One more thing, for all her Emmy wins, I don’t think Jill Farren Phelps, on any show I watched that she was the EP, ever had anything as completely special as BJ’s heart, Stone’s HIV story, Monica’s breast cancer, and Liz’s sexual assault which led to Lucky learning about Luke and Laura. There were others, but those were memorably told with class, restraint, heart, and elevated storytelling the medium doesn’t always see, across multiple actors. Riche had actual primetime instincts and did the best she could to tell stories in daytime with that in mind.
The only time I think Jill came close to fully hitting those highs was with a story she blames for part of her negative reputation. The Ed/Lilian affair, and Maureen finding out and dying. Ellen Parker in particular kept Maureen grounded, and her heartbreak was unforgettable. I still wonder if Maureen lost control due to the weather or had a moment of weakness and gave in to despair. The way that was told, all the way through the funeral, was top tier soap opera. I recognize and agree they should have never killed Maureen. But it’s also the only time I saw JFP tell a story so beautifully and with so much poignancy and that level of restraint that made it special and not just for shock. And all of that, she has said in an interview years later, is what she regrets. That they made the audience care about Maureen, and that’s a pretty clear reason why I think she has terrible storytelling instincts, and a lack of awareness about huge portions of the audience of these shows.
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titan1978 ·
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