Table of contents for May 18, 2020 in ABC Soaps In Depth

Steve Pushes Kayla Away! Kayla’s been learning the hard way that it’s a good idea to be careful what you wish for. After all, restoring Steve’s control over his body didn’t exactly mean restoring their relationship. Surprisingly, he thinks she’s better off with Justin! Might the lawyer take advantage of this opportunity to convince Kayla of the same? And what might she think of Steve’s greater interest in bonding with Hope, with whom he’d spent so much time while they were Stefano and Princess Gina? Kristen Wants Revenge! Kristen is over the moon to know that her and Brady’s daughter, Rachel, is actually alive. But it’s gut-wrenching for Kristen, too, to know that she can’t reunite with her baby until she and Sarah are found! Fortunately, Kristen’s new BFF happens…

Getting Some Fresh Air Stuck inside? Us, too. So let’s live vicariously through the stars and flash back to a time (just a few weeks ago!) when we could all be social… rather than social-distance.…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Trina is going through a rough patch, but she’s also proven to be one tough kid. After being there time and again for her friends and marching into Ava’s gallery for an internship, she’s not just moping over her father’s death — she told Curtis that she was going to clear Taggert’s name! “I’m sure she could do it,” says onscreen mom Brook Kerr (Portia). “I wouldn’t put it past her!” And though it seemed like Trina’s pals talked her out of that for a beat, Jordan’s portrayer, Briana Nicole Henry, has to agree that the teen would be a formidable foe. “The way Sydney Mikayla plays Trina, I’m afraid of her,” she cracks. “I don’t want Trina to come for me! “I also think that would break…

The Marrying Man It’s downright sweet that GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Michael, Sasha, Willow and Chase are all willing to sacrifice their own happiness in order to protect little Wiley. But we can’t say that we really understand their plan. How exactly does dumping one person and, a week later, marrying another provide stability for a child in the eyes of a judge… or, for that matter, in the eyes of anyone? And while we’re looking at the Swiss-cheese-like quality of the gang’s kindhearted plot, what’s to keep Nelle from doing the exact same thing as Michael? Actually, when the writers hinted that the supervixen might be Nina’s long-missing offspring, our imaginations went into overdrive. Next thing we knew, we were picturing her blackmailing Valentin into marriage to boost her own social…

Q. With this smarmy Martin Gray guy slinking around GENERAL HOSPITAL, it suddenly struck me… wasn’t Laura’s biological father named David Gray? Any connection? Carl F.Charleson, SC A: We’ll file this one under “close, but no cigar.” While Laura’s biological father’s last name was, in fact, Gray, his first name was Gordon, not David. Gordon was a married professor who took advantage of Lesley Williams, who was his student at the time. She wound up pregnant, but was told the child died shortly after being born. In reality, her father had arranged for Lesley’s baby to be swapped with that of Barbara and Jason Vining. Long before this secret came to light, we did get to meet Gordon when his wife came to the hospital as a patient. Although Gordon claimed he…

With Violet’s party in full swing, GH’s scribes had viewers leaning in to see just what Charlotte had in store for her special guest, Nagini. Though on the surface, it was all fun and games, Valentin’s conniving daughter was out for revenge! It was a shame, too. Charlotte had been doing better since her bullying phase had come to an end. But after Nikolas and Ava upended her life and Nina hooked up with Jax, strange things started happening around the girl. There was that mustache drawn on Franco’s sketch of Ava… and Jax’s tumble. Charlotte seemed the obvious culprit… but that wasn’t confirmed until the little snake showed up at Violet’s party with, well, an actual little snake! And while Nagini seemed harmless, Charlotte cooed for it to…

In Netflix’s THE EDDY (premiering Friday, May 8), American Elliot Udo is co-running a Parisian jazz club by that name. But with the house band not performing up to snuff and fellow musician/business partner Farid not taking the problem of their empty house seriously, Elliot fears they’ll both be left singing the blues. Of the unique setting, the mini-series’ Grammy-winning co-creator, Glen Ballard, explains, “The Eddy is a musical oasis for different kinds of people, all of whom are struggling with lives outside of this club. But when they come in here, the idea is that they find a universal language.” Love And Danger It’s against a backdrop of angsty saxophone music that the stage gets set for the mystery that haunts the tale going forward. Three men arrive after…

They say that anything worth having is worth fighting for. And this week, some of GENERAL HOSPITAL’s most beloved couples will have their chance to prove the old adage true, thanks to inner turmoil and outside forces. Want the scoop on who’s dealing with what? Read on! Can JaSam Survive? Let’s face it: Sam never should have been sent to prison for killing Shiloh in the first place. Unfortunately, things did not play out as anyone might have hoped… aside from the dead cult leader, who is probably sitting on a throne of lies somewhere far beneath Port Charles, loving that he’s still tormenting the object of his obsession! Although Jason has tried making Sam see that they must remain apart — both due to the conditions of her release…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Quinn appears to have gotten away with destroying Brooke’s marriage by exposing her stolen kiss with Bill. Will Eric ever say enough is enough when it comes to his wife’s manipulations? At the moment, it seems as though Eric will let bygones by bygones. After all, he knew about his wife’s contentious proclivities when he married her, so he can’t be completely surprised when she deals a bit dirty. “He loves her edges, and he believes she’s calmed some as a result of being with him,” but that’s something he’s now calling into question, says portrayer John McCook. Having been previously married to Stephanie (the master of meddling), Quinn’s over bearing personality is familiar territory for Eric. “For his whole life, he watched Stephanie interfere…

… or were you stunned by the casualness with which GH’s Maxie dismissed Lulu’s concerns about Valentin? When Lulu pointed out that her brother had been shot by Valentin, Maxie flippantly quipped, “Nikolas survived!” It would have been easy for Maxie to acknowledge her friend’s concerns and say, “I get why you’re worried, but I’ve got this.” Instead, her responses were so genuinely unpleasant, we were shocked Lulu didn’t toss a drink in her face and storm off!…

GH Hot Topic: Maxie’s Beau OUR TAKE We need to talk about GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Peter. In the hands of Wes Ramsey, Maxie’s boyfriend has become one of the most controversial characters on the canvas. Because on the surface, Peter’s pretty much the perfect boyfriend. And for a while there, we totally believed him worthy of love and capable of redemption. Unfortunately, whenever he’s presented with an opportunity to do the right thing — and we mean every dang time — he instead finds ways to make a bad situation worse. Perhaps his biggest sin, however, is that the character is making us lose respect for Anna. One look into the former spy’s eyes, and it’s obvious that she is haunted by doubts about Faison’s son, including whether she or twin…

Bill was willing to green-light a design house under the Spencer banner several years back, and while Sally backed out of the deal, Diamont still believes it would be a neat idea to see his character enter the fashion biz. “Bill’s always made fun of The Dressmaker, Ridge,” notes the actor, “but it would be funny to discover that Bill has a certain flair for it. Like, ‘What if you brought the hem up two inches and add some ruffle?’ Maybe he has some sensibility about that, but doesn’t really want to admit it.”…

The Brady Bunch! While Salem’s first family may share a surname with the wholesome blended family we all remember from the 1970s sitcom, this clan has troubles that vastly outweigh the who-broke-Mom’s-lamp crisis. And the Salem Brady bunch has a family tree with branches that take more twists and turns than the craziest roller coaster at the county fair and the ancient Greek Minotaur’s Labyrinth combined! At the heart of the Bradys is doc Kayla, who recently performed life-saving and personality-restoring surgery to remove a microchip from the brain of true love Steve Johnson. (Yep, it was as crazy as it sounds, but more about that on page 80). Her brother, Roman, the former police commissioner, is now running the family biz, the Brady Pub, when not dabbling in private…

Florals, Two Ways Microflorals edged out a more boldly-patterned flowery dress on ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Renee Elise Goldsberry (Evangeline). Getting A “Jump” On The Season This striped jumpsuit worn by GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Inga Cadranel (Harmony) looks so comfortable, effortless and chic — a perfect option for the upcoming summer months! Turquoise Trending This punchy, light-blue hue looks beautiful on blondes and brunettes alike!…

1 The agreement. When Valentin accused Laura of hating him, she simply nodded her head and said, “Yup!” 2 Michael’s take. “Does it ever scare you,” he asked Josslyn, “how much you are like Mom?” 3 The “flashbacks.” While playing young Carly, Eden McCoy (Joss) perfectly channelled on-screen mom Laura Wright. 4 Lulu’s acceptance. She realized Maxie would rationalize working for Valentin even if he “was threatening to bring back poodle skirts!” 5 The revelation. We were as surprised as Nikolas to find out that Spencer and Sonny chat every night. The tease. How much fun would it have been to see Violet’s adult guests hit the bounce house? … And 1 Thing We Could Do Without……

DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Ben is incredibly grateful to have survived his court-appointed date with death, but no one could blame the innocent man for wanting justice! “Now that he knows the truth [about Evan being Jordan’s killer], he wants him to pay,” concurs his portrayer, Robert Scott Wilson. But with his hardwon future with Ciara on the line, Ben might instead focus on other priorities. “They’ve been in this dramatic, thunderous love and faced so many obstacles that Ben hasn’t been able to focus on real life: getting a job, finding a place to live together… things like that.”  But is all that about to finally change? Now that Ben has a new job and a friend with a familiar face in “Jake,” things seem to be looking up!…

General Hospital In Depth asked… Should Josslyn go with dad Jax to Australia until the danger passes? Reader Reaction: 73% NOPE! 27% WHY NOT? Danger? What danger? That’s just a typical day in Port Charles! The fans really don’t want Josslyn to leave them, even if it’s just temporarily! This issue’s question… Do you think Valentin will end up turning against Nelle? TOP 5 GH COUPLES TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) TOP 10 COUPLES (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) TOP 5 ACTRESSES (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) TALK BACK TO SOAPS IN DEPTH: On-line: abc.soapsindepth.com Write: Readers’ Poll #20 c/o Soaps In Depth, 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632…

FYI Gone Fishin’: Born on March 1, the Emmy winner is a Pisces. Bilingual: “Sí, yo hablo Español muy bien,” says the first-generation American. Memory Matters: “I can memorize 50 pages of dialogue… but I forget where my keys are,” chuckles Benard. First Love: “I had a midnight-blue, low-riding Monte Carlo with spokes, T-top, crushed-velvet interior and a loud stereo,” the actor recalls. maurice Benard is on cloud nine now that his memoir, Nothing General About It: How Love (And Lithium) Saved Me On And Off GENERAL HOSPITAL, has dropped — and not just because he’s getting rave reviews. Sonny’s portrayer is hoping his story will help others struggling with mental illness and is determined to take his advocacy to the next level. Here, in part two of his in-depth…

Like Mother, Like Daughter Eden McCoy (Josslyn, GH) and mom Natasha GH’s Eden McCoy is beyond grateful for her mother. Not only has Natasha actively supported her acting, volleyball and academic careers, but she’s set a good example every single day. “My mom really goes out of her way to help people — even people she doesn’t know,” raves Josslyn’s portrayer. “She always has a kind word for strangers. I hope someday this will come naturally to me the way it does for her.” Those who’ve gotten to meet McCoy or follow her on social media have seen that she’s already learned the importance of a kind word — not to mention those not-so-kind ones! “The best advice I’ve ever gotten from my mom is that before I say anything…

IT was a few years ago when Anthony Geary (ex-Luke, GENERAL HOSPITAL) had a generous idea for his fans: He asked his friend, photographer Jim Warren, if he’d be interested in shooting a video of the place that he already had called home for many years: the beautiful city of Amsterdam! “Tony wanted to show everyone how incredible Amsterdam is and suggested I shoot a sort of travel video, with him being the tour guide!” explains Warren. The Emmy Award winner didn’t have to ask twice. “I was about to make my annual Dutch summer trip, so I was all set,” Warren says. The final result was a 25-minute film titled Amsterdam: On The Move With Anthony Geary — reluctantly edited down from its original hour-plus version —which was turned…

Sonny Has To Fight Two Battles At Once! Called to his father’s side, Sonny skipped his long-awaited meeting with Cyrus. With Mike now in late-stage Alzheimer’s, Elizabeth suggested Sonny sign a DNR order and begin palliative care. But Sonny wasn’t ready for that just yet. Annoyed at being stood up, Cyrus visited Julian, took an interest in General Hospital, gave Lulu an interview and offered to donate to Laura’s re-election campaign — but no one was buying his upstanding citizen act! When he finally met with Sonny, Cyrus agreed to keep his business out of Port Charles. But with Sonny still planning to take him out, the trafficker realized he needed to remove Jason to gain the upper hand. JORDAN’S STILL STUCK When Jordan again considered turning herself in, Curtis…