Exciting GH or Humdrum Y&R: Which is Your Choice?

By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman

This week General Hospital was very exciting as it was revealed that the  “Luke” walking around as a criminal in Port Charles is a fake, with the fake visiting the real Luke who is drugged and out of it in the Miscavage asylum.  Also, Ava announced she was pregnant with Sonny’s baby when he wanted to shoot her after he discovered she had murdered his old and true love, Connie.

      And although the show is stylistically different from GH,  Y&R is relatively unexciting with several insipid triangles and other not very interesting stories.  Billy found out that Victoria is pregnant with a baby who may be Stitch’s and may be his.  He did not react badly at all, vowing to raise the baby no matter who the father is.  Why was a married woman like Victoria making love to Stitch without protection?   Also Billy is too whiny to be felt sorry for and his portrayer David Tom is being replaced by primetime actor Burgess Jenkins.

        Lily objected to the romance between her father  Neil and the untrustworthy Hilary.  So she tried to interest brother Devon  into making love to Hilary to break up the romance between Hilary and Neil.   The thought of Devon   making love to his father’s girlfriend is repulsive.

            Elsewhere the boring reunion romance of Sharon and Neil goes on.  At the anniversary of Cassie’s death Sharon remembered details of the fact that she is covering up the fact that Nick is Summer’s biological father, not Jack.  It’s hard to root for a liar like Sharon and her secret has been hung onto way too long.

           Jack and Kelly were luxuriating in the fact that they had made love for the first time.  Of course,  Jack is engaged to Phyllis, who has long been comatose.  The romance is hard to believe as the characters are played by actors who were icons on their last show All My Children.  Peter Bergman, who played Cliff plays Jack on Y&R and Cade McClain who plays Kelly played Dixie on AMC.   On top of it, the actors have no sexual chemistry.

         Elsewhere, Victor Newman continues to get away with all his wrongdoings.  Even though Nikki left him (for the millionth time) he was not prosecuted for hiring a lookalike to impersonate Cassie and drive Sharon crazy.   Now, he and Dylan have engaged into an unholy alliance to drive Ian  out of town.  Will Victor get caught?  Probably not.  Because he’s untouchable, Victor’s crimes carry no suspense.

        Which show would you rather spend the hour with. Exciting GH or unexciting Y&R?    Write me with your choice and an explanation. 

Comments

  1. Hi Marlena. I have actually decided to take a break from watching Y&R. I have just found it quite uninteresting the last few months. The stories are not keeping my interest and way too many recasts and new characters are on the show. Plus, there are no couples to root for! I am also disappointed that the show is recasting David Tom – I know he was different than Billy Miller (who was way overrated in my opinion) but thought he was doing a decent job. The last thing Y&R needs is another recast. Phyllis recast will start soon, I am sure that a recast Adam will be back, plus us viewers are coping with a new Kelly! That along with relatively new characters (Dylan, Stitch, Hilary) and like you said Victor getting away with stuff, makes Y&R more of a chore to watch than entertainment. I have been a fan of Y&R for years, and hope to be back as a viewer but the show needs to step up its game by focusing on long term stories for its long term characters (that are right for the character), stop recasting characters and/or bringing\ newbies on.
    I cant comment on GH as I don’t watch that soap…but certainly I want something exciting, compelling and not annoying me that I am hitting the fast forward button

  2. I’d choose GH even though many of it’s stories are quite implausible. Too many people get away with their evil deeds on that show too, ala Victor Newman. No One in the mob is never prosecuted; Lisel Olbrecht never was punished for her evil and instead made chief of staff; everybody seems to have an evil doppelganger (or a perfect mask) that conveniently shows up to wreak havoc all over town and make formerly strong people look like fools. Both shows have many problems right now…for ME…but GH is the lesser of two evils.
    SAD!

  3. Georgette says:

    Hi Marlena. I think it was a given that this “Luke” is not the real Luke, and I don’t find the crass way in which he is written very entertaining. I find it interesting that you would find it ‘repulsive’ if Devon were to sleep with Hillary after Neil did, but have no comment except “exciting” as to the fallout of the Kiki/Michael/Morgan/Ava/Sonny partner switching; which would be Ava being pregnant with either Morgan’s or his father’s child. Not to mention that both Ava and Kiki have slept with Morgan and Kiki has slept with both Morgan and Michal. I have a spread sheet to keep track of all of this, BTW.

    Victoria on Y&R probably did not use protection because it was spontaneous and she did not think she would be able to conceive after going thru fertility treatments a short while ago. It made sense for Billy to offer to raise the baby, regardless of paternity, because as Billy pointed out – Victoria did so with Johnny.

    Also, Sharon is with Nick, not Neil. Sharon’s lies may be boring to some, but they are a product of her mental illness, and I think Y&R has been doing a good job with that story. I find the sociopathic, no consequence lies of Ava far more boring. Maura West is just disappointing me in this role, I loved to hate her as Carly on ATWT, but I just hate Ava, It defies logic that Ava had to shoot Connie in cold blood to protect Julian’s identity when the entire town knows who he is now and there’s largely been no consequences for it. Alexis is willing to check her brain at the door and put her libido first and bed yet another mobster. And really? No one in Port Charles thought for one second that “AJ” could be Ava Jerome? Ava certainly had motive. Anna is being dumbed down to painful levels.

    Speaking of brainless libidos, how about Carly and Franco? Carly has never had any problem indulging her sexual desires, but seriously? She is sleeping with and ‘in love’ with a man who is a serial killer, facilitated her son’s raped, tortured her best friend Jason, faked the rape of his wife, kidnapped her daughter, etc. etc. Because – tumor? Carly has always been randy, but never dumb or disloyal to those she loved (Jason, her children)

    Speaking of insipid triangles, can it get worse when preschoolers are involved? I find the sexualization of these children, in addition to their other bratty and inappropriate behaviors disturbing to say the least.

    I don’t think actors being icons on other shows should preclude them from being involved as other characters on another show. I am of course referring to Cady (not Cade) McClain and Peter Bergman. I would have preferred Cynthia Watros stay in the role, because she gave Kelly and edge that Cady McClain is not bringing to the character, but I thought her chemistry with Peter Bergman was just fine.

    Its true that Victor never pays, but does Sonny? Sonny has killed AJ in cold blood, had sex on his grave and may have now impregnated one of his several “true loves” killers. He also betrayed one of his babymamas (not to mention his own son) to have this disgusting crypt sex. Sonny has become more despicable, if that’s even possible.

    I prefer the slower paced, better storytelling of Y&R even if there are a few flaws. I think GH has completely gone off the rails.

    • Thank you Georgette…very well written. After reading all your points, I think I need to change my mind about what show is better. Both have many flaws, but Y&R I now give them the edge.

      Love this…” I have a spread sheet to keep track of all of this, BTW.”

  4. I don’t think much of GENERAL HOSPITAL or YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS. Y&R has too many characters and stories and since Jill Farren Phelps came aboard as executive producer, many characters are not acting like themselves. Lily Winters has become a bitchy shrew. For the most part, everything that comes out of her mouth is snide and unpleasant. Watching her carry on like that is quite insipid. I wondered if the writers were trying to make the audience hate her, so when she exited the show, no one would care.

    Also, Y&R has had too many replacements. Back in the day, the storytelling was thorough and engaging. Now everything is slapdash and unimaginative and drab. Remember when Kay set out to adopt Phillip. She wanted to be the mother he never had. And of course, Jill tried to talk her son out of it and Kay told her to stop harassing Phillip and making surprise visits to her home and if Jill didn’t stop, she would have Jill charged with harassment and trespassing. It was funny. It was laugh out loud.

    And what about Victor being married to Diane while Nikki was on her deathbed. In that baby doll voice of hers, Nikki told Victor that it was her dying wish to leave this world as his wife. Victor told Diane that he wanted to grant the mother of his children her final wish. He wanted Diane to divorce him, so he could marry Nikki. Diane reluctantly acquiesced and sure enough, Nikki survived and Victor wanted to stay married to her.

    That was imaginative writing. I could sit here for hours reminiscing about the good old days and illustrating examples of good writing. But the current Y&R stinks and if that box of crapola can be number one with an 11 share, just think what could be accomplished, if those in charge put their best foot forward. My God, they need to get rid of Jill Farren Phelps. She doesn’t fit with Y&R.

    Now about GENERAL HOSPITAL. The show is sprightly and Ron Carlivati would like for it to be imaginative, but it isn’t. They need to get rid of Franco. Post-haste. That guy was a sicked, twisted weirdo. I don’t care about his brain disorder. Considering he played a role in Carly’s son getting raped, how the hell could she let him touch her?. Howarth and Laura Wright had mind-blowing chemistry as Todd and Carly and maybe the show was trying to recapture that with Franco, but it isn’t working. It is destroying Carly’s character. And if they must go with this, why aren’t they milking it for all it’s worth, have Michael loudly disapprove of Franco and Carly. He refuses to have anything to do with Carly as long as that sick freak is in her life. Have Sonny castigate Carly for being with Franco. And who the hell is he to admonish Carly considering that he balled Mrs. Robinson aka Ava knowing perfectly well that she was involved with Morgan, his son? Have somebody make some cracks about Carly needing a mental evaluation and people are wondering if Franco has her under some kind of a spell. But don’t insult the audience’s intelligence by totally not mentioning what that ass wipe did to Michael.

    Also, if Sonny was a cold-blooded killer, he would have shot a pregnant Ava to death and not given it a second thought. Now that would have gotten the viewers up in arms.

    I like spicy, ORIGINAL soap opera. Remember, the first three years of SANTA BARBARA. Gina replacing Santana’s allergy pills with a hallucinogenic. Gina dressing up as Eden and trying to make it appear as though Eden unplugged CC’s respirator, just to name a few of the wacky stories that unfolded on SB.

    Imagine if GH did that sort of thing, instead of somebody impersonating Luke Spencer or anybody by wearing a mask. It’s dumb shit. And they should be embarrass to put such falderal on the air.

    But I appreciate that GH’s ratings are slightly better. Which I don’t attribute to the dreadful writing, but to the move to a new time slot.

  5. Also, I forgot to mention that I would LOVE it if the Luke impersonator turned out to be a woman. Yes, this person went to bed with Tracy. The audience is savvy enough to figure out how a woman masquerading as a man would have pulled that off. They could let the person turn out to be Heather. I could easily see Heather getting a Luke mask and strapping on a dildo and leading Tracy to think she was a man. Heather has an interest in getting ELQ.

  6. horselover says:

    Neither. Y&R is boring and GH just insults my intelligence.

    • Amen, sister.

      Plus each show has it’s unnecessary dead weight: Dullan for “Y&R” and Julian for “GH.”

  7. Take your choice. I am down to watching NO SOAPS . Kill Farren Phelps and Steve Burton Y&R no thanks. Can’t be bothered to watch victor win again. Makes my stomach turn. GH sorry since they killed off AJ same thing. This is twice Sonny has looked someone in the eye and shot them And gotten away with it.. No thanks . FrankenRon are destroying GH. Tony Gearey needs to retire. Luke, Fluke who cares not me. My give a damns busted. I haven’t been able to even bother. This is different for me. I have watched some soap for 45 years. Now none. Just to make sure I am not tempted ,usually only to end up being disgusted at the plots I go to the gym. ABC seems to want to get out of soaps and this is certainly doing it for me. I don’t care what happens to any of the characters. Even the beautiful children are not watchable. 8 year old Quad. No thanks.

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