Disney/Bahareh Ritter; Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
GH’s (from l.) Jason (Steve Burton) and Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and Y&R’s Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) and Adam (Mark Grossman) captured our attention last week.
General Hospital: Jason and Sasha Strike A Deal
What was Sasha supposed to do after she got pregnant by the very married Michael, who then needed to leave the country to fight for his life in a burn unit? Ask the local mob enforcer to claim paternity, of course.
“We’ve got to let everyone believe you’re the father of my baby,” Sasha told Jason after Drew and Cody both publicly accused Jason of impregnating Sasha. The scene with Cody was witnessed by Michael’s wife Willow, who is suing for custody of their kids despite Michael’s poor health. Jason agreed to cover for his nephew under one condition: They tell Jason’s son Danny the truth. Sasha is worried Jason will hover but he vowed to only be there if she needs him. Done right, their ruse will help Michael come home to custody of his kids — if they can convince PC their “love” is real.
Have we been here, done that with Jason? Why, yes — not once but twice. For a deep dive into Jason’s past stints as a faux father, click here, but in essence: When Carly was pregnant with Michael and claimed Jason was the father, Jason stepped up then; and a few years down the line, he did the same for Sam when she was expecting with Sonny (that baby tragically died). What’s different now, though, is that Jason is now really a father (of Danny and the lamentably MIA Jake). That Jason made transparency with Danny a condition of this ruse was a smart, and very needed, touch by the writers.
Young and Restless: Claire vs. Summer
Summer is starting to care that her ex-husband Kyle is dating her cousin Claire — and it’s about time. Her antennae went up when Kyle informed her that he and Claire were trying to get Victor’s approval. “I didn’t realize your relationship had gotten to the point where you need my Grandpa’s blessing,” snarked Summer, adding mischievously that Victor had no problem when she was with Kyle. (Victor’s opinion of Kyle has changed for the worse since he and Summer were married.)
When Kyle later canceled plans with Claire to do a school project with Summer and their son, Summer rubbed it in Claire’s face in front of their mutual grandpa. Claire pooh-poohed the change in plans, saying she and Kyle can have dinner any time. Victor observed the friction and later stirred the pot, hinting that maybe Summer should spend more time at the Abbott house. “Did I just hear you encourage Summer to get back with Kyle?” asked an incredulous Nick.
If Victor is Team Summer, Claire can kiss Kyle good-bye…
Days of Our Lives: Buh Bye, Body and Soul
“The Salem reboot is dead,” announced Johnny as word came that Kate and Abe had sold the rights to Body and Soul and the soap’s production would be moving to L.A.
The premise started off promisingly enough in 2023 with amnesiac Abe watching DAYS’s soap within a soap with his nurse, Whitley, a super fan. (He found the stars strangely familiar as they were archetypes of Salem’s biggest divas Kate, Marlena and Kayla come to life.) But after Abe recovered and acquired the rights to the soap, the action moved to Salem using one implausible scenario after another. Local doctors became soap stars with no acting training, gossip columnist Leo became the head writer, and eventually someone set out to murder the cast. Numerous players were poisoned, Abe realized his old nurse was behind it, and the soap went on the auction block. Soon, over-the-top players like Hattie committed to moving. “We could be like Laverne and Shirley go to California,” she enthused while trying to convince Bonnie to join her. Schlemiel, schlimazel, kids!
Kudos to DAYS for the initial months of fun and the logical twist of psycho fan Whitley turning out to be the, well, psycho. While the blink-and-you-missed it wrap-up of this overly long storyline detour was anticlimactic, at least it got the job done (ending a plot whose expiration date had long since passed).
Bold and Beautiful: Carter Finds His Conscience
Carter Walton was all in on stealing Forrester Creations from the Forresters to keep his girlfriend Hope from losing her fashion line — until he wasn’t.
“I’m having a hard time,” he told Hope. “Maybe if we apologize…” Hope flipped out, reminding her paramour that Steffy and Ridge had humiliated her. Carter responded that he and Hope had proven themselves with the positive changes they had made at the company (like the launch of the jewelry line) and it was time to make things right. Plus, as evidenced by a conversation Carter had with Brooke, he missed his best friend Ridge. Hope cried and stormed out. Carter stared at the blingy gift he had bought her for Valentine’s Day and punched the desk.
Suddenly the door opened and Ridge entered: “Heavy is the head that wears the crown, huh Carter?” Seems like the gilt, er guilt, wasn’t worth it.
Y&R: Valentine’s Day Fake Out
There was Nick celebrating Sharon with flowers and champagne at Crimson Lights, suggesting they move back in together… Phyllis surprising Billy in Paris, dancing and drinking champagne with her ex… Chelsea admitting to Adam she loves him but being interrupted by Sally who also wants another chance with Adam…
Sucker! They were all dreams, and not particularly believable ones by the end of the episode. (We knew Sally was in Paris with Billy so she couldn’t have also been at the Newman Ranch, etc.) Adam’s visions came after he fell asleep on the couch while Phyllis was alone in bed. But Sharon put her head down on a table at Crimson Lights where she works and went to sleep? No. Completing the cliché was Nick walking up to the snoozing Sharon saying he knew she was dreaming about him: “I heard you talking in your sleep.”
It’s a bad sign for a soap when they can’t showcase one real couple on Valentine’s Day. In this case, Cupid struck out.
B&B: Another Incest Story
Yes, Finn was “of age” and yes, he was adopted, and yes, he didn’t grow up with Poppy as a regular visitor to his childhood home. But the idea of Finn having a one-night stand with his aunt that produced his first cousin Luna is just ick. Finn and Poppy were family! And it will be so much worse when Finn’s mother Li gets wind of her sister and her son secretly producing her niece/granddaughter. (See what we mean?)
This is not new territory for B&B. Brooke married Eric and his sons Ridge and Thorne, had a dalliance with her stepson Thomas (under the influence of hallucinogenic berries), shared a husband with her daughter Bridget (Ridge’s half brother Nick Marrone) and had an affair with Bridget’s husband Deacon which produced Hope. Hope was raised as a stepsibling to Thomas and grew up to have a torrid affair with him. Bill’s sons Liam and Wyatt were both wed to step sisters Steffy and Hope multiple times and… enough already.
How about a new character with no family/sexual ties to anyone on the canvas? It’s 2025. Incest is not best.
Disney/Bahareh Ritter; Howard Wise/jpistudios.com
GH’s (from l.) Jason (Steve Burton) and Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) and Y&R’s Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan) and Adam (Mark Grossman) captured our attention last week.
General Hospital: Jason and Sasha Strike A Deal
What was Sasha supposed to do after she got pregnant by the very married Michael, who then needed to leave the country to fight for his life in a burn unit? Ask the local mob enforcer to claim paternity, of course.
“We’ve got to let everyone believe you’re the father of my baby,” Sasha told Jason after Drew and Cody both publicly accused Jason of impregnating Sasha. The scene with Cody was witnessed by Michael’s wife Willow, who is suing for custody of their kids despite Michael’s poor health. Jason agreed to cover for his nephew under one condition: They tell Jason’s son Danny the truth. Sasha is worried Jason will hover but he vowed to only be there if she needs him. Done right, their ruse will help Michael come home to custody of his kids — if they can convince PC their “love” is real.
Have we been here, done that with Jason? Why, yes — not once but twice. For a deep dive into Jason’s past stints as a faux father, click here, but in essence: When Carly was pregnant with Michael and claimed Jason was the father, Jason stepped up then; and a few years down the line, he did the same for Sam when she was expecting with Sonny (that baby tragically died). What’s different now, though, is that Jason is now really a father (of Danny and the lamentably MIA Jake). That Jason made transparency with Danny a condition of this ruse was a smart, and very needed, touch by the writers.
Young and Restless: Claire vs. Summer
Summer is starting to care that her ex-husband Kyle is dating her cousin Claire — and it’s about time. Her antennae went up when Kyle informed her that he and Claire were trying to get Victor’s approval. “I didn’t realize your relationship had gotten to the point where you need my Grandpa’s blessing,” snarked Summer, adding mischievously that Victor had no problem when she was with Kyle. (Victor’s opinion of Kyle has changed for the worse since he and Summer were married.)
When Kyle later canceled plans with Claire to do a school project with Summer and their son, Summer rubbed it in Claire’s face in front of their mutual grandpa. Claire pooh-poohed the change in plans, saying she and Kyle can have dinner any time. Victor observed the friction and later stirred the pot, hinting that maybe Summer should spend more time at the Abbott house. “Did I just hear you encourage Summer to get back with Kyle?” asked an incredulous Nick.
If Victor is Team Summer, Claire can kiss Kyle good-bye…
Days of Our Lives: Buh Bye, Body and Soul
“The Salem reboot is dead,” announced Johnny as word came that Kate and Abe had sold the rights to Body and Soul and the soap’s production would be moving to L.A.
The premise started off promisingly enough in 2023 with amnesiac Abe watching DAYS’s soap within a soap with his nurse, Whitley, a super fan. (He found the stars strangely familiar as they were archetypes of Salem’s biggest divas Kate, Marlena and Kayla come to life.) But after Abe recovered and acquired the rights to the soap, the action moved to Salem using one implausible scenario after another. Local doctors became soap stars with no acting training, gossip columnist Leo became the head writer, and eventually someone set out to murder the cast. Numerous players were poisoned, Abe realized his old nurse was behind it, and the soap went on the auction block. Soon, over-the-top players like Hattie committed to moving. “We could be like Laverne and Shirley go to California,” she enthused while trying to convince Bonnie to join her. Schlemiel, schlimazel, kids!
Kudos to DAYS for the initial months of fun and the logical twist of psycho fan Whitley turning out to be the, well, psycho. While the blink-and-you-missed it wrap-up of this overly long storyline detour was anticlimactic, at least it got the job done (ending a plot whose expiration date had long since passed).
Bold and Beautiful: Carter Finds His Conscience
Carter Walton was all in on stealing Forrester Creations from the Forresters to keep his girlfriend Hope from losing her fashion line — until he wasn’t.
“I’m having a hard time,” he told Hope. “Maybe if we apologize…” Hope flipped out, reminding her paramour that Steffy and Ridge had humiliated her. Carter responded that he and Hope had proven themselves with the positive changes they had made at the company (like the launch of the jewelry line) and it was time to make things right. Plus, as evidenced by a conversation Carter had with Brooke, he missed his best friend Ridge. Hope cried and stormed out. Carter stared at the blingy gift he had bought her for Valentine’s Day and punched the desk.
Suddenly the door opened and Ridge entered: “Heavy is the head that wears the crown, huh Carter?” Seems like the gilt, er guilt, wasn’t worth it.
Y&R: Valentine’s Day Fake Out
There was Nick celebrating Sharon with flowers and champagne at Crimson Lights, suggesting they move back in together… Phyllis surprising Billy in Paris, dancing and drinking champagne with her ex… Chelsea admitting to Adam she loves him but being interrupted by Sally who also wants another chance with Adam…
Sucker! They were all dreams, and not particularly believable ones by the end of the episode. (We knew Sally was in Paris with Billy so she couldn’t have also been at the Newman Ranch, etc.) Adam’s visions came after he fell asleep on the couch while Phyllis was alone in bed. But Sharon put her head down on a table at Crimson Lights where she works and went to sleep? No. Completing the cliché was Nick walking up to the snoozing Sharon saying he knew she was dreaming about him: “I heard you talking in your sleep.”
It’s a bad sign for a soap when they can’t showcase one real couple on Valentine’s Day. In this case, Cupid struck out.
B&B: Another Incest Story
Yes, Finn was “of age” and yes, he was adopted, and yes, he didn’t grow up with Poppy as a regular visitor to his childhood home. But the idea of Finn having a one-night stand with his aunt that produced his first cousin Luna is just ick. Finn and Poppy were family! And it will be so much worse when Finn’s mother Li gets wind of her sister and her son secretly producing her niece/granddaughter. (See what we mean?)
This is not new territory for B&B. Brooke married Eric and his sons Ridge and Thorne, had a dalliance with her stepson Thomas (under the influence of hallucinogenic berries), shared a husband with her daughter Bridget (Ridge’s half brother Nick Marrone) and had an affair with Bridget’s husband Deacon which produced Hope. Hope was raised as a stepsibling to Thomas and grew up to have a torrid affair with him. Bill’s sons Liam and Wyatt were both wed to step sisters Steffy and Hope multiple times and… enough already.
How about a new character with no family/sexual ties to anyone on the canvas? It’s 2025. Incest is not best.