Best and Worst of 2008
Digest‘s annual Best and Worst Issue is out. Here’s a look at some awards
and booby prizes that you won’t see in the magazine.
Worst Hero
Luis, PASSIONS
At first glance, hunky cop Luis seemed to fit the criteria for a “hero.” However, he acted like a clueless jerk this year.
When Alistair imprisoned him and Pretty and demanded that Luis impregnate his granddaughter, rather than even attempt to fight back, Luis did the deed without hesitation, and then couldn’t grasp why his girlfriend Fancy was upset at the idea of him being with her sister. When his ex Sheridan and Pretty both declared their feelings for him, he again refused to acknowledge their or Fancy’s concerns, and seemed to get a perverse pleasure out of watching the women fight over him. And when Fancy began acting strangely due to a behavior-controlling device implanted in her, it took him weeks to suspect that something was up. Meanwhile, the cop wasn’t resourceful enough to rescue Pilar and Theresa when they were kidnapped from Juanita; in fact, the tough ladies both saved themselves.
Worst Special Episodes
“Go Red,” AMC/GH/OLTL
We are all for educating the soap-viewing public about the importance of being heart-healthy, but when ABC Daytime partnered with Campbell’s for its “Go Red” campaign, the results were a heartbeat away from making us change channels.
For weeks on end, the denizens of Pine Valley, Port Charles and Llanview babbled about Prego Heart Smart and Healthy Request soups in a manner that, to be kind, lacked the product-placement finesse of 30 ROCK. (AMC’s Colby to JR: “Have you tried this V8 V-Fusion stuff? It’s really good.”) For the main event, AMC staged a stat-filled “Go Red” fashion show and OLTL featured a “Go Red” ball, while GH actually scripted a heart attack for Epiphany — from which she fully, and speedily, recovered. Taken together, the shows’ efforts amounted to an awkward and far too flighty treatment of an extremely important issue.
Worst Recast
Justis Bolding (Sarah), OLTL
When OLTL decided to recast Tina’s estranged daughter, Sarah, we weren’t even sure why the character needed a reprise, considering neither of her pivotal parents was on the canvas and her previous rock-star incarnation, “Flash,” was hardly missed. Nevertheless, they gave us Justis Bolding, whose petite frame and long, blond hair was pretty much where the similarities to a young Tina stopped. The character was written as spoiled, sassy and ridiculously connected when it comes to the music biz (Timbaland? Really?), but we just never bought Bolding as the brash go-getter that Sarah was supposed to have become. Furthermore, OLTL took a major risk in pairing the unpopular newcomer with an established heartthrob like David Fumero’s Cristian, whose relationship with comatose Evangeline generated more fan mail. It was apparent early on that the writers haven’t figured out what to do with this character, and the soon-to-be-out Bolding failed to seize the opportunity to show them.
Worst New Character
Spencer, ATWT
Newcomer Spencer arrived in Oakdale with a huge grin and a hidden agenda. She was clearly devised to give Katie a dose of karma and stir things up at WOAK, but while InTurn winner Nell Mooney was only granted a 13-week contract, that’s no excuse for the misplaced character’s rapid, hollow evolution. In no time flat, Spencer went from wide-eyed ingenue to lying kook — and this jarring, zero-to-60 “character development” was made worse by the fact that instead of providing Spencer with a solid link to one of the show’s core families, which might have lent her some much-needed likability, she was connected to another newbie, Dani, who is herself a fringe figure that fans have yet to truly invest in.
It is true that Spencer created some chaos for her Oakdale compatriots. But the dust she kicked up was so tired and predictable, we wanted to take a broom and sweep her away.
Worst Stunt Casting
Pat Benatar, Y&R
With such megahits as “Heartbreaker,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Love is a Battlefield,” Pat Benatar is the quintessential tough rocker chick. So was that really the platinum-selling singer hanging out at Neil’s night club last February to give Karen “a master class” on overcoming her stage fright? Uh … yep.
What makes stunt casting like this fall flat is the implausibility of the set-up. Pat, accompanied by her husband Spyder, explained to a shocked Karen, “We have a tour date in Milwaukee, and Neil called Spyder about you, and we decided to stop by on our way from Chicago.” Huh? Are Neil and Spyder old childhood pals? Or did Benatar just magnanimously grant some random caller’s wish? Sure, it was sweet that a music legend would give tips on performance anxiety but Benatar’s appearance made as much sense as Madonna showing up to lead a hip-hop class at the Genoa City Athletic Club.
Best Non-Wedding
Robin and Patrick, GH
While it seems an odd category to celebrate, when our favorite couple for 2008 found their nuptials interrupted by the arrival of their beautiful baby girl, it immediately became the non-event of the season. Warmly told with healthy doses of humor and heart, this light “get me to the church on-time” story suddenly got serious with a risky delivery — but surrounded by the love of family and friends, Robin and Patrick overcame it all, intact and stronger for it. In fact, baby Emma proved to be just as stubborn as her parents, as she was determined to see mom and dad say “I do,” a celebration which we’re anticipating all the more now.
As Robin and Patrick get ready to try, try again, what their love has brought together, let no grief sex, wedding day shoot-outs or marriages of convenience put asunder.
Biggest Letdown
Gus’s Death, GL
When Ricky Paull Goldin (ex-Gus) declined to renew his GL ties, the show was charged with scripting his hasty exit and giving Gus, one of the show’s most popular characters, a suitable send-off. Sadly, GL fell short. They killed off the character, but the real tragedy was that the scenes surrounding Gus’s death were so darn disappointing. From having his fatal accident occur off-screen to Gus being wheeled into Cedars with nary a scratch on his face, the amateurish execution seemed more befitting an extra than a heavy-hitter. Even the one thing the show did right — granting “Gush” fans a good-bye scene for the duo they had so loved — was spoiled in the same breath due to newcomer Natalia’s lingering presence.
Harley’s eulogy at the rather unceremonious funeral was a bright spot, but it couldn’t make up for the empty church pews that should’ve been filled with Springfield’s finest. Gus’s farewell — arguably GL’s biggest story of the year — didn’t fare well at all.
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