Table of contents for March 30, 2015 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: Valentini shares with Soaps In Depth that he doesn’t believe Ava even needs a storyline of salvation in order to make her viable as a long-term character. “We don’t need to redeem her. Ava re-deems herself,” says the executive producer. “It happens automatically, like [when] you felt empathy for her when her baby was taken [by Nina]. She loved that baby and wanted that baby. The tables were turned on her. She was someone who made victims out of other people, and then she was made a victim.” Hearing that sure is a relief! As wicked as Ava is, West’s fans can’t imagine Port Charles without her in it — and quite frankly, neither can we! Surely, if Ava is able to survive a gunshot wound…

… or has GH been doing a pretty good job of plugging the plot holes that fans raised after it was revealed that Fluke was Luke? The scenes in which Luke’s dark side taunted Lulu by calling into question every single memory she’d ever shared with her father were chilling. With most multiple personality storylines, soaps have made the “bad” alter fun (ala GH’s Connie or ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Tess), but there is absolutely nothing to laugh about where Luke’s alter is concerned. It’s a brave choice, and it is paying o. in spades.…

For a guy who’s snubbed Marlena’s offer of help at ever y turn, DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Paul sure keeps finding his way to her office lately! Still reeling from coming out to his mother, coupled with the realization that he’d unknowingly slept with the husband of first love Sonny, the anguished jock was poised to implode. “Everything’s such a mess,” he cried. “It’s not just my life I ruined, either.” As it turned out, wanting to talk about his feelings and actually being able to do it were two very different things. “If I’d had any idea, I would have never… ” he attempted. “The guy wasn’t wearing a wedding ring!” Marlena somehow maintained her famous composure, but the shock registering on her face that Paul ’ s lover…

The Gifted Geary Luke having a split personality is brilliant on the part of the writers. I’m looking forward to nding out what happened to him that caused the dark side to emerge. Anthony Geary’s acting has been superb. Pamela Daniel via Soaps In Depth Facebook page Not Worth The Wait When I started watching GENERAL HOSPITAL about three years ago, I liked the fact that it did not drag out storylines. Well, not until Fluke. After all the time we invested in this story, you give us Fluke is Luke? Really, GH? Charles Daniels via E-mail Paying Tribute I am writing about Kristen Alderson (Kiki) leaving the show. She was nothing but an asset to GH. She was amazing on the show and to her fans in person at…

When Hunter King joined THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS three years ago as Nick and Phyllis’ SORAS’d daughter, Summer, she tried to anticipate what storyline might be ahead for her. “I used to get all these ideas in my head on what could be coming up next, and it was always, ‘Nope! It’s totally different!’” she shares with a laugh. “I’d read a script and go, ‘Wow, I never would have thought of that!’ Now I’m like a fan with this show. I’m like, ‘Please tell me what’s going to happen?! But [the writers] like to surprise us [actors] as much as they like to surprise the viewers. It keeps us on our toes!” Certainly, King has been kept on her toes a lot, with her character having been misled…

When she played Cassandra (aka Irina Cassadine) on GENERAL HOSPITAL, Alyshia Ochse spent most of her time wearing white. Last December, the actress did so again when she wed chef Lee Knaz (aka The Mediterranean Diet Guy). “We got married in the Dominican Republic at a villa that was created to help fund a school in [the impoverished city of] Cabrera,” she relates. “We asked our guests to bring school supplies, and then we delivered them to the school and met with the kids.” How To Date Yourself Ochse says that she was so moved by the students that she decided to fundraise for them via her new book. Titled Life Letters: Key To Your Soul… A Journey Into The Self, it’s her guide to getting your groove back. “When…

Watching DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Nicole put a fork in yet another romantic relationship — this time with Daniel — was enough to make viewers want to throw up their hands. “She selfsabotages everything,” sighs her portrayer, Arianne Zucker. “She gets in the way of her own relationships, and that’s just bad.” At Least She’s Trying… Despite her flaws, Nicole is capable of learning, and recently, she’s at least making an effort to mature. “Early on in my career, Nicole was more of the vixen/gold digger who was only out for herself. She’s definitely changed since then,” the actress recalls. “While she’s still looking for love, now she’s trying to do the right thing all the time, and she’s actually trying to have friends, which she didn’t do before.” For…

The In Depth Story: GH viewers had a front-row seat to not only watch Frisco and Felicia fall in love all those years ago, but their portrayers as well. So it seemed like this fairytale couple would get their happily ever after after all when, on February 14, Jack tweeted a link to an Instagram photo of the exspouses, captioned, “The rumors are confirmed. Happy Valentine’s Day from me and Kristina.” Immediately, the Twitterverse exploded that the couple had reconciled after being divorced for nearly nine years. However, some fans noticed that both actors were dressed in period garb in the photo (the shot has since been deleted from Twitter but not Instagram). This led to speculation that Jack was merely confirming that they would indeed be sharing a storyline…

The In Depth Story: Sharing the Radar Online report, which exclusively broke the news about the lawsuit, the Y&R star wrote on Twitter, “In my fictional life, I am living with extreme drama and wreckage. In my personal life, I am walking through hell.” While the coroner’s preliminary report concluded that Julian’s death was a suicide by asphyxiation , the St. Johns believe that foul play was involved, since their son told his mother just hours before he was found with a plastic bag over his head that he feared another patient was going to kill him. (The final autopsy report won’t be completed until toxicology results are back from the lab.) To support their homicide theory, the family is trying to obtain the facility’s security footage, which they believe…

GH’s Kirsten Storms (Maxie) and Kathleen Gati (Obrecht) will be moonlighting over the next few weeks: They have joined Martha Madison (ex-Belle, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) and DALLAS’ Linda Gray (ex-Priscilla, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL) in the upcoming Web soap WINTERTHORNE. Storms will play Selene, the younger sister of Madison’s Miranda. Selene returns to the family fold after being away for many years with a plan that could change the Winterthorne er. “Kirsten is going to bring a really fun and sassy quality to the character,” creator Michael Caruso tells In Depth exclusively. As for Gati, she will gueststar as Valentina, the powerhungr y sister of Gray’s character, family matriarch Joanna. “Looking forward to working with the super cast!” Gati tweeted. Rest assured, GH fans, that the three-week WINTERTHORNE…

FRIDAY MARCH 27 It’s been a while in coming, but Lucy and Duke finally have a much-needed conversation about the state of their relationship on Tuesday, March 17. Are they friends… or something more? Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding her longtime buddy Luke’s past continues to be a hot topic around Port Charles. On Friday, March 20, Lulu and Tracy meet someone who shares a blood tie to Luke. Thursday, March 26, finds Dante and his lovely wife uncovering a rather shocking bit of information. Will it shed light on what’s been going on with Luke or only leave them with more quest ions ? And you won’t want to miss what happens when a big piece of the Luke puzzle finally falls into place on F r i d a…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Do you like seeing Nikolas embrace his dark side? Readers were unanimous that Nikolas should not travel down that path. As donajean posted on soapsindepth.com: “We need more good guys!” Reader Reaction 100% DEFINITELY NOT! 0% DEFINITELY! This issue’s question... Can Olivia and Ned really make a relationship work? This issue’s question... Can Olivia and Ned really make a relationship work?…

When THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Ridge and Caroline suggested Maya start packing upon Eric’s return, she had a few choice words for them. “And how bright does your future look,” she asked Caroline, “with a man whose neckties are older than you?” In response to their suggestion that she was only after the finer things in life, Maya conceded that she knew what she wanted because she knew what it was to want. “Which neither of you ever did,” she added. “You never lacked anything.” Though the couple couldn’t dispute that they’d only ever known lives of privilege, Ridge got the last laugh when he asked Maya, “Do you want my maid to get you a hotel room for the night?”…

When Lisa LoCicero realized how excited her bosses at GENERAL HOSPITAL were about her pregnancy — and the prospect of writing it into Olivia’s storyline — the soap veteran began suggesting possible scenarios. “I was pitching stuff like Olivia keeps gaining weight and doesn’t know why, and Dante is going, ‘It’s the cannoli! What’s goin’ on with you, Ma?!’” she says. “And then she’s struggling with depression and is putting on the pounds. Then she goes into the bathroom and, ‘Waaaaaa!’ there’s a baby!” A Mom Again At Age 44 All kidding aside, LoCicero’s pregnancy came as almost as much of a surprise as Olivia’s. She and husband Michael Jann had been trying to give their son, Lukas, a sibling for quite a while to no avail. But the minute…

Revenge Of The Redhead Fans of GENERAL HOSPITAL won’t be surprised to hear that when Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) did a guest arc on REVENGE as socialite Penelope, she pretty much stole the show. “She’s brilliant!” exclaims Elena Satine, who plays her primetime daughter, Louise. “Carolyn is the most amazing, hilarious person. When we shot a dinner scene for an episode, Emily [Van Camp, Emily] and I were in tears the entire time because Carolyn had us laughing so hard. Our favorite days are when she’s on the set!” Many fans are hoping to see Penelope continue to be a presence in both the Hamptons and her daughter’s life, and Satine certainly believes that would make sense. After all, there’s much about Louise’s history that we still don’t know. “She is…

There are those who believe that there is no such thing as luck. Rather, they purport that good fortune stems from opportunity meeting good preparation. Yeah, that might work in the real world, but in soaps? Not so much! Some of our favorite characters from GENERAL HOSPITAL are simply downright doomed. Here are a few sad sacks that have suffered the worst! Sonny Corinthos Some people are haunted by their mistakes, but Sonny, bless his dark heart, is haunted by memories of the dead people harmed by them. At this point, the grief-stricken guy’s got so many people to visit in the cemetery — Lily, Stone, Reese, Claudia, Emily and now Connie — that it’s a wonder he ever gets anything done. Complicating matters is the fact that his mobster…

The City LOVING fans never quite embraced the slick SoHo-set soap into which it morphed in 1995. (And since it lasted only two years, we can say that with some authority.) But the beauty of the offshoot is that its premise — juicy storylines unfolding in the Big Apple — was and is sound: Who can say no to either juicy storylines or Gotham? Not us, that’s for sure. But, since many of the show’s stars — including Laura Wright and Lisa LoCicero (now GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Carly and Olivia) — are tied up on other sudsers, we suggest flashing back to LOVING’s cast and dropping two of its major players in NYC: Lisa Peluso (seen last as Gina Russo on ONE LIFE TO LIVE) as gold digger-turned-rich bitch Ava Rescott…

There are no small roles, only small actors. Just ask 6’3” Brandon Routh (Seth, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) , who plays the charming Ray Palmer, aka the shrinking superhero called the Atom, on ARROW, which airs on The CW on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST. Watch for the hunk — the Man Of Steel almost a decade ago in Superman Returns — to expand his role when he crosses over to the network’s other hit superhero series, THE FLASH, in an episode titled “All-Star Team Up” on Tuesday, March 17, at 8 p.m. EST. The Atom Vs. Superman “I think if Atom had similar powers to Superman, it would have been a little strange and confusing,” Routh tells Soaps In Depth. “Producers might not have even looked at me for…

Pain is nothing new for GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Nikolas. But seeing his son, Spencer, bandaged, hooked up to machines and quite possibly scarred for life was too much for him to bear. It reduced the ordinarily strong father to a terrified mess. For his powerful and poignant performance, Tyler Christopher earns this week’s Gold Star. Up In Smoke After a fire at Spencer’s 10th birthday party, Nikolas was at his son’s side as paramedics rushed him to the ER. “Why isn’t he waking up?!” Nikolas shouted, overcome by both grief and guilt. He grabbed and held onto Alexis for dear life as he sobbed. “What if he doesn’t make it? That boy is everything!” Putting On A Brave Face Shortly, Patrick told the terrified father that Spencer was stable, was being…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Deacon and Quinn’s engagement floored Brooke. After a hostile confrontation with the jewelry designer, Brooke took a long, hard look at her own troubling behavior. Maya grew unsettled by the way Nicole had seemingly infiltrated her life and home. Aly was literally displaced by the newcomer, forced to yield her bedroom to their guest. Ivy jumped to Aly’s defense, blasting Rick for his treatment of his family members. With help from Carter, Rick moved forward with his divorce from Caroline, but the lawyer questioned whether or not this was the path Rick truly wanted. Wyatt and Quinn shared a cathartic moment when he suggested she was not to blame for his current marital crisis. Sneak Preview Brooke is determined to make a change, but can…

The In Depth Story: “When his back is against the wall, Ric always defaults to that manipulative side of himself,” laments his portrayer, Rick Hearst. “I don’t know that he’s looking to make the wrong choices, he just goes to extremes, [especially] with Elizabeth. He’s just not willing to let the one person who has been a constant in his mind and in his heart get away for any reason.” Or anyone. “Clearly, the stake in the middle of Ric and Elizabeth’s relationship [now] is Jake,” the Daytime Emmy winner notes. “If there was some way to sever that bond, then that could open the door for Elizabeth to realize that Ric’s been here the whole time.” This week, Ric thinks that he’s found just that way — by playing…

Look for ALL MY CHILDREN fan fave Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) to make her GH debut any day now! When asked by a fan on Twitter if she knew when she’d make her first Port Charles appearance, she replied, “I think around March 20?” — so have your DVR ready to go this week! Although the soap is keeping details regarding her storyline under wraps, Budig revealed on Twitter that she’s sharing scenes with Rick Hearst (Ric), and executive producer Frank Valentini described the “killer” character as “a real spitfire.” Stay tuned, because we hear her top-secret role is a doozy!…

Emmy Is Back On TV! After last year’s disastrous Internet-only stream, the Daytime Emmy Awards are returning to broadcast television! The 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will air live on Sunday, April 26, at 8 p.m. EST on Pop, from the historic Warner Bros. Studio lot on Stage 16, home to blockbuster . lms like Casablanca, Batman and Jurassic Park. The multi-year deal that the National Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences has reached with the re-branded TV Guide Network, which runs same-day broadcasts of THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS and B&B nightly, is a perfect fit. “The synergy is right,” David Michaels, senior vice-president of the Daytime Emmy Awards, tells In Depth. “This is a new beginning, starting with the venue. We’re bringing back Hollywood glamour to the show.…

FRIDAY MARCH 20 JJ has a chance to be in the spotlight on Monday, March 16, and two of his biggest fans show up. What will happen when Paige finds JJ and Eve together on Tuesday, March 17? Will has figured out Tori’s secret on Wednesday, March 18, and decides to confront Paul’s mom with what he knows! Hoping to save his marriage, Will plays dirty on Thursday, March 19! How will his actions impact his reunion with Sonny on Friday, March 20? THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS will be pre-empted on Thursday, March 19, and Friday, March 20, for CBS Sports’ coverage of March Madness.…

Fans of GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Alexis and Julian rejoiced when their couple finally got together, although that development was followed almost immediately by the revelation that Olivia is carrying his baby. Of course, the complication we’re really interested in here involves the huge issue which tore Julexis apar t before and has not since been eradicated: his career choice. With the Mob wars heating up once again (see the In Depth Cover Story on page 26 for details), and Julian determined to take over Sonny’s territories we can’t help but assume that Alexis has more reason than ever to be worried about the impact of his “work” upon her family. Let’s not forget, she and Molly are still living with Sam thanks to the fact that their lake house was blown…

The Spinelli/Maxie/Nathan triangle is an interesting one for GH in that it involves two different pairs which each make sense. Nathan and Spinelli are both great guys, and each would be a valid choice for Maxie. It’s a far cry from the days when Nathan’s “competition” was Levi, whom we were trained to hate from the moment he appeared. • As much as we wanted to cheer Nikolas for banishing Helena to Cassadine Island, we couldn’t help but hope she manages to make her way back to Por t Charles. Nobody does better commentary on the town or its citizenry, as when she told Liz, “I have lost all interest I might ever have had in your hum-drum life!” YOU WIN SOME GH’s Jake finally remembered who he was… YOU…

During the collapse of The Underground , THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS fans heard three words they never thought they’d hear Victor utter: “C’mon, Jack — live!” Of course, having revived his enemy with CPR, The Mustache rever ted back to form when he sighed — albeit in relief — “The bastard’s alive!” While Jack was surprised to find himself still breathing thanks to the efforts of his rival, Victor was quick to downplay his noble action. “The people I care about care about you,” he told Jack gruffly. “You honestly think I’d let you die?” Throughout the years, Victor and Jack have both tried to destroy each other. The fact that in this time of crisis, Victor refused to let Jack die spoke volumes about this complex relationship that…

There was no hiding behind oversized pocketbooks or potted plants for these mothers. Like Lisa LoCicero (Olivia) is currently doing, these GHers got to play out their o. -screen pregnancies on screen. Why not have some pickles and ice cream… and a stroll down Memory Lane? Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth): When the actress was expecting daughter Ella in 2004, her character was carrying Zander’s son, Cameron. Six years later, as Herbst anticipated son Emerson’s arrival, Elizabeth played out a “Who’s the daddy?” storyline with half brothers Lucky and Nikolas. Robin Christopher (ex-Skye): Although this ALL MY CHILDREN vixen (supposedly) couldn’t carry a baby to term, she managed to give birth to Lila Rae in 2006 — and her portrayer’s daughter, Gianna Maria, played the part. Genie Francis (ex-Laura): August 1994 was…

Every now and then, Port Charles turns out a law-abiding citizen who fights crime rather than promotes it! This tall, dark and handsome leading man proved that! Do you remember his name? How about if we give you a few clues… 1. As a problematic kid in Brooklyn, he was taken under the wing of a cop who later became known as an evil stepfather. 2. Before Spinelli came along, this character tossed around nicknames for others like Candy Boy and Quarterbrain. 3. When a friend of his died in an explosion, he took in the teenage son that she’d put up for adoption years earlier. 4. One year at the Nurses Ball, he took to the other side of the law to croon “Jailhouse Rock.” 5. After a crooked…

One could easily assume the only thing THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter) does when he’s not in front of the camera is hit the gym in preparation for his next shirtless scene. In fact, you’re just as likely to find this hunky actor at his computer, typing up his latest script for the soap! Saint-Victor has written several episodes of B&B that have aired so far this year, and, with the blessing of headwriter and executive producer Bradley Bell, he’s eager to try his hand at writing more! FYIFYIFYIFYI Birthday: June 4. His Hometown: Rockland County, NY. Keeping It All Straight: The actor admits that it can be a challenge to keep the storyline he’s currently taping separate in his head from the future episodes he’s writing.…

During its 1975-’89 run, this two-time Daytime Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series set itself apar t from the pack with its breathtaking realism. (Unless you count the storyline in which a heroine was believed to be the reincarnation of an Egyptian mummy. ) Whether the subject was relationships or religion, RH wasn’t afraid to go there — and go there with a brutal honesty that was as much a shock as it was a thrill. And since lately Ilene Kristen has been reprising her role of the sudser’s foremost vixen, Delia Reid Ryan Ryan Coleridge, on GH, perhaps her former leading man, Ron Hale (seen last as GH’s Mike) could be lured out of retirement to head up a new Coleridge clan as his beloved former character, handsy Dr.…

So far, EMPIRE has bitch-slapped us with a murder we never saw coming , a hi t that n e v e r should’ve been ordered (much less executed), a secret lesbian love affair, a textbook case of Oedipus complex, Courtney freakin’ Love and enough blistering one-liners to make Alexis Carrington Colby clutch her pearls. And Fox’s hip-hop soap opera (airing Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST) is just getting warmed up. Can you handle what’s coming next? Read on and find out, as Soaps In Depth gets the 411 straight from the series’ creators and stars… My Three Sons While Lucious seems to be backing immature Hakeem to take over the titular empire, and Cookie is pulling for sensitive Jamal, neither of them seems too terribly keen on Machiavellian Andre…

Q:Which of your co-stars would make a great preschool teacher? Dominic Zamprogna (Dante, GH) “Lisa LoCicero (Olivia), for sure. I’ve seen her with my own kids. She sits there and reads to them, but she doesn’t just read; she describes what’s happening in the pictures, as well. I’m not as good as her at that.” Christian Jules LeBlanc (Michael, Y&R) “Joshua Morrow (Nick). He’s like the ‘Kid Whisperer.’ He has a wonderful way with kids.” John J. York (Mac, GH) “Finola Hughes (Anna). She’s smart and bright and really loves children. And she’s . rm.” Molly Burnett (Melanie, DAYS) “Missy Reeves (Jennifer). She’s such a sweetheart and such a little nugget! She would be a phenomenal preschool teacher.” Parry Shen (Brad, GH) “Jason Thompson (Patrick). He’s really good with kids.…

GAINED CUSTODY Michael, of Avery RENAMED Avery became Avery Jerome Quartermaine — aka A.J.! HOSPITALIZED The “late” Ava Spencer MEMORIALIZED The “late” Ava, at Ryan’s Bar DYING The supposedly-already-dead Ava CHARGES DROPPED Jake was set free after agreeing to go undercover for the PCPD. Nina was released from Shadybrook but didn’t wanna be, so… INSTITUTIONALIZED Nina went back to Shadybrook. Luke checked into Shadybrook, too. ESCAPED Luke, slippery devil that he is! REVEALED Nina and Franco were faking insanity but not their mutual affection. DISCOVERED Spinelli found an old address for Pat Spencer. (Thanks, Google!) KISSED Spinelli and Maxie FELL ILL Georgie…

The winner! 15% 85% Colorful Carpet Some thought the aqua gown really complimented Tika Sumpter’s (Layla, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) skin tone, but the overwhelming majority voted in favor of the hot pink number with the simpler neckline (and the cute bob!). The winner! 19% 81% It’s The Tops! GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Finola Hughes (Anna) paired black slacks with these different tops, and while some liked the white one with the cap sleeves, the more casual halter top came out the clear winner because they thought she looked gorgeous in the color! What Were They Thinking? It looks like Elizabeth Harnois (Sarah, ALL MY CHILDREN) didn’t have time to get ready for this event, since this “dress” looks more like a satin bathrobe she threw on when she got out of…