CBS’ afternoon series The Talk finally returned to the air, following the departure of Sharon Osbourne and the tense moments that went down on the March 10th episode between her and Sheryl Underwood.

Monday afternoon, co-hosts: Sheryl Underwood, Elaine Welteroth, Amanda Kloots and Carrie Ann Inaba along with diversity and inclusion expert, Donald E. Grant, were on the episode.  Grant, served as the moderator as the women discussed what happened when Osbourne came at Underwood when defending Piers Morgan’s remarks about Meghan Markle, eventually prompting an extended internal investigation by CBS.

Photo: CBS

On today’s episode, Sheryl Underwood shared: “I didn’t want to escalate things with Sharon, because I thought I was having a conversation with a friend, but also, I knew I had to be an example for others to follow. I didn’t want to be perceived as that ‘angry Black woman’, and that really scared me. I didn’t want to be that and I wanted to remain calm and focused. It’s difficult to go back to that day because I just feel the trauma. I feel fearful, a little apprehensive.”

Elaine Welteroth added, “When you go back and watch what happened in that episode, you will see two Black women walking the same tightrope that Black women are walking every single day in the workplace.  As Sheryl said, we knew we had to stay composed in that situation, even in the face of someone who was A, not listening, and B, who went off the rails into disrespect when we were maintaining our respect within the context of this very complex, charged, emotional conversation.  There have been a lot of false narratives that have been spun in the aftermath of what happened on that episode…this is the first time that I have had the opportunity to speak. And I think it’s really important that we have the opportunity to say that the false accusations that are swirling in the press that frame Sheryl and I as some kind of, you know, people who attacked a woman on air, and were part of some sort of, you know, conspiracy, that is absolutely, categorically false.”

Photo: CBS

She later added, “I just want to acknowledge you, Sheryl, on air for how you handled the situation. I think it’s important for people to really know the strength and willpower it takes to maintain that kind of composure in that situation. And I think for me, I was just really entering that conversation with the hope of finding a common ground and I didn’t feel like I was heard.”

In addition, Underwood wanted to go on record stating that while she had received text messages from Osbourne, she hadn’t replied to them because she wasn’t sure she was supposed to during during an internal investigation. Osbourne had said that she sent texts to Underwood and had apologized for her actions.

Sheryl shared: “I have never been through something like this. I didn’t know whether you were supposed to communicate or not communicate.  I have not spoken to Sharon, I haven’t had a phone call from her, ” However, Underwood expressed that if a friend were to come up to her and greet her nicely, she would do that same, “When you’re friends with someone, you stay friends,” she said.

So, what did you think about the sentiments shared by Sheryl and Elaine during The Talk? Was this episode helpful in shining a lot on racism, and successful in dealing with what transpired on March 10th with Sharon Osbourne? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

On Thursday’s episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, emotional two-person scenes were the order of the day featuring three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Scott Clifton (who may nab a nominations next year for this story) and longtime soap vet, Don Diamont.

In story, Dollar Bill has done everything to protect his son by covering up all the evidence in his attempt to save Liam from surely a murder sentence and going to prison.

Courtesy/CBS

Bill’s theory: if anyone were to find out that Liam was driving Bill’s car when suddenly out of nowhere came Vinny (Joe LoCicero) – who Liam hates – and he hit him with the car and fatally killed the guy, they would think he had intent and motive. (However, to us there has to be more to the story! Did Vinny just randomly happen to be on the road that Liam and Bill were driving on and walking across it?)

At Bill’s place, Liam is agonizing as he keeps flashing back to the accident.  When Bill comes in from a morning jog, Liam is astonished that his father was out jogging, when they are in deep hot water for covering up their now hit and run.  Bill gets angry and tells him he actually went to see if there are were any cameras near the accident and he is happy to report there were none, so Liam is in the clear.  Therefore, Liam needs to keep his mouth shut and let this go and move on with his life and reuniting with Hope (Annika Noelle).

Not able to live with the cover-up, the lies, and what he did, Liam is insisting he has to go to the police, but Bill shouts: “You are not going to the police!” Liam goes on to his own subplot theory that they can say he hit an animal and then turn themselves in. Bill keeps firing back at his son, that he cannot do anything of the sort. He has done everything to protect his son in this mess and Liam could screw that all up with one wrong move.  Bill says, “All you have to do is…” and Liam fires back, “Pretend it never happened.”

It is then that Bill tells Liam that killing Vinny will haunt him whether he’s behind bars or a free man, and that he should opt for the latter.  Now unraveling, Liam’s convinced the police will figure out their cover-up. Just then, Bill pulls out a news report on his phone about the hit-and-run that has no leads and no ID of the body.  He assures his son there will never be any leads because he took care of everything.

Just then, Hope texts Liam wondering where he is for their lunch date.  Bill tells Liam to text her back saying something came up, he is in no condition to see anyone till he pulls himself together.  Liam texts back that he can’t make it.  When Hope texts back in response, “I hope you’re okay,” that sets up the end of the episode where Liam begins to hyperventilate and cannot catch his breathe, and is frightened and grief-stricken, and horrified at what he has done.  Bill comes to his aid and tells him he will not let anything happen to his son, and to dig deep to put this accident behind him.  Bill expresses that if Liam can’t do it himself, to lean on him.

However, Vinny was just ID’d in the hospital morgue by Finn (Tanner Novlan), so there’s that!

Kudos to both Scott Clifton and Don Diamont for the riveting scenes between father and son within the episode.

So, what did you think of Scott and Don’s performance? How will Bill and Liam be able to continue to cover-up the hit and run of Vinny? Share your thoughts in the comment section. But first, watch the final moments from the episode below.

When you combine superb direction, writing, production, and acting in a special episode of a daytime drama, viewers can see and understand the thought and care that went into it.

This was more than on display during Thursday’s highly-anticipated ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode honoring the 25th anniversary of Alexis’ portrayer, two-time Daytime Emmy winner, Nancy Lee Grahn, on General Hospital.

Courtesy/ABC

In the story, symbolism was apparent and used for dramatic impact and it worked beautifully throughout, and best of all, Nancy received a script worthy of her immeasurable talents, and showed us once again why she remains one of the gold standards of our genre.  If you have not seen the episode DO NOT read any further as it contains spoilers.

It begins with an emotional Alexis looking at her mother’s watch which was still frozen from the time of her death.  While playing one of her mother’s records very loudly, she recalls Mikkos Cassadine kissing and dancing with her mom as a young Alexis (Natasha) looked on from the staircase.  When Sam asks her about it, Alexis shares that she sees the watch as sort of a representation for her own life being frozen over the last three years; which has included Alexis’ battle with booze taking over her life and her being disbarred, when being a lawyer was the way she identified herself and what gave her purpose.

Overwhelmed and anxiety-ridden, Alexis hightails it to Kevin’s office for a therapy session knowing she is going to Pentonville in the morning to serve her sentence.  She says she does not know who she is anymore.  Then, Kevin asks her how she spent her day thus far.  She flashes back to lunch with the good men in her life, Finn, Valentin, Jax and Ned.  Valentin tells Alexis she is proud of her for honing up to her mistakes.

Back at the therapy session, Alexis she was an attorney who stood for something and her life has derailed, and that she was a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate.  She knows she has to find a purpose in prison to make it through the three-year term and asks Kevin to help her find one.

Kevin wants to go back to when she was a little girl and her memories that are flooding back to her of Mikkos and her mother.  Just then, the younger version of Alexis is huddled in the corner of Kevin’s office, an image of her from the past.  Alexis tries to come to terms with her father and the choice of dangerous men and relationships that have marred her own happiness  … recalling Julian holding a knife to her throat like Mikkos did to her mother. She says he was one of the toxic men in her life, but Kevin reminds her all of the men in her life were not toxic.

Alexis starts with Ned as one who was good for her saying he was always stable, but she ruined that by recently sleeping with him and putting a wedge in his marriage to her long-time friend, Olivia.

We then flashback to earlier in the day, where Alexis ends up in an almost confrontation with Olivia.  However, Olivia tells her she misses the Alexis Davis she used to be and to get her back.

Now back with Kevin, a guilt-ridden Alexis relays she feels responsible for Neil’s death.  Kevin interjects she is not, nor what happened with Julian.  When Kevin attempts to bring up Mikkos again, Alexis rejects it and is angry that he is making her problem about daddy issues; like so many other women.  She vehemently shouts that the men in her life do not define who she is.

Then, Alexis flashes back to hurtful memories she has buried of a young Natasha witnessing Mikkos calling her mother a “greedy little bitch”.  She recalls it was on Christmas Eve and that Mikkos stopped by to give them gifts. That is when he presented her mother with the watch.  However, things took an ugly turn when he tried to leave, and she threatened to tell Helena all about her and Natasha. Next, Mikkos slapped her and that is when the watch shattered. As all this was going down, a young Natasha watched from the stairs and was horrified that she couldn’t stop her father from beating her mother and remembers how helpless she felt.

However, Alexis reveals to Kevin she thought this would be the last of Mikkos coming by, but he returned on New Year’s Eve and her mother took him back into their lives.  Alexis is beside herself that she could not protect her mother, but Kevin reassures her to remember she was just a child.

Courtesy/ABC

It is then we come to the crux of the story.  Alexis looks over in the corner and sees her younger self crying. She goes to her younger self and tells her nothing that happened was her fault, and that their father was damaged and cruel. She tells the young Natasha this shouldn’t have been her burden to carry alone, and that she deserves to be happy. Then in the moment of strength and coming full circle, Alexis introduces herself to the young Natasha, “I’m Alexis Davis, a fighter, an advocate, and an idealist … and I will take care of everything from her on out.”  In that moment, Alexis embraced herself, and forgave herself, so she could move on with her life.

Alexis then flashes back to earlier that night, as the Davis girls gather for a faux graduation ceremony so Alexis could see Molly in her cap and gown and they hug. Back in her session, Kevin remarks that Alexis has repeatedly defined herself as a fighter, an idealist, and an advocate, and reminds her she has three daughters who have those qualities, and that all she needs to be is Alexis Davis.

Then, we get a heart-warming montage of Alexis though the years in honor of Nancy’s 25th anniversary with GH.

Courtesy/ABC

As the episode concludes, it is the next morning, and Alexis enters Pentonville and enters her jail cell. There she meets her fellow inmate, who is studying law books to prep for her upcoming parole hearing. Alexis introduces herself as “Alexis Davis” and as someone who can help her.  We then go back to her mother’s watch which now begins ticking at Alexis’ home.  The show fades to black.

Kudos to Daytime Emmy winner, Phideaux Xavier for his outstanding direction, head writers: Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor and script writer, Scott Sickles for the thoughtful episode, EP Frank Valentini and his production crew for putting it all together, and the one and only Nancy Lee Grahn for a performance that will be remembered as a classic.

Share your thoughts on today’s on Nancy’s ‘Alexis-Centric’ episode via the comment section below.