THUMBS UP!
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Sweet Sorrow
The exceptional, lovingly crafted episodes memorializing Bobbie — and by extension, her portrayer, the late, great Jacklyn Zeman — were some of the best hours of soaps in years. Yes, we could quibble about why certain people were absent from the funeral, or how Felicia and Carly managed to crisscross the globe while Maxie was still hosting Bobbie's loved ones for interview sessions at Kelly's, but in the end, what we will remember is how this touching, poignant and beautiful love letter to Bobbie made us feel: at once heartbroken anew over the devastating loss of Zeman and deeply, fiercely proud to be a fan of this show. The eulogies by Laura, Liz, Scott and Carly were spot-on, as were the emotionally rich moments showcased between characters like Brad and Felix, and Lucy and Tracy, and the flashbacks of Bobbie's decades-long history in Port Charles were priceless. But it was, of course, the meaningful inclusion of Brighton Hertford as B.J. in angel form ("Angela Brighton") that elevated the unfolding drama to a whole new level of brilliance. We still have chills from the scenes where Felicia (the magnificent Kristina Wagner, whose work throughout the arc of Bobbie's death deserves all the kudos), Maxie and Lucas (Ryan Carnes, in a most welcome return) realized that the "reporter" they'd been speaking to was actually the spirit of Barbara Jean, Bobbie's late daughter, whose 1994 death remains one of GH's finest tales. What a gift to longtime fans this was! The reveal that Carly, with an assist from Liz's artistry, had renamed Kelly's in her mother's name was the perfect finishing touch to at once honor Bobbie and assure us that her legacy will live on. It was clear that GH's cast and crew put their whole hearts and souls into these episodes, and their efforts paid off in our tears.
Photo credit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci
THUMBS DOWN!
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Stark Contrast
DAYS can’t seem to make up its mind about Leo Stark. One minute he’s a conniving, greedy miscreant who’ll do anything for a buck; the next, he’s showing flashes of being a decent guy with a genuinely good heart. The flip-flopping has gotten tedious and, more importantly, made it difficult to root for him. When Greg Rikaart joined the soap as Leo in 2018, the smarmy troublemaker seduced Sonny and set him up for a sexual harassment payoff. Leo’s methods and motivation were crystal-clear, yet the character was likable due to his sharp wit and salacious humor. It was fun to watch Leo finagle and scheme. But along the way, DAYS began toying with redeeming him, first with his romance with Craig and later his relationship with Dimitri, intimating that true love could possibly change him for the better. But the soap pushed hard to paint Leo in a heroic light when he delivered Nicole’s baby boy on the side of the road and immediately waxed on about how the miraculous moment forever “changed” him. Almost immediately, Leo was back to his old, devious ways. After learning that Nicole's "dead" son had actually been illegally adopted by Sloan and Eric, he knowingly kept the truth to himself, and with barely a tinge of remorse, blackmailing Sloan over the baby secret and enjoying himself to the fullest while treating himself to shopping sprees. The guy has no shame and, apparently, no conscience. All in all, DAYS needs to pick a lane and stick to it when it comes to Leo: Either keep him on the path of wrongdoing, all in the name of money and shiny new things, or steer him down the straight and narrow, make him realize the error of his ways and have him turn over a new leaf. The show's efforts to have it both ways isn't working.
Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
THUMBS UP!
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
Called To Account
Ridge’s sons have skated for years. Thomas ran Emma off the road, was cleared in a police investigation and went on to stalk Hope while the entire family defended him (He’s changed!”), while R.J. returned from school in Europe and was given a plum design job at Forrester with no experience or training. So it was refreshing when Zende and Finn recently called out the unfairness of the special treatment rendered to R.J. and Thomas. Zende’s issues are the most relatable as he watched Ridge’s “golden child” get the big job at the office despite R.J. and Zende both being Eric’s grandsons. Finn’s worries are more serious as evidence mounts that Thomas killed Emma, which no amount of “professional help” can undo. By speaking up, Zende created welcome drama with his cousin R.J. (and Luna!) and Finn gave B&B fans something we’ve never seen: Someone saying “no” to Steffy Forrester.
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
THUMBS DOWN!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Benedict Audra
Audra’s constant flip-flopping between Tucker and Kyle — and Newman and Jabot — is muddying an already convoluted story. She has a big job at Newman but spends her days (and nights…) plotting with Tucker about taking over Jabot in hotel lobbies full of the very Abbotts she’s trying to unseat. She slept with Kyle and Tucker, gossiping about each to the other. She pledged undying loyalty to Kyle and his efforts to bring down Tucker, then blabbed Kyle’s entire plan to Tucker. We would applaud a strong woman out for No. 1 in the cutthroat business world of Genoa City, but Audra’s motives shift daily. If she wants money and power she’s on track for it at Newman, so a hostile takeover of Jabot makes little sense — especially if she achieves it in cahoots with the universally hated Tucker. “Do you even know what you want anymore?” Audra recently asked Tucker. Great question. Does she?
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE
What a rare treat to see Lauren and Nikki in scenes together on Y&R, and we loved the Cole/Ashley flashbacks…. It was richly satisfying to see GH’s Esme arrested at last, and Maura West gave an awesome performance as Ava refused to drop the charges against her one-time tormentor…. It was a nice touch on DAYS that Brady mentioned that he was going to reach out to Belle and Carrie for their help with Tate’s legal woes.... We are here for the edge B&B has injected into Liam.
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
PICKY PICKY
We were taken out of the lovely scenes between Carly and Elizabeth at Kelly’s on GH when Carly said she’d forgotten that Liz had worked there. That was a huge factor in the characters’ early relationship — Carly even disparagingly referred to her as “the waitress”! It was also odd that Lucas and Sam — who are half brother and sister — did not interact or even acknowledge one another at Bobbie’s memorial.... On DAYS, Eric referred to causing Daniel’s demise via his drunk driving eight years ago, which is when the fatal crash occurred in real time — but that timeline doesn’t make sense in Salem years, since Holly (who had yet to be born when Daniel died) is now a teenager!.... Y&R’s Nikki meeting her AA sponsor at a bar (Society) was a curious choice…. B&B’s Luna has access to a large rack of designer gowns for a dinner date after working as a Forrester intern for five months?!
Photo credit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci