Here we are again!! Another year gone by-and what a year it's been WHEW!! The entire show flipped upside down and management just changed like new boxer shorts. This year has been trans formative in so many, many ways. We've gotten Q's back, OLTL characters, people who were "Dead" and gone all popping up again. The Nurses' Ball is coming!! I honestly never thought I'd see Lynn Herring back on this show. Makes me a little teary-eyed. Wolf wrote until the end of Feb. It took awhile to tie it all up but this fall GH has just rocketed UP up AND UP!
So, see if you agree!! here we go:
BEST ACTRESS: Finola Hughes. Hands down. She's just phenomenal in every.damn.scene. Whether it's Robin's death or being creeped out and scared silly seeing Faison, she just brought the house down.
BEST ACTOR: Jason Thompson. He was fantastic as the grieving Patrick. His sorrow, depression and short lived addiction to pills was written and done so well.
RUNNER UP: Ian Buchanan. It was hard not to give him the win, especially because he did "Faison" SO WELL. Watching him play Non-Duke was glorious. Loved every minute.
BEST ADDITION: Todd Manning. He's brought life to Port Charles and I love it. His one liners make any show 100x better, imo. "Don't call me Shirley"!
BEST USE OF A DRUG: LSD turning Olivia into a "truth seer" hey... at least she can give away some plot points now and again!
WORST CHARACTER: Steven LARS. Good gravy. HE's dumb as a post, especially for a doctor. Yes, there are worse "minor type" characters, but he takes the cake.
LONGEST STORYLINE: The BAY-BAY...who's the DADDY. Lord, it took longer for us to land on the Moon. And of course, Jason takes his swan song before he finds out. There was enough DNA switching in there to make a technician in Llanview proud. (Not to mention switching, Heather, the cabin, yada yada).
WORST STORYLINE: Cassandra. (yes, that was this year... @@)
RUNNER UP: Stripper Killer
BEST SCENE: The single best scene of the year was of course, Edward and Lila's retiring up the stairs at the end of his memorial. Done so perfectly, it's an instant classic.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Johnny shoots his grandfather, Anna sees Faison, Patrick and Epiphany have a hallway talk... Tracy at Edward's bedside. there were MANY, thanks to Ron's penmanship and all the great actors.
MOST OVERUSED WORD: Pathogen
RUNNER UP: BLT
BEST NEW PROP: Duke's Rubber Face
BEST OLD PROP: Pizza Boxes on Q's doorstep
BIGGEST FLOP : Trey reveal. We found out he was Connie's kid, and just when I was liking Joe Scully, he's killed. Then Trey just leaves without any real Connie "connection" happening. Very strange all around.
BEST DEATH: Ewan... awesome acting by Nathin Butler. Realistic and soapy.
BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO GH IN FOREVER: Cartini...thank goodness they came to write for my show. You brought back the history and families that are so important to us! And, for me, the bonus of some much loved OLTL characters.
Brava!
Great post. Great picks. GH has become one of my few "cannot be missed" shows once again. I've watched for years, but over the last 5-10 years mostly FF, and/or deleted from my DVR. Not anymore.
ReplyDeleteBEST ACTOR: Jason Thompson. He was fantastic as the grieving Patrick. His sorrow, depression and short lived addiction to pills was written and done so well.
ReplyDelete============================
Having grown up with drug dealers, I say NO WAY. The story of his addiction was forced and one of the lesser stories of the year- very soapy, no realism whatsoever.
Ian Buchanan wins in a landslide, even though just on for 3 mos. He is LEAGUES better as an actor than his first go-round as Duke. He was terrific as Greg Madden on AMC a few years back, but he has owned every scene he has been in, and his Duke-Faison balance is killer.
Runner up: Richard Steinmetz, as Joe, Jr. Complex, sensitive, thuggish, rapist or terrorist? A real waste that they aced him.
Best actress: Finola, but by not as wide a margin as Ian.
Runner up: Kelly Sullivan. She played DID better than any soap character. So good that the people who bitched over KS's overacting did not realize that she was playing Connie, the character, who was overacting in her public scenes with other characters while showing a different face in the scenes we see her alone in. Overacting? No. Subtle acting.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHave Cartini been perfect this year? No, of course not. Any scene related to Kristina/Trey/Mob Princess reality show I immediately FF'd through.
ReplyDeleteHowever, to use a baseball analogy, these guys are like .400 hitters in baseball. Once in awhile they strike out, but they have done a phenomenal job resuscitating what was the most boring, angsty soap on tv.
Cartini understands that the best soaps are about the ensemble of actors....not a show that revolves completely around the same two characters. They know that fans like humor, cleverness, excitement, and campiness; they also understand how important the history of the show is to viewers. The soap genre and GH? THEY GET IT!
And GH blog of the year? This one. Thanks Wubs Queen.
Loved these choices, Karen. The show is better than it has been since the mid-90's. So fun and entertaining these days.
ReplyDeleteThree additional scenes I'd like to mention - the scene between Todd and Tea in jail, where Tea is stroking his hair and Todd is actually in tears blew me away at the time. Also, the highlights of the pathogen story, for me, were the scenes between Sonny, Johnny, Todd, Tracy and Carly at the Q's. Such funny, snappy dialogue. Finally, John Ingle's final scenes with Tracy, Patrick and Emma choked me and most folks up, not because of the storyline, but because of the class and dignity on display by all involved.
Karen, GH was not on in my area on Friday due to the tragedy, and now I see that you don't have it on Hulu, either. How can I find it? Thanks
ReplyDeleteI would throw in Anders Hove for his ever-brilliant portrayal of Faison...he's just an amazing actor!!!
ReplyDelete@AntJoan - None of the networks aired the soaps on Friday due to Newtown. They will all air on Monday. - @soapreporter
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Jason Thompson (though I agree that the pill addiction storyline was poorly done and best dropped quickly). Even my sister who inexplicably hates Robin (they are nearly of an age & sis has pretty much hated her since she started watching GH as a young teen, for reasons unclear! I guess it's always something) said she was moved to tears by Patrick. So that's saying something.
ReplyDeleteI feel like both Joe Jr and Trey were the biggest mistakes/examples of misuse of characters. Trey was played by a likeable young man who while not there quite yet has alot of potential. Joe Jr was one note until he met Tracy. And then my god, fireworks. I think Trey would have worked out better having been say a local college student who befriends Michael then gets into a love triangle with Starr. Kristina was woefully miscast making the whole storyline a train wreck.
"Cartini" sure they make missteps, no soap regime has ever not made mistakes. They did on OLTL (Jessica's teenage regression, too much Fords, the horrible recast of Jack Manning, Eli being evil) but so far on GH they seem to have learned when to drop something when it wasn't working (ie the hole they wrote of the Trey/Joe Jr story). And they're writing what made OLTL so good: multi-generational stories, family, entire cast storylines. Plus Port Charles suddenly looks like a real town. There are people at Kelly's, in the bar, in the hospital, on the streets. Life is back.
And they clearly love Tracy as much as I do. Now we just need to bring her another Joe Jr, just without the mob connections. Hot, hot, hot.
I think Frank has a bit of a Don Draperesque appeal. LOL
ReplyDeleteLOVE Cartini. They have been such a boon to this show!
Issues with GH for 2012:
ReplyDelete1.Killing off Hope: I didn't watch OLTL, but I don't understand why they "killed" Starr's child off?! I understand Cole's "death"(such as leading to a Michael and Starr relationship), but think about how more drama it would of been with Hope and Starr, and Hope not liking Michael, and Michael would having to bond to her, so she could accept him. Yes, simular to Robin's "death", but that is a given that you never kill off children.
2. Jason shunning Sam: I understand Jason was horrified about Franco, and that is exceptable, but his action toward Sam, was bad. And no one blamed for what Jason did?! He could of excepted the child, as his own (even thought I admit that I used to get annoyed of how Lucky kept calling Liz's kids at his sons, but I am ok with it now).
Best New character(not from OLTL): Joe Jr.
Best New character from OLTL: Todd
Most disapointing departure: Ethan
Best episodes: Edward giving Emma, the antidote and Thanksgiving at Qs.
I agree with your choices. I know some people really lke Kelly Sullivan's acting but something about it just turns me off...maybe it is the storyline and not the actress.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I would add to your selections would be to give Jane Elliott equal billing (or a close runner up) to Finola for best actress.
I would also place Felicia's return as the biggest waste. They bring her back then store her away with Bobbie.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The Duke mask is so creepy with those eyes!!!!! :) *shiver*
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU so much for all the insightful posts. I did forget to mention the worst recast in recent history: Xtina. ugh.. and no, Cartini are NOT perfect ---but I still love their spirit and dedication to the fans/show!
ReplyDeleteOn Returns: Felicia has been on more the last couple of weeks. Hope that trend continues! Overall though I'd rate Emma Samms' Holly as the worst return of the year. I like Samms, but it just continued the trend of the writers not knowing how to write for the character. I don't think she's really been Hollyesque since the early 90's (if even then).
ReplyDeleteChristina and anything connected with her have bored me as well.
But those are both quibbles...Scorpio's 2nd return this year has been genius and he is back on track again. Anna and Fiason/Duke's return are soap GOLD! Todd Manning is also awesome and lights up the screen whenever he is on.
I am missing JJ's Lucky and seeing Kimberly McCullough on screen more often, but all in all I AM HAPPY WITH GH
OldSChoolGhfan
OH YEAH - HEATHER WEBBER ROCKS!
ReplyDeleteThat is all!
OldSchoolghfan
Yes, Heather Webber rocks--the only sociopath I actually enjoy watching onscreen. As for KS's DID story--the worst of it for me is that she can't do a credible Brooklyn accent. She should have studied with Olivia!
ReplyDeleteAntJoan:
ReplyDeleteThere's no single NY nor Brooklyn accent, but about a dozen variants of both- from Lawn Guylandese to Astoria to Bushwick to Coney to Bronx, etc.
Part of the reason for her 'bad' accent is that Connie is deliberately doing it to oversell herslef.
Connie is overacting, NOT KC- recall last year's Xmas scenes w Kate and Sonny. She can be very subtle.
Agree 100% on worst storyline (probably one of the worst EVER on GH).
ReplyDeleteFauxKristina is the worst recast in years.
I agree with all of your awards - I think Jane E. was excellent as well. Jason P. is a very subtle but touching actor. The way he interacts with family especially is so real and warm. I cannot stomach Kelly Sullivan's acting in any way, shape or form and can't wait for Connie to one day disappear. Also, there should be an award for the cutest little girl in daytime - Emma.
ReplyDeleteLindaV
I think, had she actually died, it would have been Robin's death. She went back in, to get the medicine to save Jason's life. It was self-less, and an amazing death. maybe "Best fake death"? LOL
ReplyDeleteTammy Wynette said...
ReplyDeleteAgree 100% on worst storyline (probably one of the worst EVER on GH).
FauxKristina is the worst recast in years.
============================
I'll take it you've only watched a few years.
Do you recall the Johnny the boxer love story with Amy Vining or any of the 'B' stories from 1988-1992?
Also, while New Krissy was not good, she was hardly the worst, as the actress she replaced was not that good either.
Worst recasts go to either the second Felicia (after Kristina Wagner was fired) or the 2nd Anna (after Finola Hughes left to make a movie in the early 1990s).
Thos actresses sucked, and they replaced good characters. Or how about Edward Q # 4 (Jed ___ forget last name)- they guy whom Heather actually married. Stiff actor, only a few years older than Stewart Damon, and in a really bad storyline. It's only good point is that it may make the EQ will interesting now.
What people express on here are OPINIONS. The thing about opinions is that they belong to the person who expressed them; one is not more right nor more wrong then anothers. To constantly insult, denegrade and attack another persons opinion ruins everyones experience and makes you look not like an authority but like a shallow, negative person.
ReplyDeletefriscogh said...
ReplyDeleteWhat people express on here are OPINIONS. The thing about opinions is that they belong to the person who expressed them; one is not more right nor more wrong then anothers. To constantly insult, denegrade and attack another persons opinion ruins everyones experience and makes you look not like an authority but like a shallow, negative person.
December 17, 2012 2:24 PM
========================
Frisco: no one is trying to deny others' opinions, just point out that others are negative and shallow.
Tammy, as example, always harps on one character change and actress (with insults, degradings, and attacks) in almost EVERY post. This is trollish behavior, and a number of folks have expressed that they do not like that.
If you do like that, fine, but don't try to stifle others who do not. Ok?
Cosmo, you have your opinions and I have mine. Simple as that.
ReplyDeleteTammy: your grasp of the banally obvious is as sharp as ever and shrill as your ravings.
ReplyDeleteFoam on, girl!
"Tammy: your grasp of the banally obvious is as sharp as ever and shrill as your ravings.
ReplyDeleteFoam on, girl!"
How charming, and how sad that an almost 50 year man still hasn't learned how to play well with others...
gmjl - pretty sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteNice to see the Hairy Handed League still lends each other a helping hand.
ReplyDeleteFriends 4-Ever! ;-)
It's just so sad...
ReplyDeleteLittle boy!
ReplyDelete