’t help wishing this crossover would wake Y&R up to featuring the actress as regularly as they used to, if ever a show could use a legit laugh its that one with its endless business dealings. Between budgets and quick shooting schedules, it’s undoubtedly difficult for B&B to deliver fashion lines that rival real deal design houses, particularly the ones that do actual couture, but of the clothing we’ve glimpsed so far, I am appreciating the wardrobe department’s efforts to be true to character, Eric’s “designs” reading more elegant and Ridge’s “designs” slightly sexier. On the dramatic side of things, RJ learned his grandfather may be dying, tasking Joshua Hoffman with his most serious scenes in his short tenure on B&B, and the actor proved as adept in emotional moments as he has with lighter, playful stuff, believably selling RJ’s heartbreak as well as his vehement plea for his granddad to tell Ridge what’s going on. All in all this entertaining beginning has me very much looking forward to seeing how the showdown will conclude new week.


  23. Courtney Hope (Sally, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 20, 2023)

    The state of romance on our soaps isn’t where most viewers want it to be, it’s as if the shows all need to take a refresher course via clips from their own shows to be reminded of what natural chemistry and well crafted arcs and pacing are supposed to look like, back when the most super of the supercouples all epitomized Jane Austen’s legendary “I’m half agony, half hope.” Still, we have moments here and there that capture the spirit of that old magic, that epic kind of love where the characters just cannot quit each other and we don’t want them to. Adam and Sally’s chemistry was apparent from their first interaction, but I love them best when they’re torn apart, when they share scenes like the ones this week that require a talent as great as Courtney Hope to walk the tricky line of someone teetering between agony and the possibility of ecstasy, as Sally confessed to Adam that she’s still in love with him but she doesn’t want to be in love with him. Courtney Hope’s performance perfectly blended anguish and yearning, it’s the kind of stuff all-time great soap romances are made up of, now if only these moments weren’t currently so few and far between in daytime. Honorable mention to Darin Brooks who unfortunately announced that his ten year run on B&B has come to a close, not coincidentally, Wyatt’s last best storyline came opposite Courtney Hope who B&B also unwisely let go. He may not have been on a lot recently but I will miss his rapport with his on-screen dad and brother, and the laughs they always provided.


  24. Rena Sofer (Lois, GH)
    (Week Ending October 13, 2023)

    General Hospital has produced some head-scratchers this week like when Kristina seemingly didn’t remember she was once married and Nina happily sporting jewelry that belonged to the woman who (along with Nina’s mom) stole Nina’s baby. But hey at least amid those wrongs, we have one truly right thing happening, the return of Lois. We’ve only had a handful of scenes so far and already the drab grey Q mansion (not to be confused with GH’s other drab grey sets) feels infinitely more colorful again. And by colorful I don’t just mean Lois’s style and still insanely fabulous manicures that deserve all the close-ups in the world, there’s also this brilliant intangible energy specific to this actress as this character that is just invigorating. Just based on that small sampling of work this week, there’s such an exciting sense of possibility here, like when Olivia and Lois squealed like the Bensonhurst teens they used to be, giving the kind of fun female friendship vibes this show hasn’t really delivered since the foolish decision to bust up Maxie and Lulu with the latter’s coma. Then there’s Brook Lynn who we know can handle herself no matter how dire the scrape, but the warm mama bear vibes Sofer instantly conjured in their initial scenes have me so eager to see more interactions, to see Brook Lynn for once not be on her own with things, to see someone unequivocally have her back and team up with her against granny. I know this is just supposed to be a short term gig for Rena Sofer, I’m sure financially and with an already overly large cast, any lengthier stay is probably too big of an ask, still, I’m asking, cut periphery characters and add someone like Lois instead, she’s more bang for your buck, a strong businesswoman who doesn’t need a guy to rescue her or make her more interesting, with familial and friendship ties that deeply matter to the audience and an actress whose charismatic presence doesn’t just come along everyday.


  25. John McCook (Eric, B&B)
    (Week Ending October 6, 2023)

    I don’t know about other soap fans but I’m more than a little exhausted with this daytime trend where every character hides their health challenges. I get that it’s an easy way to manufacture drama, the suspense of when will others figure it out, the Emmy bait scenes of struggling with an illness while also trying to conceal it, etc., but then there’s stigmatizing illness as though it’s something people should carry with shame, and there’s the challenge for the viewers to swallow that these characters’ acquaintances and loved ones are really that unobservant. So yeah, I’m not anywhere near a fan of these stories, or at least not a fan of them being so plentiful right now, however, as mentioned, this stuff is Emmy bait, and no matter how tired this trope has become, John McCook’s doing Emmy level work here, believably portraying the physical issues (hand tremors, coughing up blood) and the emotional toll, Eric’s frustration in losing his ability to sketch and the stress and short temper in trying to keep it all secret. I do wish hiding health struggles would be more of a once every five years plot as opposed to how frequently it’s happening on our soaps, but at least it means the talented John McCook is receiving the amount of airtime veteran actors deserve, now if somebody could just write something for Don Diamont, too.


  26. Eden McCoy (Joss, GH)
    (Week Ending September 29, 2023)

    This week Joss offered her best friend Trina unconditional support, even when Spencer had to temporarily cancel the weekend with Trina, Joss did a very unlike Joss thing and didn’t heap criticism on him. Then Joss not only treated Ava with civility, she actually invited Ava to stay for dinner, and even listened rather than tell off Ava when Ava offered advice about mafia-related entanglements. This wasn’t the showiest acting but it did show another more understanding aspect of Joss’s personality than we’ve seen in recent years with McCoy almost always tasked with scenes that require her to basically be Carly’s mini-me. It was nice to see this super talented actress in something other than attack mode (though she does that every bit as well as Laura Wright does). I like the idea that maybe unlike her mama’s boy brother, Michael, maybe we’re going to gradually see a natural maturing progression for Joss and see her become more of her own person less hair-trigger reactions like her mom, and maybe a lttile less more moral superiority and snap-judgements like her mom, too. This is not to say that I want Joss to lose her ferocity, it’s just that ferocity is even more impactful when it isn’t all the time, and there’s a much more interesting unpredictability to a character if she isn’t just expected to go for the jugular in reaction to just about anything. We know how impressive this actress has been from a very young age and the more nuances the show gives her to play, she will undoubtedly become an even better actress.


  27. Kassie DePaiva (Blair, GH)
    (Week Ending September 22, 2023)

    It makes zero sense why Blair would need Tracy involved in the Deception lawsuit, and I don’t need it to make sense, all I need is Blair Cramer back on my television, I don’t care what brings her there just so long as she is there. Like Walt Willey before her, DePaiva impressively brought Blair back to life without missing a beat, especially Cramer-esque in her take no bull, I’m going after what I want and I will enjoy making my ex squirm in the process scenes opposite Martin. DePaiva was so good, so Blair again, so sharp and so southern, such a joy to watch yet just a little bit depressing as well when you think a talent that immense has so far only been scheduled for those two episodes. I beg of you GH, bring Blair back long term, not only to continue to spar with Martin and undoubtedly get under Lucy’s skin, but also to cross paths with Austin and realize that’s her Todd Manning who is for some reason passing himself off as another guy! Just imagine what juicy reasons Todd could have for pretending to be his look-alike Austin (Howarth could play the “real” Austin as well and maybe the second go round the show would have concrete ideas for who that character is). And while they’re at it, Blair can bring son Jack to town with her, too, since he sounds like he’s grown up to be trouble and what soap couldn’t use an extra dose of that? Or you know, if it’s too difficult to fit Blair, Jack, Todd and the rest of their family into GH’s already large cast, ABC could do the right thing and just revive OLTL.


  28. Dick Van Dyke (Timothy, Days)
    (Week Ending September 15, 2023)

    Although this paternity tale progressed far quicker than I would have preferred, it was still a pleasure to see John Black meet his dad played by Dick Van Dyke. As soaps fans we’re unfortunately accustomed to most people disparaging our favorite genre even (and especially) if they haven’t actually watched an entire episode themselves, so it’s refreshing when a performer as acclaimed as Dick Van Dyke doesn’t do the dismissive, daytime is beneath me thing and instead is curious enough and brave enough to give the dialogue heavy world of soaps a whirl. This week’s gathering at John and Marlena’s home radiated famial warmth with Van Dyke at the heart of the conversation, how cool that someone who has done so much in show business still so clearly loves to step on to a set and play? The actor’s delight to be there was evident, the sparkle in his eyes contagious among his costars, and here’s hoping Days occasionally invites him back for more, we’ve seen so many sides of John Black over the years but not one where he’s a son striving to get to know his father late in life, it could be fantastic to watch that bond gradually form, generational family relationships have long been one of my favorite aspects of soap operas and I’m all for shows leaning in to that as much as they did back when I first fell in love with daytime.


  29. Memorializing Victor Kiriakis (Days)
    (Week Ending September 8, 2023)

    While I’ll always prefer the option of keeping Victor unseen upstairs/on the phone forever with other characters relaying whatever snide insults he’s flung at them, for the most part I liked how the show handled saying goodbye, sprinkling in memories and clips over a number of weeks and best of all, they didn’t sugarcoat Victor in death. John Aniston crafted one of the all time great villains, I liked that the show didn’t mess with that and appropriately had many of Salem’s citizens remembering the man’s legendary dark side, the actor made for a scary good and intimidating bad guy and that deserved to be celebrated in addition to how readily he made the audience laugh with his one-liners. Revisiting Victor’s dark side was balanced out nicely by those characters who loved him, not surprisingly the standouts in Thursday’s episode came courtesy of Maggie’s moment alone bursting into tears and Justin’s emotional farewell at the memorial, it’s just been an endless stream of sublime performances from Suzanne Rogers and Wally Kurth since this challenging story began. Unfortunately, due to contracts, storylines and who knows what else, some very important people were left out of the proceedings (Bo and Ciara chiefly come to mind), and if you’re working with a limited casting budget, I’m not sure Theresa should have made the cut (love the character, love the actress, just seems there are those out there like the aforementioned Ciara or even Victor’s mostly unseen great grandchild Tate, who would have made more sense), but I did like that Days managed to bring back Sonny, Phillip, and Chelsea, as well as the nuttiest nutbar to ever profess her love of Victor, Vivian, claiming to be Victor’s widow. As well done as all these things I’ve mentioned were, I’m always going to love a good old fashioned montage more than anything else, an entire episode’s worth of montages would have been ideal, still, the one they did include was smartly edited, hitting the right nostalgia buttons, and if we had to close out this character’s life, that final moment of a robust Victor walking out of the Brady Pub (probably after mooning over lost love Caroline Brady), was a pretty perfect way to go.


  30. Camryn Grimes & Cait Fairbanks (Mariah & Tessa, Y&R)
    (Week Ending September 1, 2023)

    Decades into my soap opera viewership, I can’t recall any other couple meeting their newborn off-screen. How could a show possibly not see the value in portraying such a pivotal moment in anyone’s life? Y&R largely skipping over their only LGBTQ couple’s journey to becoming parents made it seem like these characters are just there as tokens, just proof they’re checking all the diversity boxes. I hope I’m wrong about that. I hope this new turn in Mariah and Tessa’s story, the discovery of their daughter’s hearing issues, will play out with all the time and emotional complexity that it warrants, not just a quick diagnosis and an even quicker fix followed by nothing. If this does prove to be another too brief story for these characters, at least it contained one of the most finely crafted moments of Y&R’s year. Mariah cradled in Tessa’s arms on the sofa, asking Tessa to sing to her the way she would sing to their child, in the process Mariah realizing that even if their daughter can’t hear her mom sing, she’ll be able to feel it through vibrations. That perfectly acted (and sung) soft moment of heartwarming reassurance between these two wives and scared new mothers reached a level of intimacy that all the bedroom antics of Kyle/Audra and Nate/Victoria combined could never come close to achieving.


  31. Vernee Watson (Stella, GH)
    (Week Ending August 25, 2023)

    While there is plenty of flashy stuff happening on General Hospital right now in prison and with Anna’s house fire, I loved that the show balanced that out this week with something a bit quieter yet just as compelling, showing Stella doing her job as a patient advocate at the hospital. Vernee Watson was fantastically real in the way she spoke with a patient’s daughter, the epitomy of comfort and strength, you truly saw how good this woman (both Stella and Vernee) is in her job. It was also great to see her lay out the rewards and emotionally difficult aspects of patient advocacy to Felicia, how no-nonsense she was in that conversation, keeping measured to ensure Felicia wasn’t swayed by anything other than facts, only to then meet up with Marshall and be absolutely giddy over the idea that she’s potentially brought someone else into the profession that she clearly loves. I’d love to see GH do more of this going forward, whether one episode like Stella had this week or a slightly longer three to five episode arc, I really like the idea of exploring the underutilized characters at the hospital like Felix, Terri, etc., and their day to day work, the kind of maladies that aren’t necessarily death sentences (or treated like something to be ashamed of), not only do those hospital scenes sprinkled into any episode offer a refreshing counterpart to the intrigue/adventure plots, it’s also a just plain wonderful nod to this show’s roots.


  32. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days)
    (Week Ending August 18, 2023)

    The writers could have done better with Maggie’s transition to the business world earlier this year, why go with the stereotypical cutthroat idea of a CEO when it is so contrary to who we know Maggie is? Still, I love that Days thought to put Maggie in that position, I love that Suzanne’s sole purpose on the show isn’t just to listen to younger characters’ problems (though those scenes can be rewarding and heartwarming, too). I love that this week wasn’t just trotting out an older actress for a congratulatory nod to her fifty years on the show, in addition to some fabulous clips from Maggie’s past we were treated to a great perfomance in the present. Rogers this late into her career on the show continues to deliver compelling work like Maggie’s reaction to Victor’s missing plane, fostering a clearly wavering hope that it was all some sort of misunderstanding only to subesquently learn her husband is dead. Emotionally the performance was so on target, especially the moment when you see that dip in Maggie’s knees, requiring Justin to offer physical support, or touching Julie’s chin after their comforting conversation, it’s those small but real details gestures that from an actress that truly makes a scene for me. I love when soaps honor their veterans, but I love it even more when the veterans continue to be very much a part of the story.


  33. Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH)
    (Week Ending August 11, 2023)

    What a great week for Olivia. Finally. Too often in recent years it’s like Olivia’s sole purpose on the show has been to be anyone’s cheerleader versus her husband, yeah, his cheating factored into that, but pitting her against him went on to the point where it seemed like the only personality trait Olivia had left which is a shame when you have a dynamic actress capable of more than the stereotypical one-dimensional nagging wife role. So I really like that we’re seeing a more fully realized version of Olivia emerging again, we’re seeing her make decisions without consulting Carly first, and we’re seeing more of Olivia’s emotional life, more of her own personal responses rather than her mostly just reacting on behalf of Carly, Drew, Michael, etc.. Olivia, Carly’s best friend, planning Sonny and Nina’s wedding makes little sense, however, in the talented hands of LoCicero, she made it oddly easy to buy that Olivia is so desperate for distraction from her husband’s memory issues. LoCicero also excelled opposite Jane Elliot, who is a hurricane force in most scenes but LoCicero convincingly stood her ground as Olivia vehemently opposed committing her husband to a mental hospital. That passionate defense of him, overheard by Ned/Eddie, led to a nice (albeit short-lived) respite for the couple, allowing a softer more wistful side of Olivia to shine through as she told Eddie about her past and listened to him sing with yearning evident on her face. That’s want I want from every soap character, to see the various facets of them and that’s what I want for the actors as well, those as good at their jobs as Lisa LoCicero is should have the opportunity to show the viewers all their colors.


  34. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
    (Week Ending August 4, 2023)

    Soap operas have a long history of redeeming villains who haven’t earned redemption and worse sending them right back into their victim’s life almost as if nothing happened, I tell myself that every time I tune into B&B these days, that I need to just go with it like I go with other plotlines that I don’t entirely buy into, but it’s just so difficult to go with normalizing and glorifying stalking. A B&B stalker (among other crimes committed) is now good boyfriend material because he only has eyes for one woman. The thing is, he only has eyes for that one woman because she’s the object of his sick obsession! That is not romantic and should not be written as if it is. And now we’re hailing a multiple-murderer (among other crimes committed) as a hero for saving her step-grandchild, except the only reason she was in the position to save the kid is because at the time, she was stalking her son. A show with a predominantly female audience, the gender most often stalked in real life, is for some reason reframing stalking and obsessive behavior as an act of love instead of the life destroying violation that it really is (look no further than daytime’s late Andrea Evans forced into hiding for years). So a giant thank you to Jacqueline MacInnis Wood for going for the jugular in Steffy’s confrontation with Sheila-defender Finn, for pushing back with full force against her husband’s borderline gaslighting assertions that Steffy’s the one not thinking clearly, that Steffy’s the one being manipulated (by Liam). Wood played those scenes with the appropriate level of disgust on her face and ferocity in her voice, as gratifyingly outraged as the audience who have sat through decades of Sheila somehow always coming out the winner.


  35. Tina Huang (Melinda, Days)
    (Week Ending July 28, 2023)

    After ugly revelations and an appalling lack of repercussions behind the scenes at Days Of Our Lives, it seems like the right moment to celebrate the women of Days and it just so happens that one of their most underused female talents had herself a standout week. With Tina Huang too often stuck in the thankless role of laying down the law as Salem’s DA (faking sex with Stefan a couple months ago was every bit as thankless), it was fun to see her this week in the role of romantic comedy heroine. I really enjoyed Melinda’s date with Li, getting a glimpse of her softer side and Huang delivered the monologue about the wine with just the right note of wistful melancholy. I also appreciated that despite seeing another side of Melinda, we didn’t lose sight of who we know her to be, rather than get lost in Li’s cute smile, it was very Trask of her to take the opportunity to try and get the guy to incriminate himself, that bit of shark in Melinda is an aspect of her personality I’d never want her to lose. Also true to character and completely entertaining, date number two saw Huang leaning into the humor, super annoyed and funny as she called out Alex for his navel gazing and the affectation with his glasses. I’d like to think this is the beginning of the show finally recognizing this character’s potential, finally making her a full-fledged part of the show, but I mean, we’ve been here before with a previous actress when they gave Melinda a sister/daughter only to senselessly kill her off. If this show can’t even figure out that toxicity off-screen is not beneficial to what ends up on-screen, then you can’t really count on them seeing an actress for all she’s worth, either.


  36. Walt Willey (Jackson, GH)
    (Week Ending July 21, 2023)

    Even if he didn’t have nearly enough scenes or dish nearly enough dirt on Pine Valley other than that he and Erica are still exes(!), it was nonetheless fantastic to see Jackson Montgomery on our screens again. I could not have been more impressed with Walt Willey’s return to daytime, it’s been a really long time since he last played Jack, it would have been understandable if his line readings had felt a little stilted or if he didn’t quite capture the Jackson of old, but he slipped right into the man’s shoes as if he’d never left the character behind. Toggling between Jackson’s trademark exasperation and amusement when faced with a flirty, conniving female, Walt Willey took me back in the second best possible way this week. The best possible way of course will be the day ABC comes to their senses and puts All My Children on the air where it belongs so Jack and Erica can get on with finding their way back to each other.


  37. Deidre Hall (Marlena, Days)
    (Week Ending July 14, 2023)

    Whether counseling Harris through his mind control concerns, calming stepson Brady in the wake of his child, Rachel, vanishing from camp or confronting Kristen over Rachel’s disappearance, I love how measured Deidre Hall plays Marlena, how she always comes across as just so satisfyingly intelligent and a voice of reason in Salem. Hall is an actress who, aside from when required during the devil and heaven nonsense, doesn’t go anywhere near over the top, her grounded presence is like a soothing balm, the daytime TV equivilent of comfort food for those of us who find Days’ crazier tangents and “bloody” spouting Brits to be a bit much at times.


  38. Jophielle Love (Violet, GH)
    (Week Ending July 7, 2023)

    This Elizabeth and Finn pairing is like beating a dead horse, for some reason GH just does not get that there’s nothing there. Correction, there’s nothing there except for Finn’s daughter, Violet. This kid was far more entertaining than the adults around her this week, up to all sorts of fun, adorable antics setting up a date for her dad and later her enthusiasm for Shirley Temples alleviated the tension between Tracey and basically everyone. With Finn and Elizabeth’s invisible chemistry and Tracey’s questionable machinations (love the actress/character just the Gregory animosity and Deception stuff so far feels forced), it’s a good thing GH has a pint-sized scene stealer capable of invigorating a couple plots that for the moment are stretching a bit thin.


  39. Terrell Ransom Jr. (Jerry/imposter Theo, Days)
    (Week Ending June 30, 2023)

    There are definitely times where Days goes overboard with gimmicks but then there are other times where those gimmicks are welcome because they are kind of genius such is the case with hiring Terrell Ransom Jr. to play Jerry, the imposter Nurse Whitley paid to pose as Abe’s son Theo. The genius of this being that Ransom Jr. is the actor we enjoyed in the role of Theo when he was a little boy. This isn’t just a glorified cameo which makes it even better, the actor has significant stuff to do here, not only does he get to interact with his former TV dad, he’s doing so in juicy soap fashion playing a con game with Abe and the police that saw the young actor showing flashes of conscience and nervous energy in addition to the caginess on display when Jerry realized the extent of Whitley’s scheme, and pressed for a bigger payday in return. It rarely sits right with me when shows push aside really good kid actors in favor of rushing a character’s aging process, so I really like that Days thought up this unique scenerio to temporarily bring back Terrell, now if only they’d take this a step even further, have Jerry rescue Abe and Abe reward Jerry by making him and his grandma honorary family members.


  40. Courtney Hope & Mark Grossman (Sally & Adam, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 23, 2023)

    With easily the most challenging material Courtney Hope has ever been tasked with handling in her soap opera career, the actress pretty much guaranteed herself an Emmy nomnation for her work this week, convincingly portraying Sally’s bone deep sorrow over the loss of her child and rigid anger at her ex Adam whose thankless job it was to make the choice between Sally and her baby. As for Adam’s portrayer, whether taking his frustrations out on Chance or trying again and again to make Sally understand why he made the choice he did, Mark Grossman confirmed all over again what a tremendous casting find he was, even just the conversation between Adam and his dad Victor, felt like a masterclass (from both men). From including the smaller gut-wrenching details like the baby booties and foot prints to hitting all the emotional beats not just for the grieving mother but the grieving father as well, and in addition to that not shying away from the hard conversations between Sally and Adam debating his unwinnable choice or Sally challenging Nick to admit who he would have chosen between his wife and daughter in the kidnapping situation and Sally refusing to accept Nick’s conviction that they’re different circumstances, this was across the board thoughtful, top-notch storytelling from Y&R.


  41. Kidnapped! (Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 16, 2023)

    Y&R has seemed in a need of a jolt of adrenaline for a while now and they found it with Cameron’s menacing return. As mentioned many times before, psychopath tales don’t often work for me in daytime but this one did for myriad reasons. While the psychopath tales I dislike tend to involve shows doing back-flips to hold on to these characters past their expiry date (see prime examples in B&B’s Sheila and anyone repeatedly released from prison on Days), I loved Y&R’s restraint here, a bit of teasing with mysterious gifts, then right into the meat of the story with Cameron making his intentions known, majorly upping the ante by kidnapping Faith quickly followed by a big showdown, that kind of tight pacing made for a thriller that actually thrilled rather than stretched on too long. In addition to smart pacing, the actors were on their games, too, Linden Ashby doing dark twisty so well and as before capitalizing on his disconcerting chemistry with Sharon, Joshua Morrow gave us my second favorite version of Nick (after funny Nick) in peak protector dad mode, and I liked that Faith mostly kept it together through her ordeal, afraid but not overly weepy, Reylynn Caster’s portrayal felt right for a character who has been through a lot in her young life. Lastly, there was Sharon, I loved that the guys were pretty much just a support system to her heroics, and Sharon Case nicely toggled between borderline hysterics over her kid and determination to get that kid back, it made me think horror franchises are truly missing out, Case would likely make for an excellent final girl.


  42. Kim Coles (Nurse Whitley, Days)
    (Week Ending June 9, 2023)

    I tend to dislike daytime’s resident psychos (B&B’s Sheila, GH’s Heather, Days’ calvacade of them led by Kristen, etc.) with their sketchy motivations and never paying a price for anything, but there’s an exception to every rule and that exception is Kim Coles. A gifted actress in comedic roles (do yourself a favor and watch Living Single and her stint on Frasier), Coles has crafted such an intriguing daytime character with Nurse Whitley, think Kathy Bates in Misery yet with a bubbly tone of voice and a demeanor that oozes goodness in complete contrast to the shady deed we know she’s doing by letting amnesiac Abe believe she’s his wife. Thus far I’m loving it, the humor as Whitley attempts to sidestep Abe’s suspicions, the underlying sense of loneliness in the character and just overall how entertainingly off-kilter the performance is. I’m already on board for redeeming Nurse Whitley through intense sessions with Dr. Marlena and making her Jada and Talia’s mom or Auntie or something.


  43. Real Andrews (Taggert, GH)
    (Week Ending June 2, 2023)

    It’s an unfortunate truth that unless your name is Carly or Sonny, General Hospital will likely forget your character exists for long stretches which is somewhat inconvenient for those us viewing the show, especially when they’re telling a who’s the daddy tale and the dad the kid grew up with and truly loves is rarely written into the scripts. But much applause to the ever patient Real Andrews for making the most of what little room GH left for Taggert in this crucial DNA test results week. Andrews did admirable work, warmly supporting and reassuring Trina as Taggert gracefully accepted the news that he wasn’t her bio dad, only to break down alone in an elevator, an emotionally charged moment made all the more striking because soaps are such a verbal medium and that scene was all about the actor’s physicality saying everything. Now let’s just hope when it comes out that Ms. Wu rigged the DNA test, GH realizes we will actually need to see the moment Taggert finds out about the switcheroo, his reaction does matter more than Carly’s will.


  44. Judah Mackey (Connor, Y&R)
    (Week Ending May 26, 2023)

    There must be viewers who actually like back from the dead storylines or Phyllis’s recently faked death or well any of the over the top nonesense Days currently traffics in where practically the whole cast has been drugged, brainwashed and revived from the dead, but I just think soaps are so much more endearing and involving when they don’t insult our intelligence and stretch credibility beyond all reason. I love it when these shows remember that the simple everyday joys and heartbreaks of life tend to make for the most compelling stories. That happened this week on Y&R at the kids table. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Connor experience his first crush over the course of dinner with new friend Lucy. Judah Mackey was so emotionally expressive with eager puppy dog eyes as Connor intently hung on Lucy’s words, lighting up whenever Connor successfully entered the conversation and drew some of Lucy’s attention away from his older brother, and then how crestfallen Connor appeared when Lucy exchanged contacts with his brother. I could not have been more impressed by this young actor’s handling of those unspoken moments, absolutely Emmy reel worthy stuff.


  45. Kin Shriner (Scotty, GH)
    (Week Ending May 19, 2023)

    Since General Hospital seems in need of clarity on this issue, here is a list of your characters with minimal ties in the overall scheme of GH things, who it might, if financially necessary, make sense to put on temporary or permanent hiatus (no offence to the actors, many of whom I love): Drew, Willow, Terri, Cody, Sasha, Nina, Obrecht, Olivia, Dex, Gladys, Esme, Kevin, Diane, Martin, Finn, Gregory, Chase, Jordan, TJ, Austin, Heather, Spinelli, Marshall. Want a list of the GH characters who entertain me in every single scene they’ve ever appeared in, who has made me cry, made me smile, made me swoon, made me laugh and just in general feel joy whenever he graces my television screen? That’s a one person list. That’s Kin Shriner’s Scotty Baldwin.


  46. Tabyana Ali & Nicholas Chavez (Trina & Spencer, GH)
    (Week Ending May 12, 2023)

    Iconic moments are becoming a habit with these two. First that kiss and now the big leap. No one knew whether Spencer had survived a drone strike and when he appeared, an elated Trina could not contain herself, not only did she run to him, she jumped up into Spencer’s arms, her legs wrapped around him, an image that will be burned into viewers minds forever, right up there with the other all-time favorite supercouple swoon moments. It gets even better when you learn that Ali just instinctually jumped into Chavez’s arms, she wasn’t directed to do so, it wasn’t rehearsed, she just knew in the moment that it was so incredibly right for the characters and Chavez, being the actor that he is, reacted perfectly. I love that so often these two add something noteable to their scenes, whether big like the leap or a smaller gesture like later in the week when Spencer’s hand brushed Trina’s shoulder on the way out of the hospital with his ex Esme, it’s these mindful details that make their interractions so much more memorable and palpable than so many of the current attempts at daytime couples, there are some other soap actors out there who could stand to watch and learn some things from these two younger ones about cultivating chemistry.


  47. Trevor St. John (Tucker, Y&R)
    (Week Ending May 5, 2023)

    I’m still not sure what this new iteration of Tucker is all about, I’m unclear on what this guy wants, why he wants it, or which if any of Tucker’s emotions are sincere, and I’m not convinced that the writers have a grasp on him yet either. But credit where it’s due, the writers were pretty genius to have Ashley move Tucker into the Abbott mansion as a spite move against her brother Jack. From his first episode of Y&R, Trevor St. John has brought a gloriously odd and almost always amused energy to Tucker, a vast improvement on the guy’s humorless past and an absolute asset this week when Tucker looked as though he’d literally rolled out of bed, lounging on the Abbott sofa in a robe and severe bedhead, having a grand old time needling a very irritable Jack. The scenes were genuinely funny, and for me, soaps are always at their most entertaining when they balance drama with comedy, all the better when it’s comedy with the kind of unpredictable beats Trevor St. John delivers. That march to his own drum type of performance is why I’m willing to remain patient while the writers get a handle on Tucker because I know in the meantime, St. John will keep things interesting no matter what.


  48. Brandon Beemer (Shawn, Days)
    (Week Ending April 28, 2023)

    For me, Bo and Hope’s limited return hasn’t been particularly satisfying what with Bo spending most of it as a brainwashed psychopath and Hope flrting with Harris and the pair of them kept apart nearly the entire run when an adventure together is what fans crave. The only one who came out of this with compelling story is Brandon Beemer when Shawn shot his father believing that Bo was about to kill his mom. Beemer, one of daytime’s most underrated actors, too often relegated to playing Belle’s doormat, brought honest emotion to his scenes, giving Shawn the look and sound of someone too devastated by his actions to forgive himself anytime soon, the viewer didn’t have to buy into Bo’s latest five minute death to buy into how torn up his son felt inside. Now what would be really great is if this incident haunted Shawn on the job and gave Beemer a storyline not dependent on Belle and Jan, that would be a twist I’d more than welcome.


  49. Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 21, 2023)

    I know there are viewers who have their issues with Victor, but for me, the show is a thousand percent more entertaining whenever he’s all fired up about something. It was disappointing that pretty much all of daughter Abby’s child custody and marital issues occurred without Victor noticing until she was happily ever after with her new man, how much more dramatic could all that have been if Victor had entered the fray in full I know what’s best for my daughter mode? But nope barely any conflict came of it. So I’m relishing the fact that Victor finally knows that Nick is romancing Sally while she’s pregnant with Adam’s baby. I loved seeing Victor call out Nick for putting himself in the middle, questioning what kind of brother that makes him and what his motives are deep down. Eric Braeden does not get the kind of airtime he deserves anymore (to Y&R’s detriment) but when given the opportunity the man clearly still knows how to throw a verbal punch, an irate Victor is as intimidating as ever and so much fun to watch.


  50. Donnell Turner (Curtis, GH)
    (Week Ending April 14, 2023)

    Once upon a time Curtis used his private detective skills to help Drew, Hayden, Nina, Laura, etc., and became a dear friend to all of them, and that in turn endeared Curtis and Donnell Turner to the audience. It’s been frustrating the last few years to see this character stripped of that proactive nature he first exhibited, now mired in one story after the next where he’s duped, lied to by loved ones, and shuffled off to his almost always empty nightclub as opposed to his detective work that had him interacting with much of the canvas. This week however offered a glimmer of hope that maybe GH is starting to see the error of their ways as we saw Curtis get some of his swagger back. He hasn’t full on forgiven Portia (nor should he, that needs to be slowly earned over time), but no way was he going to turn his back on a situation where Valentin disrespected Portia. I loved Turner’s fire in that moment and when he made clear to Jordan and Laura that no one is cutting him out of the hunt for Trina, as well as his warm conviction when he declared, “I got you,” to Portia. Too often in soap history black men have been relegated to the sidelines, it’s well past time for that to change, stick boring Drew in that boring nightclub and instead invite Curtis along for the adventures, this guy was meant to be a hero, write him accordingly.


  51. Allison Lanier (Summer, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 7, 2023)

    While Allison Lanier ably handled Summer’s tears and denial following the news of mom Phyllis’s “death,” it was in the anger stage of Summer’s grief where Lanier hit her stride. Since the re-cast of Summer, though no fault of this actress, the character has been written in such a milquetoast good girl fashion that it was downright impossible for Lanier to infuse such trite dialogue with as much personality as we’d come to expect from Summer over the years. This week, however, as Summer lashed out at Diane, mockingly laughed at the prospect of her mom’s rival having a heart and then even snapped at her grandparents for treating her like a child, it felt like the character took a turn for the better, back to something closer resembling the firebrand that Summer used to be, finally giving her new portrayer more energizing material to work with and Lanier made the most of the opportunity to shine. Hopefully this is the Summer we’ll see more of going forward.


  52. Sonya Eddy (Epiphany Johnson Tribute, GH)
    (Week Ending March 31, 2023)

    Let’s be real, General Hospital severely neglected Sonya Eddy and her character Epiphany throughout her run on the show, rarely giving this talented lady the quality stories she deserved so part of me feels like this tribute was too little too late, and also, where were the clips between Epiphany and her son, Stan? You include a scene between Milo and Epiphany that borderline reads as fat shaming (I know that wasn’t Milo’s intention) yet feature nothing involving Stan? Epiphany and her son’s ultimately devastating story was easily her most important relationship in Port Charles and far and away the most emotionally rich material GH ever awarded to Eddy and she more than made the most of those scenes. This is not to say that I didn’t appreciate General Hospital’s efforts this week, the clips they did show brought back fond memories of the actress and well captured Epiphany’s personality and heart if not her entire history, and then there was the use of Sonya Eddy’s Nurses’s ball anthem, one of the all-time great vocal performances, timeless and moving no matter how many times you hear it and hopefully something we’ll continue to hear at the Nurses Ball or in other poignant moments on GH for years to come. I also really liked the call from Monica that delivered a heartwarming coda to Epiphany’s friendship/mentorship with Elizabeth, but more than anything, I found Yvette Nicole Brown’s appearance on the show genuinely touching. Always someone I’ve enjoyed in her primetime roles like Community and Big Shot and for her enthusiasm on Talking Dead, I adore Yvette Nicole Brown even more now for her performance as the last person saved by the heroic Epiphany, just so beautifully and respectfully played, Brown paid a lovely and loving tribute to her real life friend.


  53. Don Diamont & Thorsten Kaye (Bill & Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending March 24, 2023)

    First off, it has to be acknowledged that Ridge and Bill didn’t actually need to team up to take down Sheila. Sheila could have been charged on two counts of attempted murder (Steffy and Finn), escaping prison, assault (Li), kidnapping (holding bedridden Finn against his will), faking her death, and probably some sort of charge for swapping out Brooke’s non-alcoholic champagne. So no, I don’t think anyone is buying it when the writers try to sell us on the idea that those crimes wouldn’t have kept her in prison long enough, it would be one thing if Sheila was only in her twenties but she’s not, those combined charges would likely add up to the rest of Sheila’s life. That said, I’m willing to jump on board this latest improbable plot twist as long as it continues to be written and performed for maximum laughs. Bill and Ridge’s shaky alliance sees neither guy willing to forgive and forget, throwing verbal jabs at one another as well as common enemies Sheila and Deacon. Don Diamont and Thorsten Kaye were so much fun to watch this week, their comedic timing couldn’t have been more on point with that sharp dialogue, plenty of which I’m guessing the actors had a hand in crafting. This leg of the never-ending Sheila saga may not be the smartest story in the world, but I have to admit, it was genius to put these two guys together, in the span of a few days, I’ve gone from dreading the Sheila manipulates monotone Bill scenes to eagerly anticipating Diamont and Kaye’s humorous assessments of Bill’s fauxmance.


  54. Kristina Wagner (Felicia, GH)
    (Week Ending March 17, 2023)

    As a longtime viewer, it’s been odd and disappointing to see how little Felicia was included in the latest Ryan saga considering that back in the day that story revolved around her. Even recently when Ryan took Felicia hostage, those scenes weren’t really about her, and in the end Felicia didn’t even get to be there to watch the guy finally (supposedly) be taken down. But this week proved gratifying with Felicia emotionally reacting to the “death” of Felicia’s stalker/tormentor. Felicia’s teary admission to Kevin that she’d hoped to forgive his brother Ryan in death but she ultimately could not, was a nice reminder that in addition to how entertaining Kristina Wagner is in romantic comedy/adventure, there’s a great dramatic actress in her, too, capable of mining the depths of any given scene.


  55. Scott Clifton (Liam, B&B)
    (Week Ending March 10, 2023)

    A small miracle happened this week, I actually liked Liam for ninety percent of the time. Assertive, logical, and a voice of reason against his father’s romance with a psychopath and his wife’s ridiculous belief that she’ll have no career without Thomas (a guy who terrorized and terrified her to the point of her pushing him into a vat). Scott Clifton was particularly entertaining when Liam threw some sarcasm at his wife, first regarding Taylor’s assessment of her son’s mental health and then that bit about how Thomas could probably toss an intern out the window and Hope would shrug it off because of what a great designer Thomas is, it was darkly funny and so close to the truth, just instead of tossing someone out a window Thomas drove an intern off the road. It’s always rewarding when a character voices what many viewers are thinking and refreshingly for us and I’m sure refreshingly for Clifton as well, for once Liam saw things clearly, other than a bit of waffling on Friday with Wyatt, he stuck to his guns, it was good to see this nice guy be decisive and blunt, even if Hope is too moronic to heed the warning.


  56. Eric & Nicole’s 25th Anniversary (Days)
    (Week Ending March 3, 2023)

    More often than not soaps won’t show flashbacks unless they include the current actors in the role, I love that Days refused to fall into that trap this week, they recognized that fans are savvy enough to accept that more than one actor may have contributed to a character’s success. Celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the moment Eric and Nicole met wouldn’t have been quite right without the actual scene where waitress Nicole first meets Jensen’s Ackles’ Eric, that outdoor cafe, that whole era not only brings back fond memories of the show for me, but it was the true beginning of Nicole and Eric’s tortured romance and no walk down memory lane would have been complete without it. Jensen Ackles presence in this episode took nothing away from Greg Vaughan either, few recasts have taken the baton and run with it as convincingly as he has, from his equally memorable first scene with Arianne Zucker where a stunned Nicole learns the love of her life joined the priesthood to the present day scenes where Eric announced that his dad wanted them to get back together with neither of them willing to admit that’s what they want, too, the subtext from Vaughan and Zucker in that moment was everything, pitch perfect delivery. This anniversary may not have been the happiest occasion for Eric and Nicole, but it honored this couple’s tumultuous history significantly better than their wedding a few years ago did and gives me hope that the next wedding (however far down the road it may be) will be a match for the supercouple that they are.


  57. Tabyana Ali & Nicholas Chavez (Trina & Spencer, GH)
    (Week Ending February 24, 2023)

    Tabyana Ali was co-actor of the week last week as well, but in the last few years its been so rare when romance is done well in daytime that I couldn’t ignore a first kiss that genuinely rated as super couple special. That perfect pink dress, Trina in distress over her paternity and Spencer there with exactly the right words for her, nothing corny, nothing contrived, all the natural chemistry in the world and the camera catching that moment of her rising up on her toes. All the soaps, GH included (for the majority of their other couples), should study this romance, use their emotional arc and their sparks as a template of sorts for how to craft a satisfying love story.


  58. Brook Kerr & Tabyana Ali (Portia & Trina, GH)
    (Week Ending February 17, 2023)

    Brook Kerr and Tabyana Ali have developed one of my favorite relationships on GH, even when things get contentious between this mother and daughter duo it’s a pleasure to watch. I know Portia used some not great judgment here, she did make some selfish choices that are now going to hurt three people she loves (Curtis, Marcus, and Trina), but Kerr played these confrontational scenes so persuasively, so emotionally, and she looked so stricken, particularly by Trina questioning her mom’s love for her, that the actress had Portia coming across as very much worthy of the free pass to forgiveness and understanding that GH usually just reserves for Carly. Then there’s Trina, devastated that she’s no longer sure of who her father is or of her own identity and her faith in her mom is shattered, there’s just no end to the great work from this young actress, especially standout were the moments where Trina seemingly could barely stomach to look at her mom and the instant she saw Marcus, fiercely embracing the man she’s always known as her dad. It will be extremely disappointing if these two aren’t in contention for Emmys after this.


  59. Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 10, 2023)

    Much like last week’s choice, Heather Tom, this week is pretty much all about the joy of seeing a character reclaim a bit of their dignity. The vast majority of us are struggling with Jack’s relationship with Diane. I have no problem with his attraction to her, it’s his lack of common sense that gets me, the story would be so much more interesting and believable if the guy hate-loved her, if we saw him attempting to resist the pull towards someone he shouldn’t trust. Alas, that’s not the case, every scene with Diane we suffer through Jack playing the patsy. It’s not a fun watch. I guess that’s why it was enjoyable to see the guy tear into his son this week. Even if Diane deserves Jack’s ire way more than Kyle does, at this point I’ll welcome some much needed fire from Jack no matter who he aims it at, those confrontation scenes in the office briefly gave us the Jack we’ve missed not just with Diane but for a few years now, we’ve seen very little of the Jack who’s a boss, who’s willing to battle his own family over Jabot, or the Jack who considers Victor a snake in the grass instead of a guy to grab a casual drink with at Society. Jack may possess more obvious underlying kindness than Victor, but he’s also a character who until recently has had an edge, and no, a ridiculous robbery off-screen doesn’t count as edge, I mean we should see that Jack is a powerful guy, we should see that he’s savvy and a conniver, there’s a reason this character is the most alive and entertaining when he tangles with Victor rather than when he’s being all lovey-dovey in a relationship, especially a relationship where the wool is pulled over his usually intelligent eyes.


  60. Heather Tom (Katie, B&B)
    (Week Ending February 3, 2023)

    If nothing else, at least this Sheila/Bill absurdity gives Heather Tom more screen time and gives her character Katie an opportunity to flex her too rarely seen empowerment muscles. The jury’s still out on Katie’s involvement with a guy who is almost as waffly as peak Liam, I fear Carter will send Katie right back to victimhood but for now lets revel in Katie’s backbone, in seeing the sort of conviction and take charge attitude Tom used to bring to Victoria Newman back in the day. Whether refusing to martyr herself and reunite with Bill to rid everyone of Sheila or facing off with Sheila without trembling in the slightest, this is the Katie I want more of, the one toughened up by her past heartbreaks, the one who fights her own battles, please don’t let Carter get in the way of that.


  61. William Lipton (Cameron, GH)
    (Week Ending January 27, 2023)

    Probably like a lot of viewers I can’t entirely blame Joss for struggling to resist her chemistry with Dex, still, I am so glad Cam did blame her, unlike how that blah pushover Drew handled his situation with Carly, Cam rightfully held Joss accountable for her actions. When bad things happen to good people it makes for great soap opera, especially when the good person is played by William Lipton. Whenever Cam has been at his lowest over the years, like losing Oscar and Franco, Lipton has brought his best to the screen much as he did this week when the sight of Joss with Dex in her dorm shattered his heart, a furious Cameron refused to let Joss get away with any Carly style justifications, and he did not spare her from how deeply she’d hurt him either. This young actor’s ability to access his emotions, to truly rip open Cam’s wounds never fails to astound, now if only they’d feature him more in mom Elizabeth’s story, maybe the combined forces of Lipton and Rebecca Herbst could salvage the estrangement story with her parents in a way that the writers certainly haven’t yet managed.


  62. Zach Tinker (Sonny, Days)
    (Week Ending January 20, 2023)

    What a great recast Zach Tinker has proven to be as Sonny, particularly at a time when Days is heavy on over-the-top villains and sarcastic humor, the earnest warmth Tinker brings to the role is both refreshing and endearing amid those crazier offerings on the show. But it isn’t just that Tinker infuses Sonny with such likeable vibes every time he steps on screen, it’s also that his acting abilities are much more than most of us could have guessed following his short underdeveloped stint on Y&R. This week, Sonny encouraging his brokenhearted brother, offering condolences to his husband over the potential losses of Will’s grandmothers and finally confronting Leo, showed a depth of emotion from genuine concern and shared grief, to hurt and betrayal and ultimately strength, convincingly giving notice that just because Sonny’s a compassionate guy it doesn’t mean he’s willing to be a doormat, and all of it conveyed with such an admirably grounded acting style.

  63. Laura Wright & Cynthia Watros (Carly & Nina, GH)
    (Week Ending January 13, 2023)

    When you build up to a big reveal for this long a show runs the risk of being unable to live up to expectations in the end, that is, unless you have two aces up your sleeve in the form of Cynthia Watros and Laura Wright. Wright had the tricky task of maintaining Carly’s longstanding conviction that she’s the better person while at the same time having to swallow some of that pride and admit she did something that inadvertantly endangered her daughter-in-law’s life, and then on top of that, she had to express exasperation when it took Nina more than a minute to accept the truth. Meanwhile Watros had to juggle duel emotions, too, first disbelief since she has no reason whatsoever to think that Carly wouldn’t play an incredibly cruel trick on her, and then with Nina’s dream coming true of being a mom only for it to happen in the worst circumstances, suffering with the mixed emotions of her daughter already hating her in addition to Willow’s life hanging in the balance. The majority of us have probably been annoyed at times with the way this story has been told, with the writers struggling to justify Willow keeping her cancer hidden and her hate for Nina mostly resting on really flimsy reasoning, not to mention how they’ve time after time attempted to even the playing field between Carly and Nina by having both women do things that should have been beneath them, thereby hindering fans ability to enjoy either one of them, but I’d like to believe most of us could set aside our issues with how the story has played out and character loyalties for a moment and just truly appreciate the work both women put in to deliver these ultimately satisfying scenes.


  64. Kelly Thiebaud (Britt, GH)
    (Week Ending January 6, 2023)

    I love Britt and her portrayor, not so much a fan of the exit GH crafted for her. I was already well aware that Heather is more over the top psychotic than ever, didn’t need her killing off Britt to literally drive the point home. I also didn’t need Obrecht and Scotty’s bond further cemented by GH’s endless desire to kill off their children, as if their aren’t enough parents with dead kids in Port Charles already. Then there was the one glimmer of hope for this ending where Britt was the action hero, Britt was saving the girl and suddenly a guy came in and did the actual saving of the day. So Britt, this bright ball of fire just went out a victim in her mom’s arms. Not that the acting wasn’t great, of course it was, but this ending simply was not the best and that’s a shame since Kelly Thiebaud really was one of their best castings ever. When you think of the mileage this actress earned from a character who started out related to no one on the canvas, as just a conniving villain trying to steal the hospital sweetheart’s guy, yet through Thiebaud’s undeniable talent and charisma, the Britch became so much more than her nickname, through her friendship with Brad, her pseudo sisterhood with Maxie and Nina, and the ups and downs of her relationship with her mom, Britt turned into someone the audience loved whether she was doing right or wrong. General Hospital won’t be nearly as much fun without her, but whether Kelly Thiebaud lands full time at Station 19 or somewhere else, I will be happily tuning in to see her bring that big time personality to whatever role she takes on, here’s hoping she gains the wider audience she deserves.


  65. John Aniston (Victor, Days)
    (Week Ending December 30, 2022)

    Simply the best. Incomparable comic timing right to the end. And well done with the tribute montage, Days, those thoughtfully chosen clips illustrated how and why we fell in love with a villain.


  66. Don Diamont (Bill, B&B)
    (Week Ending December 23, 2022)

    While each show offered up some happy holiday moments this week, it was a downturn for Bill on The Bold and The Beautiful that most stood out acting wise. Bill invited his ex Katie over to his place, confident that he could woo her back with an open ended yacht vacation only to be shot down. Instead of taking it with his usual bravado, he appeared torn to shreds emotionally, reduced to begging. I’m pretty sure I’ve said it before, but it is such a shame that Diamont’s episode count is probably the lowest its been in his career at a time when his acting has never been better, Bill is easily the most dimensional character on B&B right now, and that’s in large part due to what Diamont is bringing to his performances. Whether commanding the room with his incompagrable swagger or drowning in loneliness, both of which occurred in those invitation and rejection scenes with Katie, you really get the sense that Diamont’s put a lot of thought into how Bill feels and why and that is truly translating on screen into the kind of raw emotional work that you’d like to think would garner Emmy attention and certainly should inspire the writers to give this man front-burner story.


  67. Tabyana Ali (Trina, GH)
    (Week Ending December 16, 2022)

    While commiserating with Ava over their taste in men and in her later exchange with Jordan when looking for Rory, this week Tabyana Ali perfectly illustrated just how miserably conflicted Trina feels over her attraction to Spencer, with her voice and body language full of dread. Often in soaps, the “good” characters are kind of boring, but in Trina’s case, her morals actually bring juice to the story, there she sat with a forlorn Spencer, aching to tell him that she cares, to tell him not to leave town, but as a decent human being she would never do that without ending things with Rory first, and Ali terrifically infused that moment with all the longing Trina could not speak. The actress continued to hit it out of the park when Trina learned that Rory was killed in the line of duty and all that yearning for Spencer instantaneously and believably transitioned into overwhelming guilt and grief. I know as a college age character Trina’s still probably rightfully a supporting player but goodness when you watch Tabyana Ali you can’t help thinking the future is bright for General Hospital if she chooses to stick around long enough on the show to grow into one of their true leads, she’s certainly displayed the range to take on such a responsibility.


  68. Susan Walters (Diane, Y&R)
    (Week Ending December 9, 2022)

    Diane isn’t my favorite sort of soap opera character, the type of villain who is basically just the writers’ pawn, used to stir up trouble and do whatever is convenient for the plot whether it makes sense or not. However, I can still appreciate the actor even if I don’t always love the way their role is written, as is the case with Susan Walters this week and how skillfully she toggled between Diane’s genuine fear of newly released criminal Jeremy, so jumpy around him, so desperate to not be alone with the guy that she was eager for archenemy Phyllis to stick around, yet Diane did milk that fear with Jack, lapping up his concern and protective instincts for all it was worth. Walters deftly walked that fine line between victim and manipulator, it made for a more intriguing iteration of the character to have some actual vulnerability in the form of danger to her life mixed in with her usual scheming.


  69. Wally Kurth (Ned, GH)
    (Week Ending December 2, 2022)

    With a couple exceptions, the Quartermaine estate and those who occupy it may be shadows of their family’s former greatness but despite depleting their ranks at least General Hospital never neglects the Thanksgiving tradition that their viewers happily await each year. Even if it is tough to believe Olivia would have a family meal caterered rather than cook everything herself, the live turkey dinner released by Leo made for a fun twist on the classic Quartermaine holiday disaster that forces the family to dine on pizza, the shots of the bird ransacking the house were humorous and even better were Wally Kurth’s smirks and smart remarks that had Ned repeatedly chastised by Olivia, he looked like he was having such a good time in those scenes and passed that joy right along to the audience.


  70. Kathleen Gati (Liesl Obrecht, GH)
    (Week Ending November 25, 2022)

    Despite starting out as a villain, over the years Liesl Obrecht has evolved into a character who functions more as comic relief than anything sinister. Kathleen Gati knows her way around a funny line and how to wield that accent for optimum effect, she reliably provides laughs but its a rare opportunity to see the extent of the actress’s dramatic capabilities, displaying genuine emotion like she did this week upon learning that her daughter’s Huntington’s disease is progressing. Gati did a standout job expressing Obrecht’s guilt and regrets as a mother, tearfully empathizing with Britt’s fears while also encouraging her to fight. While I would never want Obrecht to lose her humor, I really do appreciate moments like this that provide a more well-rounded view of the character.


  71. Eden McCoy & Evan Hofer (Joss & Dex, GH)
    (Week Ending November 18, 2022)

    Finn and Elizabeth, Dante and Sam, and (gag) Drew and Carly, sometimes when you’re watching General Hospital it plunges you into the depths of romantic despair as you contemplate just how far most of their couples are from superdom. Thankfully though, like Trina and Spencer before them, the sizzling chemistry between Dex and Joss ignites hope for a return to the kind of pairings that drew the marjority of us into soap operas in the first place. When easy natural chemistry meets two performers who clearly understand the art of the slow burn and loaded glances, and the writing places them in frequent proximity as well as heightened circumstances like Joss caring for an injured and feverish (yet still flirty) Dex, you get the sort of magic that fueled soaps in their heyday. Joss and Dex are like a jolt of electricity every single time they encounter one another as opposed to the fizzle of those other aforementioned couples. The pacing, the heat, this is the stuff of classic soap operas and I love it.


  72. Bill Hayes & Susan Seaforth Hayes (Doug & Julie, Days)
    (Week Ending November 11, 2022)

    I know a lot of drama went down on the other soaps this week but to me none of that compares to the way Days Of Our Lives low-key celebrated their fifty-seventh year. What a pitch perfect decision to have Julie accused of shoplifting, a clever callback to the first episode of Days where a teenage Julie shoplifted a stole, too. The flashbacks featuring Tom and Alice, Julie admiring Horton family photos on the mantle, and Doug sweetly teasing her about the anniversary of her crime, the blend of heart, humor, family and a supercouple encompassed all the reasons so many of us fell in love with this show throughout the years.


  73. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days)
    (Week Ending November 4, 2022)

    First of all, a huge thank you to Days Of Our Lives for finally ditching the “very special” Halloween episodes where nothing was real and story didn’t advance, this year they took a much more grounded approach showing kids trick or treating, not a novel concept, I know, and that’s what made it great. One of my favorite things about Days is how devoted they’ve stayed to multigenerational storytelling, it’s always one of the great joys of soaps to see diffierent ages interacting so I absolutely loved Maggie taking her granddaughter Holly door to door, not only was it realistic that Holly has her grandma so wrapped around her finger that Maggie would take her for round two of trick or treating but it gave Suzanne Rogers, usually the straight woman for Victor’s one-liners and warm shoulder for those in crisis, an opportunity to display her comedic chops. While lately some of Days’ more salacious attempts at comedy have come off as sophmoric (the Johnson brothers making a sexual pun of their last name anyone?), however, when Alex opened the door and Maggie and Holly caught sight of Sloane tied up in bed, Rogers played those beats to perfection, her facial expressions and her well-timed asides made the scenes really work in a cute, screwball comedy kind of way rather than feeling as sleazy as a lot of the show’s entendre-laced humor has of late. It just shows you how valuable veterans are to their soaps, how they just have a innate sense of how to sell any moment in a palatable way. Suzanne Rogers is one of the true pros in daytime, I mean, it’s thanks to her that I even find Xander tolerable now, so maybe she’ll work those same wonders on the way too lounge lizard-like, Alex, too.


  74. Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 28, 2022)

    Is it too soon to just hand Melissa Claire Egan her Emmy? Like Days’ Billy Flynn in recent months, Melissa Claire Egan’s vanity free performances have been so undeniably good that it just feels like there’s no such thing as praising her work too much right now. Egan’s portrayal, Chelsea appearing so listless, like life has just drained out of her, where even the effort to freshen herself up to go out for the night seems too much for her, it has been such an authentic seeming depiction of someone in the throes of depression, combine Egan’s acting with the brilliant choices by production to overlay it with the voices of other characters in Chelsea’s head admonishing her at every turn and this is fast turning into one of the most powerful depictions of a social issue in daytime since the golden era of when the likes of Agnes Nixon would take such time and care to really explore the truth of a situation. Incredibly well done.


  75. Bryton James (Devon, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 21, 2022)

    Y&R really, really needed to play the long game on this one. We needed to see Nate invest years in his business career not a matter of months before he whined incessantly about being overlooked and tried to take backstabby action against his family. But that terrible pacing at least proved to be Bryton James’s gain in a handful of scenes this week as Devon tore into his cousin for behaving like an entitled baby. Frequently I’ve stood on the opposite side of Devon on a number of issues, however, this was one of those cathartic moments where the audience is collectively like, yes, you’re saying exactly what we’ve all been thinking and with every ounce of the frustrated conviction that we feel as you point out to Nate how seriously underqualified he is in his new line of work. Bryton James conveyed all of that perfectly. It should be mentioned here that Sean Dominic made a valiant effort to sell this story but there was just no way anyone could have, this guy really deserves a storyline where it isn’t an uphill battle to justify Nate’s actions, where his stance and his motivations actually make sense, where he too can have a moment where Nate is fired up and we’re fired up right alongside him rather than shaking our heads.


  76. Lynn Herring (Lucy, GH)
    (Week Ending October 14, 2022)

    Amid serial killing and Carly’s snore of a Florida trip, Lynn Herring brought a welcome jolt of fun to the show this week as Lucy reverted to her old seductress ways in an attempt to get dirt on Victor. She also pushed back against Anna, the woman who roped her into the scheme, this was Lucy reacting in very Lucy style with blinders on, insisting that Anna quit meddling and let Lucy do this her way which of course is leading to hot water. This story isn’t my ideal use of Lynn Herring’s range, that story would involve Martin, Scotty, Serena and a sublime mix of comedy and drama, still this is a vast improvement over Lucy just being relegated to hosting the Nurse’s Ball or wrangling a drug-addicted model, at least we finally get that sparkle of mischeif back in Lucy’s eyes, it’s a beautiful thing to behold.


  77. Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 7, 2022)

    Y&R hasn’t exactly done Chelsea any favors since Melissa Claire Egan’s return from maternity leave, her stories have consisted of clinging to unavailable guys (Rey, Billy, Chance) and quitting her fashion design career to become a podcaster, which already was a miserable experience for fans thanks to Billy so none of us wished that on her. Fortunately podcasting at the moment at least seems to have been excised from the show, although after so long of watching Egan mired with nothing much to do, I’m only cautiously optimistic that the writers are actually going to go somewhere significant with Chelsea’s mental health issues and her unwelcome decision to insert herself into the life of Johnny, the son she gave up for adoption. If this week is any indication, Melissa Claire Egan is most definitely at the top of her game and ready for something more significant to play. She just across the board did outstanding work with a vulnerable bordering on childlike air about her in those scenes opposite Sharon, how she very much appeared verbally slapped by the encounter with Johnny in the park, and finally spiralling into paranoia at the coffee house believing that Sharon, Adam, and Chance were conspiring against her. Let’s hope Y&R’s writing team finally remembers how soap operas work and carry out this story to its potential rather than give it one of the premature and anticlimactic endings they’ve weirdly taken to lately (Ashland’s death and Dominic’s illness are just two examples of many stories that have come to abrupt halts). Soap operas are the ideal medium for digging deeply and taking the time to truly tell a story in full and Melissa Claire Egan is clearly primed right now to do a story like that justice if given the material.


  78. Billy Flynn (Chad, Days)
    (Week Ending September 30, 2022)

    It feels like I’m being a broken record here praising Billy Flynn multiple times for the same story, but he’s just been that good. Flynn’s intensity was off the charts when Chad trained a gun on his wife’s murderer, demanding answers, shouting for answers! How Flynn amped himself up to that degree is one of those mysterious marvels of truly skilled acting. The loud rage and anguish of those scenes were followed by equally impressive quieter moments of bonding with his brother/rescuer EJ at the police station (their relationship is developing into one of the show’s best) and later, at Abby’s grave, a vision or hallucination or whatever you want to call it finally allowed Chad (and the fans) the goodbye with Abby that he never had, the chance to talk and share one last tender kiss before Chad found himself all alone again and breaking down in tears. Chad may be experiencing one of the worst years of his life but it’s provided Billy Flynn with such an abundance of rich performances that I don’t envy him attempting to narrow down his reel come Emmy time.


  79. Tanisha Harper (Jordan, GH)
    (Week Ending September 23, 2022)

    I’m a big proponent of giving a recast actor time to find their footing and most importantly time to find the character before plunging them into big story, GH did just that with Tanisha Harper and now with a serial killer on the loose, those missing divorce papers finally coming to light and Trina’s paternity on the verge of surfacing, the actress showed this week that she’s clearly ready to take on all that juicy drama. As someone in a position of power never mind a woman in a predominantly male field and a single mom with a tangled romantic history, I’ve always thought the most important characteristics for an actress to bring to Jordan are intelligence, assertiveness and an inner strength, all of which Tanisha Harper ably demonstrated this week in continuing to take the blame for Aunt Stella, in her vulnerable admission that if it were up to her she and Curtis would still be together, in drawing a hard line with hospital employees spreading confidential information, and in kinda putting Portia on notice without giving away her suspicions that Portia hasn’t been as truthful with Curtis as he believes. Tanisha Harper just came off as so assured and capable in every scene, it has me excited for what a force she’ll be going forward in this role as part of a triangle and in solving the paternity and serial killer mysteries. Honorable mention to Johnny Wactor, his Brando fell victim to GH’s serial killer this week, while it’s safe to assume the actor fell victim to GH just having far too many castmembers. Unfortunately the character wasn’t explored to the extent he could have been, every event that happened focused more on Sasha and Gladys than Brando, I mean, the guy lost a baby, too and is a recovering addict, too, plus we never did learn anything about his dad (I always thought it would have been a great twist if Cyrus had turned out to be his dad), but the show just never showed as much interest in Brando as the audience felt, so hopefully this actor will land somewhere that has a little more room for him to shine.


  80. Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina, GH)
    (Week Ending September 16, 2022)

    So this week Lexi Ainsworth came in and did that thing she does, she amazed in every scene, never a trace of rust in her performances despite how sparingly GH uses her talents. Ainsworth was superb in her reactions to witnessing a hook wielding lunatic attack Brando, conveying the horror of the moment, then a mix of shock and fear afterwards at times understandably clinging to the safety of her dad, showing grave concern awaiting word in the hospital and voice trembling as she recounted events to the police. Honestly what does this actress have to do to get in the regular story rotation, GH? If you ever recognized her worth to the show she’d probably have a trophy case of Emmys to rival Heather Tom. I just don’t get why GH doesn’t seem to know what to do with Kristina, I mean, the father-daughter relationship alone should be enough to inspire some compelling story, plus she’s bisexual so the romantic options are wide open, and Kristina hasn’t nailed down what she wants to do with her life career-wise so that’s rife with possibilities, too. Yet nothing ever happens for her. Do better by her, GH. The next time you think you need to cast your billionth new character to tell a particular story stop yourselves and tailor that story to fit Kristina, Lexi Ainsworth is one of your MVP’s, she just rarely gets the chance to show it.


  81. Days Of Our Lives
    (Week Ending September 9, 2022)

    It’s an emotional time if you love Days Of Our Lives, many of us are nervous about the lack of longevity for streaming series while others are unfortunately in an even more miserable situation where Friday (with its partial preemption in some areas!) may have been the last episode they ever see due to their location or financial situation. Either way we’re all saying goodbye this week to Days Of Our Lives as we knew it, same time, same channel every single weekday, that comforting ritual of appointment television on NBC (or Global if you’re in Canada and if you are, make the switch to W on Monday). This isn’t some prime-time series that’s lasted a whopping six seasons, Days is so much more impressive than that, decades of ups and downs for every Horton, Brady, Johnson, Carver, Kiriakis, Black, DiMera, Kositchek, Ramirez, Grant, Craig, Deveraux, Banning, Bradford, Hunter, Lockhart, Hernandez, Price, Wesley, Weston, Reed, Williams, Walker, Alamain, Shin, Corelli, Trask, Curtis, etc., it’s a lifetime of these fictional families and memories cherished by their devoted viewers. The warmest of thank you’s to the cast and crew for making Salem vividly come to life and be a consistently entertaining place to visit year upon year and we only hope for more years to come.


  82. Deidre Hall & Mary Beth Evans (Marlena & Kayla, Days)
    (Week Ending September 2, 2022)

    Deidre Hall and Mary Beth Evans are simply among the very best daytime has to offer. Did this week’s kidnapping necessarily showcase their talent for emotion the way scenes of Marlena and Kayla dealing with family issues or their patients usually do? Well no, but sometimes it is enjoyable to just set aside the heavy drama for a few minutes and watch a bit of an eighties style throwback story with a kidnapping, bomb threat, and two seasoned actresses looking like they were having a great time with it. While always welcome when the writers actually include the ladies in their own rescue as they did here with an escape attempt as well as their involvement in providing answers for Orpheus’s “game,” it’s also something Deidre Hall and Mary Beth Evans have always thoughtfully brought to their roles, a sense of strength and intelligence in these women that prevents them from ever truly sinking into damsel in distress territory, it’s really no wonder why viewers admire these two so much both on screen and off.


  83. Stephen Nichols (Steve, Days)
    (Week Ending August 26, 2022)

    Is there anyone in daytime who appears more comfortable in their character’s skin than Stephen Nichols does as Steve Johnson? Whether on Y&R as Tucker, GH’s Stefan, or that big swing as Days’ Stefano, there’s no doubting that Nichols has the talent to play any kind of character, but no one fits him quite as perfectly as Patch does. The ease in the way Nichols speaks and moves as Steve, you could almost forget that’s someone acting, he is so magnetic and so true in the role, I just really can’t get enough of watching him and I’ve been doing so since the eighties. I loved the material he was given this week, Steve’s innately a hero no matter how bad boy his appearance so you knew when he promised he’d back off and let Stephanie handle her job interview on her own, he was totally going to crash it. Being overprotective even when his sweetness (in this case his little sweetness) asks him not to was vintage Patch behavior, it was funny and heartfelt seeing this guy we all think of as the epitome of cool embarrassing his daughter in front of her potential employer. However, things then took a more serious turn when Steve discovered Kayla and Marlena missing, blindsided by the realization that his instincts were right except he’d thrown his all into protecting the wrong person, top notch hero that he is though, we know Steve will quickly regroup and set out to rescue his wife. This is precisely why we’ve loved this guy for so long, you get the smiles, you get the adventure, you get the emotion, he’s still the total entertainment package decades in, that’s as titillating as I need Days Of Our Lives to be, I like my grandmother’s version of the soap just fine thanks, great actors in great roles that’s all I need, don’t “fix” what isn’t broken just because you’re moving to streaming, if Salem doesn’t feel the same viewers will not feel the same loyalty towards it.


  84. Lauren Koslow (Kate, Days)
    (Week Ending August 19, 2022)

    As the countdown rolls on for those viewers unable to transition to Days Of Our Lives on Peacock, at least we’re happily seeing some outstanding performances through these final weeks on NBC, including from an actress who has long been undervalued when it comes to award season but the fans have always appreciated how awesome she is. Not only does Lauren Koslow have the greatest sense of personal style ever in daytime (which thankfully bleeds into her character, Kate), the woman has plenty of substance to go along with it as was fully on display this week when Kate received the gut punch that her son Lucas will be headed to prison (our boy better receive one of those magic pardons!). Koslow as always was fantastic opposite TV son Bryan Dattilo, one of my favorite mother/son duos, as much as Kate and Lucas may butt heads, especially when she meddles and/or he screws up, there’s always a heaping dose of affection in the mix. Kate may be a villain at least half the time, but in that moment, contemplating Lucas doing time, she was any other mom concerned for her boy, arguing against his decision, worrying his mental health wouldn’t be addressed. Kate then took the news to her ex Roman adding that she intended to turn herself in, too, as an accessory after the fact. Now, like I said, Kate’s been a villain on plenty of occasions, so some might reject the notion that she’d not only accept Lucas’s guilty plea with nary a fight, she’d also throw herself on the sword, too, but it’s all in the execution from the actress to make something like that feel true to the character and Koslow did that walking a fine line between emotional with Lucas and Roman but never outright weeping and wailing, she maintained that tough chick aura Kate’s had to tap into her whole life, leaving you with the sense that yeah, maybe Kate’s down in that moment but she’ll never be out. Enjoying Koslow’s work this week brought to mind a potential silver lining over this whole Peacock thing, since we all know the Primetime Emmys are obsessed with streaming series, maybe the Daytime Emmys will take that turn as well and we’ll finally see some Days legends like Lauren Koslow receive the level of accolades they’ve always deserved. One last thing to note here, over the years I’ve used this space in tribute to soap stars who have passed away, however, those passings seem to be coming with such frequency of late and too often involve those going before their time like two actresses I adored, Anne Heche and Robyn Griggs, that I’m just finding it all too much to put into words and so from here on out I’m leaving memorials for the professional writers to handle.


  85. Cary Christopher (Thomas, Days)
    (Week Ending August 12, 2022)

    In recent years, even prior to pandemic restrictions, Days drifted away from showing characters parenting their young children (a particular sore spot for those of us who spent years watching Nicole pine for a baby only to never see her with her child). I’m so glad to see the trend reverse of late with Chad’s son Thomas playing a larger role. If you’re going to tell the complete story of Abby’s death, we need to see the impact on her kids, we needed the scenes this week with Chad weary of single fatherhood, father and son suddenly borderline awkward with each other until something as simple as going out for a treat together where that brave little boy was basically like hey, dad, you’re going to have to step up here and do some of the stuff for us that mom used to do. That’s my soap opera sweet spot, the moments that feel like they would occur in everyday life, the writers deserve credit for scripting those realistic scenes, but they wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without a talented young boy capable of delivering mannerisms, dialogue, and emotion in such a natural way. Let’s hope Days still has plenty of life left in it not only because we just plain love the show, but because now there’s this kid on it who’s already good and only going to get better.


  86. Billy Flynn (Chad, Days)
    (Week Ending August 5, 2022)

    It hasn’t been that long since I last singled out Billy Flynn as actor of the week, I prefer to spread the praise around a bit more than that but there really is just no denying the caliber of work this guy is putting out there. This week, following the third person of interest brought in for his wife’s death and a painful moment with his son, Chad drowned his sorrows at the Brady Pub to the point where his best friend had to collect him and bring him home. Chad could barely stay up on his feet, he laughed inappropriately and in anger, he tearfully confessed that he doesn’t want to be around his kids knowing he can’t make them feel better and finally, he openly wept in Sonny’s arms. This is the best kind of performance, the kind that draws viewers in so emotionally deep, has us so invested in the long haul of Chad’s journey. It’s crushing to think that with the upcoming move to Peacock some fans for financial reasons or lack of access may miss out on more impeccable acting from Flynn and seeing Chad get to the other side of this, but hey, those viewers can take solace in another hour of news, just what everyone needs to brighten their day.


  87. Josh Kelly (Cody, GH)
    (Week Ending July 29, 2022)

    With an already large cast affecting the pace of storytelling, I wasn’t thrilled by the news that General Hospital was adding yet another character. But this new character is played by Josh Kelly. Josh Kelly whose appeal proved pretty much irresistible on One Life To Live and Unreal. So as much as I wanted to resent Cody for taking time away from dear old favorites, I am, in fact, enjoying the new guy. I like the intrigue surrounding Cody, the hints that he’s up to something on the side, but mostly what’s making the man easier to embrace than I imagined possible in GH’s massive sea of characters is how insecure Cody has been in his romantic pursuit of Britt. Physically Josh Kelly is all Alpha leading man, ruggedly handsome, the kind of guy who on soaps should ooze confidence with a love interest yet what I’m loving is that Kelly’s playing Cody as quite the opposite of who he should typically be in daytime, this guy is not even remotely a smooth operator. It’s refreshing to see a non-nerdy guy behave as Cody did following a failed first date, fumbling through his interactions with a very salty Britt, saying the wrong things to her and bashfully confiding in Maxie, stressing over whether his creative/romantic take on a passport is too corny to give to Britt. The passport isn’t too corny, it was adorable and for a guy who seems a touch shady, Cody is also quite endearing. So yeah, technically there isn’t space on GH’s canvas for another character, but there are some scenes with contrived romantic pairings (ax throwing, anyone?) that I would happily exchange for a performance that feels this natural and fun.


  88. Courtney Hope (Sally, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 22, 2022)

    Sally’s roller-coaster of a week on Y&R offered up a perfect display of Courtney Hope’s talents. First Adam broke up with her, a decision Sally initially thought wasn’t for real, then it confounded her that he seemed to truly blame her for his poor standing with his dad, and ultimately she was just plain devastated. Courtney Hope made each shift in Sally’s thinking and in her feelings seamless and real. I know there are fans who weren’t thrilled with Sally’s behavior on B&B or with her plotting against Summer, still it’s impossible to believe she didn’t win over some viewers this week when still swiping away her breakup tears, Sally defended her value to Victoria and Nick, she dusted off the heartbreak and passionately fought for her career. That’s the Sally I love best, not the schemer, not the damsel rescued by rich boyfriends, it’s the plucky, refuse to concede defeat heroine pulling herself up who is so easy to cheer for and feel emotionally engaged with, she livens up Genoa City. More of her, please.


  89. Alison Sweeney, Dan Feuerriegel, Bryan Dattilo (Sami, EJ, Lucas, Days)
    (Week Ending July 15, 2022)

    For me the best triangles are the ones where there’s a legit argument to be made for each pairing, after all these years and a recast, I’m as torn as ever over who I want Sami with even as she dumped them both. First Hurricane Sami ripped into Lucas when his role as her kidnapper came to light during their wedding ceremony, then being Sami, she couldn’t be alone for more than five seconds so she ran off to the other love of her life, EJ, only to discover he’d slept with Sami’s sister. The scenes this week were Alison Sweeney in her absolute element simultaneously railing and reeling, full of fire and tears. Dan Feuerriegel hit all the right notes as well, from the humor and heartbreak of drowning his sorrows/fuming over Sami’s nuptials to laying EJ’s yearning vulnerability right out there for Sami to stomp all over as he futilely asked for another chance. As for Lucas, I love him, always have, from the minute I first saw him in that uniform, there’s just always been something so endearing behind his sarcasm and bad decisions, even now at his kidnapping worst. Bryan Dattilo makes me laugh a lot but when Days needs sincerity from Lucas, Dattilo is all in, like this week, the desperate remorse and regret just poured off Lucas, a performance like that is why no matter the corner Lucas is written into viewers will always be eager to forgive and watch this compellingly flawed character seek redemption.


  90. Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH)
    (Week Ending July 8, 2022)

    I don’t love this story for Elizabeth yet, it’s meandered for many months now thanks to GH juggling far too many cast members and plots. For some baffling reason newer characters continue to be prioritized over this fan favorite so this week offered one of our rare glimpses at the voluntarily institutionalized Elizabeth actually talking to a doctor, albeit informally with Kevin not an actual session which is the deep dive into this story that I’m really hoping the writers eventually give Herbst, particularly after her performance in these scenes. Herbst wonderfully displayed her range, showing us the always concerned mama Elizabeth when her son Jake visited only to have cracks appear in her reassuring veneer when Jake mentioned her parents. Those cracks grew even wider and more jagged moments later when Kevin attempted to probe Liz’s parental baggage and her usual sweetheart demeanor took a turn, combative, defensive and adamant that her parents not be permitted anywhere near her boys. Who knows when GH is ever going to get around to truly exploring her issues with her parents (pacing on GH’s stories these days is sporadic unless your name is Carly or Sonny) but the possibilities are intriguing especially if it means at some point Rebecca Herbst will be given material and airtime that are more of a match for her abilities.


  91. Paris and Carter’s Wedding (B&B)
    (Week Ending July 1, 2022)

    I’m not convinced Paris or Quinn are the right match for Carter and Quinn’s mad dash to stop the wedding looked laughably slow whether moving by foot or by bike it seemed like a tortoise could have passed the woman, yet for once I’m not complaining about B&B. A beautiful bride styled with just enough edge to suit her portrayer, Quinn hilariously saying “charge it to Eric Forrester” at the bike rental, a reluctant groom who frankly looked like he was attending his own execution, a bumbling officiant, an appropriately pitiful smattering of doubt-plagued guests and scenes in the actual outdoors (there’s always something invigorating about soaps getting out of the studio, the critics of GL’s end days were flat out wrong), it was all so silly on B&B this week yet so right for the summer season, just pure fun and entertainment, the television equivalent of sunshine, no doom and gloom. Speaking of doom and gloom, honorable mention to Sal Stowers and Lamon Archey, it was only last week when I praised their work as part of Days’ Juneteenth Wedding, their decision to leave the show is a huge blow, from the loss of Eli and Lani’s groundbreaking romance (Days’ first black wedding) to their always memorable interactions with Abe and Julie, they’ll be sorely missed but on the bright side it will be exciting to see where their talents take them beyond Days.


  92. Abe and Paulina’s Juneteenth Wedding (Days)
    (Week Ending June 24, 2022)

    With only one other wedding in their history featuring a black bride and a black groom (and not until 2020!) Days Of Our Lives still has a long way to go to rise above their abysmal inclusion track record, however, more and more they’re showing signs that they recognize the problem and are genuine in their attempt to improve things, this week was particularly encouraging as Days was the lone soap to acknowledge Juneteenth. James Reynolds, Jackee Harry, and Marla Gibbs were the perfect actors to task with introducing Juneteenth to Salem in that they all have a gift for making factual information flow like engaging conversation. What was particularly wonderful about Days’ Juneteenth celebration is that it emphasized the joy of the occasion with Abe and Paulina’s wedding taking center stage. Kudos to everyone in the design departments who put together a visual treat for the viewers with all the bright pops of color in the set design and floral dresses and even Abe’s orange vest, unlike a certain seventies-themed wedding on another soap, the taste level here was sublime. Abe and Paulina got their moment in the sun (including jumping the broom), while the show did a fantastic job of incorporating other stories into their big event as well with the twins vying for Chanel’s heart, Eric gazing at Nicole in that way only he can, and Lani’s guilt becoming so much for her that she just had to burst. I was worried that Lani’s confession at the wedding would ruin the vibe, admitting you killed your bio-dad and let your mom take the rap for it definitely has all the makings of a wet blanket, but the writers who have had the show drowning in callousness for months thanks to the devil and Leo, crafted truly heartfelt moments here that honestly I was at the point of not thinking Days capable of anymore, if each person at the wedding gradually raising their hand to keep Lani’s secret didn’t move you, nothing will.


  93. Billy Flynn (Chad, Days)
    (Week Ending June 17, 2022)

    Days Of Our Lives has revived so many dead characters in recent years that unfortunately I’m now numb to them killing off a legacy character. It’s a shoulder shrug and thoughts of well, sooner or later “dead Abby” will have actually been someone in a mask, a doppelganger, or a mad scientist will Frankenstein her back to life. Death is no longer the emotional experience it should be in Salem, there’s an emptiness to storytelling when there is no permanence and no repercussions to the writers’ choices, when everything is easily undone it undermines the valiant efforts of actors who pour everything into making something feel authentic like Billy Flynn did this week. For once I’ll be glad Emmy voters aren’t saddled with the context daily viewers are well aware of, if you don’t know Days better, you’ll trust that Abby is dead and Chad’s aching goodbye to his wife and all the anger he spewed at Kate, that career best performance from Billy Flynn will resonate to the degree it actually should.


  94. Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 10, 2022)

    While the Victor haters will understandably view his explosive response to Victoria’s reunion with Ashland as yet another example of how controlling the man is, I saw that bellowing moment as pretty much the perfect depiction of a powerful man feeling as though he’s lost control. Eric Braeden was simply outstanding, Victor seething with exasperation, completely abrasive when yeah maybe the right approach with Victoria would have been to have gone soft, but that is just not who this man is, which is why the character has been less entertaining through much of this Ashland saga because the writing simply made no sense to have Victor just sit on his hands and keep his lips zipped while watching his daughter’s involvement with someone untrustworthy. I love the fire we saw in Victor this week, I especially love that it came from a place of vulnerability, that he was infuriated not so much because his daughter refused to obey him but because he’s genuinely concerned and distressed. Braeden played Victor as boiling over with frustration and it couldn’t have felt truer, what parent wouldn’t be at their wit’s end, railing with everything they have in them if they saw their daughter (at any age) repeatedly, egregiously lied to and still she goes back to this guy, it’s like she’s under the spell of a cult leader, what parent wouldn’t be terrified by that? And only someone who knows Victor as well as Eric Braeden does would understand that such a terrified moment called for absolute rage from this character, not at Victoria but at the situation. I don’t know if at this stage Braeden still submits his work for Emmy consideration, if so, there’s your winning scene.


  95. Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 3, 2022)

    Every soap has a character or two where you understand their value to the show and their fans, yet they just don’t personally work for you, that’s me with Michelle Stafford’s Phyllis, I find her version of the character kind of obnoxious. Most of the time being kind of obnoxious isn’t a great thing, however, when a soap is going through somewhat listless growing pains revolving around nauseating podcast diatribes, endless business mergers/CEO &COO shuffling, and those ever so enthralling visits to the park with Harrison, some over the top obnoxiousness is just what the doctor ordered to breathe life into the proceedings. Much to Jack’s dismay, Phyllis completely flaunted their sex life in rival Diane’s face this week, the scenes including Phyllis performing a victory dance of sorts in the background and very much placing her breasts in the foreground, came off as ingenious and slightly unhinged ad-lib from Stafford, there was an unpredictable quality to her in those moments that you could not look away from. Was it obnoxious behavior, yep, but was it also the most fun Y&R has shown us in some time, absolutely.


  96. Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH)
    (Week Ending May 27, 2022)

    Whether or not you support Sonny’s decision to take the stand on Nina’s behalf, surely unlike the Emmy voters, all of us who actually watch GH daily can at least agree Maurice Benard has done incredible work throughout this divisive storyline including this week’s courtroom drama. Maurice could not have come across any more realistic than he did during Diane’s cross-examination as Sonny struggled to keep his composure and to work through his own truth (like staying in Nixon Falls was partly his own choice) while enduring Diane’s extremely personal low blows aimed at his mental health as well as Nina’s. Courtroom scenes can tend towards histrionics and unreal tangents but as usual we could count on Maurice Benard to deliver an emotionally grounded and at the same time psychologically compelling performance.


  97. Tajh Bellow (T.J., GH)
    (Week Ending May 20, 2022)

    A downside of GH’s huge cast is that T.J. and Molly continuously get lost in the shuffle and with only a handful of scenes per year we’re missing out on one of the best things about the soap opera format which is watching characters in real-time transition through the various phases of life. We watched T.J. as a teen but have only caught brief glimpses of him in adulthood, including this week when T.J. a character who often defers to his mom, to Curtis, and to older hospital colleagues, this time very much took his own adult stance on his grandfather skipping town. The scene that truly stood out to me in the restaurant had T.J. insisting to his grandfather that he didn’t care about the arrest or the stint in the mental ward, he’s not there for information like Curtis is, he just doesn’t want his grandfather to walk out on him again. There was so much maturity in Bellow’s handling of that scene, he spoke with assertiveness yet at the same time no shortage of vulnerable, heartfelt emotion. It was a moment that Bellow should mark for next year’s Emmy reel and a moment you wish the show would look at and go hey, we don’t need to hire twelve more new people when we’ve got so much untapped talent right here just waiting for scripts to come their way. Lastly, I need to touch on another heartbreaking loss in the soap world, Marnie Schulenberg passed away this week, a young actress who for three years gave such nuanced performances on ATWT that no matter her character’s mistakes or schemes, she always gave the audience reasons to love Allison and to love Marnie in the role.


  98. Emily O’Brien (Gwen, Days)
    (Week Ending May 13, 2022)

    I don’t like Gwen. She’s an incredibly ill-conceived character, her creation required unflattering rewrites of Jack (like he doesn’t have enough true bad history) and Laura and on top of that Gwen harbors a poorly motivated desire for revenge against her sister Abigail which begs many questions such as why so much envy of Abigail when Jack mostly wasn’t present in her life either, why wasn’t J.J. Gwen’s target, too, and if you want to tell a story of seething resentment over Jack’s absence from someone’s life start with Jennifer, Abigail, and J.J., no need to invent another character out of extremely thin air. But as much as I’ve found Gwen grating and implausible that doesn’t prevent me from appreciating Emily O’Brien’s acting in the interrogation room this week as Gwen said a heartfelt goodbye to the only love of her life Xander. The key word there is heartfelt. Surprise, surprise, when writers give their actors scenes where the character’s motivations make sense and their emotions are genuine, when there’s nothing forced, that’s when you’ll see an actress at her actual best.


  99. Jerry verDorn (Ross, GL, Clint, OLTL)
    (Week Ending May 6, 2022)

    Daytime television lost another gem this week with the passing of Jerry verDorn. As Ross on Guiding Light, he memorably struggled with daughter Dinah, shared a charming friendship with Ed, and his romance with Blake was one of the most loved pairings in the history of the show. Over on One Life To Live, while it surely must have been daunting to fill Clint Ritchie’s considerable cowboy boots, verDorn did so seamlessly, maintaining Clint’s (sometimes contentious) brotherly bond with Bo, simmering sparks with Viki and mining plenty of humor out of a relationship with gold-digger Kim. Whatever was asked of Jerry verDorn, whether drama or punchlines, the man beyond delivered, his talent and his presence held a timeless appeal for viewers who continue to hold him dear.


  100. William Christian (T.R., Days)
    (Week Ending April 29, 2022)

    T.R. is one of the least likable characters on Days, an abusive addict who shot his own son-in-law, the complete opposite of All My Children’s Derek, also played by William Christian, a character who was everybody’s best friend and a trusted police officer. Having watched both shows it’s an impressive display of range from this actor but even if you’re unfamiliar with his previous role, the work William Christian is doing now as T.R. is still attention getting stuff. Whether barely managing to maintain his good guy act opposite Julie’s hostility, laying on the smarmy nostalgia charm with a vulnerable Paulina or unleashing his true rage-filled self on his ex, this week William Christian epitomized the baddest of bad men with T.R.’s oily insincerity and menacing undercurrents in every scene.


  101. Amelia Heinle (Victoria, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 22, 2022)

    I find it tough to believe that someone as savvy as Victoria Newman would be duped by Ashland Locke, particularly in light of his many lies uncovered even before their marriage and it’s not like their chemistry is so off the charts sizzling that I can buy her good sense being scrambled by lust. However, even if the writers never convinced me that Victoria could be blinded by her love for Ashland, I can appreciate Amelia Heinle’s performance in the aftermath of Victoria ending things with Locke. Here is where there finally has been evidence of how intelligent Victoria ordinarily is, as Heinle, in addition to playing the heartbreak, strongly conveys Victoria’s wounded pride, how embarrassed and ashamed she feels over falling for this fraud. Amelia’s emotional and physical commitment to the role were also evident during the post-car accident scenes, the fragility of her movements and how visibly rattled she seemed not only by the crash but by inadvertently causing Rey’s death. I wouldn’t be surprised if this week earned Amelia Heinle more Emmy accolades. Honorable mention to Y&R’s ex-Rey, Jordi Vilasuso, who did the best an actor could with a character who was rarely written for during the course of his tenure on the show, hopefully we’ll see him in a more fully realized role elsewhere sometime soon.


  102. Patrika Darbo & Kevin Spirtas (Nancy & Craig, Days)
    (Week Ending April 15, 2022)

    I don’t love the way Days handled Craig’s coming out story, the tone too imbalanced, too heavy on humor and bulldozing over his lengthy marriage with Nancy calling into question everything they shared not only the highly sexual aspect of their relationship but maybe even more importantly their friendship. I don’t mind that their story has taken this turn, someone embracing their sexual identity later in life has all sorts of story potential, it’s simply the way this story has been told so far that doesn’t sit quite right. For instance, it’s kind of tough to believe that Craig would cheat on Nancy rather than be upfront with her, these two weren’t just a married couple, they were always written as if they were the truest of friends yet for the past couple months the Days writing team has seemingly forgotten that side of their pairing. Finally though, after they signed their divorce papers, glimmers of their old partnership shone through, the warm natural rapport these two actors spent years honing together was in fine form as Craig and Nancy reminisced about their teen years. That conversation spoke to the depth and the everlasting heart of Craig and Nancy’s relationship, a welcome switch from how this story has been mostly played for laughs when all along it could have and should have been tinged with the bittersweetness captured in Patrika Darbo and Kevin Spirtas’s performances here. More of that please.


  103. Kathryn Hays (Kim, ATWT)
    (Week Ending April 8, 2022)

    The soap world lost a beloved legend this week with the passing of Kathryn Hays. Best known for her role on As The World Turns, Kathryn’s Kim Hughes was a fully modern woman juggling a career in television with raising her blended family and while her romantic choices were occasionally flawed there was never any doubt that when she and Dr. Bob looked at each other with that sparkle in their eyes, they were meant to be. Viewers could count on Hays to bring warmth and a wealth of emotion to every moment, her performances always natural and affecting. ATWT went off the air more than a decade ago and still I very much miss the part Kathryn Hays played in my afternoons and I suspect I always will, she was a special lady and a special actress.


  104. Brook Kerr (Portia, GH)
    (Week Ending April 1, 2022)

    While General Hospital’s Maurice Benard is generally the actor most credited with bringing subtly and realism to the show, Brook Kerr made an excellent contribution in a similar vein this week. I loved the choices she made as Portia saw her daughter arrested and arraigned for a crime she did not commit. This is no disparagement to Laura Wright, she’s one of the best actresses on General Hospital, it’s just that her Carly always goes huge when it comes to her kids and seeing that so often from her makes it that much more compelling to see Kerr’s take on protecting her child, the quietly firm conviction with which Portia spoke to her girl, the police, and lawyer Scotty, in every scene we witnessed a mama bear every bit as fierce as Carly just coming at it from a different angle. It seemed particularly life-like for a parent to visibly stifle her own undoubtedly roiling emotions and make the effort to remain calm to keep her girl calm and instead save her trembling for private moments with her guy, Curtis. As a fan of Kerr from back in her Passions days, I’ve been kind of disappointed with her screen time or at least the quality of her screen time and the lack of forward motion in the paternity story, but this week’s upgrade in the material she’s been given is a step in the right direction.


  105. The Bold and The Beautiful 35th Anniversary
    (Week Ending March 25, 2022)

    A dream sequence where every guy has nothing but glowing memories of Brooke rang somewhat hollow (what a waste of a Jack Wagner guest appearance), I definitely would have preferred actual difficult conversations with her exes, Brooke tracking them down to take stock of where she’s gone wrong in her love life in an effort to do better/ win back Ridge. Still I do love a good montage of clips which B&B delivered plenty of in their special episode and even if they opted to celebrate with a hokey dream, B&B, like the other four soaps deserves kudos and a big thank you from the viewers for every milestone they hit at what is an undoubtedly challenging time to keep this beloved genre alive. A special congratulations to Katherine Kelly Lang and John McCook for their amazing longevity on this series, there from day one and still going strong, that’s a huge accomplishment. And as much as I may have maligned the “dream” episode concept, well done to those in power who chose to center this episode around Brooke, for recognizing that however many new fan favorites may come along on B&B, she remains the true heart of their show.


  106. Sydney Mikayla (Trina, GH)
    (Week Ending March 18, 2022)

    I don’t know whether it was happenstance or GH went into writing this week’s episodes knowing this was where Sydney Mikayla would exit the series, whatever the case I’m so glad she got to go out on such a high note. Trina had an emotional heart to heart that caused her mom no end of worry followed by a meeting with the source of said worry, Spencer, where Mikayla impressively asserted Trina’s backbone while at the same time conveying the swoons Trina obviously experiences whenever Spencer’s around. The moment where they discussed the art book/artist was a study in heated subtext that plenty of actors twice her age couldn’t have carried off so naturally. I am going to miss Sydney’s version of Trina, from beginning to end her performances were always driven by strength, intelligence, and believable emotions, and I hope that once she’s finished with school, if she hasn’t found some other calling she loves more, she’ll return to acting because she’s truly one of the finest actresses out there.


  107. Katherine Kelly Lang & Thorsten Kaye (Brooke & Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending March 11, 2022)

    The more soaps force chemistry where there isn’t any the greater my appreciation for the real deal, just two actors in a room able to shoot off sparks without anyone having to remove their shirt. That moment of realization Brooke had where she decided that maybe she isn’t the person to make Ridge happy, that she should let him go and Ridge responding with “the only life I ever wanted was with you” yet still walking out the door, the heartbreak and the heat Lang and Kaye generated in that scene, it was the epitome of a tortured supercouple, an instant classic.


  108. Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 4, 2022)

    Peter Bergman is one of the best actors daytime’s ever seen. He proves this over and over with such emotionally open performances like the one he gave this week as Jack visited the home of his estranged and presumed dead son Keemo. It’s all the more impressive if you’re aware that back in the day Bergman struggled with the logistics of the Luan/Keemo plot, the invention/introduction of those characters didn’t quite add up for him nor the way the story was handled overall so you’d imagine all these years later he probably has some trepidation over the way it might play out this go round yet you couldn’t see a trace of that in his scenes at Keemo’s, he appeared nothing but invested in portraying Jack’s grief and regret over the relationship he and his eldest son never quite managed to forge. With the Keemo storyline having occurred in the nineties, there’s a strong possibility that plenty of viewers either didn’t see it or only vaguely remember it so it was really on Bergman to convey Jack’s loss in a way that feels palpable for an audience who perhaps has little to no connection with it, and not surprisingly he did so with flying colors. I don’t know where this story is going to go but I hope it’s somewhere good and satisfying as there are few actors in soaps who have more earned a truly fantastic story to play than Peter Bergman.


  109. Finola Hughes (Anna, GH)
    (Week Ending February 25, 2022)

    While the writers unfortunately chose some time ago to strip any dimension from the Peter character, I was glad to see that they didn’t inflict similar damage on Anna as not only did it provide Finola Hughes with more emotional material than she’s had in some time it was also true to how complicated the situation was for Anna. Hughes fantastically segued from flinty spy willing to let someone die for the greater good to tearful “mother” who had just held her pseudo son’s hand through his (alleged) death. Decades into her role as Anna, Hughes is as riveting as ever to watch, she tries to bring a level of intellect to every scene, an effort that’s admirable and very much appreciated by the audience.


  110. Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending February 18, 2022)

    I definitely prefer Brooke and Ridge together than with other people so I don’t want a forever split but Ridge losing his patience with the situation felt like one of those wonderfully rare realistic moments on B&B. Thorsten Kaye did a fantastic job of expressing the ferocity of Ridge’s hurt and frustration, I loved the mix of anger and absolute bafflement that Brooke would be defending and protecting Deacon since like Ridge pointed out, who drinks with someone they know is an alcoholic? As a viewer, that’s what I was thinking, too, Brooke and Hope keep saying Deacon did nothing wrong here yet would anyone argue that a decent human being would join Brooke in getting drunk? No, a decent person would encourage her to sober up and offer to take her to a meeting. Another thing I appreciated about Thorsten’s performance here is that he didn’t just shut off Ridge’s affection for Brooke the way other B&B characters seemingly get over their great love five minutes after the breakup. When Steffy and Thomas bad mouthed his wife, Ridge was vehement in not wanting to hear it and every time he wonders about the circumstances of Brooke’s drinking, wonders whether some outside force was to blame, Kaye has Ridge do so with just the right amount of longing in his voice like Ridge is still holding out some hope that there’s an explanation he can tolerate. It was a compelling performance right up until Ridge suddenly asked to come home to Taylor which one can only hope was Taylor’s fantasy and not a ridiculously abrupt turn that B&B actually expects us to buy into.


  111. Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH)
    (Week Ending February 11, 2022)

    As much as I look forward to the day when we get to see the sparkly fun version of Maxie in a story again, I’m hopeful that all this dark material and in particular the tremendous performance she put in this week will lead to recognition for what a thrilling dramatic actress Kirsten Storms is as well, ranking right up there among the likes of Maurice Benard and Maura West. Storms gave such a high level layered performance this week as Maxie’s psycho ex Peter gave her an ultimatum to either run away to be a family with him and their baby or he would take their daughter without her. Maxie’s fear and her wiliness simultaneously shone through as she talked Peter into leaving their daughter behind, that tour de force of tear-filled emotions then somehow topped by the moment where she said a gutting goodbye to Louise at the fire station with only the faintest hope that she’d made the right move in this harrowing chess game with Peter. Long overdue for Emmy love, maybe this is the performance that finally earns Kirsten Storms the accolades she so richly deserves.


  112. Melissa Ordway (Abby, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 4, 2022)

    My absolute sympathies to any viewers currently in a surrogacy situation or considering it while being subjected to one nightmare scenario after the next on Y&R, first the overly attached gestational surrogate followed by the sperm donor demanding custody. It’s maddening that everyone in Genoa City is on Team Devon, even Abby’s relatives Billy and Nick congratulated him rather than questioned him. Hesitancy to share custody on Abby’s part is somehow depicted as out of line when Devon is the one who is unapologetic in reneging on their agreement and capitalizing on Chance’s mental illness. No one’s dialogue here does anywhere near the justice Abby deserves for the violation Devon and even her husband Chance have inflicted on her by forcing her to give up half her time with her child to someone who was never supposed to be her co-parent. It’s so frustrating that the writers seemingly refuse to empower Abby with words and actions, that she’s forced to acquiesce time and again, sit in these scenes and just agree when nervy Amanda invites Devon to Abby and Chance’s music class with their son. The only saving grace in this poorly crafted one-sided story is that Melissa Ordway speaks volumes through Abby’s strained smiles, pained expressions, and the flashes of outrage in her eyes, the actress has done everything in her power to give her character a voice despite scripts that for some confounding reason will not allow her to fight.


  113. Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH)
    (Week Ending January 28, 2022)

    Just once it would be refreshing to see mainstream entertainment media put soap operas in the spotlight not for something cheesy like actors making out with dolls but instead to celebrate performances like Maurice Benard delivered this week, a level of acting most people unfortunately wouldn’t expect from this genre. This is the kind of performance that could change minds about how soap operas are perceived and perhaps inspire more compassion for those struggling with mental health, too. Spiraling thoughts on no sleep, being completely oblivious to his hands nearing frostbitten territory, drinking to excess, scaring himself and Nina by putting hands on her, agreeing to get help only to walk away without it, every moment in Sonny’s life this week came off as distressingly realistic. The soap opera audience will never grow from publicizing stereotypes like cat fights, steamy scenes, or dubious special effects involving the devil, what could attract new viewers is publicizing the stuff that could impress and earn respect, stuff like Maurice’s Benard’s brilliance, acting that is as high quality as anything on acclaimed series like Succession and Ozark, if people think they’re missing out on something that is actually good that might be the one thing that finally compels them to give these shows a chance.


  114. Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, Days)
    (Week Ending January 21, 2022)

    I don’t know why Days Of Our Lives has devolved into a show propelled by gimmicks rather than quality storytelling, I’m just grateful that every once in awhile they remember that they have a tremendously talented cast who don’t need special effects or “masks” to be entertaining. Mary Beth Evans is one of the all-time great dramatic actresses so it was a fun switch-up this week to see her playing humor as she disguised herself as a nun to try and track down Kristen. Not only was Mary Beth Evan’s comedic timing superb as Kayla fumbled her way through covering her tracks with the mother superior and wracked her brain for religious knowledge, it just felt like a welcome retreat to simpler times on Days where I didn’t have to spend those scenes trying to guess whether I’m watching the actual character, a nightmare/dream sequence, the devil, or a “mask.” This was the best kind of simplicity, a character I adore in a sticky situation with no convenient body-swapping involved, Kayla just relied on good old fashioned pluck and dialogue to wriggle her way through this caper to humorous effect.


  115. Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R)
    (Week Ending January 14, 2022)

    I stand firm in my opinion that Y&R’s “special episodes” aren’t special enough to warrant existing. Michael’s thirtieth anniversary show mostly glossed over the character’s nefarious history to the point where his sexual harassment/stalking victim declared him the best mentor she ever had, jaw-droppingly out of touch with these Me Too times. There was also the trademark of Y&R’s special episodes in that the episode moved nothing forward in the story. Michael began the episode considering a career change and he ended the episode still considering. Y&R failed to use the episode to shift Michael back into a more interesting morally gray area nor did it offer up a showcase for LeBlanc’s acting skills. An anniversary of such longevity obviously speaks to how much the audience enjoys this actor despite in recent years Y&R going too far in course correcting the character. LeBlanc has not only survived numerous behind the scenes changes and writing that for a long time now hasn’t given him much to work with (though he clearly does everything he can with his scenes), he’s been rendered somewhat of a forgotten man on the canvas yet fans still clamor to see him in an actual story again someday, that’s no small feat, that should be celebrated even if this week’s material wasn’t truly worthy, the achievement itself was.


  116. Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B)
    (Week Ending January 7, 2022)

    The Bold and The Beautiful tends to not have the most rock solid storytelling, like for instance, if you’re an alcoholic it seems unlikely that you’d get through an entire bottle of champagne without recognizing the buzz hitting you when you were addicted to that feeling, but that’s where an under-sung talent like Katherine Kelly Lang comes in, she took the plot holes on the page and filled them in with her acting skills. Brooke came across as believably baffled as to what led her to drink that night oblivious to the fact that she was already drunk when she reached for the “real” alcohol. I give B&B’s writers a hard time (often deservedly so) but I liked what they did with Brooke’s confession to Ridge, I liked that they gave her a lie of omission, erasing Deacon from the story thereby giving Lang more layers to play in the scenes, the guilt that she had crossed a line with Deacon and is now concealing that from her husband on top of the disappointment and confusion she feels in herself. For me, if we were going to see Brooke regress back into the woman who has a tough time with monogamy (and to a lesser degree sobriety), I would so much rather see tempted by someone more worthy (as opposed to Deacon’s inherent smarm), say Jack Wagner’s Nick, another of her daughter’s exes yet also someone with a true rivalry with Ridge as his half brother. However, since Nick’s return is only a pipe dream, I am pleased that Deacon’s arrival on the scene is at least for the moment providing Katherine Kelly Lang with more complex material than talking about Hope or Eric’s love life, this is an actual story of her own and it’s good to see her get to sink her teeth into something since like I said Lang’s abilities are under-sung and they shouldn’t be.


  117. Robert Gossett (Marshall, GH)
    (Week Ending December 31, 2021)

    I love that General Hospital decided to expand Curtis’s family and much like with his aunt, the casting of his dad couldn’t have been better. Complicated is my favorite kind of character, I like the uncertainty that comes with someone operating in a morally gray area rather than a strictly good or bad guy and Robert Gossett is straddling that line to perfection. He was so fantastic this week in his fond remembrances of Curtis as a child, talking about the superhero pj’s, his voice breaking at the memory of the boyish smile on Curtis’s face, Marshall’s honest love and longing for the time he lost with his sons was achingly apparent. But that love wasn’t enough for Marshall to reveal where he’s been all these years and why, those scenes played so well by Gossett, too, Marshall clearly anguished that he could not give Curtis the answers he wanted yet at the same time not at all tipping his hand, keeping us guessing as to whether the secret is shady or possibly altruistic. If the writers stay on course, I have high hopes for this complex father-son dynamic filling GH’s Sonny/Mike void.


  118. Jay Kenneth Johnson (Phillip, Days)
    (Week Ending December 24, 2021)

    The devil and Jan for Christmas is the equivalent of not just a lump of coal but the entire coalmine in your stocking for Christmas, so I was pretty much resigned to the fact that a soap that would foist them on me for the holidays would also turn my complicated beloved Phillip into a one-note psychopath, but to my relief, Phillip’s scenes this week were full of depth and vulnerability, connecting his extreme jealousy to feeling unloved, in particular believably citing his always rocky relationship with his dad Victor as a chief factor in his self-esteem issues. While I wish the writers had woven in that underlying emotional explanation all along, I am glad they finally went there as it at least allows for the possibility of Phillip’s redemption and it gave Jay Kenneth Johnson his best material since his return and no surprise he offered a truly moving performance as he broke down with his mom and further forged an overdue bond with Lucas (more of that brotherhood please!). Honorable mention this week to Scarlett Fernandez who after five years as Charlotte on General Hospital has vacated the role, at a very a young age Fernandez crafted a fully realized character who really was the perfect chip off Valentin’s block, sometimes a sweetheart, sometimes a snobbish bully, she entertained and impressed throughout her run on the show.


  119. Sofia Mattsson (Sasha, GH)
    (Week Ending December 17, 2021)

    I don’t know why General Hospital feels the need to go dark and depressing over the holidays (last year Sonny “died” not long after Mike’s death) and now this year for Christmas they’re giving us a brain-dead baby which is about as far from merry and bright as life gets. I’ve never been sold on the very random Sasha/Brando pairing and accelerating the pregnancy (yet not in a way that even timed all that well with the actress’s pregnancy) has only made everything about their relationship feel more rushed than it needed to be and then to have it culminate in this? From start to finish I’m definitely not a fan of this story, but that said, Sofia Mattsson has very much stepped up to the dramatic challenge, giving it her all in some of her finest work on the show to date as Sasha desperately tried to advocate for her child in the face of an agonizing diagnosis, the way she expressed Sasha’s sorrow spoke to just how gutting that situation would feel. Now maybe reward Mattsson by giving her an evenly paced plot to play out, along with some deeper ties in PC, Sasha is still so much an island to herself that the character had zero options other than to choose the ex boyfriend (who was the reason she turned to drugs) as her baby’s godfather which is beyond absurd, if the character is to continue on the show she needs/deserves to be better integrated into the soap than she thus far has been and perhaps this emotional low could be the starting point for some tighter bonds.


  120. John Aniston (Victor, Days)
    (Week Ending December 10, 2021)

    I know it hasn’t been that many months since I last singled out John Aniston’s work. I further know that some might suggest that a finger-guns gesture isn’t worthy of accolades usually reserved for the most dramatic and often tear-filled scenes in soaps. Well, I would say that you don’t know just how fantastic and well-acted finger-guns can be until you’ve seen Victor Kiriakis do them, he’s like daytime’s version of Brian Cox on Succession. It was beyond entertaining to watch wily Victor manipulate Jake and Gabi into promising him a seat on the DiMera board then came the hilarious cherry on the when Victor declared that enticing those two into doing his bidding was like shooting fish in a barrel, cue the finger-guns, a moment that should be a meme and a performance far more deserving of media attention than a certain storyline that refuses to end.


  121. Leslie Charleson (Monica, GH)
    (Week Ending December 3, 2021)

    There was some stuff I didn’t understand about General Hospital’s Thanksgiving like why feature Alexis if none of her daughters were there for her first holiday out of prison, it rang incredibly untrue and doesn’t Sam having sex with Dante minutes after learning Jason died taint both pairings? But at least the reunion between Monica and Drew gave viewers something to be genuinely thankful for. Monica may not be Drew’s bio-mom but she firmly considers him her son and Leslie Charleson exuded that motherly warmth and joy upon his surprise re-entry into her life. It speaks to what a pro Charleson is that of all the interactions Cameron Mathison has had on the soap so far, Leslie’s Monica is the one who didn’t skip a beat, who most felt like she was just picking right up where she left off with Billy Miller’s Drew. That’s part of the reason I hope the show puts an emphasis on scenes between this pseudo mother and son duo as I think Leslie Charleson could go a long way to helping viewers and Cameron Mathison adjust to the transition, though mostly I just always feel like the more we see of the Quartermaines the better GH is.


  122. B&B Thanksgiving
    (Week Ending November 26, 2021)

    Although shrinking daytime budgets were likely to blame for some conspicuous absences at Ridge and Brooke’s Thanksgiving gathering, B&B still crafted an enjoyable celebration with all the warmth you want from a holiday episode and a good amount of humor, too. Deacon and Sheila will never be my favorites however their Thanksgiving fantasties proved genuinely funny and I appreciated the restraint shown by B&B in understanding that brevity is the soul of wit, keeping those fantasy sequences short rather than giving over the entire episode to it like Y&R continues to do with “very special episodes” to their own detriment. Also while John McCook is very much B&B’s leader and was absolutely missed during this episode, I’ll still never be mad when the show lets Ridge give a speech since once again Thorsten Kaye showed how great he is at making such scenes feel off the cuff and humorous. Lastly, I just learned of daytime star Lisa Brown’s passing who was much loved as ATWT’s Iva and GL’s Nola, while regretfully I missed out on those characters heydays, I did see some of her time as both characters and my takeaway from that was what an impressive range she had as Iva when I saw her was more serious and down to earth whereas Nola was more quirky and humorous and I found Lisa Brown so believable and lovable in those somewhat contrasting roles.


  123. Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, GH)
    (Week Ending November 19, 2021)

    No one would want to be the person caught in the middle when two massive forces like Carly and Nina collide yet that’s the unenviable place Willow landed in this week. Laura Wright and Cynthia Watros occupy a lot of space in any given scene (I mean that as a compliment) still Katelyn MacMullen actually managed to draw some of the attention over to Willow. Katelyn far and away had the trickiest assignment of the three actresses, she had to stay true to Willow’s soft-spoken goodness while at the same time conveying assertiveness, drawing a hard line with her son’s grandmothers, making it clear she has her own opinions, that she will not be emotionally manipulated by Nina or bullied into compliance by Carly. It surely had to be a challenge for the actress not to get caught up in the wave of ferocity Laura Wright and Cynthia Watros put out there and play Willow similarly, instead, MacMullen impressively kept Willow in her own lane without getting buried under the avalanche of those two other characters. For me, the jury is still out on the Willow and Michael pairing, for some reason the sweetness between her and Chase entertained while the sweetness between her and Michael kind of bores me, however, if GH continues to go in this direction of Willow having her own mind, showing her backbone, maybe it could get interesting, maybe.


  124. Jerry Douglas (ex-John Abbott, Y&R)
    (Week Ending November 12, 2021)

    John Abbott may not have been the flashiest character on Y&R but his portrayer, Jerry Douglas, left an indelible impression on viewers in creating the dashing single dad who wholeheartedly loved his children and often served as Genoa City’s much needed moral compass. There were so so many things the actor and his character contributed to make the show a richer viewing experience. John’s rapport with Katherine was refreshingly platonic and engagingly frank and Y&R hasn’t had a friendship quite like that since. These days Victor’s rivals are just as shady as he is, but way back when, John was the white hat to Vic’s black hat and it made for riveting dynamics. When Y&R mindbogglingly let Douglas go, not only did Christine lose a father figure (John briefly wed her dying mom), but Jill and Gloria, too, became less well-rounded characters in his absence, their schemes never again as well motivated without their crown prince to win over. Even now when Ashley walks into the Abbott mansion I still expect to hear her dad adoringly refer to her as “my beauty” and I can’t help wondering how much less irritating Billy would be now if the character had John’s influence into his adulthood. Aside from his animosity with Victor, I truly don’t believe any relationship on the show was more valuable to the character of Jack than his desire to impress his father and be the man John wanted him to be, same goes for Traci, those moments when the most overlooked of John’s children would look to John like a puppy eager for his attention and praise really went a long way to define who she is as a character her vulnerability and the importance of family to her. With Jerry Douglas’s passing this week, you think over his legacy on Y&R and it is without a doubt one of the worst decisions the show ever made to get rid of this man, the soap has never been quite the same without him.


  125. Tricia Cast (Nina, The Young and The Restless)
    (Week Ending November 5, 2021)

    I’m guessing Chance is in witness protection, however, if anyone could convince me he’s actually dead it would be Tricia Cast’s Nina. Chance’s mom, Nina, is a character who in the eighties and nineties thrived on drama yet who in this most recent iteration has been like a second helping of Traci, a calm, level-headed advice giver. I love Traci, she’s a necessity on the show, there just isn’t a necessity for two of her, especially when that isn’t Tricia Cast’s niche. When Tricia Cast walked into the Chancellor mansion this week, as makeup free as one can be on television, tearily wrapped her arms around Abby and said something along the lines of “it didn’t feel real until now,” that sentiment echoed how I felt about Nina’s recent visits to Genoa City, she didn’t truly feel like Nina until just that moment when finally Tricia Cast had a reason to call upon the raw emotions that were her calling card back in the day. The natural acting style that numerous male daytime stars receive accolades for (and credit for bringing to the genre) is something that Cast mastered long ago. Whether as a pregnant teen refusing to let Katherine and Jill be the boss of her, dealing with psycho David, or right now, displaying palpable grief for her son Chance even though there’s no body to weep over, this is an actress who delivers emotional authenticity no matter how contrived the circumstances which is why it’s kind of baffled me that Y&R hasn’t really tapped into that all that much in her return to the show. Hopefully they’ll see their error and have Nina more actively participate in story from now on, perhaps concerned about Mariah and Devon’s involvment in her grandchild’s life or maybe refusing to believe Chance is gone and therefore not thrilled by Abby’s closeness with Devon. It just seems like inserting Tricia Cast more into this plot would help finally ground it in a little reality which frankly has not been present since the moment the weird decision was made to go ahead with the surrogacy without Chance.


  126. James Reynolds (Abe, Days)
    (Week Ending October 29, 2021)

    I didn’t love that Days even let their media-baiting (yet audience loathing) devil story horn in on an episode that should have been entirely devoted to honoring James Reynold’s forty years in Salem. James did a reliably fantastic job converying Abe’s emotions upon meeting Lexie in the afterlife (extra challenging with a new actress in the role) and I appreciated that Days did show some pivotal moments from his relationship with Lexie. Still there should have been so much more to truly encompass all that Abe and his portrayer have meant to Salem. We should have seen Abe with his vigilante brother Jonah who almost stole Abe’s wife. We should have seen Abe with his son Theo as a young boy, with Theo in his Autism spectrum diagnosis, and with Theo after J.J. shot him (the Emmy scenes! Days somehow didn’t even include the Emmy scenes!). We should have seen Abe when he found out Lani is his daughter and Brandon his son. We should have seen Abe be a father figure to Sami and Nicole. We should have seen Abe’s friendships with John, Roman, Steve, and Bo. There is so much more we should have seen because this man has put so much work into entertaining us and forty years is such a massive accomplishment, deserving of a ticker-tape parade of an episode.


  127. Lawrence St. Victor & Heather Tom (Carter & Katie, B&B)
    (Week Ending October 22, 2021)

    This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Of course B&B always subtle as a sledgehammer already has Carter looking all moony-eyed at Katie five seconds after his Quinn heartbreak so clearly their intent is to fast-forward past friendship directly into romance (I am not opposed to a romance between these two, I just want something on this show, especially a romance to take its time and not see Carter and Katie married in Eric’s living room by New Year’s Eve). Still I really liked their scenes this week. For one thing we finally got some much needed insight into where Carter is at emotionally, an explanation as to why he would have indulged in such an out of character situation with Quinn, one that was as much a hit to his dignity as it was to Eric’s. Lawrence St. Victor expressing Carter’s intense loneliness, the envy he feels of those who are married, who have children, have the life that’s eluded him, that perfomance went a long way to explain how desperation led to his relationship with Quinn overriding his morals and esteem for Eric. Even though I feel like it was a confrontation Eric should have been having with Carter, I did love the fire Heather Tom brought to the scenes as she tore into him, though I loved her fire a whole lot more when it came to correcting Carter’s assumption that her love life has been a bed of roses compared to his. I thought that was pretty interesting, these two characters who haven’t crossed paths all that much realizing that they have common ground, comparing wounds and commiserating, it did feel like a natural connection which I don’t necessarily feel a whole lot on B&B. I also very much appreciated that B&B’s writers allowed that two of their characters actually haven’t shared enough scenes to know each other all that well, not only is that realistic but with so much re-writing/ignoring history on the soaps lately, it’s refreshing that B&B didn’t do the disrespectful thing to their devoted viewers and fake backstory between these two that we never saw on-screen.


  128. Dan Feuerriegel (EJ, Days)
    (Week Ending October 15, 2021)

    While certain aspects of Days currently have me cringing, there is something they’ve gotten right and that’s how amazingly well they recast the role of EJ. I had more than a little trepidation about the recasting of one of my all time favorites, to me the main concern in a recast isn’t so much someone who looks similar (although that of course plays a part), it’s someone capable of bringing a similar aura to the character and thankfully they’ve found that in Dan Feuerriegel. Dan is totally embodying who EJ is, the commanding presence, the ego and the arrogance, the vulnerability underneath it all and the pitch black DiMera darkness whenever he’s crossed which was very much on display this week as EJ gleefully tormented his brother Chad by taking the love interest movie role opposite Chad’s wife (EJ’s former flame), Abby. EJ’s actions and Dan’s acting were despicably entertaining, it felt like vintage EJ despite a new face in the role. The actor may be different but this is the complicated EJ that I recognize and love and I’m so pleased Days chose so well in finding someone to bring him back to life.


  129. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days)
    (Week Ending October 8, 2021)

    As I’ve frequently mentioned, Days in crazy mode (the devil, the doggelgangers, the masks, etc) isn’t my favorite, so much like John Aniston’s return a few weeks ago, the comeback of an actress like Suzanne Rogers is for me so worthy of celebration. What a comfort it was to again experience that grounded, down to earth quality Rogers brings to every scene and the warmth Brady so aptly attributed to Maggie. Even if she isn’t front and center storywise (though hopefully she’ll dig into Sarah’s whereabouts at some point) the value and values Maggie and Suzanne Rogers’ presence brings to Days is immeasurable.


  130. Laura Wright (Carly, GH)
    (Week Ending October 1, 2021)

    General Hospital’s Carly is easily one of the most devisive characters in daytime. Half the audience sees Carly as a strong heroine admirably reformed from her bad girl days and the other half of the audience sees Carly as a self-righteous hypocrite given numerous free passes for her misdeeds yet expecting everyone else to pay dearly for theirs. Whether you have a longstanding love or hate affair with Carly, the one thing most of us can agree on is that her portrayer Laura Wright is seriously great at her job. Whatever complaints some of us may have about Carly, the acting is never in doubt, if anything that’s why we all feel so strongly about this character because Laura clearly approaches every scene with an abundance of conviction. Neither the actress nor the character are wishy-washy in their choices, they take their stance and bulldoze anything in their path, who needs The Ice Princess when you have the cold fury that washed over Carly’s expression when Maxie threw Nina under the bus this week, if looks could kill, Laura Wright fully weaponized Carly in that moment. And Laura didn’t let up for a second, not in the confrontations with Nina or Jax, and even when Carly’s beloved Jason talked her down, he only managed to talk her a little ways down, the actress took seething with anger to a whole new level that I can only imagine became exhausting to play after awhile but it sure was an impressive feat to watch. Lastly I just wanted to mention another loss this year in the soap world, Michael Tylo, best known for his role as Quint on Guiding Light, while unfortunately I only saw his return to the show in the late nineties (that the writers didn’t handle all that well) it’s always been apparent from the clips of their eighties heyday why the actor and Quint’s pairing with quirky Nola was so very adored by the audience.


  131. John Aniston (Victor, Days)
    (Week Ending September 24, 2021)

    The possession story marked my most hated Days Of Our Lives era, to say I’m not thrilled the devil is back in Salem would be an understatement, there are roughly a million stories that haven’t been told about Marlena and Doug, all of which I would rather watch. This week’s much, much bigger and far more welcome return was that of John Aniston, his performance was as entertaining as ever, completely crabby, hilariously insulting, and coldly scheming against his own son’s happiness. Victor is my kind of devil, the kind that relies on sublime acting not glowing eyes and vocal distortion.


  132. Briana Nicole Henry (Jordan, GH)
    (Week Ending September 17, 2021)

    If we have to lose Briana Nicole Henry as Jordan at least leaving was her choice and her exit included a nice goodbye with her son T.J. and Curtis looked at her with love written all over his face again which was a welcome parting gift for those of us who never bought into their contrived breakup. I’ll very much miss Brianna, her sparks with Donnell Turner, the effort she made to stand Jordan’s ground whenever the scripts handcuffed her into listening to Jason’s mansplaining, and although in real life Henry likely wasn’t that much older than her TV son, her scenes as a mother always rang true emotionally, particularly those during TJ’s kidnapping. Briana is such a strong talent as she’s proven time and again on GH (even when her stories were a bit thankless) and I look forward to watching her in whatever role she lands next.


  133. Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R)
    (Week Ending September 10, 2021)

    There are few things more aggravating than The Young and The Restless choosing to sideline their veterans, the very actors who got them to number one and who are largely responsible for keeping them there. Victor, Nikki, Paul, Jack, Lauren, the list goes on and none of these characters are driving story, they barely receive enough screen time at this point to qualify as supporting. It’s especially egregious when you watch scenes like those Peter Bergman played this week, when you see him squeeze every drop of emotion out of Jack admitting that he’s lonely, as he palpably conveyed how all of us feel about the emptiness inside the once bustling Abbott household. This isn’t just an older actor we feel sentimental towards, his work this week was testament to the fact that this is an actor who hasn’t even remotely lost a step, he’s one of the best there’s ever been in daytime and he more than deserves another story to call his own (preferably one that involves more dignity than reuniting with a lost love who has repeatedly cheated on him).


  134. Kin Shriner (Scotty, GH)
    (Week Ending September 3, 2021)

    With so many random mobsters roaming Port Charles these days, most of them humorless (including Jason and Carly) and endlessly talking territory in the vaguest terms, it grows tiresome pretty quickly and makes a viewer all the more grateful for Kin Shriner’s dedication to thoroughly entertaining his audience. Kin could have played the action on the plane and in the hospital afterwards for all the drama it was worth and it would have been good stuff, Kin does have dramatic chops, but I love that he went for maximum laughs instead, using exaggerated facial expressions and line deliveries to amp up the comedy as much as he possibly could, bringing a welcome dose of fun to the show this week (and no, I didn’t find Brando’s sudden turn to stripping any more fun than the Magic Milo moments ever were, first off, the actor looked uncomfortable and second, every time I see men strip on soaps it reeks of exploitation and hypocrisy and I can’t help thinking if genders were swapped it wouldn’t be seen as comedy, men behaving like Olivia did would be viewed as pervs and other characters wouldn’t call stripping a safe, admirable side-gig, they’d either be concerned or critical).


  135. Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH)
    (Week Ending August 27, 2021)

    I know there are fans who wanted the Nixon Falls story over forever ago but I love the old school pacing (my favorite kind of pacing) on this one, it provided a realistic period of time for Nina to grow closer to her grandson, form a tight familial bond with Phyllis, and unintentionally fall in love with “Mike,” all of those things raising the stakes on what Nina stands to lose when the truth comes out that “Mike” is Sonny. Two unwelcome visitors made this week extra intense for Nina and in turn made it a showcase of Cynthia Watros’s ability to play layers of emotion. First she had to convey yet also hide the massive guilt Nina felt over pushing Maxie to go home despite knowing how difficult that would be for the sister-in-law she loves. Then enter back from the dead Peter and Nina became not unlike a heroine in a horror film, albeit a horror film heroine determined to fight back with everything she’s got. Watros was tremendous in those face-offs with Peter, putting up a shield of defiance while underneath the bravado Nina appeared all kinds of wobbly. I’ll be shocked and more than a little annoyed if Cynthia Watros isn’t among next year’s Emmy nominees. Lastly, it seems like this is happening a lot lately, but I just wanted to pay respects to two more soap stars who have recently passed away. Michael Nader’s Dimitri was the embodiment of the enigmatic man of the world you’d expect Erica Kane to find irresistible enough to add to her long list of husbands on All My Children. And even though I unfortunately never had the pleasure of watching Micki Grant as attorney Peggy Nolan on Another World, after learning of her status as the first black woman on contract in daytime and the first with a regular storyline written specifically for her, I definitely wanted to take a moment to honor her legacy, I don’t imagine it’s ever easy being the first anything and how impressive that this woman kicked down doors in soaps and then on Broadway, too.


  136. Marla Gibbs (Olivia, Days)
    (Week Ending August 20, 2021)

    Days Of Our Lives went ahead and did the only thing that could possibly have made Jackee Harry’s stay in Salem even more enjoyable, they hired another legend, Marla Gibbs, to play her mom. Marla was outstanding this week, playing Olivia as the indomitable force you just know Paulina’s mother would have to be. Marla’s comic timing is as sharp as ever, providing so many laughs in her scenes but super strong in the dramatic department as well when Olivia and Paulina discussed the past and Olivia drew a hard line in regards to revealing the truth of who is Lani’s mother. There’s certainly a fun nostalgia factor in seeing Jackee Harry and Marla Gibbs working together but just as it’s been ever since Jackee joined the show, what I love is that ultimately there’s nothing gimmicky in these scenes, it’s great acting period, sitcom sublimely meeting soap opera.


  137. Hunter King & Michael Mealor (Summer & Kyle, Y&R)
    (Week Ending August 13, 2021)

    This last stretch of Summer and Kyle on Y&R proved more of a showcase for Phyllis than for either of them, even the goodbye with Summer focused much more on how it affected Phyllis than on the character we were losing. I can’t wax poetic about Hunter King and Michael Mealor’s epic final scenes this week since they didn’t really have any, so unfortunately this is one of those actor of the week situations that’s more about their overall run. I’ve never been as sold on Summer and Kyle’s romance as many other viewers are but I loved them as individual characters/actors. For me, both Summer and Kyle were at their best whenever they were allowed to lean into their rich kid arrogance and ignorance and whenever they were scheming (Kyle digging up a grave was a million times more twisted and fun than any of the stories born of his time in New York). When it comes to these two characters, ego mixed with vulnerability mixed with humor made for fun times. Kyle ditching his ambitions to narrate adventures in the park with his son and Summer failing to put up a fight did not make for fun times. So while I’m disappointed by Hunter King and Michael Mealor’s exits, it could be a blessing in disguise, maybe we’ll get to enjoy them in roles elsewhere and then somewhere down the road when they return to Y&R perhaps the writers will have come up with worthier story for such legacy characters.


  138. Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending August 6, 2021)

    I’ve made no secret of how much I cringe over B&B’s too often stilted and/or flowery dialogue, but when they do get it right I’m happy to praise it. Ridge’s speech in giving his daughter Steffy away at her wedding was funny, nostalgic of Steffy’s childhood, and heartwarming. I don’t know how much of it was on the page and how much improvised, it came across as an ideal blend of both allowing Thorsten Kaye to be at his best, charming, natural, and sounding very much like a real dad (it almost made up for the absurdity of Hope as matron of honor, almost). Lastly this week I wanted to take a moment to remember Jay Pickett who passed away recently. For most of his run on Port Charles, Pickett’s Frank was one of those reliable good guy characters perhaps undersung by the fandom because he rarely had the flashy scenes but in hindsight you appreciate the vital role he played in keeping things grounded.


  139. Camryn Grimes (Mariah, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 30, 2021)

    I didn’t need Stitch back on Y&R, I especially didn’t need a baby-snatching version of Stitch, but at least there’s a silver lining to this nonsense in Mariah. Even though Mariah is carrying Abby’s baby there’s been little for Camryn Grimes to do in recent months with the show oddly mostly ignoring the impact surrogacy might have on a romantic relationship and not really delving into attachment issues either. Mariah’s scenes have amounted to cutesy pregnancy moments and other characters asking how she feels, not exactly riveting. Finally this week Grimes was given more challenging material, maybe the most challenging material since she has no one to play off of other than a baby bump. I love that this kidnapping seems to have brought forth Mariah’s feisty nature again, her best quality which seemed a bit lost in Mariah’s act of surrogacy kindness. I love that Camryn Grimes would never ever play Mariah as a weeping damsel in distress, lock this girl up in a room and you get a scrappy fighter who is infinitely more entertaining in monologues all by her lonesome than anything else Y&R has to offer right now.


  140. Arianne Zucker & Greg Vaughan (Nicole & Eric, Days)
    (Week Ending July 23, 2021)

    Unfortunately Eric and Nicole’s first anniversary this week on Days wasn’t marked by a renewal of vows to make amends for the lack of thought and heart poured into last year’s nuptials. Nope. Instead, fans were treated to a breakup. The weird thing is that in comparison to last year’s massively disappointing wedding, this year’s breakup to some extent did feel like a treat. The level of emotion, the dialogue that very much reflected their long suffering history, of course that was what I wanted in the happier context of a wedding, but experiencing it in the sad context of a breakup was at least better than the nothing that was that wedding. If we have to say goodbye to this pairing, I guess the silver lining is that their final moments together (for now) required the sort of rip your heart out performances that these two actors specialize in. It would only be fitting if Arianne Zuker finally won her long overdue Emmy for her intense work opposite Greg Vaughan, a scene partner who has always brought out the best in her and vice versa.


  141. Don Diamont (Bill, B&B)
    (Week Ending July 16, 2021)

    Admittedly, I love B&B’s Bill in large part for his sarcasm, no one insults Liam quite as well as his own father does. But every once in awhile B&B gives Don Diamont something meatier to play and we’re reminded that there’s more to him than outstanding comic timing, he’s also become a really adept dramatic actor over his decades in daytime. I love that Bill is staunchly the old school definition of masculine yet in discovering that his right hand man betrayed him, he cried, he choked on the word “brother” and you know, of course, being Bill angrily sent Justin packing only to hang his head and cry some more by himself afterwards. We’ve seen plenty of scenes over the years of Bill and Justin conspiring together and Bill ranting and raving on Justin’s shoulder, still I don’t know that I would have truly felt the magnitude of their bond or their subsequent breakup without Diamont’s commitment to setting aside the Dollar Bill swagger for the moment and openly revealing Bill’s shattered heart. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him that emotional and there was something extra fantastic in it being about a friendship not a woman since I don’t feel like B&B has historically done enough great friendship drama and right now Bill and Justin’s relationship is the one I find most compelling on the show. If I were Don Diamont, I’d mark those scenes for next year’s Emmy reel.


  142. Haley Pullos (Molly, GH)
    (Week Ending July 9, 2021)

    While I’m still holding out hope for the return of the Molly who overly romanticized everything, the crusader version of Molly is the next best thing, certainly better than her languishing on the back-burner as she’s done far too frequently in recent years. Joining in with a handful of other characters to bring down a racial profiling judge, Haley Pullos had some outstanding moments this week when Molly tore into the judge. Molly may still look and sound very young but Haley Pullos brought so much fire and swagger to the confrontation that there was no doubting the character is all grown up, she believably rattled that judge and watching her in action has me excited to see more of Molly’s burgeoning legal career. Please, GH, let this be the start of something for Molly not just a blip and then she disappears for months again. Can anyone imagine a more compelling or entertaining scenario than upstanding idealist Molly having to work with and for ambulance chaser Scotty? GH has temporarily lost their way with romances (poorly motivated breakups only to create new mismatched couples, why???) so maybe let us invest in a fun mentorship instead and let Scotty be a pseudo parent to Molly while you’re at it since GH keeps killing off his kids.


  143. Ray MacDonnell (Joe, AMC) and Stuart Damon(Alan, GH)
    (Week Ending July 2, 2021)

    The soap world sadly lost two favorites this week and I’m sure I’m not alone in having fond memories of watching Ray MacDonnell on All My Children and Stuart Damon as General Hospital’s Alan. Ray MacDonnell crafted Joe into the father every viewer would want, he had his moments of exasperation and disappointment with his kids (after all one of them was Tad) but his advice always exuded warmth, understanding, and support, as much a comfort to fans watching AMC as to his on-screen family. While General Hospital’s Alan was also a dad, I think of him more in terms of those knives out Quartermaine living room battles. Those scenes were the stuff of legend, the best of drama and comedy and Stuart Damon was ever so good at both, letting him go stands as one of the biggest mistakes GH ever made. Lastly, just as I finished writing this, news came of another soap star’s passing, Philece Sampler. While unfortunately I never saw her as Renee on Days, I did watch her as Donna on Another World, a re-cast part that I’m sure was intimidating considering the shoes she had to fill, but she brought a softening to Donna that put her own spin on the character.


  144. Aaron D. Spears (Justin, B&B)
    (Week Ending June 25, 2021)

    Okay so this week’s turn of events with Justin definitely has some holes in it. Like for instance, Justin locking up Thomas and saying it’s nothing personal when it should be personal, it should be an added bonus for Justin to punish the guy who ran his teenage niece off the road to her death. And let’s be real, there hasn’t been a hint of disgruntlement from Justin over his position at Spencer. I really wish we’d seen that build up towards Justin reaching his boiling point with Bill (which could have been managed in a way where viewers still wouldn’t have guessed Justin would take it this crazy far), it would have made for a better story and it would have meant seeing more of Aaron D. Spears, who, after how he delivered this week I do want to see more from. Without that build up so much onus fell on Spears to sell this out of the blue turn in his character’s personality and fortunately, he did so with gusto. Justin’s tirade explaining his actions to Thomas, conveying how fed up he is with his role as henchman, with Bill’s sarcasm and demands, the riveting on the edge emotions, swinging between fury and snide humor (and a well-timed whoo! in there as well), that performance spoke louder about Spears’s acting ability than all the years previous that he’s been on the show. It’s appalling to think of how long it’s taken B&B to truly service this man’s talent and it’s annoying to think that now that they’re finally writing him juicy material it will likely write him right off the show. But now that we’ve confirmed just how interesting Aaron D. Spears can be in this role, if we can redeem Thomas after killing an innocent girl, can’t we do the same for Justin when this is all over, perhaps bring in Donna and their son Marcus to aid in the process?


  145. Jeff Kober (Cyrus, GH)
    (Week Ending June 18, 2021)

    Jeff Kober has been one of the most entertaining parts of General Hospital over the last year and a half, his Cyrus is a genuinely menacing villain yet also has this wounded boy quality where he’s desperate for respect and love from his mom and sister without even remotely understanding how to go about that in the right way. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind what Kober could bring to the role given what I’ve seen from him in prime-time shows and I’m so pleased that over the course of his run on the show GH recognized the goldmine of talent they had in this guy and continually expanded on what could have otherwise been a one-note drug kingpin. Even this week, when he’s seemingly been defeated I so enjoyed that his conversations with Jordan and Laura still had that fascinating cocky edge to them, he left us with this note of yeah, the battle may have been won, but this isn’t over yet. This character still has a ton of potential in him and given that GH was clearly no more eager to kill him off than fans were to see it happen, I eagerly anticipate his return somewhere down the road.


  146. Precious Way (Chanel, Days)
    (Week Ending June 11, 2021)

    It was disappointing to learn yesterday that Precious Way will no longer be on Days come July, especially when the news came on the heels of a week that saw her give one shining performance after the next. Although Chanel as usual bubbled over with enthusiasm and showed off Way’s ability to make us laugh in another accidental run-in with naked Eli, she also had an earnest conversation with Eli about her desire to succeed on her own with the bakery, and most endearingly, when she handed over her business planning binder to Paulina, Precious Way made it clear in voice, her expressions, and her body language just how vulnerable Chanel is and how much she craves her mom’s approval and respect. I don’t know the circumstances behind this departure, I’m just sorry to see this actress go, she’s been a thoroughly entertaining scene-stealer from day one so I’m hoping Precious Way will pop up somewhere else soon like on B&B as a sister for Carter and frenemy for Paris.


  147. Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH)
    (Week Ending June 4, 2021)

    Kirsten Storms is always enjoyable to watch no matter what type of scene she’s given to play but there was something extra enjoyable this week in seeing her lure Peter into a recorded confession and lash out at him afterwards. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed the scheming side of Maxie until she so perfectly played on Peter’s heartstrings only to switch it up from faux vulnerability to outright fire and vitriol. And I loved that this was all Maxie, this wasn’t Anna or Jason or any of the usual suspects coming to her rescue, the tough fighter that we know Maxie to be rescued herself from Peter’s machinations. For those viewers who’ve long complained about Maxie having the wool pulled over her eyes, Kirsten’s fierce performance this week was surely everything they’ve wanted as response from Maxie and then some.


  148. Eric Martsolf (Brady, Days)
    (Week Ending May 28, 2021)

    When you’ve spent your daytime career playing Passions’ Ethan and Days’ Brady, two of the most trusting characters in soap history, two characters who have been duped time and again, I’d imagine when you finally have scenes where you confront the person who’s made you feel like a fool, scenes like those Eric Martsolf had this week when Brady dumped Kristen, it has to feel beyond cathartic. But what’s so impressive about Eric Martsolf is that even if in real life he’s reveling in no longer playing the guy who’s always in the dark, none of that comes through in Martsolf’s performance, he stays true to Brady’s emotions, there was no glee for Brady in what went down, giving up on the mother of his child was utterly gutting for him. It’s unfortunate that because Brady is so willing to forgive and eager to see the best in others he’s often viewed as well, kind of dumb and that character trait I think sometimes gets in the way of Eric Martsolf receiving the accolades he deserves, he’s really one of the more unsung talents in soaps, consistently delivering award worthy acting like his subtle work in the scene where Brady told John, Marlena, and Susan that he was glad he’d ended things with Kristen yet his eyes said something entirely different.


  149. John Reilly/Sean Tribute (GH)
    (Week Ending May 21, 2021)

    One of my favorite things as a daytime fan is when soaps play into their history rewarding the long-term viewers for their loyalty by taking us on a little trip down nostalgia lane. Moments like that take on even greater importance and garner even more appreciation from the audience when they serve as a love letter and remembrance of an actor we’ve lost like John Reilly who left such an indelible mark on General Hospital as Sean. I love that even though it’s been quite some time since we last saw Sean in Port Charles, GH recognized the lasting value of his contribution to the show, bringing together so many of the characters who mattered to him like Felicia, Monica, Robert, etc., and also putting technology to use to include Sharon Wyatt as Tiffany via phone because it just wouldn’t have felt entirely right without the love of Sean’s life. I went into this episode expecting something somber and was pleasantly surprised by just how much fun it was to watch, what an inspired idea to cast John’s real life daughter Caitlin and incorporate her into a little mystery/spy action that was so in line with her father’s legacy (hopefully we’ll see Annie again sometime). What a fitting tribute this was, from the beloved Elsie May clip to the Irish soundtrack and just to see so many veterans in one episode, it truly felt like vintage GH, the same sort of sensibility as those eighties and early nineties episodes, what a gift.


  150. Sydney Mikayla (Trina, GH)
    (Week Ending May 14, 2021)

    Television is a visual medium so telling a story rather than showing it is not ideal. Would I rather have seen GH’s teens in the car pulled over by the police? Absolutely, but the next best thing is when you have an actress as supremely talented as Sydney Mikayla, she can set the scene solely through the dialogue she’s given, she can make you feel like you saw it happen even though you didn’t, she can emotionally transport you back in time. I’m glad that GH is acknowledging race, that Trina among other characters are finally getting to express that their life experiences are sometimes quite different from their white counterparts in Port Charles. I’m even happier that while acknowledging Trina’s race, GH didn’t forget that there are also so many other aspects to who she is, in addition to that very important conversation with Cam this week, we also saw Trina the friend who’s excited that Joss will be her roomie at college, we saw the Trina who very much wants to believe in love and see Jordan and Curtis fight for their marriage, and we saw Trina the concerned daughter, worried that her mom is possibly one of the obstacles in Curtis and Jordan’s relationship. Sydney Mikayla is so compelling in every kind of scene, the more facets of Trina we get to see her explore the stronger any given episode is.


  151. Joshua Morrow & Mark Grossman (Nick & Adam, Y&R)
    (Week Ending May 7, 2021)

    Natural disasters on soap operas pretty much guarantee juicy drama and The Young and The Restless didn’t disappoint by trapping not so friendly brothers Nick and Adam in a storm cellar with Adam on the run from the police and Nick’s daughter in desperate need of Adam’s kidney. Both actors brought serious intensity as Nick and Adam argued over whether Adam would do the right thing. They were my favorite kind of Adam scenes jerk bravado with glimpses underneath of a guy with a conscience and a guy who deep down wants acceptance (and in this case for his brother and everyone else to believe that he didn’t poison Rey). As I’ve mentioned before, if the show won’t write Joshua Morrow’s real-life sense of humor into Nick, then the next best thing is Nick in dad-mode, Morrow played the scenes with steely determination, probably the closest you’ll ever see nice guy Nick to taking a page from dad Victor’s book and refusing to accept no for an answer, understandably so with the possibility of losing another daughter on the line. I don’t know about other viewers, but I’m not exactly wowed by Y&R’s romances these days so I wholeheartedly welcome exploring other kinds of relationships while we wait for pairings with more organic sparks, even without a tornado the scenes between Nick and Adam this week would still have been a thousand times more intriguing than those of Billy and Lily having yet another “romantic” night at Society.


  152. Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH)
    (Week Ending April 30, 2021)

    I know there are viewers who understandably want Sonny to come home, but I’ve enjoyed this detour for the character particularly since it’s given Cynthia Watros such an opportunity to shine as Nina. While I love Laura Wright’s acting, her character Carly is more of a love to hate situation for me, I sort of feel like Carly deserves what she’s getting (even if Sonny’s kids don’t), so I’m finding Nina’s decision to stay mum about Sonny being alive more delicious than deplorable. It made for incredibly entertaining television this week as Nina worked to keep Sonny and Jax from meeting in the hospital. It was a fantastic blend of emotions, serious stuff with Nina upset over Jax being shot and at the same time in a panic that her lie of omission was on the verge of blowing up in her face, which most definitely had some farcical fun to it. If you’ve followed Cynthia’s career at all you know she’s deftly done sitcoms and dramas over the years and her character on Guiding Light Annie very much blended those two elements as well, so I love that General Hospital has crafted a story for her that allows her to play a little of everything all at once, they’re really using her talent to its fullest.


  153. Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 23, 2021)

    For too long now we’ve had to watch Victor clash with Victoria. We’ve had to watch Victor clash with Adam. We’ve had to watch Nikki lecture Victor about those clashes and Victor blow up at her for questioning him. Those three types of scenes basically sum up the last couple years of Victor Newman, the same handful of moments recycled over and over again. It’s watchable because Braeden is the charismatic legend that he is, but it hasn’t been worthy of the actor and most definitely isn’t worthy of the character, no way should he be this stagnant. Finally though, this week, Victor stopped being a shadow of his former self and instead was recognizably the Victor fans turn on their TV’s to see, his ruthless nature came out in full force when he refused to get Ashland Locke any medical help until he signed their business deal. Now I know there are some viewers out there who will call this behavior reprehensible but the rest of us who wholeheartedly accept that Victor’s at his best with murky morals, well, we found those scenes gloriously entertaining. I loved seeing a rejuvenated Victor and most importantly I loved seeing Victor up against someone outside of his family rather than within his family. I hope the show runs with that and comes up with better story than Victoria whining about how daddy hasn’t done enough for her, enough already, let’s see Victor and Jack team up against Ashland only to once again turn on each other after they’ve gotten rid of their mutual enemy. Victor and Jack are your true supercouple Y&R, don’t neglect them.


  154. Bryan Dattilo & Alison Sweeney (Lucas & Sami, Days)
    (Week Ending April 16, 2021)

    Fittingly for the anniversary week of Bryan Dattilo’s debut on Days, he and Alison Sweeney recaptured their old magic. Not that their magic has ever really gone away, whether Lucas and Sami are in a romantic relationship, a friendship, at odds, or best of all, a mashup of all three, this pair has been one of daytime’s most entertaining duos since way back when Lucas wore that military school uniform. They were so fantastic this week in the aftermath of sleeping together, these two actors play off each other so effortlessly, they banter as well as the couples in the best romantic comedies (I’m talking Nora Ephron level banter), their timing and sparks are impeccable. There was juicy emotional conflict, too, with Sami desperate that EJ not discover she cheated and Lucas seemingly enthused about the possibility of her marriage breaking up (I loved the moments where Lucas didn’t even attempt to hide his smile/smirk). Things like Kristen’s machinations get really old really quickly for me on Days, whereas the kind of humor and drama rooted in the past that comes with Lucas and Sami, those scenes I could watch every single day without it ever growing tiresome.


  155. Don Diamont & Scott Clifton (Bill & Liam, B&B)
    (Week Ending April 9, 2021)

    Bill’s decision to flee the accident scene didn’t seem all that smart since it’s not as though the police could claim premeditation and clearly there would be evidence Liam swerved which backs up that it was an accident (plus don’t most of think something happened to Vinny prior to Liam arriving on the scene?) but I’m more than willing to throw logic out the window if it means a whole bunch of scenes focused on Liam’s relationship with his dad instead of Liam’s insipid romances. Don Diamont was fantastic this week, not only is it fun to watch someone actually yell at Liam and refuse to let the guy waffle, but Diamont plays the moments of exasperation (the moments we all feel towards Liam) to perfection. As for Liam, obviously the guy is far from my favorite character but I do find it entertaining seeing him squirm, plus the fainting spell and the panic/guilt attack was convincingly done by Scott Clifton, exactly how you’d image most morally upstanding people would react to covering up killing someone. Honorable mention this week to GH’s Nancy Lee Grahn. Her anniversary episode seemed to simply rehash what we already know of Alexis’s psychological makeup (and wasn’t it odd that Julian didn’t appear in the clips package?) still, twenty-five years is a huge milestone and hopefully the start of GH determining how to write Alexis out of this corner they’ve shoved her into. Also on a slightly related note, is it too much to ask for an anniversary episode for Lynn Herring given that thirty-five years is an even bigger milestone?


  156. Alyvia Alyn Lind (Faith, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 2, 2021)

    If we had to lose Alyvia Alyn Lind to a primetime series, I’m so glad Y&R managed to squeeze in one last emotional arc for Lind’s fans to savor before we embrace a new actress in the role. Not unexpectedly Alyvia has been outstanding throughout Faith’s bullying ordeal leading up to this week’s episodes where she woke up in the hospital following an underage drunk driving crash. Whether portraying Faith’s grogginess upon waking up, her genuine remorse over drunk driving or the spark of joy in her meet cute with Moses, no matter what the scenes ask of her, Lind’s acting is among the most natural in daytime or any time really. It has been a true pleasure to watch Alyvia all these years on Y&R, I’ll especially miss her scenes with Joshua Morrow and Eric Braeden but at the same time I’m eager to see all the great roles ahead for this talented young woman.


  157. Jackee Harry (Paulina, Days)
    (Week Ending March 26, 2021)

    Casting doesn’t get more perfect than the legendary Jackee Harry as Lani’s Aunt Paulina. Jackee is the ultimate scene-stealer, her Paulina exudes wealth and glamour, she’s refreshingly frank, and more often than not, she’s hilarious. I love how take charge Paulina is and how she bumps up against favorites like Julie and Abe (I so want that romance to happen), yet it was equally enjoyable this week to see Jackee play some softer, more vulnerable moments, too, hurt that she was passed over as godmother and feeling unappreciated by her spoiled daughter. Days is in no way treating this like stunt-casting, Paulina is a fully-realized dimensional character, an ideal showcase for Jackee’s comedic and dramatic talents, I couldn’t be happier that she’s back in daytime.


  158. Jordi Vilasuso (Rey, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 19, 2021)

    Whatever is going on with Rey on Y&R, whether it’s illness or more likely poisoning, Jordi Vilasuso is incredibly convincing at playing someone severely under the weather. The makeup department definitely deserves credit for a realistically clammy look, but even more so this performance has thrived on Rey’s physicality seeming diminished, on Vilasuso making his muscular body appear significantly weakened, exhausted, shivering, huddled under a blanket. Without the benefit of a lot of dialogue, the actor did an impressive job of realistically conveying that Rey teetered on the brink of collapse (before he eventually did collapse).


  159. William Lipton (Cameron, GH)
    (Week Ending March 12, 2021)

    Wow. That’s the word that so often comes to mind when I watch William Lipton, just wow. During Wednesday’s episode I was pretty blown away by how he played the scenes reacting to the news of Franco’s death, how seamlessly and realistically William Lipton made the transition from Cam being completely overcome with emotion, being a kid who just lost his stepdad, only to then pack that all back up inside him and be an adult alongside his mom, promising they’d break the news to his kid brothers together. I looked at those scenes and I thought that’s daytime at its best. Then somehow Thursday was even better as poor Cam has lived in the soap world for so long that he thought for sure Franco had faked his death so Cam went to the morgue to prove it, only to face Franco’s body, a sight so gut wrenching for Cam that he couldn’t stay up on his feet (an echo of when the loss of Oscar literally floored him). Selfishly, I want William Lipton to stay on GH forever, but at the same time, I eagerly await the day somewhere down the road when he’s up on the Academy Award stage and the whole wide world knows just how talented this young man is.


  160. Wes Ramsey (Peter, GH)
    (Week Ending March 5, 2021)

    There’s been some talk that Wes Ramsey was miscast in the role of Peter, but I don’t think you need to look any further than his performance this week to see evidence to the contrary. The argument goes that the character should be played more like Anders Hove’s Faison. Except Peter is a different type of character so that doesn’t make sense. Hove undoubtedly crafted one of the most memorable villains in daytime history, but Faison did unhinged things with vague motives, a brand of crazy that only works in short stints on the show and he never made for a viable love interest, there’s a reason everyone recoiled at the prospect of Anna having had sex with the guy. The writers introduced Peter seemingly wanting a character with more long term potential, someone seeking redemption which would have been an impossible goal to buy him possessing had Wes Ramsey played Peter all lunatic all the time like Faison. Much as it would be impossible to believe that Maxie could fall in love with Peter had Wes Ramsey employed Faison’s favored method of wooing which was basically to be leering and menacing. Wes Ramsey has played Peter the right way for the story the writers wanted to tell. Peter is more emotionally complex than Faison, equally capable of violence yet possessing more humanity, his evil always has a motive (even if it is self-serving) to hold on to his newfound loved ones. This week Peter was devastated to learn he doesn’t have any of Anna’s goodness in him and overjoyed when it seemed that Maxie might marry him anyway, can you imagine Faison displaying such human vulnerabilities? The writers are asking for something more complicated from Peter’s character which is exactly what Wes Ramsey has delivered. It’s not the actor’s fault that some GH characters get a free pass for their bad behavior (Sonny, Jason, Carly, Elizabeth), they’re presented as almost always being on the moral high ground even when they’re not, while others are never allowed to get out from under their shady pasts (Ava, Franco, Nina, Peter), this show has a bad habit of hammering home that certain characters are unforgivable which makes for an uphill battle for those actors with a portion of the audience. Lastly, honorable mention to Gil Rogers who unfortunately passed away this week. He may never have been a leading man in daytime but he left an indelible impression with two vastly different characters, Tad’s abusive father Ray on All My Children and Reva’s often hilarious dad, Hawk on Guiding Light.


  161. Linda Dano and Stacy Haiduk (Vivian & Kristen/Susan, Days)
    (Week Ending February 26, 2021)

    While I don’t have the warmest feelings towards Kristen and her homicidal tendencies, I did find the character entertaining this week when she masqueraded as Susan. The actress did a great job with it, being just enough Susan that you could buy Chloe and Brady falling for the act while at the same time letting the audience know that Kristen was just barely managing not to blow her cover. Stacy Haiduk continues to impress as Susan as well, it’s uncanny how similar she is to the character Eileen Davidson created, it was particularly fun this week to see Susan in jail, wondering where the ice cream sundaes were and seriously irritating Vivian. Which brings me to Linda Dano and how much I love having her back in daytime even if only for a short time. Her comic timing is as sharp as her Cass and Wallingford years, and Vivian’s exasperation with everyone around her is not only humorous but so very Vivian. Like Robin Strasser before her, Linda’s done a fabulous job of putting her own stamp on Vivian without overstepping Louise Sorel’s iconic version of the character. I know Linda has said she isn’t interested in a full time return to soaps, but it would be fantastic if one of the four remaining shows considered bringing her on as an aunt, sister, grandmother, whatever, who pops in for visits every now and then, I could totally envision a Linda Dano character related to B&B’s Steffy, Days’s Kate, GH’s Ava, or Y&R’s Victor.


  162. Jordi Vilasuso (Rey, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 19, 2021)

    Much like B&B’s Carter a couple weeks ago, it was a pleasure this week to watch Y&R’s nice guy Rey take a much needed stand. Rey finally had enough of his wife Sharon constantly running to the aid of her ex Adam and Jordi Vilasuso finally had a handful of confrontational scenes worthy of his talent. Again it’s proof that a nice character doesn’t need to be a doormat, he can rightfully call out his wife for her addiction to Adam, he can have a range of emotions and still be a nice guy, particularly if he’s played by someone who won an Emmy, it’s no surprise to Guiding Light fans that Jordi can evoke both strength and sensitivity. I really hope the writers intend to have Rey stick to his guns for awhile, I’m eager to see Jordi get to play out the emotional drama of wanting to stay with his wife yet knowing he can’t if she doesn’t cut ties with Adam, and I certainly wouldn’t mind if in his separation from Sharon, he had some run ins with a certain trouble-prone redhead from Los Angeles, not only would Rey be somewhat more age appropriate for Sally than Jack is, but there’s almost always sparks and juicy conflict in romantically pairing a law-abiding guy with a schemer.


  163. Victoria Konefal & Robert Scott Wilson (Ciara and Ben, Days)
    (Week Ending February 12, 2021)

    Shakespeare may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I very much enjoyed Days Of Our Lives mini version of Romeo and Juliet. I don’t know if Victoria Konefal and Robert Scott Wilson have any previous experience with Shakespeare but they sure did a fantastic job this week. I can only imagine how challenging it must be under normal circumstances to memorize that dialogue, but at the speed soaps shoot at, it’s all the more impressive. Still, both performances were so much more than memorization, Victoria and Robert really delivered the emotion of those scenes, so much so that I think even viewers who might not fully get what’s being said would still understand what was being felt. I also loved that Romeo and Juliet wasn’t just some random fantasy sequence, it smartly connected to Ciara and Ben’s story using romeo and Juliet’s tragic misunderstanding as a message from Ciara to Ben about not to giving up on her.


  164. Lawrence St. Victor (Carter, B&B)
    (Week Ending February 5, 2021)

    It was a banner day on The Bold and The Beautiful this week when Carter finally got to stop with the sweet nothings that made him a little too much like couch jumping era Tom Cruise and instead respond to the moment like an actual human being. Maybe there are some viewers out there who like Carter waxing poetic about Zoe, but personally, I’ve found it nauseating and quite honestly those flowery speeches of his devotion and overblown admiration made the character feel like the least real person on the show and keep in mind this show has a character who couldn’t tell the difference between his wife and a mannequin. Anyone who watched Lawrence St. Victor on Guiding Light knows the guy can act, but recently more often than not, the way his B&B character is written, it unfortunately puts his acting skills into question through no fault of his own. Thankfully this week, St. Victor was finally given some dialogue with a natural flow to it, and some fire, too, he actually got to raise his voice, how satisfying was that? For the first time in far too long, the scenes were written in a way that were well-motivated, when you discover that your love interest is pursuing someone else and you realize she was with you for sketchy reasons, there’s genuine emotion to play, thus, finally, with something more to chew on than romantic blatherings, there was the Lawrence St. Victor I remember so fondly from GL, the guy who can really own a scene. I don’t have a problem with Carter being a nice guy or being a romantic who is so very open about his feelings, it’s just the way those traits are presented, as this week demonstrated it is possible to be true to who Carter is without the cloying dialogue or making him a doormat, when he’s written a little more real, not only is he much more embraceable for the viewers, it also allows Lawrence St. Victor to dig in to the material.


  165. Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH)
    (Week Ending January 29, 2021)

    There really isn’t much more left to say about Maurice Benard’s exceptional acting talent, he just makes you really glad to have started watching General Hospital however many years ago, glad that you’re among this small but passionate viewership who were privileged yet again this week to see his brilliance in action. With Sonny currently an amnesiac and therefore inadvertently off his meds, its plunged Sonny into a mental health episode. Maurice Benard, probably thanks in part to his own personal experience yet also owing just as much to his acting skills and commitment, delivered another indelible performance that feels honest and real, that honors what someone in Sonny’s situation is up against.


  166. Melissa Ordway (Abby, Y&R)
    (Week Ending January 22, 2021)

    Melissa Ordway is consistently on that shortlist of daytime actors where you just know when they walk into a room the tempo will rise, no matter what type of scene an energy boost arrives with her, so it was impressive this week to see her dial back that natural wattage as Abby got knocked flat by the news that she won’t be able to carry a child to term. Whether asking her husband for some space all the while thinking that he must regret marrying her or later confiding in Mariah about how seeing so many happy moms and moms-to-be on social media is taking a toll on her, adding to her feelings of brokenness, Melissa Ordway did a fantastic job of taking Abby through the early stages of her grieving process (I say early stages assuming the show won’t B&B this and it’s something that will continue to affect the character down the road). The actress realistically conveyed the loss and the sensation of having the rug pulled out from under Abby’s fantasy of what her life would be. Yet through all of those rightfully feeling sorry for herself scenes, Melissa never let Abby fully slip away from who she is, this is a very proactive character, Abby has always been the type to take a hit then get back up on her feet not go full on mopey maudlin like her Uncle Billy, she might feel down for a while but eventually she’s going to do something about it. Even at Abby’s lowest moments, Melissa Ordway infuses her with strength so when it came time for the quick turnaround when Abby decided she was ready to go home and figure out a new plan for her future, it didn’t feel as abrupt or hurried as it might have with another character/actor, it just felt like yep, that’s our girl, of course she’s going to face this head on.


  167. John Reilly (Sean GH, Del SB, Alistair PS)
    (Week Ending January 15, 2021)

    I was a little too late to catch Sean’s early adventures on General Hospital, but luckily, I tuned in just in time to see that John Reilly’s talent wasn’t just limited to spy games, the man had a gift for romantic comedy, too. Sean and Tiffany had one of the most fun relationships in Port Charles history (I’m choosing to blissfully ignore the baby and cheating dramas the writers later threw at the couple basically ruining them). Their wedding was one of the all-time greats and not even for the usual big, fancy, achingly romantic reasons other weddings of that era stand out but because it was hilarious, TV personality Tiffany’s far less posh real name was revealed with Tiffany horrified and everyone else, including the groom Sean were cracking up with laughter, it was fantastic, look it up online, even if you don’t know the couple’s backstory, it’s thoroughly enjoyable. Since I mostly only saw Sean’s endearing side on GH, including the warm fatherly bonds he shared with both Felicia and Robin, it was jarring in later years to see John Reilly as Kelly’s absentee dad on Beverly Hills 90210, as well as playing a pair of downright villainous dads on Sunset Beach and Passions, just how jarring that was is testament to the range John Reilly had, that in one role he could be so endearing and in other roles come off as a jerk or worse, send shivers up your spine. When you think back on it, what an impressive career he put together, and what a talent, he’s very much missed and I’m so glad General Hospital has plans to remember him and pay tribute to his very significant contribution to their show.


  168. Brianna Nicole Henry (Jordan, GH)
    (Week Ending January 8, 2021)

    It is most definitely not the best of times for General Hospital’s Jordan with seemingly half the town extremely upset with her including her husband and son, never mind mobsters Jason and Cyrus constantly telling Jordan how they want her to police Port Charles. It seems like at every turn this intelligent, usually powerful woman has had her decisions second-guessed and she’s having to apologize for matters she had very little choice in, whatever the female version of emasculated would be called, that’s what Jordan’s been enduring. As a viewer who’s always appreciated Jordan’s agency, her being as independent and in charge as any male character it was very much welcome this week to see her get to play those scenes opposite Cyrus that allowed her to be more fired up, more in his face, more empowered than she’s been in far too long, scenes where she basically said enough is enough, you are not controlling me anymore. Sure, given Cyrus’s reach, it’s probably a bit more wishful thinking than reality to believe she’s fully out from under his thumb, but it was nice to see her fight back again, that’s the mode I most love to see the character and the actress in.


  169. Genie Francis (Laura, GH)
    (Week Ending January 1, 2021)

    Who would have guessed that a drug kingpin would be one of the best things that ever happened to Laura? While Genie Francis has always been a quality actress, quality stories for Laura beyond the nineties have unfortunately been few and far between, however giving Laura two brothers has been a revitalizing choice. I am loving that all of a sudden you can’t entirely be sure of what her next move may be, she’s unpredictable and mesmerizing especially in a scene like the one she had this week with Cyrus after the shootout when she asked him if they could work together to make the city better, where she seemingly expressed genuine gladness for his well-being yet at the same time she’s playing him, she’s ruthlessly taking advantage of his longing for acceptance from his family. Her scenes have quickly advanced from nice enough to completely entertaining.


  170. Christmas in Salem (Days)
    (Week Ending December 25, 2020)

    Summer and Kyle had a cute gift exchange on Y&R, I loved that GH’s Martin brought gifts to the hospital and hung out with his newfound sister Laura, and I’m fairly certain that a good chunk of B&B viewers appreciated that Liam was not featured in their Christmas episode, but no soap got into the holiday spirit quite as thoroughly as Days did, there were so many moments to love, not just for one day but sprinkled throughout the week. Bonnie was welcomed to celebrate with the Kiriakis family and we caught a fantasy where Victor and Maggie were the help. Those of us who still pine for the Chloe/Phillip pairing were treated to a flashback and Phillip experiencing some sentimental pangs when he got his hands on Chloe’s winter hat. John choked up while watching It’s A Wonderful Life. Belle and Shawn’s wedding may not have been fancy but at least it actually happened this time. Doug and Julie reunited Lani and Eli at the Horton tree decorating event, a true blessing for those of us who found it insane that Lani seemed more devoted to Kristen than to Eli. Valerie, with outstanding hair, showed up just in time for Lani to give birth to healthy twins. And last but not least, rather than skip/just talk about it as if it had happened, Days got creative with their editing so that as usual, Kayla could read to the kids at the hospital and Patchy Claus handed out gifts. While Days may have delivered a bit more Christmas than the other soaps, after those months of wondering how, when, and if our soaps would get up and running again, having all four shows entertaining us with fresh episodes every single day is the best gift of all.


  171. Johnson Family Reunion (Days)
    (Week Ending December 18, 2020)

    Things were fantastically complicated for the Johnson household this week, joyous with Joey’s release from prison and far less than joyous with Kayla believing Steve’s other son, Tripp, belongs in jail for rape. I loved the very different vibes each actor brought to that tense yet affectionate family get-together. Joey still has an endearing wide-eyed innocence despite his prison stint and he was more than willing to ignore the drama to revel in being surrounded by his loved ones. Tripp, given the accusation against him, is nearly as desperate as Joey for the warmth of family but he’s having to walk on eggshells acutely aware of Kayla’s hostility towards him and I absolutely love that Tripp wasn’t throwing the hostility back at Kayla, it was so much more affecting to show that he still very much cares for his step-mom even as she’s understandably lost faith in him. Then there’s the dad caught in the middle, Steve wanting to support his wrongly accused son yet respectful of Kayla, having been there with her years ago following her own rape. Stephen Nichols was just so, so good, you could see in his expression and hear it in his voice, just how much Patch adores his family and how deeply he feels the divide and appreciates them being together anyway. Lastly, we had Mary Beth Evans who has been Emmy worthy throughout this story, whether doting on Joey or the brittle acceptance of Tripp’s presence in her home, the actress has navigated Kayla’s emotions with spectacular authenticity. Honorable mention to General Hospital for their own impromptu family reunion of the Greys, I love that Cyrus, Martin, and Laura are siblings, there’s so much potential there.


  172. Marguerite Ray (ex-Mamie, The Young and The Restless)
    (Week Ending December 11, 2020)

    Portraying a maid on any show isn’t always creatively satisfying and Marguerite Ray certainly had her share of episodes where Mamie was required to do nothing more than dust or bring in a tray of something, yet ultimately, the actress very much left her mark on Y&R. If you at all watched the soap in the eighties or nineties or caught some of the re-runs during the shutdown, you may have had the opportunity to see Mamie in a more expansive light than her domestic duties around the Abbott mansion. She was a confidant and mother figure to the Abbott offspring, most especially to Traci, a fact I wish had been brought up more frequently during Dina’s final run on the show, it would have been good during all the lamenting of Dina’s absences to hear them acknowledge that they still very much had a mom in their lives. As for Mamie’s blood relations, her morally upstanding ways conflicted with her wild child niece, Dru, leading to some seriously explosive and often amusing confrontations that are as lively and entertaining now as they were then. Speaking of Dru, without Mamie, would Dru ever have existed? There was also Dru’s sister Olivia, then Neil was introduced to be a love interest for Dru, then came his brother Malcolm, Olivia’s son Nate, and Dru’s kids Lily and Devon, all of those characters and more trace back to Mamie’s existence on the show. When we think of domestic workers in popular entertainment, particularly those of color, they’re often viewed and/or presented in such stereotypical and diminished ways that plenty of actors have outright said they will never ever play one and that’s an understandable point of view, but those of us who devoutly watch Y&R, who appreciate how consistently racially diverse the show has been over the past few decades, we owe a huge thank you to the recently passed Marguerite Ray, for accepting a role that on paper likely appeared thankless but who she shaped into someone you noticed in scenes, someone Bill Bell noticed enough to create an entire family around her, she inspired a legacy of characters on this show, not too shabby for someone who was “just a maid.”


  173. Emme Rylan & William DeVry (Lulu & Julian, GH)
    (Week Ending December 4, 2020)

    Like everyone else, I can’t begin to understand why General Hospital chose to write out Lulu and Julian. While I didn’t love Lulu’s exit (I would have preferred her to go missing or leave to chase down a story, both of which would be very Spencer things to happen), with Emme Rylan not even an active participant in what may have been her final scenes, but having that many characters bid farewell to her at least indicates that the show does recognize Lulu’s importance and certainly to me, Emme has been one of the most entertaining performers in daytime from minute one on Guiding Light. As for Julian, lately it’s been weird to see a guy who has always been one of the most cunning people in any room running around begging others to help him out of a jam. It was gratifying to see Julian’s wits return to him the last couple episodes, jumping from the parapet and shaking down Martin Grey, the whole reason Brad went to him in the first place was because the guy knows how to use his smarts to wiggle out of a tough situation, so at least Julian seemed more himself at the very end. I know so many fans are reeling that Julian and Alexis might never be reunited, but for me, even though I do recognize their sparks, the bigger losses with Julian are the relationships with his children that have never been as fully explored as I would have liked, particularly with Lucas, and now who’s gonna have Ava’s back when next she screws up (and you know she will), if not her brother? The loss of Lulu is ever so aggravating, too, why did they bring Dante back even, why tease the audience with their chemistry only for it to be over before they began again? And the thought of no more Maxie and Lulu friendship scenes, Lulu not being there for Maxie when it all falls apart with Peter, when she gives birth… But at least GH didn’t kill them off, that’s the positive that’s come out of this whole thing, that there’s still very much the possibility that this is only temporary that maybe they’re just shifting into the Days Of Our Lives model where they bench characters to save money then bring them back. Hopefully that’s the case. If not, with Jen Lilley committed to Hallmark movies, Emme Rylan would make an excellent Theresa on Days, and it could be interesting if William DeVry stepped into the role of Tucker on Y&R, he’s long overdue to reconnect with his son, Devon, there are at least a couple of his former loves still in town, and his mother’s home is currently occupied by her maid’s family, having Tucker come in and take ownership of his legacy would make sense and have plenty of other storyline repercussions since he’s a shady businessman.


  174. Bill & Susan Seaforth Hayes (Doug & Julie, Days)
    (Week Ending November 27, 2020)

    Just when you think there isn’t a whole lot to be thankful for, Days Of Our Lives gives us Doug and Julie for Thanksgiving. First we had fierce funny Julie dealing and meddling with uninvited guest Jack. Then came Doug’s emotional speech honoring their absent loved ones, including his beloved daughter. And lastly, Doug did the dishes, Julie bragged about the popularity of her potatoes, and the pair sweetly snuggled on the sofa together. The world needs to just go ahead and declare these two adorable people national treasures. Honorable mention this week to General Hospital’s Mark Lawson and Ashton Arbab, as unfortunately Dustin and Dev were killed off in an explosion. I’m guessing this was purely due to a sudden budget cut since both actors are clearly talented and seemed to be mid-story not by any means at the end of the potential for their characters, but on the plus side this opens up the possibility of both guys landing other roles on shows that aren’t as heavily populated as GH currently is, so maybe we’ll see more of them elsewhere than we ever did on GH.


  175. Joshua Morrow (Nick, Y&R)
    (Week Ending November 20, 2020)

    I’ve said this before, my favorite version of Nick Newman is Nick in dad mode like he was this week opposite his struggling daughter Faith. There’s just something really nice, especially right now about watching scenes where a character exudes as much warmth as Joshua Morrow brought to that conversation. His acting always feels the most natural in these moments with Nick’s kids, when he’s expressing concern and offering a soft place to land no matter how they’ve disappointed Nick. When he brought up Cassie’s death, when he pleaded with Faith not to get into a situation like that, to call him if she needs help, teasing that yeah, he’ll get mad later, but first he just wants her safe, there’s just such a feeling of authenticity and sincerity from Morrow when Nick is very consciously attempting to be a different kind of dad from his father Victor. Honorable mention to Briana Lane who did such an amazing job filling in as GH’s Brook Lynn, I have no doubt we’ll see her again very soon whether in daytime or primetime, she’s a true talent, very much reminding me of when Tammy Blanchard was on Guiding Light.


  176. Matthew Atkinson (Thomas, B&B)
    (Week Ending November 13, 2020)

    There’s been a lot laughing at/mocking of B&B for using mannequins, mostly what I think about is what a challenge it must be to act opposite a mannequin and make it convincing, and no one is facing a bigger challenge with that than Matthew Atkinson who actually has to talk to a mannequin. Yeah, it’s ridiculous, Hope staunchly believing that Thomas is reformed meantime an occasionally red-eyed sexy-voiced mannequin is “telling” Thomas to kill Liam, but it’s fun in that crazy Passions sort of way, and Atkinson is doing some impressive emotional work opposite that creepy dead-eyed co-star, it cannot be easy to work yourself up into a lather, to do the whole unraveling yet desperately trying to pull yourself back together thing while your scene partner gives you nothing real in return. I think there are some actors out there who would be playing something like this sort of out of protest, like with a wink or worse, phoning it in, good for Matthew Atkinson that he seems so game, so willing to buy in and give it all he has to make it work. Now what would be really great is if B&B finishes the entertainment portion of this story and it becomes the serious mental health story that Atkinson’s acting is seemingly setting up to be, maybe they could reward the actor by letting him play out the intense therapy sessions that will be needed afterward rather than say sending Thomas to rehab for less than a week (like how a certain opiate addict was magically healed). This story could be somewhat reminiscent of Guiding Light’s clone story, something that starts out silly and outlandish that ends up reaching surprising depths, if done right.


  177. The Women Of General Hospital
    (Week Ending November 6, 2020)

    General Hospital’s history lesson on the suffrage movement was all kinds of wonderful. Shows run the risk of a “very special episode” possibly feeling heavy handed, like it’s more of a public service announcement than the entertaining television show viewers signed up to watch, but GH managed to strike just the right balance between stressing the importance of the right to vote and having fun with the characters such as Alexis heading up the temperance society and Britt being her bad self no matter the era. Also much applause to whoever came up with using the candle as a conduit for time travel, a fantastic treat for those who remember GH spin-off Port Charles. Lastly, no period piece would be convincing without top notch hair, make-up, wardrobe, and lighting, what an impressive feat General Hospital achieved in those areas.


  178. Maura West & Marcus Coloma (Ava & Nikolas, GH)
    (Week Ending October 30, 2020)

    Without Tyler Christopher in the role of Nikolas, I wasn’t sure if General Hospital would be able to recapture that brief bit of magic they’d found between Nikolas and Ava several years ago, but lucky for all the viewers or at least for viewers who like their romance a little on the twisted side, this couple is once again hitting their stride. Being a recast is tough, it takes time for fans to adjust and it didn’t help with Nikolas that his re-entry into Port Charles felt a bit off writing-wise, yeah, sure, Nik had done plenty of shady things in the past, but letting his family believe he was dead, manipulating Charlotte and scaring Hayden away from her child, these things just didn’t feel emotionally motivated enough to truly be the Nikolas we knew and loved. The Nikolas of these last couple weeks though and especially of this week, the one bringing the heat to his scenes with Ava, the one so in love with her that he almost contemplated giving up his fortune, the one who pressured Julian in an attempt to fix Ava’s problem for her, that guy I recognize, there’s a depth to him now that’s allowing the actor to finally sink his teeth in and capture the essence of who Nikolas is. As for Ava, her week wasn’t too shabby either, palpably yearning for the guy she needs to divorce, simultaneously scheming and swooning and solidifying that Maura West is one of the finest actors of any medium. Put these two volatile characters together, add an accidental stabbing for extra weirdness, and you have one of the spiciest and most unpredictable pairings in recent memory.


  179. Brytni Sarpy (Elena, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 23, 2020)

    Sex in the afterglow of saving an overdosing teen seems more Grey’s Anatomy unprofessional than I really see either Elena or Nate being, so one of the things I most liked during this week where Elena confessed all to her boyfriend Devon is that in addition to the guilt and regret with which Brytni Sarpy approached the scenes, she also very much tapped into the confusion Elena feels over her actions. The actress was particularly good in the moment where Devon outright asks if it happened because he’s been spending time with Amanda, and first Elena says no, then a hesitant yes, and what I really liked about that yes, is that even after that admission it wasn’t a moment of clarity for her, not really, the way Sarpy played it, the quietness of her voice, the physicality, it makes clear that Elena still isn’t entirely sure of the explanation for her behavior. Her insecurity, her vulnerability, the way Sarpy has Elena seeming so very lost, it’s really the most interesting this character has ever been. Ordinarily you might worry about a character’s fate on the show after they enter into the morally dicey terrain of cheating, but this actually feels like a new beginning for Elena on the canvas. We finally get to see her wrestle with some flaws in herself, and it’s the first time we’re going to get to see her apart from Devon (and no I’m not advocating that she be apart from him forever), it will be really good to explore who she is on her own instead of as part of a couple, plus we’ll get to see her as roommate to Lola, and of course there will likely be many longing looks shared between her and Devon and a tortured romance on soaps is always a more rewarding romance. So even though I kind of feel sex with Nate was out of character for Elena, I think it was a smart choice for the evolution of Elena and the show, it’s sending things in a promising direction.


  180. Kristian Alfonso (Hope, Days)
    (Week Ending October 16, 2020)

    Ideally, Kristian Alfonso and Days Of Our Lives would have worked things out enough to give fans the closure on Hope that decades of loyal viewership deserves, like for instance emotional goodbyes with Jennifer, Doug, Julie, Shawn, etc, would have been nice. Hope on the floor hugging a photograph of her presumed dead daughter wasn’t exactly the image I wanted to be left with forever after. So this actor of the week isn’t so much about what happened this week, it’s about all that came before it. It’s about her epic romance with Bo, the motorcycle and New Orleans, the son they lost, and the kids who echo them in the best ways. It’s about her connection with Rafe that proved stronger than I would have thought in light of that Bo shadow hanging over them. It’s about the warmth in every single moment Hope shared with her dad Doug and her zen-level patience with Julie. It’s about Hope taking down the bad guys as ably as any guy on the force. It’s about one of the best, most enduring female friendships in all of pop culture between Hope and her cousin Jennifer (that lack of goodbye pains me more than any other, especially with how many months/scenes were wasted with Princess Gina trying to kill Jennifer). I really, really don’t want to accept that we’ll never see Kristian Alfonso in Salem again, but if that is the case, I hope sooner than later she lands another satisfying role elsewhere that we can all enjoy. Honorable mention to Y&R’s Marla Adams exiting this week after doing a fantastic job of popping in and out of the show through the years as Dina, one of the most controversial moms in daytime, who chose her personal passions and ambitions over raising her kids. The tension between Dina and her grown children was never anything less than electric, so to me, giving the character Alzheimer’s and having her die is right up there in the whopping mistake department with years ago killing off her ex, John. Depleting a core family is never smart, especially when the matriarch and patriarch were such defining forces in their children’s psyches.


  181. Lindsay Arnold & Lucas Adams (Allie & Tripp, Days)
    (Week Ending October 9, 2020)

    Days Of Our Lives doesn’t tap into real life issue all that often, so far though, Allie’s rape accusation is proving to be a powerful storyline. While I have no idea how jurisdiction would work in in the real world, if there’s any authenticity lost there it’ll undoubtedly be made up for in how the plot is handled emotionally, in how it’s forcing family and friends to take sides and most especially in Lindsay Arnold and Lucas Adams’s performances. It can’t be easy to be given such heavy material to play so early in your run on a show yet newcomer Arnold has shown she’s up to the challenge whether in her jumpy reactions to Tripp’s presence or in the bewilderment and self-doubt Allie plainly struggled with following Tripp’s vehement claim of innocence. Already having shown Days fans in the past what a capable actor he is, Adams had to step that up a couple notches when his character charged over to his alleged victim’s home. It may have been tough to believe that a guy smart enough to be a med student would make a move that dumb but the actor made it easy to buy in, the way he had Tripp boiling over with frustration and fear for his future, in that state of mind it was pretty understandable that he couldn’t see how such a visit might adversely affect his case down the road. Most viewers likely suspect mistaken identity in this story, but rather than detract from the drama, it’s actually all the more compelling to have a guy wrongly accused but a girl truly convinced he’s the one who violated her and two actors digging into the weight of it all.


  182. Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending October 2, 2020)

    To be clear, this actor of the week selection is based on the first three days of the week, it’s based on Ridge dealing with his daughter’s drug addiction not the final two days of the week that devolved back into Ridge, a man who divorced the mothers of his children multiple times, feeling the need to honor a drunken marriage that he can’t even recall, which is just absurd. So those first three days, as Ridge tried and tried to get through to Steffy, it was done with a believable fatherly blend of insistence, frustration, and more than anything gut-wrenching concern for his kid. Most viewers can probably agree that Thorsten Kaye isn’t quite the right fit for Ridge as we knew him, his energy, his presence, it’s so very different from Ronn Moss, where Moss had an innate flare for handling B&B’s inclination towards flowery dialogue and over-the-top melodrama, Kaye mostly appears uncomfortable in those situations (clearly trying but so not his thing), it’s in moments like this week, when B&B gives Kaye something honest and gritty to do, where he shines, where he reminds viewers of why they admired his performances back in the day on the ABC soaps. Since B&B are the ones who chose to recast against type, it’s really on them more than the actor to change, it’s on them to more frequently give Thorsten Kaye material like they did this week that better suits his acting style, do that and perhaps, finally, after too many years, this version of the character will be his own.


  183. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
    (Week Ending September 25, 2020)

    It was only a couple weeks ago when I last singled out Jacqueline MacInnes Wood’s work and while generally I like to spread the accolades around more than that, her powerhouse acting this week could not be ignored. Is a part of me guilty for loving it because she called out Liam, Hope, and Brooke for their ignorant behavior, yeah, that was pretty delightful, but mostly my admiration is about how this actress conveyed Steffy’s loss of control in the wake of her drug abuse. What makes Wood’s performance all the more remarkable is that the writers didn’t give her a whole lot of time to gradually build her addiction to the point where her character would shout/cry at everyone and shockingly pull a switchblade on them. As written, Steffy’s pill problem has escalated at a somewhat unrealistic pace, its believability is almost entirely owed to the actress giving it her all, convincing viewers to buy into Steffy unraveling so fast. Lastly, honorable mention to Greg Vaughan who is once again exiting Days Of Our Lives. It’s pretty understandable that he chose to go when even his exit story happened in such low-key fashion, hopefully somewhere down the road Days will dream up a story for Eric that’s a little worthier of the leading man that Vaughan is, in the meantime, I look forward to thoroughly enjoying him on the upcoming season of Queen Sugar, if you haven’t seen it, give it a try, it’s an ideal fit for soap fans.


  184. Max Gail (Mike, GH)
    (Week Ending September 18, 2020)

    Sonny and Stella making Mike comfortable in his room, the goodbyes especially Sonny’s, Courtney leading her dad into the afterlife with his cap on his head, the butterfly and the bicycle, GH’s farewell to Mike was very thoughtfully crafted (all that was missing was Christina, does she no longer exist?). Mike’s passing was lovely and sad, the kind of send-off you wish soaps took the time to do more often for the important characters, and anyone who’s watched Max Gail in this role over the last couple years understands how worthy his performances have been of this more than a week long tribute. That twinkle in the eye that let you know the Mike who made some mistakes and mischief in his life was still there, the warmth and regret in every exchange with his family, the heartbreaking moments of confusion and stillness as disease slowly took its toll, Max Gail memorably rose to every occasion big or small throughout his run on General Hospital. He’s one of those actors who I will think of anytime I hear someone trashing daytime (as they do), you could point to just about any scene the man played on GH and you’d have proof positive that the work done in this genre can be every bit as profound and affecting as the performances found in prime time and movies.


  185. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
    (Week Ending September 11, 2020)

    I wish Steffy’s pain meds problem had developed with more subtly, however, I like the turn the story took this week by having Hope unintentionally add to Steffy’s stress. Hope is the one who ended up with Steffy’s husband, when she took back Beth she did so without much compassion for Steffy, and Hope also pretty much appointed herself primary parent to Steffy’s nephew so Steffy has good reason to be apprehensive when it comes to Hope overstepping, thus in her current state of mind Steffy was quick to the boiling point after Hope made decisions about Kelly without consulting Steffy. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood did fantastic work as Steffy, usually a cool customer who keeps her vulnerability under wraps, she could not get through her interaction without blowing up which revealed just how threatened she is by Hope, something Steffy wouldn’t ordinarily let slip. It was a smart, nuanced way of showing how the drugs are affecting her, much more so than if B&B just had her do stereotypical stuff like stumbling, slurring, being out of it, these scenes belong on Wood’s next Emmy reel.


  186. Freddie Smith & Chandler Massey (Sonny & Will, Days)
    (Week Ending September 4, 2020)

    It kind of says everything about the importance of Sonny and Will to Days Of Our Lives that in order to properly send off this couple they shared goodbye scenes with, among others, Justin, Sami, Lucas, Kate, Chad, Uncle Vic, Marlena (and Gabi last week). Even more noteworthy than the quantity of goodbyes was the quality of them, those scenes this week clearly demonstrated the strong and varied emotional ties these two characters have in Salem, for instance, Victor’s practically a softy in his scenes with Sonny and there are ever so few characters he has that kind of rapport with and when it comes to Marlena, Will brings out her warmth of course, that’s a given, but there’s this cool, youthful vibe that comes out of her whenever they’re talking, a sense of fun that doesn’t show through with anyone else as much as it does with Will. It isn’t just Sonny and Will’s romantic relationship that’s special (and necessary given how little LGBTQ representation there is in daytime), it’s their relationships with so many other characters on the show, too, so if Days, as it seems, is managing their budget by rotating characters in and out of the lineup (which is probably a smart compromise, fans still get to see their favorites, just maybe for arcs rather than year round), I’m willing to be okay with these two talented actors taking a break for now, just so long as they’re high on the list for reappearing sooner rather than later since they are of such value to the show, Sami getting up to mischief (and worse) won’t be complete without Will having something to say about it while wearing a bemused smirk on his face, and whatever is starting to flicker between Justin and Bonnie won’t be as authentic without his number one son there questioning and concerned over what his dad is doing.


  187. Briana Lane (Brook Lynn, GH)
    (Week Ending August 28, 2020)

    It must be incredibly difficult to fill in for another actress with little notice, let alone when that actress brings as much personality to a role as Amanda Setton does as Brook Lynn, but Briana Lane has done such a good job of capturing the spirit of this firebrand character, she’s doing Amanda and Brook Lynn proud. What really stood out in her performance this week though, was seeing the actress play Brook Lynn without Brook Lynn’s character defining chatter. I don’t know if eye acting is the correct terminology (it certainly doesn’t sound correct) but whatever you call it, when it comes to conveying emotion pretty much through her gaze alone, the sense of urgency to tell what she knows, the concern for Wiley, the horror from flashbacks of Nelle, Brook Lynn spoke volumes despite her hindered speech. Hopefully when Amanda Setton eventually returns to the role, we’ll see Briana Lane quickly land a role elsewhere, she’s a great new talent.


  188. Drake Hogestyn (John, Days)
    (Week Ending August 21, 2020)

    John tends to be even-tempered, something of a peacemaker, his tolerance for Sami over the years has been pretty remarkable, so for John to actually blast someone, it’s kind of rare, to the point where maybe it could have felt out of character for him to flip a switch like that. But Drake Hogestyn played his confrontation with Sami in a way that it was clear John wasn’t being unusually malicious, everything in his expression and his tone of voice made it apparent that his tirade wasn’t so much about ripping into Sami as it was about protecting those he loves, so while losing his cool was a side of John we don’t see all that often, thanks to Hogestyn’s acting skills, it made sense, it came from the heroic core of who John is. It’s unfortunate that we don’t see John isn’t in the mix more often on the show these days, not only because Drake has a super strong fan base and John is still emotionally connected to many other characters on the canvas, but also because it feels like as with so many actors, Hogestyn’s performances are becoming more nuanced with age.


  189. The Young & The Restless Returns!
    (Week Ending August 14, 2020)

    Y&R did a superior job of selecting classic episodes during the shutdown, still, I’m ever so happy to get back to fresh material, even if I am disappointed that with so much time to reset Y&R seemingly hasn’t opted to put a swift end to some of their less than riveting stories and forced romantic pairings. For instance, listening to an excavation machine for the duration of scenes hasn’t increased my love for that boring hotel set and I’m guessing burying dinosaur bones wasn’t what Michelle Stafford had in mind when she jumped from GH, that said, there were some high points this week. Adam is easily the most fascinating character on the show right now as he grapples with the revelation that he killed a man when he was eleven. I really liked Kevin’s scenes this week, too, talking about Terrible Tom, questioning what kind of father he might be to a son, I always feel with Kevin and Michael, if you’re not leaning into their mental instability its such a waste of all that history and their acting sweet spots. Now, I don’t know, maybe some people actually enjoy Victoria or Summer and Kyle or Billy and Lily making snooze-worthy business plans, but me, I’ll take those scenes of Victor and Jack sniping at one another across a bar any day, better still, I’d take Victor and Jack bossing up like they were born to do, seizing control of their companies and aiming fire at one another. If Y&R ever wants to stop treading water story-wise and push forward with more dynamic plots, Victor and Jack are the obvious starting place, think two men who are all about power, legacy, and defeating one another, think Yellowstone, think Succession, think all the younger characters jostling for position as the favorite, the second in command, the eventual heir (key word there, eventual, don’t retire Jack and Victor until you have no other choice).


  190. General Hospital Returns!
    (Week Ending August 7, 2020)

    Our long nightmare of ABC’s terrible taste in GH re-runs has finally come to an end! I could have done without Jason mansplaining to Jordan who is smart enough and experienced enough to bring down a criminal without a white guy schooling her. I’m also finding the seemingly random social distancing protocols at GH somewhat concerning (presumably everyone knows what they’re doing?). And you know maybe this isn’t the time we want to be watching “end of life” stories (unfortunately that was just where the show was at when all this went down), but that lone tear streaking down Sonny’s face, watching Maurice’s brilliance is a pleasure even when the plot is drowning in sadness. But there was fun stuff, too, Nelle was all kinds of dramatic lashing out in court, collapsing, plotting a kidnapping, wiring up a stuffed animal, and adding her mom to her list of enemies (unaware Nina is her mom). And if loving to hate Nelle wasn’t enough to put a smile on your face, surely your spirits were lifted when Martin Grey said “Chandler? Why does that name ring a bell?” Lastly, this week an honorable mention to B&B’s Courtney Hope, who yet again has been let go from the soap, it’s baffling that they’d deem one of their most engaging talents dispensable when there are some characters who are genuine snores on that show, but whatever, maybe their poor judgment could be another soap’s gain. Courtney Hope would be fantastic as Paul’s daughter on Y&R, Steve and Kayla’s daughter on Days, or as Skye Chandler’s rapidly aged daughter on GH stirring up trouble in the Q mansion, she would be an asset to any show.


  191. Alison Sweeney (Sami, Days)
    (Week Ending July 31, 2020)

    With budgets ever shrinking in daytime, it seems like short-term stints on the soaps might have to become the more affordable norm and while we’ve all had some disappointments as far as that goes (most recently Tracy on GH comes to mind, blink and you missed her, all I remember is her hair and her comment about the Quartermaine mansion renovation since viewers share that particular pain, too), Days and Alison Sweeney, seem to have mastered the art of a short visit that’s actually satisfying. Sami’s visits aren’t glorified cameos, they’re fleshed out stories that just happen to be briefer than we’re accustomed to, yet they’re still meaty, in this case, Sami’s daughter is pregnant and in the process of choosing someone to adopt her child. Sami being Sami can’t stand by and let her daughter make her own decision so it perfectly set the stage for one vintage Sami moment after the next, harassing/guilting Rafe into stepping aside as a prospective father, turning her son Will into an accomplice with no regard for how it affects him emotionally and seething and hurting when her daughter chose Nicole as her person in the delivery room. I’m so happy for Alison Sweeney finding success at Hallmark, but there’s nothing better than when Alison comes home to Days and we have the pleasure of watching her as Sami, a character who is so much funnier, more ferocious and full of more intense feelings than any other role she plays.


  192. The Bold and The Beautiful Returns!
    (Week Ending July 24, 2020)

    It’s so nice to have new episodes of The Bold and The Beautiful again that even Liam couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm for their return. It probably helped that Steffy was in no mood for Liam’s legendary waffling and told him to go home to his wife, this is the Steffy I love, the tough one who rides a motorcycle and doesn’t pine for an unworthy guy. Of course, Steffy’s motorcycle ride did not end well when Bill crashed into her, giving Don Diamont the opportunity to play more emotional material this week than usual and while I don’t ever want to lose Bill’s arrogance or his sarcasm, it’s interesting to see him in this rare remorseful state. Then there’s Sally, who isn’t remotely remorseful about handcuffing Flo to a radiator, letting everyone think she’s dying, and trying to guilt Wyatt into impregnating her. It seemed like maybe Sally’s reign of lies might come to an end with a blow to the head, but no, B&B actually got way more creative and crazy and had the tables turned on Sally via her own underwear on which Flo left a help me message for Wyatt, to call that reveal memorable would be a massive understatement. I’m sure in the coming weeks I’ll settle into all my same old gripes with B&B, but for right now, I’m overjoyed that they’re back, is the distance between characters and using other people’s hands kind of noticeable at times, yeah, but who cares as long as it means they’re back with fresh stories and most importantly the cast and crew are kept as safe as possible.


  193. James Reynolds (Abe, Days)
    (Week Ending July 17, 2020)

    I love the Brady Pub, it’s one of my favorite sets in television history, but as the location for Eric and Nicole’s decades in the making nuptials? The moment I realized the wedding was actually happening in the pub and Nicole was actually wearing that extraordinarily plain dress, disappointment hit. I do get it, the extravaganzas of the eighties and nineties weddings just aren’t possible anymore, I feel for everyone at Days that their budget is practically running on fumes, they’re having to drop actors left and right because they have to, not because they want to, and in my head I’m like I don’t care if there are even sets anymore they could use a blank backdrop and work in sweats as long as their stories continue, however, in my heart, the heart that has been watching this relationship between Eric and Nicole in all its tortured glory since back in the Jensen Ackles era, the utter lack of razzle dazzle of any sort for their wedding, the prospect of such a low key ceremony, it felt deflating. But then along came the wedding’s officiant Abe, with his fatherly affection for the bride (a relationship I’m forever wishing Days would play into more) and he gave a speech about the pub being all about family and home. While Abe’s speech still wasn’t enough to sway me into believing Eric and Nicole had a wedding worthy of their love story, that speech on its own certainly rates as one of the high points of the year on Days. The writers in combination with James Reynolds’s outstanding delivery full of warmth and eloquence perfectly encapsulated what a special place The Brady Pub is in the viewers hearts.


  194. Mary Beth Evans & Stephen Nichols (Kayla & Steve, Days)
    (Week Ending July 10, 2020)

    While we all process the disheartening news that Kristian Alfonso is leaving the show, maybe we can take some consolation in this week’s episodes, after all, it was not so long ago when we thought we might never see Stephen Nichols on the show again and now here we are with Steve and Kayla reunited. The pacing and tension was pretty fantastic throughout cutting between the ceremony with its setbacks and the pub where Steve’s friends tried (and failed) to talk him into crashing the wedding, and even after the wedding busted up without Steve’s interference, the tension remained as Kayla in homage to a thousand different romantic movies rushed to catch Steve at the airport. My favorite thing about that romantic movie homage and the entire week really was that when she did catch him at the airport it wasn’t like those movies where immediately they’re in each other’s arms, they did eventually get there, but first Kayla very angrily gave Steve a piece of her mind about all the times she hasn’t been able to rely on him, all the times he’s decided things for her when she’s perfectly capable of deciding things herself. I will never ever tire of Steve calling Kayla “sweetness” but I love that she’s always had so much more fire, so much more of a backbone than that nickname implies, there are few things more exhilarating than seeing Mary Beth Evans standing Kayla’s ground in a scene especially opposite Steve because it is so much harder for Kayla to stand her ground against the flood of feelings she has for this guy. Now I just hope that this reunion, as rewarding as it was to watch doesn’t mean sliding to the back-burner for this couple. It feels like this particular writing team get Steve and Kayla, they understand them as individuals and together, so I’ll be sorely disappointed if what I see here as merely the start of the next stage of their love story instead just shoves them on to that happy couple shelf where nothing interesting happens. If the show is losing Hope, Rafe, Sonny, and Will, viewers most definitely need to see the remaining vets they love, particularly the remaining supercouples.


  195. Lani & Eli’s Wedding (Days)
    (Week Ending July 3, 2020)

    Abe and Julie bickered over napkins (someone give James Reynolds more comedy to play, he’s really good at it). Lani’s hair was regal perfection. Eli’s white tux jacket looked super modern rather than like something a waiter might wear. Lani’s mom dramatically fainted (plus fun fact she’s real life married to Eli’s mentor/his mom’s boyfriend). Gabi barged into the wedding in a sparkly white jumpsuit and did her usual Gabi scene stealing thing. Vivian barged into the wedding with a guy aiming to kill the bride. Eventually the couple got around to exchanging heartfelt vows that were personal to the journey they’ve been on the last couple years and best of all they jumped the broom! This was fantastic, it had a little bit of everything, drama, fun, memorable style, and it’s left me even more eagerly anticipating Salem’s three other weddings on the calendar this month, I can’t wait to see where they go creatively with each one.


  196. John Aniston (Victor, Days)
    (Week Ending June 26, 2020)

    Decades into his run on Days, John Aniston remains as entertaining as ever. I love that even in Victor’s later years, the writers get him, he’s still rightfully scripted as the sharpest person in any room, it was so classic to have Brady thinking he could pull off his revenge scheme of tanking Titan only for Vic to show up with that domineering presence John Aniston does so well, informing Brady that he’s totally on to him and it stops now. But the great thing is that it wasn’t just a show of power, it wasn’t just about confronting Brady, it was about making amends with him, too, Aniston set aside Victor’s gruff persona, showing sincere remorse for hurting his grandson. As an act of contrition, Victor then attempted to recant his statement that Kristen stabbed him, coming up with hilarious explanations like he’d been using a cheeseboard and accidentally stabbed himself, and the sight of a naked Vivian prompted him to stab himself. Over the course of only a handful of scenes Aniston conveyed power, repentance, and impeccable comedic timing, a truly impressive display of range.


  197. Sal Stowers (Lani, Days)
    (Week Ending June 19, 2020)

    Understandably given Sal Stowers dramatic chops, Days has a tendency to give her material that taps into her gift for tears and anguish, other than her crazy stint as a nun in training it’s rare we get to see this talented actress play something a little more on the fun side. This week, not only did we get some humor involving her pregnancy as she vomited in Victor’s hydrangeas (can’t wait to hear a snide comment from him about that one), not long after, Lani, a cop, used her pregnancy as code to clue Gabi in on how to escape the clutches of her captor, and then Lani, not her male partner, charged right into the fray and apprehended the perp. I always love seeing our soap females getting to act heroically rather than just being the one saved by a guy, and with Lani’s previous pregnancy so heartbreaking and a time of such fragility emotionally and physically, it’s extra special to see the character at her full strength while pregnant, Sal Stowers projecting a totally convincing calm controlled power over a fraught situation.


  198. Galen Gering (Rafe, Days)
    (Week Ending June 12, 2020)

    I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Rafe but the character has grown on me over the years and this week Galen Gering did some of his finest work to date as Rafe lost custody of David, the little boy he’s been raising as his son. Gering made some fantastic choices with Rafe’s body language as Rafe struggled to keep his emotions inside, his eyes averted from Zoe, from Hope, from the gutting task of throwing David’s things in a backpack. Initially I thought it was kind of an odd choice to skip the drama of a custody showdown in court, but ultimately, Days really did make the correct choice here, Galen Gering seems to thrive in the subtle moments (which maybe is why I never really warmed to him on Passions since that show’s fun over-the-top brand didn’t really allow for going small). The scene where Rafe modified his pizza order for David only to be struck all over again that the little boy is gone from his life, that simple everyday realization ended up so much more affecting and crushing than any monologue from a witness stand would have been. I also loved that the show touched on Rafe’s heartbreak as a parent, that he’s lost touch with Sami’s kids, that to some degree he lost his relationship with Ciara, too, when his marriage with Hope ended. An actor’s performance is always going to have that much more depth, as Gering’s did here, when it allows him to go back and mine the character’s past experiences, soaps are at their best when they build on what’s happened before, when they add to and play off of a character’s history rather than rewrite it, that’s using this medium to its fullest and it’s such a satisfactory feeling for fans who remember the major plot points and want them acknowledged not erased.


  199. Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire, Days)
    (Week Ending June 5, 2020)

    Claire is back and fortunately for viewers it seems like her time in therapy hasn’t exactly worked wonders. I liked Claire plenty when she was a nice mentally balanced girl but I love the needy unhinged version of her. Olivia Rose Keegan is exceptionally good at whipping up a frenzied energy that came through loud and clear in Claire’s conversation with her grandma. Claire’s fast-talking, her laying it on thick about her “progress” and downplaying her crimes, all of it was so entertainingly manipulative as she did her level best to pull the wool of Marlena’s astute eyes. I don’t know where this is going or how long it will last, but with Olivia Rose Keegan, it’s bound to be a fun ride.


  200. Brandon Barash (Jake, Days)
    (Week Ending May 29, 2020)

    It isn’t often that I’ll choose actor of the week based solely on one scene but Jake’s disinterest in the save the date card that a giddy Ben presented to him, tossing the card aside and teasing Ben about planning his social calendar for him, it was a nugget of comic gold, never mind refreshingly different from the way engagements are usually greeted in soaps with either big enthusiasm or big disapproval, with Jake it was big indifference and dry wit. While I’ll welcome back Stefan when the time comes, I can’t say I’m in any hurry to say goodbye to blue collar Jake and the unexpected moments of humor that given the smirk on Brandon Barash’s face seem to be as much fun for him to play as they are for viewers to watch.


  201. General Hospital
    (Week Ending May 22, 2020)

    As upsetting as it is that we’ve seen the last new episodes of General Hospital for awhile, at least the storytelling has been so strong lately that it’s left us with plenty to look forward to when it picks back up again. Will Nina testify for Nelle or against her and where will that leave them when Nina finds her “daughter?” How will Alexis and Lucas cope with Julian’s marriage to Nelle? Which Davis girl, Molly or Sam will be more tempted by Brando? Will Brooklyn save the day for ELQ after her royal screw up and will she be the one to mend Chase’s self-inflicted broken heart? Will Peter’s misdeeds blow up his life? Will Cameron realize he’s in love with Trina not Joss? Just how thoroughly will Sonny and Mike break out hearts? How much more ridiculously entertaining can Kentucky Fried Martin Grey get? And lastly, while we patiently await the answers to those questions, I have to ask will ABC ever reward that patience with truly classic episodes?


  202. Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH)
    (Week Ending May 15, 2020)

    What a fantastic episode Cynthia Watros had on Thursday that brought her character Nina to the conclusion that she’s ready to look for her daughter. In the span of that day, Nina crossed paths with Maxie, her right-hand employee who walked out on her, and Sasha, who lied about being Nina’s daughter. It would be understandable if Nina never had another nice thing to say to either one of them, less understandable was opting to give pep talks to the pair, yet that is exactly what Nina did. I think in the hands of some other actress, those scenes might have ended up seeming at best to be headscratchers and at worst they could have made Nina seem pathetic to give a hand up to two people who in her eyes had treated her poorly. But Cynthia Watros isn’t just some actress, she’s one of the very best ever in daytime and that shone through in those scenes, she delivered on the writers intentions for Nina in those scenes, on the growth they required from the character, she radiated strength and self-assurance. This is no longer the fragile person manipulated by her mother and Valentin, when she asks for Jax’s help at the end of the episode, you had the sense from Cynthia’s performance that Nina’s request to Jax wasn’t coming from a place of dependence but rather from a new found sense of independence and strength that Nina will need in abundance going forward into the next stage of her story (if the hints at who her daughter is are any indication).


  203. Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina, GH)
    (Week Ending May 8, 2020)

    As much as I like it when the Davis women have each other’s backs, I’m so glad to see Lexi Ainsworth have something more to do than tend bar that I welcome strife between them. I don’t necessarily understand why Kristina suddenly lashed out at Sam with all that truth telling but it was good to see some fire from her character again, to see Lexi Ainsworth have the opportunity to sink her teeth into the emotional material she excels at, whether that’s attacking her older sister with tough love or appearing hurt when Sam rightfully snapped back. I’d like to think GH intends to go somewhere with this outburst from Kristina, that maybe it will finally lead to a more in depth exploration of who she is post-cult, but given how often this character has been lost in the shuffle, it’s probably best to just appreciate a rare moment when they actually did use her talent to its fullest.


  204. Michael Easton & Josh Swickard (Finn & Chase, GH)
    (Week Ending May 1, 2020)

    Romance and family are the most essential ingredients for a good soap opera and this week General Hospital perfectly wove together both elements into the scenes where Finn quickly determined that his younger brother Chase had lied about cheating on Willow. The dynamic between these brothers is just the best, Chase is such a heart on his sleeve guy while Finn does his best to pretend he was born without emotions, so it was entertaining to see roles momentarily reversed, with Chase attempting the facade of not caring and Finn pushing for a heart to heart talk. And when the truth did come out, we had the brothers back to their usual selves, Josh Swickard’s Chase an adorable puddle of heartbreak while Michael Easton’s Finn managed to be comforting and uncomfortable all at the same time. If the soaps do at some point decide to make a return via video chat episodes, it would be completely believable for siblings to get in touch that way, and I imagine the majority of viewers would happily spend an hour watching a scripted conversation between these two endearing, entertaining brothers.


  205. B&B and Y&R
    (Week Ending April 24, 2020)

    Ordinarily actor of the week would have gone to GH’s Maurice Benard, however, since this is the last week we’ll see anything new from Y&R and B&B for awhile, I thought I’d choose one story from each that I’m most looking forward to picking back up whenever they return. For Y&R, while on the surface Adam the murderer seems like a clear cut excusable case of a kid defending his parent, I do like the possibilities of where this might take Adam. When he eventually accepts his guilt, will he see it as an act of defending his mother or will he take it as some sign that he’s irredeemably evil and become even more conniving and cutthroat than he generally is? Or if he sees himself as evil will he make a concerted effort to be better which let’s face it would be a massive struggle against every instinct the guy has? And in learning that his father actually did protect him when all this time he’s felt neglected by Victor, will that lead to a stronger bond between them, one that will very much rub Nick, Victoria, and Nikki the wrong way? Over at B&B there’s nothing more exciting going on than the doctor hitting Flo over the head and helping Sally drag Flo’s unconscious body away, leaving us with the perfectly B&B cliffhanger of what did Wyatt see when he opened that door??? I don’t love how pathetic this story has made Sally seem, that she’s fake dying in order to hold on to wishy-washy Wyatt, however, if they were to get away with dragging that body and stashing Flo somewhere (and fingers-crossed Flo waking up with more of a personality), I kind of like the possibilities of how fun and campy this could become if the show opts to lean into the humor and make it something straight out of the original Sally Spectra’s playbook. Lastly, a big thank you to CBS for digging into their archives, if we can’t have new material, at least we can revel in nostalgia while we wait.


  206. The Cast Of Days
    (Week Ending April 17, 2020)

    Too much goodness on Days this week to single out just one performance. Eric’s goodbye to “his” daughter. Eric and Brady actually brotherly towards one another. John and Marlena supportive after Kristen’s struggle to let go of that baby. Kristen struggling against her temper when she learned what Xander did. Sarah running her own unique version of the gamut of grief from fiercely ditching her baby switching fiance at the altar to thinking kidnapping might be the answer. Xander, broken. Sonny and Will obliviously witness a crime. Newbie Ava sparked with Rafe (sure that actress is gone in a month and he’s gone in September, but still… sparks). Kayla told Steve their love story, he regained his memory, called her sweetness and ended up so flirty and determined to win her back that it felt like the eighties all over again. Justin still has zero chemistry with Kayla, but thanks to Wally Kurth’s performance I do feel for him. Steve found every kind of way to label Jack annoying and it was hilarious. And lastly, if I’m remembering right, this week featured every character in their right body and as far as I know, no one was brainwashed, either, that’s something of a miracle in Salem.


  207. Chloe Lanier (Nelle, GH)
    (Week Ending April 10, 2020)

    Anyone who watches General Hospital on a daily basis remembers perfectly well how Nelle’s story has gone so far, I’m pretty sure none of us needed two episodes in a row loaded with flashback scenes that are still very much fresh in our minds but on the upside, when there actually were present day scenes, we were treated to yet another gem of a performance from Chloe Lanier. While I don’t condone most of Nelle’s behavior, for viewers who find Carly to be a bit of a hypocrite, there really was something so satisfying about seeing Nelle throw Carly’s past in her face (I don’t hate Carly, I just hate that she and certain other characters always get a free moral pass). I just plain loved Chloe Lanier’s ferocity in that moment, she made it seem like Nelle had missed her calling as a prosecutor. But I also loved when Nelle slipped out of attack mode and revealed that since she was a kid she’d wanted Carly to be a true sister to her, she’d wanted Carly to rescue her, to raise her, be the mother figure she didn’t have and right then you didn’t even need a “flashback”, in Chloe Lanier’s face and her voice you could see the vulnerable little girl Nelle had once been. I had leaned towards the idea of Willow being Nina’s daughter, but I’m just as excited now that it seems Nelle is her child, not only does that possibly mean Nelle and her villainy sticking around the show for longer term, but the thought of actresses of Chloe Lanier and Cynthia Watros’s caliber playing the fallout of that emotional truth, it’s just too good.


  208. John Callahan (ex-Edmund, AMC)
    (Week Ending April 3, 2020)

    There’s more than enough sadness right now so this is strictly a thank you for the happiness John Callahan brought to All My Children viewers. A thank you for the sparkle in Edmund’s eyes and the sparks early on with Brooke that made it easy to just go ahead and like the new guy even if we couldn’t be sure of Edmund’s motives. A thank you for the complicated rivalry between Edmund and his brother Dimitri, that could be believably knives out or genuinely heartfelt, and at its best, both at the same time. A thank you for the million struggles Edmund and Maria had with conceiving, adopting, and holding on to their children, yeah, not generally happy stuff, but total sudsy goodness. And lastly, a thank you for Edmund and Maria, the chemistry from their first scene that made them one of the nineties most popular supercouples, and led to my favorite memory of their romance, the everlasting image of that horse drawn carriage on their wedding day.


  209. Beth Maitland, Eileen Davidson, & Peter Bergman (Traci, Ashley, and Jack, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 27, 2020)

    Although I think Y&R could greatly help themselves out of their rut by crafting individual stories with long-term prospects for Traci, Ashley, and Jack, it is good to see this trio come together for their mom (it’s certainly preferable to the stilted dialogue found in much of the show’s current cringe-worthy business strategy scenes). There’s such a natural rapport between these three exceptionally talented actors that you genuinely feel the bond, it’s so truthful the way they switch from somber to laughter and back again like siblings in life do, there’s nothing forced about how they played those moments. I know Billy isn’t Dina’s son, but I sure wish the show would use this as an opportunity to push him back into the family fold as well, having a little bit of this sibling magic rub off on Billy might do wonders for his now borderline intolerable character, it certainly has to work better than pairing him with one wrong woman after the next, doesn’t it?


  210. Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn, GH)
    (Week Ending March 20, 2020)

    If you’re eager for something fun to watch, or just say, a more realistic career trajectory than Y&R has to offer (does anyone believe Theo, Kyle, Summer, Billy, Lily or Nick would be hired as executives anywhere?) look no further than General Hospital’s Brook Lynn. I love that Ned, unlike certain other soap families, didn’t immediately seat his offspring at ELQ’s boardroom table (and how amazing is it that ELQ actually has an office again, it doesn’t make up for the Quartermaine mansion’s identity crisis, but still), instead, Brook Lynn’s starting at the bottom as she should, she’s an assistant and so far she’s laughably bad at her job. Her most pressing concern when she first came to work was changing the boring “hold” music, then she took a long lunch, went shopping, and proceeded to accidentally reveal ELQ secrets on social media, potentially costing her family millions. Amanda Setton’s Brook Lynn is like a combination of Fran Drescher’s attitude and Lucille Ball’s exaggerated facial expressions, and similarly to both, when her character falls in hot water, you can’t help cheering for her to find a way out of it (and for her dad to at least let her order the food!). In a just world, this actress would be the lead of her own hit comedy series.


  211. Hope Calls Thomas’s Bluff (B&B)
    (Week Ending March 13, 2020)

    While General Hospital is able to make a scene about meatballs feel like a masterclass in acting, that just isn’t The Bold and The Beautiful’s forte, as I’ve mentioned before, they struggle with the small stuff, the day to day on B&B can be dull city, a series of go nowhere conversations about the same three people over and over and over again, but when they finally do ramp up to the big moment they almost always deliver in a satisfying way. After months of aggravating scenes of Hope being the most naive doormat on earth, working and parenting alongside a guy who once kept her in the dark about her baby being alive, finally, to everyone’s relief, she located enough brain cells to turn the tables on Thomas, and the viewers at long last had the joy of watching Thomas squirm as his manipulative tactics backfired on him. More than anything I felt like the direction was the star here, the cuts to and close-ups on Thomas’s face, his eyes, his throat as he was sweating things out, wondering if he’d actually have to go through with the wedding, Thomas and Zoe’s open-mouthed stares, the beat of suspense and there’s Hope in a wedding dress, the visuals on this episode told the story as much if not more than the dialogue. I desperately wish B&B would up their game as far as their daily storytelling, figure out how capture the fun of their “event” episodes on a more regular basis.


  212. Alyvia Alyn Lind (Faith, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 6, 2020)

    Sharon’s cancer is one of the few compelling tales on Y&R right now and it was made even more compelling this week as Faith couldn’t hold back terrified “I love you” to her mom, and tearfully talked through her fears and anxiety about the situation with her sister Mariah, touching not only on Sharon’s health but also on what it might mean for her and Mariah in the future as well. This actress is right up there among the all-time great criers (not just daytime), and when you compare her performance to how contrived many of the other storm scenarios felt there was a welcome natural quality to this young lady’s work that truly elevated her scenes above the rest. When Faith and Mariah discussed the different ways they handle grief it felt like such an authentic sister moment in no small part because Alyvia Alyn Lind played it with compassion and a few notes of lighthearted teasing, too, it was only a couple minutes, but they were some of the most well-written and well-acted minutes of Y&R’s week because they actually came from a truthful place emotionally. The Young and The Restless still kind of seems stuck in neutral as far as most of their storytelling goes so, like in sports, it’s a smart move to lean on one of your MVP’s in a slump, even if she just so happens to also be one of your youngest players.


  213. Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, GH)
    (Week Ending February 28, 2020)

    Hit so very hard by the revelation that Wylie isn’t her child, that her baby actually died, Willow went to her son’s graveside this week to apologize for him being alone while he died, for her not delivering on the safe life she thought she had given him, and it was just about the most devastating scene you’ll ever see. This is exactly what makes the soap genre special, it’s the luxury of time to tell a story, it’s having shown Willow for so long fighting to protect her child from Shilo, showing her bond developing with Wylie, showing her toying with the idea of going for custody and coming to a place of peace over giving up her child only for the rug to be so shatteringly yanked out from under her, having the chance to play all of that emotional build up in a real-time kind of way had to have fed into/informed Katelyn MacMullen’s performance at that graveside, the performance of her career so far.


  214. Casey Moss (J.J., Days)
    (Week Ending February 21, 2020)

    The soaps offered up a plethora of goodness this week, Victor’s fortieth anniversary on Y&R (including a stabbing), Doug’s fiftieth anniversary on Days (where for some random reason they killed off Bill), and GH’s baby switch reveal overflowed with outstanding performances, but given that this was possibly (hopefully not) the last time we’ll see Casey Moss as J.J. on Days Of Our Lives, actor of the week honors had to go to him. J.J.’s exit didn’t come with a whole lot of fanfare, he supported Lani in exposing Gabi and had a really nice moment when his dad told J.J. he was proud of him. The last bit of him walking out did feel like an indelible image which I’m happy they included yet at the same time that episode didn’t quite feel like the goodbye the character or the actor deserved. I know there are some viewers who craved a lighter version of the character, but I loved that throughout Casey Moss’s run on the show Days played to his considerable strengths, why indulge in fluffy stories when you have an actor who does drama as jaw droppingly well as Moss does? From his bad choices with Eve and Theresa to his suicidal Christmas and his recent drug-addled grieving process, I can think of very few actors in any medium who do messy intensity as well as Casey Moss does. I don’t know if leaving was Casey Moss’s decision, but if he isn’t looking to move on to movies or primetime or to focus on music, if he still has a desire to be in daytime, I’d suggest GH scoop him up as a back from the dead Morgan, he possesses all the qualities in his acting that made Morgan such an endearing disaster and he would totally hold his own opposite Maurice Benard.


  215. Mary Beth Evans & Stephen Nichols (Kayla & Steve, Days)
    (Week Ending February 14, 2020)

    Despite the one year renewal for Days, it’s still an unnervingly uncertain time for their actors and fans, but as of this week, one thing’s for sure, the chemistry between Mary Beth Evans and Stephen Nichols is alive and well regardless of the characters they’re playing. Mary Beth Evans did such incredible work in Kayla’s confrontational scenes with Stefano, the hurt and anger poured off of her as she unloaded on the man she thinks is Steve, the love of her life who, as far as she knows, abandoned their life together, it felt like Mary Beth did a deep dive into the heart and soul of her character’s history unleashing a torrent of emotion in the process. As for Stephen Nichols, I had major reservations about anyone taking on the role of Stefano, but I have been so impressed by the reverence in Stephen’s performance, the respect he’s shown to the late Joseph Mascolo as Stephen Nichols isn’t so much trying to make the role his own as much as paying tribute to each and every little trademark flourish that Joseph decided on when he crafted this legendary role decades ago. It’s kind of odd that something fun and funny and more than a little weird (Stefano took over Steve’s body), could actually be a moving tribute to someone’s real life passing, yet somehow that’s the miracle Days and Stephen Nichols have beautifully pulled off, and then, as if that wasn’t enough, it ratcheted up another dimension this week when Stefano went to Kayla for medical help. Stefano was plenty short-tempered with her, and plenty manipulative, but the old Steve and Kayla sparks flew in those scenes, too, now I have no idea if it was intentional to feel like bits of Steve were slipping through or if those glimpses of softness towards Kayla really were entirely Stefano using her to aid in his escape, either way, it seemed like it must have been challenging to play two mindsets in one character. As sad as it is to hear day after day that the show is parting ways with actors we love, maybe there is some consolation if you consider that it wasn’t so long ago when we wondered if we’d ever see Stephen Nichols on the show again and now he’s back, doing some of the finest work of his career so maybe somewhere down the road we’ll welcome back other favorites in similarly spectacular fashion.


  216. Sharon Case (Sharon, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 7, 2020)

    While I found the nightmare sequence in Sharon’s special episode too reminiscent of Days & Y&R from last Halloween (over-the-top and not-actually-happening feels like a time-waster to me), I loved the more realistic scenes the show book-ended around the nightmare. Sharon Case was fantastic as she portrayed Sharon with a brave face only for the facade to crack more than a little when she compared packing for chemo to packing to bring a new life into the world and during her fitful attempts at sleep. Although Sharon has certainly shed some tears, I really like that the actress is choosing to play this big story kind of quietly, there’s a wonderful subtlety to Sharon Case’s work right now, she’s emotional but not in a look at me and shower me with Emmys kind of way, the way Sharon Case is playing it is more like how someone might behave in real life, without histrionics, uncomfortable with the attention, uncomfortable with the idea of anyone stopping their lives for her or pitying her, all while experiencing her own waves of uncertainty. With a whole bunch of plots that feel fairly forced and overwrought (Billy’s mid-life crisis, Kyle being Liam from B&B, etc.), this performance is very much the bright spot for Y&R right now.


  217. Marj Dusay (Alexandra, Guiding Light)
    (Week Ending January 31, 2020)

    The talented Marj Dusay passed away this week and while she had an admirable and varied career (such as vicious Vanessa on AMC and Blair’s mom on Facts Of Life where she’s particularly excellent in the episodes where Monica gives birth and another where she spends time with Jo’s dad), I most fondly think of her as Guiding Light’s Alexandra where she took on the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of a legend and very much left her own mark on the role. Alexandra was a wonderfully complex character that perfectly tapped into Marj Dusay’s abilities, like her comic timing with the truly witty barbs that often flew out of Alexandra’s mouth, and she was also great at whenever Alex was conniving, especially over her son Nick and what she thought was best for him, yet Dusay knew how seamlessly shift into tenderness, too, like when she stayed by Nick’s side at the hospital, holding vigil with him after Susan was attacked. And, if you ever had the pleasure of watching Marj and her on-screen sibling Ron Raines, you know how entertaining and brilliant their interactions always were whether stabbing each other in the back or those times when their affection for one another won out over spite, it was never anything less than absolutely believable and electric. Marj Dusay enriched every single scene she walked into on Guiding Light, she made a much-loved contribution to this genre that will never be forgotten by those of us who had the privilege to watch her work.


  218. Mother’s Day, Days
    (Week Ending January 24, 2020)

    While pre-emptions narrowed down this week’s options for standout performances, had the other soaps also aired their episodes, Days likely still would have been the clear choice with the combination of acting and superb layered writing in these “flashback” episodes. In one episode alone Adrienne died, Haley was pushed down the stairs, Will confessed to a crime that he doesn’t realize Maggie committed, and, then a baby switch, I mean, no offense to B&B (I watch it everyday, I’ll never stop) but did they have that much stuff happen in one year, let alone one episode? And it isn’t just that a lot happened on Days, it isn’t just the surprises, it’s that they’ve spent every moment since their time jump building so much suspense as to what happened “last year” that you kind of wondered if it could possibly live up to the hype the characters on the show have given it, and yet the show impressively stuck the landing on all of it. When you see that all this time Will has been beating himself up over something he didn’t do, when you see the terrible life-altering machinations Victor got up to all in the name of his love for Maggie, when you see Kristen’s anguish over her baby right in that moment her not being the one dimensional crazy lady of the show but a truly grieving mother, when you see J.J. fold Haley’s hand around the ring it underscores his devastation that he’s yet again lost a woman he loved, it just all worked, it totally lived up to expectations and then the cherry on top had to be the clips in tribute to Adrienne (that first meeting with Justin, still perfection after all these years). I think the best part of all of this is that while the time jump added suspense and genuine surprise, if you stripped that away and told these stories in traditional linear fashion they’d still be riveting, ultimately this isn’t about a gimmick, it’s about intricate storytelling with everything dovetailing in such compelling ways that you wouldn’t think of missing an episode.


  219. Courtney Hope (Sally, B&B)
    (Week Ending January 17, 2020)

    While it annoys me how frequently B&B has referenced the Christmas that none of us saw, I guess we did receive something of a belated Christmas miracle this week in the form of actually giving screen-time to a wide array of this show’s cast, how refreshing was that? Most refreshing of all was seeing Courtney Hope as Sally struggling with the pressure to design for the showdown, her unsteady hand, ripping up her own design, absolutely being crushed by Steffy and Ridge’s blunt assessment, unable to hold back tears. While I’m not a fan of Sally’s love life at the moment, I really enjoyed a glimpse of her work life this week, seeing a more realistic portrayal of what it is to be a designer, under the duress of a deadline, so stressed over wanting to create something that she psyches herself out. I love the vibrancy Courtney Hope brings to our screens, yet she’s every bit as adept when Sally’s big bold confidence takes a dip and she’s called upon to convey the insecurities of this young woman who grew up in far different circumstances than the glamorous Forresters and its a class difference that’s more engaging to me than the one Shauna and Flo bring to the table. The way B&B operates it may only be a matter of days before Sally is once more inexplicably sidelined with no story, but for the moment, I’m savoring the opportunity to watch this dynamic actress breathe life and depth into the show.


  220. Scarlett Fernandez (Charlotte, GH)
    (Week Ending January 10, 2020)

    Scarlett Fernandez did such a fantastic job this week as the police arrested Charlotte’s papa. This brilliant little actress’s performance, her clear-eyed insistence that the arrest is a mistake, the tender hand she placed on Valentin’s cheek, the clinging hug for him and afterward, her mom, her every action and reaction stole the scene from a group of adult actors who also did amazing, affecting work in the moment (James Patrick Stuart, Finola Hughes, Emmy Rylan, and Cynthia Watros). I couldn’t be more impressed by this girl’s ever growing talent.


  221. Joshua Morrow (Nick, Y&R)
    (Week Ending January 3, 2020)

    Y&R, once the model of consistency is in a bit of a worrying state, they seem more than a little lost, however, on a positive note, I like what they did with Nick this week. Instead of letting Nick’s alleged romance with Chelsea continue to drag on, the show gave Nick an empowered New Year’s Eve by opting out of a relationship where he was perpetually his partner’s last choice. Even more than cutting the show’s losses on a couple that wasn’t sparking, I enjoyed seeing Nick celebrate his birthday with Summer and Faith. Scenes between Nick and his children are where Joshua Morrow shines brightest, there’s such a genuine paternal vibe from him and the playful, self-deprecating, teasing dialogue sounds ever so much more natural coming out of Morrow’s mouth than most overwrought melodrama does. I feel like the more Y&R writes to each actor’s individual strengths (as those scenes with Nick and his daughters at the coffee shop did) the sooner they’ll dig their way out of this slump and be more recognizable as the show their fans love.


  222. General Hospital’s A Christmas Carol
    (Week Ending December 27, 2019)

    I don’t love the stand-alone episodes of soaps where it feels like they were compiled by throwing random ideas at a dart board (see Days and Y&R’s Halloween offerings, or actually, do yourself a favor and don’t see them), I do much better with a stand-alone that offers a full-on story with a beginning, middle, and end like General Hospital did this week with A Christmas Carol. GH had an entertaining take on the Christmas classic with impressive period costumes and sets, and an emotional arc for Michael Easton that allowed him to run the gamut from miserly to full of joy and love. The show included such a wonderfully wide variety of their cast making it fun to see who would pop up next and in what role, the trio of vixens as the ghosts and Rebecca Herbst and family as the Cratchetts felt particularly inspired. Honorable mention to Y&R, while I didn’t love that most of their Christmas took place at Society (the show’s a little too obsessed with their two new yet unnecessary sets) I liked that it was a get together for both friends and family, and then the Abbotts at home later, with Traci singing was a nice touch.


  223. James Patrick Stuart (Valentin, GH)
    (Week Ending December 20, 2019)

    While James Patrick Stuart did his usual convincing job of conveying how imposing and ruthless he can be in threatening Lulu over custody of Charlotte this week, it was actually the rare moment of seeing Valentin in a much less stone-faced state at the art auction that may rank as the most I’ve ever enjoyed the character. When Helena’s portrait went up in flames believing the codicil had turned to ashes, Valentin appeared downright giddy and for that moment was fun and funny. I’m not saying Valentin should be played for laughs all the time, that just wouldn’t be his character, but I’d love to see him revel in the spoils of his evil doings every once in awhile, or just anything that allows the actor to let loose occasionally, especially since lately he’s shared scenes with Michael E. Knight and Kathleen Gati, two performerss who excel at humor and could quite easily draw out Valentin’s droll funny bone.


  224. Wally Kurth (Justin, Days)
    (Week Ending December 13, 2019)

    While the jury’s still out on Justin’s romance with Kayla, Wally Kurth did some truly affecting work this week as Justin visited his son-in-law, Will, in prison. With Will in prison for causing the death of Justin’s beloved wife, you might expect burning hatred to fuel the visit, instead it was a refreshing surprise (Days is full of those post time-jump) to see Justin at peace, to see him be the one attempting to comfort Will. I probably would have watched these scenes with a certain amount of disbelief over the lack of anger if not for Wally Kurth’s performance convincing me otherwise, the way he played all of it with such a gentle hand and a certain serenity, when he told Will he thought of him as another son, the kindness Justin exhibited and that Wally embodied brought an emotional honesty to the proceedings that no amount of yelling and bigness could ever have achieved, it was the perfect blend of thoughtful writing and quality acting.


  225. William DeVry (Julian, GH)
    (Week Ending December 6, 2019)

    I realize General Hospital writers had a lot of backpedaling to do after having Julian pretend to/actually seem to try to kill the love of his life, so they sort of turned him into “Charlie” and softened his edges to the point where you almost wondered why he was even still on the show. Fortunately, for William DeVry, Julian definitely had some edge to him when he decided to do a very old school Julian thing and cut the brakes on his son-in-law’s car. Unfortunately for Julian his son also happened to be in that car. This is the kind of soap villainy I love best, not some lunatic running around town doing lunatic things because they’re well, a lunatic, but a character who does his morally wrong deeds out of devotion to a loved one. A dimensional villain is a villain with clear cut motivations that to him at least (however morally wrong) feel justified, and that’s what we had with Julian this week, an emotionally layered performance where on the one hand he’s seething at Brad every time he sets eyes on him blaming Brad for not being in that car alone, yet Julian also engaged in plenty of self-loathing as well, no better illustrated than in that moment when he let Carly take his place in Lucas’s hospital room. To me, Julian having to face the very emotional consequences of what to him were his good intentions gone wrong, is a much involving redemption story than simply taking the sting out of the character by having him choose to be “well-behaved”, truly stinging him is much more interesting.


  226. Daniel Goddard (Cane, Y&R)
    (Week Ending November 29, 2019)

    Daniel Goddard’s Cane, who has plenty of heart (if you’re only remembering the way the writers most recently ruined him like by kissing Victoria go way back and check out his work during Lily’s cancer, I dare you not to love him) yet Cane is also at times morally ambiguous which added to the heart thing makes the guy intriguing, complicated and wonderfully unpredictable yet somehow he’s been written out of Y&R. Okay, so on the one hand, Cane’s exit is open-ended, that’s a good thing, that means at whatever point Y&R realizes they have some seriously boring characters on the canvas they can just go ahead and bring him back, on the other hand he’s been with the show for more than a decade, he matters to the viewers (to the extent that they once hired a skywriter!), and that’s the goodbye we get? No goodbyes at all? I am never going to understand the decision to drop this character. Cane is an unemployed single dad with twin teenagers and a toddler and he’s trying to pick up the pieces after being dumped by the love of his life, that’s some massive emotional baggage and drama there. Cane is also a proven, occasionally shady businessman on a show where business wars have long been the center of everything yet it is dullsville now that Jack and Victor weirdly abdicated their thrones, shouldn’t Cane be salivating over the possibility of a hostile takeover of one of these companies now run by bosses with extremely questionable experience? In addition to that, Cane’s friendship with Phillip was strong enough that Phillip all those years ago sent him in his stead to fill the void in Katherine and Jill’s hearts, wouldn’t it make sense if Chance, who never knew his dad all that well, ended up slowly forming a familial bond with the guy who knew Phillip well enough to be him for awhile? Seems to me that’s a whole bunch of story potential based on a whole bunch of different facets of who Cane is, none of which require Lily to be present to make them a reality, but apparently Y&R’s writers don’t see any story left for him? Might I suggest B&B take advantage then of Y&R’s lapse in judgment and hire a new C.J., he could be protective of cousin Sally, decide that Wyatt hasn’t treated her well enough (which he hasn’t) putting C.J. at odds with doting parents Quinn and Bill, he could also go into the fashion business with Sally, putting him at odds with Steffy and sparking romance with her and jealousy in Liam. All B&B has to do is hire Daniel Goddard and the stories will practically write themselves.


  227. Amanda Setton (Brook Lynn, GH)
    (Week Ending November 22, 2019)

    Throw one firecracker of a heroine into the Quartermaine living room and suddenly that family ever so important to General Hospital’s history and ever so dear to the fans took a step towards very much needed revitalization. It’s admittedly super early, only Amanda Setton’s first week on the show, but Sonny was so right when he observed that Lila and Edward would have loved the squabbling and tension in the Q mansion that coincided with Brook Lynn’s arrival. As a viewer I loved it, too, it’s that vintage Quartermaine infighting I crave all year yet recently we only experience it on the Thanksgiving episode. As mentioned it probably is too soon for getting our hopes up for a full-on Quartermaine renaissance, after all Oscar and Drew moved in at one point and ultimately that amounted to only a handful of scenes, but I have faith, if the writers write it, Amanda Setton is more than capable of helping to recapture the glory of this storied family and home. Amanda Setton was so much fun to watch on One Life To Live, Gossip Girl, The Crazy Ones, etc., and I had that same feeling watching her this week, she seemed so immediately at home in Brook Lynn’s skin, overflowing with attitude and personality, exactly the pistol you’d imagine Lois’s daughter and Tracy’s grandchild to be, it’s ideal casting. Honorable mention this week to General Hospital’s Tamara Braun, one of the finest actresses around, who unfortunately exited this week after the character most closely associated with her were let go from the show and her own character, Kim, was somewhat written into a corner. Even when Kim’s actions were exceedingly difficult to justify, Tamara Braun was never anything less than superb, here’s hoping we see her somewhere else very soon.


  228. Casey Moss (J.J., Days)
    (Week Ending November 15, 2019)

    It’s a hugely distressing week to be a Days Of Our Lives fan, however, on the bright side, it’s also been a truly invigorating week to watch the show. It turns out this time jump thing was actually (so far at least) a pretty brilliant game-changing idea for this genre, I mean, I don’t love some of the deaths and I’m not sure yet how I feel about some of the romantic pairings, but I do love how unpredictable Days is right now, how there are reveals every single episode. Even more than the surprises, I am loving that Casey Moss is being heavily featured and in the kind of story that he’s proven in the past (accidentally shooting Theo) that he excels at, the deep dark emotionally gutting stuff. Everything about his performance this week has felt so committed, J.J., a good looking guy is not looking so good right now, he is this disheveled ball of anger hopped up on pills, waves of volatility and despair rolling off of him, it’s outstanding acting. I so wish that some of those articles (understandably) speculating on Days’ future had also taken the time to point out what great, risk taking work the show is putting on the air at the moment, I wish they had encouraged people to tune in, less because this soap’s fate hangs in the balance and more because content-wise, Days is thriving right now.


  229. Kassie DePaiva (Eve, Days)
    (Week Ending November 8, 2019)

    While the hurried double-wedding of two legendary supercouples was far from what viewers might have hoped it to be, at least we had Eve. Eve and her epic, drunken fail to bring Jack and Jennifer’s wedding to a halt. Ordinarily when someone on a soap announces they’re pregnant it stops a wedding cold, but in this instance everyone let Eve know that whatever she had to say didn’t matter, her tirade ended up being one more indignity, and Kassie DePaiva owned every messy minute of it, believably over-served, believably vindictive, and most important of all, believably wounded. After all the things Eve has done, she deserved that humiliating moment, she deserved to lose, and yet, because of the way Kassie DePaiva plays her, with so much nuance, leading with her heart, you do feel for Eve, you feel for her hurt and her frustration, Eve might teeter on evil, but she’s rendered beautifully human by this actress.


  230. Sydney Mikayla (Trina, GH)
    (Week Ending November 1, 2019)

    While Joss and Cam had the most teen drama to contend with this week and they did so in those actors’ usual sublime fashion, more and more Sydney Mikayla’s Trina is catching my attention, too. I’d place this actress in a similar category to Kirsten Storms (Maxie) and Emme Rylan (Lulu), in that she has such an energizing presence on screen, it feels like it would be virtually impossible to have dull moment with her involved. It’s impressive, especially at her age, to see that this actress understands when to use all that vibrancy she possesses and when to dial it back a bit, to let Trina’s quieter emotions takeover as she so deftly managed in the scenes at the boxing gym this week, vocal in encouraging Cam to take out his pain in a less destructive manner, then giving him the room to let out everything he felt, being a true support, holding the heavy bag, holding him as he cried. The other thing I’m loving about Sydney Mikayla’s performance is the way she’s infused Trina with confidence, on the phone with Ava, she pretty much instantaneously decided to tell the truth not endanger her career for a boy regardless of how cute she finds him, then later, when she made a move on Dev and he rejected her, she didn’t react in the traditional soap heroine fashion of thinking there’s something wrong with her, something she needs to change, some scheming she needs to do to land the guy, she was just like, well, your loss (how refreshing was that?). Sydney Mikayla and Trina have so much potential, particularly now that she’s in Ava’s orbit, hopefully GH makes a solid effort to explore the character further and weave her deeper into the fabric of Port Charles.


  231. John Clarke (ex-Mickey, Days)
    (Week Ending October 25, 2019)

    With the passing of John Clarke this week, Days lost another of its legends. Unfortunately I missed out on Mickey’s heyday on the show, but from the clips I’ve seen of the farmhouse, the red shoes, and what I’ve read about that time, I totally envy the viewers who did see it as it seems like it surely ranks right up there in the pantheon of Days’ swooniest romances. When I began watching Days Of Our Lives, Mickey was no longer a central figure on the soap, but in a way, I kind of think that’s when you see what an actor is truly made of, when they aren’t the ones at the heart of the action, and yet they still manage to leave a strong impression with the viewer, that’s a true measure of talent. Courtroom scenes and just legalese in general can be a bit tedious, but John Clarke had a tendency to cut through the dryness by zeroing in on the emotion, you’d see Mickey’s frustration (if I recall he didn’t always win which I kind of love because TV lawyers usually do predictably win), you’d see his conviction and passion in fighting for his clients and it made what can be boring material on soaps, compelling. I also very much remember Mickey as a caring, compassionate dad, uncle, and son, family means so much in this genre, and it’s because of actors like John Clarke, that things like the decorating the Horton family Christmas tree is practically as important to viewers as our own family traditions. And then there was the adoring way Mickey spoke to Maggie, and even more so the way he looked at her, as much as I wish I had seen their romance play out from the beginning, I didn’t need to have seen every beat of it to understand its epicness, all I needed were the warm interactions between those two actors and it told me everything about Mickey and Maggie and all that they meant to the show’s history and their fans.


  232. Parry Shen (Brad, GH)
    (Week Ending October 18, 2019)

    Since agreeing to switch his dead baby for Nelle and Michael’s baby, General Hospital’s Brad has become a nervous wreck and actor Parry Shen wears that hot mess so very well. Whether waking up from a nightmare calling out Michael’s name and having to explain that one to his husband, or being at Nelle’s parole hearing to support her while secretly hoping they lock her back up, Brad’s in a perpetual cold sweat, he’s a panicked bundle of live-wire nerves, Parry Shen has elevated squirming to an art form. It’s this kind of acting that makes a story that carries on for months, even years, not only tolerable, but endlessly interesting. Unfortunately the secret’s going to come out at some point and I fear what that means for Brad, on the one hand I’ll probably feel a bit annoyed if Brad receives zero punishment, yet at the same time, I’d be super disappointed if he were punished to the degree where he’s off the show because this is a talented actor, and a character who’s diverse in ways that aren’t seen enough in daytime, and most importantly, there’s still so much about Brad that has yet to be fully explored, his marriage to a woman, his family, and worst of all, his relationship with Lucas has mostly happened off screen. There are plenty of people running around Port Charles who have done terrible things, I’m pretty sure I’d be okay with Brad being one of those if it means finally finding out more about his past, seeing he and Lucas struggle with where their relationship goes from here, and most importantly, they have so much grieving to do for their child and for the loss of Wylie and that deserves to be seen on screen just as it would be with any straight parents on the show.


  233. Camila Banus & Bill Hayes (Gabi & Doug, Days)
    (Week Ending October 11, 2019)

    I’ve long enjoyed the scenes of Gabi and Julie ripping into one another on Days Of Our Lives, and it turns out her dynamic with Doug is every bit as compelling albeit on much less combative terms. With her husband Stefan brain dead, Gabi was inundated by pleas from her enemy Julie’s friends and family to donate his heart, Camila Banus was outstanding in every single one of those scenes, lashing out in angry heartbreak and indignation that they’d want her to help someone who has rarely shown her any kindness or respect, rightfully furious and hurt that everyone other than her seems to get a happy ending. As riveting as all those visits to Stefan’s hospital room were, none were an emotional match for Doug. Bill Hayes’s quiet calm approach to the scene, the immense and genuine compassion in his voice and on his face, was sublime acting and Doug got to Gabi like no one else did, it was the one visit where maintaining her anger proved to be something of a struggle, where the tears flowed more readily than the hate, where Camila Banus shone even brighter than she already had throughout her Emmy worthy week. Given this latest blow to Gabi’s heart, it’s understandable if she tries to be emotionally tougher and harder than she’s already been, but wouldn’t it be kind of great if Doug reached out to her, kindled a grandfatherly sort of rapport and offered up sage advice (since she almost never listens to Rafe), occasionally bringing out whatever remains of Gabi’s softer side, while at the same time a warm relationship between the two of them would drive Julie batty, and that’s the best kind of Julie.


  234. Cassandra James (Terry, GH)
    (Week Ending October 4, 2019)

    General Hospital’s Terry is Elizabeth’s best friend but as Oscar’s doctor, she also witnessed first hand the grief and turmoil Kim experienced as a mom losing her child and she feels a certain responsibility to look out for Kim, so how smart of GH, and how rewarding for this actress, that they put her in the middle of Kim and Elizabeth’s tug of war over Franco/Drew. Cassandra James was fantastic this week in some tricky territory with her loyalty to Elizabeth versus her sincere concern for Kim. Terry essentially was trying to talk Kim off an emotional ledge and Cassandra James’s tender but tough approach to the scene, the way she seemed frustrated yet careful and caring felt realistic for someone who is both a doctor and a friend. I also found it so interesting that the show struck on a correlation between what Drew/Franco feels and how Terry used to feel a disconnect from her own body, I thought the actress handled that moment beautifully, I liked that she went subtle with her response where she could have gone much bigger, she could have made that more about her own journey, instead you saw a flicker of emotion, the recognition on her face, and when she spoke she kept it reserved, then turned it right back around to the matter at hand, to her priority which was Kim’s well-being, it felt very much like a defining moment of the character, Terry has this selflessness about her as we’ve seen throughout her run on the show as a support for Elizabeth and as Oscar’s doctor. Considering how little screen-time she receives it’s impressive and promising to see what a firm understanding Cassandra James has of her character’s heart and who she is.


  235. Bryan Dattilo (Lucas, Days)
    (Week Ending September 27, 2019)

    Does anyone else find that Days has a really odd relationship with Bryan Dattilo? It’s very feast or famine, either Emmy worthy story like falling off the wagon or deciding to pull the plug on his mom, or nothing at all. It’s so weird because every time they actually give this guy something to do, he does it more than well so you’d think that would earn you more story not kick you to the curb, yet time and again that’s unfortunately how it goes for this actor/character and those of us who like his work. So with Lucas we must live in the moment, enjoy him while it lasts and what moments there were this week, having to decide whether his mother’s heart would save his aunt, the emotional debate over it with his son Will, the tearful signing of the consent form, and the goodbye to his mom that somehow captured both the toxic nature of their relationship as well as the immense love between them. Bryan Dattilo was so, so good, could someone in charge at Days recognize that and reward him for it, just this once? Obviously Dattilo can play drama, but he’s so great at comedy, too, so why not bring his daughter to town and show him being a single dad to a girl who’s half Sami? There’s bound to be an abundance of drama and comedy with that kid, and, as a bonus to viewers, no one wearing masks or coming back from the dead, what a novelty that would be.


  236. Emme Rylan (Lulu, GH)
    (Week Ending September 20, 2019)

    Between her inadvertent involvement in Nathan’s death and the drama with her husband, life hasn’t exactly been a laugh riot for Lulu Spencer the last few years, fortunately this week GH finally remembered to lighten up a little on her. From her cute banter with Dustin to blushing awkwardness and mortification at being found in bed by her mom and Curtis, followed by confessing all to her best friend Maxie and wondering if she’d moved on too soon after her divorce, it was equal parts realistic and funny, with Emme Rylan at her romantic comedy best, charming and endearing with a buoyancy to the character that hasn’t been seen in far too long. Emme Rylan, like her pal Kirsten Storms, is such an energy force and it’s great to see her in a story that really allows her to tap into that spark rather than repress it. I would love it if bubbly Lulu stuck around for a while, though that appears pretty doubtful with Lulu headed back to crime reporting and maybe I’m just overly suspicious, but her guy Dustin’s interaction with Joss at Kelly’s unsettled me (I desperately hope he’s just a concerned, involved teacher, not something else).


  237. Thorsten Kaye (Ridge, B&B)
    (Week Ending September 13, 2019)

    It makes zero sense to me how Ridge, who did not have his baby stolen somehow had the final say on Flo’s punishment for that crime. But as much as that does not compute, at least Thorsten Kaye is finally getting something substantial to play after ever so long on the back-burner. Admittedly, Thorsten Kaye has never and likely will never be the right fit for Ridge, so that might explain why the writers seem to struggle to find story for this character post Ronn Moss, but if you watched Kaye on OLTL, PC, or AMC, you do know what a strong actor and strong presence he is, and so it’s gratifying when weeks like this one come along, when he’s actually presented with some material that’s challenging and meaty, where he’s conflicted and tortured over his son, where his anger and frustration with Brooke flares up to the point where he’s struggling to contain it and has to storm out of the house, and where he does a more believable drunk than most with all that surly slurring. It’s not the actor’s fault that the show cast him more for name recognition rather than for having qualities that match up well with the character, but Thorsten achieved that name recognition because of his talent and that was on full display this week, whether or not you agree with Ridge’s actions, keep in mind that most of us rarely agree with Bill’s actions either, but that doesn’t stop him from being the most interesting person on the show.


  238. Robin Strasser (Vivian, Days)
    (Week Ending September 6, 2019)

    Firstly, Louise Sorel had about a million memorably wacky moments as Vivian so it’s unfortunate that the request for her return came too last minute for it to happen. That said, Robin Strasser is predictably fantastic in the role, too, it has been a week of pure joy to see her back on television slinging pointed zingers at everyone who dares cross her prickly path. You would never guess that it’s been a while since Robin Strasser’s done daytime, she hit the ground seriously running, she’s already worked up a delicious hate for Gabi and Kate, and her chemistry with son Stefan is as inappropriately (or maybe appropriately) weird as you’d hope for from Vivian, veering towards the same kind of uncomfortably fascinating dynamic that Ellen Barkin brought to every scene with her on-screen sons on the TV series Animal Kingdom (if you haven’t had the pleasure of watching that series, the comparison is an absolute compliment to Robin Strasser’s performance). I know for now at least, this is only a limited run, but it’s so entertaining that you can’t help but hope for more from Robin Strasser whether it’s to continue on Days (in a scene or twenty with Kassie DePaiva) or in the revival of OLTL that we all beg of ABC to make a reality (if you’ve renamed a talk show three times in less than a year, it’s time to throw in the towel, no?), either way, it would be a shame if an actress who is still this vibrant, funny, and game to make intriguing character choices wasn’t on our screens on a regular basis. Ditto, by the way, for Louise Sorel, I can think of two CBS shows who could use her brand of well-acted crazy and humor right about now, she wouldn’t be out of place as a Spectra on B&B, or what if she showed up as a maid on Y&R for the Abbotts who secretly has a claim on the mansion and Jabot? Just a thought.


  239. Mark Grossman (Adam, Y&R)
    (Week Ending August 30, 2019)

    Following in the footsteps of two actors with very devoted fanbases cannot be easy, but Mark Grossman has settled so comfortably into the role of Adam that I don’t really find myself thinking about the Adams which is exactly what I want in a recast, to not be thinking about them, not be comparing. How quickly he’s made Adam his own is especially impressive considering Y&R’s writing is possibly even more questionable now than it was under the previous regime’s underwhelming reign (neither Chloe nor Chelsea see any repercussions for the way they left town? Theo’s basically the new Arturo where every time he’s on-screen I ask myself, why? Paul went missing in action yet again and now Nikki’s all but disappeared, too. Somehow the only story anyone can come up with for Abby is to open more nightspots. And Billy seems to be mind-controlled by chewing gum? Do I have that right? I hope I don’t have that right). Of the many rough spots on Y&R right now, Adam certainly wasn’t one of them this week, Grossman shone in Adam’s more dimensional moments this week, when he basically hid out at the coffee shop, not to be a jerk as everyone assumed, but to avoid the emotions of the custody hearing, which he couldn’t help revealing to Chelsea, as much as he hasn’t always gone about fatherhood in the best way, those boys are a surefire way to bring out this character’s heart. The same can be said of his mom, Hope, the writers did get that right, to have Victor fling Hope’s disapproval in Adam’s face, that was perfect, as was Mark Grossman’s reaction to it, he did an awesome job of standing Adam’s ground with Victor while at the same time, you could tell that remark was like a knife to Adam’s heart, it hurt, it had him super vulnerable and in a hurry to get out of there and lick his wounds. Obviously I’m not crazy about some of the choices Y&R has made lately, however, strong casting of this pivotal role is certainly a step in the right direction.


  240. Annika Noelle (Hope, B&B)
    (Week Ending August 23, 2019)

    While we continue to wait for B&B to tell more than one story, at least this week Hope finally got to show that she does indeed possess a spine. With the exception of refusing to have sex with Thomas, Hope has a tendency towards being a doormat whether it’s the billion times she’s without question or demands welcomed back Liam after Steffy’s rejected him or Thomas manipulating her into marrying him when she didn’t need to be married to be a mother figure. It can be quite frustrating to watch a modern young woman constantly being pushed around and doing nothing about it, so what a relief it was this week to see Hope not forgive Flo and instead, be downright ferocious and unbending in their confrontation. After pretty much an entire run of having to play Hope passively how invigorating it was to see this other side of Annika Noelle’s talent, to see that she can convincingly bring the fire when need be, she’s every bit as adept at that as she has been at depicting sadness and grief all these months. I would never want Hope to be an exact replica of Steffy’s personality, but I am all for her picking her moments where she battles, this is someone every intern and “fans” of Hope For The Future cite as a role model, so let’s see that in action once in awhile, any scene, any character is that much more interesting with the possibility of them injecting some pushback into the moment.


  241. Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth, GH)
    (Week Ending August 16, 2019)

    I’m never going to love the idea of erasing Franco’s unique personality, he’s fun and weird and soaps need some fun and weird, but I’m willing to go with it (for a little while, not forever), if it means Rebecca Herbst actually garners some significant screen time, after all she’s beloved by fans for a reason, and that reason was fully on display this week. This actress isn’t just a pretty face, she uses her pretty face to brilliant affect, when Elizabeth is emotionally wounded, the pain is so very visible, so while she spoke to Franco tried to explain to him that they’re in love, as she struggled to hold on to her calm and calming nurse persona in light of her husband identifying as another man who denies he feels anything for her, physically, you could see Liz cracking under the strain, her expression utter devastation and fear that she’d already lost him and that was before he’d even walked out of that hospital room. Few do nurturing dialogue better than Herbst, it’s like she’s wrapping her heart right around her scene partner (ever so perfect for her scenes as a mom and in this love story with Franco and his low self-worth) but do pay special attention in the moments when this actress says nothing at all, I mean, that look on her face when she saw Franco/Drew all over Kim or when Cam asked if Franco would be okay, words were absolutely unnecessary, Rebecca Herbst would have killed it as a silent screen star.


  242. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
    (Week Ending August 9, 2019)

    I know this is supposed to be Hope and Liam’s moment and for a half second there I was happy for them (and relieved for all of us to think that maybe B&B won’t just be a one story soap anymore) but then Jacqueline MacInnes Wood gave the performance of her career and suddenly it stopped being Hope and Liam’s moment, I felt so much more for Steffy, she beyond stole those scenes, she owned them. I’m unsure whether Hope was truly insensitive and cold to Steffy’s grief over learning that Phoebe/Beth would no longer be her child, or if Hope merely felt insensitive and cold in comparison to the immense raw emotion pouring out of Jacqueline MacInnes Wood. And I loved that even as Steffy’s clearly had the wind knocked out of her by this news, the actress didn’t lose any of Steffy’s trademark ferocity when she demanded that Liam for once, say something! I have roughly a million complaints over the way B&B handled this story, it did not wow me enough to warrant being the sole focus for months, but Jacqueline MacInnes Wood sure did wow me on Friday, I would not be surprised if that episode wins her a second consecutive Best Actress Emmy.


  243. Rebecca Budig (Hayden, GH)
    (Week Ending August 2, 2019)

    Rebecca Budig had found her groove in the role of Hayden when General Hospital made the questionable decision to write off the character, happily though, she’s now picked up right where she left off with this multi-faceted performance. As much as I enjoyed Budig as Guiding Light’s Michelle and All My children’s Greenlee, I actually think she’s even better now than she was then, just look at the two very different ways she portrayed Hayden this week and how convincing she was at both. Dosed with truth serum at a dinner party, Hayden’s declaration of love to Finn was as unfiltered and wide open as a person’s heart can be, then the next day she couldn’t be open at all, not with Finn telling her their breakup had been for the best, and so there was Rebecca Budig tasked with doing the polar opposite of what she’d done with that love confession, she couldn’t say how Hayden honestly felt, instead all the emotion played out in her eyes, a flurry of heartbreak and hurt that didn’t at all match the words coming out of her mouth as she agreed with Finn that it was good they were over. I know a lot of clips chosen for Emmy reels tend to be big emotions, yelling, weeping, in comparison the way Budig said, “I hope I never see you again,” was pretty quiet, but when combined with the look in her eyes, it’s so powerful, the stuff award-winning performances should be made of.


  244. David Hedison (Spencer, AW)
    (Week Ending July 26, 2019)

    With David Hedison passing this week, this had me thinking back on Another World and how even though Spencer was a supporting character rather than a lead with all the fanfare, he really did play such a vital role in what was probably my favorite era of AW, all the Grant/Vicky/Ryan drama. While some fans may love a psychotic over-the-top soap villain, I’ve always gravitated to the more grounded villains, the ones with motives that, however, misguided, at least make sense, AMC’s Adam, GL’s Alan, Days’ Kate, etc., you know the kind, the ones who always claim they’re doing heinous things for the sake of their family, I prefer those to the straight up crazies because somewhere in all the manipulations and bad behavior lurks a heart, sure, it’s a heart that goes about things in the totally wrong way, but, in the hands of the right actor, someone as capable of playing layers as David Hedison was, any given scene with a character like that, an actor like that, could both infuriate and move you, and what’s more entertaining than that? There was something so fascinating about Spencer, the way his love for Ryan never wavered despite the fact that he wasn’t Ryan’s bio dad and with Ryan was constantly pushing him away, and the way he probably caused more psychological damage to Grant than anyone else did, yet he did so in the name of warped idea of love. Spencer is one of those characters who maybe you don’t appreciate at the time because you’re so frustrated by his evil machinations messing up all those happily ever afters you think you want as a viewer, but in hindsight, I don’t know that Ryan and Grant and their tortured love lives would have been even half as compelling without their dear old dad making everything worse, so a giant thank you to David Hedison, for helping to make one of the best daytime dramas ever all the more memorable with his contribution to it.


  245. Beth Maitland (Traci, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 19, 2019)

    I’ve been a Cane and Lily fan since their very first sparks flew, and am I ready to see him romantically with someone else? No. But there’s a warmth in Cane’s scenes with Traci that is growing on me, the way Beth Maitland plays off Daniel Goddard with this giddy, adoring radiance is downright charming. With Victor ill yet again, Jack dating obvious non-starters, and some idiot named Don Don running around while “influencer” is uttered approximately every thirty seconds, too often these days Y&R is either repetitive, boring, or worst of all, obnoxious (the influencers have me longing for Arturo who I could not stomach, so what does that say?), but then, there’s Beth Maitland, who, decades into her run on the show, is a more interesting character now than she was in her heyday with Brad, she’s the most refreshing thing about Y&R, after all, it isn’t every day you see a woman over fifty on television or in the movies crushing on someone. I thought Beth did a such a skillful job of conveying Traci’s emotions without it coming off as desperate or undignified, never taking it into stereotypical cougar territory, she just glows with this rush of happiness every time Cane showers her with attention, it’s kind of sweet, which is a flavor soaps don’t do all that often anymore, and then the way she shut things down, her speech about what this time with him has meant to her, it was this lovely, nicely grown up moment. This is a soap, so there’s no telling whether Traci and Cane will stick to their just friends pact, and again, like I said, I’m not sure I want their relationship to go there anyway (though Billy’s objections do sort of have me itching to see Traci rebel) but I certainly wouldn’t mind if the show chose to linger in this undefined space between Traci and Cane as I’m finding their uncertain dynamic more intriguing than many of the other stories the show is serving up right now, and at this point, I’m thinking the more Beth Maitland the better.


  246. Adain Bradley (Xander, B&B)
    (Week Ending July 12, 2019)

    I don’t know if this is the last we’ll see of Xander, but if it is, they sure didn’t do Adain Bradley any favors throughout his run on the show. I just don’t understand the thought process at B&B sometimes or maybe it’s that sometimes it feels like there isn’t a thought process. I mean, first the weirdness with the accent, seemingly unable to decide whether this guy should be American or British (seriously, is there a more basic character trait than an accent and even that they waffled on, is Liam secretly a writer/producer on this show?). Then, we find out Xander left England because Zoe was stalking him, she comes to town, stalks him some more, threatens his girlfriend and he actually ditches the girlfriend to get back with the stalker??? And now he knows that Thomas caused ex-girlfriend Emma’s death, and Steffy’s baby actually belongs to Hope, and what does Xander do? Rather than tell Hope, rather than tell the police, he takes the coward’s way out and opts to leave town like breaking up with his stalker will ease his mind over a stolen baby and a dead teenager. All of it has been, well, for lack of a more eloquent term, dumb, especially the part where Xander is an Avant, yet never has conversations with his family, you know, people the viewers actually care about, who could have helped us care about him. Xander has made a ton of boneheaded decisions throughout his short tenure on the show, you’d think Maya and Julius would have been in his ear with contradicting advice at every turn (and what a help those two fine actors would have been for a young performer attempting to find his footing). After all of that, kudos to Adain Bradley for still trying to make something of this role, as far as I’m concerned of the ridiculous number of characters now in on the secret that Phoebe is Beth, this actor is pretty much alone in having something at least slightly resembling a human response to it. As I mentioned, Xander’s decision this week to run away rather than tell, made almost zero sense (if you say it’s to protect the woman he loves, well, is Zoe really safer left behind with Thomas than she would be in jail?), I can only imagine how tough it is for an inexperienced actor to figure out his character’s motivation in scenes like that where he’s supposed to be vehement about exposing the truth yet at the same time weak enough to walk away, that Adain Bradley managed to summon some believable emotions during that wild swing in his character’s stance on the issue, the tremor in his voice, his hand visibly shaking, those things warrant some praise and the hope for this young actor that his next role offers him a better opportunity to learn and grow than B&B afforded him.


  247. Olivia Rose Keegan (Claire, Days)
    (Week Ending July 5, 2019)

    I’m sure due to her actions Claire isn’t every viewer’s cup of tea, but Olivia Rose Keegan’s compelling performance this week typified why I’ve come to enjoy the character so much. For an attempted murderer, Claire is oddly endearing, and I don’t think it’s because she’s the offspring of characters we love, it’s the way Keegan plays her, the way she voices Claire’s lies, like she’s scrambling to make it up as she goes along, the vulnerability in her expressive eyes, she doesn’t play Claire like she’s a smooth criminal, this is not the mean girl overflowing with confidence that she can win the guy, this is a young woman who doesn’t feel lovable at all, and that’s what makes her somehow lovable despite every manipulative trick and heinous crime she’s attempted. Claire could not have been more different than in her cold determination to set fire to her best friend and later, wracked with guilt and self-hatred when she contemplated setting fire to herself, certainly the writing played a part in making that work, in making it believable that the same person could live out those two extremes in such short order, but it’s this talented actress who made it convincing and heartbreaking. I’m sorry that Olivia Rose Keegan is leaving the show as she’s really delivering one of the most complex characters on the show, but at the same time I’m curious to see what interesting things she’ll do next as a singer and actress.


  248. Tamara Braun (Kim, GH)
    (Week Ending June 28, 2019)

    While I was a bit worried that General Hospital wouldn’t have plans for the character of Kim following her son’s death, fortunately, GH seems to understand that one of the most valuable commodities in daytime is an actor who can rip your heart out, and Tamara Braun sure did that this week. If you’ve watched soaps for any amount of time, you are more than familiar with the story of a woman overeager to have a child, but I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it portrayed with quite the level of despair that Tamara Braun brought to Kim’s scenes with Drew. The way Braun infused Kim with wild-eyed hope and fragility, her crazed desperation to somehow revive her son through another baby, it was gutting to watch, and all that vulnerability spilling out of Kim, it made it all the more heart-stopping when master manipulator Shilo walked through her door. Hopefully GH has some long term, complex ideas for this very deserving actress to play and maybe this grieving period will ease Kim away from Julian (understandably a sore spot for Alexis fans) and towards the person she truly has chemistry with, Drew (friendship first, she’s no more in condition to be romantic than she is to have a baby), plus it’s a prime opportunity for the Quartermaine family to step up. I would love to see Monica, Ned and Olivia, right in the thick of it with Drew trying to help Kim, being there for her, just like they were there for her son, and most importantly, actually getting some screentime, that family means too much to the viewers to keep them relegated to the backburner.


  249. Tribute to Peggy McKay’s Caroline (Days)
    (Week Ending June 21, 2019)

    It seemed more than a little unnecessary to have Will on the verge of dying yet again when he only so recently came back from the dead, but Days smartly had a secret up their sleeve by tying Will’s white light moment to his great grandmother Caroline’s actual passing. Budget restraints being what they are for Days, I get the lack of clips, I was kind of disappointed by it (I do love a good overdose of nostalgia) but I do get it, and I thought the writers and the actors did do such a wonderful job of capturing Caroline’s spirit through the other characters’ words. While every character added nicely to Caroline and Peggy McKay’s legend (I loved John talking about being Caroline’s “son”, the show doesn’t touch on that enough), Mary Beth Evans in particular stood out with her delivery of that poem, and wow, I’ve been watching Josh Taylor forever on Days, The Hogan Family, and Beverly Hills 90210, that speech Roman gave in honour of his mom, felt like I was seeing Josh Taylor with fresh eyes, and it had me thinking just how good he actually is, and he could really add something special to more of the stories on this show if given the chance. Lastly, I thought it was great the focus wasn’t solely on Caroline’s role as matriarch, they paid tribute to her tangled romantic history, too, with the bittersweet juxtaposition of Victor acknowledging that Caroline had been the love of his life, only to then finally feature one of those longed for clips where we see the man who indeed was the love of Caroline’s life and hear in that Irish brogue, how very much he loved her, too.


  250. Gina Tognoni (Phyllis, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 14, 2019)

    Unaware until after the fact that last Friday marked Gina Tognoni’s final appearance as Phyllis on Y&R, I figured I would honor her this week, as, despite Y&R’s decision to replace her, I thought she did tremendous things with the role. Having never been a Phyllis fan in the past, it was only with Tognoni where I felt an emotional connection to the character, where there were times I’d actually root for her, where she’d do something screwed up and I’d want to buy into the justification of it. I sort of get why Y&R decided to switch back to Michelle Stafford, over the past year there were moments where Y&R was pretty unrecognizable, so yeah, the urgency to return to the familiar is understandable, but at the expense of such a skilled actress as Gina Tognoni, to drop the fire and heart she brings to every single scene, I’m just not so sure… To me, it just doesn’t make good business or artistic sense, an unemployed Gina Tognoni is like an All-Star athlete sitting out a season unsigned when every team should be in a bidding war for her services. If I were Y&R, I’d say, hey, Gina, why don’t we get a couple months breather from seeing you as Phyllis and then we’ll instead cast you as Paul’s daughter Heather (let’s pretend she never had a romance with Phyllis’s son Daniel, not that Gina ever looked old enough to be his mom anyway). Heather’s return would not only give an actor fans were clamoring for, Doug Davidson, more screen time, but also, she has a fraught history with Adam and Billy, and wouldn’t it be a tension filled campaign for DA if Christine faced off against her stepdaughter? If I were The Bold And The Beautiful I’d have Rick come home with Gina Tognoni as his new wife, a female Dollar Bill, money and power hungry, Rick thinks she’s helping him return to the CEO seat when she really has designs on it for herself, and age Rick’s daughter just enough where the stepmom affects her life, and this brings Maya into the mix as well. If I were Days Of Our Lives, they put out that juicy detail that Sarah’s half-sister Noelle and Rex had a one night stand, who better to slot into that potentially unlikable role than Tognoni, someone who specializes in making her characters likable despite their questionable actions. If I were GH and they’ve already played fast and loose with other things that happened on Port Charles, why not just go ahead and say that Scotty’s daughter, Karen didn’t actually die, she faked her death for some reason, and now she’s Gina Tognoni, a sister for Franco, a rival for Carly, a source of guilt for Sonny, and an excuse to have more Scotty scenes (not that you should need an excuse for that). Basically, at this point, I don’t care where Gina Tognoni lands, so long as she does land somewhere, a universe where an actress of her caliber isn’t on our televisions is a serious disservice to viewers.


  251. Roger Howarth (Franco, GH)
    (Week Ending June 7, 2019)

    I know Franco isn’t universally embraced thanks to the Sam/Jason/Michael history, and his quirks probably rub some the wrong way, too, but this week in the hospital waiting area epitomized why I love to watch him. Roger Howarth makes everything a million times more interesting. Instead of the usual tears and speeches of encouragement while awaiting an update on Jordan’s medical crisis, Roger Howarth brought something fresh to the table with Franco’s antsy discomfort, his body language wrought with fidgety tension and worry, and the things that were coming out of his mouth, the doom and gloom medical info gleaned from google, it was like watching the very best of cable dramadies, it’s darkly funny, yet at the same time, it’s totally poignant. Franco is overloaded with feelings in that moment and they’re pouring out of him in inappropriate ways that are actually oddly human, it’s just incredibly entertaining to see this character care about someone because he does so in such uniquely heartfelt fashion.


  252. Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B)
    (Week Ending May 31, 2019)

    “You can’t treat love like musical chairs.” Those words actually came out of Brooke Logan’s mouth this week. Brooke who mistakenly had sex with her teenage daughter’s boyfriend. Brooke who had sex with her grown daughter’s husband and her little sister’s husband. Brooke who has married and divorced a zillion times, sometimes within the same family. She actually said, “you can’t treat love like musical chairs.” I would not be surprised if B&B viewers fell out of their own chairs from laughing too hard. This is probably my snarkiest, most sarcastic choice ever for actor of the week, yet at the same time, I sincerely believe strong acting went into the delivery of this crazily hypocritical line of dialogue. As absurdly funny as the line was, it wasn’t intended to be funny, Brooke isn’t being self-deprecating, she’s stating it out of genuine concern for her daughter, and the fact that Katherine Kelly Lang managed to do so with an absolutely straight face, her voice filled with emotion and conviction when you know she too had to be thinking how those words heavily contradict Brooke’s actions, it’s a testament to Katherine’s professionalism, and more importantly, it’s a testament to what a valuable player she is for B&B. You know an actress is good when she does everything possible to sell questionable writing. Let’s be honest, as attached as we all are to B&B, the writing does frequently teeter on questionable, so it’s puzzling (unless you zero in on ageism) as to why, of late, they’ve so often relegated Katherine Kelly Lang to the sidelines when she’s more than capable of making the show better, as opposed to certain other actors who seem to flounder right along with the scripts. If you have a performer who can elevate material, who can at least make it a little easier to believe, for goodness sake, feature her prominently.


  253. General Hospital Nurses’ Ball
    (Week Ending May 24, 2019)

    While it feels like there are fewer performances than ever (maybe stretching this over three episodes is too much?) I do still very much love this time of year on General Hospital and I hope it never goes away again, it’s so much fun to see the dresses and see these actors show off altogether different talents. While I applaud every single actor who got up on that stage and for many of them out of their comfort zone, my three favorite performances of this year’s Nurses’ Ball were all ones that tied into story. Obrecht and Franco didn’t necessarily have my favorite song in the world, but these two characters singing that they having nothing to be guilty of, that was classic cheekiness. It would have been enough for me just to see Cameron having the heart to heart with that Llama, one of my favorite weird scenes of the year (or maybe ever), but as an added bonus he got up on the stage and did this impressive Shawn Mendes type of thing with photos of family and friends in the background, which was perhaps a bit more sincere and open than I’d expect from this surly/secretly vulnerable teen, but he was just so good that I’ll forgive it seeming not entirely in character. Lastly, when Chase first arrived in town, I was kind of worried that he seemed a little too close to being a Nathan clone, but along the way, the actor has developed his own brand of adorable, and this year, with his rendition of Coldplay’s poppiest tune, not only did he deliver the same uptempo fun factor as his performance from last year, there was an added twist when he plucked Willow out of the audience to join him on stage, their romance and his desire to protect her just gets sweeter by the day.


  254. Laura Kai Chen (Melinda, Days)
    (Week Ending May 17, 2019)

    Like way back when Y&R’s Esther became pregnant or GH introduced Epiphany’s son, it’s so welcome when a soap takes a character long relegated to the background and finally shines a spotlight on them, not only does it satisfy viewers’ curiosity about semi-unknown characters, but it must feel so rewarding for the actor who’s patiently waited for their moment when finally it feels like the show is saying we see you. That’s the moment Laura Kai Chen is experiencing, and she’s running with it, as the notoriously tough former district attorney, we’re accustomed to seeing a prickly, hardnosed Melinda, so what a treat it was after all this time, to see Melinda’s vulnerable side, and to see Laura Kai Chen’s ability to paint this vivid emotional picture of Melinda’s life in China, having to go along with passing off her daughter as her sister. Whether how stricken Melinda appeared in recollecting her father’s rejection, or her tearful desperation to get across to Haley that she genuinely does love her, I feel like this week, we saw a character truly born.


  255. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days)
    (Week Ending May 10, 2019)

    With the “loss” of Holly, Days could have primarily focused on Nicole and Chloe and left grandmother Maggie’s grief off-screen, instead, they chose to play all the beats of this story, proving the rule that every soap opera is made infinitely better when they include their veteran cast. It’s often seemed to me like a missed opportunity when you have a marriage of such polar opposites as Maggie and Victor and yet for the most part they’re shown either getting along quite happily or her acquiescing to him being his cranky Victor self. As much as I love Victor and Maggie together and do not want to see them broken up, I do want to see them tested, I do want conflict between them, I want her to challenge him when he does things that send her moral compass into a tailspin. This week the writers delivered on all those wants by having Maggie take her grief out on Victor, blaming him for not embracing family the way she does, for not being there for her and it was fantastic. Suzanne Rogers did such a convincing job of lashing out at Victor, her anger was palpable, so was her disappointment in him, and her love for him remained present as well, you could see that it hurt her to find him at the pub with Kate, she had so many layers of emotion going on, including a desire to drink again, and the actress played all of them beautifully. This is exactly what I want from my soap operas, I’m not naive enough to think a network would allow older characters to be front and center all the time (though they should), but at least don’t forget about them, when a story like this comes along where there’s an opportunity to shine a spotlight on longtime audience favorites, run with it, these actors and actresses have been on the show forever for a reason, they’re so good at what they do and that doesn’t change with age.


  256. Garren Stitt, Eden McCoy, and William Lipton (Oscar, Joss, and Cameron, GH)
    (Week Ending May 3, 2019)

    While soaps have for some questionable reason dialed back the teen tales, General Hospital is proving how much depth generational storytelling brings to a show and how very good it can be when you cast young actors who are capable of stepping into plots that are more of an emotional challenge than the stereotypical who’s dating who stuff of teens. I can’t decide which of GH’s young actors was more impressive this week, Eden McCoy as Joss, upset with herself for having fallen asleep while Oscar passed away, William Lipton as Cameron put up his usual front only to cry in the stairwell, and Garren Stitt, with that beatific smile and light in his eyes as Oscar glimpses the future without him, at peace with the thought that everyone he loves has found some happiness. All along I thought for sure there would be some last second save of Oscar, it’s a shame that one of the finest young trios in daytime is now broken up, but at least we still have Eden McCoy and William Lipton who are only getting better and, as for Garren Stitt, I have no doubt we’ll see him doing memorable things elsewhere. Honorable mention to whoever came up with the idea of having Edward and Lila escort Oscar to the other side, it added a heartwarming beat to an otherwise sad tale (and talk about generational storytelling).


  257. Goodbye To Neil (The Young And The Restless)
    (Week Ending April 26, 2019)

    Well, that was brutally difficult to watch, though at the same time a lovely and loving tribute. Part of me hoped Y&R would pull a B&B and like Sally Spectra, let Neil go on living off-screen (I kind of thought it would be amazing if Paul’s lengthy absence could have been explained by him having gotten a tip that Dru is alive, finding her in witness protection and arranging for Neil to join her, there’s a knock at the door, on one side is Victoria Rowell on the other side is archival footage of Kristoff and they’re beaming at each other). But that said, I truly admire everyone in front of and behind the scenes for the effort and heart put into these episodes that were incredibly well done and I’m sure by far the biggest challenge of everyone’s careers. The conversations and eulogies were moving testaments not only to how Neil had touched Genoa City, but whether it was a trembling Krystal Khalil, Bryton’s tears (and that “my man”), Shemar tenderly caressing Neil’s portrait and even Eric Braeden struggling to keep it together, it was abundantly clear how much Kristoff St. John meant to them as well. The minister of the service (and Kristoff’s dear friend) said it best, “there is love and bravery in what you did today.”


  258. Lisa LoCicero (Olivia, GH)
    (Week Ending April 19, 2019)

    When BJ and Stone’s deaths continue to stay with viewers decades later, expectations are high for Oscar’s cancer story (though we hope his story doesn’t prove quite so fatal as those other two) to be just as memorable. What I didn’t expect, and what came as the loveliest of surprise was the inclusion of Olivia in the moment Oscar moved into the Quartermaine mansion. Olivia has only interacted with Oscar a handful of times, there’s almost no connection between these characters for Lisa LoCicero to draw from and yet out of nowhere she conjured such a high level of emotion, all the heartache you would expect of someone losing a dear family member. LoCicero is so dialed in and real as Olivia and scenes like the ones that aired on Thursday remind you of what a shame it is that the show only gives her scraps to play rather than her own fully realized story. When you have an actress who has been a dynamic presence since her days on The City, it seems like it should be easy and inspiring to write for her, knowing she can play just about anything. Tap into her dramatic skills with a desire/struggle for a baby with Ned (and maybe he doesn’t want one), or go with her comedic talent by having Olivia and Lucy partner up to take over Kelly’s. I don’t care what the story is really, or the tone of it, just so long as an actress of this caliber isn’t stuck on the sidelines.


  259. Matthew Ashford & Melissa Reeves (Jack & Jennifer, Days)
    (Week Ending April 12, 2019)

    After months of waiting for Gail’s big reveal, it wound up anti-climatic, in no way driving future story (especially future Scotty story) as one might have hoped, kind of a letdown with nothing tangible in those envelopes, however, it did provide the perfect nostalgic structure to honor GH’s 56th Anniversary. As various Port Charles citizens were led around General Hospital on a scavenger hunt/wild goose chase, everyone took to reminiscing and bonding just as Gail had hoped they would. Felicia and Bobbie remembered BJ. Lucy and Monica addressed their shared love of Alan. Scotty and Franco both hoped to be better at family. Maxie thanked Mac for raising her (and boy, did it have me wishing they played that relationship more often). Kevin and Lucy acknowledged their past romance with more poignancy and more chemistry than we’ve seen written for their pairing since their spin-off days. That’s just a sampling of the many stories and relationships touched on in this one special episode, throw in the montage of old clips at the end (I’m such a sucker for those), and it resulted in a warm walk down memory lane for viewers, so I guess I can mostly forgive them for teasing a mystery that didn’t turn out to be anything more than confetti.


  260. General Hospital’s 56th Anniversary
    (Week Ending April 5, 2019)

    After months of waiting for Gail’s big reveal, it wound up anti-climatic, in no way driving future story (especially future Scotty story) as one might have hoped, kind of a letdown with nothing tangible in those envelopes, however, it did provide the perfect nostalgic structure to honor GH’s 56th Anniversary. As various Port Charles citizens were led around General Hospital on a scavenger hunt/wild goose chase, everyone took to reminiscing and bonding just as Gail had hoped they would. Felicia and Bobbie remembered BJ. Lucy and Monica addressed their shared love of Alan. Scotty and Franco both hoped to be better at family. Maxie thanked Mac for raising her (and boy, did it have me wishing they played that relationship more often). Kevin and Lucy acknowledged their past romance with more poignancy and more chemistry than we’ve seen written for their pairing since their spin-off days. That’s just a sampling of the many stories and relationships touched on in this one special episode, throw in the montage of old clips at the end (I’m such a sucker for those), and it resulted in a warm walk down memory lane for viewers, so I guess I can mostly forgive them for teasing a mystery that didn’t turn out to be anything more than confetti.


  261. Doug Davidson (Paul, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 29, 2019)

    While watching Abby bash Arturo’s truck with that hammer was satisfying on numerous levels, Y&R actually went one better than that this week, they finally brought back Paul, one of the handful of actors who, when you think of Y&R, you think of him. Unhappily they didn’t dream up a juicy tale for where he’s been all this time, still he totally dressed down Rey (love the actor, not a fan of the character, yet) which was glorious and perhaps more than a little cathartic for Doug Davidson. It’s cathartic for the viewers, too, all it took was his very first episode back for the show to suddenly feel more recognizable again. Welcome home.


  262. Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, GH)
    (Week Ending March 22, 2019)

    General Hospital has managed one of the better introductions to a new character this year, with Willow, they’ve woven her into several stories, having her believe she’s Wylie’s mom, building a genuine (potentially romantic) connection with Michael through their grief, an alternatively sweet light romance with Chase, as the teacher trying to wrangle kids and their parents during incidents of bullying, and now, with the last piece of the Willow puzzle revealed, we know she gave up her baby because she feared the child’s father, shady Shilo, a cult leader. That’s a lot of plots for a newbie to be involved in, and it could have felt like too much had GH shoved her down our throats like certain other shows have done recently with their new characters, but GH wisely took a gradual approach. They took their time in building up everything about this character, we’ve seen her slowly develop the friendship with Michael, the romance with Chase, and invest in helping these kids at school, and we’ve seen the love in her eyes for her “child,” so, when this week, she felt like she had no choice but to run from Shilo, it actually made sense to the viewers that she’d developed an emotional attachment to Port Charles, it made sense when she went off on Nina because the last thing she wanted was to abandon those students and her decision to be a bystander in her “son’s” life, made sense when you see that shaken confrontation with Shilo. Letting the viewers get to know Willow at a reasonable pace, showing us all these scenes of her putting down roots, it allows you to really understand the impact when all of that is threatened for her, in a way that the rushed storytelling that some other soaps are using, does not. Surely it helps the actress, too, to have the time to really develop her character’s emotions, to have time to really feel things like her frustration with Nina coming to a boil, or to appreciate what having two nice guys in her life meant in comparison to Shilo, it’s a depth the actress would have been far more challenged to achieve had the show pulled the trigger on Willow’s story too soon, instead, in allowing the actress to find her footing with the character, it really paid off in the big moment, it led to some truly convincing scenes of heartbreak and terror.


  263. Tyler Christopher (Stefan, Days)
    (Week Ending March 15, 2019)

    I’ve written in the past about how, in my eyes, Stefan got off to a rocky start in Salem, at the height of the Weinstein scandal he was purposely disrobing to make sister-in-law Abby uncomfortable, and then came the dubious consent issues with Abby’s alter. But, it feels like the show finally has a better handle on who this guy is and how to make him a villain who isn’t simply a one dimensional creeper like say, Xander. I loved the moment this week when little Holly woke up from a nightmare, she’s missing her mom Nicole, and Stefan comforted the girl, he talked about heaven and the magic of love and always holding the person in your heart like he does with Charlotte and he used sign language. It was just so lovely, especially the tears Tyler Christopher conjured up at the end of the scene. It’s not that this sweetness wipes the slate clean, that suddenly he’s harmless (scenes days later with Gabi and Leo would attest to that), it’s that a stuff like this helps create a villain of depth, hearing him talk about growing up in an orphanage, not only added to the bond he’s already forming with Chloe (I’ll be curious to see how the show decides she’s dispensable down the road because they sure do have chemistry), it also gives you insight into Stefan as a person. I have no use for villains with sketchy motives, who just are basically there to make trouble in the story, but a villain with a rich backstory that informs his or her actions, a villain with a tender heart (think Sami), makes for exactly the kind of complicated character I can totally enjoy even if I don’t approve of what they’re doing.


  264. The Hunt For A Serial Killer, GH
    (Week Ending March 8, 2019)

    I have some quibbles with General Hospital. I struggle to believe that Sean, Mac, etc., failed to notice Ryan collected his victims’ licenses. And, so little Felicia in this revival plot when Ryan was so obsessed? It would have been much more believable to me if he’d been molding Ava into a version of Felicia. Also, do Port Charles and Niagara Falls share an architect? Isn’t that the bridge pregnant Sam was thrown off of, and the wall she couldn’t climb up? But, those questionable things aside, General Hospital did such an impressive job of having so many characters and stories collide in this one crazy good week. We had Lucy upset and concerned about Doc marrying Ava, and Felicia (finally) having a triggering moment in confrontation with Ryan, it was beyond time for those two ladies to be more involved in this tale. Meantime, Carly, always up in everyone’s business, paid the price for that, ending up in Ryan’s trunk so that pulled Jason into the story, and while I found it a little odd that Laura teamed up with him (sans any sort of weapon) to track down a serial killer, at least it’s something different for her character and how great was it to see her actually save herself by finding her way out of that asylum? And since Jason was attempting to save the day, as usual relegating the police to the background, I liked that at least Jordan was given some emotional scenes in showing her frustration at not figuring out things sooner and being stuck in the hospital awaiting a transplant when what she really wants to do is be out there taking down Ryan. Lastly, there was all the drama that went down near Niagara Falls and the writers brilliant decision to have the teens and Ryan end up at the same motel, poor Oscar having more extreme seizures, Joss narrowly missing seeing her mom in that trunk, Cameron running into Ryan, the tense vibe between Ava and Ryan after she saw Carly in the trunk, it was edge-of-your seat, don’t miss a moment television, everyone involved in front of the camera and behind it, should be really proud of the week they put together.


  265. Christian LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 1, 2019)

    Courtroom scenes aren’t my favorite, and the ones on Y&R weren’t helped by having Christine in attack mode, yes, she suffered a terrible loss in part because of Nikki, but bringing that into the workplace is so not this very professional woman, as the victim of violence herself, being in total vendetta mode rather than having qualms about this prosecution doesn’t seem particularly true to her morally upstanding character (though this writing regime never was all that concerned with consistency of character, were they?). There is a silver lining though to the tedium of these question and answer scenes and that’s Michael. When he’s doing his lawyer thing, as opposed to say the dad gushing over his son’s mediocre music, Michael has this delicious bite to him that has otherwise been ripped away from the character. Now, I know fans love Michael with Lauren, they love that he’s become a good guy in the community, and I do not want him to revert to the psychopath breaking through walls attempting to murder people, but he’s just a far more interesting character when he gets some of his edge back and generally these days, that only happens when he’s practicing law. I like seeing how aggravated he gets with his clients, and I like that there’s an oiliness to the way he presents his manipulative version of the facts, and I so wish we saw more of that in Michael’s everyday Genoa City life. When you have an actor capable of playing the gray areas, why not follow what Days does with Ben and GH does with Franco, where they’re frequently confronted by their pasts, where there’s some uncertainty about how they might handle any given situation, it ends up being so much more fascinating than the boring fully reformed thing that Christian LeBlanc is saddled with playing.


  266. Kate Mansi & Billy Flynn (Abby & Chad, Days)
    (Week Ending February 22, 2019)

    I can’t say I agree with the assessment that Days fans would rather see a happily ever after with Abby than have Chad stick around on his own, I mean this is a town in which we’re supposed to be okay with Kayla existing without Steve, and Hope existing without Bo, yet somehow Chad can’t fly solo, too? Unfortunately, that’s the decision that’s been made, and although the wedding pantsuit was a debatable happily ever after choice, at least the goodbyes were nicely done, especially getting one last chance to see Abby’s fun chemistry with Julie, and Chad’s touching friendship with Sonny and Will. Kate Mansi and Billy Flynn have been tremendous in these roles over the years, the show won’t be quite the same without their fire and emotion, though I did take a certain amount of hope from Chad’s chat with Stefano’s portrait where he promised to be back someday. Honorable mention to Y&R for the way they celebrated Melody Thomas Scott’s forty years on the show with a plethora of clips, the soap hasn’t done all that well by their vets lately, but this one they got really right.


  267. Laura Wright (Carly, GH)
    (Week Ending February 15, 2019)

    Generally on soap operas, the only hesitation we see about having a child usually involves either teenage parents or adulterers, so it felt like somewhat unexplored territory this week when General Hospital had a happily married adult couple debating whether or not to go through with a pregnancy. The material felt fresh and honest, and the strong writing helped set the table for a memorable performance from Laura Wright. Carly’s tearful response to Sonny pointing out that this child would look like Morgan, seeing her grieve all over again in that moment, then embrace the joy of this new life, eventually letting the thought of that joy win her over to the idea of keeping the baby, that emotional roller-coaster felt like an entire Emmy winning reel all rolled into one scene, just so well done all the way around.


  268. Carmen Duncan (Iris, AW) and Kristoff St. John (Neil, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 8, 2019)

    In this week of sadness, I want to touch on the happiness brought to our screens by two of daytime’s finest. Carmen Duncan had to fill the shoes of a fan favorite when she took over the role of Iris on Another World and she did so with all the glamour, biting wit, and emotional complexity fans wanted. I loved the humorous exchanges between Iris and her maid, her doomed to fail schemes against Rachel, Amanda, and Paulina, and then along came the unexpectedly tender story where we saw icy Iris melt just a little as she fell in love with a cancer stricken boy and his working class father, it was bad girl with a secret heart of gold at its very best. Whether on Generations (a show that so deserved a better shot at success or another chance now) or on Y&R, Kristoff St. John very much helped break the mold of what a black actor could be in daytime, he could be young and foolish enough to have an affair with a married woman, he could be a gorgeously dressed, well-spoken businessman written off as boring by the tough girl from the hood and winning her heart anyway, he could struggle with and re-gain his sobriety, he could win the respect of every rich white person in town to the point where they frequently sought him out for business advice, and he could be a good dad, probably the best dad in Genoa City. As much as his banter with Dru never failed to entertain, and the brotherly bond with Shemar’s Malcolm was something special, where I’ll remember him perhaps most fondly is in those parenting scenes with Devon, and most especially with Lily, where it wasn’t about showiness, it was just all warmth, all him.


  269. Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH)
    (Week Ending February 1, 2019)

    This week General Hospital’s Sonny came to the realization that his dad needs to go in for full-time Alzheimer’s care and Maurice Benard did not disappoint when it came to delivering the heartbreak. It’s a tough call to say where exactly Maurice was better, the look of silent devastation on his face when his dad thought Sonny was just some nice landlord, the sad/sweet tucking of the photo into Mike’s suitcase, or that moment where this tough mobster admitted that he wouldn’t be able to handle dropping off his dad, asking his wife to go in his stead. A couple decades into his daytime career, and it continues to be a pleasure to watch this man’s work everyday on our television.


  270. Linsey Godfrey (Sarah, Days)
    (Week Ending January 25, 2019)

    With Sarah significantly younger than she’d originally been, coming off a romance that mostly happened off-screen with a fellow re-cast, and sparking with Eric so soon after the “death” of his beloved Nicole, the re-introduction of Sarah to Salem had the makings of a disaster. But casting is everything, and Days really couldn’t have done better for this role than to hire Linsey Godfrey, her endearing presence makes it easy enough to quickly buy into her romances and her connection to her mom Maggie, and most importantly, there’s her acting, the level of hurt she expressed as Sarah made her terrible decision this week actually rendered her actions somehow understandable even if sex with Xander will never be a palatable concept for most viewers. Watching the confrontational moments with Rex and the rejection from Eric, Godfrey’s way of conveying both strength and vulnerability simultaneously sure has me questioning how B&B ran out of story for such a nuanced actress, but their loss is Days Of Our Lives’ gain.


  271. Roger Howarth & Jason David (Franco & Aiden, GH)
    (Week Ending January 18, 2019)

    Although it’s only January, I feel like it’s pretty safe to say that Franco and Aiden baking together will rate right up there at the top of the year’s most adorable soap moments. When they came up with that old adage of never work with kids or animals, they definitely weren’t thinking of Roger Howarth, I don’t know if there is anyone better with child actors, just as he did back in the day on OLTL, he draws out the most natural instincts in these kids and it makes for scenes that really ring true and warm. As for the boy who plays Aiden, the casting director of GH seems to be especially adept at finding kids who are not only the perfect fit for their role, but who truly can act. It’s a pretty big ask for a very young kid to play all tentative and shy about his interest in baking, convey that he’s afraid of what others will think, then to completely, and believably let loose this flood of enthusiasm once he feels like he’s a safe place, and then switch up his emotions one more time into a place of deep anxiety when he asks whether his tormentor, Charlotte, will be showing up at the same event, but Jason David more than ably did all of that this week, such a great job from the little guy. I am loving that General Hospital is telling generational family stories, soaps are really the perfect medium for that.


  272. Annika Noelle (Hope, B&B)
    (Week Ending January 11, 2019)

    Unfortunately for The Bold And The Beautiful’s Hope, her somewhat passive personality tends to pale in comparison to Steffy’s in your face independence, but fortunately for actress Annika Noelle, the “loss” of Hope’s baby has finally given her a story that allows her to dive deeper into Hope’s emotions than lamenting over the love of her life usually does. It’s easy enough to overlook an actor’s ability when they’re stuck in a story where basically they’re just waiting around to be the chosen love interest as has been Hope’s thankless position on the show far too often, so it’s been great to finally see what this actress can really do, convincingly portraying Hope’s agony and heartbreak, especially in those moments of questioning why. Hopefully B&B will send more challenging material Annika Noelle’s way in the future now that she’s had the opportunity to prove she’s capable of handling it.


  273. The Tribute To Susan Brown (ex-Gail, GH/PC)
    (Week Ending January 4, 2019)

    Unfortunately, I began watching General Hospital too late to see Susan Brown really have stories of her own, but I did get to see Gail on GH & PC, often attempting to steer her stepson Scotty in the right moral direction, scenes that always played well as Susan Brown brought equal parts forthrightness and warmth, she was kind of the ideal stepmom. Susan Brown hadn’t been with the soap for several years now, so it would have been understandable and perfectly acceptable had they simply acknowledged her passing in an end credit, but I love that just as they did with Lee, they went the extra mile for Gail, too, having Lucy, Scotty, and Monica lovingly reminisce, and they even included a couple clips. Perhaps even better still, the mention of a will suggests that Gail may yet drive a little more story, and what better way than that to honor Susan Brown and reestablish Gail’s importance in General Hospital history.


  274. Maura West (Ava, GH)
    (Week Ending December 28, 2018)

    As anyone familiar with her work would expect, Maura West has been amazing since the death of Ava’s daughter, Kiki, though her scenes this week somehow topped everything so far, when Anna and Griffin stopped by to help her with Kiki’s things, help Ava most definitely did not want. Emotionally intelligent writing combined with Maura’s gift for heartbroken ferocity as Ava talked about all the girls her daughter had been in her various stages of growing up, how she hadn’t lost one girl, she’d lost the many versions of her, it was a devastating speech delivered with power and sorrow that only an actress of West’s ability could dream of pulling off, just absolute perfection, she, as well as whoever wrote those scenes deserve all the applause.


  275. William Lipton (Cameron, GH)
    (Week Ending December 21, 2018)

    I love Joss and Oscar, the whole hiding his illness from her to spare her heartache was classic soap storytelling, but the addition of Cameron to their story has made the teen scene in General Hospital even more compelling. What a find this young actor has proven to be, he has such a natural quality to his acting, and I really enjoy that while Cam may seem like the bad boy in comparison to Oscar, deep down that isn’t the truth about him. It’s extremely endearing the hard-hearted front the kid puts up only to prove time and again that he actually cares, like buying pot for his frenemy, even though he knew it could get him in heaps of trouble, a dumb idea, sure, but Cam’s heart was in the right place. Subtle cues from this talented actor, his facial expressions, his body language, and those occasionally flippant line deliveries as if nothing really matters to him, all underline the fact that things really do matter to Cameron, that he does have a big heart even if he’d rather not let the rest of Port Charles in on that.


  276. Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie, Days)
    (Week Ending December 14, 2018)

    I love that Days Of Our Lives celebrated Susan Seaforth Hayes’s anniversary with the show by showing some old clips, sharing a song from Julie’s beloved Doug, and tying it in to Lucas’s exit in a way that gives viewers some hope that we might see him again someday just as Julie once returned. But more than any of that, what I love is that during her fiftieth anniversary week Days wrote her into an actual story. While Julie’s pop-in visits, her opinions and advice-giving, and way with a funny line are always wanted and appreciated, it’s been far too long since she was deeply involved in a plot, not only is it amazing and uncommon to see a fifty year vet given an opportunity like this, it’s just plain smart, the writers were truly thinking, who better to help Abby turn the tables on Gabi than the woman who sees the worst in Gabi, it’s genius, and I can’t wait to see it play out further.


  277. Bryton James (Devon, Y&R)
    (Week Ending December 7, 2018)

    I’ve never really been a fan of Devon as a character, I generally find he leans a little too far towards the boring side of things, but I try to never let my disinterest in a character get in the way of acknowledging a quality performance like Bryton James gave this week. I thought Bryton did a really good job, somewhat combative with family and his therapist, yet also perhaps the most open emotionally that he’s ever been, which, if you’re accustomed to playing a character in a fairly contained way, must have felt like a challenge, one the actor ably rose to meet. The anxiety attack moment in particular is something Bryton should consider for his Emmy reel, his body language combined with the camera work made for a realistic take on someone spiraling. Honorable mention to Days’ Bryan Dattilo, I don’t know if this is the last we’ll see of him, I do know I’ll never understand why the soap has so struggled to find something to do with such a complicated character who has ties to some pretty important people in town, here’s hoping they either bring him back soon or he lands on a show with a better handle on his talent, for instance, wouldn’t he make for an interesting Nikolas re-cast on General Hospital?


  278. Curtis and Jordan’s Wedding (GH)
    (Week Ending November 30, 2018)

    Obviously Curtis and Jordan’s wedding night was far from happy with the discovery of Kiki’s body, but their wedding day lived up to the landmark occasion. Dressed in one of the prettiest wedding dresses of the soap year, Briana Nicole Henry continued to do a great job of putting her own subtle spin on Jordan, letting the character’s softer side show through a bit more, meanwhile, Donnell Turner was most definitely on his game, the way he had Curtis gazing at his bride. Perhaps best of all, the always great Vernee Watson put the cherry on the sundae when Stella showed up at the ceremony, offering acceptance rather than objection. General Hospital should not be proud that it took them until 2018 to feature an African-American wedding, but at least it’s finally happened and they pulled it off with as much elegance as is possible under the current budget constraints. Honorable mention to Hayley Erin who did such an amazing job throughout her run as Kiki (particularly in any moment opposite Morgan or Ava), a favorite of mine from the start, she always seemed emotionally invested in the moment and I look forward to her bringing that same level of passion for her work to The Perfectionists.


  279. Marci Miller and Christopher Sean (Abby and Paul, Days)
    (Week Ending November 23, 2018)

    While I loved the Thanksgiving celebrations on the soaps, in particular, Sheila on Days, and ABC airing a genuinely old repeat of General Hospital, this week’s honors have to go to two departing cast members of Days Of Our Lives. For much of her run Marci Miller was mired in mental health/DID storylines that just weren’t my favorite, however, her performances have never been anything less than great. What I most admire about her time in Salem is the arc she took this character on, I feel like her Abby has been the most fragile version of the character, and so to see her move from that somewhat meek person to the one we parted company with this week, someone who was fighting with everything in her despite being locked up, it’s a huge amount of growth, yet it managed to feel believable in large part due to Marci Miller, the subtle changes she added to Abby all along, gradually building her strength back up. As for Paul, he’s an attractive athlete who happens to be Asian and gay, and that is not a person we’ve seen in daytime before, so I probably could have loved him just for bringing something new and different to this genre, but it turned out that on top of that, Christopher Sean is actually a really good actor, too, the way he played the character, likable and open to emotion, it was so easy to care about Paul and to buy in to John suddenly having another son, or buy in to either of his romances even though I’m a staunch Sonny and Will supporter. While neither of these actors had lengthy tenures compared to some at Days, they both left a memorable impression on viewers.


  280. Career Day (GH)
    (Week Ending November 16, 2018)

    The crazy tends to grab most of the soap headlines, characters buried alive, back from the dead, replaced by their evil twin, it’s all exceedingly fun stuff and I will never tire of it, but sometimes in this genre, the most refreshing turn a show can take is to actually do something incredibly normal like General Hospital did with their third grade career day. This hour had it all, heart, humor, and drama. First off, the scenes in Elizabeth’s house, trying to get her son in gear when he very much does not want to go to school, had such a ring of truth to it, it’s good to see parents on a soap struggling with issues that could happen to anyone, there’s a really great slice of life quality to the storytelling. Speaking of commendable storytelling, I believe I’ve mentioned before how I appreciate the show for taking their time with Chase, I like that we’re very slowly getting to know him better as opposed to shoving him down our throats like certain other soaps are currently doing with their newbies, and this episode added yet another layer of endearing to him as he tried to bail out Finn during the presentation, and in asking out Willow. Chase’s brother really shone in this hour as well, poor Finn, first Franco hilariously sent him in the wrong direction, so not only did Finn end up late to class and out of breath, you see him grow increasingly uncomfortable when each career day presentation was more impressive than the next, and certainly more impressive than the nothing he’d planned for his. It was such fun to see the comedic side of Michael Easton as he had Finn squirm and cringe and totally flummoxed by third-grader Charlotte’s heckling. Lastly, I want to talk about Charlotte, obviously no one advocates bullying, but frankly we’ve seen a million syrupy sweet girls on the soaps, so why not go a different way and this little actress has the talent to play a kid who struggles to keep her firebrand nature under control, plus it’s not exactly impossible to believe that a child raised by Valentin, Lulu, and Nina might have something of a forceful personality and not necessarily know where to draw the line, just as all three of her parents have at times. This has the potential to turn into a really fascinating story to see a kid trying to figure out the fine line between advocating for herself and abuse of power, it’s not only a timely topic, but a personality trait plenty of real-life adults don’t have a firm grasp on, either. I’ve never understood why so often on soaps, kids are either babies or teenagers and we often miss out on the difficulties of the years in between when there is so much good story to be mined, this episode is proof of that.


  281. Frances Reid & Macdonald Carey (Alice & Tom, Days)
    (Week Ending November 9, 2018)

    John and Marlena’s sweet, albeit decidedly low-key nuptials seemed like a decent enough way to ring in Days’ anniversary, given that it’s the fifty-third, an impressive number but not the sort of number that’s generally commemorated in a big way. It came as an utterly delightful surprise when Days closed Thursday’s episode with an archived, heartfelt message to the fans from the beloved Frances Reid, accompanied by an endearing clip of Alice and Tom from the show’s first episode. While somewhat unconventional to name a brief moment of two deceased cast members as Actor Of The Week, Alice’s warmth, and donuts, and her charming rapport with Tom played such a big role in hooking me on the show as a kid, that to me, there’s no more fitting way to celebrate a Days anniversary than to see these two unforgettable actors on my television screen.


  282. Rena Sofer & Alley Mills (Quinn & Pam, B&B)
    (Week Ending November 2, 2018)

    Although they’ve had their tense moments in the past, the sudden feud between Quinn and Pam feels like it came a bit out of nowhere, it’s just fortunate that Rena Sofer and Alley Mills have the comedic and dramatic talents to sell the story. Both ladies did the humor with claws thing well in their confrontational scenes while at other times making believable shifts to a more realistic, grounded tone, showing all their vulnerability opposite the men in their lives, confessing to insecurities each thought they’d left in the past. I really like the idea of B&B exploring Quinn’s sense of not belonging in her own home and Pam having more on her plate than just lemon bars (though I do love that ongoing joke), these are two quality actresses and if the show had to go slightly contrived to kick off stories for them, I’m willing to buy in if it means more significant roles for Rena Sofer and Alley Mills.


  283. The Winters/Ashbys and Abbotts (Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 26, 2018)

    With so many cast members coming and going and others in limbo, seemingly unsure where they stand with the show, it’s certainly an unsettling time at Y&R, so all the more reason to appreciate what we have on our screens while they’re here, and these families delivered much to appreciate this week. Soap prisons and realism don’t tend to go hand in hand, but I felt like the scenes of Lily, a former model, quietly finding a way to naturally do her makeup seemed like such an honest thing, as did Cane’s struggle in that visiting room, pacing like he was the one caged, almost more overwhelmed by her situation than she is. And I loved that even though initially the Winters men were on Cane’s case for missing a visit, ultimately all three guys really rallied around him, stepped up to help rather than turn it into a divisive thing. Meanwhile with the Abbotts there was divisiveness galore, and though I found the patent papers to be a little questionable, and the recreations of their childhood unnecessary (some well-chosen clips of John and his adult children would have had a much more authentic feel and there should be plenty that illustrate all these current parent/sibling issues), the actors in the here and now all did a spectacular job. I loved that Abby struggled with though eventually defended her mom, and I really couldn’t be happier with the casting of Kyle, he and Jack really do make a sublime father/son team, the way they shredded those documents yet still somehow have me liking them. Then there’s Dina with her confusion and panic, Billy and his bitterness over his displacement, and Ashley, just as I said last week, with Eileen Davidson going out strong. Last but not least, Traci, she may never be the most exciting member of the family, but she is so, so valuable, when everyone else is doing unlikable things, you need that voice of reason, you need her heart and her emotion to ground things and she does it so beautifully, in fact, in this time of flux at the show, it might be wise to bring Traci on as a full-time sounding board for other characters, not just her family, but as a way to ingratiate the newcomers with the audience as well, seeing her care for someone, might nudge the viewers in that direction, too.


  284. Eileen Davidson (Ashley, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 19, 2018)

    Do I believe the Ashley I’ve watched for decades on Y&R, who’s stood by her brother through his every judgment error, would do something that would potentially send him over the edge, back into addiction? Do I believe she would put information out into the universe that would have deeply wounded her beloved father, even if he is dead, and ultimately it wasn’t true? Not so much. So it says everything about Eileen Davidson’s powerful, impassioned performance this week, that even though the story rings false for me, Ashley’s conviction, her hurt, did not feel false (also the writers built a really strong case for her actions, her family has overlooked and dismissed her time and again). I’d like to think that next week, whatever Dina has stashed away in that safe might end Eileen’s run on a more heartwarming note than the way things are going for Ashley at the moment, but, a week’s worth of scenes where she dominated every room she walked into, isn’t a bad way to go either, especially since there’s a good chance it will take her to next year’s Emmys. It is upsetting that Eileen Davidson is going though, regardless of how she goes. It’s upsetting that the current executive producer entered Y&R claiming he’d do right by this character, but aside from some blah pairings, and playing CEO musical chairs, she’s mostly languished in his tenure, too, just as Ashley/Eileen have for most of Y&R’s post-Bill Bell era. I can only hope someone out there in the casting world recognizes Eileen Davidson’s brilliance, sees how adept she is at emotional drama and is aware of her creativity and comic timing and puts her back on our screens in a role that’s as fulfilling for her as it is for her many, many fans.


  285. Peggy McKay & Frank Parker (Caroline & Shawn, Days)
    (Week Ending October 12, 2018)

    Bo’s paternity, Caroline’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and her speech at Will and Sonny’s wedding, are among the memorable times when Caroline and Shawn Brady firmly stood in the show’s spotlight. Still, more often than not Frank Parker and Peggy McKay’s contributions to Days Of Our Lives tended to be more modest, but make no mistake, even if their own big stories were often few and far between, their presence on Days was very much loved, and meaningful, for the viewers. The Brady Pub will always be an all-time favorite set for so many us because of Frank Parker and Peggy McKay, because of the way Shawn and Caroline doled out advice and clam chowder to their family and anyone else in Salem in need of comfort, and that feeling, that heart those two actors brought to those scenes spread that sense of comfort all the way out to the audience. If you had a bad day, you could turn on the television, and just like the characters on the show, a visit with the Brady matriarch and/or patriarch had a way of making the world seem a little better, a little warmer. There’s no greater legacy than that.


  286. Jon Lindstrom (Kevin/Ryan, GH)
    (Week Ending October 5, 2018)

    Earlier in the year I praised Jon Lindstrom’s performance as Kevin counseled his patients in such a real, calming manner, and now to see him playing such a different, downright creepy character without the benefit of switching up the wardrobe or hair or anything along those lines that might help an actor slip into another head-space, it’s a truly impressive transition. I have to say, initially I was extremely leery of revisiting Ryan, my strongest memory of that story was probably that it overstayed it’s welcome, but now that we’re starting to get into the thick of this new iteration, with Felicia and several other blondes in Ryan’s orbit (Carly, Ava, Lulu, Maxie) all with the potential to become objects of his Mommy fixation, and the darkly comic moments like winding that wire and his glee in counseling Ava about revenge, it’s becoming more intriguing by the minute, and at the perfect time of the year, too, here’s hoping for spooky Halloween episode.


  287. Garren Stitt (Oscar, GH)
    (Week Ending September 28, 2018)

    While the writers made a highly questionable choice to have a doctor keep her teenage son in the dark about his health, it’s understandable why they went down that seemingly unrealistic road once you see the emotional payoff that came with this week’s reveal. Garren Stitt did such fantastic work as Oscar discovered that Kim and Drew hid the truth from him, he looked and sounded so angry and betrayed, full of fire you don’t often see from Oscar. Then, later, seated on the docks, asking about Jason’s near death experience only to realize near death is not the same as the actual death he faces, Stitt again impressed not only with his line delivery, but his physicality, as a teary Oscar appeared as though the wind had been knocked out of him, it’s the stuff winning Emmy reels are made of.


  288. Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, Days)
    (Week Ending September 21, 2018)

    It’s tough enough when a show makes a decision to cut a veteran cast member, but its a situation made even worse to then have them leave so unceremoniously that the audience wasn’t even made aware of potentially that person’s last day. I don’t know if we’re ever seeing Stephen Nichols on the show again (if the budgetary choice is quality of character vs. quantity of characters, I know which I would have chosen), which is a shame, and even more shameful is that there isn’t even remotely a sense of closure for fans who have been following his story for more than three decades. The only saving grace in this is that Mary Beth Evans remains on the show, and while Kayla’s one-sided phone call with Steve does not make up for the lack of a proper ending, it at least serves as a tribute to Steve and to Stephen Nichols, that Mary Beth didn’t require a scene partner, that just the thought of him allowed her to gear up into such an intensely emotional state says it all. Maybe the soap did a terrible job of showing just how much Stephen Nichols meant to its history and its viewers, but for a few minutes this week, Mary Beth most definitely did him and his fans proud.


  289. Max Gail (Mike, GH)
    (Week Ending September 14, 2018)

    With his son’s freedom in jeopardy, Mike decided to make amends for his past mistakes and absences as a father by blowing up a bar to dispose of a body, but Mike, living with Alzheimer’s disease, confused day for night, nearly killing the patrons inside, including his granddaughter. Needless to say, the incident left him reeling, and accepting of the prospect of moving into a care facility. Max Gail’s portrayal of Mike is beyond impressive, the fragility, the dignity and strength, the warmth, it’s so very emotional and real. Anyone who scoffs at soap operas should be shown this performance, shown that daytime television is indeed capable of a very high level, the majority of people who make these shows, they pour their hearts into them and they are no joke.


  290. Tamara Braun (Kim, GH)
    (Week Ending September 7, 2018)

    Everyone who watched Tamara Braun back when she played Carly has likely been disappointed by her return to General Hospital as Kim with so little for her to do other than pretend she has chemistry with Julian. Finally though, it seems the show has a story that capitalizes on Braun’s immense talent (and brings Kim closer to Drew, the guy she actually sparks with). Tamara was fantastic this week when Kim’s son, Oscar, ended up hospitalized with a health crisis he may not survive. I love that GH played into her single motherhood, the way she kept turning away or attempting to be alone with her tears because that’s how Kim’s used to doing things, on her own, the actress did such believable work with her strained reluctance to allow anyone to share Kim’s burden. While it’s less believable to me that a parent, let alone a doctor parent, would keep her teenage son in the dark, Braun did a commendable job with those scenes as well, playing them with a conviction that in my mind, at least, may not have been so easy to muster. Maybe it’s been a bit late in coming, but it’s a joy to see such a strong, nuanced performer back in the spotlight where she belongs.


  291. Alison Sweeney (Sami, Days)
    (Week Ending August 31, 2018)

    It cannot be easy for the writers or the actor to just come in after a long time away and recapture the magic, yet somehow Days keeps managing to do exactly that with Sami. Any other character in daytime who returns, I feel like there’s always an adjustment period, it takes a couple episodes if not a couple weeks for them to seem like themselves again, but Alison Sweeney just slips back into Sami’s shoes like it’s nothing, when what it is, is amazing. She was just perfection this week, whether quietly accepting a little consolation from John, fighting back against Belle and Hope’s accusations or doing that sly Sami thing where you just know she hasn’t revealed everything. The tears, the outrage, the guilt and denial, Alison Sweeney nailed every emotion. As much as I like and am willing to watch Alison Sweeney in anything including mystery movies that just aren’t my thing, there is nothing quite like having her home in Salem where she belongs, even if it’s only for a brief time, I thoroughly appreciate every moment of Sami I can get.


  292. John & Marlena’s Wedding (Days)
    (Week Ending August 24, 2018)

    They don’t make soap weddings like they used to, in these budgeted times, unfortunately it’s impossible to be as splashy as the past, this wedding happened in a bar and there were some noticeable absences in the guest list, but that’s where creativity comes in, what the wedding lacked, they mostly made up for with laughs, love and drama. I loved seeing the comedic side of Abe and Valerie in Marlena’s nightmare and covering John’s black-eye, they are two actors who never get to let loose and it had me thinking how fun and unexpected it would be to see them in a rom-com type of story. The humor didn’t stop there, either, I’m still feeling cautious, but the Susan recast so far is a solid match for her usual kookiness, and Jennifer pointing out that Eve wore white to a wedding was classic. And, of course, no one ever makes an entrance quite like Sami and the whirlwind she always brings with her. As for the more serious, more romantic stuff, it’s no secret how much I adore Chandler Massey and so for me, his teary recollection of Will’s wedding to Sonny was absolute perfection. I’m sure die-hard Marlena and John fans perhaps would have preferred less of an ensemble feel to this week and more of a singular focus on their all-time favorite couple, a totally understandable desire given how little they’ve seen these two together on screen in recent years, but the smartest idea of the week was to drop the traditional vows and have John and Marlena speak from their hearts, as few speak from their hearts better than these two. Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn delivered those scripted lines in a way that sounded off-the-cuff and sincere, with a sprinkling of their special supercouple magic that has somehow survived so many years and so many negligent writers.


  293. Don Diamont & Heather Tom (Bill & Katie, B&B)
    (Week Ending August 17, 2018)

    Liam talks about how blessed he is while he ping-pongs between his baby mamas whose own mothers have turned psychotic with their insane advice-giving, meantime, Forrester inexplicably hires a stalker/internet troll who is quite literally a crazy cat lady, so it’s kind of no wonder that the scenes between Bill and Katie stood out this week for how refreshingly normal and rational they seemed. Bill, who also has been rather stalkery of late, took time out from that to actually hang with his young son only to find that the boy has outgrown their bond while Bill was busy trying to have sex with his daughter-in-law. Okay, that last bit about the daughter-in-law isn’t so normal or rational, but a parent feeling some distance from their kid, that’s a normal problem, and it was a nice change of pace to see Bill knocked down from his usual cocky self to become a stressed out dad who had no clue what to do with his kid. Diamont was so great in those scenes, particularly when you think of how perfect he is at playing a ginormous ego, to also play that ego deflated just as believably, the guy has more range than he’s often given credit for. We’re all well aware of how much range Heather Tom possesses, she has the Emmys to show for it, but B&B doesn’t give her nearly enough significant material to play these days, so to see her pleading with Bill to step up and be the involved dad their son needs, those tears streaming down her cheeks were a potent reminder that oh, right, this woman, who could teach a masterclass in the craft is being wasted in this role while we see precious screen-time handed over to new arrivals at B&B who painfully appear to be learning to act on the job, which is just baffling. I would totally give Heather Tom an Emmy for that one day’s work even though Katie’s year overall doesn’t warrant it, that’s how exceptional Heather Tom is, that’s how much stronger those scenes were between her and Bill than anything else B&B is doing right now.


  294. Christal Khalil & Bryton James (Lily & Devon, Y&R)
    (Week Ending August 10, 2018)

    I’ve never been much of a Devon supporter, he’s a little too self-righteous for my taste, however, I support the idea of him holding a severe grudge against Lily for dramatic purposes. I like the high stakes of this story, that she’s in danger of going to jail and her brother is the one determined to see it happen, it’s fracturing the family in a much more real way than say the reasons they give for Victor disowning his children every other minute. I like a story where you can understand both sides of the argument, as tough as it is to hear Devon talk this way to his sister, he isn’t wrong, it makes absolute sense that he would want justice for his wife and child even at the expanse of his sister, and Bryton James is doing well at playing ice cold, he leaves no doubt that Devon hates Lily (for) now. Then there’s Lily’s frustrated side of things, she isn’t wrong either, her argument makes absolute sense, too, she didn’t even know she’d run that red light, she would never intentionally kill anyone, it truly was an accident and she wasn’t the only person stupidly arguing in that car ride, and Christal Khalil is doing really well at reeling over Lily’s guilt, you believe she really would sacrifice anything, even her own life with her kids, to make it up to Devon. If you’re going to senselessly kill off a character with a solid fan base, the least you can do is something like this where Hilary’s death reverberates and creates complicated emotional storytelling.


  295. Chad Duell (Michael, GH)
    (Week Ending August 3, 2018)

    As the resident Port Charles nice guy, Michael tends to be the most even-keeled person in town, but this week gave Chad Duell the opportunity to show far more of his emotional range. I really enjoyed the edgy Michael behind the wheel of the car trying to force Nelle into confessing, while I would never want Michael to veer too far away from nice (in a town full of criminals it’s good to have someone morally upstanding), I like every so often seeing him have a moment like this, like when he sued for custody of his sister, where he just reaches his limit and his inner AJ/Carly boils over, leading him to take risks he ordinarily wouldn’t. Then when the dust settled on that wild ride, came the perfectly heartbreaking moment in the hospital where Michael’s holding his child for the first time and it hits him that his boy is not alive, the devastated expression on his face, followed by the conversation in the chapel with Sonny epitomized why soaps continue to enter into this controversial baby death/switch territory, because it almost always leads to powerful, emotional performances that bring out the best in the writers and the actors.


  296. Mishael Morgan (Hilary, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 27, 2018)

    Apparently when you get hit by a truck you end up with such massive internal injuries that it can take days to die and yet you don’t need any sort of life support or monitoring and you have no bruises or cuts and suddenly it becomes the 1950’s where your male significant other is informed about your health while fragile female you are kept in the dark. To say I disliked the way Hilary’s exit was written would be an understatement, I feel like the Hilary I know would have been furious at at her doctor and Devon for taking away her ability to advocate for her own health, and furious at her powerless state, a person of action, she would never meekly wait to die, she would have enlisted Phyllis to help her disappear from the hospital in search of a second opinion or a cure (leaving viewers to wonder whether she would survive or not and the door open for a return someday). While hopefully Hilary and Devon fans found some consolation in their wedding, for me, it was disappointing to see Mishael Morgan go out with a whimper rather than the roar her character is known for, that said, she did a commendable job with the tears and the stoicism this week, and more importantly throughout her run on the show she did the best she possibly could with what she was given, the GC Buzz stuff for instance, always seemed like it must be challenging to play with the stilted “on-air” speeches and the just plain absurd concept of a Wisconsin gossip show. The more realistic, more grounded the moment, the more this actress really shone, the heartfelt friendships with Phyllis and Jack, how fired up Hilary would get in defense of herself, and most affecting of all whenever she talked about her pre-Genoa City life (an aspect of the character that I really wish Y&R dug into further). It’s unfortunate that Y&R and Mishael Morgan couldn’t come to terms, but who knows, it just might be the best thing that ever happened to her career, it always felt like she had the potential to do grittier work than the soap generally wrote for her.


  297. Eric Martsolf (Brady, Days)
    (Week Ending July 20, 2018)

    While it’s questionable that either parent would have received custody what with all the drug and murder accusations bandied about in the hearing, Brady’s loss ended up being the viewers’ gain, you don’t want to wish bad things for Brady, but Eric Martsolf is just so good at playing torn up inside. Martsolf did a standout job in the scene where Brady had to hand his son over to Theresa, I loved the layered emotions, how you see Brady swallow his anger, the way he put on an enthusiastic voice and expression for his boy’s sake only to break down devastated after Tate went home with Theresa. With the big reveal of the part Eve played in all this still to come, it seems like Eric Martsolf will have a bounty of riches to choose from when the time for Emmy reels rolls around.


  298. Michael Mealor (Kyle, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 13, 2018)

    Kyle has been on and off Y&R since childhood, but for the first time the combination of actor and writing really clicks. This week Kyle dug up Phillip’s remains, not exactly the most morally or legally sound idea. Jack forced Kyle to apologize to Esther for the scare and sacrilege, and Kyle did so with a mostly insincere speech including a compliment to Esther’s smile that totally won her over. I really like what Michael Mealor brings to the role, that moment with Esther could have come off as smarmy or disrespectful if not for the actor playing it with a rascally charm reminiscent of the acting style that made Billy Miller and Justin Hartley such favorites on the show, and fittingly, it’s also a quality Kyle’s dad Jack has employed throughout the years to slip out of extremely bad decisions without seeming like a villain. While I’m still waiting on a meaty story for Kyle (there have been a couple moments where he was fired up about his mom, I’d love to see that explored further), in the meantime, playing up his personality and traits in common with his dad are steps in the right direction towards making Kyle the legacy character he should be.


  299. Freddie Smith & Chandler Massey (Sonny & Will, Days)
    (Week Ending July 6, 2018)

    With the custody battle, Ben’s mental illness, and infant death, just to name a few of the not so lighthearted happenings in Salem, Sonny and Will teaming up to hide an accidental murder proved an unexpected joy. While it never fails to annoy me when characters cover up a clear case of self-defense, if the aftermath of that dumb decision means Will wrapping up a body in a rug and Will and Sonny comically deflecting Paul and Maggie’s inquiries, then I’m willing to go with their stupidity. When Y&R killed off JT and tried to play the body hiding as some kind of joke, the tone felt off to me as JT was a character viewers once cared for, mix in the domestic abuse angle, and the situation seemed like it needed to be treated seriously. However, a dead guy with shady Kate and Vivian connections, who the audience has never cared about and who doesn’t have a bunch of children wondering where he is, that’s a death you can take a different tone with, that’s where you can successfully show the comic timing of two dramatic talents while at the same time reigniting the Will and Sonny spark, and perfectly illustrating that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The rug-rolling and hasty plan to stage a car crash could easily have been swiped from Sami’s playbook and as far as I’m concerned, the more Will takes after his scheming mom the better, and if Sonny edges a little closer to Victor’s questionable morals, I’m game for that, too.


  300. Dominic Zamprogna (Dante, GH)
    (Week Ending June 29, 2018)

    The lack of goodbyes with Dante’s parents and kids felt like an unsatisfying exit so this actor of the week isn’t so much about this week, it’s more of an appreciation for Dominic Zamprogna’s entire run as Dante on General Hospital. It speaks volumes about an actor’s professionalism and heart that even though he was often relegated to the role of listening and reacting, he always seemed emotionally dialed in to the moment, making the most of his sometimes thankless good guy part. When Zamprogna did get his chances in the spotlight, his talent was responsible for half of three memorable relationships. I’ve always thought they never did enough with Sonny and Dante, but certainly the early days, when Dante tried to bring down Sonny and Sonny shot him, rates among GH’s best material over the past decade. Dante and his mom, with her fussing over her boy and over-sharing, they were such good heartwarming scenes that will be sorely missed. Lastly, Lulu, one of the most enduring couples over the past decade, yet when they argued, we would see a more fired up Dante than he tended to be and it allowed Dominic Zamprogna to show more of his range as an actor. This doesn’t feel like a natural end point for Dante on GH, there’s still plenty of story left to be told there, but the one good thing about this week’s rushed goodbye is that they left the door open.


  301. Robert Scott Wilson & Victoria Konefal (Ben & Ciara, Days)
    (Week Ending June 22, 2018)

    Everything about this shouldn’t work. It’s absurd that Ben would be released. Ben is a serial killer with psychotic tendencies, no way on earth should I want him with Ciara who’s already been a rape survivor. And yet… I am loving these scenes of them isolated in that cabin, talking about their broken, cheated-on hearts, talking about the rough moments of their life so far, watching him tend to her wounds and hearing his stories about his horrible childhood. Compelling and compassionate, the scenes had a spark of something more percolating underneath without being overt and both actors played it beautifully, from All My Children to now, it’s been exciting and impressive to see Robert Scott Wilson’s continual growth, his acting just gets better and better, and I feel like this pairing with him has been some of Victoria Konefal’s finest work yet, natural and relaxed, and a much better fit for the actress than the pettiness with Claire. With their chemistry, and all of Salem likely disapproving, Ben and Ciara have the potential for a classic supercouple story, just please don’t rush it, Days, for whatever reason soaps are in such a hurry at the moment, but this and every love story is so much better with a slow build.


  302. Father’s Day (Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 15, 2018)

    Genoa City celebrated Father’s Day this year, a holiday I don’t remember seeing acknowledged on soaps all that often, so much applause to Y&R for offering up something a little different, and on top of that, storytelling-wise, it was just plain smart, tying in perfectly with all the daddy drama they have going on. The Winters’ family grudgingly tolerated Hilary at their festivities as they honored Neil and Cane, as well as Devon’s impending fatherhood. Meantime things were even more tense at the Newman table, with Victor winning custody, he was none too pleased when Nick crashed the father’s day party, and Vic’s daughter invited his wife’s former lover as her date so yeah, it was not the mustache’s best father’s day ever. Plus there were Faith scenes, emotional Faith scenes, she’s basically Y&R’s not so secret weapon, any episode is made that much more Emmy worthy thanks to that little powerhouse of an actress. Finally, we had Jack’s first father’s day without John as his dad and it made for some touching scenes as it seemed like Jack and Kyle are genuinely bonding. Also, what a brilliant idea to let viewers in on Dina’s not so happy childhood, not only did it fit with the theme of the episode, but it added more depth to her character to know that her father left her much like she left her children, suddenly her past actions have more psychological weight to them. Ordinarily I have some issues with each of these storylines, but they sure did come together nicely for this episode, well done, Y&R.


  303. Hunter King (Summer, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 8, 2018)

    With Victor again warring with his children, Abby again interested in someone who has already had sex with a member of her family, and Devon again trusting Hilary when she’s given him every reason not to trust her, it feel very same-old, Y&R needed the spark Hunter King provided this week. While walking around scantily clad in front of Billy has me wary (please don’t go there), otherwise, it’s been a fun return so far. What a wise choice to tap into the comedy skills King so deftly displays in primetime’s Life In Pieces, the scenes where Summer called her parents out on their hypocrisy, not only echoed what some viewers were thinking, but it always proved the perfect showcase for King’s brilliant timing. I also like the change to her character since last we saw Summer, between her love life and her parents roller-coaster lives, it makes sense that she’s cast aside her mostly good girl ways and turned towards a more rebellious, I’ll do it my way stance, though it’s a turn for the brattier, it’s also a turn for the better. I’ve always liked Hunter King in this role, she’s always been believable in the dramatic emotional moments, but with the addiction of humor and rebellion, there’s an energy to King’s performance that’s more entertaining than ever.


  304. Jen Lilley (Theresa, Days)
    (Week Ending June 1, 2018)

    Jen Lilley has picked up right where she left off with Theresa, delivering one of the most emotional and complicated characters in daytime. Theresa has this habit of doing the wrong thing and yet still somehow managing to be kind of lovable, and garnering sympathy from the audience even when we question if she deserves it. While part of the success of this kind of character is due to writing with depth, it’s also in the way the actor plays it, it’s finding the heart in otherwise heartless actions, it’s showing how deeply the character feels and how desperate they are and Jen Lilley did plenty of that this week. All of her interactions had Theresa squirming both verbally and physically as she struggled with her guilt over leaving Chloe for dead. It’s such a fine line between playing a story in a way that will lead the audience to hate you or playing it in a way where, maybe they still won’t love you exactly, but at the very least they’ll understand the character, why they do these things and the emotional place it comes from, it’s a fine line that Jen Lilley straddles to perfection.


  305. General Hospital’s Nurses’ Ball
    (Week Ending May 25, 2018)

    So the lack of llama and Lucy hijinks disappointed, however, General Hospital still had a couple memorable moments saved up for the final day of this year’s Nurses’ Ball, one of them downright legendary for who finally performed. First up, Ava Jerome took the stage much to her audience’s dismay (save for the always awesome Scotty, very effusive in his applause). Jason and Sonny spend nearly every episode asserting their dominance and not in the most above-board fashion either, I hate the double-standard reaction when Ava does the same, and I love that she channeled all that fire and fury into her Nurses’ Ball performance. Maura West did such a great job with it, projecting a Madonna Express Yourself suit and vest empowerment into Ava’s rendition of You Don’t Own Me. As entertaining as Ava’s defiant moment was, it was her enemy sonny’s stage debut that stole the show. Sonny has spent so long strictly in the audience at this event that it came as a genuine surprise to see him up there singing, but more importantly the writers cooked up a really special and believable reason for him to finally take his turn in the spotlight, as his Alzheimer’s afflicted dad needed a little help to get through his son and it wound up being one of the most heartwarming moments of the year so far.


  306. General Hospital’s Nurses’ Ball
    (Week Ending May 18, 2018)

    Personally, I’m not a fan of stretching the ball out over so many episodes and cutting back and forth between performances and regular storylines, it messes with the flow of both, I’d prefer to see a whole bunch of Lucy, fancy dresses, and performances jammed into one or two tightly focused hours then back to regular programming. That said, it’s still entertaining even if it does feel like an eternity passes between performances, and though we haven’t seen everything yet, there’s certainly been plenty to applaud so far. The nurses opening number was good and lively though the not so good of it as always, is the reminder of how shamefully little we see of Epiphany and Felix the rest of the year. Less lively were the song choices by Oscar and Joss, and Valentin, but it certainly showed off their immense singing talent. As usual it was fun to see Ned let loose and with a small assist from Olivia. Everyone clearly gave it their all, though I have to say my favorite performances so far weren’t just about the performance, they also furthered the story. I like how Dante tricked Chase into doing the Dick Tracy-esque song and dance number, it’s a teasing, bro-like move that you could see a guy in actual life doing and becoming this bonding moment for their friendship and partnership. My other favorite so far has been Curtis proposing to Jordan via his magic act, this couple doesn’t tend to receive as much screentime as others, so it was nice to see them share such a unique moment in the spotlight. Now, assuming whatever on earth is going on with Lucy and the llama lives up to my expectations, I’ll probably be back next week with more to praise for the Nurses’ Ball.


  307. Peter Bergman (Jack, Y&R)
    (Week Ending May 11, 2018)

    While I hope we find out Jack really is John’s son (it pains me when soaps re-write/wipe out important history), I don’t have a problem with Jack for a while thinking otherwise if it means performances like the one Peter Bergman gave this week. Jack went from shock and devastation to fury and denial after his mother revealed in a documentary that he isn’t John’s child. Bergman could not have felt more real in Jack’s struggles with this shattering news, his teary moments, his ferocity, the breaks in his voice, the actor let you know and feel just how hard this hit the character. Maybe most impressively of all, Jack took a sharp emotional turn, one moment berating his mother, the next apologetic, a sudden shift in tone that may have felt dishonest in lesser hands, but Peter Bergman nailed it.


  308. Deidre Hall, Lauren Koslow, and Louise Sorel (Marlena, Kate, and Vivian, Days)
    (Week Ending May 4, 2018)

    While strongly acted, I can’t say I’m really enjoying the D.I.D. storyline, I don’t love that they killed off Andre (hopefully temporarily), then there’s the dubious consent issues, and they’ve taken so, so long to include Chad in the plot, instead it’s been a whole lot of scenes involving two strangers I don’t care about yet (Stefan and Gabby) and Abby “trapped,” calling out for help, and it just all felt more repetitive than compelling. But I am very appreciative that they at least found a way to lighten things up by locking Vivian, Kate, and Marlena in together. Lauren Koslow and Louise Sorel were so much fun as Kate and Vivian sniped at one another with perfect comic timing, and though the demon possession story is another Days plot that I will never consider a favorite, Marlena’s tipsy recap of those events was far more entertaining to me than the story itself was back in the day, Deidre did a great job with that, as she always does when asked step out of Marlena’s boundaries.


  309. Tristan Lake Leabu (Reed, R&R)
    (Week Ending April 27, 2018)

    Tristan Lake Leabu gave his finest performance to date this week as Reed struggled to comprehend how his father gravely injure his grandfather and disappear without a goodbye. Reed confronted his mom and his grandfather, he confided in Sharon and Billy, he begged everyone for answers and received so little from anyone in return. Reed’s intense response to being for the most part kept in the dark, was impressively played by Leabu, the anger, the confusion, the sadness, the hurt, felt so true to the emotions any kid in his position would feel. Here, in Reed, is at least one character who some of us longtime viewers can actually identify with in that he is as baffled as we are by this out of nowhere personality change in JT. Here, in Reed, is the character who can take this rip-off of Nicole Kidman’s Big Little Lies arc somewhere different as the son misses his father, as the son tries to figure out what happened, as the son grapples with whether these these violent tendencies are in his genes. Here, in Reed is the character who would be most affected by JT’s death, who has the highest emotional stakes, and a young actor proving he’s up to the task, who this week gave us a taste of how much more gripping this tale would be with him as an active part of it, and yet Reed is being shipped off to boarding school? Yes, wealthy people often send their kids to boarding school, but storywise it makes no sense whatsoever to send away a character just when an actor is hitting his stride and when you’ve finally struck upon a plot that truly needs him. When the topic is something as serious as domestic abuse, I don’t so much want this weirdly comic tone of burying a body, I expect serious drama, and how abuse in the home affects the child, it doesn’t get much more serious and dramatic than that, so why a dramatic series would pass up on an opportunity to explore Reed’s side of the story is beyond puzzling to me, just because Big Little Lies didn’t provide the blueprint for that part of the story, it doesn’t mean you can’t craft an actual original tale yourselves.


  310. Kristoff St. John (Neil, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 20, 2018)

    This week The Young And The Restless welcomed back Kristoff St. John, his Neil, a much needed breath of fresh air from the whole burying a body killed in self-defense (played as comedy?) nonsense. While St. John had some nice quiet moments reconnecting with Lily and his grandkids as well as visiting Victor in the hospital, he shone brightest when he showed off his swagger. I loved how Neil called out Devon and even his precious Lily for making business decisions without consulting him, this is a guy who all too often had been the most qualified and most overlooked employee no matter which Genoa City company he worked at, so it’s rewarding to see him take a stand and be the boss, and you could tell the actor had fun with it, too. Neil has basically had nothing but throwaway love interests since Dru’s death so I’m fine staying away from that until they write a truly dimensional lady and love story for him, in the meantime, I’m hoping the show sticks with this in-charge version of Neil. He doesn’t need to become underhanded like Victor and Jack or disown his son, I just want to see him continue to have a voice, have his own ambitions and agenda, not just amiably agree with his partner Devon when between their ages, personalities, business experience, finances, and Hilary, father and son should have plenty of ongoing differences to keep things interesting. Conflict creates story and a veteran like St. John shouldn’t be without a good story.


  311. Jon Lindstrom (Kevin, GH)
    (Week Ending April 13, 2018)

    Kevin’s recent times in Port Charles haven’t been all that eventful aside from a somewhat sleepy romance with Laura, so to my mind it’s been awhile since we’ve had a reminder of what a strong talent Jon Lindstrom is. This week, as Franco discussed his concerns that being abused may make him an abuser, his doctor, Kevin, responded with reassurance and a personal admission. While the more subdued of the two performances in the scenes, Lidstrom was every bit as compelling, quietly emotional as Kevin mentioned his own abuse, and overall giving the impression that he was truly listening to his patient, his tone throughout caring, comforting, and gently heroic as he attempted to alleviate Franco’s darkest fears. Lindstrom wasn’t big in these moments, he didn’t take over and dominate the scenes, he was just exactly what Franco needed from Kevin in that moment, patient and present, a convincingly good doctor. With his love interest out of town, it might seem like Kevin is stuck as a character, but given how good Jon Lindstrom has been in these therapy sessions, why not feature more of those? It would be the perfect way to give Kevin more screen time and goodness knows nearly every person in Port Charles could use therapy of some sort, it could be kind of like daytime’s answer to HBO’s In Treatment (just please not to the lazy copycat extent that Y&R recently went to with HBO’s Big Little Lies).


  312. Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 6, 2018)

    Nikki’s story is feeling a little lackluster to me (we’ve already seen her twice before with Cole and Deacon in chemistry-free, no future, pointless younger man affairs, and the squabble with Jill feels contrived rather than funny), but uninspired writing doesn’t necessarily mean uninspired acting when you’re a pro like Melody Thomas Scott. I liked how Melody brought a certain toughness to the jail confrontation, it felt right that as much as Nikki cares for Jack, when it comes down to it, she’s firmly on Victor’s side. She played the hospital scenes so affectingly as well, the frustration at having the responsibility of deciding Victor’s end of life care, and the tenderness in acknowledging that he’s her best friend.


  313. General Hospital 55th Anniversary
    (Week Ending March 30, 2018)

    “A little nostalgia is good for the soul,” Kevin said on Friday’s General Hospital. His words perfectly described the beautifully crafted, heartwarming feeling of the episode celebrating the show’s 55th anniversary. Where Y&R arguably fumbled their 45th anniversary by bringing back characters few were nostalgic for at the same time as they drastically altered the personality of another, General Hospital wisely focused on fan favorite characters and moments, it felt as if they were so much more in tune with their audience and what we hold dear to our hearts. Reviving Luke’s in honor of Mike was such a smart way to gather everyone and have them take walks down memory lane via conversations and clips, plus any episode that includes Scotty and Lucy is a recipe for instant happiness. Obviously fifty-five years is a long time and the show couldn’t possibly cover everything in just one episode, some fantastic stuff was omitted, but those things they did touch on, Stone and B.J.’s death, Lila and Edward, Robin and Anna’s reunion, etc., felt like a wonderful little love letter to all of us who’ve had a long-term relationship with the citizens of Port Charles.


  314. Roger Howarth & Billy Miller (Franco & Drew, GH)
    (Week Ending March 23, 2018)

    Last year, General Hospital disappointed me when they let Rebecca Budig go without fully exploring Hayden’s sisterhood with Elizabeth, but now with Franco and Drew, it feels almost like an opportunity for a do-over, as the sort-of sibling connection between the two men is similar to the one Hayden and Elizabeth shared. Like Elizabeth, Drew is the mostly calm, collected responsible one who’s made some mistakes yet feels and acts morally superior. Like Hayden, Franco hasn’t just made mistakes, he’s done serious damage to others and he is damaged, he lies as easily as he breathes because he fears the truth about him will chase everyone away. So, like Hayden and Elizabeth, the relationship between Franco and Drew is an interesting one, loaded with trust issues on both sides, but there’s a grudging affection buried somewhere deep down underneath it all, too. While I loved watching Franco finally open up to Elizabeth, there was something extra lovely about Franco’s vulnerable moments with Drew when they were trapped together and again at the hospital when Drew chose to have Franco’s back and let him be the one to talk to Liz. There was something so fantastic in those scenes with Drew’s gruff toughness softening, becoming big brotherly (even though he’s younger) in the face of Franco’s little wounded boy fragility. I just love how much feeling both actors brought to these moments and in ways that were so in line with who their characters are, Drew caring yet guarded, and Franco, just this raw open heart, it was such good stuff.


  315. Kassie DePaiva (Eve, Days)
    (Week Ending March 16, 2018)

    This week Eve shocked Brady at their wedding ceremony by refusing to marry him, instead she told the groom to go to hell, a moment that brought out actress Kassie DePaiva’s ferocious best. No matter how much Brady begged, Eve stood her ground and I loved that Kassie DePaiva leaned into Eve’s anger throughout, she had Eve mostly hold it together, firing back rather than weeping uncontrollably, it felt nicely grown up, and true to how someone who’s already been through the hell of losing a daughter and more would handle the revelation that she’s been used, she responded with the years of toughness she’s had to build up inside of her. That’s not to say that Eve wasn’t vulnerable this week, she absolutely was vulnerable in her confrontations with Brady as well as her conversation with Jennifer, the hurt was apparent, but DePaiva played it in nuanced style, with Eve unwilling to let heartbreak completely take over, hurrying to put her guard back up each time it slipped. Lastly, as much as I really like Brady and Eve together, after those scenes at the Brady Pub, Eve and Jennifer might be my new favorite couple, I would love to see them share more awkward, reluctant friendship moments, not bury the hatchet entirely, but just enough, their scenes were gold for both actresses, give me that any day over a split-personality.


  316. General Hospital Earthquake
    (Week Ending March 9, 2018)

    While General Hospital understandably due to budget concerns didn’t go big on special effects or destroying sets, the emphasis on emotional impact made up for whatever shortcoming there may have been as far as the visual impact of their earthquake. Franco, trapped, desperate to get to his wedding, had to rely on the man who most wants him dead, Jason, and later, Franco paid it forward, saving Drew, the two of them far from besties either. After rescuing Franco, an aftershock struck Jason and Sam, forcing them to survive together, and in the process of facing possible death, Sam also finally faced her true feelings for Jason. Meantime, Drew’s bond with his son, Oscar, as well as Oscar’s mom, Kim, grew as Drew and Kim saved their boy from hypothermia. Joss, also suffering hypothermia, also had a great family moment, and a surprising one at that, when she threw herself into Sonny’s arms, the step-dad she normally keeps at arm’s length. Best of all were the moments Mike and Elizabeth shared in the church, talking about love, talking about his Alzheimers, it was such a tender conversation, overflowing with feeling, most definitely Emmy-reel stuff. Huge event stories happen a lot less often on the soaps and on a much smaller scale than they used to in the eighties and nineties, but when you do it like this, when you make it about the characters and the relationships, it can still be done incredibly well even with a whole lot less money involved.


  317. Louise Sorel (Vivian, Days)
    (Week Ending March 2, 2018)

    Thanks to the brilliant portrayal by Louise Sorel, Days Of Our Lives Vivian falls firmly in the villain who is incredibly fun to hate category, and her fun side was very much on display this week. When Vivian realized that Victor’s marriage was on the rocks, naturally she decided to swoop in and avoided all subtly by making an overt play for him, including flashing him. I love how Louise Sorel plays Vivian in moments like that, with such audacity and an over-inflated ego, just no shame whatsoever, to hilarious effect. The rest of the week for Vivian consisted of some perfectly delivered one-liners, whether addressing Kimberly’s past split-personality, Abby’s current split-personality, or the way she skirted around having seen Abby when Chad asked after her, Louise Sorel nailed the comic timing, to the point where she had me thinking about the Daytime Emmys and how great it would be if they had a gender neutral category for best comedic performance. Obviously when you compare comedic stuff to big dramatic moments the comedic stuff can come off as insignificant, but it takes skill to be funny and those scenes add so much to the enjoyment of any soap opera, that it deserves some recognition, too.


  318. Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 23, 2018)

    Chelsea returned to con artist life on The Young And The Restless because growing up in that life with such uncertainty, she still feels like the ground could drop out from under her at any moment, um, yeah, okay, except, we’ve rarely seen Chelsea struggle for money or worry over money, she married into a wealthy family, her child is an heir to that wealthy family, she’s romantically involved with yet another member of that wealthy family, she has her own thriving business, and if she was really that concerned about security, how come her boyfriend giving away his money wasn’t a big issue for her? If Chelsea needed to go underground and tap into her con artist ways because someone tipped her off that Adam may be alive and in danger, her actions over the past few weeks would have made sense, but I don’t particularly buy this story as written. Fortunately, dating back to her All My Children days, Melissa Claire Egan has always been one of those actors who can take flimsy or outlandish writing and sell it emotionally as she did this week, moments like how visibly upset Chelsea appeared when she returned home after hitting Sharon over the head, and the tears in her eyes as she lied to Nick on the phone, helped make Chelsea’s unbelievable actions more believable. This wasn’t the strongest plot to go out on, but Melissa Claire Egan’s talent ensured that she exited on a strong note.


  319. Max Gail (Mike, GH)
    (Week Ending February 16, 2018)

    It’s never easy to step into an already established role, but Max Gail has quickly made his version of Mike every bit as endearing and full of down-to-earth charm as the original, beautifully carrying on the character’s legacy. Gail has done a fantastic job as far as making you feel as if Mike really has known the likes of Sonny and Michael all their lives, and Mike’s confusion, whether “working” at Kelly’s or verbally scrambling to cover for something he’s mistakenly said, it’s such a convincing performance you truly do feel for this man and not simply because we cared for Mike years ago, but because the actor portraying him right this minute conveys his struggle in such a real way. Best known for his role on cop sitcom Barney Miller, I couldn’t be more pleased that Max Gail decided to join the soap world, he’s an excellent addition to General Hospital.


  320. Sal Stowers (Lani, Days)
    (Week Ending February 9, 2018)

    The extremely brief time between Lani conceiving and discovering that she’s pregnant was laughable, still, I’m more than willing to suspend disbelief when it means the long wait for a significant storyline for Sal Stowers is finally over. Since she’s arrived in Salem, Lani met her dad, she’s had some romance, she’s done some undercover work and seen her brother shot by her cop boyfriend, however, in each of these instances the story either wasn’t explored to the extent it should have been or she wasn’t anywhere near the focal point, and if you saw Sal Stowers in the sex-trafficking storyline on the All My Children reboot, then you’re aware of what a serious waste of talent this has been. It’s been a pleasure to at last see this actress at the center of a story, particularly this week as Lani pleaded with Valerie to keep the paternity secret and when that failed Lani made another tearful plea to her baby’s father, Eli, these confrontations rattling her so deeply that she lost her cool with J.J., the person she’s most desperate to protect. Whether trembling, crying, or stumbling for explanations to cover her lies, Stowers’ performance took the character of Lani to a new level, she’s more endearing and more dimensional than the limited writing allowed her to be in the past, and hopefully this is merely the beginning of Days putting Stowers talent to better use and she won’t slip into the background again.


  321. Ryan Paevey (Nathan, GH)
    (Week Ending February 2, 2018)

    While I love all the actors involved in the Man Landers storyline, the story itself was pretty much ridiculous, and just when it seemed like Nathan would have something more substantial to do like grappling with his psychotic father, Nathan was killed off. I’m trying to give General Hospital the benefit of the doubt that maybe they learned too late that Ryan Paevey was leaving and they didn’t have the chance to send him off on a more well-crafted note, though really, Maxie, Peter, Lulu, Obrecht, Drew, Jason, Anna, and even Finn, all had one-on-one conversations with Faison, and nothing for Nathan, which arguably would have been the most riveting conversation of all??? So, that was hugely disappointing exit, but when you think it over, the reality is that during Ryan Paevey’s four years on GH he wasn’t the recipent of much great writing (for example, the ever-changing, ever-convoluted Claudette tale), they rarely gave him emotionally challenging material. For someone with leading man presence and looks, the show oddly used Paevey quite sparingly, and yet, I’ll really miss Nathan, his heroism was believable, his love for Maxie adorable, and he was a good son, his scenes with Obrecht were often among the most touching on the soap. It’s unfortunate that General Hospital failed to tap into Ryan Paevey’s fullest potential, still, it speaks to his talent that he managed to leave such strong impression with so little in the way of memorable plots for his character.


  322. Anders Hove (Cesar Faison, GH)
    (Week Ending January 26, 2018)

    General Hospital’s Faison is one of daytime’s great villains, when other characters quake at the sight of him, it’s understandable, he may deliver the occasional funny line of dialogue but Faison is no joke. Anders Hove has crafted Faison in such a remarkable way, so that he’s both over-the-top and utterly believable simultaneously. I love how over the decades (as seen in the very welcome flashbacks) the more unhinged Faison has become, the more disheveled his appearance grows, it’s details like that, that level of commitment from an actor to put their vanity aside that adds to the authenticity. Hove was outstanding this week whether in that subtle split-second moment where it seemed he almost felt something for his son yet still turned his back on Nathan or when he practically spit his contempt in Obrecht’s face or the way he “flirts” with Anna by leering menacingly, he’s just the most incredibly intriguing and creepy presence.


  323. Kyler Pettis (Theo, Days)
    (Week Ending January 19, 2018)

    With Days Of Our Lives’ Theo unconscious for several weeks, Kyler Pettis hasn’t really been a major participant in his own exit storyline. But this week the actor did have the opportunity for some lovely emotional moments as Theo is headed off to Africa for treatment, so there were plenty of goodbye scenes with family and friends, each poignant, heartwarming and beautifully played by Pettis. I am so sorry to see this actor and character go. Theo was currently the lone representation of the autism spectrum in daytime and it was always interesting to see a character navigate the world from a slightly different perspective, in addition to that, Kyler Pettis could be counted on to really step up when presented with something challenging, the time Theo became overwhelmed while caring for Sami’s children is such an indelible memory for me, one of the true highlights in the history of Days Of Our Lives.


  324. Ameila Heinle & Thad Luckinbill (Victoria & J.T., Y&R)
    (Week Ending January 12, 2018)

    One of the most glamorous soaps is currently excelling when it comes to realistic family drama. With their teenage son arrested for drunk driving and seemingly not as sorry for his actions as he should be, exes Victoria and J.T. were at odds over how to parent the situation, she favoring strict discipline and boarding school, he favoring a more relaxed, let’s talk it out approach. That disagreement quickly escalated and suddenly the argument became less about their son and more about rehashing the past hurts and mistakes of their failed romance. I can’t begin to guess how strange and challenging it might be for two real-life exes to play out such tense, heated material opposite each other, but Amelia Heinle and Thad Luckinbill were never anything less than their best in these scenes, believably in the moment, sparring with the deep conviction that their character was the one in the right.


  325. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
    (Week Ending January 5, 2018)

    While I’m sure there are many viewers into Steffy’s pairing with Liam or with his father, Bill, for me, both have kind of an ick factor with her, I’d rather just see Steffy being her assertive independent self than involved with any Spencer, so I’m not loving this storyline, but I continue to be impressed by Jacqueline MacInnes Wood in it. Not long ago I praised Wood’s work as Steffy struggled through the guilt and anxiety of her secret night with her husband’s father, and now that the truth has come out, she’s again doing a standout job in the role. Steffy appears believably gutted, devastated by what she’s done and by Liam walking out, baffled by her own actions, grasping for reasons and excuses, coming up empty and ashamed, it’s a nuanced, vanity-free performance that the actress should be very proud of delivering.


  326. The Young And The Restless Christmas Day
    (Week Ending December 29, 2017)

    The Young and The Restless totally delivered with their Christmas day episode. The uplifting series of vignettes saw a cute tale of Phyllis awaiting her twelve days of Christmas gift from Billy and Nikki received an angelic reminder to follow Katherine’s advice, while those were both entertaining in very different ways, my favorites involved a vulnerable Hilary’s emotional response to a letter she wrote as a little girl, and Mariah finally calling Sharon mom (I’d much rather watch their mother/daughter relationship than any romantic relationship either have been in lately, it’s so much richer). Stand-alone episodes sometimes feel like throw-aways, but I thought this one was effectively crafted, nothing here will have a huge impact on future story, yet at the same time the little moments it captured felt meaningful. I wouldn’t mind every once in a awhile seeing Y&R use this format to illustrate smaller everyday things in the lives of these characters, the sorts of things that aren’t necessarily deemed big enough or eventful enough for an ordinary episode, like a couple going out ona date, a family having dinner, or the teens at school, it would be kind of great every now and then to take a break from the usual and get to know the characters better through mini-arcs.


  327. Casey Moss (J.J., Days)
    (Week Ending December 22, 2017)

    Ordinarily I try to spread the love around and not choose actors from the same soap two weeks in a row, but, with (thus far) less than impressive festive episodes of the soaps versus the extremely impressive performance by Casey Moss, I had to go with Days again. J.J., a cop, shot Theo, his life now hangs in the balance, and while this week, J.J. was cleared of wrongdoing, in his head and his heart, he believes he should have acted differently, and on Wednesday, he decided that the way to make amends is by taking a life for a life, killing himself. The episode was so well played by Casey Moss, there was a palpable sense of the despair, heavy, heavy guilt, and the immensity of sacrificing his future as he sat down and wrote letters to those he loves as well as to those he felt he’d wronged, and then on Thursday, when his plan was discovered by Gabi, actually engaging someone in conversation about what he intended to do and why, Moss took his performance up to yet another level. Not only is this shooting storyline timely, and also great in that it’s being shown from both sides of the situation, but it’s just so gratifying to see the new writing regime at Days giving story to actors like Moss, whose depth of talent has been neglected over the past year or so.


  328. Alison Sweeney (Sami, Days)
    (Week Ending December 15, 2017)

    While most Days fans are to sorry to say goodbye again to Alison Sweeney, there’s consolation in how entertaining this breif return has been and especially in the way things wrapped up this week. Sami finding her way in and out of scrapes never gets old, so Hope’s ring stuck on her finger was a great opportunity to showcase Alison’s screwball comedy skills. There were so many strong emotional moments, too, giving the journal to Will, admitting she was wrong to Marlena, and one of those brief instances when Sami accepted John’s love for her. I loved that Sami and Eric shared some supportive bonding moments, too, they were wonderfully played, it felt like authentic siblings, the only downside to it was that it makes me think of all the potentially amazing scenes they could have shared when both actors were on the show full-time if only the writers back then had chosen to write for them more. It was also perfect that Sami made one last visit to Lucas in the hospital, as good as their romantic chemistry has always been, the enduring, sometimes grudging friendship between these two screw-ups might be even more of a treat to watch. All in all, this is exactly what I want from a guest appearance, it didn’t feel like a stunt, like Sami was just there to juice the ratings, she was legimately involved in the stories and it played to all those things about Sami the viewers love or love to hate, this story arc should be the template for every soap as to how to bring back favorites for a brief period and have it actually feel satisfying.


  329. Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy, B&B)
    (Week Ending December 8, 2017)

    While the idea - nevermind the visual - of The Bold And The Beautiful’s Steffy having sex with her father-in-law Bill is not my favorite, the aftermath has become a great showcase for Jacqueline MacInnes Wood. Steffy has long overflowed with strength and swagger, she’s every bit as alpha as Bill and Ridge, and like them she rarely admits she’s in the wrong, so it’s quite compelling to see her in this new perpetually frazzled state. It must be equal parts challenge and thrill for the actress to play something starkly different from her signature tough chick style, and she’s succeeding brilliantly at illustrating the guilt weighing down on Steffy, especially in the moments of such high anxiety that her breathing becomes labored. When it comes time to put together her submission for an Emmy, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood should most definitely look to these scenes for her reel.


  330. Melissa Claire Egan & Joshua Morrow (Chelsea & Nick, Y&R)
    (Week Ending December 1, 2017)

    Crazy plot twists, cliffhangers, and escapist stories are key to good soap operas, but I really love when daytime features quieter, everyday moments, too, like the scenes this week on Y&R between Chelsea and Nick. It was such a real-life scenerio, a relatively new couple’s differences illuminated by their opinions on Christmas tree decorating, he loves traditional, she’s a designer all about modern, it made for a cute realistic squabble that only became even more honest when they faced the awkwardness of an ornament from her previous relationship. This script didn’t require feats of great melodramatic acting, but the naturalness they achieved might arguably be even more challenging to deliver, it likely helped that the writing emphasized the actors strengths, Joshua Morrow is always at his best when he gets to be playful and fun and Melissa Claire Egan has a gift for emotion, so seeing Chelsea fight what she’s feeling at the memory of Adam made for especially good TV.


  331. General Hospital Thanksgiving
    (Week Ending November 24, 2017)

    General Hospital’s Thanksgiving had it all. Billy Miller’s Jason/Drew had another nice quiet bonding moment with Monica. A queasy Maxie brought down the Thanksgiving spread and admitted it was due to her pregnancy. Aunt Vi and Jordan reached a semi-holiday truce. Alexis, determined not to ruin another Thanksgiving, tripped and the turkey crashed onto the floor. Carly and Sonny met Oscar’s mom who is not a fan of their criminal lifestyle and then blurted out “Drew!” when Steve Burton’s Jason/Drew walked in, seemingly a very big hint as to Oscar’s paternity. Best of all, the festitivities culminated with a large gathering at the Quartermaine mansion (as there always should be), keeping alive GH’s traditional song and pizza, hitting the perfect note of humor and heart.


  332. The Cast Of Days Of Our Lives
    (Week Ending November 17, 2017)

    One misstep aside, Days Of Our Lives had an exceptional week with Will’s return from the dead and Theo being shot. I wish Will’s brainwashing had not included his homosexuality (it’s an irresponsible message from a show that has otherwise been mindful of such things in recent years), but I love everything else about Will’s return, Susan using him to replace her son, vintage Sami slugging Susan, the parent-child scenes between Marlena and Sami, John and Paul, Sonny and Adrienne. Most of all, I love that Chandler Massey is back and even though Will doesn’t quite know who he is yet, he’s as emotional and vulnerable as ever. Will’s revival is a big-time story, yet Days doubled-down and went even bigger when cop J.J. shot a fleeing suspect and it turned out to be his girlfriend’s autistic brother, Theo. Every actor involved, in particular Casey Moss, is doing an incredible job with this timely tale and the writers have brilliantly crafted it, considering every possible impact, finding ways for the shooting to have a ripple effect through much of Salem, not just Theo and J.J.’s immediate families, even characters like Kate, Tripp, and Kayla have been pulled into the mix, it’s epic and intimate all at once, showing us every angle of the story, using the five hours a week format unique to soap operas to its fullest and best advantage.


  333. Kelly Monaco & Steve Burton (Sam & Patient 6/Jason, GH)
    (Week Ending November 10, 2017)

    Admittedly, I’ve never been a Jason Morgan fan regardless of who played him, and I’m still not, that said, when choosing actor of the week, I try to look past my biases and appreciate the best moments daytime has to offer whether or not they include characters I favor. Watching Kelly Monaco and Steve Burton on Friday’s episode, I thought how gratifying it must feel for their diehard fans who’ve longed to see them share scenes again, but, even if like, me you aren’t one of those diehard fans, there was still much to admire in the sharp, tension-filled writing and acting. Kelly Monaco was especially good as Sam told Jason about her mother’s situation with Julian, though really she was speaking to their situation as well, how she can’t be with him even if she does have feelings for him, it was a perfectly delivered monologue, one of those occasions where purposefully avoiding eye contact gave it even more of an emotional punch. Steve Burton had a really nice moment, too, as Jason held Sam’s daughter for the first time and told her about the daughter they’d lost years ago. Often with Burton I feel like he either underplays or overplays, but in this instance he found a just right tender in-between.


  334. Camryn Grimes (Mariah, Y&R)
    (Week Ending November 3, 2017)

    While I’m still not convinced that Y&R’s Mariah has found her person, I’m loving Camryn Grimes in the role. This week she gave such a powerful and empowered perfomance as first Mariah confessed to her mom that she has feelings for her brother’s girlfriend, and then later tearfully confronted Tessa with those feelings, tired of not knowing where they stand, she bravely put her heart on the line, and the scenes were some of the finest emotional moments Y&R has produced this year thanks to Grimes. As I stated at the top, I’m still not sure Y&R has found the right person (female or male, gender doesn’t matter) to play opposite Mariah romantically, I feel like there’s yet to be anyone who truly matches her spark and abundance of personality, but I’m okay with waiting for her supercouple time to come when in the meantime she’s this good on her own.


  335. Judi Evans (Adrienne/Bonnie, Days)
    (Week Ending October 27, 2017)

    Look-alike stories provoke mixed feelings for me, on the one hand, it’s tough to believe that it would take so long for everyone to figure out that it’s an imposter, on the other hand, these stories almost always mean we get to see some seriously impressive work from the actor involved as is the case with Judi Evan’s turn as both Bonnie and Adrienne on Days Of Our Lives. This week the jig was finally up for Bonnie, as not only did her attempt to wed Victor go bust when the Kiriakis family threw her blackmail back in her face, but then Steve and Kayla showed up, finally having figured out that she swapped places with Steve’s sister Adrienne. I thought the way she played the traumatized Adrienne, going from somewhat catatonic to weeping with relief in Justin’s arms, was spot on for a woman who’s been wrongly imprisoned and had felt defeated, like no one would ever believe her, she’d never get out of there. It’s also been great to see Judi Evans play comedy again, if you saw her previous stint as Bonnie, or some of the really fun moments Paulina shared with Jake on Another World, then you’ll know that she’s every bit as good with delivering humor as she is with drama, and those two sides of her talent were on brilliant display, first in her humorous reaction scenes to Bonnie’s thwarted scheming, and then later, when talking to Sheila about missing Mickey, a moment of such emotional sincerity that Judi Evans actually convinced me that Bonnie had loved him, when honestly I’d always thought it had been about the money. Days Of Our Lives has had a tumultuous couple of years, trying really hard to figure out what might help them stay on the air has led to some wrong turns, but one thing they’ve gotten right in recent times is bringing Judi Evans back to center stage where she belongs.


  336. Arianne Zuker (Nicole, Days)
    (Week Ending October 20, 2017)

    The baby swtich masterminded by Days Of Our Lives’ Nicole will forever be remembered as one of the most well-told stories in soap opera history, it went on for well over a year yet never dragged due in large part to the well-plotted and well-paced writing, but pulling off that epic length and those epic emotions also very much depended on having an actress as capable as Arianne Zuker. Thanks to Arianne, it was impossible at that time to ever simply see Nicole as a villain who would rip another woman’s child away, her actions should have made viewers hate Nicole, instead most of us came away from it loving her more than ever, it’s a special talent Arianne has, whether playing “bad” or “good”, she’s never been just that, she’s made Nicole a complex in-between, as close to human as a fictional character can be, always emotionally believable regardless of how unbelievable the situation may be. It’s been a privilege to watch Arianne Zuker through both of her lengthy stints on Days, during the high point of the baby switch and even in the lower points when she had to find a way to make it work, she’s always entertained, she always ensured that viewers felt something, and while I cling to the possibility that maybe someday she’ll return home to Salem, I’m also very much looking forward to seeing her bring other characters to life.


  337. Marla Adams (Dina, Y&R)
    (Week Ending October 13, 2017)

    This week the long held secret of Ashley’s paternity came tumbling out and Marla Adams made the most of the big reveal in her performance as Dina. The writing felt a bit questionable, I mean, Ashley chooses this public event to confront Brent Davis’ son yet is shocked and betrayed by the truth blurting out right then, um, exactly what other outcome would be expected other than the truth coming out when Ashley demanded the truth? That oddness aside, the acting was still strong, in particular the moment where guilt-riddled Dina sat at the bar, visibly shaken to her core, Marla Adams was completely convincing in that scene, Dina’s fragility ever so apparent. Given that last we saw Dina she’d collapsed, it’s not looking good for the character, but I’d like to see the show keep her around, not only is this a skilled actress, the character brings drama to the Abbott family and it’s interesting to see Dina be presented as morally murky as opposed to the warm fuzzy advice giver type that the women in her age group are usually limited to playing on soaps (not that I dislike those warm fuzzy advice givers, they rank among some of my all-time favorites, it’s just good to see something a little different).


  338. Freddie Smith (Sonny, Days)
    (Week Ending October 6, 2017)

    After Ben disrupted the double wedding and dropped the Will Is Alive bombshell, the couples decided to proceed as if nothing had happened, Sonny didn’t want to let Ben’s intrusion ruin their happy day, but as Chad and Abby went on with their wedding, Sonny’s thoughts turned to Will and it proved impossible for him to ignore Ben’s revelation. It was brilliantly staged, deftly cutting between Sonny’s memories of Will and showing their profound impact on Sonny, his free-flowing tears juxtaposed with the loving hopeful words of his friends’ ceremony in the background. Ultimately the double wedding was scrapped and Chad and Abby’s subsequent ceremony seemed unworthy of their status on the show, surely a disappointment to some viewers, but on the plus side, that moment with Sonny breaking down at the altar was heartbreakingly romantic, the perfect combination of writing, directing, and openly emotional acting.


  339. Chloe Lanier (Nelle, GH)
    (Week Ending September 29, 2017)

    Although Nelle has been in Port Charles for some time now, I still don’t know how to feel about her, are we supposed to have empathy for her or is she one of those scheming characters we’re meant to love to hate? And now, given that we’re embroiled in yet another mystery about her, I suspect the writers still have no idea who she is either or what the endgame is, which is tough on the viewers, and probably even tougher on the actor. So, while I wouldn’t say I like this character or feel a particular attachment to her, I think Chloe Lanier is doing an admirable job with the role, Nelle’s personality turns on a dime and that cannot be easy to play especially if you don’t know what her actual underlying motivations and feelings are supposed to be in the scene. Lanier has done the smart thing here, she’s playing into the writers’ indecisiveness as if every emotion is the real deal for Nelle, she’s fully committed no matter what side of Nelle we’re seeing whether it’s the fragile girl with the tears welling in her eyes that we see with Michael, or the won’t be pushed around ferocity evident in her confrontation with the sister of her dead fiance. The writers aren’t necessarily instilling confidence that this story will end up any more interesting than the first dud of mystery about Nelle, but the actress has me at least hoping that maybe Nelle is more complicated and has more potential than the scripts convey.


  340. Christel Khalil (Lily, Y&R)
    (Week Ending September 22, 2017)

    It’s tough to look at Y&R’s Christel Khalil and buy into her role as the mom of sudden teenagers, she simply doesn’t appear old enough, however, if she continues to make mature choices in her acting as she did this week, it may help bridge that age-gap believability. Lily had a rough go of things this week, her perfect daughter is breaking rules, her son’s down on himself for getting cut from football, and she bumped into the woman her husband supposedly impregnated which pushed a million buttons in her, not the least of which is her sensitivity over having been unable to carry her own babies. After all that Lily went to a therapy session that her estranged husband seemingly thought would lead to her immediate forgiveness and Lily just couldn’t, so she walked out and later, her daughter walked out on her when Lily refused to promise that their family would be back to normal someday. While all of this made for good drama, what made it even more interesting was the dialed back way the actress played these scenes, she didn’t go for histrionics, she wasn’t really yelling or blubbering, the emotion was definitely there, the fragility was definitely there, yet Khalil played everything in such an understated manner compared to her scene partners, that Lily, despite being the victim, and despite having blame wrongfully heaped on her, she didn’t crumble and cry and apologize, she came off as the strong, powerful presence, like even though she doesn’t know what to do, she is in control and that’s the one thing she isn’t letting anyone take away from her. I’m as much of a fan as the next person of the big emotional moment, there’s a reason those most often garner Emmy nods, but this performance is proof that subtle can be every bit as effective and empowered.


  341. Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (Sheila, Days)
    (Week Ending September 15, 2017)

    The first go round T-Boz had little more than a glorified cameo in Salem, her character had plenty of attitude but not much else going on, so I love that this time the script called for her to actually be involved in story and be fun and funny as Sheila seeks a payoff from the Bonnie/Adrienne doppelganger situation. I don’t know what was more entertaining new Kiriakis maid Sheila kicked back on the sofa munching on snack food while Bonnie dusted or the parting gesture to her backside as Sheila left Adrienne locked up in prison. I’m so pleased that the show decided to revisit this character and give T-Boz a chance to show off her comedic skills, now if only they could find a reason for Sheila to sing Unpretty and then reveal she’s a long lost relative of Lexie who invites herself to live at the DiMera mansion driving Kate and Andre crazy.


  342. Maura West & Matt Cohen (Ava & Griffin, GH)
    (Week Ending September 8, 2017)

    Having very recently named Maura West actor of the week, I hadn’t expected to nominate her again so soon, but I couldn’t imagine acknowledging Matt Cohen’s work this week without including Maura as well since their performances were so perfectly entwined. While I’ve liked Matt Cohen from the start, this is the first storyline I’ve loved for Griffin, it’s finally addressing the complexities of his character, finally instead of just listening to everyone else, someone is demanding a confession from him, someone is confronting him about his one foot in/one foot out dance with the priesthood. Ava has this great in your face quality that’s ideal to throw up against the much more purposefully contained Griffin, he rigidly withstood her fiery tirade, denying their romantic sparks, denying that he may have led her on, denying that the priesthood is something he hides behind rather than something he was called to do. Yet Matt Cohen played those vehement denials in such a way that regardless of what Griffin said, you got the sense that Ava’s truth bombs hit home to some degree, his discomfort plain as day on his face, discomfort not only with the hurt feelings he’d caused for Ava, but also discomfort with the things he hasn’t acknowledged feeling about himself and his vocation. These scenes were superbly written and acted, they crackled with sexual tension and insecurities, with Griffin’s fears and Ava’s bravery, it was just so, so good.


  343. Bryan Dattilo (Lucas, Days)
    (Week Ending September 1, 2017)

    On Days Of Our Lives, Lucas has always been at his most entertaining when squabbling with the women in his life (his mom and love interests) or when he’s getting himself into scrapes and attempting to weasel his way out of them, so his more recent turn as a supportive guy for Adrienne has been nice, sure, but incredibly boring. Fortunately, the new head writer (so far at least, we’ve seen these things go wrong before, so fingers crossed) actually seems to recognize Bryan Dattilo’s strengths and is playing to them. While in actual life falling off the wagon would not be a good thing, for fictional purposes it’s been great for Lucas, it’s meant surly remarks, it’s meant having sex with Bonnie and realizing she wasn’t Adrienne yet still clueless since he was too out of it to put things together properly, thus leading to the best moment of all, when Lucas woke up to a woman in his bed, only it wasn’t Bonnie or Adrienne, it was Angelica, dead. Again, death in actual life, not so funny, but brilliant that Days chose to play this whole thing for laughs, Dattilo’s reactions both in that moment and later in relaying everything to Chloe was comically spot-on. It’s about time Days realized that Lucas deserves to be consistantly in the mix like this, and since Sami’s return will only be temporary, my other dream scenario for Lucas would be Chloe gets back with Brady, Lucas decides he wants Chloe and Anne volunteers to help Lucas break them up, but secretly Anne’s sabotaging their schemes because she’s still into Lucas, and ever so slowly (against his will) Lucas starts falling for Anne, too.


  344. Eric Braeden (Victor, Y&R)
    (Week Ending August 25, 2017)

    Victor Newman hit a new low this week when he manipulated his sweet granddaughter Faith, turning her against her father, a despicable act, but, brilliantly acted by Eric Braeden. He was so good at being bad in that conversation with Faith, where we’re accustomed to Victor ranting and raving over how he’s been wronged, rather than shout, Eric Braeden went with a different tactic, entirely soft-spoken with his granddaughter, victimized rather than the victor, so to Faith, her grandpa understandably came off as sad, broken, and lonely, while viewers wise to Victor’s intentions saw a masterclass in villainy in the backseat of that towncar, the live-action equivalent of The Grinch placating Cindy Lou Who, it was Victor at his grandfatherly worst and Eric Braeden at his deliciously evil best.


  345. Maura West (Ava, GH)
    (Week Ending August 18, 2017)

    Ava’s in a huge struggle with her appearance as the burns on her face make her feel like a monster, like she’s ugly, like at best she elicits pity from people, and at worst, they’re repulsed by her. She very, very reluctantly agreed to go with Griffin to a concert in the park, and later, when an attraction to him surfaced, she couldn’t even enjoy it, she was too convinced that he could never really be attracted to her in return. When an actress manages to make a moment where an actor takes off his shirt not feel exploitive, but actually like it happened for a poignant reason, you know she’s something special. Maura West was so good in these scenes, even her cheerful moments would be interrupted by these tinges of sadness in her voice and her eyes, and then on Friday, when she lashed out at Griffin, her words said she was angry, sure, but her expression said she wasn’t mad at him, she was longing for the life she used to have, to be that person who felt beautiful. I feel like if every person who derides soaps, who refers to them as trash, watched ten minutes of what Maura West can do, she’d change their minds.


  346. Mary Beth Evans (Kayla, Days)
    (Week Ending August 11, 2017)

    Days Of Our Lives’ Mary Beth Evans delivered a powerful performance this week as Kayla’s son Joey wants to turn himself in for murdering Ava, a decision Kayla’s husband, Steve, supports. As Kayla tearfully pleaded with Joey not to ruin his life, and then she lashed out at Steve, threatening to turn in his other son, threatening their marriage, Mary Beth Evans tore into the scenes, the definition of a ferocious mother, it was exhilerating to watch and probably exhausting to play, it felt as though Mary Beth threw everything she had into the moment. This has Emmy written all over it.


  347. Rebecca Budig (Hayden, GH)
    (Week Ending August 4, 2017)

    I don’t know precisely when Rebecca Budig will exit General Hospital, but whenever it is, it will be too soon, there’s still so much story left to tell about this character as we discovered even more about her this week. Maybe the show devised this drunk driving story in hopes that we’d judge and hate Hayden and therefore be cool with dismissing her, and yeah, by no means would I condone drunk driving but the aftermath of it makes for compelling drama, I don’t hate her, in fact, the revelation just drew me in even more. Rebecca Budig was Emmy-good this week, the tears streaming down her face as her ex poured salt into that very guilty wound, and then when Finn showed up with the onion ring proposal and Hayden had to pull herself together pretending she’s all light and joyful when she’s anything but, Budig played it perfectly. I’m sure this story is meant to start wrapping up Rebecca’s run, but it increases my desire to see more from this character, I want to see her meet the girl she injured, I want to see her further the bond with Elizabeth, I want to see her meet her other siblings and her father, I want to see someone who’s reticent about being a mom struggle with motherhood, there’s just so much potentially fascinating unfinished business with this character. I know Steve Burton’s fans must be super-excited for his return to the show, but for the rest of us, we feel a little cheated in losing an intriguing character for purely financial reasons.


  348. Daniel Goddard (Cane, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 28, 2017)

    I have opinions on the Juliet situation, and I’ll address those in a moment, but the thing I do appreciate about it is that it’s given Daniel Goddard this interesting dichotomy to play. Cane escalated his ongoing feud with Billy and it’s backfiring on him big time, yet with Billy and with Victoria he’s still copping this arrogant, entitled attitude, but then you see him crushed when no one will hire him, crushed when his wife recoils from his touch, and crushed that his kids no longer admire him, it’s this great layered role right now, where Goddard is so convincingly the over-inflated alpha male one moment and so convincingly deflated the next, it’s a strong performance, within a single scene he’ll have you both appalled and sympathetic. I know there are some viewers who will roll their eyes at the thought of sympathizing with Cane just now, but this is where my opinions on the Juliet situation come into play. How many times has this guy been duped/drugged into believing he had sex with and/or impregnated a woman? For such a large man didn’t it seem like he was drunk awfully quickly? I’m not convinced that he had sex with Juliet or that the paternity test wasn’t doctored. If they did have sex, I still sympathize with Cane, given the major question of consent that isn’t being discussed. Let’s pretend that hotel footage showed a so drunk that she couldn’t walk Lily being ushered into a room by a seemingly sober man? We’d be talking rape, wouldn’t we? But since Cane’s a guy somehow he’s supposed to be in control of his anatomy even when he’s completely out of it? Isn’t it interesting how in popular entertainment rape is a constant for female storylines, yet we rarely see men portrayed as any kind of victim?


  349. Lauren Koslow & Thao Penghlis (Kate & Andre, Days)
    (Week Ending July 21, 2017)

    Conventional wisdom (including my own) would generally conclude that actor of the week should go to the most dramatic and emotional performance, and there were several of those this week, what with Spencer missing and Ava’s burns on GH, Nick and Victor feuding on Y&R, and Quinn pleading for help to hold on to her marriage on B&B, but sometimes lighthearted feels so right and so necessary and its inclusion and importance on soaps shouldn’t be discounted. Admittedly it does feel silly to praise two super talented veteran dramatic actors for engaging in a food fight, but there was such an irresistible twinkle in Thao Penghlis’ eyes, and such joy in Lauren Koslow’s smile, and that childish moment between the very adult Andre and Kate, was so unexpectedly entertaining and a welcome respite from the darkness that Days has so heavily emphasized the last few years. It’s not that Days hasn’t sporadically featured comedic moments in this cloudy period, they have and they almost always do it well, it’s just that this particular comedic moment coincided with the arrival of a new head writer and so I guess, as ridiculous as it sounds, watching these two actors fling apple sauce at one another, it felt somehow significant, like a renewal of hope for the show’s future, it was the perfect time to remind viewers of how much fun Days can be and maybe will be again.


  350. The Tribute To Peter Hansen (Lee, GH)
    (Week Ending July 14, 2017)

    Peter Hansen and his character Lee Baldwin were an important part of General Hospital’s past so it was great to seem them pay tribute beyond just the usual “in memory of” at the end of the episode. While I mostly knew Lee simply as the exasperated though forgiving dad who would show up whenever Scotty’s latest scheme blew up in his face, there was a time when Lee was much more prominent on the show with his own share of messy romantic entanglements which that era’s viewers undoubtedly remember fondly, and it’s a lovely thing that so many years removed from that time, GH in a handful of scenes, with the very welcome return of Lee’s granddaughter Serena, showed that Peter Hansen’s contribution to the soap’s rich history has not been forgotten.


  351. Billy Flynn (Chad, Days)
    (Week Ending July 7, 2017)

    There was no better emotional trajectory this week than the one Chad experienced on Days Of Our Lives. Little did he know that he would walk right in on his recent ex Abby’s wedding to Dario, still, he refused to believe it would happen, and I loved the way Billy Flynn puffed Chad up with this arrogant conviction that Abby loved him too much to go through with it, because it meant Chad had a long way to fall when he called Abby’s bluff only for her to get married right in front of him. That moment when Dario and Abby kissed, and Chad turned his head away, it was such quiet response, yet so telling, if you had any doubt as to who Chad belonged with, Billy Flynn made it very clear in that one simple gesture.


  352. Nicolas Bechtel (Spencer, GH)
    (Week Ending June 30, 2017)

    General Hospital’s Nicolas Bechtel is in a league all his own when it comes to scene stealing, the kid is incredible with a one-liner, and as if that comedic gift isn’t enough at his young age, he also nailed the emotional moments this week, too, as Spencer continues to mourn his father. It takes an especially talented young man to play a character who calls out a hit on his enemy and rather than seem psychotic, instead those scenes with Sonny were actually kind of sweet, funny, and vulnerable, he’s just a joy to watch.


  353. Rome Flynn (Zende, B&B)
    (Week Ending June 23, 2017)

    Between his frequent rebounds with Nicole’s sister and like Katie, his insistence that he should shoot to the top of the design ladder with zero experience, The Bold and The Beautiful's Zende has annoyed me nearly as much as Liam over the past year or so, however, this week, for one shining moment, he was admirable. Zende’s father-in-law, Julius, is a bulldog of a man, his voice tends to overpower nearly everyone his path, but on this day, he didn’t overpower Zende, Zende got right up in his face and told him to back off of Nicole, to quit manipulating her while she’s down. I know I was probably supposed to swoon over that whole horse and carriage thing Zende did for Nicole months ago, but I’d argue that standing up to Julius to spare Nicole’s mental health was the most romantic, most loving thing I’ve seen him do for her. Rome Flynn showed an intensity this week that hinted at some serious untapped talent, now if only the writers would consistantly give him material to test that talent rather than material that aggravates the viewers.


  354. Gabrielle Haugh (Jade, Days)
    (Week Ending June 16, 2017)

    Days Of Our Lives’ Jade showed horrible judgment and it blew up in her face this week in some surprisingly endearing scenes. Jade’s a pretty despicable character, she roped Joey into a cult, she’s setting up Kayla, and now everyone’s learned that she made a sex tape of Claire and Theo, none of this is likeable behavior, yet the writing and convincingly multi-faceted performance by actress Gabrielle Haugh are allowing Jade to develop into something more interesting than a standard villain. When Claire justifiably laced into Jade for the sex tape, morally I was with Claire, but Jade definitely tugged some of my heart over to her side. Jade genuinely believed that if the sex tape won Claire followers, she would win Claire’s friendship, her motives were so pure and so sadly misguided, and the way she talked about sex, her understanding of it (or misunderstanding of it depending on your own perspective) it just made clear how wounded this girl is inside and explains why she makes the messed up choices she does. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I like Jade yet, but I’m liking the emotional way Gabrielle Haugh plays her, the character is showing more and more depth, it would be great to see her position on Days solidified by some ties to a core Salem family, for instance, maybe there’s room for another long lost DiMera, Andre as her pseudo dad and Kate as her pseudo mom might be interesting.


  355. Elizabeth Hendrickson & Greg Rikaart (Chloe & Kevin, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 9, 2017)

    Not-so-dead Chloe slowly lifts open her coffin from the inside. Kevin faints. Instant classic.


  356. Drake Hogestyn (John, Days)
    (Week Ending June 2, 2017)

    It’s been a long time since Days Of Our Lives’ John had any really emotional moments on the show, before his lengthy leave, he was mostly relegated to action scenes so this week it was nice to see him in a more realistic situation as a father desperate to keep his son alive. Brady signing a do not resuscitate order was a smart twist from the writers, not only is it a relevant real-life issue, it gave Drake Hogestyn some powerful conflict to play as the DNR caught John totally off-guard. This guy who generally doesn’t lose his cool, lashed out at Brady’s doctor and lawyer, he was clearly frustrated and feeling helpless and teary, and he was forced to wrap his head and his heart around the idea that his fighter of a son had seen this choice as the right one for him and his family. As entertaining as John has been as an action hero and as Marlena’s romantic partner, his best role may be as a parent.


  357. General Hospital Nurses’ Ball
    (Week Ending May 26, 2017)

    While I miss Lucy’s many outfit changes that usually go hilariously wrong, the Nurses Ball is still a really fun time. Who knew Joss or Valentin could sing like that? The tributes to David Bowie and George Michael were such fun rather than the maudlin stuff of awards shows. The girls were in perfect harmony delivering a great message with Brave, someday that little Emma will surely have her own Disney TV show. Lastly, Hallalujah was just lovely, and the only thing lovelier would be to see those nurses receive a bit more of the GH spotlight through the rest of the year.


  358. Don Diamont (Bill, B&B)
    (Week Ending May 19, 2017)

    Happy Bill Spencer is not my happy place, so Friday’s wedding ceremony felt decidely dull compared to angry Bill earlier in the week. Don Diamont is just perfect in this role when Bill goes on one of his swagger-filled tirades, he’s all in with the bluster, the bravado, and the cutting remarks, it makes you wonder if the actor didn’t miss his calling as a razor-sharp sitcom villain. When Bill failed to buy the Spectra land he needed for his tower this week, he stomped around town hurling creatively crafted insults at Thomas, Sally, Ridge, and even his own son, Liam, it wasn’t the nicest, most grown up behavior, but this is a soap, how much nice and grown up do we really want? His temper tantrums are wildly entertaining, providing an intentional sense of humor that every show needs.


  359. Vanessa Williams & Lamon Archey (Valerie & Eli, Days)
    (Week Ending May 12, 2017)

    Days Of Our Lives’ Valerie and Eli sat down to an emotional breakfast this week and it proved to be a great opportunity for both actors to sink their teeth deeper into this neglected storyline. It was really well-written and well-played, starting with the initial awkwardness of sitting down alone together for the first time in forever, followed by a display of genuine warmth and respect from son to mother, only for it to ultimately fall apart thanks to Eli’s anger over never knowing his dad and Valerie’s tearful conviction that her ex would have been a good father. I just wish Days would feature this relationship more often than just every few weeks, it’s like they only occasionally remember to address this story, which is a shame because Eli’s a Horton, and also, I’d much rather watch scenes of mother-son strife than two consecutive storylines of men thinking it’s open season on Nicole’s body due to her sexual history. I’m hoping the new writing team will do a better job at balancing the storylines and really digging into the more interesting family drama rather than one-dimensional villains.


  360. Jane Elliott (Tracy, GH)
    (Week Ending May 5, 2017)

    The painting storyline mostly went nowhere on General Hospital, and I can’t help thinking Tracy’s final weeks would have been better served feuding with Monica, helping Lulu with her custody case, or pulling off one last deal for ELQ, that said, Tracy’s final episode was nearly perfect. Tracy invited all her loved ones to the mansion for pizza and farewells after she decided to leave and find her place in the world beyond her father’s shadow. The goodbyes were so well-written and performed, very much reflective of Tracy’s past with each individual and all in the ideal Tracy blend of vulnerability and snark that I will desperately miss. I’m so thankful that for decades Jane Elliott gave us one of the most complex and interesting characters in any medium, she was the anti-hero(ine) before that was the trendy thing to be on television, she had definite flaws and we loved her for them, she made audiences laugh, she made us enraged and sometimes she even made us cry because few things are more moving than cracks in Tracy’s tough as nails veneer. While Tracy was never truly lucky in love (as entertaining as her scenes with Luke were, he often treated her like dirt, that’s not lucky, my feelings are decidedly mixed on that last scene), fortunately, Tracy wasn’t the kind of soap heroine who needed to be half of a couple in order to thrive on the show, she did just fine stealing scenes on her own, as ambitious and as alpha as any man, Tracy was a showcase for Jane Elliott’s tremendous talent and for just how dynamic women can be, even in the old days Tracy never felt old-school. I wish Jane Elliott the very best in her retirement, but a part of me is holding out hope that someday she’ll get the itch to grace our screens again.


  361. Jane Elliott (Tracy, GH)
    (Week Ending April 28, 2017)

    The jury’s still out on whether the painting mystery will ultimately be a worthy final storyline for General Hospital’s Jane Elliott, what I do know is that Friday’s episode was what I wanted to see in the lead up to Tracy’s send off next week. With Tracy bonked on the head by Alan’s memorial plaque (perfect), she experienced her very own judgment day with Diane as prosecutor, Sonny as judge (I’d forgotten the times they’d tangled) and everyone’s favorite rascal as her lawyer, Scotty (they’ve always been brilliant scene partners), all of it clever way to show a bunch of Jane Elliott clips, snapping at Alan, Monica, and Jenny, the infamous moment she withheld help as Edward suffered a heart attack, and a look at her not entirely successful relationship with Luke. While there’s more I would have loved to have seen included instead of scenes minus Tracy, this walk down memory lane was much appreciated, something similar would have made Luke’s exit feel more complete. With Jane Elliott’s last air date on May 4, the next actor of the week I’ll write more about this legendary character she crafted, and hopefully there will also be praise for how things ended, though to be fair to the writers it must be close to impossible to write a satisfying conclusion when none of us want to say goodbye.


  362. Courtney Hope & Pierson Fode (Sally & Thomas, B&B)
    (Week Ending April 21, 2017)

    The Bold And The Beautiful’s Sally and Thomas broke up this week after he discovered sh’ed stolen designs from his family in classic Spectra style. Both actors were fantastic, with Thomas hurt and disappointed in Sally, and Sally hurt and disappointed in herself, and their crazy good chemistry alive and well underneath all the heartbreak, these two convey their longing for one another so convincingly that as much as I don’t want them apart, I kind of love it, they have that supercouple magic where the more they’re emotionally tortured, the better. This isn’t Liam or Steffy flip-flopping over who they love every other minute, it couldn’t be more clear how much Sally and Thomas only want one another, you need only look at their anguished expressions when Thomas told Sally that all she had to do was ask for help, he would have helped, that scene was among the best of the year, it crackled with chemistry and regret, combine that with actually well-motivated reasons for them to believe they shouldn’t be together (self-esteem, family loyalties and legacies), and every day I find myself hoping it’s a Sally and Thomas day on B&B because I know it will be a good one.


  363. Eric Braeden & Ally Lind (Victor & Faith, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 14, 2017)

    This week, while everyone else shunned Victor for his nefarious involvement with Chloe, oblivious innocent Faith, declared him her hero, she was his only comfort, and while maybe that comfort wasn’t entirely deserved, it was a welcome and bittersweet reprieve from the same old Nikki-Victor breakup scenes. And when Nick decided that Faith shouldn’t live under Victor’s roof anymore, surely the goodbye between grandfather and granddaughter touched even the most vehement Victor haters, this kid softens him and it’s just the best. With Faith’s tears falling, and Victor fighting back tears, it’s the stuff Emmy reels are made of, there’s such a tender rapport between these two actors and I hope Y&R never squanders it even as Faith grows older and wiser. Honorable mention this week to A. Martinez, such an interesting actor and interesting man (read/watch any of his interviews), it’s a shame he came to Days at a time where they’re struggling to settle on what direction to go in and unfortunately because of that they haven’t made the best use of some highly talented performers.


  364. Josh Taylor (Roman, Days)
    (Week Ending April 7, 2017)

    When Roman left the police force, it seemed as if there wouldn’t be much of a role for him in Salem other than the occassional conversation with his son, Eric, but his scenes this week opened up another promising possibility, one that uses Josh Taylor’s sitcom timing from back in his Hogan Family days. It was so much fun to see Roman look out for his niece Ciara at the Brady Pub when she met up with an online date, the looks Roman gave the guy, the mention of Ted Bundy, and lastly, the nod of approval, it was just really entertaining. With Bo gone and Hope busy bringing down criminals, I’d love to see Roman step in as a parental figure for Ciara in this lighthearted way on a regular basis, balancing out the heavier stuff he plays with Eric, it’s a side of the show and the actor we don’t see enough.


  365. Melissa Ordway (Abby, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 31, 2017)

    The Young and The Restless has finally given Melissa Ordway something interesting to play as Abby asserts herself at Newman and in her family. Abby’s been in two romances with cops that went nowhere, she had an inexplicable affair with her niece’s husband in flashbacks, and her marriage to Stitch was all fizzle, no sizzle, her storylines have run the gamut from thankless to outright boring, not exactly a showcase for talent. But now that the soap is exploring Abby on her own, away from a relationship, her motivations actually make sense, and there’s so much more rooting value in the character when we see her eyes light up over a work project only for older sis, Victoria, to shoot it down in front of the dad Abby so desperately wants to impress, and later, when Abby talked to her mom and to Scott for his book, the dialogue allowed Ordway to dig into Abby’s psychology to play into how separate she feels from the rest of Victor’s family. Scenes likes these reveal so much more vulnerability and humanity than the plots they stuck Ordway with in the past, she’s always been a likeable presence on the show and she’s long overdue for some material like this that really shows us what she can do.


  366. The Bold and The Beautiful 30th Anniversary
    (Week Ending March 24, 2017)

    The Bold and The Beautiful celebrated their thirtieth anniversary this week in Australia. While it was fun to see such a large segment of the cast in an exciting location, as well as Steffy’s odd wedding entrance and Sally falling in the water as someone inevitably does on these trips, the most notable moment wasn’t anything fancy, it actually could have easily been shot on a California beach instead. What a perfect idea to have the two cast members who have been there through the series’ entire run, Katherine Kelly Lang and John McCook, share this quiet moment on the beach, toasting having known each other for thirty years, and toasting the other families on the show as well, along with a clips package and cutely working the soap’s title into the dialogue. Weirdly enough for an often over-the-top show, a low-key tribute somehow felt exactly right. Also perfect, the throwback feel to the new title sequence, it’s like the nineties all over again, I beg General Hospital to do the same.


  367. Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie, Days)
    (Week Ending March 17, 2017)

    Days Of Our Lives’ Susan Seaforth Hayes took Julie from fretting over making her newly discovered grandson feel included, to getting her claws and tears out for the woman who kept him from her, she was impressive in both modes, but where she truly stood out for me was in a really simple moment where her grandson told her she’d baked his favorite cake, the actress instantly had Julie light up with a look of the most genuine joy, and it was just the loveliest bit of warmth that Days fans haven’t experienced a lot of lately. Salem has been a pretty bleak place the last few years, something the new headwriter intends to rectify come autumn, in the meantime though, a moment of unabashed sunshine, however brief, is so rare on this soap that it warrants celebrating.


  368. Hilary B. Smith (Nora, GH)
    (Week Ending March 10, 2017)

    Ideally, One Life To Live’s Nora would have returned to our television screens dancing with Bo to a Little Richards tune or at least by having a meaningful conversation about something other than a court case, but to be tasked with a reprising a character after several years away, on an entirely different show, and being expected to match wits with Diane, the wittiest of them all, Hilary B. Smith impressed in her General Hospital debut, Nora’s still the strong, intelligent character we remember. For the moment this small taste of One Life To Live feels like something to celebrate, but small tastes only go so far, hopefully future appearances by OLTL and AMC faves will be more than glorified cameos, the actors and their fans deserve actual storylines, and hey, if GH is deemed too crowded for that, ABC has a few timeslots, including The View’s that would be greatly revitalized by OLTL and/or AMC revivals as an hour format, two half hours, or even both shows mixed together, sort of a super soap. It’s strange how in primetime, cable, and streaming services, there’s an influx of continuing dramas (they’re soap operas even if no one wants admit it), yet somehow networks want to exorcise that same addictive brand of storytelling from daytime, replacing it with talk shows, paid programs, and other time fillers that don’t compel viewers to come back tomorrow. You’d think it would be worth investing a little more money if it paid off with a steady audience coming back to your advertisers day after day.


  369. Arianne Zucker (Nicole, Days)
    (Week Ending March 3, 2017)

    Sometimes there’s no better proof of acting talent than an absurd storyline, if an actor can make you believe and feel despite the ridiculousness of a situation, that’s a gift, that’s what Days’ Arianne Zucker possesses. The custody of baby Holly story is so far-fetched that it’s maddening for viewers, on what planet could a surrogate proceed with the surrogacy without the biological parents’ knowledge and then when the bio-mom isn’t living life as the surrogate deems fit, the surrogate wins custody of the child she by every definition stole. They couldn’t have at least had Justin argue that Chloe should be charged with kidnapping and the doctor commited some kind of medical malpractice, did I miss where he even mounted an argument at all? I guess he couldn’t do that because then the writers would be admitting that Chloe didn’t even have a case, never mind one that she could win. Anyways as frustrating as that all is, fortunately, Arianne Zucker has made this more compelling and watchable than it has any right to be, she’s never better as Nicole than when she’s nursing a bruised, broken heart, sobbing, and most gratifying of all fighting back. Daniel’s death and Deimos’ questionable hold over Nicole have stripped away too much of her scrappiness, so at least one other good thing besides Nicole becoming a mom has come of this ill-conceived plot, her scrappiness is back, it’s like this week she woke up and is much closer to being the heart-on-her-sleeve schemer we love. It’s undoubtedly challenging to write so many episodes of television every year, the quality is bound to waver, and when it does, those are the moments actors like Arianne Zucker truly earn their acclaim.


  370. Finola Hughes & Kimberly McCullough (Anna & Robin, GH)
    (Week Ending February 24, 2017)

    Mother and daughter duo, Anna and Robin were perfection this week on General Hospital as each had medical news, albeit on very opposite ends of the happiness scale. Anna learned that she has blood cancer, which, while treatable, isn’t curable, so our tough, often physical law enforcer has to reconcile this sudden weakness with all the strength she’s accustomed to possessing, and much like Y&R’s Jess Walton did last week, Finola Hughes played her diagnosis so winningly and true to character. Fragility is just not something Anna or we are used to feeling from her, and Finola did a great job of conveying that new wrinkle in the character yet even confined to a hospital bed, she still has that Anna superhero aura going on, too, you sense that it’s only a matter of time before she figures out how to make this setback work for her, probably using her wits even more, and Anna using her wits always tends to make for great TV. Also great was Anna’s response to Robin’s news that she’s expecting another baby, there were happy tears on both sides of that conversation, that, with actress Kimberly McCullough’s pregnancy, you just know were only half acting, and half a reflection of the real life affection between these two actresses, making for a lovely, memorable moment.


  371. Jess Walton (Jill, Y&R)
    (Week Ending February 17, 2017)

    Jess Walton had a busy week as Y&R’s Jill, playing out heartbreak and a medical crisis. When Jill discovered that her bank account was empty and her husband is the one who “borrowed” her money, it broke her heart that he would betray her like that, and Jess Walton handled the moment beautifully. Jill has always been a ferocious lady, so she most definitely lashed out, but she was also clearly hurt, on the verge of tears the whole time, too, as she kicked Colin to the curb, you could plainly see her mixed emotions. Colin happened to end up naked, plus Esther was involved, which was a brilliant idea, because even though obviously there was drama going on, humor meant the viewers were as caught off guard as Jill when things suddenly turned serious for her medically, which echoes how these things suddenly hit you in real life, as did Jill’s response. This is a woman as accustomed to being in control as Victor is, and like him, admitting to weakness is in no way her comfort zone, and I loved that the writers and Jess Walton stayed true to that, having her hold on to denial with all her might. The past few years Y&R seriously fumbled Nikki and Michael’s illnesses, so I’m a bit trepidatious about this storyline, but so far they’re off to a nicely realistic start.


  372. Joseph Mascolo (Stefano, Days)
    (Week Ending February 10, 2017)

    Our heroes caught Stefano, he escaped, only, it looks like Stefano was Shane in disguise, not Stefano, so we're left guessing about The Phoenix's whereabouts, and that's completely in the spirit of the character, a non-ending is the perfect ending for him. And then that lovely written sentiment in memory of Joseph Mascolo. Nicely done, Days.


  373. Patrika Darbo & Courtney Hope (Shirley & Sally, B&B)
    (Week Ending February 3, 2017)

    The Spectras are back! The Bold and The Beautiful have finally made the long over-due decision to bring back low-brow rival fashion house Spectra and their first appearances this week instantly reinvigorated the show. Though it's very early on in the story, the casting is so promising, any Days' fan could tell B&B what a find Patrika Darbo is, she's perfect for the role of Sally's sister, Shirley, humorous barbs and scheming are kind of her specialty, and while I sort of wish younger Sally had a name all her own, I'm already loving the abundance of energy Courtney Hope brings to the part and how some of her line readings are quite reminiscent of Darlene Conley so it seems like it'll kind of be an everyday tribute to the legend. It's only been a couple episodes and already B&B is a ton more fun, full of so much more possibility with this scrappy group going up against snooty Ridge, maybe even hiring a couple disgruntled Forresters (Rick? Thomas?) and Sally is definitely sparking with Thomas. This could get really good so long as B&B promise to keep that wet blanket Liam away from the vibrant Spectra clan.


  374. Laura Wright (Carly, GH)
    (Week Ending January 27, 2017)

    General Hospital's Carly continued to mourn the loss of her son Morgan this week, his death taking a toll on her in realistic ways. When Carly realized Morgan's mail has been piling up, she decided it was time to go through it, a seemingly menial task that ending up devastating her. Laura Wright did such grat work in these scenes, convincingly crushed by Morgan's credit card bill, his erratic spending hitting her as confirmation that things hadn't been right with him, and she'd failed to see it. Then, to make her day even more emotional, Carly ran into her deceased son's girlfriend, Kiki, out with her new boyfriend, and instead of doing the ranting, raving, how dare you thing Carly generally does, she quietly admitted she's envious of Kiki, because Kiki gets to move on, she gets to fill that Morgan-sized void in her heart, while Carly, as Morgan's mom, can't just find someone new to fill her void. Losing Morgan was a blow to the soap, but it opened the door to a compassionate, compelling performance by Laura Wright, the definition of making lemonade from lemons.


  375. Rena Sofer (Quinn, B&B)
    (Week Ending January 20, 2017)

    The Bold and The Beautiful's Quinn tore into Ridge this week when she realized her son-in-law intended to seduce her into destroying her marriage, and in response, Rena Sofer, in her best moment in the role yet, delivered a powerful and truthful spech about female sexuality, basically saying that sex is a game women can't win, no matter what they do, they are judged, and their sexuality is used against them. A lot of the time B&B could be accused of being out of touch with their portrayal of women, but for that one moment at least, they should be applauded for showing a greater understanding, even if they turned right around and ruined it by having Quinn and Ridge kiss anyway.


  376. Eric Martsolf (Brady, Days)
    (Week Ending January 13, 2017)

    Days Of Our Lives' Eric Martsolf gave a standout performance this week as Brady tried his best to have Nicole's back. It's always so interesting to watch Brady, which frankly isn't something that's always said about good guy characters. His take on Brady is full of kindness and concern yet there's also a temper, a sort of simmering volcano inside him, an unpredictability in the way Martsolf plays things, sudden shifts in tone more common with villains than with characters as decent and loving as Brady. Thursday's episode saw him impassioned to the point of yelling at a hospitalized Chloe, then with Chloe's mom, he was snide and poking at her secrets, and finally with Nicole, he struggled to bite his tongue and feign happiness for his friend's engagement, where so often it's difficult to discern much personality in "good" characters, Martsolf showed off three believable aspects of Brady over the course of an hour without compromising his innate goodness. Eric Martsolf is one of the more underrated talents in daytime so I was concerned when Theresa left town that Days might forget what an asset this actor is, it's been encouraging to see him brought into Nicole's baby drama and have some drama of his own with whatever is going on with his/Daniel's heart, is that just about Nicole or a burgeoning medical crisis?


  377. Michelle Stafford (Nina, GH)
    (Week Ending January 6, 2017)

    General Hospital’s Nina is one of those characters I struggle with simply because it feels like the writers manipulate her crazy to go in whatever direction they need the story to go in, it’s contrived rather than what makes sense for the character. This week however, Nina had a moment that for once felt thoughtfully written, and if Michelle Stafford is considering scenes for her Emmy submission this year, this should be it. When Nina’s brother Nathan confronted her over her quickie marriage to Valentin, at first Nina claimed she loves the guy, but Nathan the cop pressed her, so then Nina was like well, I’ll probably love him eventually, then she cracked that much more and admitted that maybe for her, love with Valentin doesn’t matter, so long as it’s her one shot to experience loving a child, and it was just such a sad, desperate, self-aware admission that no matter how you ordinarily feel about Nina, it would be impossible not to feel for her in that moment.


  378. Victor & Nikki's 1984 Wedding (Y&R)
    (Week Ending December 30, 2016)

    Since the soaps' New Year's festivities weren't as fun as one would hope (no Maxie and Nathan wedding on GH, Chelsea and Nick kissed on Y&R, etc.) I thought this week I'd single out Y&R, CBS, and Sony for at least making their repeat of Y&R fun. What a treat it was to go back to Victor and Nikki's 1984 wedding and glimpse how life was back then for some of our favorites and of course to see the very much missed Katherine. I loved how little the Abbott Mansion has changed and how much the makeup has, it sure was heavy back then, and it seemed like the network gave them money to burn with the clothes, the sets, and tons of extras, how times have changed, and how well our soaps have adapted to those changes, too. If we're going to be stuck with a repeat (and not even on an actual holiday date) it should at least be something as entertaining as this, a walk down memory lane for long-time viewers and an insight into history for newer fans, it would have been great had B&B showcased the last time Eric married a psycho (Sheila), or if General Hospital showed Anna in the WSB, Michael getting shot as a kid, or something with The Cassadines, anything reflective of current storylines without being a re-run so recent that most probably didn't bother to watch.


  379. The Holiday Episodes
    (Week Ending December 23, 2016)

    This week I thought I’d mention some of my favorite moments from each show’s holiday episodes. The Bold and The Beautiful saw everyone put aside their differences to join Eric in his annual sing-along, though I have to say my favorite moment was a funny one, when Bill insisted that Mr. Potter is the hero of It’s A Wonderful Life. Days of Our Lives’ Horton tree decorating proved as emotional as ever with the absence of Bo, Hope, and Abby keenly felt, there was also some major drama as Chad finally found out Abby’s alive, and on the happiest note, Nicole named her little girl, even if she doesn’t yet know Holly’s her girl. General Hospital’s ladies took center stage this year as Monica and Carly both gave speeches (a nice switch since so often guys get the honors), and little lady Emma’s spending some time with her grandma and following in Anna’s spy shoes. Over in Genoa City, I may not be the biggest fan of Dylan and Sharon, but it was a really sweet moment when Nick brought the baby by for a Christmas visit, also, I love that Faith played such a prominent role this week, not only is it realistic to see her parent’s arguments affect her, but this actress is truly talented and she should have stories of her own, regardless of her age. I hope you found some festive moments you enjoyed in this weeks’ episodes as well, and have a happy Sunday, whether you’re celebrating Christmas or just a day off. Next up, New Year’s Eve episodes and hopefully some glamorous dresses, especially at Maxie’s wedding on GH.


  380. Judi Evans (Adrienne, Days)
    (Week Ending December 16, 2016)

    Days of Our Lives' Judi Evans has so much talent and has been so underused in recent years, that as a viewer, even though you love Adrienne, you have to kind of feel weirdly happy that Adrienne's been diagnosed with cancer because it means we get to see Judi Evans play something with dramatic heft, and something where she's actually the focul point of the story rather than a supporting role. If you saw Judi back in the day as Guiding Light's Beth, Another World's Paulina, or her first go-round on Days, you'll know her characters deeply feel everything a person would feel in any given moment, they laugh through their tears, they throw things in a fit of temper, they're full of fire and heart and with this story Judi once again gets to express all of those depths, over the course of this week, Adrienne was running away, she was lashing out at Justin, she's been afraid and in denial, she's cried her eyes out and cracked a joke about breast reconstruction, it's been a mess of emotions and few are better at messy emotions, this is a character at her most vulnerable and most human, and an actress at her very best as well, especially when Adrienne accepted Kate's nudge forward.


  381. Joseph Mascolo (Stefano, Days)
    (Week Ending December 9, 2016)

    With the passing of Joseph Mascolo, television has lost an immense screen presence. Stefano DiMera was one of the rare villains who was so much fun to hate with his longstanding obsession with Dr. Marlena, baiting the good guys, taunting and tormenting his own family yet at the same time fiercely loving them, the operatic way he had about him, the laugh bordering on a cackle, and my favorite signature move of his, how he used everyone’s full name, as if he respected them even as he so clearly did not. Stefano probably would have been a stock villain with nowhere near the longevity he enjoyed on the show had it not been for those many interesting traits and quirks that Joseph Mascolo brought to the part. In recent years on Days, there were few more memorable dramatic moments than whenever this underestimated talent verbally sparred with his on-screen son E.J., no matter what you thought of the character, Joseph Mascolo was never anything less than entertaining in the role, and by all accounts the very opposite of Stefano in real life, just a lovely, warmhearted man who will undoubtedly be sorely missed by those who knew him best and by those of us who loved to hate Stefano every afternoon.


  382. Reign Edwards (Nicole, B&B)
    (Week Ending December 2, 2016)

    The Bold and The Beautiful's Nicole refused her cheating boyfriend Zende's proposal and it was easily the highlight of the show's week. I've watched B&B long enough to understand how this soap works, I know the ladies get to enjoy one empowered moment only to cave not so long after, so, it's best to appreciate this moment featuring the version of Nicole that I love, the one who stands up for herself, who will not let some pouty man-child dictate her life, I know to savor this because it's only a matter of minutes before B&B has her doing the weak, I can't survive without a man thing they're too fond of, and Reign Edwards is stuck with material that doesn't show off her ability to convey more emotional strength than most of the men on the show display.


  383. Thanksgiving on Y&R & GH
    (Week Ending November 25, 2016)

    The Young and the Restless and General Hospital went all out with their Thanksgiving festivities, spreading the holiday out over a couple episodes so that viewers were treated to many of their favorites celebrating. Both shows delivered an ideal blend of family drama and humor. With the exception of Nick's questionable "Native American" garb, Y&R had some great stuff such as Jack gleefully eating Victor's pie, Jack and Billy being brotherly, the Sully/Christian mix-up still taking an emotional toll, and maybe best of all, scenes around an actual dinner table at the Newman ranch. General Hospital once again used the Quartermaines for laughs, as always a fun time of bickering and pizza, and as for the drama, while Sonny had a lonesome holiday, Alexis had it worse, surrounded by friends and family drinking, she went hurtling off the wagon and straight into Julian with her car. With Thanksgiving so well done, I can't wait to see what our soaps do for Christmas.


  384. Jen Lilley & Claire Labine (Theresa, Days/Writer, GH, RH, GL etc...)
    (Week Ending November 18, 2016)

    This week it's time to celebrate two outstanding daytime heroines, Days Of Our Lives' Jen Lilley and one of the all-time greatest soap scribes Claire Labine. Lilley's Theresa captured viewers' hearts despite her troublemaking persona. Always bubbling with energy and emotion, Jen Lilley's performances have been so wonderfully vulnerable and her final week has followed suit, full of tears and heartbreak and even a touching moment with her nemesis Victor in this perfectly executed exit storyline. I can't wait to see Jen Lilley work her magic in other roles, she already had a standout moment on this season of Grey's Anatomy, but at the same time, I'm holding out hope for a Days return someday. I feel like Days' Theresa would have been Claire Labine's kind of gal, feisty and complicated with a mostly good heart, something of a kindred spirit to General Hospital's Brenda, a character Claire Labine always wrote with equal parts soul and guts. Claire Labine created the much loved Ryan's Hope and wrote for several other soaps along the way, but in remembrance of her this week I'll speak to her work that I hold dearest on General Hospital, an era of the show that remains so vivid in my memory, with Luke and Laura back on the scene with young adorable Lucky, BJ's heart transplant, Robin's first love leading to tragedy and her AIDs diagnosis, and so, so much more. Best of all, Sonny and Brenda, in Claire Labine's creative hands they became one of the finest love stories ever, and in a real world so seemingly set on hating everyone and everything, to leave a legacy of such love is a tremendous accomplishment.


  385. Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis, GH)
    (Week Ending November 11, 2016)

    General Hospital's Alexis has always had questionable taste in men, yet she kept the rest of her life together, until now. Since her husband attempted to murder her, Alexis has been medicating her post attempted murder stress with alcohol. I'm really liking the way Nancy Lee Grahn is playing drunk, it isn't over-the-top so you can actually buy it when her friends and family don't always realize she's as inebriated as she is. Also impressive this week was how seemlessly Alexis shifted from flustered and frightened after nearly burning the house down around her grandson, to shrugging off the idea that she has a problem with alcohol, that transition to denial happened so fast, but believably so. It takes the combined forces of writing and subtle acting choices to get the pacing just right on something like this so it's lifelike the way Alexis is spiraling yet unwilling to see it for herself. Between Morgan's mental illness and this, GH has done commendably well this year with their issues-based storylines.


  386. Joshua Morrow, Sharon Case & Steve Burton (Nick, Sharon & Dylan, Y&R)
    (Week Ending November 4, 2016)

    Joshua Morrow, Sharon Case, and Steve Burton took center stage this week on The Young and The Restless as Nick and Dylan learned the truth about the baby. The writing for this storyline has been pretty questionable along the way, from an invented vendetta against Nick to up-in-everybody's business Dylan being totally cool with keeping his distance from a "pregnant" Sharon to Sage discovering her baby is alive and her first phone call is to the guy she doesn't want to be the father rather than to grief-stricken Nick, I mean, I could go on and on, there were plot holes and plot manipulations galore, but thankfully the first fallout (there's another coming since Adam's the actual baby daddy) has been handled more thoughtfully. The show made the most of each character's reaction, Sharon guilty yet also a victim, Nick angry and elated, Dylan struggling to let go of this boy he thought was his, I liked that the dialogue wasn't just shouting, it ran the emotional gamut and allowed each side of the story to be told.


  387. Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH)
    (Week Ending October 28, 2016)

    General Hospital’s Sonny, mourning his son, reeling from his ruined marriage, mixing alcohol with his meds, all those things compelled him to reach for a gun this week, only instead of aiming it a mob rival as he ordinarily would, he aimed it at himself, on the verge of suicide. One of the most interesting facets of Sonny’s character is how he’s very, very powerful, probably the most intimidating person in town, and yet he’s also one of the most vulnerable people in town, too. When Sonny’s tough guy persona is stripped away he becomes a gaping wound with a rush of salt pouring in, his pain palpable in Maurice Benard’s performance, in his scenes with Robin and Kristina, as well as on his own on the bridge and with an imaginary Morgan, it left no doubt as to just how emotionally tortured Sonny is, and how deserving Benard is of every accolade he receives.


  388. Meredith Scott Lynn (Anne, Days)
    (Week Ending October 21, 2016)

    Salem has been a dark place this past year with serial murders, a rape, a prison break, shootings, bombs, and kidnappings, so what a relief it was to have the return of Meredith Scott Lynn's Anne to Days Of Our Lives, bringing some much needed levity to the proceedings. Sure, Anne's something of a villain, too, but she's a villain of the gossipy, humorous, non-violent variety. Meredith Lynn Scott has superb comic timing, she's one of the best insulters in daytime (and I say this as someone who has always loved Jennifer, Anne's favorite target). Along the way Meredith's transformed Anne from a one-dimensional antagonist into a loyal friend and a truly interesting character who you want to know better. I love that Anne's sarcastic, she delivers much needed humor, yet the actress also slips these moments of vulnerability in there that it seems like the writers are picking up on more and more each time she appears, it was a perfect blend of the humor and vulnerability this week when Anne sought shelter at the DiMera mansion and in her conversations with Lucas, particularly the loaded mention of conflict with her mother (we must meet this woman!). With Theresa leaving, it's the perfect time for the sidekick to step out and live a rom-com of her own, I know Lucas is engaged, but really Adrienne belongs with Justin while Lucas belongs with someone who has a little more Sami in her, someone who's more a thorn in his side, someone who'd verbally spar with him (he's no stranger to sarcasm, either) and just think, Anne with Lucas would mean Anne attempting to impress mom-in-law Kate, and Anne "making nice" with Jennifer at the Horton family Christmas, this absolutely needs to happen.


  389. Morgan's Death (GH)
    (Week Ending October 14, 2016)

    While I’m not convinced that General Hospital’s Morgan actually died in that explosion, his “death” turns out to be a good thing as it had repercussions across Port Charles resulting in powerful performances from much of the cast. This was so thoughtfully written and acted - Carly’s initial denial, Sonny’s tears, Dante more connected to his brother than he’s ever really seemed, Kiki and Michael blaming themselves, T.J. wishing he’d done more, Michael lashing out at Kiki, Josslyn asking for the truth, Ava heartbroken, knowing she played a part yet heaping blame on her daughter anyway, Franco attempting to comfort Kiki, Sonny and Carly’s breakup - if you’re going to kill off an important character it should be done like this where the death is keenly felt with huge aftershocks for the remaining characters that propel them in new directions. Bryan Craig made Morgan such a memorable part of the show, delivering one of the most believable mental health stories, his heartfelt and energizing appearances on General Hospital will be sorely missed, but strong material like this for the rest of the cast will soften the blow for viewers.


  390. Richard Burgi (Paul, GH)
    (Week Ending October 7, 2016)

    General Hospital's serial killer storyline wasn't their most well-conceived idea ever, often illogical, the police and hospital looked incompetent, and the plot took down two quality characters/actors with it, the only redeeming value here has been Richard Burgi's performance. It turns out Paul committed these murders as vengance for his daughter in hopes that it would bring Susan out of her catatonic state following a brutal rape and beating. There was a very relevant and deeply affecting tale to be told here about the injustice that too often occurs with rape crimes and how those crimes scar the victim for life, however GH appeared more interested in killing spree murder mystery shock value than in digging into a social atrocity, this story was only made meaningful by what Richard Burgi brought to it, in Paul's sweaty anxiety and guilt that led to him nearly murdering Tracy, in his attempt to take his own life, and in his anguish over who would be there for Susan in his absence, any emotional resonance this story achieved was in large part if not entirely thanks to this actor who very much deserved better. It's a shame the show chose to write him into a corner, I would have liked to have seen more between Paul and his daughter, and I'll miss Richard Burgi's swagger in the role, the fuzzy morals and smart mouth, and the interesting chemistry he shared with Anna that sadly went unexplored.


  391. Agnes Nixon Tribute
    (Week Ending September 30, 2016)

    AIDS. War. Race. Autism. Homosexuality. Drunk driving. Cancer. Abuse. Anorexia. PTSD. Abortion. These are just some of the stories Agnes Nixon's soap operas told in great depth, humanizing challenging topics often before primetime dramas even mentioned them by name. She wrote multi-dimensional African-Americans and women before anyone hashtag-demanded equality. Somehow both timely and timeless, heart mattered more than anything in Agnes Nixon's stories and that's what made viewers eager to follow her wherever she wanted to take us, someplace funny or romantic, and occasionally even into that unexplored, controversial territory, her pioneering voice provided some of my fondest memories and is sorely missed.


  392. Kyler Pettis (Theo, Days)
    (Week Ending September 23, 2016)

    A prison break combined with a power outage and the responsibility to protect two children this week on Days of Our Lives threw college freshman Theo into a panic and he remained shaken afterwards, tough on himself for not handling it as well as he thought he should have in what was a riveting performance by Kyler Pettis. He is so good in this role, sweet and thoughtful, he plays this young man with depth, heart, and dignity. Soarps are meant to explore life experiances, and they are infinitely better when they explore different life experiances, aside from AMC's Lily, daytime hasn't show us what it's like to live on the autism spectrum, so even though we've seen a million coming of age stories, this one feels fresh and new. Diversity isn't just a good thing as far as allowing everyone watching to feel included, diversity is also the best thing for storytelling, it opens up so many more possibilities when you stop showing just one type of person.


  393. Martha Madison, Brandon Beemer & Teresa Castillo (Belle & Shawn, Days and Sabrina, GH)
    (Week Ending September 16, 2016)

    General Hospital and Days of Our Lives said farewell this week to characters/actors who were important to their shows as well as their fans. Shawn and Belle came home with their marriage all busted up, it wasn’t fun to watch, it wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t well-motivated, it wasn’t anything we wanted from the couple, and that’s the show’s fault, not the actors. The few moments when they actually had great material – a confrontation leads to bed and confusion over their relationship status, then months later on their final day, Shawn refuses to join Belle in Hong Kong only to show up last minute with his bag packed – those scenes had heart and heat, proving Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison still shine in these roles, they still have good things to contribute to the soap when provided the opportunity. Over at General Hospital, for some reason they couldn’t dream up a better way to accommodate Teresa Castillo’s maternity leave than to have Sabrina run off with her dangerous ex. This is a woman who’s other newborn died and she chose to run off pregnant with a criminal who’d been shot how many times? It didn’t make sense for her character and GH has given her little to nothing to do since, actually, the writing for Sabrina has been uninspired ever since her story with Patrick concluded, it’s like GH has no clue how to craft a female character on her own without a guy to prop up the plotline (which is weird given that the head writers, I believe, are women) so, of course, the writers/producer saw Sabrina as someone to kill off for purely dramatic effect. It feels like such a waste when you consider how immediately viewers fell in love with this character, Teresa Castillo made Sabrina endearing, she made her sparkle with joy and made you feel for her sadness, all without much assistance from the writers, who were seemingly intent on exploring her background, her family, her aspirations, as little as possible, that we loved this character and we’ll miss her, is almost entirely due to the actress who portrayed her, and not the show who appeared lost as to what to do with her.


  394. Roger Howarth (Franco, GH)
    (Week Ending September 9, 2016)

    General Hospital’s Roger Howarth could give a masterclass on how to transition characters from psychotic villain to borderline hero. Part of it is writing of course, pairing Franco with Elizabeth and having him connect with Jake helped ground the character more than his relationship with the equally unbalanced Nina ever did, but mostly, it’s on the actor to make the change believable. Even though Franco’s a decent guy now, Howarth has maintained most of Franco’s psycho villain traits, Franco still doesn’t have the greatest handle on boundaries, he isn’t one to abide by rules, he still does that talking a mile a minute thing or not quite making eye contact, and has a lack of stillness, so it doesn’t feel like he suddenly became someone else, there’s still an edginess to his personality, you still sense the potential for bad decisions underneath the goodness, it’s a very layered and endlessly interesting performance.


  395. Nichelle Nichols (Lucinda, Y&R)
    (Week Ending September 2, 2016)

    Nichelle Nichols brought great presence and emotion to the role of Neil's mom, Lucinda, this week on Y&R. While I would have preferred it had Y&R chosen the more morally conflicted path of Lucinda abandoning her son by choice (a storyline you sometimes see with dads though rarely with moms) as opposed to going with the more predictable and more forgiveable alcoholism, Nichelle Nichols' handful of scenes so far were well done, Lucinda's regret and love for her son truly felt. Even though Lucinda is physically weakened and dying, as well as apologetic, Nichelle Nichols gave the character a certain amount of fight and feistiness in her dealings with Neil that I really enjoyed and has me hoping that maybe Lucinda's death won't be quite so imminent, maybe every so often she could help fill the advice-giving gap left behind by another elegant, straight-shooter of a lady, Katherine.


  396. Suzanne Rogers (Maggie, Days)
    (Week Ending August 26, 2016)

    Days Of Our Lives' Maggie had an up and down week, successful surgery followed by the arrest of her husband, Victor. It was a nice little arc that Suzanne Rogers had the opportunity to play out with Maggie confined in her hospital bed, fighting through the doubts that trusted sources Brady and Caroline put in her head and instead go with what her heart believes. Suzanne Rogers was so good here, not only choked up emotionally in conversation, but in the scenes all on her own, reacting to flashbacks, her facial expressions spoke volumes. It's just further proof that there is quality acting and quality storytelling to be told at every age, and soaps are always better when they recognize that.


  397. Genie Francis (Laura, GH)
    (Week Ending August 19, 2016)

    General Hospital's Laura has for so long been her show's moral sweetheart, which tends to be a kind of thankless role, the writers seem to struggle to make nice characters interesting, but this week they mined Laura's past and finally produced some juicy scenes worthy of Genie Francis' ability. It's about time the show dug into the fact that Laura abandoned her son, Nikolas, to save herself. Laura's more layered now that we really get to see the guilt and regret of that impossible decision weighing on her and affecting her behavior. Whether lashing out at Hayden or screaming/sobbing over all the time she'd lost with Nikolas, it was the most riveting the character has been in quite some time. There's still the matter of her incredibly dull romance with Kevin (why not try her out with Paul, she does have a good history with bad boys), but at least Laura's in a better place personality-wise.


  398. Maura West (Ava, GH)
    (Week Ending August 12, 2016)

    General Hospital's Ava returned from her ordeal abroad only to find things weren't much sunnier on the homefront which made for another brilliant multi-faceted performance from Maura West. Maura delivered comedy in response to Scotty and Lucy's romp in her home. She combined villainy with helicopter-mom as Ava attempted to split up her adult daughter's relationship. And, she brought out Ava's genuine heart as she consoled Laura over the loss of Laura's son, Nikolas. There was a time early one when Ava was a fairly one-dimensional character, these days, however, there are so many sides to Ava's personality, it's Maura West at her complex best and I cannot wait to see how she and Tyler Christopher play off one another come September.


  399. Camping (Y&R)
    (Week Ending August 5, 2016)

    The Young and The Restless went camping this week and while it may not have been a masterclass in writing or acting, it was a welcome departure for a show that's probably the most glam of all the remaining soaps. Sure, the campsite had this strange smoggy mist hovering over it, still, it was good to have a change of scenery as far as sets go, between Katherine's now depressing mansion and that one room in the GCAC that seemingly half the cast lives in, my eyes were begging for something different. It was also fun to see Sharon do something other than hallucinate and Dylan do something other than prove everyone guilty, they actually had some fun dialogue, who knew they had it in them? Best of all, Mariah and Hope featured prominantly with both humorous and tender moments, it never gets old watching Hope melt Mariah's defenses, if the new producer is taking requests, more of this sister act, please.


  400. Michael E. Knight (Dr. Neville, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 29, 2016)

    Maybe I'm alone in this, but I really like it when soaps include characters who aren't the usual soap opera types, it's more life-like and more interesting to see a variety of people on screen, so it was really disappointing to me that this week Y&R parted ways with Neville. Intelligent, nerdy, socially awkward and sometimes funny, he sparked with Ashley, and every scene, his gestures, his tics, his formal manner of speech, he was so refreshingly different and therefore, to me, far more compelling to watch than your standard brawny yet dull soap heroes like Dylan and Stitch. It's a shame that the show gave up on this character when we still don't even know all that much about him, there's history to be mined, family to be explored, and all that possibility with Ashley. I'm so sorry to see Michael E. Knight go, it was such a joy to have him back on television and in a role far removed from AMC's smooth ladies' man, Tad. His run on Y&R didn't last nearly as long as I would have liked, but I loved the way he played Neville, and I loved that he didn't compromise the character's personality at any point even though doing so, making Neville more at ease, more flirtatious, more the soap mold probably would have kept him on the show.


  401. Lynn Herring & Kin Shriner (Lucy & Scotty, GH)
    (Week Ending July 22, 2016)

    Once again Lynn Herring and Kin Shriner in only a handful of scenes made an overwhelming case for being on-contract with front-burner storylines. I loved watching them bicker, I loved watching Scotty beg Lucy for a job, I loved them tag-teaming against Hayden's mom followed by their sheepish denials that they'd been up in her face, and I love them interacting with Franco, the two of them "parenting" him with bad advice would be so much fun to watch on a regular basis. Lucy and Scotty should be entertaining us two or three days a week, not two or three days a year, Lynn Herring and Kin Shriner are not only the best with humor, they slay at drama as well, if you saw Dominique's death or Serena's birth, those moments are still with you and that's in large part due to these actors. These two sparkle big time and I just don't understand why any TV show wouldn't want more sparkle. Maybe it's time for GH to take stock of the cast, to ask whether they need to constantly introduce new characters (Valentin's seeming like he'll be a loveable addition, huh? And who wasn't clamoring for a Carlos twin?), and maybe it's also time to notice that there are other characters who actually don't sparkle in the slightest, who don't matter to the show's history and who wouldn't be missed to anywhere near the degree that Lucy and Scotty are missed.


  402. Gina Tognoni (Phyllis, Y&R)
    (Week Ending July 15, 2016)

    Gina Tognoni single-handedly elevated her otherwise nauseating storyline on The Young and The Restless this week as Phyllis continues to be torn between her husband and his brother. There have been times in soap history where this sort of storyline actually worked, and maybe some Y&R fans are enjoying it, but for me, it’s felt like a misstep. How is the audience supposed to warm to the latest new Billy if he’s making a play for his brother’s wife? Is anything about that likeable? It’s not like Jack did something heinous to Phyllis and Billy that warrants payback. It’s not like Phyllis and Billy share some irrepressible chemistry, they don’t, it feels forced. It feels like Y&R just didn’t know where to go next with these characters so they went in the wrong direction. This week though, things are looking up, as a rattled Phyllis realized she needed to take a step back from both men, she’s questioning what she’s doing to Jack, and she’s questioning what she feels for Billy. Her tear-soaked appeal to Jack for time and space was maybe the only affecting moment this storyline has seen, probably because it wasn’t Phyllis having to act all suddenly in love and lust with her brother-in-law, this came from a more authentic place, this came from Tognoni tapping into all the emotional trauma Phyllis has endured in recent years, the coma, the husband switcheroo, the hostage taking, her feelings for either guy at this point is pretty questionable, what isn’t questionable is how messed up a person in her shoes would be, and scenes focused on that – focused on her - are far more compelling than choosing between two brothers.


  403. Heather Tom (Katie, B&B)
    (Week Ending July 8, 2016)

    I hate that The Bold and the Beautiful keeps revisiting the same storylines with the same characters, particularly ones that were obnoxious enough the first go round such as pairing Bill with his sister-in-law Brooke, honestly I don’t want to praise this show at all for something that just feels like a re-run in a genre that isn’t supposed have re-runs, but it wouldn’t feel right to ignore how talented Heather Tom is just because the writers suffer from a lack or originality. I heavily suspect that the last time I nominated Heather Tom for actor of the week, it was probably for nearly identical material that I’m singling her out for this week, where she’s having her heart ripped out by her husband and sister’s betrayal, where she’s confrontational and in tears, and swears she’s cutting them out of her life, but even though I know I’ve seen this stuff before, even though it should have been done with ages ago, Heather Tom still makes it compelling, she still had me stopping whatever I was doing to put my eyes on what she was doing, because what she does is special every time even when her show is not. Heather is just outstanding, she’s earned her Emmys, she can make anything feel real and soul crushing despite being stuck in this hamster wheel of plot endlessly circling the same territory. It’s beyond me why B&B doesn’t see what richness they have in her, that they could takes risks with this actress throw her some totally fresh and challenging idea and she would do wonders with it, instead she and the viewers are just stuck with the same old.


  404. Nancy Lee Grahn & William DeVry (Alexis & Julian, GH)
    (Week Ending July 1, 2016)

    I know Nancy Lee Grahn and William DeVry have many devoted supporters and their fans probably hate the direction their favorite couple has gone in, so I feel for them, but for those viewers who have always found Alexis' love affairs with criminals baffling and unbelievably contrary to the way she lives the rest of her life, it's been long overdue to finally see her realize that she should seek a better class of man - chiefly one who wouldn't let her fry for a murder he committted. With Julian contemplating ways to murder the woman he loves, and Alexis contemplating that he might actually go through with it, this potentially lethal chess match, the tension has been a thousand times more interesting than their sexcapades ever were. The frayed nerves, wondering when their spouse will put a knife (literal or otherwise) in their back, it's conflicted and complicated, it's what a toxic romance between an upstanding lawyer and a murderous mobster should have been from the start.


  405. Kate Mansi (Abigail, Days)
    (Week Ending June 24, 2016)

    Days of Our Lives fans had to say goodbye to another cast member this week as Friday marked Kate Mansi’s last day as Abigail. It’s been such a pleasure to watch Kate grow as an actress and to see the character grow and change with her, both Kate and Abigail becoming beloved parts of this show’s storied history. Abigail wasn’t a saint, along the way she pursued some relationships she maybe morally shouldn’t have pursued, and so often that means the fans will turn against you, that means at best you’ll become the resident bad girl, it speaks to Kate’s talent that neither of those things happened, she infused Abby with so much humanity and so much vulnerability, that it was always easy to forgive her and understand her and love her no matter the mistakes she made. While there are things about Abby’s final storyline that I would have liked to have seen done a little differently (like showing her in counseling and more scenes with Chad, happy or not), Kate Mansi has been outstanding throughout, as Abigail’s reached her weakest point emotionally, it feels like Mansi is at her strongest, so it’s sad for Days fans, but really promising for whatever roles she takes on next.


  406. Trent Dawson (Huxley, GH)
    (Week Ending June 17, 2016)

    General Hospital's sense of humor has been one of their greatest assets in the last couple years, so hiring Trent Dawson for a guest role is a match made in heaven. The As The World Turns alum stole several scenes this week to hilarious effect as Huxley, a mystery man with a ridiculous British accent prone to suspicious behavior such as kidnapping Ava and Nikolas. Trent Dawson's way with bumbling motormouth lies is as fun and funny as ever. If you had the pleasure of watching the genius that was As The World Turns back in the day, then you remember that over time we saw Trent Dawson's character Henry evolve, we saw that Dawson had more to offer than just the fun and funny, he became a romantic lead, he did drama, he turned out to be such an unexpected and versatile find for ATWT, it would be so amazing and welcome if this short-term role on GH blossomed in a similar fashion.


  407. Kristian Alfonso & Peter Reckell (Hope & Bo, Days)
    (Week Ending June 10, 2016)

    Days of Our Lives Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell made magic again this week. The reunion was all in Hope's head and brief, though thankfully not as brief as Jack and Jennifer a few weeks back, Bo was at least in this episode enough for it to feel satisfying. Hope, a character we've seen as so strong and so sure, found herself floundering, questioning who she should be with, questioning the wife, mother and person she's been, and Kristian Alfonso did a wonderful job conveying all that self-doubt and guilt so different from who Hope ordinarily is, while Peter Reckell beautifully supported her in the scenes as Bo lifted her, encouraged her, and gave her the goodbye she needed. It wasn't ideal, Bo remains gone, but as far as guest appearances go, this is how it should be done, the scenes have to be enough to achieve the old emotion and connection the fans' crave, otherwise it's just a massive disappointment.


  408. Ray Wise (Ian Ward, Y&R)
    (Week Ending June 3, 2016)

    Y&R's Ian Ward is smarmy and evil, perhaps the least loveable character in soaps, yet he's weirdly entertaining in his own twisted way. The Young and The Restless doesn't indulge in as much intentional humor as some of the other soaps, so it's all the more surprising and fun when one of their actors does choose to inject some humor into the show. Scenes like the ones this week as Ian's sitting there, quite literally the devil who Adam's foolish enough to make a deal with, rather than act straight up sinister, Ian comes off as playful, which is not only funny, it's actual creepier than a serious take on the same dialogue might have been. It's thanks to Ray Wise's unique delivery that Y&R has gotten more mileage out of this villain than anyone would have expected.


  409. Nurses' Ball (GH)
    (Week Ending May 27, 2016)

    While General Hospital's Nurses' Ball felt a little more muted this year with the humorous moments seemingly dialed down (plus the opening nurse number could use freshening up and Magic Milo just feels awkward and exploitative) still, it's one of the most entertaining times of the soap year to see GH's cast show off their other talents. I figured I'd focus on my three favorite acts here, number one being Emma's duet with Ned, the only thing that might have made it more adorable would have been Spencer crashing the stage. As much as I want Kiki with Morgan, she and Dillon's version of Stitches was one of the highlights, Robert Palmer Walkins has such a strong pop voice, and then the backstage kiss led to a Morgan moment and Morgan moments are just always the best. Lastly, though he didn't participate all that much, Franco's presence on stage supporting Jake, was cute and heroic and solidified my thoughts that GH needs to make sure Roger Howarth stays under contract because there is more magic to be mined from his interractions with that little boy and Franco's very palpable chemistry with Elizabeth is the stuff supercouples are made of.


  410. Lynn Herring (Lucy, GH)
    (Week Ending May 20, 2016)

    General Hospital finally welcomed back Lynn Herring this week and even though the scenes so far weren't anything all that pivotal or special, they were still highpoints of the week because this actress and this brilliant character she's crafted are pivotal and special and hopefully someday General Hospital will wake up to that fact. Lynn Herring brings this tremendous vitality and humor to the show, just look at any of Lucy's recruitment moments for the Nurses' Ball, it is such a joy to watch her enthusiasm and her annual harrassment of the citizens of Port Charles. Then there's the emotion she delivers, too, with Lucy's reaction to Lucas and Brad's wedding announcement, Lynn Herring did such skillful work in not only portraying Lucy's happiness for the couple, but also hinting at Lucy's heartbreak, her longing for love. She didn't have much to play this week, but she turned it into something, that's what Lynn Herring does, she's that good, and she deserves better from GH. Hook her up with Scotty, have her befriend Anna and Tracy, and go into business with Laura or Ava, show her being a mom, whatever, just give her a full-bodied storyline, she matters so much to fans, we know greatness when we see it.


  411. Daniel Cosgrove (Aiden, Days)
    (Week Ending May 13, 2016)

    It turns out that Days Of Our Lives' Aiden isn't so dead after all. Maybe the best part about his revival, aside from the return of Daniel Cosgrove's fine acting, is the way they brought Aiden back, instead of keeping fans wondering for months whether this really is Aiden or an imposter, Days did a very non-Days like thing, they skipped the mindgames with the fans and actually enlightened us right away with an episode devoted to where Aiden has been all this time. Not only was it an interesting departure from the standard episode format, but it was a great showcase for Daniel Cosgrove, kind of like his own small-screen version of Castaway, except rather than a tropical island he was stuck in a DiMera cell, and instead Wilson the volleyball, he had deceased bird for company. Acting all by yourself cannot be the easiest thing, and acting opposite a bird corpse must be even harder, yet Cosgrove nailed every minute. While Kristian Alfonso book-ended the episode, it was very much Daniel Cosgrove's hour to shine and he sure did as he played out these intense moments of psychological torture and Aiden's struggle to keep it together enough to eventually find his way out, it made for an impressive and intriguing start to his return.


  412. Obba Babatunde & Anna Maria Horsford (Julius & Vivienne, B&B)
    (Week Ending May 6, 2016)

    The Bold and The Beautiful's Julius and Vivienne Avant may be billed as guest roles, but this week their portrayers Anna Maria Horsford and Obba Babatunde were the stars of the show (and not just because he gave one of the most outstanding Daytime Emmy speeches ever). Julius and Vivienne's explosive confrontation over his infidelity and hiding Sasha's paternity stood out as one of B&B's finest moments of the year so far. Since we met the Avants, we've seen Julius as an unbending tyrant, and Vivienne as his dutiful, devoted wife who mostly lets him make all their decisions, so to then this week see Julius tearful and begging, while suddenly Vivienne wielded the power in their relationship, it was a thrilling role reversal, and a great example of how much better a show can be when every character, not just the leads, are handed strong story to play out.


  413. Kelly Sullivan (Sage, Y&R)
    (Week Ending April 29, 2016)

    What exactly makes soaps blind to just how talented Kelly Sullivan is? First General Hospital killed off her character and now The Young and The Restless. I know it’s the era of budget cuts in daytime so maybe that played a part in this, and Sage isn’t a blood relation to any other core character, and they’re usually the first to go, but anyone who watches Y&R could have picked out a half dozen characters or more who belong on the chopping block ahead of her given Kelly Sullivan’s acting ability and Sage’s vital role in a front-burner storyline. Sharon is hiding the fact that her baby is actually Sage’s, and the added twist is that Nick isn’t the daddy, Nick’s brother Adam is, and Adam is still in the process of mending his relationship with Chelsea, and Adam had serious chemistry with Sage, a ton of drama is going to go down and the baby’s biological mother was deemed not important enough to play a part in that drama? It’s baffling. Especially when you look at just how good this actress is with the emotional stuff, this week alone, she was riveting, full of unbridled joy in that “first” hello to her baby and ferocity in laying claim to him, and full of sorrow in saying goodbye to him so soon after. It doesn’t matter that she isn’t an Abbott or a Newman, all that matters is that this is an actress who convinced you to care, and I just don’t understand why shows cut loose someone who has their viewers invested and wanting to tune in the next day to see what happens next. The only consolation in Sage’s death is that Kelly Sullivan will undoubtedly find a juicy role somewhere else.


  414. Kate Mansi (Abigail, Days)
    (Week Ending April 22, 2016)

    From day one, Kate Mansi has made Days of Our Lives' Abigail such an endearing character that even when Abby pursued married men no one held a grudge against her for long because the actress played her in such an emotional and vulnerable way, she's made that the hallmark of the character, the thing we love most about Abigail is the heart on her sleeve, and so of course it's been dramatic to see Ben rip that heart away. While this whole Ben escaping prison thing wasn't my ideal way to spend the final few months of Kate Mansi's tenure on the show (my ideal would have involved much more of Chad and Abigail's intense chemistry), it's certainly been a showcase for Mansi's talent, particularly this last week as Abby came to realize that she truly does need help after she ran off to a hotel with her baby. Between her not so calm attempt to calm her baby and then screaming at her husband and brother, Abigail very believably reached the end of her rope, while Kate Mansi convincingly made her case for next year's Emmy nominations.


  415. Greg Vaughan (Eric, Days)
    (Week Ending April 15, 2016)

    Days of Our Lives has an ever-shrinking budget, cast cuts are inevitable, however, it's tough to swallow when one of those cast cuts is Eric Brady played by Greg Vaughan. It's difficult to understand how a character can be expendable when in his final week he's part of such emotional goodbye scenes (especially with mom, Marlena, on Tuesday's episode, so, so good), that emotion says to me that this is a character who matters in Salem, it's a character with a lot of story left to tell. It's also hard to understand how a character can be expendable when the love of his life, Nicole, arguably the soap's leading lady, doesn't share that kind of heat with anyone else on the show, is anyone really feeling all warm and fuzzy at the thought of pairing her with Maggie's poisoner? It's also difficult to understand how an actor can be expendable when from Beverly Hills 90210 to Charmed to Y&R and GH, and now Days, anyone who's paid attention has seen his acting skills grow progressively and impressively stronger so much so that it feels like a certainty that he'll only get even better with time. It's disappointing to think that Days fans won't benefit from Greg Vaughan's further growth, though it's heartening to know we'll get to watch him again in a primetime drama from Selma director Ava DuVernay, what a well-deserved opportunity.


  416. Nancy Lee Grahn and Lexi Ainsworth (Alexis & Kristina, GH)
    (Week Ending April 8, 2016)

    General Hospital's Nancy Lee Grahn and Lexi Ainsworth are simply magic together. Lexi's been back for a while now, and she's had some amazing moments on her own the last few weeks, but it wasn't until this week when Kristina and Alexis sat on the sofa to really, really talk, that it felt like one of my favorite mother-daughter relationships had finally been revived, they were as emotional and as compelling as ever. Family stories are so essential to building good soap opera and when you hit upon a bond as believable and warm as the one Nancy Lee Grahn and Lexi Ainsworth share, it's everything, and hopefully, this time around GH realizes that.


  417. Hayley Erin (Kiki, GH)
    (Week Ending April 1, 2016)

    The mafia pretty much runs Port Charles, like it or not, for General Hospital to feel even remotely authentic, there's going to be gun violence, so my faorite moment of the week was when Kiki (brilliantly and believably played by Hayley Erin) freaked out at the sound of a tray dropping, mistaking it for gunfire. It was so refreshing to see this show address the lasting repercussions of the violence they portray, far too often GH's gunshot victims have their life-saving surgery and voila, end of trauma, but that isn't how it works in life, stuff like this stays with people, it scars beyond the physical, and I hope it stays with Kiki, too, not only because she's played by an actress who deserves an emotionally challenging story, but also because if a show insists on telling violent tales, they at least shouldn't be flippant about it.


  418. Alma Delfina (Adriana, Days)
    (Week Ending March 25, 2016)

    Days of Our Lives' newest cast member, Alma Delfina, made a strong debut this week as we finally met the matriarch of the Hernandez family. I loved how tactile the actress chose to be in those initial reunion scenes, the way Adriana frequently touched each of her children and her granddaughter, those loving gestures made it so easy to buy into the lifelong bond between the characters. For a moment there, I thought this might be a situation of two sons protecting their meek, mild mother, so it was also a nice surprise when she stood her own ground against her ex, Eduardo, proclaiming herself mother and father to their children was particularly affective. I don't know if Days has any actual concrete plans for this character, but as far as I'm concerned the more family dynamics, the better a soap is.


  419. Lexi Ainsworth (Kristina, GH)
    (Week Ending March 18, 2016)

    This week, General Hospital's Lexi Ainsworth reminded fans of why we were so disappointed when the show chose to let her go years ago. Much like her outstanding performance in the abuse storyline as a teen, on Thursday, Ainsworth thoroughly impressed me with her raw, emotional acting when Kristina's parents finally paid enough attention to confront her about what's going on. Kristina broke down, admitting she'd been kicked out of school after attempting to seduce a professor for grades, so she's embarrassed and she's afraid her parents are ashamed of her, and on top of that she hasn't mentioned the teacher is female, she hasn't mentioned that she fell for her and now she's confused about her sexuality. It was a ton of concealed, as well as heart-on-her-sleeve emotion to play in those scenes and the actress beautifully pulled off that tricky combination. She was so believable with Kristina's choked up, tearful confession and in capturing that feeling of being utterly lost in life. Soaps still seem reluctant when it comes to exploring anything other than heterosexuality, those stories tend to fade quickly into the background, but hopefully that won't be the case here, Lexi Ainsworth has too much talent to waste it on the backburner.


  420. Gina Tognoni (Phyllis, Y&R)
    (Week Ending March 11, 2016)

    Y&R's Phyllis tends to lose her edge around her mostly good guy husband, Jack, so it's been great to see that despite him, she's opted to seek revenge on Victor. Few ever really manage to best Victor, but it's still entertaining to see someone try, and Gina Tognoni is the ideal candidate for the job, she is so believably cocky and confident whenever Phyllis faces Victor, whether or not she ultimately wins, the confrontations are far more intriguing when the actor opposite a presence as powerful as Eric Braeden is, herself, no shrinking violet. While it's fun to watch her match insults and underhanded schemes with Victor, it's great that this storyline isn't only consumed with vengance, there's emotional fallout, too, Phyllis' friction with/disappointment in Jack for not being on board with her, and tears shed because her daughter is stuck in the middle, those are wise choices from the writers, tackling this story from seveeral angles, weaving in layers of depth that Tognoni clearly thrives on, whether OLTL, GL, or now Y&R, the more complicated the emotions, the more impressive her acting is.


  421. Reign Edwards (Nicole, B&B)
    (Week Ending March 4, 2016)

    The Bold and the Beautiful's Reign Edwards has exuded confidence from the get go whether Nicole was confronting her family, pursuing a career, or deciding to carry her sister's baby, she's done all these things with a strong sense of self, which has been gratifying to see, particularly on B&B where the ladies frequently compromise who they are for a guy. It's been disappointing then, in the past week, to see Nicole wishing she'd slept with Zende to hold on to him, beating herself up over this breakup feels out of character, maybe it's her pregnancy hormones, but the girl we've come to know seemed far liklier to have told off Zende, and declare it his loss, rather than wallow over him. That said, even if I don't care for the writing, the actress did a great job this week in showing other sides of her talent, showing she can play more than the cute, bubbly girl with swagger, she's every bit as adept at vulnerability and insecurity, now if B&B would just figure out that at least one of their female characters can be and feel all those things without her happiness hingeing on whether or not she has a man that would be even better.


  422. Bryan Craig (Morgan, GH)
    (Week Ending February 26, 2016)

    General Hospital's Bryan Craig had yet another brilliant week as an off his meds Morgan inserted himself into a gun deal on the docks that ended up with his love, Kiki, shot, and Morgan on the hospital roof, contemplating suicide. I can't say enough glowing things about this actor, how compelling he is to watch, the way he handles his character's extreme emotional swings, it's as strong and real as any of the performances the Oscars will honor this weekend.


  423. Richard Burgi (Paul, GH)
    (Week Ending February 19, 2016)

    The past few months General Hospital's Paul has come off as this callous, one-note villain, it seemed like a waste of a charismatic actor, thankfully though, this week, we're finally getting to see what's behind Paul's machinations. It's made for far more interesting TV now that we know this guy who seemed so in control of everyone and everything is actually in way over his head with these gunrunners. It's great to see Richard Burgi get the chance to show his depth beyond just being the resident smarmy guy, in his confession to Anna, he was at times incredibly vulnerable, and also incredibly fierce, unwavering in his belief that he did the right thing in killing his daughter's abuser. I love that there is suddenly so much more to this character, while still not an outright good guy (and I wouldn't want him to be) he doesn't feel as disposable, it just shows what a difference well-written motivation can make, the acting and the storytelling are that much stronger and the viewers feel that much more connected to what's going on when they know what's driving a character.


  424. The Teens (Days)
    (Week Ending February 12, 2016)

    Days of Our Lives took a risk in rapidly aging their kids, and this week it paid off as all the teens - Kyler Pettis, James Lastovic, Olivia Rose Keegan, Vivian Jovanni, and Jonathon McClandon - were standouts, it was like a throwback to the eighties and nineties when teen storylines were much more prominant on soaps. Theo confessed his feelings to Ciara, as adorably and affecting as you would hope, I love that Days is taking a page from Parenthood in showing that even though Theo is different, he still deals with teen drama like anyone else. Joey's teen drama is on the soapier side as his dad was forced into having sex with the woman who kidnapped his mom, and since Joey refuses to hear Patch's side of the situation, he's a combustible mix of hurt and seething as his hero has fallen before his very eyes. Claire's in a similar situation as her mom has fallen off her pedestal, too, and so, after flubbing her Juillard audition, Claire was believably torn between taking comfort in her mom's arms, and also thinking she should push Belle away. The Ciara re-cast had me the most worried, but happily she's still every bit the force she was as a little girl, look no further than her shouting match with Chase at Jennifer's house, she's the definition of strength. Lastly, Chase, since he's not a legacy kid, I think I underestimated his value to the show, however, this week, the actor wowed me, Chase could so easily be a one-dimensional bully, easy to hate because of how easy it is to love Theo, instead, you can see how much he's got going on emotionally, how mixed up he is, he's all torn up inside, and it makes for such compelling television, as you feel for this kid, yet you also fear for what he'll do next. It's perfect timing that Days' new blood stepped to the forefront the very week the show finally received a renewal, these young actors make it clear that Days fans have a lot to look forward to.


  425. Kassie DePaiva (Eve, Days)
    (Week Ending February 5, 2016)

    Kassie DePaiva exited Days of Our Lives this week without any closure for her character but at least her run ended with a really strong episode. As always, DePaiva delivered big time emotion; after losing her daughter last fall, it was so great to see Eve happy for a moment, overjoyed for Claire's Julliard audition, and the expression on her face made it clear how much it mean to Eve to have a girl to hug again, only for Belle to rip into her, shame her for "stealing" her daughter, and DePaiva's response, it was like seeing Eve's wounds open up all over again, just brilliant, she is so, so brilliant, it boggles the mind how anyone could not want this actress on their show for life. I'm guessing letting her go was a budget thing, I just wish Days had found a different way to cut costs because there's still so much story to tell (the relationship with Eduardo, mentoring claire, sisterhood with Theresa), so I'm hoping the lack of closure means Kassie will return to the role someday, in the meantime, I'm thinking she'd be a great addition to any of the other soaps, as Nikki's sister on Y&R, as Thorne's new bride on B&B who demands his share of Forrester, or, as yet another of Edward's newly discovered offspring on GH, who moves into the Q mansion and engages in endless quarrels with Tracy. Those are just thoughts, really, I'm good with anything that gets Kassie DePaiva back on our TVs where she belongs, starting with Castle on Sunday, February 14.


  426. Heather Tom (Katie, B&B)
    (Week Ending January 29, 2016)

    The Bold and The Beautiful's Bill is not the love of Brooke's life, that would be Ridge, and that would be why I'd hoped I'd never have to hear Bill referred to as a stallion, ever, ever again. This story should have been over. But, like the Liam triangles that won't quit repeating themselves, here we go again with Brooke coveting her sister's husband when rather than actually doing something inspired with her life. The lone brightside here is that after far too long on the backburner, Heather Tom finally has some significant screen-time. What a relief that Katie knows what's going on and she immediately confronted her sister, she wasn't forced into the patsy role that would be a total waste given Tom's talent for conveying strength. Yes, Katie cried, yes, she fell to the floor, but she stood up, she found her backbone, and she ripped into Brooke, hitting that emotional sweet spot between despair and anger that has won Heather Tom Emmys in the past and will undoubtedly slot her into contention again next year.


  427. Camryn Grimes (Mariah, Y&R)
    (Week Ending January 22, 2016)

    Camryn Grimes has grown up to be one of Y&R's most valuable players. Let's be honest, there are a lot of dimwit soap characters, so it's refreshing that Grimes always infuses Mariah with smarts, the looks she gives people, whether she's narrowing her eyes or rolling them, it's not only funny and reflective of what the audience is thinking, it's just a joy to see that the most intelligent person in Genoa City is a female. Grimes is such a scene stealer, her reactions, like the expression on her face when she jokingly guessed the password, makes her stand out even when her storylines do not, so it's time the show gave her something amazing of her own to do, something worthier of her talent than just acting as Kevin's sarcastic sidekick, the soap will be better for it.


  428. Arianne Zuker (Nicole, Days)
    (Week Ending January 15, 2016)

    The number of deaths on Days of Our Lives in recent months doesn't make for the happiest viewing, however, it does guarantee brilliant dramatic performances like Arianne Zuker's Emmy-worthy work this week as Nicole struggles to cope with Daniel's death. Zuker had so many affecting moments whether regretfully lashing out at Maggie over the unthinkable details of Daniel's funeral, or the tender show of emotional strength when she talked her stepson Parker out of the little guy's makeshift cave, Arianne Zuker is just such a gifted actress, everytime she's on screen you know you'll feel something.


  429. Shawn Christian (Daniel, Days), Jason Thompson (Patrick, GH), Kimberly McCullough (Robin, GH), Brooklyn Rae Silzer (Emma, GH)
    (Week Ending January 8, 2016)

    Days Of Our Lives and General Hospital said goodbye to longtime characters this week, albeit in very different ways, one sad and one sweet. The sad happened on Days when Daniel lost his life as the result of Eric drunk driving. Aside from his early on involvement with the much younger, Chelsea, Daniel has been a good guy, so good that it was tough for the actor to make him interesting, but Shawn Christian did everything he could with what he was given. Whenever Daniel lost his cool with Theresa or Nicole, when he discovered he had family in Maggie and Melanie, or those times J.J. turned to him for help, those were the moments that allowed Shawn Christian to shine much the way he once had as ATWT's Mike. I wish the writers had given him more opportunities along the way, I mean, he didn't even get a proper goodbye scene, after so many years with the show that doesn't feel entirely fair, once again, even at the end, the actors around him were given the meatier material to play. The sweet exit happened over at General Hospital as they gave Patrick and Robin's long-suffering fans the happily-ever-after they deserved, complete with a beautifully dressed wedding that included their adorable little Emma, and then later tearful goodbyes with Anna and Uncle Mac. It was as perfect an ending as you could hope for, especially since it left the door open for visits (Emma definitely has unfinished business with Spencer), so let's hope for that, and in the meantime, if you're strictly a GH fan, maybe now's the time to let a second soap into your heart alongside GH, as Jason Thompson tackles the tricky role of Billy on Y&R, and, if you can, do watch the Pretty Little Liars episode Kimberly McCullough directed when it airs, it's a big opportunity for her, and the world just plain needs more female directors, and the only way that wil happen is if we watch their work, it's a fun show, with soapy elements, some humor and great fashion, so give it a shot.


  430. Michael E. Knight (Simon, Y&R)
    (Week Ending January 1, 2016)

    The Young and The Restless made a brilliant decision in bringing Michael E. Knight back to daytime. While All My Children's Tad was a friend to nearly everyone and a playboy detective (among other not so scholarly occupations), Y&R's Simon Neville, is a genius doctor who's pretty horrible with people so he's most definitely not a playboy or the friendliest guy around, he's been borderline creepy at times; weird and awkward, he's sort of daytime's answer to Sheldon Cooper. I love that Y&R found a way to use Knight's best asset, his humor, without making the character a clone of Tad, so it's as new and fun for the actor as it is for fans. I don't know if Y&R plans to keep Dr. Neville around, but I sure hope they do, despite Neville's odd manner, the chemistry with Ashley is apparent, and it's just always so refreshing whenever a character doesn't fit the usual soap mode, different is good and exciting, with the likes of Stitch and Dylan wandering around, Genoa City needs a does of personality like Michael E. Knight is more than capable of delivering.


  431. Christmastime
    (Week Ending December 25, 2015)

    All four soaps did such a great job with thier holiday episodes, each offering fans something special and unique to their show. The Bold and the Beautiful actually managed to remember that Brooke is an integral cast member and their entire half hour focused on her not spending the day alone, so I'm choosing to believe it's foreshadowing for the year to come and we won't see Katherine Kelly Lang's talent wasted anymore. Over at The Young and The Restless, I'm not sure I've ever associated the word cute with Victor before, but that's definitely the word for when Victor's granddaughter coaxed him out of his grinchy mood. I'd love to see more scenes between these two, they share such a sweet dynamic that emphasizes that Victor's more complicated than the straight-up villain he's often written as. Days of Our Lives had some happiness with Steve and Kayla's engagement and Brady encouraging Theresa, but for the most part, they remembered their losses in touching ways, such as Maggie comforting Lucas, and Hope and Ciara showing Chase he does still have family by giving him his own ornament for the Horton tree. General Hospital had one of their finest episodes of the year, filled with uplifting reunions between Kiki and her mom, Sonny and his baby girl, the Scorpio-Drakes, and Maxie and her adorable little Georgie. So often kids on soaps are relegated "upstairs" until they're aged for teen drama, so it's always enjoyable and more life-like when they're actually included, it probably makes for a more challenging shooting day, but it's definitely worth it.


    See More Of The Past Winners Here

Legend

  • AMC - All My Children
  • ATWT - As The World Turns
  • AW - Another World
  • B&B - Bold & The Beautiful
  • Days - Days Of Our Lives
  • GH - General Hospital
  • GL - Guiding Light
  • OLTL - One Life To Live
  • PC - Port Charles
  • PS - Passions
  • SB - Sunset Beach
  • Y&R - The Young & The Restless