Carolyn Hinsey Shares Her Opinions

Why are stories with a strong historical base best? Check out what Digest columnist Carolyn Hinsey has to say about what’s happening across the daytime dial.

Conflict rooted in history has so much more meaning than stories dropped in from left field.

The Y&R ball had both. On the downside, they ignored Jack and Diane’s messy backstory along with her past crimes.

Diane (to Jack): “Ours is the perfect love story!”

Only if “perfect” meant marrying Victor Newman, stealing Jack’s sperm to impregnate herself with baby Kyle, and framing half the town for her murder. Playing that would have been so much more interesting than as some innocent Mother Teresa in a sparkly dress.

And who was Jack to chide Ashley for attending the gala with Tucker when he was with the controversial Diane?

Jack: “Please tell me you are not bringing Tucker.”
Ashley: “Give it a rest.”

Ashley, Victor and Nikki gave delicious side eye when Jack announced their engagement but it’s strange that Y&R would disregard the newly betrothed’s rich history while playing others so well at the party. The snark between Jill and Mamie was perfection.

Jill: “Why don’t we let bygones be bygones?”
Mamie: “I don’t think so.”

That needed flashbacks … Longtime fans know Jill repeatedly cheated on John Abbott, giving him a series of heart attacks that Mamie nursed him through.

Mamie also helped raise Jack, Ashley and Traci (and later Kyle and Abby) so she knows where some major bones are buried. I wanted more from that fraught encounter.

Still, it was fun watching Phyllis melt down and Jill bounce around causing trouble. She confronted Tucker for planting Audra as a mole in her company, dished her racy past with Michael and Lauren, and played a key role in Devon and Lily’s kumbaya.

Jill: “I hope the two of you can find a way to be a family again.”

Jill also joined Ashley and Victor to confront uninvited tabloid queen Leanna Love.

Leanna: “So much for this being a forgiving town.”

Ha! As always, the best moments involved Victor.

Victor (to Ashley and Tucker): “I hope I’m interrupting something.”

Bill Spencer interrupted Sheila’s crime spree to propose marriage, which prompted her to confess her past lawbreaking. That gave B&B the chance to showcase critical clips of Sheila pushing her shrink off a balcony and unleashing bees on the allergic Lance.

Sheila: “I am a murderer.”
Bill: “That’s so hot. Say it again.”

Twisted but effective. Sheila didn’t confess any of her atrocities on Y&R (sorry, Lauren!) but her B&B felonies were enough to make Bill call the FBI which, of course, Sheila overheard because #soaps.

Bill (gloating): “Your reign of terror is over, bitch.”

Splat!

GH’s Anna and Valentin using The Ice Princess to smoke out Victor hearkens all the way back to 1981. Using Victor’s mole Eileen against him was a risk; it took Victor three scenes to figure out the necklace was a fake.

Anna: “I’m not in love with Eileen being our asset.”
Valentin: “We may have to improvise.”

Ya think? At least Victor explained what the hidden numbers signify.

Victor: “Many years ago my brothers and I developed the means of putting the world back to rights. Luke and Laura showed up and ruined everything. Mikkos had the code engraved on the back of the diamond.”

Victor claims he needs it to save the world but it will cost lives, which makes no sense. Go get him, Anna!

Elsewhere, Sonny’s long history of mob life allows GH to crank up danger at any time. The recent shooting caused him to push Nina, Carly, etc. away for their safety, which is painful territory for Josslyn, who grew up in that world.

Joss (to Sonny): “Donna and Avery are starting to think this is normal and I just wish that broke your heart even half as much as it breaks mine.”

You know what breaks my heart? Laura caring more about Esme and Liz than her own kids. She should at least mention Lucky and Lulu occasionally, and where’s the police search for Nikolas? It’s out of character for this loving mom to ignore that.

It was perfectly in character for John and Patch to team up to find Stefano’s island on DAYS, and most welcome after all the cockamamie tales based on brainwashing, “dead” divas and magic orchids.

Patch: “There’s only one island that has a research facility.”
John: “We just found a needle in a haystack.”

And then he found his bride in a plastic tube.

John: “Doc?”

It’s cute that John can still be shocked when Marlena comes back from the dead. The money DAYS saved by dressing their leading ladies in hospital gowns for a month was well spent bringing back legacy characters Bo, Hope and their daughter, Ciara, who docked her boat in Maryland and immediately called Shawn.

Ciara: “We might stop by Salem.”

Where is that town anyway?

Back on Lunatic Island, Megan proved she was the same nutbag she was in the old days.

Megan: “You’re going to go be with Hope? I’m not going to let that happen.”

Bo knocked her out, opened the door and found Kayla.

Kayla: “My brother’s alive!”

They headed out like Nancy Drew and a “programmed” Hardy Boy who didn’t seem to care about the whereabouts of his wife.

Kayla: “You belong with Hope.”
Bo: “Ancient history.”
Kayla: “It can never be over when you have a love like that, the same love I have with Steve. You will find it again no matter what the obstacles are.”

Indeed, Bo’s memories started to come back (as did ours), aided by classic flashbacks — a happy reminder of Bo and Hope in the old days.

A clip of Bo promising to “always love” his Fancy Face from 30 years ago? You don’t get more rooted in history than that.

Hey. It’s only my 
opinion.