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...]
The Young and the Restless: Katherine Chancellor, Always!
January 31, 2008 by 5 Comments
By Patrick Erwin The Young and the Restless has a long history of being a solid hour of soap, mostly unmoved by trends or the fleeting fancies that other shows have lived (or died) by. But in the last few years, Y&R has undergone some substantial changes -- changes in writers, in producers, and in the pace the story unfolds on screen. Fans … [Read more...]
On Soaps, Multiple Suspect Murder Mysteries are So-o-o Done!
January 28, 2008 by 21 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...]
Guiding Light Today: A Few Flickers of Light?
January 23, 2008 by 9 Comments
By Patrick Erwin You may remember the last time I wrote about Guiding Light, I shared my opinion that the show was "operating at diminished capacity." Those were harsh words for a show that used to be must-see-TV for me. Now, I don't know that GL is out of intensive care just yet, but there're a few additions to the show that I think are … [Read more...]
Marcie Surrenders Her Son on One Life to Live: A Rare Soap Opera Grand Slam
January 20, 2008 by 21 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix While we were all bitching and moaning about Budig, I for one almost missed the soap opera story of the year. This is the denouement of that Marcie-on-the-run story on One Life to Live, in which Marcie had fled Llanview with her "adopted" son (newly handed over by the court to Tommy's biological father, rapist Todd), … [Read more...]
Rape Stories: Days of Our Lives Shows That “No” Really Means “No” This Time
January 17, 2008 by 6 Comments
By Patrick Erwin For all its onscreen and offscreen turmoil, Days of Our Lives seems to have a few stories working for it right now. One of them is Chelsea and Stephanie and the sorority girls dealing with the aftermath of the campus rapist, Ford, who raped Stephanie and Cordy and threatened Chelsea. Initially, the story didn't seem too … [Read more...]
All My Children’s Over-hyped Return of Rebecca Budig
January 13, 2008 by 42 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix A member of our family has been ill, so it's been hard enough to post. And so at the end of tough days, I turn to where I have always turned since I was a teen for a bit of relief, comfort and a sense of belonging: to daytime soaps. Right now -- late Saturday afternoon - what's going on is SoapNet's "Welcome Back … [Read more...]
From Hank to Luke and Noah: A Personal Journey
January 7, 2008 by 13 Comments
By Patrick Erwin Most soap operas are a unique combination of realism and complete fantasy. But every once in a while, there are characters or storylines that transcend the fictional wall, and spill over into real life -- one's own real life -- in a very powerful way. … [Read more...]
