Lust, sex, betrayal and fabulous hair are all synonymous with soap operas. And All My Children and One Life to Live have lost little of that sometimes-elegant/sometimes-tawdry luster during their movie to the internet. The stories have been running for a couple of months now, and there is a lot to love about what’s going down in Pine Valley and Llanview. OWN will be airing the first 40 episodes of both shows starting tomorrow, July 15th (or you can watch them all on Hulu by clicking here and here) so I thought I’d compile a list of my favorite ten things to look out for:
If you haven't been tuning in tomorrow, here's what's great about One Life to Live 2.0:
Viki and Dorian are the world’s greatest frenemies: When Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser decided to come back and reignite one of the greatest rivalries on television, you could literally see the sparks flying. And their story gets rolling immediately. You can say Viki exposed Dorian in a scandal or Dorian nearly destroyed Viki by releasing false information, but whether you are Team Viki or Team Dorian, there is no denying that this one of the greatest clashes in television history. Victor Lord would be proud.
Todd and Blair are S-E-X: Seriously. I do not lie.
The reality of single parenting comes through: While I think One Life to Live has probably not delved as deeply as it could in depicting the struggles Natalie and Destiny share as single moms, there is still a sense of isolation and lonlieness in the stories. The new Matt and Destiny have done a great job of showing the consequences of having a baby too young, and Natalie depicts the sadness that occurs when the other parent is completely absent. That Destiny hangs out less with her old BFF Dani and more with Natalie is perfectly transitioned through their connection to their similar plights. Well played, OLTL.
The return of Bo and Nora: One of OLTL’s super couples is back and according to Bo’s portrayer, Robert S. Woods, this twosome should be strong for some time. It’s true that in soaps no relationship is safe from ruin, but a love this tremendous seems pretty damn unstoppable. They’ve been the shining beacon of joy on the series… and I totally love the Night Bird podcast.
A Dorian-David-Rama Triangle? Bring it on! I am not quite sure where this one is going, and while the idea of David cheating on Dorian burns me a little, I have to admit that I love a good triangle. Or perhaps, this is a quadrangle, because I think Vimal will have something to say about Rama’s romantic future. And when Dorian yells, "Back off, Bitch," and then it starts trending on twitter, you know something good is happening!
Need more scandal? Here is what's great about All My Children 2.0:
The sex-trafficking storyline is seriously dramatic (and traumatic): I don’t even know where to start with this one. From day one, Cassandra, who is Angie’s daughter, has been in utter peril. The Russian mafia has kidnapped her and without giving too much away, every moment Cassandra is on camera is achingly suspenseful. Sal Stowers plays this tragic character to the hilt and you will feel for her through every frame. Heck, even I need therapy now!
Confession: The Russian mob is hawt. Maybe that makes me a bad person, but I gotta go where the heart takes me.
The return of Jessie and Angie: I’m new to AMC, but I’m very familiar with the iconic pairing of Jessie and Angie. They are fantastic in the revival and have quickly become my two favorite characters in soapland. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing Dr. David Hayward put the moves on Angie. What a shakeup that would be!
Zack is Soap Elvis (you know it’s true): I want so badly to be able to take credit for the term “Soap Elvis” but I actually saw Cady McCain (Dixie) using the handle on Twitter (she claims a fan came up with it. Whoever you are, thank you!!!). I know Thorsten Kaye best from OLTL where he played Patrick Thornhart, Marty’s most romantic suitor. Patrick was thought dead for years, but the couple were reunited towards the end of ABC’s OLTL run (**sniff sniff**). As Zack, he is equally as charismatic, even more charming (as if that was possible) and a lot of fun to watch. Are his moves swoon worthy? Why, yes indeed, they are.
Pete and Colby push the envelope: The love scene between nottie-to-hottie Pete and sexy Colby is still garnering attention. It is indeed not the love scene you’d find on a network, although everything is still left to the imagination. If you have a sense of humor and like your soap to have a charmingly tawdry side (and who doesn’t), you will probably enjoy the now infamous scene.
Dixie is grace under pressure: Dixie is mostly hanging on the periphery of the Pine Valley happenings, but she is oh-so-glamorous doing it. Whoever does her wardrobe really knows how to cover every inch of her in dignified elegance. She’s a treat to watch, and I hope she gets a big story soon.
Need one more reason to tune in? July 15th marks the 45th anniversary of One Life to Live! I can't even imagine how many episodes of faked-deaths, switched babies, romantic rendezvous and falsely accused murderers that equals, but damn, that is what I call great entertainment! Happy Anniversary OLTL! And thanks for all the insanity!
Soap Central celebrated the anniversary with a podcast you can listen to here. Check out Jerry VerDorn (Clint Buchanan) and fans as they talk about One Life to Live!
By the way, did I mention that Todd and Blair are S-E-X? Cuz they are!
Note: Most of these images came from the facebook pages for One Life to Live and All My Children. You should stop by and like them, so you can keep tabs on all the scandal!
4 comments:
Yes, Zach Slater is hawt, hawt, hawt, but if you're new to AMC, just wait until you see him with his equally hawt wife, Kendall Hart Slater. And thanks for choosing that picture of him--it's one of my favorites!!!
I'm still watching AMC/OLTL online for now, but it is indeed a testament to what groups of fans can do...it's a great thing
Hi guys! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Anon, I finally saw Miss Kendall in action last week, and I loved her scenes with Bianca. I'm definitely interested in seeing her with Zack!
Glad you liked the photo I used. I stumbled on it and thought, "YES!" :)
Troy, I agree, the fans did something SO incredible. I hope it's a gigantic success on both OWN and Hulu! Having them back has been simply wonderful.
Marcy Walker didn't like having to get her hair cut so short for the Liza Colby role on "All My Children" in the early '80s. I prefer to see Marcy with LONG hair like she had as Eden Capwell on "Santa Barbara."
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