Wow. General Hospital and Days of Our Lives LGBTQ stories (well, they are both really gay men’s stories) are both on fire. Here’s my quick rundown.
First, DAYS and uberpopular WilSon. The bad news is that Will is being recast because they actor wants to pursue his education. Big shoes to fill? The other bad news? Will’s cousin and former-nemesis Nick seems to be back to his creepy obsessive ways and wants to slip back into bed with ex-wife Gabi, the mother of Will’s newborn daughter. While Nick seemed to have processed some of his homophobia by disclosing and discussing his experiences being raped in prison, there was not any real follow up so me thinks Nick is not above using homophobic tactics to get what he wants – Gabi. With the actress and the character planning to exit the show at the end of the year, rumors are flying about what that means for baby Arianna and WilSon. (and Nick.)
Will and Sonny are also deeply embedded into the murder storyline (Will’s mother killed a dirty cop and Sonny’s mother turned in incriminating evidence.) This is a great story for them because it tests their relationship and they are coming out strong. Also testing their relationship is tri-parenting Arianna Grace with housemate, Gabi. Sonny knows Gabi’s deep dark secret (she paid someone to stalk and terrorize Melanie) and is only keeping quiet to protect his friend and businesspartner Chad (long soapy story.) Sonny is getting fed up with Gabi’s attitude and implying he’s ready to tell Will the truth. HOWEVER, Sonny also knows Will’s deep dark secret (he shot EJ and his father Lucas took the fall for it) and so does Nick. If Sonny blows Gabi out of the water, it’s inevitable Nick will retaliate and Arianna Grace will have two parent in prison.
The other bonus is that Nick and Sonny have LGBTQ friends – day players to be sure, but they still reference going out and spending time with them and doing friend things.
The recast is going to be critical. Will Horton is a key character for the next generation of DAYS. The show either has to pluck an experienced youth from the recently departed AMC/OLTL/ATWT shows who has proven his chops with powerhouses like Sami Brady and EJ DiMera or find an amazing newcomer.
Now on to General Hospital which just featured a terrific step forward/back for openly gay nurse Felix and lab supervisor, Brad. They are both deeply enmeshed in the storyline surrounding Britt’s unborn baby – who is the daddy is the latest element. Brad knows, but expressed both a true sense of pleasure at the crazy he creates as well as some genuine fear of Britt and her mother, Dr. Obrecht. Brad is a jerk who hides his vulnerability, but has been very open about his attraction to Felix. Felix is the sweetheart bff character who has his own secret, something only little sis Taylor knows. A good guess is that’s he’s not out to his parents, but it could always be darker. Otherwise, Felix is sadly a bit too much bff so having is own storyline or something not involving Sabrina will be welcome.
Now I’ve been awaiting the long-anticipated return of Dr. Lucas Jones, the only other openly gay character. Lucas is not only a legacy character as a Jones/Spencer, but his biological family is making a return to the canvas – his father is part o the criminal family the Jeromes and his mother was Cheryl Stanbury, whose niece is on the canvas and may make an appearance in Port Charles.
That brings Lucas back with a new birth father, a half-sister, a nephew, an aunt, a cousin and a cousin on his mother’s side. Plus, the entire Spencer/Jones extended family. Talk about storyline!
But enough about that! I was looking forward to a Lucas/Felix pairing, but now I’m really interested in how a show with three openly gay characters can play out – a love triangle! It is perfect. Lucas is probably pretty darn perfect compared t Brad, but there is the whole looming mob storyline. And what’s even better is that this is an interracial triangle – Lucas is white, Felix is black and Brad is Chinese American. That never ever happens so for it to happen among gay characters is awesome!
Compared to these frontburner storylines, Young and the Restless sucks. Granted, the death of Jeanne Cooper probably changed a lot of storyline plans. But her step-son Phillip didn’t even return for her funeral. (He’s the only openly gay character even mentioned these days.) Y&R can do better. There are already a lot of newbies on the screen, but SORASing Victoria’s son Reed into a gay teenager is viable. And it gives Victor another person to try and control. I’m not sure I see many other options. Jack has a paternty/addiction storyline so I can’t see his son returning. Neil -I don’t even begin to understand Neil. Perhaps a new post-Carmine story for Lauren (who runs a fashion empire) and a new employee who happens to be gay? Or a trans model? It isn’t so much the fashion setting as the fact that Lauren will need a new storyline soon. Ideas?
The Bold and the Beautiful is a show I’ve basically given up for good – it is just crappy these days. I don’t care about any of the characters so it is no surprise that the lesbian couple is never on-screen. I don’t even care enough to imagine what might happen with better writing and character development.
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