Best Sense of Humor

• One Life to Live. David alone (4th of July shorts, The Assassination of David Vickers by The Coward Robert Ford) would be enough for any show, but add in heaps of smart sarcasm from Todd, Dorian, and Clint, along with ditzy Roxy, and any given day this soap is intentionally funnier than most sitcoms.

Worst Sense of Humor

• The Young and the Restless. Or at least I hope they were joking with all the doppelgangers, and boring sons of Nina, and uptight, corporate Victoria turning hippie dippie meets fifties housewife wannabe. Uptight corporate Victoria could have made for less contrived odd couple comedy and romance with bad boy Billy, producing genuine conflict rather than the faux connection that has somehow endeared them as a couple. And while we’re on the subject of not endearing, let’s add Meggie, and all the absurdity that went with her.

Father and Sons

• B&B’s Dollar Bill is easily one of the show’s most entertaining characters, made even more so now that he has a son, Liam, who’s his polar opposite.
• OLTL’s David just can’t get enough of calling Bo, Pa, and I just can’t hear it enough.
• Y&R’s Cane story became infinitely more interesting the moment Tristan Rogers arrived as his dear old nasty dad.

Best Decisions

• NBC renews DAYS, brings back Jennifer and don’t air a single rerun over the holidays.

Worst Decisions

• CBS opts for the Chen-Bot over the warm welcome of Emma’s kitchen on ATWT
• OLTL going all in on a gay storyline only to completely chicken out
• AMC announcing they had a new love interest lined up for Kendall, making it tough for fans to give talented actor Jordi Villasuso a fair shot when they and Kendall are still grieving the loss of Zach. Ever heard of chemistry just evolving naturally? Not only between the characters, but between them and their potential fans, as well?
• ABC’s reruns may be unavoidable, but they don’t necessarily have to be less than a month old, giving viewers no reason whatsoever to tune in
• AMC’s Vincent Irizarry Out! Oh, no just lying to loyal viewers cuz clearly who doesn’t love being lied to? Just another faked death, he’s alive, oh, nope, sorry, let’s keep you waiting on this storyline even more weeks while we shove him into a coma and arrest Erica for her five hundredth attempted murder. At some point we are just not going to care at all, which is appalling given that this is one of their finest actors.

In Praise of Romance

• Days of Our Lives Victor and Maggie, who would have guessed? E.J’s proposal to Sami on the docks, sure, eventually she shot him in the head but lovely at the time. Nathan and Melanie in quarantine, "dying", and finally confessing feelings
• ATWT’s Luke at Reid’s hospital bedside, horrifically sad, yet beautifully romantic. Every scene they ever shared, featured an undercurrent of romance whether the cowards behind the scenes wanted it there or not.
• Many OLTL viewers hated the Jessica’s sixteen again plot, but watching Brody try to win her affection, and his heart breaking each time he did so, made for some dreamy, wrenching moments.

In Praise of Abstinence

• The Young and The Restless fairly well corners the market here. Deacon plies alcoholic Nikki with alcohol and it’s the start of a courtship? Steal my baby and tell me she’s dead and that’s the key to my heart if my name is Sharon. Nick and Diane, all kinds of eww! Not the least of which being that Maura West is so, so above it.

Best Recycled Plot

• Buried Alive on Days. Better the second time around as Vivian had the tables turned on her only to turn them back again. Humor abounded. Brady got much more entertaining. Victor rescued Maggie and declared his love. And everyone ended up under Vivian’s crazy thumb. Brilliant fun.

Worst Recycled Plot

• Lisa’s Fatal Attraction on GH. The only way depriving an HIV patient of her meds would have worked for me is if- Oh, yeah, right, there is no way that would have ever worked for me, not even if Lisa and Patrick were the most star-crossed lovers ever, with major chemistry to burn, so since they were the exact opposite of that, it really, really doesn’t work! And yet it goes on… and on…

Biggest Shocker

• Considering B&B is a show that in the same calendar year had Brooke "accidentally" have sex with her daughter’s boyfriend, and kiss on her stepson, the actual shock is how serious this soap can be when it wants to, some of its finest half hours devoted to issues like cancer and homelessness and Sandy/Aggie’s rape kit.

Most Worthy Anniversary

• ATWT’s Bob and Kim. Let’s see now, clips from their past, plenty of emotional highs and lows allowing Don Hastings and Kathryn Hayes to remind viewers of what a great couple, and brilliant actors they are, and extra special guest star Julianne Moore merely filled out the ensemble rather than took it over. If only they’d added Andy, it would have been perfect.

Most Un-Worthy Anniversaries

• I could have sworn last January AMC was supposed to be celebrating an anniversary, but no, apparently it was just a celebration of Kelly Ripa, who, while contributing a memorable character to AMC’s history, should not have been the focal point of proceedings just because she got famous (see ATWT not giving in to the temptation to hand over Bob and Kim’s day to Julianne Moore).
• On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are few actors more deserving of being the focal point than ATWT’s Eileen Fulton, celebrating fifty years in Oakdale, which begs the question, why have current characters act out Lisa’s past, rather than letting us see those old clips of Lisa as they were meant to be seen, played by a legend?

Most Revitalizing Actor/Character

• You never quite realize how stagnant the air is in Genoa City until Marcy Rylan’s Abby breezes into a room and brightens everything. The naked heiress thing isn’t good, and Daniel couldn’t be more unworthy, but there is such greatness in Rylan’s lively performances. There are few things more pleasurable in daytime than seeing Victor/Eric Braeden seemingly having to suppress a smile in his scenes with her. Give her the airtime the other young dullards don’t deserve.

Outstanding New Actor/Character/Every Show Should Be Looking For Someone Like This

• Eric Sheffer Stevens as ATWT’s Reid, felt like a breath of fresh air the moment he delivered his first tongue lashing in Oakdale, there wasn’t even any fanfare over his homosexuality; it was just part of him, no big deal. From sparring with Kim over a fender bender, his bond with Dr. Bob, goading Henry, operating on a stuffed toy, and falling in love with Luke, in a too short time span, Stevens created many memorable moments, not to mention the easiest curmudgeon to adore.

Best Goodbye

• When a show loses an icon like the unforgettable Frances Reid, a single episode is never enough to encapsulate all she meant to the soap and its fans. What a brilliant, thoughtful idea, to have her impact the story for months, bringing so many beloved characters home to pay their respects, finally culminating in a teary-eyed tribute episode. Only, even that wasn’t final. Alice is frequently mentioned, her memory lives on in the scripts, lovingly so on the Christmas episode, the ornament, the photograph, and especially her chair, were perfect touches. How it should be done.

Worst Goodbye

• As The World Turns. The powers that be squandered so many months after being given notice, that surely they were just making us wait, saving the best for last. Only they weren’t. Johnny Dixon’s return was a blessing, but other than that? Let’s see, we off Reid, ignore Lisa, don’t even get a final loaf of bread from Emma, a blink and you miss it Jack and Carly wedding, and Lily disowned Lucinda. Oh, but thank goodness they wrapped up story for Liberty, Parker, faux Craig and his son (what’s-his-name), who among us wasn’t dying to know what would become of them? And searching the old episodes to slip in a Goodnight, Dear, from Nancy, well that would have just required way too much effort, wouldn’t it?

Highlights

• AMC - After her party goes bust, a raging, soaking wet Annie, cries her way right into J.R.’s arms. If Adam had to leave, at least he left with Brooke.
• ATWT - Barbara on the front burner. John and Lucinda, together. Jack and Carly flashback to Montana.
• B&B - Stephanie’s scarf flying through the streets of L.A.
• DAYS - Bo breaks Hope out of prison. Classic. Any argument with E.J., the man does seething self-righteous anger to perfection. Victor’s one-liners.
• GH - Lucky finds out about Nik and Liz, best Jonathan Jackson ever. The wink to James Dean with Franco’s clapping monkey. Kristina in an abusive relationship.
• OLTL - Snoop Dogg’s return. Bo and Nora rewed. Dani grieves for Tea. Jack and Sam see Santa. Viki and Dorian team against Echo. Kelly calls Joey.
• Y&R - Victor’s Christmas Carol. He may live one life of lies after another, but Cane’s easily the finest husband in Genoa City, any moment dealing with Lily’s cancer, the actor delivered.

Lowlights

• AMC - The gaping holes, Adam, Zach, and Palmer have left behind. Ryan and Greenlee, together, are like the show’s kryptonite, completely sucking the life out of it. Get her another love interest, please.
• ATWT - The End. Blackie. A show once upon a time known for its great teens like Lily, Andy, Gwen, Casey, etc, leaves us with a generation as riveting as paint drying. Destroying Vienna to make Henry and Barbara work.
• B&B - Owen and Rick as statues and I don’t just mean the day they were covered in body paint
• DAYS - All the almost finding out makes Daniel look like an idiot, not good for the actor or the character.
• GH - Smart beautiful Claire made to look pathetically desperate asking Sonny to father her baby. Davis girls practically disappear after abuse storyline. Carly plots against Lulu.
• OLTL - Stories either aborted (Fish, Schuyler) or big for a minute then barely seen (Destiny and her family)
• Y&R - Victoria and Abby need Victor’s money to prove their independence. How’s that? Even Tucker still doesn’t know who he is, hence calling every woman Darlin’ like a certain Steve on Days.’ Hmm. Sheila incarnations. That horse has long been dead. Quit trying to beat it.

New Year’s Wishes

• AMC - An honest to goodness love interest and storyline for Tad.
• B&B - Nick, Aggie, Felicia and Whip become more than pretty set dressing.
• DAYS - Carly gets her own story and love interest who doesn’t belong to Hope.
• GH - James Franco tackles a dramatic story next time rather than an odd one, maybe he’s ill and takes Robin hostage to heal him, and they heal each other, platonically, or not. Oh, and a genuine Quartermaine tale would be a nice change.
• OLTL - Kelly’s pretend fiancé Kevin returns to Llanview intent on making their engagement real.
• Y&R - Intelligence. Whether those behind the scenes don’t have any, or obnoxiously don’t think we have any, it needs to be fixed, pronto, the number one soap surely can’t go on being that dumb and stay number one. Take a vow against coincidences, convenient look-alikes, plastic surgery and bending characters to fit the plot. Start with Jack, one of the few semi-smart people on the canvas and build story organically from there.

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