Hidden Dangers: GH

Brenda has been back on General Hospital for a while now and I have yet to say much of her return. This is primarily because I was waiting to see how everything would play out. In addition, a theory has been swirling around in my mind about the people in her life and I thought it necessary to watch a little more of the show to see if this theory would take shape.

The first day I saw Murphy's interaction with Brenda I thought "what if this guy isn't the nice guy he appears to be?" "what if he were responsible for the attempts on Brenda's life?" It would certainly add dimension to this character and provide an excuse for Brenda to leave him for good; but as I continued to watch the show I also thought "what if Murphy wasn't acting alone in placing Brenda in danger?" "what if Suzanne were somehow involved?" Both Murphy and Suzanne seem almost obsessive about Brenda's safety to the point of controlling her more than protecting her.




I am particularly suspicious about Brenda's latest attack last Friday. Suzanne left her alone, presumably without adequate protection, causing Brenda to be grabbed yet again. This only supports my theory that Suzanne is somehow involved in putting her in harm's way.




The timing of this latest attempt on Brenda's life came just moments after Suzanne told her she would need to leave Rome if anything else happened. This seems suspicious to me, like Suzanne arranged for Brenda to be scared into leaving, which begs the question "danger aside, what's in Rome that Suzanne wants Brenda away from?"  I also have suspicions regarding Murphy's statement about how the men that grabbed him just let him go. That outcome seems a little too convenient somehow, which only fuels my speculation that Murphy is not who he appears to be.




Again, these are just my personal theories. It is quite probable that all of my speculating will turn out to be a waste as it was with my elaborate CO77X theories. Although I'll have to admit if that storyline had gone the way I thought it would I wouldn't have spent the majority of my time watching GH in fast forward.

As the World Stops Turning

In about a week the 'World' will stop turning over on CBS. Even as I write these words it's difficult to believe that "As the World Turns" will no longer be a part of the daytime line-up, as this was one of many soaps I grew up watching. I must admit, however, that I haven't followed the show all that closely in quite a while. In my opinion the quality of the storylines and overall tone of the show deteriorated to a point where the characters I had grown to love became virtually unrecognizable. Unfortunately this seems to be a growing trend shared by many of today's soaps and I suspect this may at least partially explain the steady decline in ratings. However, I'm not writing this post as an evaluation of ATWT's shortcomings. That would be like kicking an old friend while they were down. And of course any problems the show has had doesn't negate the many years of great storytelling and superior acting that will surely be the hallmark of its legacy. After all the show boasts an impressive list of now famous actors whose careers essentially began with this show. For this reason alone it's a shame that "As the World Turns" is now coming to an end. One would think some sort of historical preservation would be in order here, but alas no such protection of this nature exists. And so it's time to say goodbye to a show that has been a part of people's lives for over fifty years. Like Guiding Light, it is another institution that has come and gone, leaving a legion of supportive fans in its wake.

At Its Best: DOOL

It seems redundant and rather unimaginative that all my blog posts regarding the storylines on Days of Our Lives should be about how enjoyable the show is right now and how much it reminds me of how soaps used to be; but what else can be said about a show that not only continues to surprise me but keeps me entertained in a way that doesn't compromise the integrity of the characters? 

The fallout regarding EJ's involvement in Sydney's kidnapping has been especially riveting, which only proves that this fallout should have come much sooner than it has. Of course if yesterday's episode is any indication it might have just been worth the wait. As predicted the show has crafted this storyline in such a way that EJ is almost as much a victim to his actions as anyone else. I tried to resist feeling any sympathy toward him for a long time, but after James Scott's (EJ) emotionally complex scenes the past few days I can't help but be unapologetically sympathetic. This is the result of great writing and acting coming together to tell a rich and colorful story that showcases character growth and development in a believable and honest way. If only Days of Our Lives could bottle the writing, acting, tone, and pacing of yesterday's episode every soap would be in much better shape.