I have a feeling the Deanna story might go the same direction as the Phillip Spaulding story on GL when he believed that Beth was still alive. He was thought of as crazy, but as it turned out.. Beth was really alive.

I actually think Deanna is truly struggling with her grief and mental health, and is masking that with this tough exterior. It's realistic and a true portrayal of someone dealing with mental health issues and not wanting to be seen as weak.

Lastly, Ashley Abbott was a force of nature and tough as nails in her early days on YR before it was revealed that it was just a front for her masking her own insecurities and mental health issues.

Edited 2 hours ago2 hr by Soaplovers

Don't forget the amazing Mike reference which they blatantly stole from you! And this past week there was also an Essence reference. Mmmmh. Up next will be the reopening of the Laura Peterson case™. You should ask for them copyrights!

On 5/20/2026 at 5:53 AM, MontyB said:

So I don't think this storyline came from any fans anywhere online.

Why anyone would think MJV got this idea from anyone online is hysterical.

But do you read Ebony and Essence?

On 5/22/2026 at 2:08 AM, melanatedbtgfan said:

As for Joey, the reason why he's white is because of political correctness. I truly believe that if Joey was a black man instead there would be a lot of complaints. I think the show wants to establish Joey as the big gangster and then bring in a black gangster later to be his rival.

I think the reason why Joey is white, or even exists at all, is because MVJ has the hots for the actor and has some PTSD-like affection for the Sonny character. And it's clouding her judgement.

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by Aback

I was more upset by Derek’s death than I expected to be. His character had actually improved a lot lately. He had finally become the one real thorn in Leslie’s side, and I also thought he had an interesting dynamic with Eva. So yeah, I’m genuinely sorry to see him go. He brought good vibes to the show. Now let’s hope Tomas is next.

As for Ashley mourning Derek… those scenes went on forever. They were way too long, and more importantly, they exposed the actress’s limitations. She was just whining and crying with the same mannerisms and tics over and over again. It wasn’t moving at all.

That said, I did notice something interesting in Ashley’s dialogue. The way she talked about Derek almost felt like a mea culpa from the writers themselves—as if they’d heard the audience feedback and folded it into her lines. It was like Ashley was suddenly aware of all the selfish, nonsensical, and ungrateful things she’d done. Or rather, the writers were aware of all the ridiculous choices they’d made her do.

As for the rest, I’m still fast-forwarding through Joey’s scenes.

And regarding Doug: I really hope he’s actually dead. I hate back-from-the-dead stories in soaps. Long-term, I genuinely think that trope has damaged the genre. So no, I’m not particularly eager to see him return—even though I would still choose Douglas over Joey a thousand times over.

The cotillion scenes were fun. Honestly, this entire week felt must-watch to me. I also liked Friday’s episode. It had a kind of punch and weight to it that the show had been lacking for a while, so hopefully that means something has changed behind the scenes.

As for the plasma storyline, it was objectively a failure. It felt completely inconsequentialfor Naomi and Jacob, who somehow come across as more annoying than ever. And I honestly don’t understand why we’re supposed to care about Lia’s future. We’ve had scenes between Marcel and Lia, but… why? Who even is she to us as viewers?

38 minutes ago, Aback said:

But do you read Ebony and Essence?

Read them for many years. I don't read them now.

Edited 24 minutes ago24 min by MontyB