By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I love Hulu for so many reasons. I can watch Community whenever I want. It has old shows like Crime Story and Family Ties. I’ve watched excellent documentaries like Jesus Camp and Capturing the Friedmans. It really has everything, but NOW it has so much more.
All My Children and One Life to Live are back. I’m a soap fanatic. I grew up watching these shows.
I was so angry when ABC cancelled AMC. I remember absolutely falling for David Canary when I was a little girl and somehow the man has not aged in 25 years. He is just as sexy now as he was then. To see him as Adam Chandler is just so captivating. I hope he is on regularly and I would love to see him up to his old antics again. If only Palmer were around to battle him. Those fights were epic!
Then there is Jesse & Angie. I adored this couple. Years ago when the soap opera Loving was cancelled there was a spinoff called The City. Debbi Morgan portrayed Angie on that show as well. Darnell Williams who plays Jesse came on for a while and played another character and the two got together. I remember thinking back then, “why not just make him Jesse!” I must say when Jesse returned to Pine Valley and Angie saw him on the train, I was so happy that the reunion took this long and that The City went the route it did.
All My Children has so much going for it! Old familiar characters like Dixie and David, Opal and Joe make me smile; and new faces are
always welcome! I can’t wait to see how this progesses.
One Life to Live gets me even more excited. Two words: Roger Howarth. For a very long time, I didn’t watch OLTL. Roger Howarth was portraying Paul on the now defunct soap As the World Turns. I was pretty upset with OLTL for recasting Todd. There is only one Todd Manning and its Roger Howarth. The other actor is fine and would be great in any other character, but Howarth has a certain way of portraying Todd that is brilliant. So, I watched ATWT for years. When it was cancelled, I turned to OLTL when Howarth returned. Nothing is better than when Howarth portrays broken Todd Manning.
Todd Manning’s character was defined years ago when he raped Marty Saybrooke in one of the most vicious rape scenes ever on TV. He was supposed to be hated. Unlike a lot of rapists on soaps, Todd was never reformed. He’s always done horrible things. After the rape, he punched his second wife in the face, he told his wife that her baby died and then gave it up for adoption, he’s framed people multiple times for both his crimes and the crimes of others, he has held people hostage with a fake bomb. The list goes on and on. All the while, there is something so tormented and sad about Manning. He was an abused child. Though that doesn’t excuse his sins, it does add depth to the character.
There are quotes from his character that stand the test of time and hit so hard. Howarth is one of the greatest actors of all time and Manning is one of the most complex characters of all time. When the Howarth portrays Todd it’s amazing.
One of the greatest moments of the show today was a very quick scene. Todd was forbidden to enter a club. Hunched over and aggravated with security guards, he just walked in.
Now it may seem like I’m saying OLTL is all Todd, but there is more. I love Vicki. I especially love her when she is in scenes with Todd. Damn. There is more than just Todd, I promise.
Dorian and Vicki’s arguments are legendary and fun. I can’t wait until the two go head-to-head again.
David Vickers is hilarious. I remember when Tuc Watkins first came on the show as David and pretended to be an heir of the Lord fortune. He fell in love with Tina Lord who everyone but David thought was his sister. David started off as very slimy yet sexy. He has evolved over the year into a complete comedic personality and it fits Watkins perfectly.
The ending of today’s episode was a satisfying shocker which I won’t disclose for those who haven’t watched.
I am so grateful to Hulu!
