General Hospital Night Shift 2: If They Could Bottle This Show, They’d Save Soaps

October 22, 2008 By 10 Comments

Thinking Fans Comment Update October 26:  Brandon says his patience was rewarded as NS2 got better and better … Marybell says the end of NS2 left her near tears … and more. See Comments below.GHNS2

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By Marlena De Lacroix

“I love you …” I lost count after about half a dozen the number of  times one character said that to another in the last half hour of the last episode of General Hospital Night Shift 2. Anna to Robert.  Robin to Robert. Leo to Saira. Claire to Kyle. Robin to Patrick.  Patrick to Robin …

You’d think all this would be kind of treacly, but love is what the 13-week run of NS2 was all about, and proudly so.  Relationships, family, friendship — these are fueled by love, and that is simply what this show is made of. Darlings, if they could only bottle NS2, they’d save soap operas.

Because … challenging a ten- to fifteen-year slide, when daytime soap operas have come very close to self-annihilation by trying to hook viewers with “faster, more sensationalistic” elements, gimmicks and “improvements” like the mob, tornados, a

The show even closed on a scene of Patrick and Robin kissing.  Isn’t true love much better than endless shouting?

whole show taped on location in exotic New Jersey, hostage crises, characters who screw their fathers, earthquakes, an endless parade of cleavage and over developed pecs … here was a little summer cable show that dared to remember and deliver what  soap opera is really all about: love. And of course, a deeply [Read more...]

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General Hospital: Night Shift Pulls a Stunner!

September 24, 2008 By 17 Comments

GHNS

Thinking Fans Comment Update Sept. 26: pjs reports that his tear ducts got a work-out … Nancy wishes Night Shift could become home to neglected soap veterans … Marilyn Henry reflects on other great soap scenes … and more. See Comments below. 

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By Marlena De Lacroix

Last night I unexpectedly saw the best soap opera scenes of the year.  They were in, of all places, General Hospital: Night Shift! They came from the heart and the head. They were thoroughly human. I could relate to them perfectly.  And I was so stunned to see authentic drama on my screen, I almost couldn’t fall asleep afterward.

As you know, those doctor brothers Kyle and Leo Julian have been on each other, arguing and disagreeing about everything since the beginning of the show.  They couldn’t be more opposite. Kyle looks like a Nordic god and has innate elegance (he’s also gay).  Leo looks like Epstein, the Puerto Rican street kid (Sweat Hog) from Welcome Back, Kotter and is dark, nervous and brash.  Kyle is the biological  

It’s amazing what actors can do given good quality material.  Think of the hundreds of other actors in daytime who would kill to play real drama instead of the usual gimmicks and lies.

son of the Julians, while Leo, who is adopted by them, came from Iran as a child. Leo acted out big time recently by secretly sleeping with Kyle’s best friend and roommate Dr. Claire, even though he has been lucky enough to date [Read more...]

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Second Thoughts on the Second Episode of General Hospital: Night Shift 2

August 1, 2008 By 9 Comments

Soapnet

Thinking Fans Comment Update August 2: Emelzmom thinks Epiphany deserves better … Karen thinks NS2 is hard to watch … Soap misses the old Leo … and more. See Comments below. 

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By Marlena De Lacroix

I thought the second episode of General Hospital: Night Shift 2, which aired this week, was an improvement over the first.  The pacing was much better and the script had clarity.  Although written by debuting soap headwriter Sri Rao, it felt like a more experienced soap writer had given the whole thing a rewrite or at least a polish.  My friend pjs joked that the show had improved from zero to ordinary, but I think it made more progress than that.  For one thing, this week I could actually sit through the entire hour.  

The best part is that the characters were more clearly delineated. Claire and Kyle’s (he’s  gay) friendship is promising and realistic.  But does the show have to be unsubtle and wise-guy enough to [Read more...]

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