Table of contents for May 7, 2018 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: “This is basically her dream job,” Sioux says of her character, who will be working on the Hope For The Future line. “It’s kind of like how I felt being on set for the first time. I just wanted to make sure I did well and impressed people! I’d never been so nervous in my life!” Last fall, the 16-year-old left DANCE MOMS, a show on which she practically grew up during her six-year run, to concentrate on other endeavors. “It’s a great start to my acting career,” she says of B&B. “I’ve never done a scripted show before. You have to learn very fast, but when I was on DANCE MOMS, I had to learn and perform choreography very quickly, so it’s kind of similar.”…

The In Depth Story: GH has been sharing Bechtel with his other show for a few years now, calling Spencer home to Port Charles whenever his portrayer’s been on hiatus from the family comedy. But now that the series is over, he’s theoretically free to return to the soap for a longer visit. “We don’t know what the future holds,” he Instagrammed after the news broke that STUCK IN THE MIDDLE had ended, “but I’m okay.” In January, Spencer broke both legs off screen, facilitating the temporary exit of Genie Francis as Laura traveled to Europe to tend to her grandson. So perhaps if he were to come back, she could come with him. As previously reported, the actress not long ago had what she tweeted was “a lovely lunch”…

PSST! Daytime alum Brian Gaskill — once PORT CHARLES angel Rafe — excited his followers with a simple query on Facebook: “What if I told you I was going back on a soap?” asked the actor, who has been writing, directing music videos and appearing on THE BAY in recent years, but hasn’t worked in daytime in a decade. After a rousing response, Gaskill shared a video flashback of Rafe and Alison. But whether the actor — also ALL MY CHILDREN’s Bobby, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Oscar, AS THE WORLD TURNS’ BJ and GUIDING LIGHT’s Dylan — was teasing an actual soap return or was just bouncing the idea off fans remains to be seen.…

Drew can’t help being skeptical on Wednesday, April 25, while that same day finds Julian and his estranged son, Lucas, crossing paths. Lulu and Maxie have a rather awkward encounter on Thursday, April 26. Franco is caught between two very bad forces on Friday, April 27, while Curtis happens upon a pretty interesting piece of information on Monday, April 30! Does Bobbie have good reason to be concerned on Tuesday, May 1? Finn and Chase don’t see eye to eye on much, but the cop agrees to respect his brother’s wishes on Wednesday, May 2. After turning to Peter yet again on Thursday, May 3, Maxie manages to look at the bright side of things on Friday, May 4!…

Hilary and Devon had a very detailed agreement in place regarding their plans to raise a child together, but she second-guesses the arrangement on Monday, April 23! Jack is back where he belongs — in charge at Jabot, that is — on Tuesday, April 24. That same day finds Victoria having to answer some rather difficult questions! When Nick and Victor call another truce on Wednesday, April 25, will this one actually last? Kyle comes across a dangerous bit of info on Thursday, April 26. And on Friday, April 27, Hilary will wind up having her heart broken!…

Since Ramsey joined GH, he and real-life leading lady Laura Wright (Carly) have only crossed paths on screen once. “We wondered whether the writers created that interaction to give something to fans, rather than keeping us in separate quarters forever,” cracks Ramsey, who first met Wright back when they were GUIDING LIGHT’s Cassie and Sam. “She’s just an incredible tour-de-force. I don’t think anything beats working with her — and whether we actually have scenes together or not, we’re still working together in our way. Not only did she help me prepare for my screen test and become a part of this cast, but when we’re at work or are unwinding after a long day, we enjoy sitting back and talking about story arcs, character through-lines and our inspiration, motivation,…

Christian Jules LeBlanc doesn’t have a lot of opportunity to flex his comedic muscle as Michael on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, so he decided to rectify that a year and a half ago when he joined Sean Carrigan (ex-Stitch) in doing stand-up comedy and improv. “Sean has been at this a lot longer than me, but I rushed myself through Second City Iowa West [which teaches improv],” LeBlanc reveals. “It was fascinating because you have tons of people who have come out to L.A. to do this. They’re 20-somethings living it rough as they pursue their dream. So you get that kind of wonderful energy. SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE comes and does auditions there. It’s just this wonderful environment to be part of!” “I’ve been doing [comedy] since I started…

GENERAL HOSPITAL actors won’t forget the soap’s 55th anniversary show anytime soon, and neither will viewers with the help of these exclusive photos from that big day!…

When Sonny found himself fighting for his life after being shot by Sam and left for dead last year, he wound up seeing a vision of the late Stone. At the time, viewers wondered why the mobster saw the young man who was like his son as opposed to his actual son, Morgan, who was also deceased. As it turns out… that was the original plan! “They wanted me to come back and do that,” admits Craig, “but I wasn’t available. I was shooting a movie at the time, and there just wasn’t enough time for me to fly back and do that episode, then fly back to continue filming the movie. So unfortunately, I had to pass.” And while the rising star has repeatedly said that he’s not interested…

MOLESTED Young Franco and other boys, by Harvey KILLED Drew shot Harvey to save Franco. SCHEMED Nelle continued using Morgan to mess with Carly. CLEARED Carly proved to be in good physical health. WORRIED Sonny, over a body long-buried in Croton and his father MISSING Mike and Avery TRAVELLED Jason, Sam, Alexis, Anna, Emma and Robert flew to Switzerland. ARRESTED Spinelli — in Switzerland! TEAMED UP Jason and Sam SPIED Anna, Emma and Robert found a clue. HARASSED Kiki struggled with Bensch’s attention.…

Continuing its tradition of casting BIG BROTHER winners in special guest roles, B&B has recruited recent CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER victor Marissa Jaret Winokur (best known for her Tony-winning turn as Hairspray’s Tracy) to play a wedding planner on Tuesday, May 15, according to Entertainment Weekly! Might the star’s cameo turn into something more? “I literally left and called my manager to say, ‘Wait, I want to be on a soap opera,’” Winokur told EW. “It was the most at-home I’ve ever been on a set.”…

STATUS Emme Rylan (Lulu) has suffered another mom-related injury, but a broken foot didn’t stop the GH star from enjoying her recent hiatus and won’t likely keep her character down for long — if at all! The actress revealed on Instagram that she “fractured my foot chasing the kids,” and will need to spend six weeks wearing a medical walking boot! Even with her foot broken in two places, the mom of three seemed to enjoy her family’s spring-break vacation, tagging herself “unstoppable” in a poolside snap. This isn’t Rylan’s first parenting-related injury, either: Before giving birth to daughter Dakota last year, Rylan broke her nose while roughhousing with sons Jackson, 8, and Levi, 6, during GH’s 2016 summer hiatus — and documented the entire experience, including her emergency surgery,…

If there’s one thing we know about soap prison, it’s that whenever a character is sent there, they run into a familiar face! Find out who Gabi crosses paths with behind bars on Monday, April 23! Claire decides there’s something she really needs to confess on Tuesday, April 24. Ciara and Tripp put their heads together in an attempt to trap their unwitting prey on Wednesday, April 25. Eve becomes furious with Brady after jumping to the wrong conclusion on Thursday, April 26. And Chloe is abducted by Miguel on Friday, April 27! Will Lucas be able to rescue his lady love?…

OUR TAKE GH Hot Topic: Maxie May Soon Need Her Former Best Friend! While we absolutely love the ridiculously inappropriate friendship Maxie’s got brewing with Peter on GENERAL HOSPITAL, we’re not loving the whole feuding besties thing that allowed it to form. We get that grieving Maxie needed someone to blame — and that the show was creating a vacuum for Peter to fill. But considering Maxie’s own past actions and how they impacted Lulu, it might be time to wipe the slate clean. Both of the young women are notorious for being unstoppable forces of nature who tend to make the occasional ill-advised decision. It’s one of the things that has bonded them over the years. Frankly, we’re impressed Lulu hasn’t mentioned the whole surrogate fiasco — which was…

If you ask anyone on the Y&R set who their most energetic co-star is, they’d probably say LeBlanc. So it’s a bit ironic when the Emmy winner lists lack of sleep as his No. 1 complaint about improv. “The hours are killing me!” he laughs. “I’m a military brat. On an average day, I get up at around 4 or 5 in the morning. But these kids are starting their improv shows at 11 p.m.! You finish up the act around midnight, but then we sit and talk about it until 1 or 2 in the morning. You might be in bed by 2:30… and God knows what your next day is like. I’m not a late-late-night kind of person. I can go without sleep for a while, but then…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Hope has some lofty goals when it comes to resurrecting her Hope For The Future line at Forrester Creations. Far from merely making pretty clothes (from environmentally sustainable resources, no less), the blonde wants to inspire a new generation of women to make a difference in the world. Portrayer Annika Noelle thinks her alter ego’s message feels wonderfully relevant. “The younger generation is leading by example in a lot of ways,” she says. “Hope’s message is about positivity and equal opportunity. I personally love seeing a young woman taking charge and having a passion for her business.” Hope’s career ambitions may have a selfless bent, but Noelle is grateful that her alter ego’s professional life strikes a nice balance to her personal aims, which lately…

Port Charles TAINTED LOVE At the nuptials of Caleb and Livvie — dead ringers for GH’s Finn and Sam, you might have noticed — you’d have been likelier to hear “You may now bite the bride” than “You may now kiss the bride.” That’s, of course, because the groom was a manipulative vampire. Which isn’t to say that his feelings for Livvie weren’t real — they were. But they were also really twisted, since she looked just like his late love, Olivia. “You must say good-bye to this mortal life,” he told Livvie before the ceremony. “When your blood mixes with mine, you’ll wake up in a world where anything is possible, and we’ll be soul mates… forever.” It didn’t quite work out that way — instead, Caleb’s alternate personality…

One is a sweet-natured Canadian performer who insists on honesty, finds conversation romantic and loves a good at-home facial. The other is the hard-nosed PCPD commissioner who’s got all the right moves… yet can’t seem to solve a case. And now, GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Vinessa Antoine and her alter ego, Jordan Ashford, let us take a deeper look into who they are… and who they most definitely are not! Read on. What’s the most important quality in a friend? Vinessa: Trust, absolutely, and being your true, authentic self. Jordan: I’d say the same. I’m not a very trusting person, but if you’re yourself, I’ll get you. What’s your personal motto? Vinessa: “Lead with love, first and foremost.” Jordan: “Give people the benefit of the doubt… but never really truly trust anyone.”…

When it comes to caring for their kids, Bjorlin says that her husband, Grant Turnbull, is an equal partner. “He’s an awesome papa! When he’s not at work, then he’s on full-on daddy duty,” she says proudly. “We split the responsibilities and have certain jobs now. I think it happened when I was pregnant. He started giving the baths because I couldn’t lean over the tub anymore, but now I think he enjoys it.” While the idea of having a third child is tempting, the actress insists they’d need to wait a few years, get the schedule down and maybe make it out to a restaurant sometime, first? “Their naptimes are always different,” she laughs. “It’s basically a beautiful hostage situation.”…

Q: Which co-star’s closet would you want to raid and why? Laura Wright (Carly, GH) “Honestly, half of us come into work in pajamas, and when you see us out, we’re usually dressed by a costume designer! So we’re all a bunch of freaking messes.” Cait Fairbanks (Tessa, Y&R) “The wardrobe department, because, well, they have everything!” Galen Gering (Rafe, DAYS) “If I were a woman, without a doubt it would be Lauren Koslow (Kate) because it’s unreal how much clothing she has, and it’s the coolest stuff! I don’t know where she comes up with the clothes that she puts together. But since I’m not a woman, I’d probably have to say Greg Vaughan (Eric), because he’s got really good taste in fashion.” Abhi Sinha (Ravi, Y&R) “Eric Braeden…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Still outraged with Bill for destroying Steffy’s marriage, Ridge became anxious when he learned new information about the night of his rival’s shooting. Hope comforted Liam when vivid memories of the crime he’d committed became overwhelming. Steffy made a deal with Bill, who let her know that he expected her to keep up her end up the bargain. Liam returned an item of significance to his father. Brooke learned that Katie and Wyatt had broken off their engagement. When Liam makes a major move, will his brother’s advice have any impact? THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS After finding out that J.T. had violated their “no cellphone” pact, Victoria broke up with him! Cane encouraged J.T. not to give up on Victoria, while J.T. warned his…

Longtime behind-the-scenes player Mercer Barrows has clocked out of GH for the last time. Having spent the bulk of his almost 40-year career in Port Charles, the producer retired on March 23. “Mercer is a terrific producer who has spent the past several decades helping to make GH the iconic show it is today,” executive producer Frank Valentini tells In Depth. “After years of devoted service, he’s decided to leave the show in order to, understandably, spend more time with his family in San Diego. He will be sorely missed, and we wish him all of the best as he ventures off into his well-deserved retirement.” Having started out at GH as a set decorator, Barrows then became art director before moving to spin-off PORT CHARLES as coordinating producer. He…

IN Although Parry Shen’s Brad has popped up quite frequently lately, discussing his and Lucas’ adoption journey, GH viewers haven’t seen much of his TV husband, Ryan Carnes… until now! The actor returns to the screen this week, and we have a feeling that viewers can expect to see more of the guys — and maybe even see them together! During his time away from Port Charles, Carnes was busy promoting his recent film, La Boda De Valentina, which has become one of the 10 most successful movies in the history of Mexican cinema.…

When it comes to Ava, she tends to be her own worst enemy… and that certainly proves to be the case on Monday, April 23. She takes a meeting with Scotty on Tuesday, April 24, but he’s not exactly the person to point one toward the high road! Griffin is far more likely to keep Ava on the right path, but will that be the end result of the confrontation they have on Tuesday, May 1? Meanwhile, Avery’s other parent, Sonny, manages to avoid a potentially prickly issue on Wednesday, May 2! And when Carly receives an invitation on Friday, May 4, is it one she should accept? Or would she be wise to run the other way!…

Under duress from Bill, Steffy grants Liam his request regarding the future of their marriage on Monday, April 23. Ridge and Brooke find themselves at odds when they butt heads over Steffy and Hope on Tuesday, April 24. The young women in question square off, too, when on Wednesday, April 25, they each try to stake a claim to their territory with regard to Liam. Following a scare at their second ultrasound appointment on Thursday, April 26, Liam and Steffy share a bonding moment. And Wyatt takes drastic measures to prove his loyalty to his father on Friday, April 27.…

GH “Stella Needs Her Groove Back!” GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Stella piqued Curtis’ interest — and ours! — when she revealed that she’d given up love for the sake of her family. Now that the feisty social worker’s settled into Port Charles, portrayer Vernee Watson maintains that she’s ripe for some good, old-fashioned romance. “Remember I talked about my boyfriend from the past — the one I still got it for?” she says in character. “Well, I want to meet him, honey! Stella needs to get her groove back. “Even though she’s up in age, she’s still alive,” she hastens to add. “She needs some companionship.” Whether Stella rekindles a romance with an old flame or finds new love, “he’d better have his stuff together,” Watson cracks. “Stella wants a good man…

With so many GENERAL HOSPITAL locals closing in on Peter’s true identity, his downfall seems imminent — and no one is more excited for the reveal than portrayer Wes Ramsey. “Hold on to your hat,” winks the actor. “Things are about to get crazy.” Who’s That Guy? While just about everyone in Port Charles seems to be trying to figure out who Peter is and/or where Faison’s son Henrik has gone, Ramsey has enjoyed sharing his character’s secret with the audience. “It’s felt very cloak-and-dagger and very manipulative,” he says. “Like a puppetmaster tugging on strings and using words and intentions to make people dance the way he wants them to. He’s complicated, confusing and disturbing.” Peter’s also rather cocky. “My character obviously believes he’s capable of outwitting anyone,” chuckles…

So Happy Together... GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Ava and Griffin have chemistry in spades — and fans aren’t the only ones enjoying the unexpected romance between the devilish beauty and the priestly doctor. Portrayers Maura West and Matt Cohen are having a blast making magic together. “Matt and I have the same goal when it comes to work,” West reveals. “We want to show up on time, work hard, complete our scenes with as much commitment and as little fuss as possible, thank everyone involved… and then race home to the people we love who await our returns!” That doesn’t mean they rush through their scenes — or away from each other, for that matter. These two have become a team focused on bringing the romance, truth and fun to their characters’…

General Hospital In Depth asked... Do you feel Maxie is taking her grudge against Lulu too far? Reader Reaction: 57% TOTALLY! 43% NO WAY! Whether readers feel Maxie is going too far or not far enough, most agree that she has to work through her grief in her own time! This issue’s question... Do you think Liz and Franco will make it down the aisle? TOP 5 GH COUPLES 1 Liz Webber & Franco Baldwin 2 Alexis Davis & Julian Jerome 3 Sam & Drew Cain 4 Carly & Sonny Corinthos 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: 2 Steve Burton (Jason, GH) 3 Last Issue: 5 Roger Howarth…

Prior to stepping into the role of Hope, Noelle says she was typically offered the “bad girl” characters. “I’ve always been cast as the vixen or tough girl prior to this, so it’s very funny that I’m playing such a sweet character now,” she says. An avid fan of grunge music who once practiced the combat sport Muay Thai, Noelle describes herself as much more low-maintenance than Hope, who’s wardrobe consists mainly of uber-feminine florals and pastels. “It’s been a change for me to wear high heels and dresses and play this very polished character,” she says, “because in reality, I wear flannel, jeans, boots and no makeup!”…

GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Roger Howarth has played Franco’s unexplained torment beautifully for months. But when his character finally faced his childhood abuse, the powerhouse actor offered a tour-de-force performance that earned him this week’s Gold Star. Eyes Wide Shut They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but when Kevin hypnotized Franco, Howarth had to reveal his character’s with those windows shut. Yet whether relying only on his voice or letting his face speak for him, the actor ably illuminated Franco’s struggle to deal with the long-suppressed memories. At one point, Howarth managed to turn simply resting Franco’s head on Kevin’s desk into an incredibly intense moment! Fearing for his patient’s well being, Kevin brought him out of the trance. Franco came to dazed, as if waking from a…

Red-Letter Day! The red dress on the left looks like it was tailor-made for GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Haley Pullos (Molly), though we daresay the white gown makes even an arm cast look good! “Spring” In Her Step Flattering ruching and flutter sleeves gave the brightly-colored dress worn by Kristina Wagner (Felicia, GH) a slight edge over the darker lace number. Sexy Shoulders Shoulder-exposing styles are universally flattering and perfectly suited to spring and summer wardrobes! What Were They Thinking?…