By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman The Young and the Restless: Like gossip on old movies and TV and the soap opera world? Like to laugh? Wanna get all the inside whispered into your ear by a great soap opera icon? Then get yourself a copy of Not Young, Still Restless (HarperCollins) the very frank and entertaining … [Read more...]
Sunday Reflections 3: The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, Days of Our Lives
July 28, 2012 by 12 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a Connie Passalacqua Hayman The Young and the Restless: Finally a soap does what I’ve long advocated for this era of desperation: perform a radical life-saving change to save itself. Y&R has sent in then Marines in the form of new executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and new headwriter Josh Griffith. And Marlena … [Read more...]
Marlena Refreshed and General Hospital Done Right
July 20, 2012 by 4 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman Hi, darlings! How do you like the marlenadelacroix.com site’s new look? Marlena needed to be refreshed, so I went in for some work. If Jeanne Cooper can have her face lifted so publicly on screen as Katherine Chancellor so many years ago on The Young and the Restless, and the equally … [Read more...]
Introducing “Sunday Reflections”: General Hospital, The Young and the Restless, Days of Our Lives
July 15, 2012 by 11 Comments
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...]
The Mega-successful, Classy World of Bill Bell
July 5, 2012 by 2 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passlacqua Hayman When I was a girl soap reporter, I called him "Mr. Bell" during interviews because of Bill Bell's exalted status in the soap industry. And Bill Bell (1927-2005) would just laugh and go ahead to speak about what one always talked to him about: the work. He was the only person I ever … [Read more...]
The Young and the Restless: When a Good Cliffhanger is Far From Enough
June 29, 2012 by 6 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix a.k.a. Connie Passalacqua Hayman I just finished watching Friday's episode of The Young and the Restless. Paul discovered Ricky holding Eden in his bathroom, his son's bloody knife held firmly to her throat. She had passed out due to hitting her head on the bathtub. When Ricky wouldn't drop the knife, a shocked P.I. … [Read more...]
When All Soaps Are In Lockstep, Is Improvement Possible?
November 16, 2010 by 20 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix What's a soap critic to do? There are only six soaps. I have a long memory and remember the very early 90s, when Bill Bell originated the homeless storyline with Stephanie, which way proceeded the current one. Ken Corday is an enemy of free speech; he sought to destroy the critical arm of Soap Opera Weekly years ago. But … [Read more...]
Watching Sadism For Thrills: Soaps Are Not Snuff Films!
February 18, 2010 by 41 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Recently I was asked by a fan why I am not posting much anymore. Here's why: Today on One Life to Live I watched a woman who had just delivered a baby graphically fall through ice and drown. Not three months ago I had watched a Does any TPTB on soaps, so desperate for ratings, actually have any moral sense at all, or even … [Read more...]
The Downward Soap Spiral Accelerates
October 10, 2009 by 20 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix Bonjour, everyone. This November will mark 20th anniversary of my becoming Marlena De Lacroix, soap critic. Marlena's mission has always been to write the truth as I see it, no matter how impolitic. But now, for me -- I repeat, for me -- it's clear that we've reached the end stage of network daytime soap opera, a … [Read more...]
Guiding Light’s Last Fade-out: Only Love Can Save the Soap World
September 21, 2009 by 9 Comments
By Marlena De Lacroix I thought Kim Zimmer looked absolutely gorgeous in her last scene on Guiding Light set a year after the action, when Reva and Josh pledged their love "always." Clad in a emerald gown, the top of her blond hair nicely swept back, she looked truly amazing. A goddess, indeed. Surprised I wrote this? Well, I m going to … [Read more...]
