By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanThey showed her from her legs up, clad in a drop dead red halter dress. This week on General Hospital, Ava Jerome was revealed to be the sister of the new power broker in town -- Derek Wells. As played by soap veteran William deVry, Derek has a shady past: he really is one of GH’s old mob … [Read more...]
On the Bridge: A Most Confusing General Hospital Dream Sequence
July 27, 2013 by 9 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanIt’s a soap’s absolute responsibility to be clear about what’s going on. Last week General Hospital presented a mess of a dream sequence about two possible Francos that was so confusing, I couldn’t figure out what supposed to be real and what was not. I’ve rarely been so bewildered in many … [Read more...]
Why General Hospital Is So Unsatisfying to Watch Right Now
July 13, 2013 by 24 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman We had hope, didn’t we, in those heady days when General Hospital, the leading survivor among network daytime soaps, seemed to be in the ascendancy again. Alas, the good times have faded. These days, watching GH is a very frustrating experience. Many of the storylines are unsatisfying. … [Read more...]
Appreciating Three Wise Decisions – In Soap Land, No Less
June 29, 2013 by 9 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanSoap critics never miss a chance to bash all they dislike. But credit should always be given where credit is due. So this week, Marlena would like to give kudos to three significant decisions:1. OWN, the Oprah network, picked up the first 40 episodes of All My Children and One Life to … [Read more...]
A Negative Vote on This Year’s Daytime Emmys
June 17, 2013 by 15 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Last year I praised HLN’s first production of the Daytime Emmys because it was straightforward and lean. This year’s show was exactly the opposite -- overlong (almost three hours) and full of things that just shouldn’t have been included. Boring!How about that couch? I’m talking … [Read more...]
Franco: Make or Break for General Hospital?
June 1, 2013 by 25 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanSo let’s take a survey. How many Thinking Fans think Roger Howarth’s great charm as an actor can overcome the unbelievable maneuvers that have been made to bring back evil Franco as a viable everyday character? Erasing Franco’s responsibility for the rapes of Sam and Michael has taken … [Read more...]
Port Charles is Frustration City
May 25, 2013 by 23 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanAs noted last week and confirmed by the passionate reaction in the letters section, there seems to be massive dissatisfaction with General Hospital right now. And it’s not only the appearance of three new characters with too-familiar faces (played by Kristin Alderson, Michael Easton and … [Read more...]
The 40th Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations: Some Killer Choices!
May 5, 2013 by 12 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanWhat do you think of the 40th Annual Daytime Emmy nominees? The list is long and illustrative given the fact that there are only four soaps. Several categories are full of names that are most deserving. It would be very hard to cast a decisive vote should one have the … [Read more...]
General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful: The Decisions of Great Showmen
April 13, 2013 by 14 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua HaymanFor the last year, I have been writing what great showmen executive producer Frank Valentini and headwriter Ron Carlivati are with their crackerjack rescue of General Hospital. As I wrote last week, the Nurses Week was a blast, with the windup this week as wonderful as its beginnings. I … [Read more...]
