By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Who are your current favorite soap characters – the ones who make your day as soon as you see they will be in an episode of your favorite daytime drama? Here are my current faves: * Avery Clark (played by Jessica Collins), The Young and the Restless. She’s the only soap character I … [Read more...]
General Hospital’s Entertaining Throughline: Kiki Isn’t a Quartermaine
August 10, 2013 by 11 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman For a soap that is frequently troubled and all over the place,General Hospital had a very entertaining week. That’s because it had a very definite throughline -- the revelation to many that Kiki isn’t a Quartermaine – aimed at a Friday cliffhanger destination. Michael’s brother Morgan was … [Read more...]
General Hospital: The Emergence of Ava Jerome, One Intriguing Woman
August 3, 2013 by 17 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman They 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 Hayman It’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 Hayman Soap 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...]
The Young and the Restless: Time and Patience Needed
June 8, 2013 by 4 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman I’m on school vacation and have plenty of time on my hands. So I’ve been watching a lot of The Young and the Restless. It’s pretty good soap, if time and patience are your strengths as a soap viewer. Y&R, as is its custom, is much slower than other soaps. A storyline -- take Jack … [Read more...]
Franco: Make or Break for General Hospital?
June 1, 2013 by 25 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman So 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...]
