Finally, Emmy winner Jacqueline MacInnes Wood got a gritty plot into which she could sink her teeth. It turned out to be more of an appetizer than an entree — Steffy got hooked on and weaned off drugs in about a week — but hey, it was gripping while it lasted.
Not since Port Charles High enrolled the likes of Jason, Brenda and Robin has the ABC soap — or any soap, for that matter — had as appealing and talented a group of youngsters. Heck, Josslyn & Co. might even be our favorite junior set since the days of All My Children’s Greg and Jenny, Jesse and Angie. On a related note, RIP, Dev; you will be sorely missed.
We’re all for the show’s depiction of formidable females presiding over companies, running businesses and achieving their dreams. We’re not all for them undermining each other’s efforts, but that’s another story for another day.
We will never again complain that the show tapes too far in advance to course-correct if a story is a dud — because it was the show’s accelerated production schedule that kept it on the air with new material after the other soaps’ ran out during the shutdown.
You might say that our favorite new cast member is a bit stiff. But what do you expect? She’s a mannequin. Nevertheless, we’re all in on the bonkers plot that headwriter Bradley Bell cooked up to not only further Thomas’ infatuation with Hope but allow Matthew Atkinson to safely (brilliantly!) play it.
After rumors began to spread in October that the General Hospital star had been let go as Julian (along with Emme Rylan as Lulu), he promised to deliver a statement but instead invited fans to play Clue with him, dropping hints about his status in tweet after tweet… that we could never be sure were really hints at all. Brilliant!
Weird as it feels to say, we’re grateful that Elena betrayed Devon with Nate. It’s not that we don’t adore “Elevon.” However, there was what seemed like a long stretch when we started to get afraid that nothing soapy was ever again going to happen on the show.
It’s been a delight to see Hope, Liam and Steffy not only working at being but working as a blended family. In particular, it’s been refreshing to watch Hope and Steffy truly caring about each other instead of just tolerating or sniping at each other.
No explanation necessary. Isn’t everyone thankful for Paul Telfer’s endearing former villain?
Dominic Zamprogna and his alter ego are such comforting presences, it almost doesn’t matter what the scenes are about — we’re just glad to have ’em around. Now if only we weren’t so upset about Emme Rylan and Lulu…
We’re not just thankful, we’re delighted that after The Bold and the Beautiful cut loose Courtney Hope as Sally, The Young and the Restless said, in essence, “Finders keepers, losers weepers,” and snatched up the vixen to fill the void left in Genoa City by Phyllis’ focus on snarking around her hotel and Chloe’s transformation into domesticated sitcom character.
We’re thankful for the time that we had with this good-looking, complex character who had both attitude and vulnerability. Tyler Johnson actually had us yearning for the bad boy to find the love of a good woman and plant roots in Genoa City that would’ve allowed his heritage as a Brooks to be explored. We hate to see him go… and hope to see him again.
Wanna make any scene more entertaining? Drop into it Emily O’Brien as the snarky Brit who’s singlehandedly turned the DiMera mansion into a funhouse. The actress is so good, she even pulls off her conniving character’s many (many!) gab sessions with inanimate objects.
Even if we didn’t love Tanner Novlan — and we do — we’d still be thankful for Steffy’s hot doctor boyfriend, if for no other reason than his introduction to the canvas has given us a break from the Steffy/Liam/Hope merry-go-’round.
We wouldn’t wish heartbreak on our beloved Valentin, but… now that ya mention it, he has been extra fun to watch since losing Nina. Besides hooking up with Brook Lynn, he’s been there for Alexis and Anna in a way that’s only made us adore him more.
Because some of us like our couples a little more Passionflix than Hallmark.
We know not everyone is into the villain brought to sleazetastic life by Jeff Kober, but we kinda dig his vibe. Cyrus doesn’t shout or even make menacing threats, but rather manages to make casual compliments and comments — “You have a lovely family” — sound downright scary. Plus, it’s nice to have a bad guy on the canvas that we’re pretty sure will, for a change, actually pay for his crimes.
Not only is Henry Joseph Samiri an adorable and talented young performer, but the show actually lets his character be a real kid, from playing with robotic hands to asking awkward questions like “Why can’t Daddy live with us, Mommy Hope?”
Now that her tears have dried, Linsey Godfrey’s character is a blast. It’s also especially gratifying — and sexy and fun — to see her and Xander team up to overcome an obstacle (named Philip) instead of let it come between them.
Sure, it can be a little distracting when actors have to play scenes from across the room from each other… when they have to kiss mannequins instead of their co-stars… when their spouses sub in for their leading men/ladies. But we will never stop being grateful for the ingenuity and determination that has allowed our shows to go on. Especially in these tough times, we need the escape.
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