10.29.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
I’ve been doing various things in an effort to combat NIGHT SHIFT withdrawal (it’s only been one week, after all!). I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube. There’s been some sugar consumption. (If you’re ever in New York City, you MUST visit the Treats Truck. It’s the best thing on the planet.) And I’ve been walking down GH Memory Lane and remembering just how many different characters and storylines I’ve enjoyed over the years.
There’s so many obscure and forgotten Port Charles residents I adored that I had to make a list so I could share it with readers!
And, no, it doesn’t escape me that most of these span the years 1989-1991. I was in middle school and very impressionable!
1. Olin (1980s)
It struck me this morning that with everyone waxing nostalgic about Robin, Robert, and Anna’s past on both NS and the parent show, the one person who hasn’t gotten a shout-out is Robin’s longtime nanny, and the Scorpio family housekeeper, Olin.
2. Rowdy (1989-91)
Robin’s best pal, played by RJ Williams. I just remember thinking the street kid was cute and had really pretty eyes.
3. Mouse (1989)
Another street kid, Mouse was played by Melissa Hayden, who later went on to play Bridget on GL. She was Frisco’s companion when he hid out in the Catacombs. I just thought they had such a cool friendship and I, very misguidedly, wanted to go live in some tunnels, too.
4. Decker Moss (1989-91)
Lucy’s rebellious cousin, played by Michael Watson was my generation’s leather-wearing bad boy. Forget your Zander Smiths and Johnny Zaccharas, Decker had fingerless gloves! When I went out and did the same to my own gloves, my poor mom was horrified.
5. Tanganeva (1989)
The mysterious Aborigine played by Thalmus Rasulala spent a lot of time camped out in Robert’s backyard and I’m fairly certain that he either played a didgeridoo or they used one to underscore his scenes. (In retrospect, the whole Tanganeva portrayal is stereotypical and offensive, but at the time, I thought he was really cool.)
6. Finian O’Toole (1991)
LAUGH-IN alum Arte Johnson played Bill and Sly Eckert’s housekeeper and adviser, Finian. Too bad he eventually went cuckoo and killed Bill’s ex-wife, Nancy. I thought he was a riot!
7. Friday the dog (1988-89-ish)
Luke’s dog Foster (good ol’ Skillethead) gets all the good press, but I loved Robert’s mutt, Friday. Especially since the shaggy pooch was attributed a hilarious quote in Soap Opera Digest. It must have been a question about love interests; I don’t remember the details, but the answer was, “I’m a eunuch.”
What about you, readers? Who are some of your most memorable GH players from the past?
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
10.24.08
“Real America”: The sweet land of bigotry.
Why, in these last few weeks leading up to the Presidential election, is there such a need to define what makes someone a “real” American? Why the divisiveness, and the implication that edumacated, elitist big city folks just don’t understand the toils and troubles of the average, homespun “real” America? Well, I’ve looked at it backwards and forwards and upside down and the only conclusion I can come to is that it’s the GOP’s alternative to just coming out and saying “Don’t vote for the black guy with the funny name.”
Othering Barack Obama in any way they can is their only shot right now of pulling voters’ minds away from the economic crisis and the desperate belief that we, as a nation, need a change. Telling people that change is BAD, that this smart, competent man can’t relate to the Heartland and is somehow misrepresenting himself and will, therefore, screw Joe Six Pack, Joe the Plumber, and Joe Blow over… that’s the only weapon they have left.
And as someone who grew up in Ohio and now lives in New York City, I think that’s utter and complete bull. What a way to completely gloss over the fact that there are just as many highly educated elitists in Middle America as there are blue collar folks in our big cities! The socioeconomic divide is hardly regional and perpetuating that myth is doubly and triply offensive because New York City and Washington D.C. are the sites of one of this nation’s biggest tragedies. You cannot use 9/11 as one of your parties talking points and then turn around and say that where that tragedy happened isn’t “real America.” Gee, I guess it’s only real America when you need to appropriate its tragedy for political gain, huh?
10.22.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
It’s amazing how Pavlovian my response to soaps is after 25+ years of watching. I always assume big tragedy, huge trauma and a body count is in store. So it should be no surprise that GH: NIGHT SHIFT’s finale, like the rest of the season, surprised me! Though, hey, I DO have to point out that I wasn’t completely wrong about Saira. (That’s all I can say without spoiling the episode for anyone who hasn’t seen it.) Still, putting that factor aside and taking into account one bittersweet note, GH: NS set my soap world view askew by ending happy.
Is that allowed? Are we allowed to have loving, warm, nonviolent soap opera?
As Kelly Bundy would say, the mind wobbles.
I had braced for impact, expecting the finale to be all about the high drama of the skinhead’s bombs. Cue hectic triage, emergency operations, maybe Robin going into false labor…and Eric somehow ending up with Saira’s liver. I couldn’t have been more wrong, as the bomb threat storyline lasted less than a third of the episode and then viewers were jumped forward a week so the more character-driven stories could find resolution.
I love that the issue of Stone’s custody was left up in the air, and that the mother still remains unknown. I know Antonio Sabato, Jr. was advocating for Brenda, but I think hardcore GH-ers know that 1). Brenda would never abandon her child, no matter how spoiled she can be and 2). The timeline is off, as Brenda was being held captive by Luis Alcazar/running around PC with Jason around the time Stone would have been conceived and born.
I also loved that despite them finally coming clean about still being in each other’s hearts, Robert and Anna didn’t have their sunset-and-Mai Tais ending. Because that’s not who they are yet. They still have a lot to work through and Robert has a lot of soul-searching to do. (And can we hope that he also looks up Holly and settles THOSE unsolved mysteries? I’m still bitter about her turning into a mercenarial bitch when they brought her back to Day Shift in 2006.)
Of course, Robin and Patrick were absolutely wonderful. (Yes, every time I say that, I have to pinch myself. It’s like living in the TWILIGHT ZONE.) I was amused by seeing their bedroom, after weeks of them sacking out on the sofa bed, and cracked up when they closed the episode “christening” the Chief of Staff’s office one last time. And Jason Thompson wins the “dangit, don’t make me cry!” award this week, for Patrick’s touching scenes with Robert, where he swore to look at his daughter the way Robert looks at Robin. (How awesome is it that Patrick calls him “Sir?”)
The rest of the gang all had believable wrap-ups as well. I liked that Kyle and Claire made up, that the Saira/Jagger/Leo triangle resolved itself remarkably realistically, that Touissant and Epiphany bonded over his secret son and the responsibilities therein, and so on.
I honestly still don’t know how to process it. A show wrapping up dangling threads, respecting its characters, delivering payoffs, and yet also teasing things left undone…? How novel!
It’s just unfortunate that NS probably isn’t eligible for Emmy consideration. I firmly believe this season could have been a strong contender for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actress, Outstanding Lead Actor, and Supporting Actor/Actress nods. Not to mention Outstanding Writing Team. (Yes, I’m a Sri Rao fan. I admit it!)
Is it time for season three yet?
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
10.15.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
I am still on Cloud Nine from last night’s NIGHT SHIFT! The dorky grin has yet to leave my face. And all because I rolled out of bed, settled in with my morning coffee, and got to travel back to the 1980s, which was when I was first introduced to GH by my mom. My only beef? They needed to put up an extra title card after the classic ambulance opening with “GENERAL HOSPITAL NIGHT SHIFT” in that old school font: “SPIT-TAKE WARNING, WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK.” Because if you put Tristan Rogers (Robert), Anthony Geary (Luke), John J. York (Mac), Finola Hughes (Anna), John Reilly (Sean), and Sharon Wyatt (Tiffany) in a room together, it is a laugh-a-minute, spill-your-coffee-down-your-shirt extravaganza! (Thank goodness I was still in pajamas.)
I can’t even tell you how many times I choked with giggles — and if we’re keeping track, Geary did it to me the most! He’s also the one who managed to make me cry, when Luke shook Robert by the shoulders, telling him they both deserved better deaths and shouting that he’d kill Robert himself if he had to. I actually had to stop the tape right there and get ready for work — and, yes, I didn’t finish watching until I was ensconced in my office some 45 minutes later. That was amassive hardship.
The trope of Robert’s past confronting him during his coma was a brilliant one, allowing GH: NS to dust off his old townhouse (I mistakenly thought it would be his penthouse, which is now Sonny’s old digs in Harborview Towers), and, more importantly, it allowed Robert to dust off his old pals! They even explained why Holly wasn’t there. Anna “innocently” saying that her invite to Robert’s death party got lost in the mail was hilarious. But aside from all the in-jokes, the scenes just resonated with history, with candor and camaraderie. I loved the device of Robin’s speech at Robert’s bedside being intercut with the pep talks from everyone in his dream. I LOVED the classic clips of Robin and Robert’s first meeting and Robert and Anna’s first wedding that were shown before the commercial breaks. And I loved the not-so-subtle message that the past creates us, shapes us, and is always with us, but can’t be recaptured. You have to take it and move forward: which is a beautiful way to summarize NS’ handling of GH’s history. It respects it, celebrates it, and uses it to move story into the present and the future.
Oh, wait, other stuff happened in this episode, too, didn’t it? Claire resigned. Jagger got served with custody papers by Stone’s Mystery Mom — and then got a serving of Saira’s undeniable charms. Kyle and Eric had an achingly sweet scene where Kyle actually admitted his vulnerability and Eric promised to come back to him from clinical trials in Portland — which, I might add, went a long way towards soothing the pain of Calvin and Michael’s breakup earlier that night on GREEK. Toussaint found out he has a secret baby. And Patrick, totally rocking the threads of gray hair, was receiving threats from those skinheads he refused to treat two weeks ago.
Which means we can all guess what was coming when they cued up the closing montage to “Make You Feel My Love,” by Adele. Soaps have trained me well. The minute everyone began pouring into the parking lot — a wistful Kyle and Eric, despondent Claire, Patrick with his Concern Face, and an all-too happy looking Saira and Jagger — I knew trouble was ahead. I was actually yelling at my TV, “No, Saira, don’t walk away!” because she totally had the pre-Lily Clink!Boom expression on her face. (For the uninitiated, that refers to Lilly Melgar’s character on the Day Shift blowing up in front of Sonny’s eyes in Luke’s club’s parking lot in the ’90s. She had this wonderful, beatific smile on her face as she glanced back at Sonny and you just KNEW she was toast.) As Patrick gazed around the lot, it was just a matter of guessing WHAT was going to go boom. The ambulance, like in the NS season one premiere? The dumpster? (Yes, it was the dumpster.) And the thing is, I didn’t even MIND the flashy FX and very typically “Friday cliffhanger” feel!
Why? Because the biggest boom, this episode’s most powerhouse moments, didn’t come from violence. They came from love, the love Robert’s friends and family feel for him — and the love viewers feel for the wonderful show that GENERAL HOSPITAL used to be.
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
10.10.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Okay, is everyone sitting down? If you’re reading my blog, it probably means you’re at your computer and in a chair, right? I actually enjoyed a full episode of GENERAL HOSPITAL. Yes, the one that’s on at 3 pm in New York, not the one on at 11. Today’s episode, and actually part of yesterday’s, had me laughing out loud. Max and Milo’s father, Maximus, hitting town was a huge part of that, and you can check out a future issue of the magazine for my thoughts about that particular storyline. But here, I want to talk about the other parts of the episode that really reminded me of how fun this show can be.
Robin and Patrick were so adorable that I can’t get over it. It’s been two years since I have really liked them, because they’ve just had so much ridiculous conflict that made the characters unlikable. Thanks to NIGHT SHIFT this season I’m used to them acting like their capable, intelligent selves again, but seeing them get their stuff together on the parent show is just fresh and new — and wonderfully romantic. The interrogation room proposal was precious. Kudos to Uncle Mac for sticking them in a room and making them work it out. It’s about time these two grew up and realized the biggest obstacle they face is their dueling egos. Once they put those aside, all that was left was the twinkling and the giddiness that expectant parents and would-be marrieds should be experiencing. I just wanted to pat them both on the head and take them home and give them soup. That’s how cute they were.
Then there were Lucky and Sam and Ric and Claudia. With the former playing a little couch tag and the latter playing pool, we got 1)heartfelt talk and 2)flirting. Isn’t that SO much better than fists and bullets flying? There was so much couple-y-ness that I actually felt like I was watching a different show. Even Sonny and Olivia’s talk out by her stalled car entertained me, because it took place somewhere other than the coffee warehouse or Sonny’s living room set or the docks.
Last, but not least, there was Coleman! Max and Milo are great, and I love Diane, but Coleman is without a doubt my favorite non-contract character. The rugged, raunchy barkeep can always be trusted to offer up a quotable quip and an ego boost for any lady that walks in the door at Jake’s — and I actually miss the days when he got to mix it up in actual story with Luke, Tracy, and Skye. I’m so glad Patrick hightailed it to the bar to tell him about his pending nuptials. If anyone deserves an invite to the Scrubs wedding, it’s Coleman, since he’s had a ringside seat for most of their highs and lows.
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
10.08.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
We haven’t even gotten to the super-duper Nostalgia Alert edition of NIGHT SHIFT with Luke, Sean and Tiffany that airs Oct. 14, but I’m already a wreck about this show going away. Just like last season, I feel like I’ll need a support group to get through the withdrawal.
Every note of last night’s episode was perfect. From Robert and Anna cuddled together on the hospital bed, to Anna breaking down as she described her and Robert’s connection to Jagger… oh, man, I felt like I was in grade school again, watching Robert pine for Anna as she committed to Duke! Then there was the Patrick and Robin scene, where they were simply sitting on their sofa bed giving each other comfort. When’s the last time we saw that kind of moment in the afternoon? I loved the way Kimberly McCullough strokes Jason Thompson’s hair and touched his face as Patrick confided his insecurities about being both Chief of Staff and a father. And I have to give major kudos to Thompson, who is not only not afraid to cry, but he’s REALLY good at it. That’s right, folks, Jason Thompson is not an Ugly Crier. Alert the media! Wait, I AM the media. (LOL.) It’s the little things that give a couple authenticity, and both the junior and senior Scorpio sets excelled at that last night.
I was also really glad to see Saira stand up for herself in a way that was perfectly in character. She’s so gentle, so nice, that of COURSE she wouldn’t go ballistic on Leo for cheating. The simmering hurt and passive-aggression was spot on, and I really felt for her when she explained to Leo why his love confession wasn’t enough.
Then, just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, we had Kyle and Eric scenes. A 14 episode season makes it nearly impossible to take things slow, and yet NS manages to make all their relationships feel like they’ve gone on for ages. There’s a connection factor, a give-and-take between script and actor chemistry, that made Claire and Ryan feel real, that makes Saira and Leo’s affair feel like it played out over months, and that makes Kyle and Eric compelling. I loved that in the wake of all of Eric’s blatant flirting, it was Kyle who made the first move, pulling him in for a kiss. And that was some kiss. Kyle, who never takes chances, who is always worried about everyone else, just let go and took the leap. If he’s “rewarded” for opening up like that by Eric dying on him, my heart’s going to break into itty bitty pieces.
But on a tangential note, I’m really hoping that Claire and Kyle are able to mend fences since they’ve now both been embroiled in very Izzie/Denny relationships and fallen for patients. And I have to say it again: Adam Grimes is this season’s find. I would love to also repeat “Bring him to GH: DAY SHIFT” but at this point I’m realistic enough to know we would never see Kyle if that happened. They have WAY too many characters already to do his story the justice NS has.
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
10.03.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Raise your hand if you watched the Vice Presidential debate last night. Talk about SOAPY. I’m not going to foray into politics because this isn’t the platform for that, but that’s so going to be the watercooler talk of the office today (finally bumping the topic of B&B!). That is, unless I can change the subject to SMALLVILLE. As much as it weirds me out that SMALLVILLE has jumped around, seriously altered Superman back story, and has suddenly decided to make Clark a reporter at the Daily Planet without finishing college, if you give me a good Green Arrow episode, I am willing to overlook the heebie-jeebies. Last night was certainly that. I love when they delve into Oliver’s past, and I’m really intrigued by his connection to Tess “Mercy” Mercer. Justin Hartley (ex-Fox, PASSIONS) also spent a good portion of the episode running around shirtless. Looks like the missus (Lindsay Hartley, ex-Theresa, PASSIONS) made sure her hubby hit the gym this summer!
And how fantastic has ATWT been this week? While, like many, I’m bummed that the James Stenbeck aspect of the story wrapped up so quickly. Dusty’s return has me on tenterhooks, waiting for the scenes spoiled in yesterday’s preview, where Dusty arrives at Metro (remember when he used to run it?) and Lily faints. Can I hope Holden knocks him out? I mean, I love Dusty, but Holden and everybody else in town has a right to slug him when he shows up all Not Dead. Repeatedly. That, my friends, is what good soap is made of. Those gasp ”Oh, no, he DIDN’T!” moments. And the fact that Dusty shaves off the Grizzly Adams beard before returning to Oakdale certainly helps, too!
I also have to give massive kudos to this week’s Carly and Jack scenes, where, after the longest time, the shoe was on the other foot and we saw Jack reaching out, pleading for a reunion, while Carly was the one wary of going down that road again. When Carly said loving Jack was like breathing… okay, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t flail around a little with glee. Even if they never get it together in the romance department, these two are a great team. In fact, I just had a chat with Michael Park yesterday, on the very subject of Carly and Jack and I will admit I totally raved about the scenes to him. (I know you’re all thinking, “For the love of Pete, Mala, put your Carjack pom-poms away.” If it helps at all, I actually like Janet/Jack, too.)
And on a slightly less gleeful note, I know there a lot of people raving in the other way (the kind that gets paired with “ranting and…”) because Luke and Noah’s anticipated reunion only took about 3 minutes of the Oct. 1 episode. I’m sorry, Guys. I feel your pain. On the bright side, that’s NOT the only time we’ll see them this fall. And they were cute and they kissed! But why didn’t Noah bring ME a souvenir from his trip? Where’s the love, Dude?
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
10.02.08
Cause celeb.
Celebrities have always been a vocal presence on the political scene and, indeed, now more than ever the line between politics and entertainment have blurred. A WWF wrestler was elected governor and so was the Terminator. People look to The Daily Show for their political coverage, The View becomes one of the few programs to ask the questions nobody else will, David Letterman calls out John McCain for his snub, etc. But what always manages to amaze me is that when celebrities step up to voice their opinion, a large portion of the country is scornful, saying, “Oh, just shut up. I don’t need political chatter from YOU, just make your movies.”
Why?
I mean, I would understand if it was, say, a bunch of Canadian actors or European ones (I love you, Daniel Craig, but let’s hope I never hear you tell me to vote Obama or McCain), because what direct stake do THEY have in our current political climate? (Actually, in that vein, I guess Iranian actors and Russian ones would totally have the right to weigh in on our politics, wouldn’t they?) But it’s mostly ire directed towards actors, actresses, musicians, and other extraneous celebrities who are from the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Again, why?
Well, I think it’s safe to assume it’s primarily because they’re Liberals. Your Matt Damons of the world going off on Sarah Palin draws more fire than, say, Ahnold the Governator, Jesse The Body, or the late Charlton Heston, the former head of the NRA. Then again, would you really argue with two guys who can break you in half and a guy who’s packing heat? It’s much easier to dismiss the opinions of an Ivy League educated upstart like Damon (one of those insidious East Coast elitists!), who supposedly doesn’t represent Middle America. Of course Hollywood is going to be peopled with Liberals, with pseudo-intellectuals, with minorities and crazy people with the morals of alley cats. Gasp.
But I would venture to say it’s not just about the Right vs. the Left. It’s also about the fact that when people entertain for a living, a large portion of their audience thinks that’s all they should do. It’s sort of like thinking your 4th grade teacher lives at school and being shocked when you see her at the grocery store. What are YOU doing here? Just stand there and look pretty; hit your marks and say your lines, don’t you dare go off script. You can’t have an opinion about anything that isn’t your TV show/your latest film/your Prada handbag, because that’s not what you’re here for. You’re here to make us laugh or write a good song; you’re here to make us think but not too hard.
That’s why I was glad to see Jackson Browne and Heart both step up and criticize the McCain campaign using their music without permission. It was absolutely necessary. Because it’s so easy to dismiss these artists and their product, co-opt it for Sarah Palin or an attack ad, without recognizing the fact that there is a person who sang that song that might have their own set of beliefs — not to mention basic ownership of the piece of music. You can’t just gloss over that.
But people tend to, because there’s also the argument that actors are rich and glamourous and can’t possibly relate to the plight of the common man. Celebs aren’t real. Why would somebody with a house in Malibu, a driver, and a shelf for their Oscars have any “real” problems? They can afford to throw their support behind whoever they want! They can use their power and influence and visibility to push their political agenda! That’s not fair! To which I say, “Oh, please.” You can bet your sweet ass that nobody in the House, the Senate, or the White House is in the same tax bracket as I am, and yet there THEY are making decisions that impact my life.
Everybody has a stake in this upcoming election.
Everybody should use their voice and their vote.
Yes, even Lindsay Lohan.
10.01.08
Soap Opera Weekly: Blogging With Mala
Can I make a confession that I hope no one will hold against me? I love Ridge Forrester. Yes, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL’s Ridge Forrester. I kinda can’t help myself. I give a good portion of the blame to the fantastic and hilarious “Baby Come Back” Swiffer commercials that keep airing between all my soap viewing. I LOVE those ads. (It also helps if you picture Ridge as the forlorn mop and/or squeegee, Brooke as the woman who threw it out, and Nick as the Swiffer.) I keep hoping Player will come to the East Coast so I can see them in concert. But make no mistake, it’s not just the awesomecakes of Ronn Moss raking in classic rock residuals at work here. It’s more than that. Ridge cracks me UP.
Mind you, I just started covering B&B for the magazine this year and before this had only watched sporadically. Has Ridge always been so snarky? Moss just pops off these dry one-liners that make me clap my hand over my mouth so I don’t bray with laughter. And, okay, it helps that the one-liners are usually at the expense of Nick, who is probably the character on B&B I love the least right now. Any time Ridge can get a shot in at the serial Logan dating salty dog, I’m a happy camper. (And that’s not a slight against Jack Wagner. I loved me some Warren Lockridge back in the day when I used to watch SANTA BARBARA.) In addition to Ridge’s bitter snarkiness, I really love how incredibly supportive he’s been to Bridget as she breaks free from Nick. He helped her move! He got up in Nick’s face on her behalf! What a good stepdaddy! (I try to forget that they played tonsil hockey a few times and just focus on the fact that he delivered her at Big Bear. Aw!) And, then, today, he showed Brooke that adorable Maid of Honor dress for Hope and the suits for RJ and Jack…? Awwwww. That was so sweet.
I need help.
Or a vacation.
Possibly both.
originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com
