August 20, 2007
All My Children:
Meh. I’m sure I watched it. Some of it, anyway, but sitting here all I can think of it: did I put fabric softener in that last load of laundry? I guess I’ll go to “The Cottage” and read what Miry sent me on Ryan’s history, maybe it can jumpstart my creative juices on All My Children. Seriously, how can one have a commentary on this much of nothing?
One Life to Live:
My DVR decided to start recording Thursday’s episode half way through, so I feel lucky to have seen it and Friday’s episodes. I could have missed them, and that, for any long time fan, would have been a huge bummer. Like many viewers, I was very unhappy to hear that Phil Carey had chosen to quit One Life to Live rather than to take recurring status. I completely understand and applaud his heroic decision. I am appalled by ABC’s youth-centric obsession for many reasons, but the main reason is because it is causing veteran actors to disappear from our screens. For me, that is the pits.
Asa’s death deserved more than 15 minutes. Didn’t his “fake” demise last year (or the year before) get more attention than this one has? We find out he has passed on one day and it is all over by the end of the next. Wow. What’s the rush? While I *loved* seeing Max, Kevin, Joey, Cord and Alex again, why was it so rushed? No church service, very few flash backs and Viki locked in the basement (again) with Dorian and that’s it. Farewell old friend. Not that it wasn’t great to have Dorian tell Viki “You only have One Life to Live, what are you doing with it?” that was priceless, but I have to wonder why now—after all this time and Victor Lord’s resurrection a few years ago—why would Dorian admit she killed Victor now? She did, I actually remember watching that episode, but why now?
Robert S. Woods completely knocked it out of the ballpark. Drunken Bo was right on; the yelling and posturing, the invading Clint’s personal space, the grieving were spot on. It seemed appropriate that he be swilling whiskey from the bottle, mad as hell and hanging out in the barn. That was perfect characterization. I was blown away by his raw despair at losing his father without ever having won his respect. It resonated very deeply especially because, as a good guy, he was on his way to arrest his father when he found out that Asa had passed on. Bob Woods needs to be up for a Daytime Emmy next year.
How great was it to see Max and Blair back together again? I cheered out loud when he asked her to go away with him and NOT just because I can’t stand her and Todd going back together for the umpteenth time. NOT that it was any better when Blair was breaking up and going back together with Max instead of Todd. Remember when Skye was trying to steal him from Blair and they were both such giant losers they let him bounce back and forth between them for months? Good times!! Anyway, When Nora let Max into Renee’s room, I burst out crying.
The other thing that I *loved* was Viki’s children spending some well deserved time together. It was such an evocative scene as they reminisced about their grandfather, then sang and danced. It was a fitting reverie for Asa. I was glad to see that Viki and Clint got to witness the moment together. I really dislike that they have put Dorian between these two. It is just lame for all three of them.
Sarah is just not catching on in anything she has done or with anyone, not even with Cord there to prop her up. I was pissed at her pathetic mewling about not seeing her grandfather in the WEEKS she was slumming around town, only to find him dead when she did decide to blow into his home with a full head of steam on about her precious “trust fund”. I hope she chokes on the guilt, personally. Did anyone else think that the scene (as much as I love Cord) would have been played out better with Joey than with Cord? We have never seen Cord interact with his daughter and have only the sketchiest of idea concerning their rocky relationship, whereas Joey and Flash shared many scenes a few years ago and were very close. In fact, there was some crazy inappropriate chemistry going on between them at one time (and who ever thought I would ever say I missed the first Sarah? Not I!). Just saying!
How juicy is it that Asa died keeping the secret of another son from his family? That’s classic Asa behavior right there. I love Nigel and that he holds his old friend's secrets in such high regard is very touching, as was his confiding in Max. Well done. Also well done was Alex, eavesdropping and getting on her cell phone… I really felt for Nora, who is not even family anymore except as the mother of Buchanan, and yet she was treated really well by Asa and it’s obvious that she still carries much affection for Bo. All in all, I was visibly, emotionally touched by the death of Asa. It really is the end of an era. Let’s hope it’s not another death knell for the entire genre!
General Hospital:
Sam, Sam, Sam! What is the difference between what Maxie did to Lucky last year and what Sam is doing to him this year? The difference is that Maxie at least thought she loved him. She was trying to get him away from Liz because she wanted him. Sam is trying to hurt Elizabeth by seducing Lucky and she isn’t smart enough (or is it devious enough?) to use pills to do it. I think that the budding dysfunctional friendship between Maxie and Sam has great story line potential. What I would like to see is for Maxie’s underplayed, long standing “love” for Lucky to kick her conscience into gear and for her to give Sam the word from on high: Don’t hurt poor, stupid Lucky or she’ll have to deal with Maxie. I think I could really get in to Sam and Lucky. They really work well together, but the writers are ruining it for me by making Lucky a great, big DOOFUS. Why do they hate Lucky so much?
Diane is, quite possibly, the best character on daytime General Hospital at this point. I love her looks, I love her skills, I love how strong and independent she is. Diane *IS* who Alexis started out to be, except Alexis had “cousin” Stefan to take care of and Diane has the mob-father. I can’t wait for Luke to get back and meet her. I love Luke and Tracy, but I have become convinced that TPTB’s long standing refusal to write for any Quartermaines, much less Tracy, makes them and their story a dead end. It doesn’t have to be. Clearly, there are numerous avenues they could take them that the fans would love, but after three years of them together, it is obvious that TPTB made them a couple in an effort to downplay Luke and his involvement in the show. They underestimated Luke’s fans and they underestimated the acting talents of Tony Geary and Jane Elliot.
What is that foul, fetid, rotted stench coming from General Hospital these days? Why, it’s what they are doing to Connie-Kate! "Way to go!" to the numb nut, short sighted, one dimensional thinkers who are TPTB at General Hospital for ruining Kate Howard and Sonny. If the rumored spoilers are indeed correct and Kate is dragged in to the sucking quagmire of shit that is Sonny’s world, then it really will stink up the first story I have liked Sonny in for the last 7 years (minimum). Their childhood friendship some how made their getting to know each other palpable. It took the edge off of them both making each more likeable. Connie, hiding her low class roots from her high brow world and afraid Sonny would expose them was something I enjoyed. Kate sent in by a rival mob boss to get close to Sonny just pisses me off.
James-Jerry, Carly, Jax and Irina: bleck, they suck. Everything about them is a bust. Stick a fork in it already and have mercy on us long suffering viewers!
Do you all know what a BIG fan I am of Julie Marie Berman? From day one, I have sworn from the rooftops that she is a brilliant actress who has brought Lulu to life as no one else I can imagine could ever have done. It saddens me, no sickens me, to report that they have finally managed to make me not give a flying crap about her. Lulu and Logan make me want to projectile vomit. I don’t care if I am the only fan on earth who hates them. They do not work for me. I don’t like Logan. Far from this pairing making him more palatable to me, it has actually just spoiled Lulu for me.
Pitch him in as a spoil for Coop and Maxie, which I would like. In fact, it would be vintage soap if she and Coop were engaged or even married and Coop turned out to be Brenda’s brother. If Maxie finally had everything she had ever wanted, a strong, decent man with money, an exciting job, who loved her to distraction and accepted her exactly as she is, except there would be Logan skulking around the shadows, piquing her erotic, bad girl side. It could be a great long-term storyline. Maxie would deserve what she got for falling for Logan. Lulu just DOES NOT.
That’s it for me for now, I’m out. Please join me at The Cottage, The TV Fan Online Forums, my myspace or listen to me dish the dirt with my TV Fan Online cohorts on Daytime Confidential ABC Edition. I’m not difficult to contact so drop me a note and let me know how you feel about how I feel about the ABC soaps. I’m waiting!
See ya!
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