Are stories based in reality more relatable? Check out what Digest columnist Carolyn Hinsey has to say about what’s happening across the daytime dial.
Soaps twist themselves into pretzels creating elaborate obstacles for couples when the simplest ones often work best.
I’m not a fan of brainwashing or hallucinogenic biscuits so it was refreshing to watch DAYS’s Brady and Chloe run into a perfectly plausible hurdle: His daughter hates her.
Chloe: “She thinks of me as the evil stepmonster!”
It didn’t help when Chloe responded to Rachel’s nasty behavior by admitting she hates the kid, but Brady making excuses for the bad seed just pushes Chloe further into Xander’s arms.
Xander: “You daughter has been horrible to Chloe.”
Brady: “Shut up. Her mother is in prison.”
Big deal. Every kid in Salem has a parent who’s died multiple times so Rachel is lucky to be able to Uber to Statesville to visit Kristen. Styling the little urchin like Wednesday Addams adds to the humor, as does Brady’s utter haplessness with how to discipline her. Paging Dr. Marlena Evans…
Brady: “I want to put my kid first but if I don’t fix this thing with Chloe, I’m going to be miserable.”
Marlena: “I had the same problem with John and Sami.”
A logical barrier rooted in history! “Broe” goes back 20 years (Last Blast anyone?), so we’re invested in those crazy kids working it out. Contrast that with all the people having sex without love on what sometimes feels like ONE-NIGHT-STAND OF OUR LIVES: Alex/Allie, Alex/Gwen, Sloan/Eric, Sarah/Rex and Leo/anybody do not give us the warm fuzzies we love about daytime drama.
Thank the soap gods for Patch and Kayla, together at last.
Patch: “My sweetness. I thought I was going to have to miss you forever.”
With death and brainwashing behind them, they were free to reunite in Victor’s childhood home where the only problem was the very believable smell of goats.
Patch: “You know what got through to me and John when Megan messed with our heads? Love.”
Let’s have more of that.
Right, B&B? Steffy and Finn are the money couple, having battled his murderous mother together instead of letting her rip them apart. (Sheila has been a reliable thorn there for years.) With Brooke and Taylor insisting the single life is for them, B&B is trying to make fetch happen with Hope and Thomas despite her marriage to Liam.
Steffy (to Hope): “Are you attracted to my brother? Do you think he’s hot?”
Considering that Thomas stalked her, she shouldn’t, but that’s where they’re going. We even got the old soap trope of Hope tripping and falling onto Thomas as Liam walked in.
Liam: “What the hell is going on here?”
Guess. It’s curious that the side buddy comedies (Ridge and Bill!) are getting better dialogue than the duos, but I’ll take it.
Wyatt: “Thomas caught Hope as she fell?”
Liam: “Hope and I are never going to agree because I don’t see a better man. I see a better liar.”
Now, that’s an obstacle. I’d love to see Liam gravitate towards Steffy (who he’s wed three times) during his marital woes since it’s her brother causing them. Pull their daughter Kelly out of mothballs and let’s make that family affair even messier.
The main obstacle for couples on GH is pacing, so wake me when Chase/Brook Lynn, Carly/Drew, Alexis/Gregory, Austin/Ava move forward. But Spencer and Trina finally got together and took a page from Luke and Laura’s successful playbook to go on the run —with Victor Cassadine no less! There’s a certain creep factor when Victor talks of a “stirring in his loins” for Obrecht, and he’s obviously lost his mind thinking he can keep his kidnapped family with him forever, but it’s clever to tie all those crimes to one man and his twisted love for his family while also shipping the hottest young couple the show has had in years.
Spencer (discovering Trina has stowed away to save him): “For once I need you to be a coward and not a superhero.”
Trina: “The risk was worth taking.”
That’s supercouple talk. The whole town working together to find them gives me all the feels from when Luke saved the world, as does the added irony of
Spencer Cassadine being the good guy in this tale.
Trina: “This is not the end for us.”
The end for Y&R’s Chris and Paul came suddenly and without warning.
Lauren: “Are you ready to talk about what happened with Paul?”
Chris: “Paul and I had something really special but that time has come to an end.”
Huh? Some nonsense about him being unfulfilled in retirement and going to Portugal followed. If there’s a less fulfilling breakup of a legacy couple please show it to me. Ironically, Chris did get to share juicy scenes with Michael, who once tunneled through a wall in her apartment to hold her captive.
Christine: “The one person who is supposed to bring justice for Phyllis is me, her worst enemy.”
Michael: “It’s almost as if Phyllis planned this.”
Phyllis faking her death to frame Diane will cause solid ripples for Jack/Diane as well as Nick/Sally.
Summer (to Sally at Phyllis’s memorial): “You don’t belong. You’ve glommed onto my father. I hate that he’s still with you when you’re pregnant with Adam’s baby.”
Carrying his brother’s child is a much better hurdle than Nick’s grown daughter not liking his girlfriend, but they didn’t play that. Honestly, give me an exchange like this between long-marrieds where Victor accused Nikki of manipulating him into leaving Victoria alone.
Nikki: “That’s what marriage is: A series of gentle suggestions.”
Victor: “What if I have a suggestion?”
Nikki: “I don’t need it because I’m already perfect.”
Victor: “I forgot.”
Sarcasm: Simple, but always effective.
Hey. It’s only my opinion.
