Table of contents for October 22, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: Was the kiss just a kiss… or something more? That is what Jason and Sam have to decide before they can move forward. When they try and talk things through, Sam admits that she has one big fear, and it regards his dangerous lifestyle. “In the past, this wasn’t an issue for them,” says co-headwriter Shelly Altman. “But his ‘death’ changed everything. She would never ask him to change or expect him to. But she doesn’t ever want to go through that again. So the question is, can Sam go on that ride again with Jason?” Hearing her concerns, Jason has an unexpected response. “He is surprisingly philosophical,” says Altman. “He makes the old argument that either of them could walk out of the apartment and…

The In Depth Story: “Donna is back!” the actress cheered on Twitter once the news broke. “So excited for this new adventure! I can’t wait to find out my storyline.” Gareis was a B&B mainstay as the middle Logan sister from 2006 (when she took over the role first played by Carrie Mitchum) to 2015. While the actress has been focused on raising her two young children in the years since, she has come back every now and then as Donna attended events like holiday gatherings and family weddings. Most recently, Gareis appeared during niece Hope’s August nuptials and sister Katie’s September wedding. The actress’ first air date as a contract player will be in mid-October.…

The In Depth Story: While on-screen nemesis Laura Wright (Carly) admits that she was “bummed” to see her battle with Nelle come to a close, she kept the faith that Carly and Michael would cross with the schemer again. “I look at it like this: They didn’t kill her off… so maybe she’s our next Heather!” the actress quips to Soaps In Depth, referencing Franco’s nutty mother, who sporadically reappears in Port Charles. “Chloe’s too great, and it’s just too fun.” Chad Duell, whose Michael is still in the dark that his psycho ex swapped their veryalive son, Jonah, with Brad’s ill-fated newborn, Wiley, had a allso r remained hopeful that there would be more to come. “We had some great story,” he raves. “Chloe plays that kind of role…

STATUS With Valerie now promoted to detective and partnered with Chase, many GH viewers are hoping that means portrayer Brytni Sarpy will become a more regular part of the canvas. The actress has sporadically popped in and out of Port Charles ever since she was dropped to recurring status last year. But after losing both Nathan and Dante this year, the PCPD could certainly use an extra detective to help newcomer Chase and Commissioner Ashford solve all those crimes! While GH is remaining mum on how much more we’ll see of Valerie, horror fans won’t want to miss Sarpy’s newest thriller, Karma, hitting SyFy on Saturday, October 13, at 9 p.m. EST, as part of the cable network’s 31 Days Of Halloween programming. “It’s gonna be a good one,” Sarpy…

Kim is ready to do whatever it takes to help Oscar, and on Tuesday, October 9, that includes taking desperate measures! But that same day, her son is looking to make a few changes in his life. To that end, he starts the day with someone rather unexpected on Wednesday, October 10. Meanwhile, Oscar’s father spends Monday, October 15, thinking over a decision he’s recently made. This introspective turn continues for Drew on Wednesday, October 17. And apparently, all that thinking results in a little action, because he makes an important choice on Friday, October 19! But he’s not alone in that regard, because on Monday, October 22, Josslyn implements a new plan.…

After Brooke blasts Ridge upon discovering his manipulation of Judge McMullen on Tuesday, October 9, Steffy spends Wednesday, October 10, questioning him about why things are so tense between him and his wife. Imagine Steffy’s surprise when she witnesses an intimate moment between Brooke and Bill on Thursday, October 11! Katie’s equally flabbergasted when Brooke reveals Ridge’s role in the custody hearing’s results. It all leads up to Monday, October 15, when it looks as if Brooke and Ridge’s marriage might just be in trouble as they hurl accusations at one another!…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Do you think Kiki is Nina’s daughter? Fans definitely believed the two women to be connected… and some suspect that Sasha is a complete fraud! This issue’s question... Would you rather see Maxie with Michael or Peter? Reader Reaction: 60% DEFINITELY! 40% DEFINITELY NOT! TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 2 Sam McCall & Drew Cain 3 Liz Webber & Franco Baldwin 4 Laura & Kevin Collins 5 Sam McCall & Jason Morgan TOP 10 COUPLES  (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Last Issue : 7 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome, GH 2 Last Issue : 4 Sam McCall & Drew Cain, GH 3 Last Issue : 3 Lily & Cane Ashby, Y&R 4 Last Issue : 1 Elizabeth…

GH Hot Topic: Ryan’s Return From the moment GENERAL HOSPITAL let us glimpse the person in the padded room next to the one occupied by Carly, it was basically inevitable that Ryan would wind up wandering the streets of Port Charles. And on a certain level, that predictability is problematic. Yet as soon as Jon Lindstrom’s Ryan was unleashed to interact with the locals, the situation got interesting. Would Lucy, Felicia and others notice the difference? And of course, the wild card waiting to be played was Kevin’s missing wife Laura. What better time to bring Genie Francis back to the canvas than after replacing her alter ego’s husband with his evil twin, thus assuring that the beloved veteran would immediately be involved in big story? Truth be told, we…

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS certainly created a lot of buzz when Victor confronted J.T. in a dark alley, only to have his tormenter rip off a mask, revealing that Nick was behind everything! “I knew J.T. would be coming back, but didn’t know I would be impersonating him,” confesses Nick’s portrayer, Joshua Morrow. “They did tell me that Nick was going to make this big turn and get himself back in the corporate world and be cutthroat. I was like, ‘Great!’ “Then a few weeks later, [executive producer/headwriter] Mal [Young] was like, ‘Oh, just so you know, you’re going to be J.T.,’” he adds with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Wait… what?’ At that point, I don’t know if they knew how they were going to totally do it,…

When most of us experience an identity crisis, we wonder who we might be if we didn’t have our jobs, our families or our friends to define us. But on the soaps from ABC Daytime, identity crises have been taken to whole other levels. Sometimes characters have taken on aliases — at times unwittingly, for Pete’s sake! — that made their lives even more complicated and confusing than they already were (and let’s be real: Their lives were already complicated and confusing — they’re soap characters!). In the pages that follow, Soaps In Depth reviews four particularly curious cases that make us pretty glad we’ve got only one persona to put forth. GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Ned/Eddie Usually, it’s the high-priced call girls who shed their regular workwear in favor of something,…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Heather Tom (Katie) has a reputation for being one smart cookie, which is why we were hoping to stump her when it came time to quiz the actress on her character’s storied past. Could the Emmy winner remember arcane facts from Katie’s history? Can you? Compare your answers to Tom’s to determine if you’re a true Katie Logan connoisseur! What neighborhood did Katie grow up in? HEATHER TOM: “I want to say Van Nuys?” INCORRECT! Sherman Oaks. (She was pretty close, though!) What is Katie’s middle name? TOM: “Ehhh… middle name? I don’t know! Katherine Caroline? I have no clue. What is it?” INCORRECT! Elizabeth (after Beth). When you first joined the show, Katie came to town for a wedding. Whose wedding, and what did…

Anthony Geary (ex-Luke, GH) “Susan Brown was the first actor I ever worked with in daytime. She played my foster mother in my first soap opera, BRIGHT PROMISE. I had never been on the set of a soap before and, like every daytime newbie, I was overwhelmed by the speed of the process. This was 1970. My first six months or so, the show was ‘live to tape.’Which meant, once we were counted in and the cameras rolled, we only stopped long enough for commercials, which were inserted from a studio in New York (we were at NBC in Burbank). There was no stopping to re-do mistakes or fix performances that weren’t working. If there were mistakes made or someone ‘went up’ — forgot their lines or missed a move…

Her Recent Vacation: Konefal traveled to the birthplace of John Aniston (Victor) — the Island of Crete (Greece). In Her Closet: “I have too many handbags that I don’t use,” the actress admits. Get Her Lush Hair: “I use a hair masque of egg whites and coconut and olive oil,” she reveals. But to avoid baking the eggs, she advises, “Please take a cold shower!” She Prefers Lying Low: “I’m not a party person,” Konefal admits. “I’m pretty much a grandmother trapped in a 21-year-old’s body.”…

As GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Oscar finally learned that he has cancer, Garren Stitt delivered a performance that was so moving, it earned him this week’s Gold Star. The Slip-Up Cameron’s interest in Josslyn has given Stitt an opportunity to round out his sweet, well-mannered character and show Oscar’s jealous, judgmental side. But all the eye rolls, smirks and attitude quickly fell away once Cameron accused Oscar of lying about having cancer! Clearly baffled, Oscar insisted that he was fine. He seemed both incredulous and defensive — until Cameron explained how he’d jumped to the “wrong” conclusion. Though unable to deny Cameron’s logic, Oscar declared that his parents would certainly have told him if he had cancer… only to realize that they might not have. Swearing his frenemy to secrecy, he rushed…

Tip Of The Hat In this floppy hat and flirty skirt, Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle, GENERAL HOSPITAL) looks like a woman of passion and intrigue! Almost A Toss-Up! The vote between these slinky, red-carpet looks was a mighty close call, but at the end of the day, the more form-fitting black dress narrowly inched out the pink one donned by GH’s former Courtney, Alicia Leigh Willis. What Were They Thinking? From the pattern to the peplum, we’re not a fan of this short, strapless dress on Adrienne Barbeau (ex-Suzanne, GH), who we think would have looked gorgeous in something a bit more sophisticated. Puff Shoulders While the look may harken back to earlier eras in fashion, shoulders with a little extra “oomph” are making a comeback!…

This week, B&B alum Ashleigh Brewer (ex-Ivy) can be seen in HBO’s highly-anticipated original movie, My Dinner With Hervé. Inspired by a true story, the film stars Peter Dinklage as French actor Hervé Villechaize and Jamie Dornan as the struggling reporter who spends one wild night with FANTASY ISLAND’s Tattoo — an evening, as the movie’s tagline claims, that has life-changing consequences for them both. Brewer appears as Villechaize’s second wife, actress Camille Hagen, who was briefly married to the actor in the early 1980s. Ted King (ex-Alcazar, GENERAL HOSPITAL; Tomás, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) also appears as a director. My Dinner With Hervé debuts Saturday, October 20, at 8 p.m. EST.…

IN More than a decade after Farah Fath (Mimi) left DAYS, the actress is back on the canvas this week as Bonnie’s daughter for a shortterm story arc. And Monday, October 8, puts Arianne Zucker back into the action, almost a year to the day after Nicole left Salem and broke Eric’s heart. (For details on the couple’s reunion, turn to News, page 7.) Meanwhile, daytime newcomer Trey Baxter debuts this week as the mystery patient being tended to by Xander and Kristen… who may or may not actually be a verymuch-alive EJ! Finally, look for Kyle Lowder (who played Brady from 2000-’05 before Eric Martsolf took over the role) to debut any day now as Kate and Roman’s son, Rex! “The writers were slightly humorous with the way he…

Felicia has an important announcement to make on Thursday, October 11. That same day, Griffin moves beyond the past in order to focus on the future. While Nina is dealing with regrets on Friday, October 12, Alexis is enjoying a lunch date with Sam. Kiki comes up with an idea on Tuesday, October 16, while Ava’s happy to have a new drinking partner! When someone needs lifting up on Wednesday, October 17, Maxie offers encouragement. Alexis and Julian spend a little time together on Thursday, October 18. Jordan has news for Curtis on Friday, October 19. And will Kristina be open to mom Alexis’ attempt to help her on Monday, October 22?…

Bonnie thinks her plan is going great; Mimi, not so much on Monday, October 8! As Kristen and Brady share a rather intimate moment on Tuesday, October 9, John and Marlena find out the whole truth about what went down on the night of their almost-wedding. Brady’s plan to get in good with Kristen seems to be working on Wednesday, October 10. Brady does a bit of sneaking around on Thursday, October 11. And on Friday, October 12, Kristen’s caregiver side is exposed… but who’s her patient?…

After spending the beginning of this year redecorating her new Los Angeles home, painting, knitting, traveling and hanging out with friends in California and Maine, GH legend Genie Francis isn’t just back to work as Laura — she’s already hip-deep in frontburner story! Here, the soap icon, who was signed to GH as a teenager and went on to become a household name, opens up about returning to the fold. Laura’s Expanding World When Francis returned to the GH studio this September, she had no trouble settling back into the show that’s been part of her life, on and off, since 1977. “I feel like I’m in the groove, and it happened quicker than I thought,” she marvels. “It’s funny. That place really doesn’t change. The biggest change for me…

When Dominic Zamprogna exited GENERAL HOSPITAL Dante went undercover with the WSB in the blink of an eye. But Emme Rylan, who plays Lulu, appreciates the farewell that the Falconeris got to have. “They gave us a little moment, and it felt like that moment was honest,” she says. “We went into the scenes as Dante and Lulu, and at some point, halfway through, we were crying as ourselves and saying good-bye to each other. I was crying so much, I couldn’t even say the lines during blocking!” While she’d love to see Zamprogna recur on occasion, Rylan’s keeping an open mind. “Could I be a bigger hypocrite than if I said, ‘Oh my God, don’t recast!’?” chuckles the actress, who’s taken over three soap roles, including this one. “It’s…

Buckle Up! I love Ryan’s return to the GH canvas. The original serial killer storyline was amazing, and Jon Lindstrom is absolutely killing the sequel (pun intended). I am worried for everyone who knew Ryan back then. And Laura? She’s going to quickly notice that something isn’t right with “Kevin,” and that’s going to be crazy. Leslee Myers Nevius via Soaps In Depth Facebook page Clearly Not A Fan What are you doing, GH? You’ve got so many angles to explore and this is what you’ve come up with? This is what Genie Francis (Laura) is returning to? Give me a break. Alison Amanda Watson via Soaps In Depth Facebook page Pure Gold! I love it when they mine history like this. I prefer remembering history instead of forgetting it.…

Birthdate: February 8. Parental Control: “I had such a deep respect for my own dad, it always bothered me when Nick acted disrespectful to Victor,” the actor admits. “And I’m so close to Eric [Braeden]. But I get it. Nick always fought Victor’s control.” Emotional Moments: Morrow loves playing the ruthless businessman, but he also loves acting with Nick’s kids, Alyvia Alyn Lind (Faith), Robert Adamson (Noah), Camryn Grimes (Mariah) and Hunter King (Summer). “They just mean everything to me!”…

My favorite days at work are the ones when I get to… “Commute to work with Wesley Ramsey,” who plays Peter and is her real-life boyfriend. My first day, I remember thinking… “‘Oh my God, they’re spending this much money on special effects?’ I showed up during the train crash, remember? And I had just left [my role of Cassie on] GUIDING LIGHT, where we didn’t even have a dress rehearsal. We were going straight to tape. There were certainly no big stunts anymore. But GH was going till midnight and doing scenes over 10 times. It was a shock.” When I get to work, the first thing I do is… “Go to the green room to make myself a cup of Earl Grey tea. Then I go to hair…

Ciara’s portrayer wasn’t one of those kids who had to be home-schooled in order to pursue their dreams. Rather, she attended the renowned Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School Of Music & Art And Performing Arts, where her talents were both encouraged and celebrated. “I hate the idea that the educational system in America stifles creativity,” she shares. “I’m very blessed to have gone there.” Amongst her favorite experiences was being taught by actress Ally Sheedy. “She came to the school, fell in love with us and volunteered to teach,” Konefal reveals. “She was in The Breakfast Club, for crying out loud. Oh my gosh!” While the young woman learned many valuable things there, one piece of advice from a freshman-year instructor stuck with her most: “‘Move like a blade of…

PSST! PRETTY LITTLE LIARS fans will have to wait till 2019 to see GH’s Hayley Erin (Kiki) in the Freeform spin-off THE PERFECTIONISTS, but production is already underway! “It’s still super surreal,” Erin raved of her top-secret role when In Depth spoke with her over the summer. “It’s in the same universe as LIARS, but it’s a whole new cast and a whole new mystery.” Once the pilot was shot back in March, THE PERFECTIONISTS’ writers started plotting the second episode in September — and Erin expected to begin shooting in Portland sometime this month. At press time, there was no word on how GH would handle her absence, but the actress told In Depth over the summer that she hoped to juggle both series.…

IN DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Stefan will (temporarily) have a different look next spring when GH alum Brandon Barash (ex-Johnny) fills in for former Port Charles co-star Tyler Christopher (ex-Nikolas) on the NBC soap. As first reported by Daytime Confidential, Christopher suddenly stepped away from DAYS on September 13 for “personal reasons,” and Barash began taping the following week. There’s been no indication as to how long Christopher will be gone or the reason for his departure.…

SEEING STARS…

… or do you find yourself intrigued by the possibility of a Maxie/Michael pairing? Their interactions have been rather limited in the past, but the recent scenes in which they bonded over James (as well as Michael’s mourning of Jonah) definitely grabbed our attention. And certainly, the single parents will have even more things to connect over once Michael inevitably finds out his son is actually alive. Obviously, the show spent a lot of time over the past year trying to set up a Maxie/Peter connection, but a big swath of the audience isn’t buying it. So why not give longtime favorites Maxie and Michael a try? It certainly seems like an option worth exploring!…

“I’m not interested in Lulu playing anything romantic for a really long time… not until she’s ready,” Rylan insists. But if a new man’s in the cards, she’s got a surprising suggestion. “When I watch TV, I love when characters hate each other… and then they fall in love. That’s one of my favorite ways. I love the conflict, and ‘I hate you’ is so close to ‘I love you.’ And the only one that would maybe work with would be Valentin! We kind of hate each other, but we’ve got this kid together. And I can’t get enough of working with James Patrick Stuart (Valentin), Scarlett Fernandez (Charlotte) and Michelle Stafford (Nina). James is freaking amazing, and it sure as hell would be fun to fight with Michelle!”…

Mama Mia GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Maura West isn’t big on giving advice, per se, but on-screen daughter, Hayley Erin (Kiki), can attest that the Emmy winner is a much better role model then Ava! “It’s not about Maura specifically telling me how to do things, but just getting to work with a phenomenal actress, you’re going to pick things up,” she explains. “I see what she does! I get my scenes and I read them through, but part of the fun of working with Maura is I can read the words on the page… but I never know what I’m actually going to get when we get to set! There’s something about her honesty and interpretation of the material that’s so interesting and fascinating. So I’ve definitely learned just from watching…

This isn’t the first time fans have witnessed a more ruthless Nick. In 2016, Y&R produced a fantasy episode in which Nikki was down on her luck and begging for money from her son, who’d taken over Newman Enterprises. Rather than give it to his mom, Nick sneered at her misfortune and kicked her out! “My original thought when I got this storyline was maybe that [scene] was its genesis,” says Morrow. “I always thought Nick should have been like this all along, but then they brought on the Adam character, and there’s only room for one guy like that. Nick had to be the antithesis of Adam!”…

Nathan Fillion may have come a long way from his early days as ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Joey Buchanan, but he still lists the soap on his resumé and credits the experience for his success. “It was an incredibly safe, wonderful place to learn at an incredibly intense rate from people who have been in the business 35 years,” shares the former CASTLE star. “I was bumping elbows with the best.” Loyal To Llanview In his new ABC series, THE ROOKIE (premiering Tuesday, October 16, at 10 p.m. EST), Fillion plays John Nolan, a middle-aged man who, as he puts it, is “looking for a way to matter.” When John is inadvertently caught up in a bank robbery, he finds it. “He is faced with a moment where he can…

Susan Brown hasn’t been seen in Port Charles since 2004, but in the wake of her August 31 passing, it’s clear that the beauty who brought Gail Baldwin to life is still cherished by her GENERAL HOSPITAL family. In fact, Kin Shriner (Scott), Leslie Charleson (Monica) and Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie) can still recall their first experiences with the late actress. “In 1977, Gail came to Greenwich Village to get young Scotty, because she wanted to reunite him with Lee,” Shriner says. “So Susan was the first person I worked with on GH, and it was certainly the best way to come onto a soap. She kind of shepherded me right through the whole thing.” Brown had joined GH earlier that year — armed with 20 years of TV experience —…

Via her association with supposedly reformed serial killer Ben Weston, DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Ciara learned the hard way that a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous. “She had that internship in Shady Hills, so she learned a little bit about psychology and how the human brain works — she was really holding on to that,” the young woman’s portrayer, Victoria Konefal, reflects. Even though she’d seen him lose his cool when they were in the cabin, Ciara believed that “she understood him and wasn’t afraid of him… She was confident that he wouldn’t hurt her.” The Truth Really Hurt That, however, was before evidence (conveniently) surfaced which seems to indicate Ben may have done exactly that! “It rocks her world in terms of her outlook on life,” Konefal…

When most folks start looking to adopt a dog, they’re all about the adorable puppies. But Eden Mc-Coy, in addition to playing Josslyn on GENERAL HOSPITAL, attends a full-time high school and is also a serious competitor on the beach volleyball scene. “Because of our busy schedule, we didn’t have a lot of time to train a puppy, so we wanted a senior citizen dog under 10 lbs.,” says the actress, who scoured dog adoption sites last year until, at last, her mother, Natasha, texted her Poké’s picture. The second McCoy saw the message, she asked her mom to go rescue that dog from O.C. Animal Care immediately — before someone else could! Poké had been found roaming the street of Fullerton, CA, so when they brought her home last…

Vernee Watson (Stella, GH) “Maurice Benard (Sonny). He’s just a funny man. I mean, he doesn’t seem to be that way, because he always looks so serious, but we had a lot of time to spend together at the Nurses Ball. Me, him and Max Gail (Mike) were at that table for a week, and we had such fun. He had us cracking up!” Camila Banus (Gabi, DAYS) “Eric Martsolf (Brady). He just brightens my day. Whatever the situation may be, he always brings a smile to my face. He’s down for anything; he’s down for adventure. He’s just a good, solid guy.” Melissa Ordway (Abby, Y&R) “Joshua Morrow (Nick), of course! He always has a prank that he’s doing or there is something going on with him. He’s hilarious!”…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL As a result of being blackmailed by Ridge, Judge McMullen ruled in Katie’s favor in her custody suit against Bill. After overhearing a conversation she wasn’t meant to, Brooke paid the judge a surprise visit to get answers. Ridge was later stunned by the ferocity of Brooke’s outburst when he made a dig at Bill’s expense. Emma’s jealousy got the better of her while watching Xander and Zoe interact. Realizing no one had heard from Bill following the judge’s ruling, Liam and Wyatt worried about their dad. Bill later paid a visit to Liam and Kelly. Sally fulfilled a promise to Wyatt by modeling some lingerie for him. Sneak Preview  A father and his daughter vow to be there for one another, no matter what.…