Have All The Big Name Superstar Returns Been Worth The Hype?
TV Guide's Michael Logan's weekly soap column, on stands today, rated several recent high profile returns to daytime with mixed results. The returns of Debbie Morgan and Darnell Williams (Angie and Jess) over at AMC received five stars from the veteran soap columnist."It's been worth a gazillion plot contrivances to see Angie back with her "dead" Jesse after 20 long years," said Logan.
He also applauded Days on the return of it's leading man Drake Hogestyn as a snarkier, less-than-heroic version of his Jason Bourne-esque signature character John Black. According to Logan, John is now "robo-tastic".
Logan also praises the return to daytime of beloved former General Hospital mob princess Tamara Braun as...Days of Our Lives mob princess Ava! On Braun, Logan said, "She was the best and most electrifying of the four gals who have played Carly on General Hospital (truer words have never been spoken, er written!)." He went on to add that Braun had "opened up a big old can o' whoop-ass in Salem as Ava, a bodacious banana with a mad jones for Patch (Stephen Nichols)."
Logan wasn't so impressed by three other recent buzz worthy returns. Citing ABC's "Real Greenlee" campaign, coupled with cutie Rebecca Budig being stuck in stinker stories about tainted roots and amnesiac exes had all but ruined Budig's recent return engagement. "But Budig will triumph!" he predicts. It's taking weeks, but the loopy, ballsy, hot-to-trot Greens we love is slowly coming around."
The return of Brando School graduate Tom Pelphrey also didn't leave Logan with much room to praise the actor's return instead of burying it. "I'm the guy's biggest fan, but his recent comeback left me wishing he'd stayed away."
Logan, like many of us Jonathan fans, was apparently longing for the Son o' Shayne of yesteryear, the brooding, misunderstood sociopath who carried the show during his initial run. "Instead we got Mr. Mom".
Lastly, the much anticipated return of General Hospital's original Carly (Sara Brown) as big sister mob doll Claudia on GH has also left Logan unimpressed. It's a totally brill idea," said Logan. "So how come we're so bored?"
What do you think about the latest superstar returns on your favorite soaps, have they been a hit or miss?
