By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman We’ve made some changes here at marlenadelacroix.com in an effort to upgrade our service to you, our Thinking Fans. We’ve added a search box, all the better to help you locate what we’re had to say in the past about your favorite soaps and their characters, casts and storylines. And we’re … [Read more...]
Six Passover Questions
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passlacqua Hayman 1. Isn’t it a shame that CBS Daytime (The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful) is going retro just for ratings? Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and NeIl (Kristoff St. John) running over pregnant Christine (Lauralee Bell) on Y&R? She sadly had a miscarriage. Running over a … [Read more...]
Divine Suspense Plots on General Hospital, Currently Must See TV — Part 2
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman I’ve said some negative things about General Hospital headwriter Ron Carlivati (particularly when he was writing One Life to Live) but in the last few months he has proven he knows well how to write soap opera. As discussed last week in my rave over the “Fluke” storyline, he knows how … [Read more...]
Oh No, Not Again! On General Hospital, Sonny and Carly Redux
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Soaps rarely go backward. So it was a big surprise this week on General Hospital when resident baddies Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Jacks (Laura Wright) slept together again. Carly’s love Franco was stuck for the night in a hospital elevator with Nina when Sonny showed up … [Read more...]
Disgraceful, Delightful and Disgusting: This Week’s Soap Events
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman From The Young and the Restless: This week Nick found out that a doppelganger for his dead daughter Cassie has been in town for months disgracefully spooking Sharon into getting shock treatments. The look-alike (who doesn’t even have a name) admitted the sham and said that Victor had … [Read more...]
General Hospital at 51: A Nifty Anniversary Episode
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Soaps rarely celebrate anniversaries on camera. But General Hospital had such a boffo 50th year, the 51st anniversary show just begged to be done. The resulting episode, which aired on April 1st, was a winner from start to finish. As it should, it was introduced by pictures of Steve … [Read more...]
Barely on the Fringe of Believability
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman On soaps, romance comes in many permutations, some exhilarating and some, shall we say, less so. Far out on the latter end of the spectrum is the romance that seems to be on the horizon on The Bold and Beautiful. I’d place it solidly in the category of “Ew!” We got our first clue this … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 6: Cheese-tastic Days of Our Lives; Great Production on General Hospital; Marlena Recommends
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a Connie Passalacqua Hayman Days of Our Lives: “What’s that you’re watching, Marlena? That old movie Earthquake (1974)?” My husband Moose was looking at the TV screen where battered and bloodied people were climbing out of the wreckage of a ballroom that had experienced a terrific explosion. “No, it’s not quite … [Read more...]
Introducing “Sunday Reflections”: General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a Connie Passalacqua Hayman Sunday is a great time to reflect on what's happened during the week on soaps. So Marlena happily presents the first of a feature called "Sunday Reflections. General Hospital: Leave it to this regime at GH to bring in a GQ mobster, Joe Scully Jr., as played by the mighty fine looking … [Read more...]
General Hospital Update: Understanding Itself, Misunderstanding Viewers
By Ed Martin It's been two months since executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati took control of ABC's General Hospital - long enough by any measure for a creative team to make its mark on a soap opera and make clear what they intend to do with it. Now, I don't want to start right in with the complaints, because … [Read more...]