If there is a story or script from one of your favorite soaps over the last three and a half decades that is most memorable to you, it’s probably because veteran soap writer, Michele Val Jean had something to do with it.

The current creator, head writer and executive producer of CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates has been razzle dazzling us with some impressive cliffhangers in the infancy of the newest soap opera on the block which debuted back on February 24, 2025. Already in its second season, and recently renewed in a tremendous show of confidence by CBS for seasons three and four, this week its spotlighting the highly-anticipated crossover event when characters from The Young and the Restless arrive at Fairmont Crest airing now through June 12.

Val Jean has tenured history in daytime from: being a script writer for Santa Barbara (and breakdown writer), Port Charles, Generations, and lengthy run a few times at General Hospital where she served as script writer, breakdown writer, and at one time co-head writer of the ABC soap, to being a long-running script writer at The Bold and the Beautiful, to finally landing her very own show as its head writer with Beyond the Gates.

Photo: CBS

Earlier this week, Michael Fairman TV chatted with Michele at the Toast to Black Excellence event in Los Angeles, featuring cast members of Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless as a precursor to their multi-arc crossover event and asked Val Jean what has been her favorite story in soaps she has ever written for. She responded that she had a top three and they all happened to be from her time on General Hospital and in the 90’s.

GENERAL HOSPITAL CLASSIC STORYLINES

Michele revealed her top picks, “Elizabeth’s (Rebecca Herbst) rape, because that was personal, Kevin and Ryan (dual roles played by Jon Lindstrom), and Stone’s (Michael Sutton) death.”

When speaking of getting the opportunity to write for mild-mannered Dr. Kevin Collins and his psycho killer twin, Ryan Chamberlain, Michele explained, “I was always like a true crime person and Claire Labine (ex-head writer, GH) loved the vibe Jon Lindstrom and I has as writing and acting were concerned. Claire said, ‘Go with it. So, she basically let us work out who these characters were and I was like, ‘I finally have my own serial killer!'”

Courtesy/ABC

DOUBLE TROUBLE

“One of the first scenes I wrote for Ryan was in the police interrogation room and Mac Scorpio (John J. York) and Sean Donely (John Reilly) were standing behind him. He was sitting at this table and in his jumpsuit and there was a light shining on him and he started confessing to all these murders. It was like a 7-minute monologue and it went on and on. He had so many murders (piled up). and then at one point, he goes, ‘Wait, a minute!” He got confused about all the women he had murdered and I said ‘I love this character!'”

GH fans will recall Ryan debuted first in 1992, and then Kevin joined the main characters in 1993. Val Jean recalled, “When Kevin came onto the canvas, he was so arrogant. He thought, ‘Oh, I’ll go fix my brother.’ It took Ryan about five minutes to figure out who Kevin was. The next thing you know, Kevin’s in the middle of a mental institution going, ‘I’m not Ryan!’ And, Ryan’s out on a date with Felicia (Kristina Wagner) I think we must have killed Ryan off six times. That was fun!”

Photo: ABC

PERSONAL VANTAGE POINT

In 1998, Val Jean wrote Elizabeth Webber’s rape storyline. She notably based the controversial and critically acclaimed storyline on her own personal experience with sexual assault.

Michele reflected, “Elizabeth’s rape was really important to me because I was watching the Campus Disco in 1979 (when Luke raped Laura), and I was raped when I was 12-years-old. I know what rape looks like. I wanted to win Tony Geary (Luke) an Emmy because he hadn’t had one since 1983. I also wanted to call a rape a “rape,” and I wanted to heal myself, because back when I grew up on the south side of Chicago in the sixties, you didn’t go to therapy. You pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, and you went on. There was a trial and my rapist went to jail. Once that was over, there was no more talking about it. So, those were my three reasons for doing that story. I managed to do all three, and that was the most personally satisfying.”

Courtesy/ABC

STONE AND ROBIN

Perhaps, there is nothing more iconic and important, than the death of Stone Cates, who tragically dies of AIDS. The episode where he passes away with his girlfriend, a young Robin (Kimberly McCullough) who now has contracted HIV by his side, aired on November 29, 1995. Val Jean had noted on social media that it was both an honor and a heartbreak to write this episode.

BEYOND THE GATES EARLY FAVORITES

Now, Michele is setting new favorites in her repertoire with Beyond the Gates. She revealed that so far, there have been two standouts. The first, the violent altercation on a deserted country road where Martin (Brandon Claybon) fatally struck one of two racist white men with a tire iron to save his grandfather, Vernon Dupree’s (Clifton Davis) life and his own.

“I am most proud of Martin by the side of the road (story), because I didn’t think the CBS network would let me do it, but the network has been so supportive. I took a lot of personal satisfaction from that. I’ve never experienced anything like that! ” Another top pick?  I loved the anniversary party when Nicole’s (Daphnée Duplaix) marriage got all blown up!

So, are some of your all-time favorite storylines the ones Michele Val Jean chose? Elizabeth’s Rape, early Kevin/Ryan and Stone’s death on General Hospital? What about the racism storyline centering around Martin Richardson and the bombshell reveal on Beyond the Gates that Ted had an affair with Leslie and a child, which came to light at the anniversary party of Ted and Nicole? Let us know via the comment section below.

Adam J. Harrington (ex-John Jagger Cates, General Hospital) is one of 10 major casting additions who will have recurring or guest star roles in the highly-anticipated thriller, Bishop to stream on Amazon Prime.

Along with Harrington on Tuesday, Dillon Casey, Rick Hoffman, Bronson Pinchot, Ron Lea, Kaniehtiio Horn, Hunter Dillon, Brett Donahue, Jorja Cadence, Ishan Davé were all announced via Deadline.

In story, on Bishop, a homicide detective Bishop Graves (Joel Kinnaman) – brilliant, battle-scarred – will put all of his skills to the test in the hunt for an elusive killer targeting San Francisco’s moneyed class. As this increasingly audacious killer develops a devoted following among the city’s powerless, Bishop becomes convinced these murders connect back to SF’s most powerful man, his own father, Lincoln Graves (John Malkovich).

MAJOR LINE-UP

The cast is even more star-studded with Jennifer Jason Leigh as Jillian Graves, Lincoln Graves’ sister, and aunt to Bishop Graves; Jordana Brewster (ex-ATWT and Dallas) as Kat Claiborne, a seasoned inspector at the San Francisco Police Department; Harry Treadaway as Wyatt; and Xavier Samuel as Anthony ‘Ant’ Graves, Bishop Graves younger brother.

Ulrich Thomsen, Erik Svedberg-Zelman, and Jennifer Beals will also appear in recurring roles. Guest starsalso  include John Larroquette and Rob Yang. The aforementioned Harrington will play the role of Eric Olsen.

Photo: ABC

JOHN “JAGGER” CATES MURDER STILL SWEPT UNDER THE RUG

As General Hospital fans will recall, it was back on the August 30, 2024, where Harrington’s John Cates was shot twice by mobster Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). Till this day, no one even mentions the fact, or seemingly knows that Sonny got away with killing a man in cold blood. Will it ever come to light years later in a major way or stay buried in GH history forever?

Harrington first appeared on the ABC soap opera back in February of 2024, when in a shocking recast, he took over the role of Jagger, now going by the name of John and an FBI agent. The part was originally made soap famous by a young Antonio Sabato Jr. from 1992 to 1995.

After Adam wrapped his run, he participated in a livestream chat on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel where he opened up about learning it would be the end of the line for John “Jagger’ Cates, and much more. You can check it out below.

No word yet on when Bishop will debut on Prime Video, but Michael Fairman TV will keep you posted.

So, glad to see Adam landing a role in an upcoming thriller which also features so many great actors in the cast? Are you still shocked that Sonny Cortinthos shot and killed John and completely got away with it? Let us know via the comment section below.

In a riveting and intense episode of General Hospital, the Tuesday June 9 episode brought with it a standout performance by Kathleen Gati as Dr. Liesl Obrecht, as she finally learns the truth that “Nathan” is really the twin she thought had died at child birth, Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey).

Couple that with the fact that Lucas (Van Hansis) lured Sidwell (Carlo Rota) into a massive showdown where ultimately three shots were fired and Dr. Jones went down.

But first, in the secret room at Wyndemere, Obrecht learns the true identify of Cassius as Josslyn (Eden McCoy) looks on. We also finally learn the backstory of how Cassius came to be and Obrecht had no idea she had another son. Cassius tells his mother that Nathan’s twin wasn’t stillborn. It was none other than Liesl’s evil sister Madeline (formerly played by Donna Mills) who covered it up.

Courtesy/ABC

However, Madeline handed Cassius over to Cesar Faison in exchange for leaving Liesl alone. Madeline never told Faison that Cassius was indeed a twin, and she never told Liesl that her baby survived. Sadly, when Liesl asked what happened to Nathan, it’s then Cassius reveals that his brother died when Faison shot him over 7 years ago and he has been impersonating him since arriving in Port Charles.

CASSIUS SPILLS THE TEA

But that’s not all, Liesl! Next, she learns how Cassius has been involved in Britt faking her death and that Britt has known this whole time that Cassius was alive and never told his mutter. At that point, Obrecht lost it and bitch-slapped Cassius across the face. However, it was Josslyn who came to Cassius’ defense, giving him credit where credit was due for saving her life and Britt’s.

Cassius admitted that he has been trying to protect Britt, and that the plan was for the two to get out from under Sidwell and Cullum, once Faison’s final project was completed. However, with Britt running off with Rocco, all bets are off. It’s then, Liesl realizes the reason she was kidnapped. They are forcing her to finish the cold fusion-based project. Cassius warns Liesl that if she doesn’t comply, Sidwell and Cullum will kill her. He makes a vow to his mutter that he wont let anything happen to her, because he’d die before he let her go down. At that moment, Liesl, in tears, accepted her current fate stating, ‘Then I will do what needs to be done. Because I have no intention of letting you die, my son!”

Courtesy/ABC

TENNIS ANYONE? HOW ABOUT SOME BULLETS INSTEAD?

Meanwhile, Sidwell has caught up with Lucas at the Marco Rios Tennis Center. He then confronts him for stealing the incriminating photos of Sonny and Laura from the safe at Wyndemere. Lucas admits he took them and laid into Sidwell for making Marco an accomplice to his criminal activities when Marco wanted out. So he volunteered to help Sonny and Laura get rid of the evidence Sidwell was holding over their heads.

Next, Jenz pulled out a gun and accused Lucas of killing Marco and framing Pascal to cover up his crime. Lucas spewed venom at Sidwell, telling him to look at himself, for he is to blame for his own son’s death. When Lucas shouted that Marco would want nothing to do with his father if he has lived, Sidwell shot Lucas three times in the chest and he went down.

Courtesy/ABC

WILLOW IS IN FOR A WSB SURPRISE

In yet another tense moment, Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) showed up at Turning Woods to inject Jack (Chris McKenna) with another dose of the paralytic to keep him in his “locked-in” state, only as she went to do the deed, Willow was shocked when Jack grabs her hand and begs her not to inject him. What will Willow do now that she is caught and Jack can fight back?

And, after faking out Willow, Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) met up with Lucy (Lynn Herring) where they are concocting a plan to make Willow look like the guilty driver who ran Jordan (Tanisha Harper) off the road to try to make Willow looks bad in Chase’s (Josh Swickard) eyes, and to keep her away from BLQ’s husband.

So, what did you think of the performance of Kathleen Gati as Liesl learns the shocking truth about Cassius? What are your thoughts on the backstory of Cassius and Nathan, Madeline, Faison and Obrecht? Do you think Lucas is wearing a bullet proof vest, all in the attempt to get Sidwell arrested for the crime of shooting him, or do you think he will be rushed to surgery? Weigh-in via the comment section below.