Carolyn’s Opinion

Why is it important for viewers to see character growth? Check out what Digest columnist Carolyn Hinsey has to say about what’s happening across the daytime dial.

I recently wrote about how honesty and humor can make a far-fetched story more believable but I’m going to add one more pathway: Character growth.

Take Katie’s bold response when a murderous psychopath just walked into her office on B&B despite all the “extra security” supposedly added.

Sheila: “I am the woman in Bill’s life and you need to accept that.”
Katie: “What are you going to do, shoot me?”

Oooh, sarcasm. That’s a valid question considering Sheila recently shot her own son and pitched his adoptive mom off a cliff. Katie’s take-no-prisoners response to that nutbag being released from prison was a welcome change from her usual response, which is sobbing.

Sheila: “You’ve got to stop treating me like the enemy.”

Yes, let’s have cocoa and braid each other’s hair. Comments like Sheila’s remind us how truly unhinged she is, and Katie fighting back — after years of being a historical pushover — shows real soap opera growth.

Katie: “Get out!”
Sheila: “Be careful. Don’t forget about your heart. Poor, frail Katie.”

It’s pure evil bringing up Katie’s heart transplant, but a great nod to history.

Elsewhere at the poorly protected Forrester offices, Thomas was also roaming the halls.

Hope: “I’m done giving you a third, fourth, fifth chance. I’ve learned my lesson.”
Thomas: “Tell me what you want me to do.”
Hope: “Leave.”

Another Logan woman finding her backbone! Personally, I would have cut Thomas off when I caught him making out with a plastic replica of my face and body but I’m not in the fashion biz so what do I know.

Katie and Hope need to lend shrieky Taylor a little fortitude. In real life, healthy people don’t constantly repeat themselves. Last year it was Brooke wailing, “Why did I drink?” This year it’s Taylor crying, “I’m going to turn myself in!”

Taylor (on repeat): “I have to confess. I have to tell the police.”
Do it or shut up about it.

The definition of farfetched is DAYS’s Marlena, Kayla and Kate dying and going to heaven. No, wait — it’s serial blackmailer and murderer Nick Fallon greeting them there.

Nick: “What I have here are contracts of sale. Each of you has sold me your souls.”
Kate: “Are you telling us you’re the devil?”
Nick: “I’m flattered.”

The “dead” divas demanded to see his boss, who is the devil.

Nick: “He misses you.”
Marlena: “I’m touched.”

Nothing can make this tale believable, but bringing back ace villain Nick does make it more watchable. And Doug and Julie suddenly reminiscing back in Salem about her deceased cousin Nick reminded us he once had a valuable place in the Horton family.

Anna DiMera is another character confidently coming into her own after years of sadly carting “Tony’s” ashes around in an urn. She recently launched into a convoluted tale about Vivian calling the DiMera landline (!) to spill that Gabi was in the basement helping Dr. Rolf deprogram Stefan.

Brady: “What?”
Anna: “Say what you will about that woman, she knows how to get things done.”

The only thing funnier than that nuttiness was Gabi demanding Rolf order more deprogramming equipment on “frankenstein.com”.

Y&R’s Summer is also showing signs of life after some milquetoasty months.

Victor: “Your father thinks Adam deserves a chance.”
Summer: “That’s because Adam gave Faith a kidney.”

Thank you! It’s an endless irritant that shows don’t honor the rampant organ donation that goes on between characters because it could advance story and be funny. How does Jack not constantly bring up that his archenemy, Victor, has an Abbott heart (from Traci’s daughter, Colleen)? Y&R did recently reference that Danny Romalotti has Michael Baldwin’s kidney, but you’d think Billy might bring up that Connor has his late daughter, Delia’s, corneas while watching movies with Connor’s mom, Chelsea.

It’s not unusual on a soap for a woman to question which brother impregnated her, but Y&R is strangely using that story to have Sally regress.

Sally (to Nick): “This is my first moment of genuine fear. How the hell am I going to be a mom?”

She faked a fatal illness and kidnapped her romantic rival (Flo) on B&B, so it’s insulting to portray Sally as not being be able to figure out bottle feedings. Move on.

Rarely does a character experience character development, like GH’s late Dr. Britt Westbourne. She went from stealing Dante and Lulu’s embryo and implanting it in herself to being a respected hospital chief of staff saving Josslyn from The Hook. Her funeral was a who’s who of people she had wronged coming to pay their respects, starting with Sonny, a.k.a. grandfather of the stolen embryo.

Brad (eating ice cream at her empty desk one last time): “I know you weren’t planning for heaven, Britt, but I’m afraid that’s probably where you ended up. I hope there are some hot guys there.”

Brad’s eulogy included her nickname, The Britch, “which she earned, not gonna lie” as mourners smiled. (Kudos for letting us see Britt’s friends mourning her loss. It’s usually only the partner or parent of a dead character who’s allowed to grieve.) GH dropped Britt’s scheming past to “get” Nikolas but wisely kept up her relationship with his son, Spencer.

Spencer: “Can you believe my father? He was engaged to Britt and he didn’t even show up.”

Excellent use of history there to illustrate how far Nikolas had fallen. Well, until Ava clocked him and he went down for good, as witnessed by a very inconvenient Austin.

Ava: “This is not who I am.”
Austin: “Families are
complicated.”

From Todd to Franco to a suddenly scheming Austin? It’s not exactly “character growth” but if it gives the out-of-left-field Quartermaine a purpose, I’ll take it.

Hey. It’s only my opinion.