Thumbs Up!
DAYS OF OUR LIVES - Tamper Tantrum
Sloan learned that the outcome she had dreaded was officially true — Eric is the father of Nicole’s unborn child — and, desperate to hang on to her beau, doctored the DNA results to keep everyone believing that EJ is the pop. Her shady move was the perfect turn in the show’s tale of two pregnancies. Sloan is clearly setting herself up for disaster — but that’s a good thing for viewers, as the twist portends all sorts of juicy drama. There’s now a ticking time bomb in two relationships (Eric/Sloan and EJ/Nicole), and even though it seems obvious that Eric will erupt in fury when the truth eventually comes out, Sloan may have her hooks in him too deep for him to be able to wash his hands of her. Meanwhile, Nic and EJ have genuinely fallen back in love and are thrilled to be having a child together, unaware that their balloon of bliss could pop should Sloan’s dirty deeds be exposed — and we can only imagine that Sloan will live to rue the day she risked the wrath of EJ and Nicole by manipulating them in this way. The show has also done a nice job of giving the jealous and insecure Sloan just enough flickers of regret to stop her from being a cardboard villainess — but that won’t stop us from gleefully anticipating her downfall!
Thumbs Down!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS - Motive Operandi
We have been thoroughly entertained by past Abbott sibling conflicts and thought the show got off to a strong start with the latest round of a Jack vs. Ashley battle, this one centered around Diane. But as the storyline chugs along, the characters’ motivations feel underdeveloped. We know that Ashley is vehemently opposed to Diane being part of the family and yes, there’s a long history of bad blood between them, but her conviction that Diane will be the ruin of the Abbotts (and Jabot) feels extreme given that she has yet to uncover evidence to support that Diane is up to no good, or even explain what she thinks Diane’s master plan is. Likewise, Jack is sickened by his sister’s reunion with Tucker and has convinced Billy to spy on Ash to find out what she’s up to ... which is already known to him (she wants to take her patents and leave Jabot to start her own company). It’s just a hamster wheel of subterfuge that feels unfounded. Level-headed Abby is posing logical questions (e.g., if Ashley is trying to save Jabot, why is she creating a company to compete with it?), only to be met with indignation by her mom. Bottom line: When we keep asking ourselves why characters are acting the way they are, it’s tough to invest in a story.
Thumbs Up!
GENERAL HOSPITAL - Stronger Together
We’re enjoying the newly launched arc that has Anna, Dante and Sonny collaborating to solve the mystery of who fired the shot at either Anna or Sonny at the Metro Court. This is a combination of characters who have rarely been played together, but the individual relationships among them make for an intriguing dynamic. Mafioso Sonny has seldom been on the same side as Anna and Dante during an inquiry of this nature, but given that they all genuinely care about each other, they are logical allies under the circumstances. It’s gratifying to see the show capitalizing on the strong crime-fighting chemistry Finola Hughes (Anna) and Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) have displayed since their alter egos first worked side by side at the PCPD; their acting styles have always meshed together beautifully. But Anna and Sonny’s deepening bond has also been playing out well; they went to a believable new level as friends when she was outed as a double agent and he provided unexpected but genuine support, and Hughes and Maurice Benard (Sonny) are proving to be a captivating (platonic!) duo.
Thumbs Down!
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL - Bill Dozer
It was only a mere seven weeks ago that we lamented the absence of “Dollar” Bill Spencer, but here we are again, still wondering why he isn’t playing a larger role in the Sheila-out-of-jail fallout, especially when he was the one who helped get her put behind bars in the first place. Not only does Bill have skin in the game from that, he has added incentive to worry about Ms. Carter’s proximity to his family because Kelly, his granddaughter (or daughter? Those DNA results could have been tampered with ...), lives with Finn and Steffy. Then there’s son Liam’s torment over his feelings for Steffy, the breakup of his marriage to Hope and his worry that Sheila is getting too close for comfort to Finn. Yes, it’s delightful to see Wyatt helping his brother, but the bulk of their conversations take place in Bill’s office, where he never seems to be, and that only makes their dad’s absence more glaring. To have sidelined Bill at a time where there are multiple stories unfolding that he should be central to is a curious choice that dilutes the drama of those individual yarns. Portrayer Don Diamont has proven himself as a B&B power player. It’s time for the soap he’s called home since 2009 to show some storyline love both to him and his alter ego.
Applause, Applause
We appreciate Y&R bringing back Barbara Crampton’s Leanna Love to report on the juicy gossip afoot with Phyllis and the Abbotts.... An on-screen visit to comatose Lulu by Dante and Charlotte was a welcome surprise on GH.... Julie Dove did a fun guest spot on DAYS as Li’s blind date, “gluten wary” Connie, who name-checked some classic Salem spots, like the Cheatin’ Heart and Green Mountain Lodge.
Picky, Picky
Why would Y&R’s Kyle, the biggest supporter of his parents’ reunion, make up an excuse to miss their nuptials (he claimed to have a meeting, but instead hit the sheets with Audra)? ... B&B is guilty of some revisionist history in having Liam reminisce about the pregnancy classes he attended when Steffy was expecting Kelly in 2018. In point of fact, he had angrily dumped her for bedding Bill, got engaged to Hope and Steffy basically had to beg him to join her at an ultrasound appointment! ... GH’s Laura proclaimed of her MIA son Nikolas, “He has children. I know he wouldn’t just abandon them.” Guess she forgot about him doing just that when he let Spencer think he was dead from 2016-20!