IN OUR OPINION

Beth Ehlers (Harley, GL)

— PGP

January 16, 2008

From Mala Bhattacharjee
I've been watching GUIDING LIGHT since Reva drove off the bridge. I've seen the Amish, the clones, the magic paintings, and Zachary the angel. But I seem to have missed Harley being a sainted paragon afraid to take chances. Today’s "Inside the Light" episode, which featured Harley dreaming about the men in her life in an attempt to deal with those pesky feelings for her niece's boyfriend, made it seem like Harley has never set a toe out of line. Exsqueeze me? Harley Davidson Cooper is afraid? She doesn't do anything impulsive? How exactly did she end up with three kids by three different fathers, giving birth in the backseat of cars and in jail cells? I'm pretty sure it wasn’t by being meek and cautious. She's never been St. Harley of the Holy Lighthouse — and that's what great about her! To add insult to injury, as Harley encountered all the pivotal guys in her life, we saw Frank and Buzz instead of Rick, Alan-Michael, or Phillip. Yes, I know two of the actors aren't on the show, but that’s not the point! The value of having Beth Ehlers play the role so long is that GL can use those flashbacks that fans love so much. Viewers can't take a walk down Harley’s Memory Lane without seeing her first husband, Zach's dad, and Jude's dad! Fans remember — and so should the-powers-that-be. Though maybe the gang at GL is too caught up in convincing us that Marina's man is the right guy for Harley to remember all those guys of yore?

Drake Hogestyn (John, DAYS)

— NBC

From Janet Di Lauro
So DAYS OF OUR LIVES' Marlena finally uncovered the truth: her beloved John is alive and, well, not exactly well, but walking, talking and breathing! As a viewer being duped into shedding tears for yet another not-so-dead Salem citizen and enduring Marlena's immense pain over losing her soul mate, I should be annoyed and downright angry with the NBC soap. But instead I'm thrilled to see Drake Hogestyn back as the show's definitive hero. His new brainwashed RoboJohn is a hoot to watch, from his controlled movements to his piercing stares to his surprise on-a-dime attacks of friends and foes. Fortunately, the show has allowed its characters to have a sense of humor reacting to it all. Bo, for one, was hysterical after John lunged and put him in a headlock, remarking, "You might have lost your memory, but your reflexes are pretty good." Too bad DAYS missed the perfect comeback, having John retort, "That's a fact!" Oh, well, maybe next time.

Subscribe to Soap Opera Digest for just $21.95 - a savings of 75% OFF the cover price! With your subscription you'll receive THE INSIDER, our subscriber-only weekly email newsletter filled with the news and gossip you won't find anywhere else!

Soap Opera Digest is the insiders' guide to daytime. Every week we bring you behind-the-scenes secrets, the latest star gossip, the latest star fashions, complete show recaps and VCR alerts so that you get the most out of your soaps!

GIVE A GIFT

Email:

First Name:

Last Name:

Address Line 1:

Address Line 2:

City:

State:

Zip:

Select a payment option:

Charge my credit card
Bill me later

Do you have a promotional coupon code?

Enter Code:

Please send me special offers and exclusive promotions from Soap Opera Digest's premiere partners.

READER PANEL

PROFILE

IN OUR OPINION

January 16, 2008

HOT OFF THE NET

POLLING BOOTH

SOAP OPERA OFFERS

READER PANEL

PROFILE

Star of the Week

IN OUR OPINION

January 16, 2008

HOT OFF THE NET

POLLING BOOTH

SOAP OPERA OFFERS