Table of contents for March 12, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: After six years in Genoa City, Melissa Claire Egan takes her final bow as grifter-turned-businesswoman Chelsea this week. In a heartfelt farewell message to her fans, ALL MY CHILDREN’s Annie wrote, “I love this show [and this genre] so very much, and am so grateful to this amazing crew and cast, especially my beyond wonderful Josh Morrow (Nick).” Additionally, Robert Adamson (Noah) is also saying farewell to Y&R — for now — as his alter ego heads out of Genoa City for a while. According to an insider, Victor will offer his grandson a job in a Newman office overseas, allowing Noah to lick his wounds after discovering that his girlfriend, Tessa, shared a kiss with his sister, Mariah! Meanwhile, Melissa Ordway (Abby), who has been…

NATHAN: The late, great detective was more than a partner to Det. Falconeri — he was a brother in arms and his best friend, conveniently married to Dante’s wife’s bestie. RONNIE: Dante’s NYPD lieutenant-turned-PCPD partner framed him for attacking local strippers… only to confess himself and get killed trying to run from his crimes. DELORES: On the hunt for her sister’s killer, this detective played fast and loose with the law, saw her ex wrongly accused and helped uncover Ronnie’s guilt before returning to Manhattan. MCBAIN: After taking down his sister’s killer, this brooding Llanview transplant worked side by side with Dante… until he almost went down for his crazy look-alike’s crimes. VALERIE: Dante took seriously his role in helping his estranged wife’s newfound cousin become a cop — being…

PSST! When Wes Ramsey started auditioning for GH late last year, he had no idea that media guru Peter August would wind up being Faison’s previously-unheard-of son, Henrik! “It wasn’t supposed to be that,” the actor reveals. “It started out as a smaller role and throughout the course of a few weeks, grew into something else. By the time it all worked out, this character seemed quite substantial.” Still, Ramsey was initially kept in the dark about his character’s secret past, telling us as recently as November that Peter was a “genuinely good” guy! But now that we’ve seen Peter’s true colors, the actor — who years ago played GUIDING LIGHT’s Sam opposite real-life love Laura Wright (Carly; then GL’s Cassie) — continues to have high hopes for his latest…

Kiki learns on Wednesday, February 28, that not everything is as it seems, while Scotty finds a way to put aside his differences where a former rival is concerned on Thursday, March 1. While Sam and Drew are chaperoning an event on Friday, March 2, she winds up crossing paths with Jason. In fact, by Monday, March 5, she has to turn to her ex-husband for help! Jason winds up in a terribly precarious position on Wednesday, March 7. Sam reveals that she’s ready to do what comes next on Friday, March 9, while Liz can’t help being grateful to Jason on that same day.…

Lily wonders if Devon might be falling under Hilary’s spell again on Monday, February 26. (Given the rocky history between the ladies, something tells us Lily’s not exactly rooting for them to reunite!) Victoria turns to Reed for answers about J.T.’s past on Tuesday, February 27. Nick is finally clued in to a shocking secret on Wednesday, February 28. Nikki can’t help but wonder what Victor is up to on Thursday, March 1. Finally, Jack and Ashley may have to put aside their recent feud and come together to deal with a crisis on Friday, March 2!…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Who do you think should be elected mayor: Alexis or Ned? Fans didn’t think that Ned’s business sense translated into political sense, but that didn’t seem to matter to Port Charles voters! This issue’s question… Do you like Finn better paired with Anna or Alexis? Reader Reaction: 79% ALEXIS 21% NED TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Elizabeth Webber & Franco Baldwin 2 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 3 Carly & Sonny Corinthos 4 Sam & Drew Cain 5 Sam Cain & Jason Morgan TOP 5 ACTORS (as voted by Soaps In Depth readers) 1 Last Issue: 1 Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) 2 Last Issue: 4 Roger Howarth (Franco, GH) 3 Last Issue: 2 Steve Burton (Jason, GH) 4 Last Issue: 2 William deVry (Julian, GH)…

While Kiki’s romantic life is a mess, she’s finally found her passion professionally. “The medical-school story has changed her world, entirely,” Erin notes. “She’s come so far, and it all happened so quickly. She’s very self-deprecating when it comes to her intelligence, so she can’t even believe it herself.” But, like many viewers, Erin’s not sure what to make of the attention James DePaiva’s Dr. Bensch has paid Kiki. “There’s something very fatherly and paternal… but is something else going on?” she wonders. “Whatever the story is, I can’t complain. James is awesome to work with. He’s cool and talented — and he tells great stories! How lucky am I!”…

This GENERAL HOSPITAL cad was as bad as he was smooth. But did he make a big enough impression on you for his name to be stuck in your memory? Let’s find out what happens if we drop a few clues! 1. Ned’s college pal wormed his way into ELQ by getting the company in trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency and then offering a fix. 2. The con man exposed coconspirator Katherine Bell after she made the mistake of falling for their mark, Scotty Baldwin. 3. This dirtbag bedded Bobbie Jones and ruined her marriage to Tony— all to win a bet! 4. When Laura wouldn’t sell this second-generation mobster the land he wanted, he burned down the Ward House orphanage, only to die in the fire. 5. Laura…

As evidenced by their most recent nuptials, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Ridge and Brooke are nothing if not persistent. Still, after three decades, it’s difficult to decide whether their onagain/off-again romance is a case of destiny or merely an old habit they still haven’t managed to kick. For Thorsten Kaye (Ridge), the fact that this couple has attempted to make a go of it more times than he can count on two hands definitely makes him question their logic in giving it yet another try. “It’s hard to justify marrying someone that many times,” he acknowledges. At the same time, the actor is well aware of how important the legacy of their love affair is. “I think they are probably more in love now than they were 30 years…

So far, what viewers know about DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Eli is that he’s bright but also as hardheaded as he is hard-bodied. However, with his second year in Salem beginning, more will be revealed. “There are a lot of layers that we haven’t gotten to, but I think with the storyline that’s going on right now with Lani being pregnant, you’ll see a lot more of Eli,” the detective’s portrayer, Lamon Archey, previews. “It’ll provide more of an idea of where he’s coming from with his background about being lied to [about] his father.” History Repeating? Indeed, just the idea of becoming a dad himself is “extremely important to Eli,” Archey offers. But that doesn’t mean that he’s in any hurry to have the experience now. “Lani told him…

In the wake of Nathan’s death, a host of GENERAL HOSPITAL players shone. While many suffered the loss, however, Lulu also grappled with her guilt… and then became the target of Maxie’s blame! As the reporter tried to defend herself against her best friend’s rage, portrayer Emme Rylan embraced her character’s conflicted grief to win this week’s highly competitive Gold Star. Tears And Accusations Instead of being by Maxie’s side, as expected, Lulu was among the first guests to arrive at Nathan’s funeral. She quietly shrugged that Maxie hadn’t wanted to see anybody, but at the gravesite, she quickly realized her bestie might have been avoiding her in particular. Teary-eyed, Lulu finally got to offer her support and apologize for Maxie’s loss, only to be told “You should be sorry……

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL After seeing the ultrasound image of their unborn child, Steffy and Liam had a rare moment of celebration. Ridge made peace with Thorne by gifting him with a family heirloom — and a chance to collaborate on the Hope For The Future campaign with Hope. Though Katie enjoyed making out with Thorne, she and Wyatt later came to the realization that their romance had wrongly gotten off track. They decided the time had come to have a serious conversation with Bill about their relationship Meanwhile, Sally took Bill to task for reneging on his offer to do right by Spectra, only to be stunned by the news that Liam and Steffy were expecting a baby. Hope, too, was forced to stifle her feelings when Liam…

IN GH’s comedic caretakers, Sonya Eddy (Epiphany) and Marc Anthony Samuel (Felix), are back in action this week! While Epiphany made some rounds recently, Felix has been MIA since Franco’s September art show. But Soaps In Depth hears the two will actually share scenes this week. Could they be attending pal Elizabeth’s wedding? (For more on that big event, turn to the Cover Story, page 24.) “Time for a work trip to see my Port Charles family,” Samuel Instagrammed earlier this month. That post was followed by some fun photos from the set of his other drama, LADIES OF THE LAKE. The Amazon series — which stars a host of familiar daytime faces like Kathleen Gati (Obrecht), Lilly Melgar (ex-Lily) and Marie Wilson (Karen, PORT CHARLES) — is set to…

When Vivian approaches Victor on Monday, February 26, she suggests that they form an “unconventional partnership.” But it doesn’t take long for things to spiral out of control, with Vivian and Kate having a verbal throwdown on Tuesday, February 27. By Wednesday, February 28, Vivian has clearly pushed one of her enemies too far, thus explaining someone threatening her life! When on Thursday, March 1, she and Stefan have an honest conversation about the night of Andre’s murder, will the truth at last be revealed?…

OUR TAKE GH Hot Topic: A Hero’s Death Heartbreaking. Soul-crushing. Gut-wrenching. Thanks to beautiful scripts and powerful performances, the passing of GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Det. Nathan West was incredibly difficult to watch. With Kirsten Storms’ Maxie at the center of it all, each of the players involved brought their character’s pain to the screen. Any viewer who’s lost someone could relate — so we certainly hope no one tried to watch without a box of tissues handy! While the episodes themselves were gorgeously crafted, this difficult loss only opens up the canvas. In choosing to kill off one of the town’s legitimately good guys instead of recasting or leaving him in a coma, the GH scribes have given themselves a wealth of story to dig into. Even while sobbing along with…

racey E. Bregman was hired to play Lauren on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS for only a few months. “Now 35 years later, it’s still good!” laughs the beauty. Soaps In Depth caught up with the daytime vet for a primer on Lauren’s — and Bregman’s — history on the show! “I was the original mean girl,” remembers Bregman. “And it was so hard to be mean to Beth Maitland (Traci)! Our characters fought over Michael Damian (ex-Danny). It was a huge love triangle.” “I loved working with John [McCook, Eric, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL] except he is so hilariously funny, by the time we shot the scene, my face would be squidgy from laughing so hard!” says the Emmy winner, who shared the screen with Y&R’s former Lance…

OLTL’s Viki went through many men over the years, but her relationship with Tina was much more enduring. “As far as I knew, Tina was my godchild, and I was very protective of her,” Slezak says in character. “And then, of course, we found out that she was my half sister.” The actress recalls Viki watching Tina grow up, beginning with when she’d moved in as a teenager. “She became manipulative and turned into something that Viki had no control over… because of her parentage, probably,” Slezak recalls. “But I think Viki always had a soft heart for Tina, even when they were angry with each other.” Of course, that depended a lot on who was writing the show at the time and on which actress was playing Tina. “Krista…

The jury is still out as to whether DAYS’ Eli is any good at taking advice, but his portrayer will attempt to dish it out in the upcoming series ENGAGED. “It’s about two friends who are living together and have unexpectedly gotten engaged, fallen in love, and are now having issues trying to figure their way out of things,” Archey explains. “I play a psychiatrist who is trying to help them.” Currently in production, the project has yet to be sold. “I think I’ll be in three episodes,” he reveals. “Hopefully it’ll get picked up. Fingers crossed!” When not participating in the independent projects of others, the actor enjoys creating his own. “I actually wrote a full-length film — we’re in the middle of rewrites,” he confides. “So that’ll be…

In a ceremony held earlier this month, GH was honored with the Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Writing In A Daytime Drama for the third consecutive year! The submission period for the awards is for storyline from December 2016 through November 2017, so while former co-headwriter Jean Passanante was still at the helm alongside Shelly Altman at that time, the team accepting the award also included current co-headwriter Chris Van Etten, who was promoted upon Passanante’s retirement last July. GH bested DAYS OF OUR LIVES — the only other soap in the daytime drama category — with the emotional tale of Morgan’s tragic death. “You submit three episodes, and they only read them,” explains Altman. “They don’t actually watch them. And you don’t vote on your own category, so it…

The In Depth Story: N athan’s death is still weighing heavily on Dante, and now the PCPD detective must deal with a by-the-books new partner. “Their difference in styles remains an issue for Chase and Dante, but they are partners,” says GH co-headwriter Shelly Altman. “Eventually, they’re going to have to figure out a way to work together.” Adds co-headwriter Chris Van Etten: “The basic issue between them — even if it’s not spoken — is that Chase isn’t Nathan. Also, Dante is more seasoned than Chase. Chase is newer at this particular aspect of the job, and a bit more zealous.” As for Swickard, the model and SoulCycle instructor previously played the recurring role of muscle-head Todd on Disney Channel’s teencom, LIV AND MADDIE. According to his profile, the…

IN With spring break on the horizon, GH co-headwriter Chris Van Etten recently teased that Brooklyn Rae Silzer will be making a visit to Port Charles. “Hmmm, I wonder what Emma Scorpio-Drake is up to these days… ” he tweeted to the young actress. “I have a feeling we’ll soon find out!” Until then, the young actress can be seen in the heartwarming movie The Storyteller — available for streaming through the Hallmark Movies Now service — alongside Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and Constance Towers (ex-Helena). The family-friendly film is written and directed by Wagner’s brother, Joe Crump.…

Though blissful at being reunited, Katie and Wyatt realize on Monday, February 26, that they have a new hurdle to overcome: Bill, who threatens them on Tuesday, February 27. Sheila watches a tense situation unfold between Bill and Ridge on Wednesday, February 28. Steffy sees red when Liam shows up at Forrester wishing to see not her but Hope on Thursday, March 1. And Friday, March 2, finds Bill going on a rampage as he argues with an ex, fires a trusted employee and makes a move that’s sure to shock his family!…

FYIFYIFYI Instagram Handle: @hayleyerin13. “Mother” Knows Best: Erin says her onscreen mom, West, is inspiring her to “stick up for myself and not take nonsense.” Heading For A Wedding: Though happily engaged, Erin is “not super rushed” to tie the knot. BFFs: Erin calls THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Camryn Grimes (Mariah) her “soulmate.” While GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Hayley Erin was crushed by Kiki and Dillon’s breakup, she has to admit it’s set her character free. “For so long, Kiki was tied to Morgan, and then she jumped right into a relationship with Dillon,” she explains. “This is super crazy, but I’ve never been Single Kiki on the show.” And thanks to the character’s latest broken heart, she’s acting out again. Valentine’s Day saw her drown her sorrows in a bottle…

A New Standard With the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements shaking up Hollywood, the cast of GENERAL HOSPITAL has become a bit more straight-laced. “We’ve always liked to joke and have fun with each other, but since the whole sexual harassment thing, everybody’s being introspective,” reveals James Patrick Stuart (Valentin). “Michelle Stafford (Nina) and I have to watch it, because we can both be as bawdy as the next. That’s part of the fun for us. We have similar comic sensibilities and we both laugh. But now, when someone says something during a take that’s begging for a double entendre, you can’t go there anymore!” Stuart adds that as fun as working on GH is, filming the soap is still a business. “And you don’t know — there might be someone…

GH Elizabeth Taylor Perhaps daytime’s biggest “get” ever was GH’s casting of the late, great Elizabeth Taylor as Helena Cassadine to curse Luke and Laura on the occasion of their 1981 wedding. And, it seemed, the actress was as lovely as her character was hateful: She donated her payday to a couple of Virginia hospitals. PC RuPaul Wonder if RuPaul saw her own reality show in her future when the drag icon passed through PORT CHARLES in 2001 as Lucy Coe’s psychic pal, Madame Alicia. OLTL Little Richard In 1995, Little Richard delivered to ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Bo and Nora Buchanan the rollicking, rock-’n’-roll wedding of their dreams. Thanks to his musical accompaniment, the couple didn’t so much walk down the aisle as boogie down it! GH Milton Berle…

A knock on the door, and in walks newly-minted 15-year-old Garren Stitt (Oscar, GENERAL HOSPITAL), all smiles and ready for an exclusive Studio In Depth photo shoot. Since he’s low-key and polite, at first it seems like he might be camera-shy — but, luckily, that’s not the case at all!…

Q: What’s your favorite birthday memory? Bradford Anderson (Spinelli, GH) “In my adult life, turning 30 was wonderful. My wife and I were still kind of newlyweds, and we got a big car so we could pick everybody up and go to one of our favorite restaurants. The party started in the car, continued into the restaurant and then came back to the car, and I was just with people that were very special to me. I was never a big birthday person, and I don’t plan many parties… but that time, we did it right!” Melissa Ordway (Abby, Y&R) “My 21st birthday! My family and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas. It was a great trip, filled with lots of laughter, sun, dancing and great food!” Patrika…

BONDED Maxie and Peter WORRIED Sonny, over father Mike’s memory issues WON Ned was elected mayor. HOOKED UP Alexis slept with Finn. VISITED Anna turned to Andre for advice. MADE A SCENE Kiki drunk-dialed Dillon and kissed Spinelli. CAUGHT Ava found Kiki and Griffin in what appeared to be (but wasn’t) a compromising position. OVERREACTED Bensch seemed overinvested in Kiki’s break-up with Dillon. ARGUED Sam and Jason, over Danny MANIPULATED Nelle spooked Carly and played Monica. TEAMED UP Curtis and Jason, to find Betsy — and answers! MISMATCHED Dante got a new partner.…

Bold Vs. Beige Though many preferred ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Elisabeth Rohm (Dorothy) in the more subtly-colored dress, the hot pink shift with its Rorschachtest lace maintained a slight lead among our informal voters. Comfy Casual Of these two outfits worn by GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Laura Wright (Carly), the cozy grey sweater and black pants trumped her more laid-back look on the right. Zig-Zag Patterns Ups and downs may be hard in life, but in fashion, they can be just plain fun. These current and former ladies of ABC Daytime showcase a few stellar variations of the trend. What Were They Thinking?…