Goodnight, As the World Turns

Snif.

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.

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: Grey's Anatomy

This is a couple days old already, but when did Derek Shepherd stop specializing in neurosurgery and start specializing in jackassery? We are told over and over again that he is the best, OMG so amazing!, neurosurgeon in the country -- and really they do say it over and over, just in case you might have forgotten -- yet, a patient dies, he feels responsible (which he probably should have), and not only does he throw a temper tantrum, he does it in a hugely inappropriate & ridiculous way... by picking a fight to the bloody death with his supposed best friend, and in the workplace no less, after Sloan has confessed to seeing Lexie, which is really something that doesn't concern Derek in the first place. Great messages about masculinity here.

[A brief aside... Contrasted with that, we see Bailey getting chewed out by the Chief for requesting a simple letter of recommendation. Say what?]

Some might say this jackassery has often been the case with Derek... and although I was in love with the show early on (which is not really the case now), in all fairness it's hard to look at his original behavior towards Meredith (carrying on without divulging his marital status) and turn a blind eye to the idea that he's always been this way.

One thing that drives me the most crazy about soaps -- daytime or primetime -- is the willingness of many producers/writers to repeatedly put female characters in relationship positions that:

#1 Make them feel responsible for their guy's jackassery, such as when Meredith wasn't ready to settle down and Derek proceeded to take up with Rose rather than support his girlfriend through a difficult time. Yet, she had driven him to it, he had no choice!

#2 Allow them to rationalize this jackassery with a positive trait, such as Derek is a brain surgeon, so of course he's high maintenance.

Just, yuck. And I'm not saying all soap relationships are handled this way. Yet, despite Grey's great potential to circumvent gender expectations/norms in being created/run by an African American female director/producer/showrunner, Shonda Rimes (a scenario which is disappointingly rare in network television), as well as the pretty amazing diversity of female characters on the show (compared with most network shows)... despite all it has going for it, the gals almost always take a backseat to the guys. And that burns me up.

Sure, it's easy to argue that's because the group of interns we've been following (now residents) will of course end up secondary to the attendings. This doesn't really explain, however, why the show was set up this way in the first place, with an overwhelmingly female group of interns/residents and an overwhelmingly male group of attendings.

My view is that the two female attendings that ever showed any backbone and played on an equal field with the guys were Addison and Hahn... who were of course both ushered/removed from the show at different times (for different reasons... Hahn's exit was sudden and controversial... and Addison of course can still be seen on Private Practice where she must now deal with her brother Archer's jackassery, rather than Derek's). And Callie and Bailey, both high-ranking residents, have a lot of potential as characters, and always have, but I tend to end up frustrated with how their storylines are either nonexistent or marginalized. They seem to orbit around what is happening more than they participate.

Perhaps my view is skewed because on daytime soaps female characters play toe-to-toe with men at high levels of professionalism (mostly in business) all the freaking time. It's hard not to watch Y&R's Jill, Katherine, or Nikki (who ran against Jack for state senate last year) or ATWT's Lucinda or Margo (top cop in the police department) and feel like the Grey's Anatomy women deserve so much better.

Despite what I've said here, my overall view of Grey's is not entirely negative. I love its diversity, as well as its willingness to represent women of realistic body types. I'm also fond of its penchant for objectifying men (the McDreamy, McSteamy aspect), which, in a society based on white male privilege, comes off as subversive. But these explorations will have to be left for another post.