LANGFORD'S PICKS AND PANS
RAW
I'm so glad that Geoff finally made an appearance on this season's RAW and it irritates me that we've only got two episodes left to finish out his story arc. And well, I'm of two minds about what they have done with his character. See, I wasn't upset that Pavel died at the end of last season. I didn't want him dead, I just never cared for him and Geoff as a couple. I loved them as individuals, but they never worked for me as a duo. I felt that Pavel had softened Geoff so much that he was no longer the bad ass chef that I fell in love with in season one. So I was glad the relationship was over and Geoff could move on with his life.
Geoff was still mourning Pavel’s death....
Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Even though a year has gone by, Geoff is still deeply mourning Pavel's loss. It really wasn't what I wanted to see for the character. Yet, I absolutely loved Geoff's scenes last week. His reaction to seeing those steps where Pavel had died were intense and quite moving.
And when Geoff later picked up a guy, who looked oddly like Pavel, you knew it wasn't going to end well and it didn't. Geoff's reluctance to go to the home he and Pavel shared and sleep in their bed were nicely depicted by Damon Gameau, as was the scene in kitchen where Geoff found that note from Pavel.
Geoff wasn’t ready to move on with a new man...
So while I loved those scenes and found them beautifully written and acted, I just wish the character had moved forward and they hadn't been necessary. Still, I've missed Geoff terribly and I'm looking forward to seeing where he goes from here.
River City
Whew! Now that was a pretty intense hour of River City. It was also a wonderfully written and beautifully acted and powerful piece of drama. I’ve often commended RC the way they use and their gay characters in that sexuality doesn’t often come to play in their storylines. It hasn’t for most of Will and Robbie’s stories and for much of the story involving lesbian teens Alice and Christina. Now, I haven’t paid much attention to the romance between these two girls, but this past week, the two stories crossed paths and it got my attention.
I actually didn’t know much of Alice’s past, only that she was in witness protection. But hearing why she had been forced to change her name and identity and having those men from her past find her to get revenge was intriguing stuff.
What was an interesting and probably all-too-real aspect of the story was that Gavin’s brothers kept asking Alice why their sibling was targeted and she didn’t have an answer. Sadly, sometimes people are picked on ‘just because’ and this seems to be another tragic case of that.
As I mentioned before the acting was superb, most notably when one of the brothers revealed he was supposed to have walked Gavin home that day but didn’t and he felt his own guilt for his role in the boy’s demise. It was a heartbreaking scene. We had never met these two brothers until this episode, but you definitely felt their pain and loss at how the death of their younger sibling destroyed their family and nearly caused them, in an act of revenge, to take a life themselves.
It’s too bad though that it had to end badly for Alice and Christina and they were forced to say goodbye as Alice had to get a new identity and move on. I have to say though that those were some pretty steamy kisses between Alice and Christina. I don’t think we’ve ever seen Will and Robbie kiss like that and they’re married. Hmm... Oh well, judging by that preview clip for next week, it looks like Will is finally going to do something about his crooked boss. That’s a plot arc I’ve been waiting for the show to pick up on.
Holby City
It’s been awhile since this show has featured Malick in a storyline and apparently in all that time they haven’t come up with any original ideas for him. I mean, aside from the fact that they have made him a father. Since he’s unabashedly gay and highly unlikely to have sex with a woman (though he hasn’t had sex with any men either in the time I’ve been watching him), they couldn’t give him a baby. So why not a grown up son popping out of the woodwork? Ugh, how frustrating. And how amazing that Jake was able to get a job at the very same hospital where his father works so he could spy on dear old Dad.
The show can’t do better than giving Malick a secret son?
The kid is obviously a troublemaker and a thief so he’s obviously set to cause havoc for Malick. And I suspect he won’t react well to having a gay father either. I don’t like pronouncing a storyline a failure just when it’s starting to play out, but HC promised a relationship for Malick months ago and that hasn’t come to pass. Instead we get a surprise son, a storyline I wasn’t expecting and don’t want.
It’s a shame that the show has done so little with this character. He was one of the better-written and better-acted gay characters out there, but he’s pretty much been wasted for nearly part of a year. I’d like to hope this is the start of some better storytelling for Malick, but I don’t get a good feeling about it. I’d love for the show to prove me wrong, however. On the other hand, I like the new doctor and Malick mentoring him might be interesting. Still, I want to see more for Malick, such as a personal life. And the show, despite their promises, hasn’t given me that, not by a long shot.
General Hospital
To be honest, with all the gay characters out there getting meaty, quality storytelling these days, I can’t get much invested in Felix as long as he only exists to say ‘you go girl’ and give out hair tips. No, I don’t have a problem with him being effeminate or anything like that. I love that he’s not your typical white teen struggling with being gay. And unlike a certain Days gay duo I could mention, Felix actually has some personality and spark. I just want to see it used on an actual storyline for the character.
And if you think I won’t keep complaining until I get it, then you haven’t read this column for very long. With that said, I did like his scenes this past week and thought they were cute. But one scene with this character is like all the others. And pretty soon, very soon, it’s simply going to wear thin. I know these writers are capable of writing stories for gay characters. So I’d like to see them do it here.
Secret Lives
Say it with me, everyone: "It is not about you Ida!" I knew that she would make Elias and Lari’s relationship all about her angst and her pain and how she got hurt. Now, I can understand her being upset about finding out about Elias and Lari’s relationship and they were cheating on her until Lari ended things when he realized he couldn’t lie to her anymore. But Elias and Lari’s relationship is none her business. And because of that, it’s really no one’s place to tell her that they were involved. Of course that’s logic and logic never works in situations like this. It especially doesn’t work with unstable people like Ida.
To be fair though, I’ve never liked Ida and I’ve always felt she was a selfish, nasty girl. And I wondered why a sweet guy like Elias was friends with her in the first place, not to mention why Lari would be dating her. Then again, Lari isn’t so nice himself. And well, I think if the writers really want to make this eating disorder storyline work, the victim has to be a wee bit sympathetic so we give a flip about them and their woes. Sadly, for me, this isn't the case with Ida. I find myself feeling sorry for her current boyfriend and her friends who have to listen to her constant whining. I wish someone would just be brutally honest and tell her it’s not about her. If I sound hard-hearted, so be it. LOL...
And something didn’t make sense to me. Ida had to know the doctors would tell her she had an eating disorder, so why would she insist on getting her diagnosis in front of everyone since she's taken great pains to hide it thus far? Obviously they wanted everyone to find out at once so the story could move forward, but I think there could have been a less awkward way of doing it.
Hollyoaks
The climax of the bullying storyline has been extremely well done, riveting and powerful television. Not only did it show the damaging effects that cruel and unrelenting bullying can hgave, but how decent people, because of their own issues and selfishness can be blind to what is going on around them. I thought the build up to Esther committing suicide was haunting in its depiction. I was especially affected watching Esther get her affairs in order and then after she took all those pills, waking up and her horror at realizing she was still alive. Of course that was only the prelude for the pills finally working and Esther suffering liver failure and winding up critically ill in the hospital.
Tilly finally saw the light...
I loved the scene with Jen and Tilly, where Tilly, having realized her own culpability (and facing how rotten her girlfriend was), commented 'we are such horrible people'. I was glad to hear her acknowledge that she ignored how Maddie treated Esther right before Maddie's death because she didn't want to think ill of her dead friend. And I was so glad to finally see George taking a central role in this storyline, talking some sense into Esther and him admitting that his closest friends have been cruel to her. But I don't think that George should have promised Esther that he wouldn't tell her family what's going on. I think it's important that he do so. But at least he did report Mr. Keeler's lack of action. That should get the ball rolling.
As I have said before, Tilly and George should have been involved on this storyline long ago given their own experiences with being bullied and that both of them were so close to Esther, but the show had to keep them on the sidelines so the story could play out as it has. I understand that, but their absence has been noticeable.
I wish I could say I was surprised by Frankie's actions, but I'm not. She's always been an incredibly self-absorbed woman and it's no shock she would blame Esther for trying to take her own life and accuse her of being selfish rather than looking at herself and what she saw or didn't see that led to this tragedy. Frankie almost seemed to delight in watching Esther hear that her life would never be the same because of the liver transplant, even if she were to get a liver. It was wonderful to see Jack there for Esther, trying to do his best alone. But the whole thing is heartbreaking and I couldn't help but shed few tears at watching all this all too real agony play out.
Frankie will never be mother of the year...
I felt for poor Tom, who has had so many relatives and loved ones die in his short life and you could feel his fear that someone else he loved was going to be taken from him. I liked how, the show told us through Tom that suicide destroys families and they are never the same afterwards. I have never liked Sinead or Ruby, they've both been awful people. I remember how horrible Sinead was during the Jason storyline and Ruby has always been a nasty thing, even when she was dating sweet Jono. But the show really stepped things up a notch with them in regards to their bullying Esther, even attacking her while she lie in her hospital bed. I wonder how the characters can come back from that.
Then again, this is Hollyoaks, where murderers walk the streets and victims of domestic violence happily go back their abusers. I just want, for a change, to see some true ramifications when people commit despicable acts. Sinead and Ruby need to be exposed and made to pay for their actions. In addition, Mr. Keeler must be punished. He had been warned repeatedly what was going on, but chose to ignore it and when the truth became obvious he was worried about covering his own tracks. Otherwise, there's no point in telling this story if the villains, in essence, get away with it or worse, are easily forgiven for their sins.
As for the scenes with Brendan and the kids, I can't fathom why Ste would leave Brendan alone with his children. Yeah, sure Ste has complete trust in Brendan, but given Brendan's past temper issues with the children and that he tried to kill his father a couple of weeks ago, it should give Ste pause, but not much does these days. Admittedly those scenes were cute, but I think I could enjoy them more if I could forget much of the ugliness that went on before all this as easily as the show would like me to. Though I guess the show has to set up this tranquility of domestic bliss now that Walker is back, which is the start of Brendan's exit storyline. And none too soon.
BTW, as much as I loved the silly little storyline about Cheryl and Leanne’s new business venture (which I bet quickly turns into a full-fledged escort service), does Brendan know that his sister is going to be featuring mostly naked men on the menu? Shouldn’t she discuss it with him given that the club is 98% his? Brendan may not mind all that male skin on display (though none of those guys would be his type as they’re not submissive enough) but he still should know. Overall though, Hollyoaks continues to write strong and compelling dramas for their gay characters and for the most part, it’s not about being gay or sexuality. One reason why they are so wonderful to watch.
Days of Our Lives
My, oh my, Days is putting out some good soap. Did I say that out loud? Will wonders never cease. The baby story is playing out much, much better than I ever imagined it would.
I think my favorite scene of the week was when Nick and Gabi found out the sex of the baby and Will walked in, seeing his baby for the first time. The look on Will’s face was life changing and Chandler Massey played that scene beautifully. Everything suddenly was different for Will. You could see it in that one moment. I’m actually starting to really enjoy this storyline. Days has done a wonderful job with it, playing out all the beats and nuances with solid writing and great acting. I have to applaud them for sucking me into a story that I was against from the start.
I’ve never connected to Sonny and Will as a couple, but I did think their scenes together were quite well done. You really felt their angst and pain over their broken coupling. The final scene with them, full of passion and longing and hurt and pain was the stuff of classic soap. And that Days is writing it for their gay couple is amazing and notable. WilSon will never be my favorite gay couple, not even close, but you can’t ignore the show’s handling of them has been beautiful, something I never expected, especially from this soap.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sami be that much of a mother to Will so I’m loving her trying to talk some sense into Will regarding his baby. Allison Sweeney is really good in these scenes, though frankly I think Will deserves a good smack for the way he talks to his mother. I also really liked Nicole having a talk with Gabi. If anybody knows about bouncing back after screwing up your life, it’s Nicole. Nicole is one of my favorites so always enjoy seeing her.
Is Nick stupid? Did he really think that Justin wouldn’t be bothered by the mere insinuation that Will should be declared unfit because he’s gay? Sure, Nick denied it, but Justin is no fool. Nick should have expected the reaction he got. However, I nearly fell over laughing when Nick looked off to the side while in the middle of talking to Justin to have his flashback. Hilarious.
Nick is becoming quite delusional and seems to be losing his grip. His belief that nothing had changed even after all that’s happened shows he’s got a fantasy playing out in his head. I have a feeling he’s going to do a lot to keep that fantasy going, however, especially since he keeps referring to the child as ‘our’ baby. I loved when Will went toe to toe with Nick and called him ‘a cold son of a bitch’. But Nick’s reaction to Will calling him insane is a foreboding sign for certain. I do feel sorry for Gabi though as she’s caught between her close friend and her boyfriend.
I always love Will and EJ scenes, and I really liked these because Will finally admitted that his real reason for not wanting to be a baby daddy was because it would ruin things with Sonny. That makes more sense than anything else and how it should have played out all along.
I also thought the Sami and Lucas scenes were terrific. Lucas knows Sami better than anyone and I love how he calls her out on her crap. I like how they are totally, painfully honest with one another. And it was nice to see Rafe and Will talk. They have always been close and it was great to have them work things out.
I loved, loved, loved the scenes between Adrienne and Sami as they bickered over their sons. However, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Adrienne not wanting Sonny to be in the middle of Will’s drama and I wish they would stop making her out to be a villain because of it. But I agree with Sami that Will’s issues are much bigger than Sonny’s. There really is no comparison. I’m also glad someone is finally acknowledging that this problem is made much more difficult because Will is gay because it's been like the big ignored elephant in the room for far too long.
BTW, when did Sami find out about Gabi’s role in Melanie’s kidnapping? I had no idea that she knew. And why hasn’t she used it to club Gabi over the head to help Will in regards to the baby? I thought it was funny that Rafe was going on and on about seeing ‘the real side of Sami’. In the time he's known her, being mean to Gabi is not the worst thing she’s ever done. Also, why is Cameron doing Gabi’s sonogram? Shouldn’t her OBGYN being doing that? I guess the show couldn’t afford to give Gabi an on camera doctor. Heh... Oh and Days, please spare me the Cam/Abigail/Chad triangle? There is no chemistry anywhere in that storyline. They should have never recast Cameron. This one is as bad as the last.
SCOOPS AND SPOILERS
How far will things go between Brian and Sonny?
Days of Our Lives— Brian is back and he’s got his eye on the prize, Sonny, that is. When Brian hears that Sonny and Will are split, he asks Sonny out and Sonny agrees to a date. They have a nice time and the evening results in a kiss between Sonny and Brian, a kiss that is witnessed by Will. Later, Brian tries to take things further and wants to have sex with Sonny. But Sonny, who apparently can’t see how totally hot Brian is, turns him down, saying he’s not ready to move on so quickly. However, when Brian runs into Will, he brags that he and Sonny hit the sheets.
Nick reveals what life in prison was like for him...
Elsewhere, Nick plots to dig up some dirt on Will by trying to find out why Lucas went to jail for Will. Will nearly finds out what Nick is up to, but the scheming ex-con covers his tracks. Nick is later upset when Gabi wants to postpone the wedding because Rafe asked her to. But he comes to Gabi’s rescue when Sami attacks her, accusing her of trying to cut Will out of his baby’s life. However Will is making plans for his future as a father, news he shares with Justin and later with Chad.
Plus, Nick reveals what happened to him while he was in prison. Does it have anything to do with why he doesn’t like gays?
Is DCI Donald’s secret about to be revealed?
River City — Things are looking up for Will and Robbie when Will is selected to receive a commendation for how well he handled the situation with Alice. But things quickly get complicated when Superintendent Cole, suspicious of DCI Donald, asks Will to help investigate him and his possible shady dealings. Will is reluctant to do so, but is soon made to realize he doesn’t have much of a choice. Meanwhile, Lenny puts the pressure on DCI Donald when the cop wants out of the deal. But DCI Donald’s subsequent behavior could spell the end for him. And Robbie finds out that Will can’t handle the tension at work when Will lashes out at him.
Holby City— Malick is shocked to learn that he has a son, a son that wants to get to know his father. But Malick isn’t so sure he’s ready to be a dad. Jake isn’t too thrilled by his father’s ambivalence towards him and proceeds to create havoc at the hospital. When Jake gets drunk and interrupts a surgery, Michael orders Malick to do something about his son. Malick has to decide to either work things out with him and commit to being his dad, or get rid of him for good.
Ste’s husband is back! Uh oh...
Hollyoaks — Brendan is enjoying playing Daddy to Ste’s kids and Ste is enjoying the domestic life he and Brendan have set up, but there’s plenty of problems surrounding them. Brendan is still dealing with the ongoing presence of his father and is wondering how he can deal with Seamus being around, especially now that he’s promised Ste not to try and kill his father again. But Walker, who has secretly returned, has befriended Seamus as part of his plan to get back at Brendan. His scheme also includes his henchman Kevin, who’s gotten himself a job at the club.
Both Brendan and Ste are shocked at the return of Doug, who is refreshed and happy to be back. Doug has put his relationship with Ste behind him and simply wants to make a go of the business he and Ste share. But Brendan is threatened by Doug’s return, especially given his easy rapport with Ste’s kids and the fact that Ste is avoiding telling Amy that he and Brendan are back together. Upset, Brendan confides in Mitzeee, including telling her about his father’s sexual abuse. Mitzeee encourages Brendan to tell Ste everything, but is Brendan ready to do that?
In other village happenings, George is pleased that Mr. Keeler has been fired given his handling of Esther’s bullying. But in a shocking twist, Jen is named headmistress, which isn’t good for Tilly, who got expelled thanks to Jen’s lies. As for Esther, she still lies in the hospital, awaiting a liver transplant, and it doesn’t look good. And Phoebe struggles to tell Jacqui about the return of her rapist, but Jacqui is too busy to listen. John Paul gives Pheobe some advice, but it may end in disaster.
RAW — Still mourning Pavel’s death, Geoff is upset when the RAW staff wants to have a memorial on the anniversary of his lover’s death. Geoff forbids it, but will he be convinced it’s not just right for Pavel’s friends, but for Geoff himself? Meanwhile, Geoff conspires to get Max not to leave town and stay at the restaurant. But Fiona may have more of an influence on him.
NEWSBEAT
Tuc Watkins brings his sexy self back to One Life To Live..
As the returns of One Life To Live and All My Children get closer, the folks at Prospect Park want to make sure there are plenty of places for fans to find the shows. Last week, Jeff Kwatinez, CEO of Prospect Park, announced they made deals to be able to find the shows on Hulu, Hulu Plus and ITunes. And they are currently looking for a cable network to air the shows as well. Kwatinez says the shows will be available for free. It was also announced that PP closed its financing deal with ABRY Partners, a private equity investment firm, though it was not revealed how much the deal was for.
Are Days fans tuning in to see Will and Sonny?
And the good news continues for the US soaps, Days of Our Lives, which was recently renewed for another year, is finding rating success with it’s current stories as fans seem to be enjoying the drama revolving around Will, Gabi, Nick, Sonny and the baby as well as the rest of the drama in Salem. The week Gabi and Nick's aborted wedding saw Days get it’s highest ratings in 2 years. It was also announced that The Bold and The Beautifulis about to get another renewal while ABC has said they have no plans to cancel the recently ratings resurgent General Hospital.
Look for Brendan’s exit to be dark and violent...
Emmett Scanlan, who plays bad boy Brendan Brady on Hollyoaks is about to film his final scenes for the UK soap, setting up the beloved characters exit to air in March. Scanlan has already promised that the story revolving around Brendan’s exit is going to be epic, but he isn’t talking about what is going to happen.
“I was doing some stunts today and I'm looking forward to filming the last bits," he told the Daily Star. "I can't wait for everyone to see it. I think it's going to be a good pay-off for the fans. I'm not going to tell you whether I live or die because that would ruin it but it's touch-and-go a couple of times."
Scanlan went onto say that Hollyoaks isn’t like any other soap. "Hollyoaks is balls-out telly. We take risks all the time - we do crazy storylines, major stunts. We don't film soaps like any other soaps. With Brendan's exit we're going to do some stuff that's never been done before."
Many fans have declared they won’t keep watching HO once he leaves the show, saying that it won’t be worth viewing once Brendan is gone, but Scanlan says he’ll remain a fan.
"I'll have Hollyoaks on Sky Plus because I've got a lot of friends that are about to hit some storylines that are dark, properly dark.” The actor said. “The show no doubt is going to keep getting stronger and stronger."
Doug and Ste will be just friends upon Doug’s return to Hollyoaks...
Fans won’t be the only one who will miss Scanlan. PJ Brennan, who plays Brendan’s rival for Ste, Doug Carter, tells Digital Spy that it’s hard to imagine the soap without Brendan’s presence.
"I think his departure won't really be felt until he's gone. No one has an understanding of what the show will be like without Brendan Brady.” Brennan said. “Everyone, including those of us who are making Hollyoaks, will just have to see what it's like. Brendan has been such a central figure for so many storylines, and I think Doug wouldn't be Doug without Brendan.”
But while Brendan’s story might be coming to an end, there’s plenty ahead for Doug. Brennan says that his character will be involved in Brendan’s exit and the return of the villianous Walker.
Walker’s return will be memorable...
“Walker returning means that there's definitely going to be some serious business going on. Because of the characters involved, Doug is definitely involved in that in some degree.” Brennan teased. “You'll have to find out how and why for yourself - but Doug will be involved in some way or another, because Ste's still his best friend."
As for romance, there are rumors that Doug will become involved with John Paul McQueen, played by James Sutton. Brennan teases that there might be something there.
“John Paul is a character who re-appeared while Doug was away, so I'm sure that Doug would be interested in finding out who he is.” Brennan said. “Also, Leanne already knows John Paul, so there's a connection there which suggests that there could be something coming along. But it's one of those ones where you'll just have to tune in and see!"
That’s it for another edition of Langford on Soaps. See you next time!
