Our critics weigh in on Jordan’s introduction to Y&R, Austin’s demise on GH, Donna’s resurgence on B&B and more.
Thumbs Up!/Thumbs Down! B&B DAYS GH Y&R
1
of
5
1 of 5
Photo credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS
THUMBS UP!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Crossing Jordan
Just when the constant business meetings threatened to overtake Genoa City, Nikki hired an icy blonde named Claire as her assistant. Suspense built as Claire secretly rifled through old newspaper clippings of the Newman family and maneuvered a ride with Nikki on the Newman jet to visit her “ailing” Aunt Jordan. When the plane landed in Oregon, Claire drugged Nikki and Aunt Jordan made her entrance — in the form of daytime legend Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, AS THE WORLD TURNS). The duo lured the rest of the Newmans to their lair and finally explained the reason for their revenge: Jordan was the sister of Victor’s ex-paramour, Eve Howard, and she blamed Victor for driving Eve to an insane asylum. But wait, there’s more! The baby that Eve’s son Cole had with Victoria Newman didn’t die in 1998 — she was standing in front of them (or so she claimed!) and her name was Claire! Chaos ensued as Jordan revealed she had stolen Victoria’s “dead” baby from the hospital and raised her as Claire and, oh yes, the Newmans were all poisoned. It’s not easy to relaunch a 40-year-old story, but Y&R did it with core characters, ace flashbacks and fabulous performances all around. But the show's most masterful move was hiring the iconic Zenk, who has lost none of her fire power. Here’s hoping Jordan and her high jinks are just getting started!
Crossing Jordan
Just when the constant business meetings threatened to overtake Genoa City, Nikki hired an icy blonde named Claire as her assistant. Suspense built as Claire secretly rifled through old newspaper clippings of the Newman family and maneuvered a ride with Nikki on the Newman jet to visit her “ailing” Aunt Jordan. When the plane landed in Oregon, Claire drugged Nikki and Aunt Jordan made her entrance — in the form of daytime legend Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, AS THE WORLD TURNS). The duo lured the rest of the Newmans to their lair and finally explained the reason for their revenge: Jordan was the sister of Victor’s ex-paramour, Eve Howard, and she blamed Victor for driving Eve to an insane asylum. But wait, there’s more! The baby that Eve’s son Cole had with Victoria Newman didn’t die in 1998 — she was standing in front of them (or so she claimed!) and her name was Claire! Chaos ensued as Jordan revealed she had stolen Victoria’s “dead” baby from the hospital and raised her as Claire and, oh yes, the Newmans were all poisoned. It’s not easy to relaunch a 40-year-old story, but Y&R did it with core characters, ace flashbacks and fabulous performances all around. But the show's most masterful move was hiring the iconic Zenk, who has lost none of her fire power. Here’s hoping Jordan and her high jinks are just getting started!
2 of 5
Photo credit: ABC/Christine Bartolucci
THUMBS DOWN!
GENERAL HOSPITAL
The Doctor Is Out
Roger Howarth's stint on Austin came to an abrupt end when the character was shot dead in a Friday cliffhanger with a looooong wait to find out his fate (more than a week passed before the character's death was confirmed in a rather ho-hum way, via a phone call between Dante and the Pautuck PD). Though Austin had been on the canvas for more than two years, his demise underscored how curiously isolated he was, and how the show failed to mine any of the storyline potential inherent in bringing Jimmy Lee Holt's surprise son into the Port Charles mix. That his connection to the Quartermaines was all but forgotten is particularly egregious (did Tracy even know that she had a nephew on the G.H. staff?!), but looking at Austin's lifespan on the show as a whole, his family ties aren't the only thing the show failed to capitalize on. Outside of Ava, will anyone on the show even care that Austin was murdered? All in all, Howarth was given much less to work with in terms of character development or storyline than Port Charles peers far less established and popular than he is, resulting in a major letdown for his fans.
The Doctor Is Out
Roger Howarth's stint on Austin came to an abrupt end when the character was shot dead in a Friday cliffhanger with a looooong wait to find out his fate (more than a week passed before the character's death was confirmed in a rather ho-hum way, via a phone call between Dante and the Pautuck PD). Though Austin had been on the canvas for more than two years, his demise underscored how curiously isolated he was, and how the show failed to mine any of the storyline potential inherent in bringing Jimmy Lee Holt's surprise son into the Port Charles mix. That his connection to the Quartermaines was all but forgotten is particularly egregious (did Tracy even know that she had a nephew on the G.H. staff?!), but looking at Austin's lifespan on the show as a whole, his family ties aren't the only thing the show failed to capitalize on. Outside of Ava, will anyone on the show even care that Austin was murdered? All in all, Howarth was given much less to work with in terms of character development or storyline than Port Charles peers far less established and popular than he is, resulting in a major letdown for his fans.
3 of 5
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
THUMBS UP!
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
A Taste Of Honey (Bear)
Donna Logan has played third fiddle to Brooke and Katie Logan for all 36 years B&B has been on the air, sitting on the sidelines as her sisters cycled through husbands and jobs (and storylines) while she worked the occasional modeling or receptionist job. Aside from a brief marriage to Justin Barber, Donna has loved only one man all that time: Eric Forrester. She stayed loyal to him for over a decade after they divorced, even after he married Quinn. They found their way back to each other last year, beginning an affair that culminated in a series of delicious scenes where Quinn went searching for Eric on the Pickleball court and found him in bed with Donna instead. [Insert racy Pickleball joke here.] Donna has slowly moved centerstage since then but came into her own during the Fashion Challenge when Eric got sick, resuming her habit of calling him “Honey Bear” in a callback to their sexual interludes involving honey (!) and accompanying him to his meetings and doctor’s appointments. We even got flashbacks of them together at past fashion shows! Not only has Donna looked like the partner of a major designer lately with her trendy dresses and updos, she’s acted like it. She protected Eric’s secret from her sisters - leading to scratchy scenes with Brooke (whose partner is Eric’s son Ridge, of course) - and later defended his decision to hide his diagnosis from everyone but RJ. And through it all, Jennifer Gareis imbued Donna with just the right balance of sympathy and strength to get her Honey Bear through this health crisis with sheer force of will. Donna: “You fought so courageously.” Eric: “I am Forrester Creations.” Donna (tearing up): “Yes you are.” So is she - finally.
A Taste Of Honey (Bear)
Donna Logan has played third fiddle to Brooke and Katie Logan for all 36 years B&B has been on the air, sitting on the sidelines as her sisters cycled through husbands and jobs (and storylines) while she worked the occasional modeling or receptionist job. Aside from a brief marriage to Justin Barber, Donna has loved only one man all that time: Eric Forrester. She stayed loyal to him for over a decade after they divorced, even after he married Quinn. They found their way back to each other last year, beginning an affair that culminated in a series of delicious scenes where Quinn went searching for Eric on the Pickleball court and found him in bed with Donna instead. [Insert racy Pickleball joke here.] Donna has slowly moved centerstage since then but came into her own during the Fashion Challenge when Eric got sick, resuming her habit of calling him “Honey Bear” in a callback to their sexual interludes involving honey (!) and accompanying him to his meetings and doctor’s appointments. We even got flashbacks of them together at past fashion shows! Not only has Donna looked like the partner of a major designer lately with her trendy dresses and updos, she’s acted like it. She protected Eric’s secret from her sisters - leading to scratchy scenes with Brooke (whose partner is Eric’s son Ridge, of course) - and later defended his decision to hide his diagnosis from everyone but RJ. And through it all, Jennifer Gareis imbued Donna with just the right balance of sympathy and strength to get her Honey Bear through this health crisis with sheer force of will. Donna: “You fought so courageously.” Eric: “I am Forrester Creations.” Donna (tearing up): “Yes you are.” So is she - finally.
4 of 5
Photo credit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
Brooklyn Rae Silzer and Ellen Travolta's visits to GH as Emma and Gloria, respectively, was a Thanksgiving treat, as was the Baldwin-Fisher clan's uproarious holiday dinner.... Loved the history lesson DAYS's Eric gave to Sloan about the Sami/Nicole baby switch; bonus points for his comment that "Back in the '90s, there wasn’t a DNA test in my family that Sami didn’t tamper with".... We're here for the Zende resurgence B&B appears to be serving up....
5 of 5
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
PICKY, PICKY
.... But why, exactly, has no one told Zende that his grandfather, Eric, is dying?.... GH is playing fast and loose with how malpractice suits work; Finn would have access to legal representation via his malpractice insurance. Also, Taggert's absence from the Ashford family's Thanksgiving gathering was glaring.... On DAYS, Stephanie's attempt to paint Leo and Dimitri as heroes for helping to deliver Nicole's baby was absurd, given that Nic was only forced to give birth on the side of the road because of an accident caused by Dimitri's reckless driving while he and Leo were on the lam.
THUMBS UP!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Crossing Jordan
Just when the constant business meetings threatened to overtake Genoa City, Nikki hired an icy blonde named Claire as her assistant. Suspense built as Claire secretly rifled through old newspaper clippings of the Newman family and maneuvered a ride with Nikki on the Newman jet to visit her “ailing” Aunt Jordan. When the plane landed in Oregon, Claire drugged Nikki and Aunt Jordan made her entrance — in the form of daytime legend Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, AS THE WORLD TURNS). The duo lured the rest of the Newmans to their lair and finally explained the reason for their revenge: Jordan was the sister of Victor’s ex-paramour, Eve Howard, and she blamed Victor for driving Eve to an insane asylum. But wait, there’s more! The baby that Eve’s son Cole had with Victoria Newman didn’t die in 1998 — she was standing in front of them (or so she claimed!) and her name was Claire! Chaos ensued as Jordan revealed she had stolen Victoria’s “dead” baby from the hospital and raised her as Claire and, oh yes, the Newmans were all poisoned. It’s not easy to relaunch a 40-year-old story, but Y&R did it with core characters, ace flashbacks and fabulous performances all around. But the show's most masterful move was hiring the iconic Zenk, who has lost none of her fire power. Here’s hoping Jordan and her high jinks are just getting started!
Crossing Jordan
Just when the constant business meetings threatened to overtake Genoa City, Nikki hired an icy blonde named Claire as her assistant. Suspense built as Claire secretly rifled through old newspaper clippings of the Newman family and maneuvered a ride with Nikki on the Newman jet to visit her “ailing” Aunt Jordan. When the plane landed in Oregon, Claire drugged Nikki and Aunt Jordan made her entrance — in the form of daytime legend Colleen Zenk (ex-Barbara, AS THE WORLD TURNS). The duo lured the rest of the Newmans to their lair and finally explained the reason for their revenge: Jordan was the sister of Victor’s ex-paramour, Eve Howard, and she blamed Victor for driving Eve to an insane asylum. But wait, there’s more! The baby that Eve’s son Cole had with Victoria Newman didn’t die in 1998 — she was standing in front of them (or so she claimed!) and her name was Claire! Chaos ensued as Jordan revealed she had stolen Victoria’s “dead” baby from the hospital and raised her as Claire and, oh yes, the Newmans were all poisoned. It’s not easy to relaunch a 40-year-old story, but Y&R did it with core characters, ace flashbacks and fabulous performances all around. But the show's most masterful move was hiring the iconic Zenk, who has lost none of her fire power. Here’s hoping Jordan and her high jinks are just getting started!
Photo credit: Sonja Flemming/CBS
THUMBS DOWN!
GENERAL HOSPITAL
The Doctor Is Out
Roger Howarth's stint on Austin came to an abrupt end when the character was shot dead in a Friday cliffhanger with a looooong wait to find out his fate (more than a week passed before the character's death was confirmed in a rather ho-hum way, via a phone call between Dante and the Pautuck PD). Though Austin had been on the canvas for more than two years, his demise underscored how curiously isolated he was, and how the show failed to mine any of the storyline potential inherent in bringing Jimmy Lee Holt's surprise son into the Port Charles mix. That his connection to the Quartermaines was all but forgotten is particularly egregious (did Tracy even know that she had a nephew on the G.H. staff?!), but looking at Austin's lifespan on the show as a whole, his family ties aren't the only thing the show failed to capitalize on. Outside of Ava, will anyone on the show even care that Austin was murdered? All in all, Howarth was given much less to work with in terms of character development or storyline than Port Charles peers far less established and popular than he is, resulting in a major letdown for his fans.
The Doctor Is Out
Roger Howarth's stint on Austin came to an abrupt end when the character was shot dead in a Friday cliffhanger with a looooong wait to find out his fate (more than a week passed before the character's death was confirmed in a rather ho-hum way, via a phone call between Dante and the Pautuck PD). Though Austin had been on the canvas for more than two years, his demise underscored how curiously isolated he was, and how the show failed to mine any of the storyline potential inherent in bringing Jimmy Lee Holt's surprise son into the Port Charles mix. That his connection to the Quartermaines was all but forgotten is particularly egregious (did Tracy even know that she had a nephew on the G.H. staff?!), but looking at Austin's lifespan on the show as a whole, his family ties aren't the only thing the show failed to capitalize on. Outside of Ava, will anyone on the show even care that Austin was murdered? All in all, Howarth was given much less to work with in terms of character development or storyline than Port Charles peers far less established and popular than he is, resulting in a major letdown for his fans.
Photo credit: ABC/Christine Bartolucci
THUMBS UP!
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
A Taste Of Honey (Bear)
Donna Logan has played third fiddle to Brooke and Katie Logan for all 36 years B&B has been on the air, sitting on the sidelines as her sisters cycled through husbands and jobs (and storylines) while she worked the occasional modeling or receptionist job. Aside from a brief marriage to Justin Barber, Donna has loved only one man all that time: Eric Forrester. She stayed loyal to him for over a decade after they divorced, even after he married Quinn. They found their way back to each other last year, beginning an affair that culminated in a series of delicious scenes where Quinn went searching for Eric on the Pickleball court and found him in bed with Donna instead. [Insert racy Pickleball joke here.] Donna has slowly moved centerstage since then but came into her own during the Fashion Challenge when Eric got sick, resuming her habit of calling him “Honey Bear” in a callback to their sexual interludes involving honey (!) and accompanying him to his meetings and doctor’s appointments. We even got flashbacks of them together at past fashion shows! Not only has Donna looked like the partner of a major designer lately with her trendy dresses and updos, she’s acted like it. She protected Eric’s secret from her sisters - leading to scratchy scenes with Brooke (whose partner is Eric’s son Ridge, of course) - and later defended his decision to hide his diagnosis from everyone but RJ. And through it all, Jennifer Gareis imbued Donna with just the right balance of sympathy and strength to get her Honey Bear through this health crisis with sheer force of will. Donna: “You fought so courageously.” Eric: “I am Forrester Creations.” Donna (tearing up): “Yes you are.” So is she - finally.
A Taste Of Honey (Bear)
Donna Logan has played third fiddle to Brooke and Katie Logan for all 36 years B&B has been on the air, sitting on the sidelines as her sisters cycled through husbands and jobs (and storylines) while she worked the occasional modeling or receptionist job. Aside from a brief marriage to Justin Barber, Donna has loved only one man all that time: Eric Forrester. She stayed loyal to him for over a decade after they divorced, even after he married Quinn. They found their way back to each other last year, beginning an affair that culminated in a series of delicious scenes where Quinn went searching for Eric on the Pickleball court and found him in bed with Donna instead. [Insert racy Pickleball joke here.] Donna has slowly moved centerstage since then but came into her own during the Fashion Challenge when Eric got sick, resuming her habit of calling him “Honey Bear” in a callback to their sexual interludes involving honey (!) and accompanying him to his meetings and doctor’s appointments. We even got flashbacks of them together at past fashion shows! Not only has Donna looked like the partner of a major designer lately with her trendy dresses and updos, she’s acted like it. She protected Eric’s secret from her sisters - leading to scratchy scenes with Brooke (whose partner is Eric’s son Ridge, of course) - and later defended his decision to hide his diagnosis from everyone but RJ. And through it all, Jennifer Gareis imbued Donna with just the right balance of sympathy and strength to get her Honey Bear through this health crisis with sheer force of will. Donna: “You fought so courageously.” Eric: “I am Forrester Creations.” Donna (tearing up): “Yes you are.” So is she - finally.
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
Brooklyn Rae Silzer and Ellen Travolta's visits to GH as Emma and Gloria, respectively, was a Thanksgiving treat, as was the Baldwin-Fisher clan's uproarious holiday dinner.... Loved the history lesson DAYS's Eric gave to Sloan about the Sami/Nicole baby switch; bonus points for his comment that "Back in the '90s, there wasn’t a DNA test in my family that Sami didn’t tamper with".... We're here for the Zende resurgence B&B appears to be serving up....
Photo credit: Disney/Christine Bartolucci
PICKY, PICKY
.... But why, exactly, has no one told Zende that his grandfather, Eric, is dying?.... GH is playing fast and loose with how malpractice suits work; Finn would have access to legal representation via his malpractice insurance. Also, Taggert's absence from the Ashford family's Thanksgiving gathering was glaring.... On DAYS, Stephanie's attempt to paint Leo and Dimitri as heroes for helping to deliver Nicole's baby was absurd, given that Nic was only forced to give birth on the side of the road because of an accident caused by Dimitri's reckless driving while he and Leo were on the lam.
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
