By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman General Hospital: Soaps or biology -- which do you choose to believe? On General Hospital this week, surrogate mother Maxie had a miscarriage (of the week-old embryo that is Dante and Lulu’s child) and barely noticed it. The same evening, New Year’s Eve, a drunk and apparently rejected … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 19: General Hospital’s Faison and the Tale of the Two Dukes — Preposterous, but a Real Soaps Sweeps Thrill Ride
November 17, 2012 by 10 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Wasn't this week’s General Hospital just awesome November sweeps entertainment? I mean, it wasn’t Doug Marland-esque deep meaningful soap opera but it still was drama that was super exciting, full of shock, suspense and surprise, arising deep out of the soap’s history. With the return of … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 5: The Young and the Restless, The Revamp; Reality Shows on Y&R and General Hospital; Gold Medal GH
August 11, 2012 by 11 Comments
By Marlena Delacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman The Young and the Restless: The hardest job in the soap world is being done right now by new executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and headwriter Josh Griffith as they revamp Y&R and are rumored to be paring down its expensive cast. Marlena has always believed it’s not a critic’s job to … [Read more...]
B&B: Does One Show-Eating Storyline Work?
July 8, 2012 by 5 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Bradley Bell has been trying a bold soap experiment the last three quarters of a year on The Bold and Beautiful, featuring one storyline, the Hope-Liam-Steffy triangle, almost to the exclusion of most others. And he's been succeeding -- the ratings are still comparatively healthy. So I ask … [Read more...]
The Kardashians: A Soap
December 27, 2011 by 13 Comments
By Connie Passalacqua Hayman aka Marlena De Lacroix Soap starved, I have become obsessed with the Kardashians. Every day, I can't wait to see what's happening with the three sisters whose IQs combined don't top mine. But never mind that. Their lives are filled with romance, glamour, strum and drang, not to mention heavy make-up: things … [Read more...]
How Prospect Park Can Save Soaps
August 19, 2011 by 12 Comments
By Connie Passalacqua Hayman aka Marlena De Lacroix In the effort to salve our wounds this summer, the canceled All My Children and One Life to Live sacrificed an essential element of soap opera: believability. All these people back from the dead simultaneously! Dixie! Leo! Zack! How are we supposed to buy any kind of reality behind it? … [Read more...]
Au Revoir, All My Children and One Life to Live
April 18, 2011 by 26 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Last week I had a nightmare that All My Children and One Life to Live were canceled. And then the bad dream came true. But before we wallow in our own grief, let's take a moment to remember all the jobs that are being lost -- and all the acting careers that are now ending. So many people out of work! They are the … [Read more...]
Winter Thoughts and a Book Review
February 14, 2011 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Bonjour, everyone. Still watching. I've particularly enjoyed One Life to Live's sweeps, with the downfall of Clint, and his acid confrontations with that bitch Aubrey. Pine Valley seems to be emptying out and you have to ask yourself how long Alicia Minshew can carry the show on her boney shoulders. I'm rooting for … [Read more...]
