Table of contents for December 30, 2019 in ABC Soaps In Depth

The In Depth Story: Since being sent to prison, Ryan has not exactly been a model inmate. Not only did he freak Ava out with his plethora of love letters and kill cellmate Bryce for drooling over her, now he’s also stabbed Nelle! “My favorite guy,” laughs Lindstrom of Kevin’s evil twin. “He’s kinda like a radioactive beetle. You just can’t kill this guy… or stop him! Last time he used a pen to kill. All you’ve got to do is give him something. I think if you gave him a fingernail, he’d figure out a way to kill you with it.” Of course, Ryan didn’t kill Nelle — he only wounded her, because this particular attack was part of a plan they’d hatched to get her out of Pentonville…

OUT Now that Brad’s lies about Wiley/Jonah have come to light, it appears that portrayer Parry Shen has reached the end of his journey with GH. Seemingly confirming his exit on Facebook, the actor took a page from The Avengers’ Captain America and wrote, “Well, it certainly feels like I should be paraphrasing Chris Evans’ Endgame tweet, doesn’t it? So, with that said… ‘Playing this role over the last [almost] seven years has been an honor. To everyone in front of the camera, behind the camera and in the audience, thank you for the memories! [I am] eternally grateful.’” Meanwhile, Rebecca Budig wrapped up her second GH stint last month when Hayden left Violet behind with Finn and Anna. Instagramming pictures of co-stars Michael Easton (Finn) and Jophielle Love (Violet),…

Skeptical of Thomas’ motives for working with Hope, Steffy and Liam wind up getting Zoe to agree to work as a double agent by cozying up to the designer and then reporting back with dirt. Hope is stunned when she witnesses Thomas make a romantic gesture toward the model. She questions the validity of Thomas and Zoe’s burgeoning “relationship.” But is she perhaps a little jealous? Ridge presents Brooke with an opportunity to get their life (and their love affair) back on track. How will their troubled union be impacted by what Thomas does next?…

As GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Brad finally broke down and told husband Lucas the truth about “their” adopted son, Parry Shen turned in a performance that was so heartbreakingly real, it hurt to watch! Tears For Fears It all started with Brad trying to get Lucas to come home for dinner. Brad was so eager, we could almost sympathize — that is, until Lucas gave him another chance to come clean and he couldn’t! Next, Brad turned on Obrecht, even going so far as to wonder aloud why his blackmailer was still alive. In that moment, we recognized the confidence that Brad used to bring to his schemes. But when he spoke of his Achilles’ heel — his love for his family — the tough facade crumbled. Brad didn’t just cry, he…

Q: Which of your co-stars is the “welcome wagon” for new castmembers? Kirsten Storms (Maxie, GH) “I feel like Emme [Rylan, Lulu] and I, combined, would be that. When Mark Lawson (Dustin) started, we made sure that he was really comfortable with us. We talked about our kids and really got to know him, so that [he was comfortable] when he jumped into scenes with us. We do so much material, it can be nerve-wracking when somebody starts, and you just want them to feel at ease.” Sofia Mattsson (Sasha, GH) “They’re all so nice! I had my first scenes with Donnell Turner (Curtis), so he welcomed me. The first person you have scenes with kind of shows you the ropes. Then Michelle Stafford (ex-Nina) was also super helpful.” Jennifer…

After spending in Florida with twin brother Wil, GH’s Kin Shriner (Scotty) is looking forward to some Christmas feasting with sister Indy in Los Angeles… followed by another getaway! “Christmas means a big dinner at my sister’s house on Christmas Eve in L.A.,” Shriner sets up. “And my girlfriend, Trish, likes to go to church before that — where I pray for a storyline! No midnight Mass. We go at around 4. “Running around in Fort Lauderdale, I feel like I'm in some old Gregory Peck movie!” “When I was a kid, I won an award for Outstanding Altar Boy,” he continues. “I didn’t win it because I was outstanding, I won it because I served the most Masses — which meant I got out of school more than anybody…

“I start my Christmas season in the summer - buying gifts and wrapping them with wire ribbons and pretty papers!” Some folks start prepping for Christmas the morning after Thanksgiving. Those people are not GH’s Jacklyn Zeman (Bobbie)! “I start my Christmas season in the summer — buying gifts and wrapping them with wire ribbons and pretty papers,” she reveals. “The holiday season for me pretty much lasts all year long… but certainly for the second six months of the year!” Needless to say, Zeman is thrilled when the rest of the world finally catches the bug each winter. “The thing that inspires my spirit the most is that people are so happy during the holidays,” she says. “People are giving and generous and thinking of buying things for people,…

Maurice Benard (Sonny) “It’s a few things. Nothing’s going to top the book! There’s Nothing General About It comes out in April, and I can’t wait for people to read it. Then STATE OF MIND, which I do every Sunday on my Instagram story, is a close second. The fact that I could get through Victoria Gotti: My Father’s Daughter and have it come out this year is down in third. The reason STATE OF MIND and the book are my top two is because they’re about mental health, bipolar and depression and sharing what I’ve been through — and it’s helping people. If I can save a life, there’s nothing more important in my career.” Haley Pullos (Molly) “Definitely when I found out I’d booked THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE OF…

A lot can happen in a year… so, try 30 years! Since he landed the role of Jack Abbott on THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, Peter Bergman has taken viewers on a wild ride that has seen his character savoring passionate love affairs and daring business coups, and suffering through painful losses and endless family strife. On a personal level, the three-time Emmy winner says that Y&R has changed his life in ways that are almost impossible to measure. “I have lived the most incredible life! [Wife] Mariellen and I will be in a beautiful setting, in a comfortable home, on a boat sailing, and I will turn to her and say, ‘This is no way to live!’” he laughs. “It’s our standing joke. I have had such a rich,…

FYI Birthday: September 19. Hometown: Wyckoff, NJ. “Teen” Spirit: Bowden and co-star Darin Brooks (Wyatt) contributed old personal photos to the B&B art department, which then recreated high-school photos of Flo and Wyatt to use on the show. “They added some braces and acne at one point, which was funny,” she says. That’s Badass: Bowden broke her leg while running the New York City marathon — and still made it to the finish line! This time last year, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL’s Katrina Bowden (Flo) was a daytime newbie — and a nervous one at that! Having just joined the cast, she had plenty of unanswered questions about her character, the nature of the job and whether or not she was really ready to commit to a long-term contract.…

FYI Her Given Name: Saleisha Lashawn Stowers. Pounding The Pavement: “I’m running the L.A. Marathon this year with World Vision on Sunday, March 8,” Stowers reveals. “Join my team!” Visit: teamworldvision.org and search for Team BabyCarlo. World Diner: “I love Thai food, Indian food… really ethnic foods that have lots of flavor and spice,” says the actress. The Glow Factor: “I swear by my esthetician’s facials,” Stowers says. “She keeps my skin looking beautiful.” DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Lani had felt very much alone while being strong-armed by Gabi into dumping Eli. Fortunately, misery loves company, and that’s exactly what Lani got while taking stock of her life in an Italian convent with Kristen. However, when Eli showed up looking to convince Kristen to sell her shares of her family…

THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL Liam worried that Hope was ignoring all the warning signs about Thomas, and Steffy worried that her brother was doing Hope’s runway show for all the wrong reasons. Brooke, meanwhile, made a final decision on her and Ridge’s marriage. Eric learned about their impending divorce from Quinn and Shauna, as Ridge had immediately run to the latter after his difficult day. Liam informed Thomas that he didn’t buy the whole “reformed” act, then convinced Steffy to dig into the truth about her bro. The two took off to talk with Vinny only to run into an apologetic Zoe. Eric talked to Thomas about his relationship with Hope, and Brooke clung to the hope that Ridge would finally see his son for what he truly was.…

The In Depth Story: After months of therapy, the former Dawn Of Day member seems to be doing well and, as a bartender at Charlie’s, has access to countless eligible men and women! Is she ready to dip her toe back into the dating pool? “I hope so!” enthuses portrayer Lexi Ainsworth. “But Kristina doesn’t need a man or a woman to make her feel complete. And that’s where she’s at right now. She has two strong women [Alexis and Sam] in her life that have shown her that she can be that independent woman, not have someone in her life and have no problem with it.” Still, Kristina’s carrying around a lot of emotional baggage. “She grew up with a father who was in the Mob and a mom…

Remember back when Chase and Finn couldn’t be in the same room without snapping at one another… and that was when they were feeling friendly? Things have definitely changed, as evidenced by the fact that Chase actually confides in his big brother this week! Lulu could probably use someone to talk to, too, given that she’s feeling pretty helpless at the moment. Unfortunately, we don’t think she’s the person Kevin is meeting with when he offers insights into someone’s situation. Then again, Lulu should probably be glad she’s not dealing with Jordan, who makes it clear that she’s in no mood to be merciful! And what is it that causes Julian to lose his temper at the end of the week?…

Victor takes daughter Victoria into his confidence this week, while Jack decides it’s time for him to take control of Jabot (again). Someone in Genoa City should definitely be sleeping with one eye open, because Phyllis is cooking up a little revenge! Theo gets to spend some time with a few of the more welcoming members of his new family, while Victor and Nikki call their clan together for a meeting. And wait until you find out the sacrifice that Nick proves willing to make for someone he loves!…

Before you enjoy your annual reading of ’Twas The Night Before Christmas, Soaps In Depth — and the stars of GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and DAYS OF OUR LIVES — have some other stories to share that are sure to put the ho, ho, ho in your holidays. Just turn the page, and let their anecdotes about treasured family traditions and ambitious Yuletide travel plans warm your heart as thoroughly as a cup of eggnog sipped in front of a roaring fire and a twinkling Christmas tree.…

As the youngest of five siblings, GH’s Haley Pullos (Molly) has great memories of the holidays. “The biggest tradition for us was always Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve,” she says. “We would open our presents together, and then we always would fake being super surprised by what it was. “I would be like, ‘It’s a car!’ ‘It could be a TV!’ or something ridiculous like that,” she continues, laughing. “We always got really excited and wore our cozy little PJs together and watched movies or just hung out, talked and played games.” At some point, Pullos and her clan would also enjoy a feast. “My dad, Alex, loves to cook a lot of Greek food and rice pudding,” she explains. “He does it for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a double…

While it’s common for some Jewish families to go out for Chinese food on Christmas, B&B’s Scott Clifton (Liam) and his wife, Nikki, picked up on the tradition for reasons unrelated to the actor’s Jewish heritage. Namely, outsourcing the cooking proves to be a lot simpler for the parents of 3-year-old Ford! “A few years ago, we decided, ‘Let’s not cook — let’s just order Chinese food,’” says the actor. “Considering Thanksgiving is only a month earlier, it just seemed like so much work.” Ever since, the Cliftons’ new holiday ritual involves meeting up with the leading man’s parents to enjoy wontons, chow mein, fried rice and the like, with nary a thought toward having to deal with all the dishes afterward. “It’s worked out great, and now we really…

Stowers isn’t just a fitness enthusiast, she’s also a coach! “I got my first certification in March of this year, and I’m currently studying to get my second through a company called NASM,” she shares. “If someone is gonna follow a workout routine that I’m doing, I don’t want them to hurt themselves… I want to have a strong foundation that will enable me to show them how to do it correctly.” While boxing remains her go-to form of exercise, Stowers is also doing lots of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) with circuits that include “medicine-ball slams, squat jumps, battle ropes and pushing weight sleds… things that cause you to have high endurance.” The star enjoys sharing what she knows in a one-on-one setting, but also has big plans to encourage…

IN The In Depth Story: Wally Kurth (Ned) is thrilled to see his character’s mother back on the canvas so soon after daughter Brook Lynn returned. “Got a couple surprise family members who showed up,” he tells Soaps In Depth. “I love the Quartermaines. It’s an important legacy, and I’m always cheering that on. They’ve been on this canvas for many, many years, and ABC has invested a lot of time in the Quartermaines, so let’s keep it going!” The snarky matriarch’s return to the family fold comes just as the clan is facing yet another ELQ crisis — and on-screen sparring partner Leslie Charleson (Monica) says that working with her friend again “was wonderful. We’ve known each other for a hundred years.” Can viewers expect the bickering and banter…

From the beginning, the storyline which found GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Kendra slipping Alexis rat poison has been something of a dud. Not only did it make one of the smartest women on the canvas look foolish, but it was built on the questionable premise that Shiloh would give up information about Kristina’s (false) pledge without getting anything in return. Thankfully, the writers seemed to recognize relatively quickly that the story wasn’t working and figured out a way to fast-track the tale while at the same time creating a speed bump in the baby Wiley story by having the two plots literally collide. The resulting accident has created a whole lot of drama for everyone involved… well, aside from Kendra, who, like her story, will likely be relegated to a footnote in…

Y&R’s Beth Maitland (Traci) says that she used to have certain Christmas traditions when daughter Emelia was younger, but now that she’s an adult, the two of them have been switching things up a bit. “She went off to college and then went off to Europe for two years. Sometimes she could come home, and sometimes she couldn’t,” shares the adoring mom. “So, we decided to break tradition, and now, every year we try to do something different.” Often, it involves travel. “Last year, I went to meet her in England. I arrived on Christmas Eve, and we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in London, then we went off to Edinburgh,” recounts Maitland. “We’re Scottish, so we went to Scotland for Hogmanay. We would troop into Edinburgh and do…

If GH’s Maurice Benard (Sonny) is being honest, there was a time when he was a bit of a Grinch… but that was then, and this is now! “I don’t ‘Bah humbug!’ anymore,” he grins. “My whole family is all into it, so I’m happy to be there. I love seeing the people I love find joy in the holiday!” In other words, the GH icon is ready to make the most of the season. “I’ll be in New York to do appearances in the beginning of the month, but I’ll be back home for the holidays,” he says. “My whole family is usually around, and it will be a beautiful family affair. Sometimes [my wife] Paula decorates the house, and sometimes she doesn’t — but when she does, it’s…

DAYS’ Jack was reunited with his family this year. With seven siblings and four children of his own, portrayer Matthew Ashford can’t help envying that experience. While he’s hoping to make it to Virginia after the holidays to see his parents, it’s his daughters, Emma and a newly married Grace, that he’ll be missing most. “I realize that they are now in their 20s — when I was in my 20s, there were some times when I was running around and not spending all this time with my folks,” he says. “Those are the wandering years, so you have to let ’em go. Hopefully, they’ll come back at some point.” In the meantime, Ashford and his wife, Lana, have two younger children: Henry, 6, and Willa, who turns 4 this…

GH’s Sofia Mattsson (Sasha) is looking forward to bundling up for the cold this holiday season. “I’m going to Connecticut and New York for a few days to celebrate with family,” she shares. “And I love New York! I’m so excited to walk around the city, see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, drink warm apple cider, go see plays and musicals, and just enjoy the cold, snowy weather that I — as crazy as it may sound — miss here in L.A.!” Considering she grew up in Sweden, that doesn’t actually sound so crazy. “It was very cold and snowy, and I absolutely loved to go sled-riding” as a kid, she recalls. “I could do that for hours. I used to get frostbite on my cheeks, because I stayed out…

Steve Bond says that while portraying Edward Quartermaine’s illegitimate son, Jimmy Lee Holt, on GENERAL HOSPITAL, his favorite plot was his character’s pursuit of Celia Quartermaine. “The way I played it was that she was the one he really loved,” he recalls. “They were distant cousins so they weren’t that close, but still, it was forbidden fruit.” Love At First Sight The duo might never have met, had Jimmy Lee’s mother, Beatrice LeSeur, not brought him to Port Charles. “He saw Celia at a party at the Quartermaine mansion,” Bond recalls, “and it was one of those thunderbolt moments…” Throwing caution to the wind, the two began a passionate affair. But at the same time, Celia remained engaged to Grant Putnam, the doctor with whom she’d reconciled after it was…