Mason

Nov 28 2009, 05:20 PM

BEST DAYTIME COUPLE


PHILLIP AND HARLEY, GUIDING LIGHT

Contradictory as it may sound, Phillip and Harley's romance is special because it's so utterly ordinary. Unlike most other star-crossed daytime duos, these two don't have unrelatable concerns: no evil twins, no clones - and now that Beth's moved on - no meddling ex-spouses. Instead, their difficulties stem from all the day-to-day baggage that weighs down most real-life relationships. For one thing, Harley's still nervous that her new stepdaughter won't accept her. For another, Phillip's dysfunctional childhood gives him a dark side that Harley will never validate. Luckily, they're keenly aware of their problems - and, understanding that there's no such thing as a love that's "just meant to be," work hard to resolve them. The resulting emotional fireworks are just as exciting as any evil twin...and a hundred times more resonant.

Mason

Nov 28 2009, 05:53 PM

BEST FEUD


KAY AND JILL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Here's the recipe for a good, old-fashioned, nasty feud, courtesy of Y&R. Take two characters who are both in love with the same man - Phillip Chancellor - and don't let the fact that he dies have any impact on their hatred for each other for about the next 20 years. Throw in a fortune and a mansion that were left to Kay, but which Jill has always thought were rightfully hers. Put them in situations where they can spar with each other (parties, hospital bedsides, funerals) and give them one-liners to sling at each other that would make the writers of FRASIER green with envy. (Note: Make sure these characters are portrayed by terrific actresses who clearly relish mixing it up.) Then, give them lawyers. Bake on the front-burner at least three days a week for two decades and you've got Kay and Jill, the most entertaining duo on television, much less daytime.

Mason

Nov 28 2009, 05:10 PM

BEST REUNION


VICTOR AND NIKKI, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

To be perfectly honest, we had given up hope that this pair would ever reunite, despite the fact that it was obvious to everyone but them that they still pined for each other. We resigned ourselves to watching the sparks fly when they discussed their troubled children (Victoria and Nicholas) or when one of them announced that he/she was getting married - again. (Since splitting up a decade ago, Nikki and Victor routinely married other people just to get a rise out of each other.) So it was a terrific surprise when Victor, who had just embarked on a long honeymoon trip with his milquetoast bride, Diane, turned the jet around so he could be by Nikki's side after she was shot by the maid (long story). As Nikki's loved ones gathered around trying to rally her, Victor sprang into action. He secured a quickie divorce from Diane and wed Nikki on her deathbed. And whaddya know: Nikki got better! Today, Nikki and Victor remain one of daytime's few interesting, married couples as they face life's challenges together. Thanks for the payoff, Y&R.

Mason

Nov 28 2009, 04:49 PM

I've also got the Best & Worst issues from 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, if anyone's interested.




BEST MYSTERY


WHO KILLED KRISTEN?, DAYS OF OUR LIVES

The object of a good mystery is to keep the viewer guessing whodunit. Not only did DAYS succeed on that note with the multilayered yarn, "Who Killed Kristen?" the show also kept viewers in suspense as to who the actual victim was.

When Kristen's lifeless body was found floating in the pool at the Blake House, it seemed as though the evil schemer had finally met her maker. And with goofy lookalike Susan going around town acting so jumpy, she seemed to be the logical culprit. But within a week, we found out that Susan was actually Kristen in disguise. So the body in the pool was Susan's...right? Not so fast. Susan wasn't dead, either. She was stashed away in a Caribbean fortress, courtesy of Kristen's plotting. But Kristen didn't know that her plan was a success; she thought she had killed Susan in a drunken haze. Meanwhile, the police thought Laura murdered Kristen to avenge the cruelty she had suffered at the hands of the DiMeras. In a surprise twist, it was actually the mild-mannered Edmund who accidentally drowned the victim in an effort to help true-love Susan.

In a brilliantly written - and acted - series of scenes where Kristen and Susan finally came face to face, we discovered the final reveal: Edmund had offed England-bred Penelope Banks, quadruplet sibling to Susan, Mary Moira and Thomas, who had been separated from them at birth. Ah-ha! This carefully woven tale was not only filled with more suspenseful twists and turns than a roller coaster, but it wound up being a fitting sendoff for fan favorite and multifaceted performer Eileen Davidson (who we're sure took a reeeally long - and well-deserved - nap after wrapping up this mystery).