Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down

Performer of the Week Dick Van Dyke 
(Timothy, DAYS) The introduction of amnesiac John Doe brought a dose of intrigue and levity to DAYS, thanks to Dick Van Dyke’s interpretation of the befuddled yet endearing character. When the mystery man arrived at the hospital with the local police, who’d discovered him wandering, Kayla asked him his name. He responded with a chuckle, “I was hoping you’d tell me.” His fun personality and playfulness were obvious immediately from the twinkle in his eye, his broad smile and the flirtatious demeanor he adopted with the female cops hovering around him. Marlena joined them, and Van Dyke was in charmer mode, commenting on her beauty, before composing himself as he explained that he’d been searching for his long-missing son, who he believed was nearby. Van Dyke’s whole body radiated with love and warmth, and his eyes glistened when Doe expressed the connection to the son he knew he needed, and he knew needed him. Later, during a chat with Julie, Doe had a flash of recognition, his eyes lighting up when she spoke of her Uncle Tommy, who had lost his memory in the Korean War. “Why does that story sound familiar?” he wondered aloud, gazing into the air. Doug joined them, and the trio bonded over their love for song and dance; Doe even twirled Julie around as Van Dyke showed off his storied footwork. But he saved his best work for last, when John realized “Joseph Bell” was actually Timothy Robicheaux, his father. The connection between the two men was immediately apparent, and their joy at finding each other felt deeply real. Every moment of Van Dyke’s screen time was a delight. His charisma, genuineness and spirit imbued his mysterious alter ego with instant likability and appeal. What a joy to have this legend grace the Salem scene.

Thumbs up! GENERAL HOSPITAL - A Pleasure 
Doing Business Tracy’s stealth play for Deception has been one of the show’s most successful story launches of 2023. The first thing GH did right was center this plot on two beloved vets, Tracy and Lucy, whose long and scratchy history makes for a delicious rivalry; GH basically had us at hello with the prospect of a “Tracy vs. Lucy” arc. But that’s not the only interpersonal dynamic giving this tale its heartbeat; the tribulations of Deception and the ultimate fate of the company also has major implications for Lucy’s romance with secret-keeping Martin, the work family Lucy has developed with her Deception team (Maxie, Sasha, Brook Lynn), and Tracy’s tenuous bond with granddaughter Brook Lynn, who she forced into the role of corporate spy and whose crash course in the ugly underbelly of Quartermaine ruthlessness has thus far cost her both her job and the respect of her bestie, Maxie. Business storylines often lean dry, but this yarn is embracing rather than ignoring that it is relationships, not stock prices or earnings forecasts, that fans care about.

Thumbs down! BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL - “Thope” On
 The Ropes After months of Hope fantasizing about forbidden Forrester fruit, her relationship with Thomas suddenly took off at light speed. In no time at all, Hope went from kissing Thomas in Italy to (what appeared to be) the end of her marriage to Liam. It was a storyline that generated major buzz among B&B fans, setting off plenty of discussion on social media and leaving viewers hotly anticipating what juicy twist the story would take next. But then, as the show turned its focus to the Steffy/Finn/Sheila drama and the kickoff to Eric and Ridge’s FC conflict, the “Thope” momentum screeched to a halt as the characters suddenly dropped off the canvas for a bit. Kicking this tale to the back burner was a misstep, since the show has only begun to tap into the enormous potential of the Hope/Thomas dynamic or answer the question of whether it’s love or lust that is driving Hope into Thomas’s arms. Fortunately, things appear to be heating up again on the “Thope” front — but the show would be wise not to leave fans hanging again.

Thumbs up! YOUNG AND RESTLESS - Truce Be Told For months, Jack and Ashley were at each other’s throats over their choice of partners (Diane and Tucker, respectively), and the protracted acrimony between the siblings had become stagnant, with little forward story movement. Luckily, the characters reached a détente that was emotionally rich and rewarding after Diane saved Ashley from choking to death, and Jack rushed to check on his sister. Their bad blood began to evaporate before viewers’ eyes as a shaken Jack professed to Ash that “the thought of losing you, even for a second” had made him realize how precious their relationship was to him. Ash conceded that she, too, hated the battle they’d been locked in, and they agreed to do their very best to give one another’s spouses the benefit of the doubt. Their frank and heartfelt conversation was beautifully performed by Peter Bergman (Jack) and Eileen Davidson (Ashley), and the show gave us yet more to love via a perfectly chosen John/Ash flashback in which John expressed his concern over Jack and Ashley’s infighting. We’ll be rooting for this hatchet to remain buried for a good long while.

Applause, Applause Melody Thomas Scott is delivering a fabulous performance as a take-charge Nikki on Y&R; her delivery of Nikki telling Adam to “grow the hell up” was a gem! Also stellar: Dominic Zamprogna’s work on GH when Dante laced into Michael, accusing him of turning Sonny in to the feds.... Louise Sorel’s return as Vivian on DAYS has been nothing short of brilliant already.

Picky, Picky So much for the vow B&B’s Finn made to Steffy to safeguard her from Sheila by beefing up security at the Cliff House (“We’ll get more surveillance. When I’m done, our home will be safer than Fort Knox”), given the ease with which Sheila sauntered right up to their door! ... Why would Y&R’s Sharon turn to Michael, Victor’s legal counsel, for advice about wresting her company away from a merger with — Victor’s company? ... We did a double take when Sam’s driver’s license was flashed on screen on GH — how can she be 5’8” given that her portrayer, Kelly Monaco, is five inches shorter?! ... Is it us or is it a little strange that DAYS’s Chelsea and Max named their son Isaac, the same name her brother Zack, who she accidentally killed nearly 20 years ago, was named at birth?