Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Thumbs up! BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL - Young Blood We are very much liking the unexpected collaboration between Eric and his youngest grandchild, R.J. When R.J. returned to L.A., he said he wanted nothing to do with the family business, but when his grandfather, whose arthritis was making it difficult for him to sketch, asked for his assistance to help create Eric’s dream line, how could R.J. resist? Multigenerational stories are the core of soaps, and we are glad to see B&B explore this angle. Not only does it provide the built-in conflict of Ridge’s son working against him, but for longtime fans, this story feels rooted in the show’s DNA, reminiscent of when Ridge left Forrester and went to work for the competition, and when Thomas went up against his father in their own design drama. This business pairing of Eric and R.J. holds much story potential, whether it’s the duo clashing with Ridge, quieter moments of R.J. reaping wisdom from his elder, or Eric seeing his lifelong profession through a set of fresh eyes. This is one collaboration that we hope will become a Forrester Creations staple.

Thumbs up! YOUNG AND RESTLESS - Hear Him Roar Victor as corporate titan had been on ice for the better part of 2023 while his children battled it out for their places within the Newman empire, and we couldn’t wait to see Victor transition away from at-a-distance meddling and go back to ruling his empire with an iron fist. That day came when our favorite control freak came roaring back to reclaim the top spot at the company he founded, having had enough of the infighting between Victoria, Nick and Adam and the mixed results they’d produced for the business. The growing tension came to an impressive head when a fed-up Victor came down swiftly and decisively: He fired Adam, crowned Nikki as CEO of Newman Media, and demoted Victoria to co-CEO so he could once again be king of everything Newman. Not only are we excited to watch Victor back in classic Victor mode, but his move is sparking majorly dramatic reactions from Adam (who is scheming to trick his dad into believing that he’s changed), Nick (who’s walking away from Newman to run a new company with Sharon) and Victoria (who is challenging her dad’s power grab). Throw in Nikki’s manipulation of fraternizing subordinates Audra and Kyle, and it’s clear that the office politics at Newman are poised to get even juicier.

Thumbs down! GENERAL HOSPITAL - Paternal Flames Earlier this year, GH solved the dangling mystery of who sired Trina via a DNA test that confirmed her bio dad to be Curtis. This was not a particularly popular choice (69% of respondents to our admittedly unscientific Snap Poll on the matter were opposed to it) because of how fond fans had become of the heartwarming bond between Trina and Taggert, and how well Réal Andrews nails the softer side of Taggert that is reserved for his cherished daughter. Taggert’s disappearance from this tale has been lamentable (the poor guy was last seen two months ago, descending into alcohol abuse), and Trina calling Curtis “Dad” for the first time after he got shot just didn’t hit the way we think GH hoped it would. Trina was not fatherless before learning she shared blood with Curtis, and her calling someone other than Taggert dad should only have come at the end of a longer on-screen journey than the one the show presented.

Thumbs up! DAYS OF OUR LIVES - The Prodigal Son Returns A story that had been left hanging since 2021 finally wrapped up with a big, black bow when Philip resurfaced in Salem and ’fessed up to framing Brady for his “murder”. While viewers knew that Philip was alive and had been whisked off to a mental hospital by his concerned parents, neither Brady nor Chloe did, and it was long overdue that both characters get closure about what really happened that day at the river. Though John-Paul Lavoisier wasn’t playing Philip when the character’s dirty deed went down, he did a wonderful job picking up the tale, nailing the sorrow and remorse Philip expressed first to Chloe, then to Brady. Eric Martsolf (Brady) was equally terrific in playing out the range of emotions Brady went through after laying eyes on Philip, from relief at seeing him alive to outrage and anger as Philip copped to the horrible ways he’d done Brady dirty and set him up for a crime that he didn’t commit. Fans were understandably frustrated that it took so long for the truth to come out, but the solid writing and stellar performances made these big moments worth waiting for.

Thumbs up! DAYS OF OUR LIVES - The Prodigal Son Returns A story that had been left hanging since 2021 finally wrapped up with a big, black bow when Philip resurfaced in Salem and ’fessed up to framing Brady for his “murder”. While viewers knew that Philip was alive and had been whisked off to a mental hospital by his concerned parents, neither Brady nor Chloe did, and it was long overdue that both characters get closure about what really happened that day at the river. Though John-Paul Lavoisier wasn’t playing Philip when the character’s dirty deed went down, he did a wonderful job picking up the tale, nailing the sorrow and remorse Philip expressed first to Chloe, then to Brady. Eric Martsolf (Brady) was equally terrific in playing out the range of emotions Brady went through after laying eyes on Philip, from relief at seeing him alive to outrage and anger as Philip copped to the horrible ways he’d done Brady dirty and set him up for a crime that he didn’t commit. Fans were understandably frustrated that it took so long for the truth to come out, but the solid writing and stellar performances made these big moments worth waiting for.

Applause, Applause We love seeing GH’s Sam back in action as a risk-taking, crackerjack PI! ... Jason Gerhardt did a bang-up job pinch-hitting as DAYS’s Eric, and we loved Chloe referencing erstwhile Kiriakis butler Henderson, who she mentioned she’d run into at the store.... We LOL’d when B&B’s Eric griped about everyone at Forrester using his office, a point fans have been making for years.... Great use of a flashback on Y&R as Devon thought back to a conversation he had with Neil on the subject of his own hearing loss as he helped Mariah and Tessa through Aria’s diagnosis.

Picky, Picky Why was Y&R’s Nikki spilling confidential corporate info about Sharon’s new business venture to Esther, of all people? ... What happened to GH’s Deke?! We wanted more of his hot fling with Jordan, not a vanishing act!