General Hospital Nails Big Story — How Y&R, DAYS, B&B and Beyond the Gates Compare
A good soap opera story layers romance and drama with enough obstacles to propel the action. A great one stars every A-lister on the show. Carolyn Hinsey examines how General Hospital, Young and Restless, Days of Our Lives, Beyond the Gates and Bold and Beautiful are faring when it comes to the fine art of the umbrella story.
Murder, He Wrote
GH knocked it out of the park with a boffo umbrella tale that started last summer at The Five Poppies and ended with Marco’s murder/Jason’s exit. In between, every big name on the show got involved in what I will call the “Faison’s Final Project” story although that title doesn’t do it justice. Jason finding Britt in Croatia… Anna being gaslit by “Faison”… Sidwell implicating Laura and Sonny in Dalton’s murder… Lucas growing closer to Marco while struggling in Sidwell’s orbit… Carly hiding Valentin… Joss pursuing crooked WSB agent Cullum… they were all arcs under the same umbrella, which built up to last week’s shockers.
Lucas (sending flowers to Marco): “Can you have the card say, ‘I can’t wait for us to start our life together’?”
Cut to Marco being knifed by Cullum in Alexis’s office (as punishment for helping Britt) and gasping for breath as his life ebbed out of him. The buildup to Marco’s stabbing felt a lot like the lead-up to B.J.’s 1994 death when Tony had all those scenes dancing with his daughter so GH could flash back to them while they considered donating her heart to Maxie. Similarly, Marco had heartfelt scenes with his father Sidwell and partner Lucas while Sidwell waxed eloquent to Laura about Marco starting a family and Lucas gushed to Carly that he and Marco were house hunting.
Lucas: “We are going to be so happy together!”
Nope. Cullum went from stabbing Marco to trying to kill Britt on the pier. He was stopped by Jason, a struggle ensued, Rocco shot Cullum and Jason took the blame as Nathan arrived. Nathan took Rocco home to Lulu (who he is dating) and ordered the kid to keep mum.
Rocco: “I shot Agent Cullum.”
Lulu: “I’m going to take care of everything.”
Lulu channeled her dad Luke perfectly. Danny and Charlotte also took a page from their fugitive fathers.
Danny (pounding on Carly’s door): “My dad’s in danger and Valentin is the only one who can help him!”
Carly begged Valentin to prove Jason’s innocence, so he took off to try and stop Jason’s transmission to Steinmauer.
Back at the hospital, Lucas unknowingly operated on the man who stabbed his partner while leaving frantic messages for Marco who lay dying down the hall. Elizabeth had to tell him.
Liz: “Marco is dead.”
For layers, you couldn’t beat Sidwell getting the bad news about his son while on a date with Lucas’s aunt Ava and blaming Ava’s former sex partner Sonny when the real culprit was his own partner-in-crime Cullum. Sonny’s explanation to ADA Turner about why he couldn’t have killed Marco was hilarious.
Sonny: “My ex-wife Carly would be pissed off if I killed her brother’s boyfriend.”
Well, okay then! The week ended with tearful scenes between Jason and Britt, Jason and Danny, and Ava and Lucas as Britt snuck into Cullum’s hospital room to off him.
Lulu (interrupting): “Is he going to pull through?”
Britt: “Hard to say…”
Sidwell vowed to make the innocent Sonny pay while Jason isn’t there to protect him. Enter Sonny’s prodigal brother Ric (who is dating Jason’s ex Elizabeth) to help as Danny went to live with another one of Sonny’s exes, Alexis — leaving tentacles all over the place with popular, connected characters. That’s how you spread a big story successfully across an entire canvas.
Boss Baby
DAYS gave us a smaller umbrella tale with Johnny and Chanel officially adopting Sophia’s baby. That arc joined the DiMeras with Salem’s mayor and new teen nutbag Sophia. No one cares about Sophia, but the others have solid rooting value. There were Chanel’s mom Paulina and Johnny’s grandfather Roman discussing the adoption party at the Brady Pub while Johnny’s estranged father awkwardly eavesdropped.
EJ: “I couldn’t help overhear. My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail.”
Ouch. The hearing looked like it might go off the rails (because the judge was angry with lawyer Belle) until EJ entered and offered to represent his son who wasn’t even speaking to him. “Um, okay,” said Johnny. An impassioned speech followed and then…
Judge: “This adoption is finalized. You are now the legal parents of Trey DiMera.”
Johnny: “He’s ours forever.”
Sophia (interjecting): “That’s my baby!”
Soapy, yes. But the drama could have been stretched out much longer and been used to create more rooting value for EJ, as well as EJ and Belle. Umbrellas take careful plotting and time.
Knives Out
I wish B&B hadn’t dropped the story of Eric Forrester designing for Logan because that drama tied the show’s two major families together in a believable way and gave them lots of reasons to interact/argue. We’re left with Brooke’s ex Deacon falling for Ridge’s ex Taylor with the wrinkle being that Deacon’s wife Sheila is a murderer. Deacon’s kids are all for dad moving on, but Taylor’s offspring recognize the danger.
Steffy (to Taylor): “I’m so proud of you for being able to squash your feelings for Deacon.”
Hardly. Taylor planned a secret night of passion in Steffy’s own house (!) so naturally Sheila randomly decided to bring Taylor flowers that same night to thank her for counseling Deacon. She entered Steffy’s unlocked house, heard a noise, assumed Taylor was in danger, grabbed a knife and began making her way up the stairs, where moans were emanating from the bedroom.
Sheila: “I’m coming, Taylor!”
This all happened in one episode which meant no build-up or chance to tie other people in so it wasn’t as effective as it could have been. It also didn’t make sense that Taylor and Deacon would have a dangerous tryst without locking the door. Again, more careful plotting would pay off — as would more involvement from money couple Ridge and Brooke.
The Great Beyond
Anita’s battle with cancer on BTG naturally involves her husband, kids, grandkids and friends, but a surprising person emerged last week: Ex-son-in-law Bill Hamilton.
Anita: “I would like to name you co-executor of my estate and a co-trustee of a trust Vernon and I share.”
Bill: “I’d be happy to take on both roles but I don’t think Vernon will sign off on it.”
Dani will probably want a word, too, since she’s trying to put her cheating ex in the rear view. Anita’s choice is inspired because it will cause friction with Bill’s new wife Hayley and Dani’s new husband Andre while also upping the ante when the truth comes out that Naomi tested positive for the BRCA gene.
The Duprees make up most of the A-listers in Fairmont Crest so any story centered on their family is by definition an umbrella tale. I mean, there’s no logical way to insert Leslie into the action except as a villain disturbing Anita’s sleep.
Yacht’s All, Folks
Y&R’s Newmans and Abbotts have been cleverly tied together in recent years through marriage, work and shared offspring, so you’d think the tale of Victor kidnapping Jack to regain Newman Enterprises would have been a home run. But the story fell flat because, once again, Y&R used an illogical outside bad guy to propel the action. In the past 12 or so months, Alan kidnapped Phyllis and Sharon, “Ian Ward” convinced Mariah to kidnap Dom, and a recast Matt Clark went after Nick and Noah. This time it was killer Patty Williams who was somehow sprung from Fairview to turn up on a yacht and seduce Jack.
Nikki: “Why is she not locked up in the psychiatric facility where she belongs?”
Great question. Diane had a better one: What was Nikki doing at the GCAC?
Nikki: “It seems we are both fighting with our husbands.”
That development shows promise, as does Lily’s return to claim Chancellor from Victor for the kidnapping ruse. He told her she’ll have to wait but in the end it will all be worth it.
Lily: “Is Nikki on board?”
Ha ha. It’s good to have Lily back in Genoa City where the action is. Unfortunately Nick and Adam going to Vegas isolates them, similar to the way the Nice story pigeonholed the Cane debacle and the LA story sequestered Noah, Nick etc. It doesn’t work. The first rule of a good umbrella tale is that the players must all be in the same town.
Hey. It’s only my opinion.
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