It’s Only My Opinion: A Season Of Miracles For General Hospital’s Gio and Valentin, B&B’s Katie and More

’Twas the season for soap families to reunite, celebrate miracles, and, in some cases, implode. 

On Days of Our Lives, the DiMeras learned their kidnapping had been orchestrated by their estranged brother, Peter, who appeared in the crypt with sarin gas to kill them. A battle ensued, resulting in Theo getting injured, Kristen knocking Peter out, and Chad wrestling the key from him. They escaped into the DiMera living room to find Jada and Rafe searching for them. Despite having spent days underground without adequate meals or a shower, EJ went straight to the hospital to don a Santa hat and read the story of Jesus to the children. 

Paulina: “The reading of The Christmas Story by the devil himself.”

Well said, Madame Mayor! An ailing Kristen went to the hospital, where Brady read her the riot act for not telling him Rachel shot EJ. How dare she make this enormous decision on her own? 

Brady: “We have been dealing with Rachel’s behavioral issues for years.” 

Kristen: “I wanted to spare you knowing what our daughter was capable of.” 

Yes, keeping your daughter’s murderous streak from her father worked out well: She’s locked up in Bayview making slice-and-bake cookies with Marlena and begging her parents to be honest about her crimes.

Rachel: “I don’t want any secrets!”

Brady kissed Sarah — does that count? 

Eli and Lani surprised Julie for the annual Horton tree-trimming party with friends and family. The camera zooming in on the ornaments belonging to late loved ones (Tom, Alice, Abby, now Doug…) always brings a tear, and is a concept other shows should copy. In came Chad fresh from the crypt to reunite with Thomas and Charlotte and have words with Jack and Jennifer about how they will never take his kids. Speaking of kids, Eli and Lani went on and on about how much they love theirs… but we never saw them. Sorry, Jules and Carver, you don’t get any presents! You neither, Victoria. Stay silently in your strollers in the other room like all good children on Christmas Day. 

I get why soaps don’t fill the screen with day player children ($$), but then don’t have the parents gush about their offspring for pages of dialogue — especially on a holiday pegged to children. The Young and the Restless still refuses to cast the much-mentioned Maddie and Charlie, despite most of Cane and Lily’s conversations centering around them, but they did bring back Johnny and Katie to decorate a Charlie Brown tree with Victoria, Billy and Sally. And Harrison came downstairs for a colorful holiday with his dad and grandparents, despite what what was happening at Jabot. 

Kyle: “The rest of the world is singing carols and wrapping presents, and we’re trying to ward off the end of the Abbott world as we know it.” 

Indeed, Jabot seemed to be imploding but Jack put that aside to hand his wife a very special gift.

Jack: “That necklace belonged to Coco Chanel.”

Diane: “The Coco Chanel?” 

Apparently! Jack purred that his wife outshines her new gems, prompting a night of “old love” as they called it (ha!). If you thought Jackie Boy was laying it on thick, there was Victor trying to appease Nikki after their blowout fight with a gigantic jeweled number that belonged to Marie Antoinette’s mother. (Was there a discount on necklaces owned by famous women at Fenmore’s?) As the couple went down memory lane, Victor recalled his mother leaving him at an orphanage on Christmas Eve because they had no money for food. 

Victor: “Now look at what we have.”

We? Nikki warned Victor that if he didn’t drop his vendetta against Jack she was going to leave him. Will Victor acquiesce or will Nikki let him eat cake? 

Gemstones are nice, but my favorite present was the one Ashley gave Shanice on Beyond the Gates: A lunchbox that had “Human Organs” written on it so no one would steal her lunch from the break room. Genius.

The Dupree holiday almost imploded for two reasons. First up was Nicole believing that Vernon was having an affair with Anita’s singing partner Sharon. Nicole was about to spill all at the party so they could “deal with the aftermath and get to the healing” when Vernon busted out singing “Joy to the World” and Anita pronounced it a miracle. 

Vernon: “I’ve been secretly taking singing lessons! Thank you, Sharon.”  

Oh ye of little faith, Nicole. 

The second reason was tougher to push through: Anita told Vernon she has breast cancer; they resolved to fight it together. 

Bill Hamilton had another come-to-Jesus moment with Hayley (fitting for Christmas, huh?) when their house in St. Barts fell through and he said they’d just find another. She accused him of making empty promises and claimed she feels “shunned” at Fairmont Crest because Bill doesn’t have her back (reminder: she’s currently trying to kill him). And then things took a turn. 

Bill: “You should have known there’d be fallout when you chose to pursue your best friend’s father.” 

That duo is the definition of implosion.  

The Logan family is also headed that way on The Bold and the Beautiful after the clever twist of Bill giving Katie a fashion house and her naming it Logan. Ridge and Brooke decreed she can’t do that because it’s Brooke’s name (?) and Logan is also Ridge’s pet name for his wife. 

Brooke: “You cannot use my name.”

Katie: “You have the audacity to tell me I can’t own my own name? The name stays.”

Hell yes, it stays! There are three Logan sisters and it takes real chutzpah to say only Brooke can use their last name — especially when Brooke and Donna spent Christmas together ho-ho-ho-ing and vowing to be there for Katie. What hypocrites, especially Ridge. There he was making a toast to Eric and calling him “the glue” that held the family together when the previous week he was throwing “the glue” out of his own company and forcing him into retirement. A beautiful gathering at the Forrester mansion cannot erase that behavior, no matter how many carols they sang together.

Reunions abounded on General Hospital, and every core family had a big, fun bash. Sonny’s was festive until Carly observed Charlotte looking sad and made up an excuse to take her back to her house so she could reunite the kid with her missing dad. Valentin hugged Charlotte and whispered “Thank you” to Carly, which was the most heart-tugging moment of the holiday. It doesn’t say much for Brennan that the WSB’s number one fugitive is hiding out in his girlfriend’s attic, but I look forward to his epic comedown.  

Drew was a full-on Ebeneezer, refusing to let Scout see her family because Alexis botched her questioning of Portia on the stand. (Drew’s blackmail came out, as did Portia’s changing of Heather’s test results and her sex romp with Isaiah.)

Drew: “Alexis has lost the right to see Scout. I back down, I lose all my leverage.”

Willow: “This isn’t about leverage. Your daughter is unhappy. Don’t think of this as a concession to Alexis. Think of it as a beautiful gift for Scout — and for me.” 

Ding-dong! Willow delivered Scout to Alexis’s house for a joyous hug as the new Mrs. Cain looked on rethinking her life choices. 

Mac and Felicia had a bash to distract the kids from the missing Maxie and FaceTimed Uncle Robert and Sasha in Australia (sniff!)… Rocco and Dante shared a gingerbread cookie and possible rapprochement… Cody and Molly kissed…  Sonny and Kevin kumbaya’d at Laura’s… Ava and Lucy sniped at Sidwell’s Boxing Day party at Wyndemere… Britt got her medical license back… Pregnant Portia got suspended and Isaiah helped her clean out her office.  

Isaiah: “We made the best choices we could.”

Having unprotected sex with a married woman?

Gio proved he’s coming out of his funk by attending parties at Lulu’s, Sonny’s, the Scorpios and the Quartermaines. 

Sonny: “I’m surprised Tracy let me set foot in her house.” 

She did it for Gio. A Christmas miracle occurred when Ned and Sonny gifted their grandson a new violin and he picked it up and played “O Holy Night” to the delight of a surprisingly sentimental Tracy.

We miss the holiday celebrations of old, but the shows did a good job this year with their current casts (and budgets). Alan reading the Christmas story at the hospital on GH is forever etched in our minds, but there are no logical Q’s to pick up that mantel. (What, are they going to put Jason back in a reindeer sweater?) With the right combination of drama and comfort — and some impending implosions — we’re set up nicely for a raucous new year. 

Hey. It’s only my opinion.