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1992
 Miss... The Return of GH's Holly "While it was
great to see Emma Samms (Holly) back on General
Hospital after a seven year absence, the scripting of her re-entrance sorely
lacked imagination, creativity and intelligence.
In 1983, Samms'
initial chemistry with Tony Geary (then Luke, now Bill) almost made viewers
forget his phenomenal on-screen relationship with Genie Francis (ex-Laura
Spenser); when she was paired with Tristan Rogers' Robert, wow! Holly and
Robert's relationship was built on honesty, trust and friendship, which
eventually grew into love. However, one would never have known it when Holly
returned.
Sadly, the
writers threw together a tried-and-true soap opera device that insulted viewers'
intelligence and betrayed their affection for the super couple. The anticipation
of Holly and Robert's reunion was better than the actual event. To believe that
Holly would have stayed away from Robert even after she came out of a coma (how
typical!) because he was engaged to Katherine Delafield nullifies the couples'
passion for each other. Holly and Robert always solved their problems through
honest and sincere communication, so for Holly to believe Robert was better off
thinking she was dead was implausible and too disappointing for the audience to
swallow.
Although in soap
operas we suspend our disbelief to welcome back a beloved character (viewers
would sooner believe Holly's abduction by a UFO), surely the writers could have
come up with a story that retained the couple's past affection. Holly's return
would have been more believable if she was held against her will (as Laura was),
instead of knowingly and selfishly staying away from Robert. Instead of running
away from Robert, as she did when they met up in New York, she should have been
running toward him.
What's even more infuriating was
the way the writers depicted their big encounter (in the restaurant, not at
Dominque's). You would think that despite the circumstances, that whatever the
excuse and for whatever they once shared Robert would have embraced Holly just
for the sake of knowing she was alive. The scene was cold and calculating,
devoid of any emotion. As for Holly returning to her con-artist roots, that only
served to further an already inane plot. The character had developed a modicum
of intelligence and self-respect, so to fall back into a past that was best left
forgotten is unfortunate." (SOW 3/3/92)
 Worst Love Story- Bill and Holly "What
can we say about a couple who have about as much chemistry as Dan and Marilyn
Quayle? After a murky start as luke-alike Bill Eckert, Tony Geary had just
hit his stride in a Tracy/Hepburn-style romance with Crystal Carson as Julia
when Emma Samms returned as Holly. Soon Holly's husband, Robert, bit the dust,
and Bill and Julia were permanently splitsville, thus beginning one of the worst
soap stories of the year, The Saga of San Sebastian.
We don't know which part of this
"love story" was more ridiculous. First there was the revelation that
Holly had a secret twin sister, Paolma. (For the dual role, Samms was forced to
don a dreadful red wig). Then Bill displayed a back full of dreadful scars,
dropping hints about what Father Martin did to him in some unnamed prison. Yet
strangely, Bill later made love to Holly without so much as a scratch on that
smooth skin. Bill and Holly were more fun embroiled in an art scam, tracking
down the person who stole his $2.8 million Guermonet painting. But who was
running The Outback, Luke and Laura?
It's not just preposterous
plotting. Samms and Geary are enormously likable performers, but their
characters don't click as a couple the way they did in their first
go-round as Luke and Holly. Holly exhibited more sizzle in an old bathrobe with
Mac than she did in a month of wet T-shirts with Bill. Bill and Julia were one
of daytime's hottest, funniest couples. They weren't broken: Why did GH try to
fix them?" (SOD 12/22/92)
1993
 Home
Alone "Attention, child welfare authorities: Robin
Scorpio and Sly Eckert have been abandoned in Port Charles.
Case Number One: Before his
death, Robert entrusted his only daughter, Robin, to his brother,
Mac, and ex-wife, Holly, who promised to create a family for the
teen. But except for the occassional Pop-Tart at breakfast, this
poor kid hasn't seen hide nor care from her so-called guardians.
Holly jetted off to San Sebastian, New York, Connecticut, Lisbon and
Paris with Bill; Mac traveled to Texas, Beecher's Corners, New
Hampshire and St. Louis to help Felicia. And poor 14-year-old Robin
was left home alone in that big Scorpio house to fend off evil Dr.
Ryan Chamberlain by herself. (And she did.) Robin was orphaned just
last year, and she has to cope with the trials and tribulations of
adolescence. So what this kid really needs reassurance and
stability. But what she's getting are microwaved dinners and
troublemaker Brenda Barrett for a roommate; someone we wouldn't
trust to take care of a cat." (SOD 4/27/93)
1995
 Mac's Personality Change
"When Mac Scorpio first joined GH, he was major leading man material.
Hunky
and cuddly, armed with a winning smile and a dangerous edge, John. J. York's Mac had no
trouble charming every female who crossed his path- Jenny, Dominique, and Felicia, to name
three.
But Mac has become a different person. Domesticated to a fault, this Aussie has lost
his panache and his accent. Maybe breaking up with Felicia was the
catalyst: losing the love of your life to her ex-husband is enough to make anyone
cranky. And Mac clearly shows the strain of parenting his adolescent niece,
Robin. This girl is a typical teen: She fell in love with a boy whom her incle
disappoved of; she got caught driving drunk. We understand that Mac takes surrogate
fatherhood seriously, but along the way, he turned into a martinet.
Where's the twinkle in Mac's eye? That devil-may-care grin? This is Robert
Scorpio's kid brother, for heaven's sakes! Mac sulks at The Outback, scolds Robin and
treats Felicia with the blandness of an older brother rather than the heat of a jilted
lover. (Mac also seems to have forgotten that he was once the black sheep of the
Scorpio Clan.) It's understandable that he's matured, but now he's a wet blanket who
could dampen any party. There's still time for this man to regain the spunk and
spontaneity that he's lost. Bring the old Mac back, GH!" (SOD 1/17/95)
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