Thumbs Up!/Thumbs Down! B&B DAYS GH Y&R
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Photo credit: ABC
THUMBS UP!
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Better Together
GH viewers continue to reap the benefits of how beautifully the show laid the foundation of the Ava/Trina friendship. Over time, the bond between the young art lover and her mentor blossomed into a connection that feels authentically familial, and their scenes carry an emotional honesty that is a boon to both characters. Each woman seems to have found a critical and healing missing piece in their lives via their relationship, particularly in light of Ava’s loss of Kiki and more recently, Trina’s loss (at least for now) of Spencer, not to mention Taggert’s de facto disappearance. The strength of their affiliation was showcased to great effect when Trina returned to work at the gallery, her grief over Spencer fresh and aching, and opened up to Ava, to whom she knew she didn’t need to mask her feelings. Confessing that she wished she had died instead of her beloved, Ava listened without judgment, understanding but firm as she assured Trina that she would get through this terrible time with the support of her family and voicing her gratitude to Spencer for sacrificing himself so that Trina could live. “You and my Avery, you girls are everything to me,” she declared. Kudos to GH, and to portrayers Tabyana Ali (Trina) and Maura West (Ava), for delivering one of the strongest and most touching connections in Port Charles.
Better Together
GH viewers continue to reap the benefits of how beautifully the show laid the foundation of the Ava/Trina friendship. Over time, the bond between the young art lover and her mentor blossomed into a connection that feels authentically familial, and their scenes carry an emotional honesty that is a boon to both characters. Each woman seems to have found a critical and healing missing piece in their lives via their relationship, particularly in light of Ava’s loss of Kiki and more recently, Trina’s loss (at least for now) of Spencer, not to mention Taggert’s de facto disappearance. The strength of their affiliation was showcased to great effect when Trina returned to work at the gallery, her grief over Spencer fresh and aching, and opened up to Ava, to whom she knew she didn’t need to mask her feelings. Confessing that she wished she had died instead of her beloved, Ava listened without judgment, understanding but firm as she assured Trina that she would get through this terrible time with the support of her family and voicing her gratitude to Spencer for sacrificing himself so that Trina could live. “You and my Avery, you girls are everything to me,” she declared. Kudos to GH, and to portrayers Tabyana Ali (Trina) and Maura West (Ava), for delivering one of the strongest and most touching connections in Port Charles.
2 of 6
Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
THUMBS DOWN!
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Smoke Show
The most valuable commodity in soaps is history, which bonds viewers to the characters and yes, even sets, of a show. Fans tune in for the familiar, the comforting, which is why DAYS's choice to burn down the most iconic and sentimental set in soaps — the Horton house, a Salem mainstay since the series' debuted in 1965 — was so obviously ill-advised. (Clearly, the powers-that-be learned nothing from the backlash it received when that beloved set was besmirched by Chase raping Ciara on the living room couch!) We've seen little evidence that the house falling victim to an act of arson has actually gotten fans passionately discussing who did it and why; viewer discourse is, instead, focused on how painful it was to watch the show do away with this storied setting in such a violent fashion. Yes, the Hortons can rebuild, but a new home will never be that home, the one viewers visited day after day, decade after decade, with all the nostalgic import that implies. Upsetting fans by burning it down feels like the worst kind of unforced error: one that can’t be undone.
Smoke Show
The most valuable commodity in soaps is history, which bonds viewers to the characters and yes, even sets, of a show. Fans tune in for the familiar, the comforting, which is why DAYS's choice to burn down the most iconic and sentimental set in soaps — the Horton house, a Salem mainstay since the series' debuted in 1965 — was so obviously ill-advised. (Clearly, the powers-that-be learned nothing from the backlash it received when that beloved set was besmirched by Chase raping Ciara on the living room couch!) We've seen little evidence that the house falling victim to an act of arson has actually gotten fans passionately discussing who did it and why; viewer discourse is, instead, focused on how painful it was to watch the show do away with this storied setting in such a violent fashion. Yes, the Hortons can rebuild, but a new home will never be that home, the one viewers visited day after day, decade after decade, with all the nostalgic import that implies. Upsetting fans by burning it down feels like the worst kind of unforced error: one that can’t be undone.
3 of 6
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
THUMBS UP!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Mental Bloc
While we’re still not sold on the story of Ashley’s apparent mental unraveling, the tale has gotten a boost from the increased inclusion of her concerned family. They’ve kept the throughline of Traci being her sister’s keeper, accompanying Ashley to Paris, filling Jack in on their trip, and searching for Ash when she went AWOL. Traci raised a red flag when Ashley asserted that Tucker had somehow bribed the entire wait staff at the restaurant in Paris into saying Tucker didn’t have a meltdown and did her own investigation — with the evidence exonerating Tucker. That put Ashley on the defensive, causing her to roust Tucker out of bed for an angry tête-à-tête in the GCAC bar where she threatened to turn Devon and Dominic against him. (He told her to seek help.) Back home, Ashley reflected on the last few months and admitted to Jack, “I’m barely hanging on.” Daughter Abby is glaringly missing from her mom’s struggles (get on that!), but adding Jack and Traci to Ashley’s travails has proven to be very fertile ground for an Abbott family reset.
Mental Bloc
While we’re still not sold on the story of Ashley’s apparent mental unraveling, the tale has gotten a boost from the increased inclusion of her concerned family. They’ve kept the throughline of Traci being her sister’s keeper, accompanying Ashley to Paris, filling Jack in on their trip, and searching for Ash when she went AWOL. Traci raised a red flag when Ashley asserted that Tucker had somehow bribed the entire wait staff at the restaurant in Paris into saying Tucker didn’t have a meltdown and did her own investigation — with the evidence exonerating Tucker. That put Ashley on the defensive, causing her to roust Tucker out of bed for an angry tête-à-tête in the GCAC bar where she threatened to turn Devon and Dominic against him. (He told her to seek help.) Back home, Ashley reflected on the last few months and admitted to Jack, “I’m barely hanging on.” Daughter Abby is glaringly missing from her mom’s struggles (get on that!), but adding Jack and Traci to Ashley’s travails has proven to be very fertile ground for an Abbott family reset.
4 of 6
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
THUMBS DOWN!
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
Bedded Miss
There’s a lot to unpack in the tale of Luna sleeping with Zende thinking he was R.J. — and thus far, none of it's good. Zende told Luna he lived in the Forrester gatehouse and she was welcome to “come find him” any time, and after she popped mints stolen from her mother, which had medicinal/hallucinogenic/aphrodisiac properties, Luna got loopy and stumbled to the gatehouse, where she took off her clothes and climbed naked into Zende’s bed. The next morning, he beamed about the "incredible" night of passion they'd shared, while she was utterly horrified and traumatized. While the "twist" of a male sleeping with a woman who is too impaired to give consent has deep roots in B&B history, dating back to when Ridge slipped into Caroline's bed and continuing on a few years back with Thomas and Caroline II, it's a premise that in 2024 feels disturbingly out of step with the important cultural shifts around the issue of consent that have taken place in the real world outside of B&B's fictional universe. It's not entertaining to watch her suffer and beat herself up for "betraying" R.J., and the questionable optics of the story are particularly bad given that Zende is one of only two men of color on the show. There are so many directions B&B could have gone with a Zende/Luna/R.J. triangle; it's lamentable, indeed, that this is the one they picked.
Bedded Miss
There’s a lot to unpack in the tale of Luna sleeping with Zende thinking he was R.J. — and thus far, none of it's good. Zende told Luna he lived in the Forrester gatehouse and she was welcome to “come find him” any time, and after she popped mints stolen from her mother, which had medicinal/hallucinogenic/aphrodisiac properties, Luna got loopy and stumbled to the gatehouse, where she took off her clothes and climbed naked into Zende’s bed. The next morning, he beamed about the "incredible" night of passion they'd shared, while she was utterly horrified and traumatized. While the "twist" of a male sleeping with a woman who is too impaired to give consent has deep roots in B&B history, dating back to when Ridge slipped into Caroline's bed and continuing on a few years back with Thomas and Caroline II, it's a premise that in 2024 feels disturbingly out of step with the important cultural shifts around the issue of consent that have taken place in the real world outside of B&B's fictional universe. It's not entertaining to watch her suffer and beat herself up for "betraying" R.J., and the questionable optics of the story are particularly bad given that Zende is one of only two men of color on the show. There are so many directions B&B could have gone with a Zende/Luna/R.J. triangle; it's lamentable, indeed, that this is the one they picked.
5 of 6
Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
It's safe to say that DAYS won Valentine's Day this year, between Chanel and Johnny's sweet wedding and John and Marlena's nostalgic picnic.... Nice callback on Y&R when Lauren brought up her battles with psycho Sheila as Nikki was expressing her fears about Jordan.... Tracy howling with laughter when she realized Lucy had slept with Scott on GH was priceless.
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Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
On DAYS, Brady huffed to Kristen that he would never get back together with her in part because she raped his brother — but that didn't seem to be a deal-breaker for him the last time they coupled up. Also, why wasn't there a single DiMera present for the Chanel/Johnny nuptials?... "Danny is drawn to danger like Jason was.... It's in his DNA and genetic code," mused GH's Sam — an odd comment to make given that Jason was pretty much a goody-two-shoes until severe brain damage transformed his personality. If Danny has risk-taking in his DNA, it's from Sam!... Where, exactly, is Y&R's Jordan getting her endless supply of wigs?... B&B's R.J. proclaimed that Poppy was one of the most honest people he knew. Really?! He barely knows her!
THUMBS UP!
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Better Together
GH viewers continue to reap the benefits of how beautifully the show laid the foundation of the Ava/Trina friendship. Over time, the bond between the young art lover and her mentor blossomed into a connection that feels authentically familial, and their scenes carry an emotional honesty that is a boon to both characters. Each woman seems to have found a critical and healing missing piece in their lives via their relationship, particularly in light of Ava’s loss of Kiki and more recently, Trina’s loss (at least for now) of Spencer, not to mention Taggert’s de facto disappearance. The strength of their affiliation was showcased to great effect when Trina returned to work at the gallery, her grief over Spencer fresh and aching, and opened up to Ava, to whom she knew she didn’t need to mask her feelings. Confessing that she wished she had died instead of her beloved, Ava listened without judgment, understanding but firm as she assured Trina that she would get through this terrible time with the support of her family and voicing her gratitude to Spencer for sacrificing himself so that Trina could live. “You and my Avery, you girls are everything to me,” she declared. Kudos to GH, and to portrayers Tabyana Ali (Trina) and Maura West (Ava), for delivering one of the strongest and most touching connections in Port Charles.
Better Together
GH viewers continue to reap the benefits of how beautifully the show laid the foundation of the Ava/Trina friendship. Over time, the bond between the young art lover and her mentor blossomed into a connection that feels authentically familial, and their scenes carry an emotional honesty that is a boon to both characters. Each woman seems to have found a critical and healing missing piece in their lives via their relationship, particularly in light of Ava’s loss of Kiki and more recently, Trina’s loss (at least for now) of Spencer, not to mention Taggert’s de facto disappearance. The strength of their affiliation was showcased to great effect when Trina returned to work at the gallery, her grief over Spencer fresh and aching, and opened up to Ava, to whom she knew she didn’t need to mask her feelings. Confessing that she wished she had died instead of her beloved, Ava listened without judgment, understanding but firm as she assured Trina that she would get through this terrible time with the support of her family and voicing her gratitude to Spencer for sacrificing himself so that Trina could live. “You and my Avery, you girls are everything to me,” she declared. Kudos to GH, and to portrayers Tabyana Ali (Trina) and Maura West (Ava), for delivering one of the strongest and most touching connections in Port Charles.
Photo credit: ABC
THUMBS DOWN!
DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Smoke Show
The most valuable commodity in soaps is history, which bonds viewers to the characters and yes, even sets, of a show. Fans tune in for the familiar, the comforting, which is why DAYS's choice to burn down the most iconic and sentimental set in soaps — the Horton house, a Salem mainstay since the series' debuted in 1965 — was so obviously ill-advised. (Clearly, the powers-that-be learned nothing from the backlash it received when that beloved set was besmirched by Chase raping Ciara on the living room couch!) We've seen little evidence that the house falling victim to an act of arson has actually gotten fans passionately discussing who did it and why; viewer discourse is, instead, focused on how painful it was to watch the show do away with this storied setting in such a violent fashion. Yes, the Hortons can rebuild, but a new home will never be that home, the one viewers visited day after day, decade after decade, with all the nostalgic import that implies. Upsetting fans by burning it down feels like the worst kind of unforced error: one that can’t be undone.
Smoke Show
The most valuable commodity in soaps is history, which bonds viewers to the characters and yes, even sets, of a show. Fans tune in for the familiar, the comforting, which is why DAYS's choice to burn down the most iconic and sentimental set in soaps — the Horton house, a Salem mainstay since the series' debuted in 1965 — was so obviously ill-advised. (Clearly, the powers-that-be learned nothing from the backlash it received when that beloved set was besmirched by Chase raping Ciara on the living room couch!) We've seen little evidence that the house falling victim to an act of arson has actually gotten fans passionately discussing who did it and why; viewer discourse is, instead, focused on how painful it was to watch the show do away with this storied setting in such a violent fashion. Yes, the Hortons can rebuild, but a new home will never be that home, the one viewers visited day after day, decade after decade, with all the nostalgic import that implies. Upsetting fans by burning it down feels like the worst kind of unforced error: one that can’t be undone.
Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
THUMBS UP!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Mental Bloc
While we’re still not sold on the story of Ashley’s apparent mental unraveling, the tale has gotten a boost from the increased inclusion of her concerned family. They’ve kept the throughline of Traci being her sister’s keeper, accompanying Ashley to Paris, filling Jack in on their trip, and searching for Ash when she went AWOL. Traci raised a red flag when Ashley asserted that Tucker had somehow bribed the entire wait staff at the restaurant in Paris into saying Tucker didn’t have a meltdown and did her own investigation — with the evidence exonerating Tucker. That put Ashley on the defensive, causing her to roust Tucker out of bed for an angry tête-à-tête in the GCAC bar where she threatened to turn Devon and Dominic against him. (He told her to seek help.) Back home, Ashley reflected on the last few months and admitted to Jack, “I’m barely hanging on.” Daughter Abby is glaringly missing from her mom’s struggles (get on that!), but adding Jack and Traci to Ashley’s travails has proven to be very fertile ground for an Abbott family reset.
Mental Bloc
While we’re still not sold on the story of Ashley’s apparent mental unraveling, the tale has gotten a boost from the increased inclusion of her concerned family. They’ve kept the throughline of Traci being her sister’s keeper, accompanying Ashley to Paris, filling Jack in on their trip, and searching for Ash when she went AWOL. Traci raised a red flag when Ashley asserted that Tucker had somehow bribed the entire wait staff at the restaurant in Paris into saying Tucker didn’t have a meltdown and did her own investigation — with the evidence exonerating Tucker. That put Ashley on the defensive, causing her to roust Tucker out of bed for an angry tête-à-tête in the GCAC bar where she threatened to turn Devon and Dominic against him. (He told her to seek help.) Back home, Ashley reflected on the last few months and admitted to Jack, “I’m barely hanging on.” Daughter Abby is glaringly missing from her mom’s struggles (get on that!), but adding Jack and Traci to Ashley’s travails has proven to be very fertile ground for an Abbott family reset.
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
THUMBS DOWN!
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
Bedded Miss
There’s a lot to unpack in the tale of Luna sleeping with Zende thinking he was R.J. — and thus far, none of it's good. Zende told Luna he lived in the Forrester gatehouse and she was welcome to “come find him” any time, and after she popped mints stolen from her mother, which had medicinal/hallucinogenic/aphrodisiac properties, Luna got loopy and stumbled to the gatehouse, where she took off her clothes and climbed naked into Zende’s bed. The next morning, he beamed about the "incredible" night of passion they'd shared, while she was utterly horrified and traumatized. While the "twist" of a male sleeping with a woman who is too impaired to give consent has deep roots in B&B history, dating back to when Ridge slipped into Caroline's bed and continuing on a few years back with Thomas and Caroline II, it's a premise that in 2024 feels disturbingly out of step with the important cultural shifts around the issue of consent that have taken place in the real world outside of B&B's fictional universe. It's not entertaining to watch her suffer and beat herself up for "betraying" R.J., and the questionable optics of the story are particularly bad given that Zende is one of only two men of color on the show. There are so many directions B&B could have gone with a Zende/Luna/R.J. triangle; it's lamentable, indeed, that this is the one they picked.
Bedded Miss
There’s a lot to unpack in the tale of Luna sleeping with Zende thinking he was R.J. — and thus far, none of it's good. Zende told Luna he lived in the Forrester gatehouse and she was welcome to “come find him” any time, and after she popped mints stolen from her mother, which had medicinal/hallucinogenic/aphrodisiac properties, Luna got loopy and stumbled to the gatehouse, where she took off her clothes and climbed naked into Zende’s bed. The next morning, he beamed about the "incredible" night of passion they'd shared, while she was utterly horrified and traumatized. While the "twist" of a male sleeping with a woman who is too impaired to give consent has deep roots in B&B history, dating back to when Ridge slipped into Caroline's bed and continuing on a few years back with Thomas and Caroline II, it's a premise that in 2024 feels disturbingly out of step with the important cultural shifts around the issue of consent that have taken place in the real world outside of B&B's fictional universe. It's not entertaining to watch her suffer and beat herself up for "betraying" R.J., and the questionable optics of the story are particularly bad given that Zende is one of only two men of color on the show. There are so many directions B&B could have gone with a Zende/Luna/R.J. triangle; it's lamentable, indeed, that this is the one they picked.
Photo credit: Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
APPLAUSE APPLAUSE
It's safe to say that DAYS won Valentine's Day this year, between Chanel and Johnny's sweet wedding and John and Marlena's nostalgic picnic.... Nice callback on Y&R when Lauren brought up her battles with psycho Sheila as Nikki was expressing her fears about Jordan.... Tracy howling with laughter when she realized Lucy had slept with Scott on GH was priceless.
Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
On DAYS, Brady huffed to Kristen that he would never get back together with her in part because she raped his brother — but that didn't seem to be a deal-breaker for him the last time they coupled up. Also, why wasn't there a single DiMera present for the Chanel/Johnny nuptials?... "Danny is drawn to danger like Jason was.... It's in his DNA and genetic code," mused GH's Sam — an odd comment to make given that Jason was pretty much a goody-two-shoes until severe brain damage transformed his personality. If Danny has risk-taking in his DNA, it's from Sam!... Where, exactly, is Y&R's Jordan getting her endless supply of wigs?... B&B's R.J. proclaimed that Poppy was one of the most honest people he knew. Really?! He barely knows her!
Photo credit: XJJohnson/jpistudios.com
