Carolyn Hinsey Shares Her Opinions

Why is watching a soap character change so fascinating? Check out what Digest columnist Carolyn Hinsey has to say about what’s happening across the daytime dial.

Can soap characters change? Yes. But it helps us buy the transformation if we watch them do it.

GH’s Spencer Cassadine is a good example. He was a jerk when he was aged to an adult in 2021, but they played him with Britt, which helped us adjust to the recast. After a while he wised up to Esme’s treachery, which made him smart and got a slow burn with soulful Trina, which gave him rooting value.

Trina: “Spencer’s changed.”
Joss: “Do you really believe that?”

Yes. He even accepted help from his worst enemy (Ava!) to go for custody of his unborn sibling to keep the kid from his rotten father, Nikolas.

Spencer: “Trina has reservations about me seeking custody, but she is supportive.”
Ava: “That’s Trina, loyal as they come.”
Spencer: “I can’t let him parent another child.”

Way to ship a couple and advance a character.

Growing up on a show lets us watch people evolve naturally, and there’s no better example of that than Spencer’s grandmother, the mayor.

Scorpio: “Sometimes I can’t believe it: Little Laura, on the run from Frank Smith and holding the Cassadines at bay with a machine gun, the epitome of law and order.”
Felicia: “Look who’s talking, Mr. District Attorney.”
Scorpio: “How the mighty have fallen.”

Speaking of falling, has a character ever taken a bigger dive than B&B’s Bill Spencer? One day he was professing his love to his ex-wife Katie and the next it was “revealed” he was in love with psycho Sheila Carter. His about-face was preposterous, but thankfully the whole town called him on it.

Katie: “What’s your plan? Are we going to invite her to family functions? What happens when Will gets married? Are you going to show up at his wedding with a murderer on your arm?”

Ouch. Bill’s claims that he cares for Sheila fall flat when he can’t look anybody in the eye, and his efforts to blame his ex’s rejection for his new “love” don’t work either.

Bill: “I wanted us to raise our son together.”
Katie: “You wanted Brooke. That was the problem.”

Deacon wanted Brooke too, but he settled for Sheila. A bigger metamorphosis was Deacon going from prisoner to bartender to owner of Il Giardino.

Brooke: “How does it feel to own your own restaurant?”
Deacon: “It’s a lot of work!”

I’ll bet. He must have gotten some big tips from a lot of invisible customers to be able to buy that business in 12 short months.

It’s easier to buy characters who stay consistent, obviously — like DAYS’s Marlena, who showcased the same soothing presence when she went to “heaven” as she did in Salem. We all know characters have to move on after the death of a spouse but I’m hoping that story doesn’t drag on so long that John does it. More logical was setting up the bereft Chad with newcomer Stephanie by having Abigail’s father encourage the union.

Jack (to Chad): We’ve had so much loss lately. We’ve gotta live. If there’s a connection between you and Stephanie you should explore it. Abigail loved Stephanie. She would be all right with you getting close to her.”

Cut to Stephanie leading Chad to the bedroom where the candles were coincidentally already lit. Did Abigail sanction that? I doubt it.

The weirder (and lazier) way to shift a character in a new direction is with amnesia or brainwashing.

Gabi: “Rolf can put you back to the way you were before when I was the only woman you loved.”

She tied Stefan to a chair and Rolf put two white plastic circles on his head and “zapped” him.

Gabi: “Tell me how you feel.”

Stefan: “I feel like I love you, Gabi.”

That was easy. Too bad he still had feelings for Chloe.

Stefan: “I’m in love with the two most beautiful women in the world. How lucky am I?”

Well, that’s one way to create a triangle…

Y&R is finally giving milquetoast-y Kyle an edge and it’s also advancing story.

Kyle (to Victor): “I found something you can use to get Adam out of the company.”

Jack’s son Kyle working with Victor is fun. Victor’s son Adam working for Jack is not fun because he has no office, responsibilities, co-workers or reason for being at Jabot. He just hangs out in bars eavesdropping.

At least have Adam take over some of Phyllis’s responsibilities since she was fired (by her own daughter). Phyllis complains she can’t catch a break with her kids but her best friend knows her too well.

Michael: “Why am I sure there’s more to this?”

Calling people on their mistakes can help them evolve if they take the advice, which Phyllis doesn’t. Daniel asked her 100 times to stop meddling in his life so she booked a flight to Portugal to visit his estranged partner, Heather.

Phyllis: “I’m going to convince her to take your brother back.”
Summer: “That is a monumentally bad idea.”

There’s a place for characters who never learn because the inevitable crash-and-burn can be entertaining. It can also just be sweetly familiar, like Esther going to work at Chancellor-Winters to keep the throughline of her sticking her nose into everyone’s business. Recently, it involved Devon’s absence from the office during his drama with Lily and the IPO.

Esther: “I promise I’m not engaging in office gossip but I want you to know I adore you. You’re Mrs. C’s grandson. I’m praying you and your sister can work things out.”

Devon: “Thank you. Sometimes things change, but I’m glad you are still the same Esther I’ve always known and loved.”

Me too. Characters who change are necessary, but there’s a recognizable comfort in the ones that don’t.

Hey. It’s only my opinion.