This week's award for best soap episode goes to an episode that had a great payoff for a long-awaited "When is this going to come out? I can't stand it anymore!" storyline.
The worst goes to a show that looked more like a travelogue than a daytime drama episode.
The stairwell scene between Phyllis and Sharon was tense, leaving viewers wondering who was going to fall down the stairs. Luckily, no one did, as it was time for Sharon's secrets to be exposed. At first, Jack could not believe Summer was not his daughter. Finally convinced that Sharon had changed the DNA test results, Jack was furious with Phyllis for withholding the truth from him. He knew she had not done it for him but to get even with Sharon.
Sharon Case was magnificent. Her eyes welled up with tears. Sobbing would have made her angst seem less genuine. It was in the less is more category. Nick not giving Sharon a chance to talk was perfect. What could she say to re-win his love? Nothing. Victor saying he felt a bit sorry for Jack was a reaction no one would have expected.
The show did not just spend the episode on Sharon's secrets. If you couldn't care less about her problems, there was Nikki trying to hide her drinking. With a bottle of vodka on the floor, Nikki did everything she could to avoid detection. I loved when she popped an Altoid in her mouth to get rid of liquor breath.
Adam is back from the not-so-dead. His face was fully bandaged, Even if he looks different (the old plastic surgery ploy), he was the same old Adam. A woman named Sage has done everything to help him. What does our boy do? Gets her to lean close to him so he can tell her something. He tells her to shut up. The scene of Adam and Sage juxtaposed against a scene of Billy with Chelsea was sublime. It was like watching a tennis match. I loved it -- pardon the pun.
Dylan and Joe making a line in the sand worked. True to character, Dylan went gonzo on Joe and sucker-punched him. The most amazing moment was something that has never happened on daytime: someone paid for their drinks. Yes, Paul signed the tab for the beers he and Dylan shared.
Thus far, the Amsterdam shoot is extremely beautiful... but boring. Having been to Amsterdam, I can tell you it is the outskirts that have folks in clogs, great cheese, and beautiful tulips.
As for the boring, Lars, the contact for the four visiting Americans, is like Cliff Claven, from Cheers, telling you things you don't care about. What did we learn about Amsterdam in class today? Lars droned on about how the place got its name. If you care, look it up on Google. I am not going to add to the boredom.
Heading to the famed red light district would have made for some fun. Wyatt could have bought sex toys for his S&M mom, Quinn. B&B only has 19 minutes of show a day. Use it wisely, guys.
I do hope the show stops at the Anne Frank House. This is where Anne Frank and her family hid for years from the Nazis. Just being there makes one realize the bravery of the family that hid behind a phony bookcase that led to a tiny annex without sunshine or fresh air.
Since the Forresters are in the fashion business, they should stop at the Museum of Bags and Shoes. Yes it is for real. Also for real is the Torture Museum.
Rick seems to have returned his balls to the costume rental shop. His scenes with Maya made it look like he had exchanged the Rick we know for one who is whiny and spineless. Maya demanded Carter to have Rick and Caroline's marriage annulled "today." Perhaps Carter should have pointed out that the only grounds for annulment are fraud, bigamy, and insanity. Caroline kissing Ridge does not meet the criteria.
Rick might call it treason, since his wife was lip-locking with his enemy -- that still does not qualify for an annulment. The dialogue was straight out of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. The cliché-driven show used "full of our selves," "scared to death," "holding their own," and dozens of other banalities. Next time, guys, write from the heart, not a thesaurus.
Last week's results
Days of our Lives 52%
General Hospital 32%
The Young and the Restless 11%
The Bold and the Beautiful 5%
