While other soaps have a token African-American character here and there, AW has a solid core of black contract players. Take Emmy-nominated Rhonda Ross Kendrick. As police officer Toni Burrell she suffered a brutal rape and accused the wrong man, but when she realized her error, she publicly announced her mistake. Her childhood pal, lawyer Tyrone Montgomery (Henry Simmons), is a class act, as is Toni's beau, Chris Madison (Eric Morgan Stuart), the Herald's top-notch writer-reporter. Meanwhile, Toni's mom, Etta mae (Elain Graham), runs The Lucky Lady, a local jazz club, with flair and style.
4. Bad to the Bone
Your everyday, run-of-the-mill villains don't take up residence in Bay City. Take Cindy and Grant, for instance. Cindy is so evil she changed hubby Grant's blood type so he'd think his son Kirkland wasn't his. As if that's not enough, when they first tied the knot, the two spent the first few months plotting ways to kill each other (the only reason they married in the first place was to keep him out of jail). Grant's so bad he set his former fiancee's house on fire so she wouldn't be able to testify at his custody hearing. (Thankfully, Paulina and Dante survived.)
3. They've Got the Look
AW costume designer Shawn Dudley is constantly scouring stores for just the right attire for his cast. Whether it's a designer boutique on Madison Avenue or a major department store, Dudley comes up with the duds. And the residents of Bay City can look just as appealing in tight jeans and a Gap T-shirt as they do in a stunning formal gown thanks to Dudley's expertise. Best of all, who can resist tuning in to see what Felicia Gallant (a.k.a. Linda Dano) will be sporting each day?
2. A Mother and Daughter Reunion
The May return of Ellen Wheeler as Marley, the role she created in 1984, should give the show a much needed shot in the arm, ratingwise. In fact, Wheeler's talents won her an Emmy in'86 for her portrayal of twins Marley and Vicky. In her very first return scene with TV mom Anna Stuart (Donna), we were vividly reminded of the emotional bond these two shared on-screen. And it's about time that Stuart is given a chance to strut her stuff-she's been on the back burner for far too long.
1. Rely on Jake - and Vicky, Too!
Each year after the Daytime Emmy Awards become history, the media buzz seems to hover around AMC's Susan Lucci (Erica) losing yet again. How about the fact Tom Eplin (Jake) has never even been nominated for an Emmy!? What an outrage! Eplin's bad boy, Jake Mckinnon, can have us laughing out loud or reduced to tears at will. Watching Eplin's work with Jensen Buchanan (Vicky) reminds us with crystal clarity that happily ever after may be nice but not nearly so compelling as some well-played angst and turmoil. Half the fun - no, all the fun - of watching Jake and Vicky part is waiting for them to reunite!
My comments: Tom Eplin is an amazing actor. It is absolutely shocking that a man of his talent didn't even get an nomination as well as the Emmy award. The scenes that best describe Eplin's cabilities took place in the court room where Jensen Buchanan's character Vicky revealed her involvement with Shane Roberts and during his on-screen wife's grief period. Tom Eplin was chosen as Star of the Week by Soap Opera Magazine.
My comments: As for Jensen Buchanan, she is extraordinary. Vicky's relationship with her family (Kirkland, Jake, Steven, etc.) seems so genuine and realistic, which is wonderful to see. The scenes that best reflect Jensen Buchanan's talent were the ones where she grieved over Ryan's death, Kirkland's surgery, Michael and Shane's accident.
Michael Logan: On the subject of lookalikes, as interested as I am to see Ellen Wheeler return to AW as Marley, I can't help but be disappointed that Jensen Buchanan won't continue in both roles, especially after seeing today's episode, in which Jensen was so very moving co-starring with herself in those Vicky/Marley scenes. I think Jensen is doing the very best work anybody has ever done on a soap (an overstatement I know, but then I'm prone to them...). Also, call me certifiable, but I must admit that Culliton is doing a fabulous job with the Shane/Michael deaths, and the acting has been beyond compare: Eplin, Peluso and (quelle surprise) Anna Stuart who all these years has never made an impression on me one way or the other. They've all been so magnificent, I want to hand them all Emmys. But there are no superlatives good enough to apply to Miss Buchanan.
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