It’s Only My Opinion: Recasts vs Returns on Soaps — GH, Y&R, DAYS, B&B
Recasting major characters and bringing back fan favorites are both common occurrence on soaps — and one tends to have a much bigger success rate. Bringing back faves (Y&R’s Malcolm) vs. recasting (GH’s Michael): Which is better? Carolyn Hinsey examines this age-old question on General Hospital, Young and Restless, Days of Our Lives, Beyond the Gates and Bold and Beautiful.
Stranger Danger
It’s almost always better to bring back the original actor in a major role than it is to hire a new face. Personally, I hate recasts. It takes me years to adjust to a new player, made more difficult by the fact that the soap can’t use flashbacks to remind me who they are.
So kudos to Y&R for giving us a master class in how to properly bring back an OG with Shemar Moore. Malcolm returned for a real reason (he needs a bone marrow transplant for his aplastic anemia) with real consequences (he could die) involving people we care about (bio daughter Lily et al), so the story made sense. They paired him with an old love Stephanie (played again by Vivica A. Fox), now a successful doctor who can help Malcolm navigate his health issues. Wisely, Y&R reminded us of their history together with flashbacks to the mid-1990’s when they were encouraged by Dru and Olivia to date.
Malcolm: “I don’t think it’s such a bad idea.”
Stephanie: “What?”
Malcolm: “You and me hooking up.”
Indeed. Back in the present, Stephanie shocked Malcolm with the news that their “hook-up” had produced a son who could be a bone marrow donor. Malcolm immediately shared the news with Lily, laying out the retcon of his past with Stephanie.
Lily: “Are you saying I have another brother? Who is it?”
Malcolm: “Holden Novak.”
The plot thickens! Congrats to Y&R for not making the same mistake with Malcolm that they did with the recast Cane by dragging out the story for months before revealing who he was and why we should care. On day one, we learned Stephanie was Holden’s mother; on day two, we learned Malcolm was Holden’s bio dad. That’s how you get us to invest — along with making fan fave Lily the heart of the story.
Taylor Made?
B&B has had to recast core character Taylor a few times. The problem with the current Taylor, Rebecca Budig, has nothing to do with Budig’s proven talent or popularity. The issue is that the show is not writing the world-renowned psychiatrist like her previous incarnations, or using her past to inform her present. For example: When Sheila broke into Taylor’s office holding a pizza cutter, Taylor positively cowered in front of her.
Taylor: “Please don’t do this. If you hurt me your life with Deacon will be over.”
Sheila: “Look at you, you’re shaking like a leaf. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not the crazy person you keep telling my husband I am.”
Taylor: “You cut off your own toe to fake a bear attack so everyone would think you were dead. That’s crazy.”
Fair point. But the “old” Taylor — the one who shot Bill Spencer twice — would not have been shaking in front of Sheila. She would have taken steps to ensure the convicted murderer couldn’t get into her office building (regardless of whether Sheila was “disguised” in a nurse’s uniform) and she would have absolutely locked the door of the cliff house before climbing into bed with the very married Deacon. Writing Taylor as a a tentative babe-in-the-woods who has to be constantly protected by Steffy and Ridge does her important character no favors.
Taylor: “I thought she was going to kill me.”
Ridge: “Why didn’t you lie to her like a normal person?”
Ha! Taylor deserves some of the personality that B&B writes for Ridge, and acknowledging the foursome’s complicated history would go a long way, too. Ridge’s ex is hooking up with Brooke’s ex and no one has mentioned it. That’s more than a conversation, it’s a plot point, and it gives Taylor something concrete to throw in Ridge’s face when he trashes Deacon. Play it!
Switch Play
DAYS has a similar problem with recasts, compounded by their curious decision to have the same actor, Robert Scott Wilson, play multiple roles which they do not address in story. Sorry, but Alex Kiriakis will always be Ben the necktie killer to me, so I want Stephanie as far away from him as possible. Lexie is not Lexie, Gwen/Theresa didn’t make sense, and I will never get over DAYS killing Adrienne only to replace her with dime store lookalike Bonnie.
On the bright side, I am getting used to the recast EJ — five years after he joined the show. (Like I said, I’m slow to adapt.) It helps that Dan Feuerriegel has a similar accent to EJ’s previous incarnation and that his character is written just as complicated as his evil predecessor.
Johnny (re: working at DiMera): “If I decide to stay and my terms are violated I will leave and never come back.”
EJ: “Duly noted. You have a family now and that is more important than anything.”
EJ’s surprising vulnerability with his son makes us like him even though he’s doing all these nefarious things with the suddenly undead Lexie. Consistency goes a long way with a new face in an old role.
BTG is new enough to recast the weak links in the younger set so they should get on that. The women on this show run rings around some of the men, both in acting and story. I am a well-documented fan of Bill Hamilton but how much longer are those scamming firecrackers Hayley and Lynette going to make a fool of that alpha male?
Lynette: “You’ve got it made behind the gates.”
Hayley: “I’m not sure I can help you.”
Lynette (blackmailing her): “I can make your life very uncomfortable.”
Cut to Bill’s bank account being drained again… Wake up!
Hit Parade
The exception to the OG actor rule is the masterful job GH did recasting Michael Corinthos. Numerous actors played Sonny and Carly’s son over the years, so it wasn’t that jarring when he was burned and sent away. Five months later, Rory Gibson dramatically entered the Nurses’ Ball as the new Michael to scoop up his son and stare daggers at Willow. Suddenly, Michael was a strong leading man hiring a sex worker to give him an alibi for the night his hated uncle was shot — and we bought it.
GH also scored big by hiring Van Hansis to play Lucas after years of Bobbie and Tony’s son being a sidelined or absentee member of the canvas. He’s front and center now, as a doctor at G.H. out to avenge his partner’s death. The scenes with Ava trying to hug him after Marco was murdered really solidified him as a major player.
Lucas: “No, Aunt Ava, we are not doing this. That will make it real.”
But the soap gods giveth and the soap gods taketh away. GH hired All My Children alum Cameron Mathison as Drew Cain and then wrote him as the opposite of everything the dark dude had been before. There was Drew being a goody-two-shoes in love with Carly (complete with an expensive location shoot of them kissing on a beach like they were in a “Florida is for Lovers” ad campaign), which was a total 180 from the guy who assaulted half of PC and shared complicated love stories with Elizabeth and Sam. They wisely pivoted back to make Drew a jerk — and then shot him and paralyzed him for good measure — but it was always going to be an uphill climb to accept Drew as Jason’s retconned twin no matter who played him.
That said, with Drew out of the Q mansion I’d bring back Dillon Quartermaine to share scenes with mom Tracy, rekindle with Lulu, and share a messy past with Jacinda. He’s been gone nine years so I can work with that recast.
Hey. It’s only my opinion.
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