Okay, so I’m really behind on blogging…I know. I know!

But now, in one fell swoop, I will catch you up on some soap opera buzz….Let’s begin, shall we?

First of all, the return of Rebecca Herbst and her beloved character, Elizabeth Webber to General Hospital is HUGE!

Rebecca Herbst

And all of Herbst’s fans out there should be patting themselves on the back for the incredible outcry that I think helped put her back in Port Charles.

Below is a portion of the ABC network’s statement:
“The show is thrilled she will remain on the canvas to portray the beloved character in many more poignant and emotional stories. Fans will be pleased to see Rebecca continue the role she created.”

I don’t know if you’ve seen Paula’s blog – over at Paula’s Soapbox - about the power of the fans in bringing Herbst back onto the canvas. But it’s a good read.

Click here to read Paula’s Soapbox blog “Just When You Thought She Was Out.”

Speaking of Paula, she’s been quite prolific in her blogging recently (certainly putting me to shame).

And if you didn’t know it, Paula was the one who predicted that it was Suzanne who chopped up Brenda’s wedding dress AND that she was somehow connected to The Balkan – BOTH of which came true!

Kudos Paula!

Now, she takes it a step further in discussing the possibilities of what may or may not have happened to Brenda’s baby .

Click here to read “A Dish Best Served Cold: GH”

And while you’re on Paula’s site, she has two Days Of Our Lives blogs that you’ll want to read.

Taylor Made: DOOL discusses the switcheroo Days made with the role of Taylor, which was played by Natalia Livingston (Emily/GH) for about five minutes before the show announced recasting Tamara Braun (Carly/GH, Ava/DOOL, Reese/AMC) in the role.

Paula’s latest Days blog is Who Does #2 Work For? Not Me! : DOOL which describes her updated feelings about Rafe #2.

By Silas Kain

Happy New Year, SoapBox1 fans!

I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve submitted an article and for that I apologize.

Anyway, there are three pieces I have in various stages of development.

One of the pieces is about James Franco and his return to General Hospital.

The events of this week have caused me to change my tune a little bit. So with all of that in mind, I’d like to throw something out there for your consideration.

Rebecca Herbst

In the last couple of days, it has been reported Rebecca Herbst has been fired from General Hospital.

As news of her firing spread over the Internet, the fan reaction has been a force to be reckoned with in many circles.

As I watch the Tweets, receive the emails and monitor the conversations, I’ve come to some interesting conclusions.

Now some of you may say I’m off base; others will agree.

That’s OK!

These dynamics happen when opinions are discussed.

As difficult as it is to fathom the removal of Elizabeth Webber from the Port Charles canvas, I see this as an opportunity for General Hospital fans to do something really outside the “norm” – WORK TOGETHER!

Unlike the other soaps remaining on air, there has always been an interesting dynamic among GH fans. I call GH Fans the Democrats of soap fan groups because we consistently shoot ourselves in the proverbial feet without blinking an eye!

There are no more contentious rivalries than between “Liason” and “Jasam” fans.

When I suggested the demise of Sonny Corinthos, I received over 700 hate emails because I was being “mean” to Maurice Bernard.

As I said then, for me this is NEVER about the actors. It’s about story lines and good soap opera.

My friends, sometimes we cross the line between actor and character. It just isn’t healthy and it’s time to take that splash of cold water to wake up!

We have some great actors playing incredible roles on GH who are under utilized and virtually ignored.

Let’s discuss Elizabeth for a minute.

Here we have a character who has been through plenty. She’s a single mother. She is trying to make a home for three toddler boys. She’s a rape victim. She’s had her share of heartbreak and loss.

Who hasn’t?

How different is Elizabeth from many of the women in our country today confronted by similar issues?

Elizabeth is one of the last connections we have to the Webbers and Hardys. She’s been pivotal in the lives of so many in Port Charles to the point that losing her from the canvas is almost as profound a loss as the day we buried Lila Quartermaine.

This brings me to the point of James Franco and what he has done for the genre in the last year.

James Franco

I’ve seen so many negative reactions to the return of Franco.

Yet, the one key issue which never gets discussed by GH fans is how much James Franco has done, which is nothing less than positive for Daytime as a whole.

James has been front and center in entertainment media. He’s co-hosting the Oscars. He’s been on talk shows, Inside the Actors Studio and on press junkets all over the globe.

One question he is asked is “why would you want to do a soap opera of all things?”

His answers may surprise you.

He gets it.

He knows soap actors are among the most professional in their vocation. He respects the exhausting work ethic of soap cast, crew and writers. He’s fascinated by the dynamics and loves General Hospital.

OK, so the majority of fans don’t like Franco the character.

But what about James Franco – the actor?

Doesn’t he deserve a little bit of gratitude from daytime fans? Is the collective dislike for Franco the character a testament to James the actor?

Look, I’d rather be discussing plot lines and other things. But the fan wars I see heating up on the Internet have caused me to focus on this week’s news.

Like her or not, Rebecca Herbst has done a stellar job portraying a flawed character which has not received the adequate attention by the head writers in a long time.

She’s immersed in the lives of many Port Charles characters and her absence from the story will have repercussions.

The long standing feud between “Liason” and “Jasam” has created another situation which encourages fans create a finger pointing campaign at other actors.

GH fans, in some corners of your world there is a need to tone down the rhetoric and ramp up the focus. The negative energy being exerted in all directions only validates the notion that Internet soap fans just don’t count.

We’ve heard from members of the mainstream soap press that network executives find the Internet fan base to be populated by the whiners, trouble makers and are just not worthy of any attention.

Well, most of us know different.

Most soap fans who communicate using the Internet do so in good faith with no ulterior motives except to share impressions of the tales told by the “stories” we watch.

Here we are on a Friday.

What can GH fans do to show their support for Becky Herbst?

Well, we can all start by discontinuing the finger pointing and declaring a cease fire in the perpetual fan wars.

Flooding the email boxes at ABC Daytime will accomplish nothing. Such communications are a waste of time and only result in your indignant letters being delegated to the Trash Bin.

Phone calls to ABC Daytime could help – but I’m not convinced that’s the best approach.

The most effective mechanism to state your case as a General Hospital fan is to write a letter. Keep it brief, logical and ultimately respectful.

Make three copies.

Send one to Brian Frons, a copy to Anne Sweeney, and the last one to the editor of your preferred soap magazine.

I’m going to leave you with a sample of a letter I am writing to Brian Frons. You can take away from it any content you wish. The gist and tone of the letter is what’s most important!

So, here goes:

Dear Mr. Frons:
This week your network announced the termination of Rebecca Herbst from General Hospital citing storyline dictated reasons.

While I am not qualified as a member of ABC management in judging the decision, I am quite qualified as a consistent, loyal viewer of the show. In the last year it’s been obvious that ABC Daytime has experimented in many areas to reinvigorate the gradual decline in soap viewership. The firing of Ms. Herbst seems, on the surface, to exacerbate viewer dissatisfaction.

Since the inception of soap opera, the genre has consistently been denied the respect it deserves. Daytime actors’ capabilities have been marginalized – in studios, among actors and by entertainment media. Yet soap actors defy the odds in employment longevity, payment of union dues and delivering for their respective network five days per week.

The lack of respect for the genre has reached out to the soap viewership as well. Advertisers and studio heads afford minimal respect to their soap fan bases. Soap fans, you see, suffer from a flawed image. The truth is the typical soap viewer is more engaged in all other dynamics – casting, writing, set design, direction and producing. We understand the nuances of what sets producing a soap apart from prime time programming.

Your soap fan base is your greatest focus group which has always been available and never used because those in management are completely misinformed as to the incredible bounty of information which could be forthcoming if a serious, respectful dialog were to take place.

The character of Elizabeth Webber, at the very least, has several potential story lines, which could encourage a resurgence for General Hospital. I understand that soaps are not as profitable as they once were. That being said, you may want to consider something that is completely outside the box of conventional wisdom.

If ABC Daytime management reached out to the very fan base which has kept them in business all these years, they may learn a few things. We understand the dynamics, especially with all the new cable stations which have risen in the last decade. We understand that reality programming and/or talk shows are far cheaper to produce. But these programs do not serve a network well in maintaining viewer loyalty which, in turn, reduces the rates your network can charge for commercial advertising.

In closing, I can only urge you to reconsider the decision with regard to Ms. Herbst. A demonstration of good will on the part of ABC Daytime would be a good step in reaching out to hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised ABC Daytime fans who are concerned about the product. Remember, sir, you are the producer, we are the consumer.

When ABC Daytime broadcasts a quality product, ABC reaps the rewards in ratings, viewer loyalty and Internet chatter. Woven in that tapestry of viewers is a growing resource in Blogs and Podcasts devoted to the genre. If ABC Daytime management took a moment to gauge the true spirit of Internet soap fans, I would refer you to SoapBox1.com, Buzz Worthy Radio or Stardish Radio. What you will learn dispersed through these sites is the sentiment that cheap, low quality programming does not necessarily translate into long term profitability. Listening to your Daytime fan base and asking for our input may very well teach you about who and what we are as typical soap viewers.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,

Silas Kain

And that’s it, folks. That’s my model letter. Let’s just cease the fan wars and work together in an intelligent, professional manner.

Let’s encourage our fellow General Hospital fans to get involved and write their own letters. In the end all it takes is a paper, pen, envelope and stamp to get your message heard. The firing of Rebecca Herbst is an opportunity to show ABC Daytime once and for all, what genuine soap fans are made of! I believe we can accomplish our mission.

End of sermon.

Until next time stay safe, stay healthy and celebrate life!

Where there is life, there IS soap!

WHAT has been going on with all of the actor exits on our favorite soap operas recently?????

It seems we need a scorecard these days just to keep up with who’s leaving which soap.

Earlier this month, Mark Hapka, Nathan on Days of Our Lives, got the axe after being involved in a front-burner storyline.

Now we find out that two more Days actors are leaving: Shelley Hennig (Stephanie) and Jay Kenneth Johnson (Philip).

Paula, over at Paula’s Soapbox, discusses the recent DOOL exits and the possible impact on current storylines.

Click here to read her Days blog titled “On the Outs: DOOL.”

Meanwhile in the past few days, there’s been a plethora of exits on the ABC soaps.

Melissa Claire Egan (Annie Lavery/AMC) is leaving. She opted not to renew her contract.

Melissa Claire Egan (Annie/AMC)

THAT is definitely a BIG loss to AMC. Annie added so much to life to the show and Egan was so much fun to watch…particularly when she turned into Crazy Annie!

Egan posted a letter to her fans on her official website.

It says, in part: “After 4 and a half incredible years as a member of the All My Children cast, I have made the extremely difficult decision to leave the Pine Valley family that I have come to love and respect so much.

“It has been an amazing 4 and a half years for me! I have had the privilege and honor of working with the most talented and fun cast, crew, producers and directors imaginable. I have learned so much from them and am forever indebted. To wake up each morning and love going to work is a true blessing for which I am unbelievably grateful!”

And over at One Life To Live, Brittany Underwood (Langston/OLTL) has been fired.

Another BIG loss….I so enjoyed watching Langston grow from the “freak” in high school into a Cramer woman.

Perhaps the biggest shocker of all….

Rebecca Herbst, who has played Elizabeth Webber FOR-ever on General Hospital, was let go.

Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth)

Whhhhhaaaaatttt?????

Although, I have to say, the writers have totally ruined the character over the past several years….they turned Elizabeth…who survived a brutal rape all those years ago…who used to be a strong, kind, giving person…into a jealous, insecure – and I might add annoying – character.

Be that as it may, I still loved to watch Herbst onscreen because of her talent.

Not to mention that the character is steeped in so much GH history!

Paula, over at Paula’s Soapbox, has written a blog about her take on Herbst’s firing and speculates on how Elizabeth will be written out.

Paula also discusses how Elizabeth’s exit will impact the characters in her universe – like Lucky, Nikolas, Jason and her children.

Click here to read Paula’s blog about Herbst’s exit: “Farewell to Possibilities: GH.”

WOW!!!!

The last two days of General Hospital have been all that I have hoped for – AND MORE!

It is SO RARE these days when a soap opera exceeds expectations….

Take the Franco storyline – so underwhelming!

But I digress.

First of all, the waaaaaay long overdue Lucky confrontation with Liz and Nik was so worth it!

Jonathan Jackson as Lucky acted his heart out! The sincerity and intensity of his words and the range of emotions he displayed was mesmerizing.
I could not take my eyes off of him the entire time.

Jackson lashed out with everything that he had and I think he must have had everyone on the planet cheering.

Not to mention, he gave Lucky some sense of justice – to whatever degree that’s possible given the circumstance of his fiancee having sex with his brother.

For me, the worst part of the whole thing was that the entire time Elizabeth was having sex with Nikolas, she would go back to Lucky and be so super sweet and build this fantasy about building a life with him and the boys….yada, yada yada.

And that happened over and over and over and over….well, you get my drift.

Jonathan Jackson as Lucky Spencer

I used to really like Liz – way back in the day – but in the past few years I have had more of a love/hate relationship with her.

And that’s because, for a long time, Elizabeth has been a total hypocrite!

And I tell ya, I was cheering Tuesday, when Lulu told her that and so much more!

This video is great…..First Lulu tells off Nikolas and then moves on to Elizabeth!

For the longest time, Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) has been putting herself out there as this sort of holier-than-thou wonderful wife, mother, nurse, etc, etc……

Meanwhile, she has two kids by two different men (both from one night stands) and neither child is by Lucky. Yet, Lucky has stepped up and treated both of those children as his own.

She had my sympathy when Lucky was popping pills and cheating with Maxie.

I even understood why she slept with Jason after walking in on Lucky and Maxie in bed.

What really changed my opinion of Liz was her attitude toward Sam after she had sex with Jason.

Elizabeth had this superior – almost confrontational – attitude towards Sam, who was still reeling from the loss of her stillborn baby and was told she could never have children – and then kicked to the curb by Jason “for her own good.”

I also didn’t like – and still don’t – the fact that she convinced Jason to give up his parental rights to Jake in order to keep him safe. To me, it was selfish on her part.

It just seems to me that Elizabeth always wants the best of both worlds….She wants to have her cake and eat it too.

Prime example: Lucky and Nikolas.

Having said all that…….I don’t like the fact that the writers totally trashed Elizabeth’s character with this horrendous storyline. I really don’t.

I like Rebecca Herbst a lot – and don’t see how the character can be redeemed from this s/l for a very, very, very long time.

Rebecca Herbst

The fact is, Elizabeth cheated multiple times with – not just anyone – but her fiancee’s brother.

And that is going to be pretty hard to overcome.

I hate to admit this, but I was feeling a tiny bit sorry for Elizabeth after Lulu’s tongue lashing. And I liked the fact that Ethan stepped up and offered to drive her home. She does need a friend right now.

Another thing about the s/l that I don’t like is that it ruined the brotherly relationship between Lucky and Nikolas (Tyler Christopher).

Not because I like Nikolas, because I don’t. Waaaay too dark and brooding.

But I did like the relationship between the brothers.

Personally, I don’t think the s/l really did anything to tarnish Nik’s character, because – after all – he is a Cassadine.

Next up! The Dante as Sonny’s son reveal.

And judging from the previews, it’s gonna be doozy!

Being highly unsatisfied with Lucky’s reaction to witnessing his fiancee having sex with his brother the previous week, I’m hoping Friday’s cliffhanger produces a better – and more volatile – week coming up concerning the most hated triangle to come along in a long time.

That’s only my opinion about being the most hated triangle – Lucky/Liz/Nik – however, it’s one that many people also share judging from other blogs and internet chatter.

Let’s go back to last Monday’s General Hospital eppy, shall we?

After Lucky (Jonathan Jackson) witnesses Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) and Nikolas (Tyler Christopher) having sex the previous Friday, the only thing Lucky does is trash his house and doesn’t say a word to Liz or Nik about what he saw.

Instead, he convinces Nik – who was about to leave the country for good – to stay and that he needed him.

Are you kidding me?

For one thing – it’s extremely unrealistic to me that Lucky would react in that way.

Secondly, after we’ve all suffered through this never-ending, horrendous storyline and finally see the finish line……oh, no! The saga continues with everyone trying to figure out what the heck Lucky has in store for the two betrayers.

My fellow soap blogger, Paula’s Soapbox, explained her feelings about the situation last week quite eloquently.

Did I mention that Lucky – a recovering addict – proceeds to get drunk multiple times….although I must admit, I liked the scenes between Lucky and Luke (Tony Geary) bonding over a bottle.

Luke & Lucky ABC/Ron Tom

Which brings me to last Friday – a true cliffhanger!

The last words we hear Lucky utter to Liz and Nik are: “You finally made me see reality. You don’t love me, Elizabeth, otherwise you wouldn’t be screwing my brother behind my back!”

You can see for yourself on the video below, which begins with some Lulu/Dante scenes (love those two!) segues into the back half of the aforementioned Lucky/Luke bonding scene and ends with Lucky confronting Liz and Nik.

Did ya see the look on Nik’s face? Priceless!

Sidetracking just a bit to my new fave GH couple, Dante/Lulu, here’s a really nice tribute video to them.

Soooo cute those two!

But will they be able to overcome all the ramifications of Dante, the cop, masquerading undercover as “mobster” Dominic.

Which brings me to the other s/l with a big reveal that everyone has been eagerly awaiting: the fact that Dominic (Dominic Zamprogna) is really Olivia and Sonny’s son, Dante, and that he’s a cop on the brink of taking Sonny down!

Michael overheard Dominic talking to Johnny on Friday about the irony of Sonny offering his business to Dominic while being a cop in disguise.

So you know Michael will go running to Sonny and…..well, that part remains to be seen.

Since this is a spoiler-free zone – I don’t like to know what’s going to happen ahead of time and don’t want to spoil it for our readers – I can only imagine the craziness that will ensure.

But, you see, Michael doesn’t know the kicker – that Dominic/Dante is his brother.

And Dante doesn’t know that part either.

Let the games begin!

It looks like we’re heading into the home stretch with that DREADFUL Liz/Lucky/Nikolas triangle on General Hospital.

And, I must say, it can’t finish soon enough for me!

Thank goodness Rebecca (Natalia Livingston) spotted Liz and Nik in the throes of passion Friday – which means that she will tell Lucky.

Amen to that!!!

I mean is anyone else sick of the unending scenes with Liz telling Lucky how much she loves him and wants to be a wife to him……and 5 minutes later she’s either making out or making love to Nikolas, who happens to be Lucky’s brother!

Elizabeth and Nikolas

Ron Tom/ABC

For one thing, I’ve had a love/hate feeling for Elizabeth over the past few years.

I always liked Liz….until she started hating on Sam a couple of years back.

I have to say that I totally agreed with Sam…that Elizabeth put herself out there as this paragon of virtue and she was so NOT if you check her track record for ONS.

It’s called being a hypocrite.

That’s why, a couple of weeks ago, I was heartened by that scene when Sam was coming out of Kelly’s Diner and Elizabeth apologized for being so mean to Sam a few years back.

Sam McCall

I actually really liked Liz again – after the whole Jason debacle.

And now this!

Cheating on Lucky with his brother and lying to Lucky telling him that she wants to make a life with him!

I just can’t help feeling sorry for Lucky. I mean how many times does he have to get hurt?

Elizabeth and Lucky

But I must confess, I’m not really relating to the “original” Lucky, Jonathan Jackson. TPTB bumped fan favorite Greg Vaughan for Jackson a few weeks back.

But what I can’t understand is – why?

Many fans are not happy that Vaughan was let go – me among them.

I don’t have anything against Jackson. He’s a fine actor. But I just don’t look at him as Lucky.

For one thing, I think he looks too young for the part and doesn’t look like he’s a match with Rebecca Herbst.

Just my opinion.

I really, really like Herbst. She’s very talented and does a wonderful job with the character. But she needs some good writing for Elizabeth.

Hello, writing team!

But, getting back to the triangle….

The sooner it’s over the better.