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...]
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...]
General Hospital: The Misogyny-Ending Magic of Sabrina; A 50th Anniversary Appeal to GH Fans in the Poconos
March 9, 2013 by 21 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Isn't it amazing that we all seem to love General Hospitaldespite the fact that it's scored three strikes within that many weeks? The end of the vampire story was a real disaster, violent and oh so ridiculous. Speaking of ridiculous, isn't Sonny romancing -- and sleeping with -- both … [Read more...]
General Hospital’s Monstrous Lies, All My Children’s Truthful Memories
May 22, 2008 by 45 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Yesterday, I was trying to write my long promised column against the most perversely inhuman, possibly most disturbing soap storyline of all time, but the words just would not come out. I'm talking about the General Hospital storyline written by Bob Guza that began with 12-year-old Michael getting shot in the head and … [Read more...]
More Emmy Noms 2008: How ‘bout a Little Self-Respect?
April 30, 2008 by 5 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Basketball may have its March Madness, but the soap world has its own spring madness ritual -- the Daytime Emmy nominations. The discussions about this year's nominations have come fast and furious since they were announced yesterday. Marlena gave her take on the whole process, and I had a few thoughts of my own I thought I'd … [Read more...]
General Hospital’s Stephen Macht: Can Character Actors Save Soaps?
March 26, 2008 by 14 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Every week for months, there have been rumors that Stephen Macht's tough mob lawyer character, Trevor Lansing, is about to be whacked on General Hospital. So, while there's still time, I'd like to say that I'm really enjoying Macht's performances in the role this season. Yes, Macht, the 60ish actor with the pock markets, … [Read more...]
10 Sweet and Soapy Valentine’s Day Questions
February 10, 2008 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix 1. Is it my imagination or did bravura actress Sarah Brown return to General Hospital (as Claudia Zacchara) with a little something extra under the signature slutty red wrap dress? And isn't fierce mob princess Claudia very similar to Maerose Prizzi (Oscar winner Anjelica Huston) the fierce mob princess who wants to take … [Read more...]
General Hospital: Kids with Guns for Sweeps
February 1, 2008 by 44 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I've never lost sleep over a soap opera before. But when I saw Michael buying a gun on General Hospital, the thought of what most likely will come next so disgusted me I couldn't calm down. Now that Michael -- at approximately age 12 -- is packing heat, either he or his little brother Morgan is going to get shot, or one … [Read more...]
On Soaps, Multiple Suspect Murder Mysteries are So-o-o Done!
January 28, 2008 by 20 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I have grown so tired of the soap opera convention known as the multiple-suspect murder mystery storyline. Of late, they've become meaningless, predictable or, even worse, totally incomprehensible. The multiple-suspect murder plot was only done to perfection on the old full-time soap mystery show Edge of Night. But the … [Read more...]
General Hospital Night Shift: Good Night and Good Riddance
October 11, 2007 by Leave a Comment
By Marlena De Lacroix General Hospital: Night Shift broadcast its final episode last week and I fear because its first episode was so highly rated the entire show will go down in soap history as a hit instead of the incoherently written and produced mess that it was. Same sets, same writers as daytime GH. ABC Daytime should have learned its … [Read more...]
