suffering from selective
Adam amnesia, because the
current version of the char-
acter — who is being written
as a vindictive, paranoid and
power-hungry bully — has
done a personality backslide
that doesn’t jibe with the
journey of personal growth
that played out on-screen.know that her daughter was still
alive. Sadly, she paid the price
for her good intentions when
her car careened off a cliff on
her way to break the news.
Gripping? Absolutely, espe-
cially with “Dark Thomas”
hot on her tail. But the twist
wasn’t fully realized: Emma
was a character viewers barely
knew aside from her runway
dances and speaking out of turn
at Forrester staff meetings. As
of late, Emma was barely on
the canvas, resulting in lesser
empathy had the loss been
a major B&B player. As her
only family, Aaron D. Spears
(Justin) had a few good scenes
expressing shock at the loss of
his niece, but that was it in
terms of mourning. Nia Sioux’s
(Emma) bubbly personal-
ity will definitely be missed
but when it comes to dramatic
impact, Emma’s demise was a
base hit, not a home run.
thumbs down!
YOUNG AND RESTLESS
Adam Bombed
Once upon a time, dastard-
ly deeds were a dime a dozen
for Adam (framing Victor for
murder and swiping Sharon’s
newborn just scratches the
surface) — but before he was
presumed dead, he was mak-
ing impressive headway at
being, well, human. At the tail
end of Justin Hartley’s time
in the role, Adam was a vul-
nerable and selfless dedicated
family man, who, in particu-
larly memorable scenes, made
amends with estranged broth-
er Nick. While fans remember
this, it appears that Y&R is
We get that Y&R wanted
Adam as a villain again,
but that process should’ve
taken time, especially with a
new actor in the role. Being
deprived of an explanation
for what caused this 180 in
Adam’s evolution makes
it difficult to relate to the
character. wn Claire’s demented run as a teenager
fueled by jealousy and insecurity came to
a dynamic climax, courtesy of Olivia Rose
Keegan’s captivating portrayal of her charac-
ter’s unraveling mental state.
After binding Ciara to a bed in the cabin where she had initially tried
to burn her alive, Claire paced the room menacingly, wielding a knife,
propelled by furor and fear. Ciara asked why Claire would try to kill her,
and Keegan lowered her head, conveying Claire’s shame. “I didn’t mean
to — I swear,” groveled Claire, suddenly subdued and repentant. But as
she recalled what had led her to that desperate act, her rage was trig-
gered again, her tone biting as she snapped, “I wanted to hurt you. You
just kept taking all of these things away from me — Theo, the contest.”
Ignoring Ciara’s attempts to reason with her, Claire began dousing
the bed with gasoline. “I need this pain to go away ... I need you to go
away,” rambled Claire, flicking a lighter. Keegan’s eyes were transfixed
on the flame as if she was under a hypnotic trance. Hope, Ben and
Marlena burst in, and Marlena’s declaration of love got through to
her. Teary-eyed, Claire finally relented, dropping the lighter to the
ground and breaking down in her arms. But then Claire scooped up
the lighter, stared into the flame and whispered, “My life is over. It’s
better for everyone if I die.” Marlena promised that Claire could turn
her life around, and Keegan channeled all of Claire’s desperation and
vulnerability, her widened eyes searching Marlena’s as she asked,
“Do you really think you can help me?” Marlena’s reassurance was
enough for Claire, who took her grandmother’s hand and exited the
cabin with her. Once outside, Claire dissolved into tears, the magni-
tude of every terrible thing she’d done hitting her hard.
Capturing the breadth of troubled Claire’s humanity with equal
parts commitment and maturity, Keegan brought the character’s arc
to a memorable, impactful close.JILL(^) JOHNSON/JPI
Performer Of The Week
SOAP OPERA DIGEST
Olivia Rose Keegan
(CLAIRE, DAYS)