LANGFORD'S PICKS AND PANS
General Hospital
I’m glad the show is starting to use Felix more and having him connect to some of the other characters on the show besides Sabrina, who I don't care much for, but I really hope he’s going to be more than just a "talk to." It’s just hard for me to even care if he’s not going to be a fully fleshed out character and have a life, complete with romantic interests. It’s nice that he doesn’t hide his attraction in men, but unless we get to him in romances like all the other characters, then he’s really not being treated equally. If he likes the bad boys, then bring on one of them for him.
I did like hearing more about him, such as that he used to work at Foxy Roxy’s in Llanview. But I found those scenes with Carly hard to believe. I just don’t buy that Carly would let a strange man she into her apartment and confide all her personal business to him. I guess the point was she doesn’t have Jason anymore to talk to, but I still found that setup unbelievable. But I am looking forward to Felix trying to explain himself to Epiphany. That should be fun.
I know that Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati have been a godsend to this soap and probably saved it from being cancelled. It certainly has done better creatively under their watch than it has for years; getting rid of the repetitive mob stories, using the entire canvas and bringing back so many of the show’s most popular characters from GH's glory days and using them effectively. Other shows should take some cues from GH on how to improve their soaps.
And yet, while GH is better, it still doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve really never been a regular viewer of this show, only having watched in short periods from time to time. GH is a little too out there for me, and I just don’t have an appreciation for the campier, outrageous side of soaps. My beloved As The World Turnsdidn't often dip its toe into those types of crazy stories and when they did, I wanted to change the channel. So I’m finding this whole vampire storyline to be really tough going, nor did I think the whole Faison storyline to be of particular interest.
Yet, even though I’m not loving it, I’m so glad this show is hitting its stride and I hope that it continues to do better and climb in the ratings. Just give Felix more to do than tell Carly her hair looks bad. Otherwise, I won’t have reason to watch at all.
Neighbours
Why did the show bother to bring back Aidan and reunite him with Chris? Since they got back together they barely interacted as a couple and when they did they were fighting. At least when they were dating before they acted like a romantic couple. So why put them back together, have them make each other miserable, then break them up again after a few weeks? It doesn’t make much sense. And what makes even less sense is how they split them up, which amounted to poor characterization and bad writing.
Chris nagging Aidan about why he couldn’t help him when Aidan helped him made Chris out to be ungrateful for what Aidan did. Chris wanting to stick his oar in regarding Aidan’s problems when he’s not asked says more about Chris than it does about Aidan. I really didn’t like Chris in those scenes and I felt that Aidan had the appropriate reaction by walking away.
I think Chris is making too much of the whole thing. There is nothing wrong with someone needing some space and dealing with their own mess. Not everyone needs someone always in their face asking ‘are you okay’ and ‘what’s wrong’. Some people just like to be left alone. I guess I don’t think you should lose your independence just because you get into a relationship. And Aidan’s issues with his co-worker were weird and a little silly. Why not say the guy was an ex and it ended badly between them and that was the reason for the animosity?
Aidan suddenly asking Chris to move in made about as much sense as Chris, out of nowhere, deciding to dump Aidan. Both of them were acting rashly, but clearly the show wanted the relationship over one way or the other. I will say I’m somewhat on Aidan’s side and I think he shouldn’t have to be more ‘needy’ because that’s what Chris wants. Fortunately for Chris there are a lot of needy gay men out there. But they bring a whole other set of problems.
River City
Not much to say here other than I hope that Will doesn’t let his father come between him and Robbie. I realize he wants to make amends with his Dad and forge a relationship with him, but he’s going to have to sex some boundaries. Otherwise, he’s going to find himself without a husband, which probably wouldn’t upset his dad one bit. I did like the whole scenario with the costumes. Like Robbie, I do love a man in uniform.
Secret Lives
Can Lari work out in a sweaty tank top in every episode?
With that is out of the way, why didn’t Elias tell Lari that their secret was out, even if it was just among their circle of friends? If that many people know, especially with teenagers, there is no way it was going to stay a secret for much longer. He really did Lari a disservice by not telling him, especially since Lari asked Elias if there was something wrong. Lari took it better than I imagined he would, when Janne confronted him with the truth, though I think he should have been a little more upset with Elias for lying to him.
I did like, however, that Janne told Lari that they were still pals, pointing out that he was still friends with Elias whom he knew about. I also like that Janne was bothered that Lari hadn’t told Janne himself as they are supposed to be close buds. As for Ida, seeing what she is doing to herself was a very disturbing moment. How anyone could think that is healthy is beyond me, but that’s why they call anorexia an illness. I’m glad Janne tried to talk some sense into her, even though it didn’t do any good.
Doesn’t anybody ever knock?
(Source)
I understand why her friends wouldn’t want her to know about Lari and Elias because she’d only blame herself and make things worse. It’s funny though, even with these things where we should feel sympathy for Ida, I still find her an utterly unlikeable character. I guess things are going to get really ugly now that Ida knows the truth. Not only because of what she’ll do to Elias and Lari because she a vengeful sort, but because of what she’ll do to herself because she'll make everything about her. Looking forward to it.
Hollyoaks
I’m glad that Leanne and John Paul got the ‘I’m gay’ thing out of the way quickly and decided to be friends. Leanne is a fun character and I liked the scenes with her and John Paul. They have a nice chemistry. However it’s pretty obvious where this is headed. With Doug coming back to town next week, I have no doubt that Leanne will make it her mission for John Paul and Doug to fall in love. Her matchmaking attempts will be disastrous, but in the end they'll probably work as Doug and JP are the only two single gay men in town. Let’s just hope that they have chemistry.
While I’m happy the ‘Myra is dying’ story is over, I did love her fundraiser. It was hilarious watching a drunken Myra tell everybody off. I think my favorite bits were her saying Tony sleeps with whores and the reactions by Jacqui and Mercedes were classic. And I chuckled at her attack on Frankie, with her comment about ‘at least my gay came back’ as she nuzzled an embarrassed John Paul. Nicole Barber-Lane is wonderful and I’m glad the new regime is giving the older actors more to do. BTW, I think the lawyer is wrong and Myra wouldn’t have much of a suit against the hospital. So she was upset for a few days, there was no pain and suffering involved. Then again, this is Hollyoaks where legalities aren’t exactly dealt with realistically.
Days of Our Lives
This past week, with the reveal that Will was the father of Gabi’s baby, Dayswas not only good soap, but was the kind of drama that made me remember why I’ve loved daytime drama for most of my life. This wasn’t just about Will and Gabi and Nick. It pretty much affected the entire canvas and set up story that can play out for years. It’s the kind of multi-generational storytelling that soaps used to do, and kudos to Days for putting the gay characters right in the middle of the story and not having their sexuality be the central issue. Although I feel it should play a bigger role in the story, but I’ll get to that later. There was a lot to like here, though I have a few gripes as you would expect. For now though, I’m going to stay with the positive stuff.
I loved the little scene between Nick and Chad. It’s funny, but Chad is such an unpleasant character that I find myself rooting for Nick to exact revenge against him. I really hate him calling Gabi a bitch. It just reeks of misogyny. Let’s hope Nick does something nice and painful in retaliation. I also liked Victor and Sonny’s talk, though the highlight was Victor discussing all the disastrous weddings Salem has seen over the years. He is right in that the fallout from this one was rather mild compared to past nuptials. I especially liked him pointing out Sami’s wedding to Austin where the paternity of Will put that wedding to halt. It’s wonderful when shows use their history effectively and they did so here.
I did like Sami playing Mama Bear protecting her cub in those scenes with Gabi, even if she was wrongheaded about the things she said. I know that she (and fans) think that Gabi and Nick schemed and plotted to steal Will’s child, but that isn’t the television show I saw. Will is definitely no victim. He went along with this nonsense when he could have stopped it at any time. And I certainly liked Lucas pointing out that Will has been avoiding his responsibility so he can keep his boyfriend. While I agree that Will needs to stop whining and feel sorry for himself and that he didn’t have a terrible childhood, Lucas and Sami need to own up to their own selfishness. They were not exactly parental role models and they always put their own desires before their kids.
Stop teasing me with Will and EJ!
I’m looking forward to seeing where Nick takes this information he learned about Will and Lucas and EJ’s shooting, especially once he learns the whole story. I always thought that making Will the shooter in that storyline was a ridiculous plot twist, but at least it’s going to be used in a way that will add real stakes to this storyline. The show needs to stop having scenes between EJ and Will though. It only reminds me of their smoking-hot chemistry and that there was a lot of potential there.
I wish I cared more about Will and Sonny and their relationship. Freddie Smith and Chandler Massey are good in their scenes together and I like that Days continues to treat it just as important as the other love stories in this storyline. But I still find them boring as a couple and there isn’t much that can make them interesting to me. I predict that they won’t be broken up for long, which is good for Sonny. Unless he’s Will’s "talk to" or occasional bed partner, there really isn’t much for Sonny to do since the writers haven’t bothered to flesh out his character or make him a person in and of himself.
Brian, where are you? Sonny needs you!
It's a shame that Brian is no longer in the picture. Usually in this situation, a third party intervenes and makes a messier situation messier. He and Sonny did have chemistry and they could have been pretty hot together and it would have been delicious for a scheming Brian to move in on Sonny just as he and Will are on the outs. And to be honest, I think if Will and Sonny were a heterosexual couple that would have happened. Sadly though, gay characters still aren’t allowed to cheat or be unfaithful, unless it’s with women.
Speaking of the gay issue, I really think that should play a bigger role in the storyline. Throughout this entire situation only one person mentioned that Will was gay in regards to him being a father. I know that the writers are trying to say that it doesn’t matter and that’s commendable. I'm glad that they don’t want to make being gay an issue. But gay parenting is still a relatively new thing in society, no matter how many TV shows there are about it. And it’s still a divisive, controversial topic. The show is avoiding that controversy by pretty much ignoring it. I always thought that part of Will’s issues about being a father should stem from his sexuality. It would be realistic and make a lot more sense than the silly reasons that he gives to try and explain himself.
Sami made sense for once…
I liked that scene between Sami and Will because what she said made sense (for a change). Will has a support system and a lot of people who would be there for him so there was no reason to for him to keep this a secret. It was terrific that Sam reminded Will how lies have hurt people and that he should know that having lived the pain from those lies, another reason why Will going along with this never made sense.. I found myself nodding in agreement when Sami said Will was acting out of character because he has been. Allison Sweeney was particularly effective and strong in those scenes. I don’t often appreciate her as an actress, but I thought she was wonderful here, especially discussing the past and the mistakes she’s made. Those scenes might have been the best of the week.
As for the rest of the show, Days really needs to do something about Hope. Okay so Peter Reckell left the show and there’s nothing that can be done about that. But it’s ridiculous for the show to keep pretending that Bo is in the other room or make dumb explanations as to why he doesn’t attend events that he should be at like the wedding where his absence was glaring. The show should have just have Bo presumed dead so Hope can grieve for a few weeks (this is Days after all) and she can find new love. I think Hope and Rafe would be perfect for each other and add new dimension to the E.J/Rafe/Sami triangle. Kristian Aflonso is a good actress and Hope is still a vital character. She needs to be more than just a "talk to."
I think Hope and Rafe would be pretty hot together
Words cannot express how much I hate that Chloe is back. I have always despised her character and while Nadia Bjorlin might be one of the most beautiful women on television, she is a terrible actress. And making the story worse is the nauseating reveal that Daniel is Parker’s father. I could also do without her trying to break up boring couple Daniel and Jennifer. I rarely ever fast forward through certain stories and characters, but I certainly do for these three. I could go on and on about why it baffles me that Daniel is still on this show stinking up every scene he appears in and how much I loathe what the show has done to Jennifer following Jack’s death, but I won’t. I think I’ve said enough about Days for one week.
SCOOPS AND SPOILERS
Will sees his baby for the first time…
Days of Our Lives — The battle over the baby continues as EJ offers Will his help to fight for custody of his child. Nick makes his own plans for him and Gabi to get custody and wants them to get married immediately to solidify their position. Nick also drops by to see Justin to get his help in proving Will to be an unfit father. The question is if Justin is willing to go along with such a plan. Later Nick and Gabi head for the hospital for Gabi’s sonogram, an event that Nick tries to cut Will out of. Unfortunately for Nick, Will learns about the procedure and shows up just in time to learn the baby’s sex.
Can Will and Sonny patch things up?
Will goes to see Sonny to tell him he’s decided he wants to be part of his baby’s life and ask Sonny to forgive him for lying to him. Things get heated between them and the ex-lovers wind up in a kiss. But will it be enough for Sonny to get past what’s happened? Elsewhere in Salem, Adrienne and Sami squabble over their sons and Adrienne also finds herself disagreeing with Justin over how Sonny should deal with this. And when Lucas sees that Sami is yet again torn between Rafe and EJ, he is appalled by her behavior (or probably jealous that he's out of the running). However, they agree to come together to help Will deal with impending fatherhood.
What brings Kevin to the village?
Hollyoaks — George is stunned to learn that Esther tried to kill herself and he determines to find out why. But will be unable to learn the truth? That might not matter for Esther, however, whose suicide attempt damaged her liver and unless she gets a transplant, she’ll die. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t be a week in Chester without another mysterious man from Brendan’s past coming to town and this week cute, but creepy Kevin is stalking and spying on Brendan. No doubt he’s up to something, but what secret does he know about everybody’s favorite gay mobster?
AND ALSO THIS WEEK….
Is Geoff ready to move on?
RAW — Geoff is back to work for the first time following Pavel’s death. But, is he ready?
Secret Lives — Will Ida’s discovery about Lari and Elias’ affair cause her to make a fatal mistake?
Neighbours— Chris is angry when his roommate sets him up on a blind date without telling him…
General Hospital— Felix gets in trouble at work…
NEWSBEAT
We’ve been following the ongoing developments revolving around the return of cancelled soaps All My Children andOne Life To Live. Most of the news has been coming out of the OLTL camp with some of the shows major vets such as Erika Slesak (Vicki), Jerry VerDorn (Clint)and Bob Woods (Bo), all having agreed to return to the show. It will begin production next month. But the one question that this columnist has been wondering was if either soap would have gay characters?
Both AMC and OLTL have gays in their history. AMC had the dual gay storylines revolving around gay teen Kevin Sheffield and teacher Micheal Delaney back in the 90’s, though their most popular gay character was lesbian Bianca Montgomery. As for One Life, while they are most known for bringing to life gay couple Kyle Lewis and Oliver Fish before the characters were booted off the show, they did have gay politician Daniel Colson, who turned out to be a serial killer trying to hide his secret affair with a college student. And before that gay teen Billy Douglas, played by Ryan Phillipe, in a long running arc. But is Billy returning to Llanview?
Will One Life have a recast Billy Douglas?
Last week the show put out a casting call for a character named Billy, who is described as "Caucasian, 30s, ruggedly handsome. Charming yet naïve when it comes to relationships. He falls in love first and thinks second. He is a man of strong values who puts family before all else.” This had many soap insiders speculating if this Billy is in fact a grown up Billy Douglas. Let’s hope so.
In additional OLTL casting news, we told you in a previous edition that Roger Howrath (Todd), Michael Easton (John) and Kristen Alderson (Starr) had joined the cast of General Hospital once OLTL got cancelled. However, Prospect Park, who will be producing the new OLTL have the rights to those characters and had given them on loan to GH. Now that OLTL is a go, Todd, John and Starr are going to have to leave GH, at least for a bit, according to the folks at Daytime Confidential. Reportedly, sources at DC say the actors may reprise their roles on the returning soap just to help get it off the ground and then return to GH.
When Todd returns to OLTL, will he be bringing Roger Howarth with him?
"Prospect Park realizes these three characters could initially help draw fans to the new One Life," the DC source says. "There are ongoing talks between ABC and Prospect Park about the characters returning to General Hospitalat some point, which could be fine with [Prospect Park] as they eventually want to go much younger with their soaps."
The actors are reportedly not happy about the change, but there’s buzz that ABC, who wants these online projects to be a success will ask them to appear in the new venture, even though they are not obligated to do so. Prospect Park only has the rights to the characters of Todd, John and Starr, not the actors who play them.
Doug is back and starting anew….
Next week, Doug Carter returns to Hollyoaks following his breakup with husband Ste, who went back to his abusive lover Brendan. But if you think Doug has returned to interfere in Ste and Brendan’s relationship or try and get Ste back, think again. Doug is moving on with is life and looking to make a fresh start. PJ Brennan, who plays Doug, explains that Doug’s only reason for returning was the deli, the business he ran with Ste. As far as his relationship with Ste, Brennan says that is done.
“He’s certainly not pining for Ste anymore,” Brennan told Inside Soap. “And he makes it clear he’s only interested in sorting out the business. ….Doug is much more level headed when he returns and 100 percent more comfortable being himself.”
Brennan says that while a part of Doug will always love Ste, he has moved on and his life is going to go in some new directions now that he’s back in town.
“…Doug really sold himself short last year trying to hold onto Ste and he’s since realized that was possibly the biggest mistake he could have made.” Brennan said. “Over the next few weeks the audience will see Doug re-establish old connections and also make some new ones. A few new faces have turned up in the village while Doug has been away and one or two of them might pique his interest…”
Calling John Paul McQueen….
That’s it for another edition of Langford on Soaps. See you next time!
