Table of contents for 3/27/2017 in ABC Soaps In Depth

Even as his life spins out of control, Sonny realizes what he must do on Wednesday, March 15. Dante has a few thoughts about the direction his father’s life should take, but will Sonny listen to what his son has to say on Friday, March 17? If getting back together with Carly is on Sonny’s list, he might want to scratch it off for now. Why? Because she makes it clear on Monday, March 20, that she’s simply unable to take a forgive-and-forget approach to his infidelity! On Tuesday, March 21, Nelle finds herself contemplating a rather interesting proposition… but from whom? Thursday, March 23, finds Sonny confronting the woman who killed Morgan. By Friday, March 24, Sonny’s feeling downright defeated. Can he figure out a way to get his life…

Katie is surprised and hurt by Brooke’s reactions to her suspicions about Quinn and Ridge on Monday, March 13. Later that day, the blonde ends up rejoicing with Ridge and Eric about the fact that everything seems to be coming up roses for their family of late. With their relatives in tow, Liam and Steffy board a plane for their Australian nuptials on Tuesday, March 14, while Sally books a budget ticket to Sydney, much to Saul’s chagrin. On Wednesday, March 15, Katie spies on Ridge and Quinn, and witnesses an exchange that convinces her the designing duo are up to no good! The soap will be pre-empted on Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17, for March Madness.…

If you look at the GH canvas, there are a lot of strong, brave women. So why does nearly ever y story wind up reducing them to distressed damsels in need of rescuing? Liz figured out who murdered Tom, but then had to be saved by Franco. Sam had a fierce showdown with not-so-dead Aunt Olivia, but then wound up having to be rescued by Jason following her tumble off the bridge. Imagine if instead, it had been Jason whom Liv had pushed over the bridge. Sam could have been the one to save his life, and then gone into labor from the stress of the situation. Soaps are a medium aimed largely at women, so why not send a message of empowerment instead of buying into ageold stereotypes with…

No more slinking around for GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Nelle. Carly now knows the duplicitous snake “bedded” Sonny… and is her adopted sister! After Laura Wright and Chloe Lanier shot those game-changing scenes, Soaps In Depth joined the ladies for lunch to dish about working together, getting to (finally!) play the big reveals and what the future might hold. — Deanna Barnert Soaps In Depth: After months of waiting, what was it like to ? nally shoot the explosive reveal? Laura Wright: Poor Chloe had to be berated for one whole show. (Laughs.) Chloe Lanier: No one would let me get a word in! But then it was great to let everything fly. I was excited, because Nelle’s always been lurking in the background, passive-aggressively saying things like — Wright: (Mimics Nelle.) “Things…

Four years ago THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Eileen Davidson (Ashley) stunned more than a few family members and friends when she announced that in addition to her day job, she would be taking on a nighttime gig — jumping into the cast of THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS. “My husband [Vincent Van Patten] and I are the kind of people that take a hard left when you think we’re going to take a right,” she says. Joining the reality show “was something different, something outside the box and outside my comfort zone. We both agreed that we were up for something different, and we just wanted to see where it went. We didn’t have to go forward with it if we didn’t want to. We’re in control of…

FYIFYIFYI Born: February 22 in Mainz, Germany. “Mouse” Trap: For his daughters, Kaye braved one of his least favorite places earlier this year: Disneyland! “To me, it’s hell,” he says with a chuckle. “The amount of people there was crazy, and also, I don’t like waiting in lines for an hour for a ride!” Sounds Fishy To Us: Kaye played a scientist dealing with mutant marine life in the Jaws-esque sci-fithriller Shark Attack 2. THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Ridge is playing a risky game with his father’s wife, Quinn. But is “game” the operative word? Or, rather, is the fashion designer experiencing genuine feelings for the woman he once deemed public enemy No. 1? “I’m not sure what’s going on with this game, and I’m not sure if Ridge…

While most people like to check out the sights and great restaurants while on the road, Dattilo has a very different habit. “I’ve been going to veterans’ hospitals when I travel,” he reveals. “Jim Reynolds (Abe) was a Marine, and we’ve done several V.A. trips together.” In addition to spending time with the injured and ailing service members being treated at such facilities, Dattilo enjoys seeing the buildings themselves. “You get to go into these amazing structures — they’re huge, o. er many services, and so many people depend on them.” But mostly, he just likes being part of the experience. “There’s a healthy brotherhood… you feel like you’re in the military for the time you’re there,” the actor observes. “I always like going to the V.A.”…

Q: What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done? Genie Francis (Laura, GH) “The hardest thing I’ve ever done is leave GENERAL HOSPITAL the first time, when I was 19. The ‘why’ has been discussed so many times that I really don’t want to talk about it again. It’s all very well documented, so you can look it up if you’re interested.” Pierson Fodé (Thomas, B&B) “I think the hardest thing I’ve ever done was to chase my dream of becoming an actor and making movies and eventually, I hope, becoming a director. That is by far the most isolating, dream-smashing at times, challenging thing that I’ve ever done. It’s taken a lot of my life in a lot of ways, to sacrifice to make this dream come true.” James Lastovic…

What you missed on all the other shows Shirley declared that the Spectras needed to start playing dirty if they wanted to stay afloat, and Sally agreed — despite her reservations — to use an unwitting Coco as a pawn to spy on Forrester Creations. Coco dispelled many doubts about whether or not she belonged on staff at Forrester after she saved R.J.’s life during her first day as an intern. R.J. thanked her with a sweet kiss. Planning to elope with Ridge after Liam and Steffy’s wedding, Brooke invited Katie along for the trip. Ivy met Quinn’s high praise of her designs with skepticism, wondering how much it had to do with buying her silence. The Aussie tried convincing Quinn not to join the rest of the family on…

1) As a child, Nixon loved the Sunday comics… but “didn’t find the stories very absorbing.” So she would cut the characters out of the paper and create her own narratives for them! 2) After her parents divorced, Nixon had ver y little contact with her father, Harry. Decades later, she would use AMC’s Palmer to exorcise some of her childhood demons. “I wanted to make Palmer do awful things,” she wrote, “because his actions made me able to forgive Harry, since Palmer was so much worse.” 3) The book actually contains, in its entirety, No Flags Flying, the play Nixon wrote which so impressed Irna Phillips that she hired the young, inexperienced wordsmith to write scripts for a little radio show called THE GUIDING LIGHT… for a whopping $100…

The latest comings and goings — and how they will change your shows! The In Depth Story: Morgan may have died back in October, but the circumstances surrounding his explosive demise continue to drive major story, as evidenced by the In Depth Cover Story on page 24! Given that his body was never actually found, could Morgan still be alive? Craig certainly thrilled the crowd at a recent GH Fantasy Weekend event in Florida when he shared that he’d be happy to one day return to the show — which is exactly what he told In Depth not only when he exited the soap last year, but when we chatted with him recently! “I’d be more than thrilled to come back a n d p l a y Morgan, ”…

Matt Cohen (Griffin) spent months juggling GH with a recurring role on CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS, and now you can see all of his hard work pay off! The actor made his debut in last week’s season premiere as FBI agent Ryan Garrett, the son of Gary Sinise’s Jack, and will appear in at least three future episodes. “He’s been in the FBI for just under 10 years. He’s tr ying to get out of his dad’s shadow,” Cohen tells In Depth of his character. “I’m very excited. It’s very cool and ver y dif ferent from what I’m doing at GH. I can’t wait to hear what people think about it!” BEYOND BORDERS airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.…

Try as he might, Finn can’t escape the inevitable on Monday, March 13. Curtis finds himself wondering exactly what Andre is up to on Tuesday, March 14. Sam is touched by something Liz gives her on Thursday, March 16. Alexis can’t help but spend Friday, March 17, reflecting on her past with Julian. Andre is on the receiving end of someone’s anger on Monday, March 20. Liv proves she’s not done with the good people of Port Charles just yet when she taunts Griffin on Wednesday, March 22. Franco opens up about his concerns on Thursday, March 23, while Sam and Jason find time to reconnect on Friday, March 24.…

Cane thinks victory is within his grasp on Monday, March 13, while Billy spends that day whipping up a little surprise for his favorite ex-wife, Victoria. Tuesday, March 14, finds Lauren turning to Phyllis for help with a special assignment and Ravi doing a solid for Ashley. And on Wednesday, March 15, Jack decides he needs to set some ground rules with Gloria. (Talk about too little, too late!) The soap will be pre-empted on Thursday, March 16, and Friday, March 17, for coverage of March Madness.…

Since returning to THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Forrester clan late last year, R.J. has been more consumed with the love life of his parents than with his own. But now that he’s met Sally’s sister, Coco, that is definitely changing! Is another For rester/Spectra pairing in the making? Anthony Turpel (R.J.) is looking forward to seeing whether his alter ego’s got game, as they say, with this particular young lady! “She’s pretty and sweet, but she’s also a tad quirky,” says the actor of R.J.’s prospective girlfriend. “I’m really excited to see where it goes, and I’m glad that he is starting to act more his age and is getting fleshed out a little more!” On the flip side, the 17-year-old Turpel admits to being a little bit jittery…

… or is it downright exciting when a plot you expected to zig instead zags? The moment we realized GH suddenly had two Olivia’s on the canvas, we assumed Julian’s sister would take advantage of this fact to frame Leo’s mom. What we didn’t anticipate was the resurrected woman proving that blood isn’t always thicker than water by throwing sister Ava under the ­ rst bus to drive past! As a result, we got to watch the sublime Maura West take Ava from dazed and confused to the realization that while she hadn’t planted the actual bomb, the whole pill-swap thing meant she was probably safer behind bars than in Sonny’s line of ­ re!…

Let the powers that be know how you feel about the stories they’re telling OUR TAKE We can’t exactly call GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Valentin and Anna a romantic pairing… and yet we get why Nina’s so jealous! There’s no denying that Michelle Stafford (Nina) and James Patrick Stuart (Valentin) bring the sizzle. But the troubled souls have also managed to forge a deep understanding of one another. Heck, it’s almost enough to make us forget he’s the same guy who shot Nikolas and Kevin… until we see him with Finola Hughes’ Anna. Stuart and Hughes are also electrifying to watch, but here, the fire is fueled by animosity, fear and a dark mystery. When Valentin fretted over an ailing Anna, it became clear that the notoriously fine line between love and…

Fans of both Y&R and RHOBH got a treat when Davidson invited her primetime costar Erika Girardi to gueststar as real estate diva Farrah on the soap. “It was fun… but kind of stressful, too,” the soap vet admits. “While we were shooting the scene, I looked out and saw all these cameras. There was our crew that was shooting Y&R, and the RHOBH crew shooting Erika and me, and then beyond them was ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. So we had three camera crews shooting us! Erika and I both were like, ‘Oh, God!’ But it was fun working with her. She’s a great girl. I knew she would be good on the show, and she didn’t disappoint!”…

GENERAL HOSPITAL fans recall Brandon Barash fondly as bad boy Johnny Zacchara. But since leaving the soap, the actor has embraced roles that show different sides of his personality. That’s why he jumped at the opportunity to play Ernest Hemingway in a recent episode of NBC’s TIMELESS. “It’s a part that actors get in their in box and think, ‘Oh my God, if only this could be me!’” he admits. “Getting to do it was such a great experience.” Crime Pays! Hot off his recurring run as by-the-book detective Robby Oderno on TNT’s MAJOR CRIMES, Barash will next land on another procedural: CBS’ CRIMINAL MINDS: BEYOND BORDERS. “I play an art broker whose girlfriend ends up in some very mixed-up international business,” he previews, adding that in the episode, titled,…

There’s a special trick to playing crazy on a soap. Actors have to let the audience see that their alter ego is not quite right and yet do so in such a way that the characters they’re interacting with don’t look like idiots for not catching on sooner. It ain’t easy, and yet GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Tonja Walker showed exactly how it’s done during the scenes in which she slowly allowed Olivia’s madness to present itself to Sam. By the time Sam had tumbled from the bridge, we’d fallen under Walker’s spell… and decided she’d earned this week’s Gold Star! In The Driver’s Seat There comes a point in every crazy character’s tenure when they have to trick someone who should know better into doing something they really shouldn’t do. In…

Lauren cracked under pressure while Victor dealt with ransoming Scott. Chelsea fretted over Faith’s opposition to her and Nick dating. Ashley tried persuading Abby to join Jabot after her daughter fought with Victor, but Abby vowed to be the one who took over Newman! Phyllis began to suspect Jack was seeing someone. Devon became jealous when Hilary went out for drinks with Jordan. Cane and Juliet arrived in Tokyo to make a deal with Mr. Sato. Reed stormed off the stage when he believed Zoey was making fun of him. For some reason, Jack thinks Gloria is a woman who’ll play by his rules!…

The In Depth Story: “I was so excited when I learned that they would be bringing the character back,” shares Bregman, adding that Lauren and Scott’s relationship “is rich for story, and he would be a great addition to the BaldwinFisher family!” Although Y&R has remained mum about when Hall will make his first appearance, the search for Scott — who was kidnapped at birth by crazy Nurse Sheila — has kicked into high gear now that Victor provided the ransom and step-uncle Kevin is working with the State Department to secure the reporter’s release. Even Hall himself has been silent about when he’ll debut, telling friends on social media that he can’t yet divulge his first air date. As Bregman anticipates a treasure trove of plots to open up…

Ever s inc e Ingo Rademacher moved back to L.A. from Hawaii, where his family lived for several years, GH fans have been wondering if Jax would soon visit GH again. Now we know the answer: yes! During a recent chat with Laura Wright, who plays Carly, In Depth learned that she’d soon have an even heavier-than-usual workload, and part of the reason was that Rademacher was due back on the set by the time you read this. “Ingo’s coming back,” she exclaimed. “I just got a script with Jax in it.” For his part, Rademacher has always maintained that “I’m willing to come back, and it would certainly be fun to appear more.” In the meantime, the actor has another TV gig lined up: He’ll be appearing as Friedrich…

Lucas Adams is expected to make his DAYS OF OUR LIVES debut as T r i p p Da l t on — St e v e and Av a ’ s thought-to-be-dead son — on Friday, March 24. Although the soap does not comment on casting, an audition video posted by another contender for the role revealed that Tripp is a r a t h e r a n g r y young man who (rightly) believes his mother was murdered. As Tripp sets out to unravel the truth surrounding his mom’s death, something tells us that he won’t be too thrilled to learn that his newfound half brother, Joey, was the one who killed Ava (played by GH’s ex-Carly, Tamara Braun)! As for Adams, the young actor made…

1 The hook-up. At long last, Dillon and Kiki fulfilled our… er, their desires! 2 Carly’s vow. “Oh, Nelle,” she said upon hearing the recording, “you don’t know anything about payback. But you will!” 3 Obrecht’s folly. As usual, she was on the wrong side of history when the hospital board voted. 4 The flashbacks. Getting to see classic scenes of Robin, Anna, Liv and others is thrilling for longtime fans. 5 The fine line. “I can tell you’re crazy about that little girl,” Curtis said to Nina of Charlotte, quickly adding, “but in a good way!” The bridge. Nothing good ever happens there. The city should really tear that thing down! ... And 1 Thing We Could Do Without...…

Sure, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Sharon has made a few mistakes over the years. And sure, some of them were whoppers. Yet since hubby Dylan was forced to leave town, the beauty has begun digging deep within herself to find the strength to go on. In fact, Nikki’s suggestion to put aside their hostilities and open a house for women in dire straits may be just what’s needed to put Sharon on a new path! “It’s a little scary,” admits her portrayer, Sharon Case. “But I know that she’s determined to put everything she has into going forward! She knows from her own personal experience tha t she ’ s g o t t e n through some horrible losses before and yet has managed to move on and…

Old Timer GENERAL HOSPITAL’s James Patrick Stuart (Valentin) was just 21 when he played ALL MY CHILDREN’s Will, but he isn’t bemoaning having matured since his daytime debut. In fact, the actor kind of appreciates just how far he has come in life. “I remember when old dudes from the old days would show up at AMC — now it’s come full circle,” Stuart laughs. “It’s my turn to step in.” Now that he’s on the opposite side of the table, is there anyone on GH who reminds Stuart of a younger version of himself? “Billy Miller,” he says of Jason’s portrayer, “who is awesome. He’s a total pro already… but he’s certainly younger than I am! I’m like the grizzled guy in the beginning of Platoon who leaves just…

20th anniversery Soaps In Depth flashes back to our favorites — year by year — from GENERAL HOSPITAL, its much-missed spin-off, PORT CHARLES, ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE. 1997 GH’s Pierce was the nastiest thing to hit the hospital since that outbreak of Lassa Fever. 1998 GH’s Helena never let us forget that you can’t spell her name without “hell.” Well, most of “hell,” anyway. 1999 PC’s devious DV videotaped himself getting it on with amnesiac Lucy, then screened the footage for her significant other, Scotty — who was also his son! 2000 No matter how many times AMC’s Vanessa insisted that she hadn’t murdered her gigolo, it never got any more believable. Maybe because Leo’s Mommie Dearest had indeed killed her man-ho. 2001 “This bites!” PC…

“The gown is from David’s Bridal, and when [Kirsten Storms] put it on, we knew it was the one. But,” Reeves adds, “there aren’t great capes in the world, so I had to design that, and it was made in-house. Usually, we don’t reveal the gown until the bride makes her entrance at the ceremony — that’s the ‘Aaah!’ moment. So when the writers scripted Maxie in a cape to hide her gown, I had visions of a Red Riding Hood cape or a beauty smock — I wasn’t really into it. But then executive producer Frank Valentini mentioned slits for her arms and it opened my design blinders. I started researching . tted capes and cloaks from the late-’50s to mid-’70s and found beautiful ones by Halston, Valentino, St.…

FYIFYIFYI His Social Media: “I’m on Twitter [at @Bryan_Dattilo] because that’s the one my castmates made me get,” Dattilo laughs. Moonlighter: The hunky actor also works in construction. Snack Attack: Dattilo happily dips his fries in salsa, chili, ranch dressing and more. On The Go: “In the back of my car is a softball bag with my cleats, a glove and some stinky balls and socks.” DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Lucas has endured more than his fair share of highs and lows in recent years. While he thought that walking down the aisle with Adrienne would finally put him on the path to happily ever after, fate — and rival Justin — had other ideas. Lucas’ portrayer, Bryan R. Dattilo, says that for now, seeing Adrienne through her battle with…

CRUSHED Carly heard Nelle’s tryst-revealing recording. REVEALED Nelle accused Carly of stealing her kidney. DUMPED Carly left Sonny. Michael left Nelle. BORN Sam and Jason had a girl! RESURRECTED Sam, twice The hospital, thanks to a deal made by Finn CAPTURED Gri. n and Robin, by Liv ARRIVED Nora Buchanan TRICKED Griffin let Liv believe he was a reincarnated Duke. PICKED Nina backed Valentin at Charlotte’s custody hearing.…

Eric informed Jennifer that he wouldn’t be working at the Hor ton Center. Gabi couldn’t help but be flustered when Chad asked for her help. Dario fell hard for Abigail, while Kate rebuffed Eduardo’s advances. Steve relayed a shocking discovery about his past to Kayla and Joey. Eli forced Valerie to tell Julie the truth about his father. Chloe gained an unexpected ally. When Brady finally found Nicole hiding with Holly, he offered the fearful mom his help. Chad made a move to topple both Deimos and his empire! Chloe and Eduardo better watch out for Kate’s wrath when she spots the two of them together!…