It’s Only My Opinion
■ How are those resolutions going? My plan to be a nicer person hit the skids when I realized I was rooting for revenge on all my soaps.
■ Spencer Cassadine tops the list. “I don’t get cold anymore,” GH’S little spitfire told Valentin recently. “The fires of vengeance keep me warm.”
It’s so refreshing to have a soap character mourn a loved one like a real person. Think about it: If someone killed your dad and got all his money, would you be okay with that? I wouldn’t, and neither is Spencer. He calls Wyndemere “the home Valentin stole from my late father,” and used his spidey skills to rig the mayoral election so Laura could mount a stronger campaign against Ned. When Valentin got wind of the caper, Spencer turned to his mobster uncle.
Spencer: “I have heat on me [but] I wouldn’t want to expose you to charges of conspiracy.”
Sonny: “That’s why I have Diane on retainer. Tell me.”
Spencer ’fessed up to “election tampering” and how the thought of Laura finding out and disappointing her made him sick to his stomach.
Sonny: “When you do something you’re not supposed to do, you’re not supposed to announce it.”
Spencer: “Lesson learned.”
Ha! On the flip side, we have Laura bringing flowers to the woman who stole her husband (or so she thinks) to console Ava on the loss of her daughter.
Ava: “Go to hell.”
It’s so refreshing to have a soap character mourn a loved one like a real person.
That’s better! Ava has a good grasp of karma considering what a terrible person she is. “You found Kevin and me in an intimate moment and that very night my daughter was found dead,” she seethed to Laura. “That’s divine justice in a matter of hours.”
Hey, divine justice is better than no justice.
■ Abigail and Julie teamed up to reign justice down on that viperous Gabi on DAYS, and the buildup was a riot as they worked together to get Abigail out of her sham marriage to Chad’s brother.
Julie: “How is Stefan acting?”
Abby: “Like a man in love.”
Julie: “Yuck.”
Right? Julie’s laser focus on helping Abigail get revenge against Gabi helped fans adjust to the recast Abby (or is it a re-recast since Kate Mansi had already played the role?) and invest in the plot. “I want to see Gabi Hernandez get exactly what she deserves,” declared the Salem matriarch as she broke into the Kiriakis mansion to find the wig Gabi had been using to frame Abigail. Maggie: “What are you doing here?”
Julie: “Um ... the Horton Christmas tree is up!”
Good cover, Julie. She pretended to leave, snuck
back in, and got busted by Gabi, who pushed her down the stairs. Festive!
Across town, Abigail was also busted trying to break into Kayla’s computer, so she had to come clean.
Kayla (incredulous): “Julie is breaking into Gabi’s room? Julie?”
Abigail: “Yes. She’s never forgiven Gabi for killing Nick so she had no trouble believing me about what Gabi had done.”
There’s that throughline again ... the desire for bad people to be punished for doing bad things. It’s very human and I think it really resonates with viewers, especially at the holidays. Isn’t that why Santa leaves coal in stockings?
■ If Reed and Charlie got anything but coal on Y&R, it’s a damn travesty. How many times do those spoiled teens have to learn the same lessons about responsible driving? If Lily went to jail for causing an accident when she was sober and had a valid license, surely those drunken, unlicensed losers will be sent away for years. Good riddance.
But wait ... here comes Victor! I’m okay with vigilante justice, too.
Like Nikki, Victoria, Phyllis and Sharon used on J.T. (Rest Not In Peace) and then later on the blackmailing Tessa when they threw a bag over the girl’s head and kidnapped her. “She brought this on herself,” shrugged Sharon. Cold, but correct.
And I’m here for anyone that puts “makeup artist” Mia in her place as she tries to scratch her way up the Genoa City ladder with nothing but an ego that’s too big and a dress that’s too small.
Abby: “You want me to act like Mia hung the moon because she got a job plucking Nikki’s eyebrows?”
Arturo: “No job shaming.”
That’s people shaming, and Mia deserves it. She’s the most annoying new character on Y&R since Sabrina and her Masters in Art History from Italy.
■ You know who really needs to get hers? B&B’S Taylor. All those scenes of Steffy begging Liam and Hope not to tell the truth and “ruin” Taylor’s relationship with her granddaughter make no sense because Taylor herself is the one who jeopardized that by shooting Bill.
Steffy: “You’re my hero, Mom.”
Because she got away with attempted murder? What is happening on this show? How is it okay that killers like Sheila and Taylor (who ran down Darla, remember?) wind up handing out menus at Il Giardino and babysitting small children?
Taylor: “I’m taking care of my granddaughter and you better not have anything to say about it.”
Brooke: “You shot Kelly’s grandfather!”
And??? There’s a giant hole in this plot when everyone knows the alcoholic nutbag shot Bill but the only thing Liam, Hope, Brooke, etc. are doing about it is asking Steffy to keep Taylor away from the baby. Here’s a thought: Go to the cops.
Brooke: “It’s because of you that Taylor is not in jail.”
Bill: “You want me to call the police?”
Yeah, like a year ago. Frankly, I can’t believe any of those L.A. saps got over Taylor sleeping with Rick after he killed her daughter Phoebe. Can none of them spell R-E-V-E-N-G-E?
Oops! Time to revisit that resolution ....
■ Hey. It’s only my opinion.