Attack of the Purple Cloth

I find it pretty hilarious that after all of Adam's lies and backtracking, and after all the unbelievable events that don't quite add up, it's a tiny piece of purple cloth that has finally sent Ashley over the edge in pursuit of The Truth. Only she's not over the edge, she's right this time -- it just, you know, would have seemed a bit more likely that other questions might have occurred to her first. Such as, what really happened the night I fell down the stairs? Or, wasn't it odd that after I had Faith I wasn't sore down there?

Just sayin'.

Read today's recap here.

We're Done Here... Or Perhaps Not

Ever since it came out a few weeks ago that Eric Braeden was leaving Y&R and his last day would be November 2nd, I've been preparing to write a farewell post on the subject. Now, after relishing the Victor retrospective earlier today (I mean, WOW, those old school blood-boiling Victor-Jack moments are priceless) and sensing the poignancy of Eric Braeden speaking directly to the camera/audience -- er, baby Faith -- after all that, I was finally ready to bid him adieu. Well, sort of. And then I pulled up Google to retrieve some links and found this:

Eric Braeden stays put on 'The Young and the Restless'

And this:

Eric Braeden: The Fans Changed My Mind

Okay, well, GREAT! Hallelujah. I'm ecstatic and, despite feeling like I was momentarily caught up in a Brett Favre moment, I'm pretty relieved. I mean, come on, Eric Braeden/Victor Newman is Y&R and there's really nothing to be done about that. He just is.

My biggest question now, in terms of storylines, is this -- when Victor & Nikki get back from Belgian heart rehab, is Ashley still going to be permitted to stay at the ranch?

The answer I'm hoping for is hell to the no.

No word yet on the exact date of Eric's return.

Y&R Quick Hit: Chaos is Awesome

Okay. There is some crazy shit. Going. Down.

Victor could get Colleen's heart. And Jack's in favor of it, which seems unfathomable... except, how could he or Traci ever face Abby again if they just let Victor die? Strangely enough, Billy is the voice of reason here: "Trust me, she's better off." Yeah, well, that's probably true. It's sort of hard not to think so.

And then there's Adam stealing Sharon's baby and handing it off to Ashley. Wow. One thing hasn't changed: Adam still has the best luck of any soap character I've ever seen. EVER.

And the Traci-Steve scenes. The Jack-Nikki scenes. Blasts from the past there. But definitely in a good way. Both pairs are rarely seen, yet moving and emotional together.

And the most shocking thing of all:

Jill is being supportive of Katherine!?!?

Yeah. I think I need to take a pill.

Katherine is Awesome, Let Me Count the Ways

She calls Deacon slime to his face.

She doesn't take crap from NO ONE.

She has female friends across the age spectrum.

Despite being filthy rich, she knows pretension when she sees it.

She's the only person Victor EVER listens to.

She married that adorable guy Murphy.

She uses her brain AND her intuition.

Sea of Love: Thoughts on "Shipping"

About a year ago now, I finally figured out the pop culture term "shipping." I know, I'm a slow study. Turns out, I've been "shipping" for years without realizing it.

Shipper (via Urban Dictionary)
relationshipper; One who believes there is, was, should, and could be a relationship between two characters in a certain fandom.

That's the bare bones definition. My own experience? I've found that shipping is a lot like being in love itself -- it mostly makes you sick, with brief pockets of delirious happiness, and at least half the time you can't stand the way things turned out.

Not to mention that:

• You can't force a ship -- either there's chemistry there, or there's not.
• A particularly intense ship can cause you to do things you wouldn't normally do (like write fan fiction or register at a fan forum).
• Getting back together with a former ship can sometimes make things better... and sometimes worse.
• Finding a new ship can often help you get over an old one.
• Sometimes it takes years to discover your next big ship.
• You can be fairly judgmental of shipping until it happens to you.

My first ship? Easily Scarlett and Rhett from Gone with the Wind, one of the most iconic ships of the 20th century. The not-so-secret success -- both the saving grace and agony -- of this particular ship? It's a cliffhanger. It's open-ended, which I've found to be a key factor in not losing my mind while shipping. Problem is, Hollywood doesn't usually agree. Fairy tale endings abound, which tend to drive me crazy even when I'm fortunate enough to champion a couple that actually ends up together.

One way of getting around this problem, I've found, is shipping within daytime soaps -- these are the least insane and most enjoyable ships in the long run, at least for me. The good and bad news about shipping in the soaps world is the temporary nature of most relationships -- there's almost always the possibility of a change in circumstance, of both reconciliation and disaster (and sometimes in whiplash-inducing succession). This can have the effect of making all right with the world, but it can also leave a sour, garbage-like taste in the mouth. On the other hand, hope almost always remains that things can eventually go your way once again.

A final point about shipping. It's easy to be scornful of it (and judgmental of those who engage in it) -- until it happens to you. But when that fever hits you, you're done -- there's no point fighting it. Or in feeling guilty. Right? Just say no shame, sit back, and enjoy. Honestly, I'm telling you, it makes life a lot easier.

So, here are mine. These are an elite group, all from TV, and either instant obsessions or enduring soaps favorites.

Kevin/Scotty from Brothers & Sisters
Status: ongoing, currently together
Favorite clips: Lobster scene (2.08), Car scene (2.11), Proposal scene (2.15).
These two captured a special place in my heart early in season 1, back when Scotty was showing up at the Walker manse with red velvet cupcakes. In what seemed to be fated timing, they got committed on the season 2 finale about a week prior to same-sex marriage becoming legal in California. But then the train wreck called Prop 8 happened, which sort of tainted, well, everything. But, still, I don't care. They're married. End of story.

Carrie/Aidan from Sex and the City
Status: divided forever
Favorite clips: The Proposal (4.12), Fight scene (4.13).
This ship was driven largely by my fondness for John Corbett (dating back to "Chris in the Morning," of course, from Northern Exposure), but there was something about Carrie and Aidan together that I really loved. They had an authenticity and a great comedic flavor (sort of a theme with my ships). And that loveseat he made, where the flaw in the wood was also its strength? Pure swoon.

Felicity/Noel from Felicity
Status: divided forever
Favorite clips: Boggled First Kiss (1.04), Thanksgiving Bathroom Make-Out (1.09), Noel's Library Freak-Out (1.10).
Probably my favorite, most obsessive, and ultimately most painful ship. These two had best friendship, amazing chemistry, and a screwball comedy dynamic I absolutely adored. But not only did they not end up together, the series finale somehow managed to divide them, spectacularly, through both marriage and death. Oh my god, kill me now. The name of this ship is the Sweet Torture.

Brooke/Ridge from The Bold & the Beautiful
Status: ongoing, recently together but currently divided
Favorite clips: Reminiscing (01-18-08).
My first soaps ship, dating back to the late 80s, Brooke and Ridge are so iconic as a supercouple that it almost doesn't matter if they're actually together on any given day or not. They just are.

Nick/Sharon from The Young & the Restless
Status: ongoing, recently together but currently divided
Favorite clips: Paris scenes (11-11-08).
Nick and Sharon got together as teenagers during my own teen years, so their love story pretty much has undeniable supercouple status for me. And who could forget the tragedy of their daughter Cassie getting killed in a car accident and the gut-wrenching aftermath of Nick turning to Phyllis? Just, sob.

Luke/Noah from As the World Turns
Status: ongoing, currently together
Favorite clips: The Kiss (08-17-07), The Deed (01-12-09).
Nuke is simply adorable. And although it took forever for CBS to allow them to show much physical affection, the wait was totally worth it. They've recently moved in together and are just the cutest. thing. ever.

Gwen/Will from As the World Turns
Status: written off, together in the end
Favorite clips: Retrospective (various).
Though no longer on ATWT, I still love Willen. They were sweet, sometimes contentious, and originally interested in other people. If they ever brought this couple back, the show, which tends to struggle in the ratings, would definitely be better off, in my opinion.

Notable others: McKitty from Brothers & Sisters, Callie/Hahn from Grey's Anatomy, Miranda/Steve from Sex and the City, Jim/Pam from The Office, Joey/Pacey from Dawson's Creek, Kelly/Brandon from 90210, Billy/Mac from Y&R, Daniel/Amber from Y&R, Katherine/Murphy from Y&R, and Nick/Bridget from B&B.

Who are yours?

Y&R Quick Hit: Surprise!

Have to say, the reaction on Nick's face yesterday -- when Nikki told him (and how had she not told anyone sooner? She must have been dying inside) she'd seen New Adam kissing Rafe -- was priceless. It was an expression akin to, I didn't know we had gay people on this show!

Um, yeah, you do. Just not the ones you think. I cannot wait to witness Victor's reaction. If there's any character that should be 100% incompatible with the concept of homosexuality (in my mind he's sort of the TV symbol of retrograde, macho heterosexism), it's The Mustache.

Read the full recap here. Also, check out After Elton's interview with the new heteroflexible Adam, Michael Muhney.

Sexual Diversity on Soaps: Is It Getting Better?

Y&R surprised the hell out of me this week when it actually acknowledged the existence of gay people. Y&R, as far as I can remember, has never had a gay character -- yet, on Friday's episode, cute lawyer Rafe Torres came out to Colleen after Lily tried setting them up on the fly, completely unaware of Rafe's sexual orientation.

And why wouldn't she be? Soaps are notoriously awful when it comes to LGBTQ visibility (though it's worth noting that primetime network TV is really no better... and perhaps worse). This is especially bothersome since soaps focus so heavily on romantic relationships and potentially have the opportunity to address sexual orientation differences all the freaking time. Yet, heteronormativity is so ingrained in the storylines that soaps frequently run out of unique man-woman pairings and end up recycling the same couplings over and over. Which can be tiresome, offensive, and, in my opinion, an incessant detriment to the romantic storylines.

Rafe on Y&R might be just one sign that things are getting better, however. On As the World Turns, Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer have been a couple on-and-off since 2007. Bianca Montgomery on All My Children came out in 2000, has had multiple relationships (including one with transitioning MtF transwoman Zoe), and recently married her girlfriend Reese during February sweeps. The first ever gay teenager on a soap was Billy Douglas on One Life to Live, played by Ryan Phillippe back in 1992-93. These were all major LGBTQ strides for network television (albeit not without criticism and controversy) that came exclusively from the soaps community.

Yet, Y&R, which has been #1 in soaps ratings since the early 90s, has failed to go there -- until now.

When Rafe Torres was first introduced in December, it was as a marginal, filler character at best, a lawyer brought on to handle cases Michael Baldwin couldn't take on (there are a crap-load of legal issues in Genoa City, after all). Rafe was shown so sporadically and in such different contexts (first handling Ana's child custody issues, then Adam's criminal charges) it was rather easy to forget his name or that he was supposedly an old pal of Billy Abbott's. A few weeks ago, however, it was slipped in that Rafe was the nephew of Victor's house manager Estella, which made me think for the first time he might be sticking around. And then on Friday came the reveal about this sexual orientation.

This doesn't necessarily guarantee that Rafe will become a major character -- Y&R has been so neglectful of LGBTQ visibility, it's hard for me to trust them on this point. Still, the fact that Y&R willingly went there, when they never have before, might mean something. Could it indicate that another character, a major one, will be exploring their sexuality in a new way?

I have to admit, this is where my mind goes... if Rafe is going to have a love interest, who will it be? I think the best choice might be Daniel Romalotti, in which case I hope they go the route of bisexuality, rather than erasing/ignoring the heterosexual history of the Daniel character. Either way, this could be interesting. But I guess we will see.

Y&R: Kids Caught in the Middle of Eff-ed Up Adults Who Only Want What's "Best" for Them

So it was child custody day on Y&R... Karen, Neil, and Tyra were in court regarding Ana, while Billy, Chloe, and Cane were gearing up for their throw-down over Delia. Things seemed to be going Karen's way until Neil stood up at the end "to say something." Who wants to bet he has something to say about the stability of their marriage? Or the total instability... caused by him, incidentally. I usually like Neil, but lately he has been a royal jackass. Poor Karen.

I have mixed feelings about stories like these. On one hand, real-life courts still tend to favor mothers, which may not always be fair. But on the other hand, soaps often make an extreme effort to create messed-up mothers they can take children away from, like Chloe and Tyra, even though soap fathers are usually equally wack and unstable. For confirmation of this phenomena, see the case of Meg, Paul, & Eliza on ATWT.

And this has been bugging me for some time -- can Ana please stop calling her foster parents Mr. Neil and Miss Karen? They're hardly strangers at this point, and especially because of the Devon connection, every time she says that it ends up feeling like some weird racial, class-based throwback that just gives the whole thing an uncomfortable dynamic. So just stop it already, writers!

Y&R Quick Hit: Say What?

Was that our sweet, modest Murphy claiming he couldn't dance on Y&R today? Because that "evidence" he gave about stepping on Katherine's toes... well, it sure didn't match the amazing mambo I saw him do last week. But at least Katherine wasn't buying it, either.

The Soapbox: Papa Loves Mambo

So how adorable are Kay and Murph? They got engaged yesterday -- Murphy gave her the smallest ring in soaps history! (and probably Katherine's most modest on record, yet she loved it) -- and right after, they danced their butts off to "Papa Loves Mambo." Which just might be the cutest thing ever.

Then today we get the "Empress Katherine" photo shoot for Restless Style -- I was loving it! And it was appropriate because older actresses like Jeanne Cooper (she's 80!) are the queens of daytime television. And in my book she has one of the best gigs of any actress out there, of any age, at any time of day.

That's one thing I've always loved about soaps -- the willingness of TPTB to center entire shows around older female actresses. And give them storylines of substance, at that. Katherine is an enjoyable reminder of that practice, especially within this particular storyline.

There were some fun lines today:

Murphy: "I know I'm not the sort of guy she usually goes for."
Nikki: "And thank God for that!"

Chloe: "I know you'll make an honest woman out of me."
Billy: "I don't think that's possible."

Ashley (after being fired by Jill): "I loathe her."
Victor: "I do not blame you."

And starting Monday, the countdown to Mac begins!

The Soapbox: Yep, Mac is Back

After my last post concerning Katherine's DNA, I was thinking I would stay patient and let myself be surprised by what was around the bend... and then March Madness preempted two full days of the show, evoking much madness in me. Grrrr. (This happens every year, yet for some reason I'm always surprised by it.)

And since soaps are on five freaking days a week all year long, I don't usually feel the need to go looking for spoilers or casting news. But because of the preemption, I couldn't help myself -- I went on a quest for spoilage. And I found it.

It's true. Mac is coming back. After three years working for a relief organization in Darfur, something brings her back to Genoa City. I wonder what that could be... la la la...

Amazing news. I didn't quite realize how much I adored this character until I considered her return. But I'm also a little nervous. See, I was a big fan of the original Mac, Ashley Bashioum (there were two others in there as well), but the role has now been recast with Clementine Ford (Cybill Shepherd's daughter). Although she's been on The L Word, my only knowledge of Ford goes back to her stint as Miss Golden Globe in 1998. And that's about all I know.

Still, I'm willing to keep an open mind. Billy was recast, after all, and that seems to be working out fine. Uh, yeah! Just fine. I actually think he's the best Billy they've ever had. And I can certainly understand the need to reevaluate the Mac-Billy chemistry under these circumstances.

One of the most fascinating questions: could Mac be the new girl for Cane & Billy to fight over? (While Chloe & Lily raise Delia?) Please, please, please. Let it be true.

According to the word on the Internet, Mac returns April 1st.

The Soapbox: DNA Tests Never Prove Anything edition

So, Katherine's second DNA test came back a big whopping negative today on Y&R... and, just like that, holy crap people!!! I don't believe she's Marge, so can it be possible that she and Jill are NOT mother & daughter after all? Could that original DNA test from 6 years ago be the one that was wrong? Though, come to think of it, I can't recall if they did a DNA test at all back then. Hmmmm.

Can you imagine the sheer entertainment value lurking in the tragedy of Jill losing her mother (to supposed death), only to find out she's still alive (despite Jill's perpetual doubt and scorn on the matter), only to discover Katherine's not her mother after all... and then basically losing her all over again?

Have to say, I'm not hating the idea. Jill & Katherine have always been better adversaries than friends, even when they thought they were related. So breaking that biological connection probably wouldn't change much on a basic level... they would still share the house (Jill had half ownership before anyway... sorry, Esther), most likely continue to work together (Jill originally had Jabot privileges because of John Abbott, not Katherine), and still possess lives hopelessly enmeshed and entangled in each other's. They would still drive each other bonkers and maybe Jill would even try to steal that sweet guy Murphy away. This all sounds like fundamental Jill-Katherine stuff... stuff that's going to happen whether or not they're actually mother & daughter.

But... there could be some other, more interesting side effects here. Both Billy & Cane would no longer be Katherine's biological grandchildren. And Delia would be exclusively an Abbott and not technically a Chancellor at all (though maybe still something of an adopted Chancellor because of Esther... sorry, Jill).

And yet, here comes the most intriguing possibility of all... Mac could come back! Squeeeeeee! She and Billy would no longer be, ahem, cousins, and Billy could piece back together the sanity that once was his. Come on, I think that's all they need to know.

Today's recap here.

The Soapbox: Y&R

Nauseating as it is to dwell on, Nice Cane was back today and was very, very nice to Lily, complete with red bed sheets and flowery harp music followed by an instrumental 80s-style power ballad. Unlike me, she seemed to dig that sort of thing, but luckily I was eating my favorite seasonal treat, Cadbury Mini Eggs, which I find impossible to vomit.

Why does Billy keep beating himself up over falling in love with cousin Mac so many years ago? He doesn't actually talk about it much, but anyone who knows the story knows it's the real reason he's so broken and adorable. Every time he talks about screwing things up, you know that's what he's referring to. But we all know it wasn't his fault!

Jack, in the scene with Chloe, reminds me of another empty nest-er -- Nora Walker from Brothers & Sisters. She's always taking in strays and troubled cast-offs (and I don't mean animals) that are marginally related to her family, and really, so does Jack Abbott. As happens in these cases, it's usually just as one tangential relation is going that another is coming (e.g. Ryan Lafferty), and so based on Colleen's sudden exodus I wouldn't be that surprised if Chloe were to take Jack up on his housing offer right away... by Friday, even.

Is Ashley's best chiding advice to Billy really based on an argument of stability? Isn't she the mother who carted Abby from Paris to L.A. to London to Paris to Genoa City, and from Rick Forrester to Ridge Forrester to Rick again and finally to shattered Victor, with an end result of placing herself squarely in the middle of the same bloody Jack-Victor feud she had sought refuge from in the first place? And then she starts freaking out over some (fairly) mild bickering?

And who is this mystery woman with the bandaged head already? A new Victor protege? Sheila, back from the dead (again!), played by a new actress with a new face (again?)? Well, one can dream...

And for anyone who might be missing Professor Adrian Korbel, my hubby tells me you can currently catch actor Eyal Podell on the FOX show 24. Who knew?

The Soapbox: Young & the Restless

So it's official -- Nasty Cane is here to stay. Which, for me, makes him 100% more interesting than Nice Cane. And hopefully 100% less appealing to Lily, though the verdict's still out on that one (maybe we'll know more tomorrow). But if I were Chloe, I'd be taking very specific notes documenting everything Nasty Cane does from here on out. Because if this Delia tug-o-war does end up in court, Chloe's going to need all the ammunition she can get, which at this point NC is supplying in spades. Picking fights that end in throwing unreturned punches against charming brother Billy doesn't seem like the smartest way to get custody of a newborn, especially in the presence of multiple witnesses. Nothing like a domineering "I'm in charge here" proclamation to persuade everyone you'll be a splendid father.

In other developments, Sharon has quickly morphed from a mildly disturbed shoplifter into someone who is actually losing her mind. It never once occurred to me that she might not fully realize what she was doing, yet after seeing her unload on Nick today and freak out in front of Eden, I'm convinced Jack is right and she really is on the edge. Still, Jack can claim all he wants that none of this is his fault... and that's all it is, an empty claim. Take a little responsibility, please. If you'd tried for even two consecutive days to be a decent partner, she probably wouldn't have been alone at the cabin at all... and neither the Brad thing nor the Nick THING would have happened the way it did. Though I suppose Noah would dead instead... so there's that.

Read today's recap here.

The Soapbox: Young & the Restless

If you saw Y&R today, you know that this episode confirms the emergence of AWESOME COLLEEN. By getting all in Victor's face to claim her dead father's board seat, Colleen has done something that neither Nick or Victoria (or most people) have ever been able to -- possess a backbone in the presence of The Mustache. It's sheer awesomeness, first witnessed during Brad's funeral visitation when Colleen told Victor off like a pro, Uncle Jack cheering in the background.

Also notable today was the re-emergence of Nasty Cane. It's hard to figure out how it's possible for someone so boring to be so nasty... Yet somehow, he manages it. I thought it was hilarious that after all the hell Chloe has put him through, he still, somehow, does not want to be done with this already. He's the baby's true father, just in case anyone missed it, and -- tantrum time -- he's not going to give Cordelia up! Especially not to charming (& interesting) brother Billy.

Come on. I know Cane probably bonded with the baby pre-delivery, but at this point she's only been out of the womb for a couple of hours. And here's when Nasty Cane turns into Psycho Cane, signing the birth certificate of an hours-old kid that he knows isn't his. Wow. I'd almost feel sorry for Chloe except she created this baby daddy monster all. on. her. own.