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Y&R’s Jermaine Rivers Sounds Off on Toxic and ‘Mean-Spirited’ Fans, and Asks, “What Happened to Watching Soaps For the Love of It?”

By Michael Fairman

Published

1 year ago

on

Photo: JPI

Jermaine Rivers (Damian, The Young and the Restless) has a point and a serious question to ponder, “What happened to watching soaps for the love of it?” We all have been privy to some fans who take to social media and use it as a platform to just spew negativity, and to take it to the extreme, as opposed to those who may offer up constructive criticism.

For Rivers, who debuted on the top-rated soap opera as Damian Kane back in February of this year, being on a daytime drama comes with some things that take getting used to, including: reading threads of sometimes venomous comments on social media, about you, your show, your castmates or other shows, and the genre as a whole.

On Tuesday, Jermaine took to his account on X and shared his sentiments, explaining his take on the situation: “I’m convinced that most (Not all) of today’s so called soap fans are far removed from the sweet old ladies who watched it back in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s. The internet has created some Straight Savages who are mean spirited and tune in to just complain about the show’s they watch. What happened to watching Soaps for the love of it? Why are Y’all so mad, hateful and triggered for?”

Photo: JPI

As fans joined in the thread with their comments on Rivers initial post, one wrote, “To be fair, lets put some of this on the shows esp, Bold who’s given us much to complain about. When the shows are good we praise them.”

Jermaine replied, “It comes down to Emotional Intelligence… if someone gets triggered by watching a Soap there’s a deeper problem that’s not being addressed in their personal life. It’s clearly evidence of some unhealed trauma that the viewer hasn’t worked through. Let’s not place blame on a fictional TV character or storyline that’s being played out for entertainment purposes as an excuse for toxic behavior. We’re not dodging accountability over here!”

Photo: JPI

Later, soap fan, Stini the Great responded, “I blame social media. It allows a person to hide behind a keyboard (or phone) and say things that they would never dare to say to someone’s face.” To which Rivers, replied, “Bingo” with an accompanying applause gif.

Later, Rivers qualified that the reason he took to X to air his grievance with the online haters is not about hate he may or may not be receiving about the pairing of Damian and Lily. Rivers responded, “I’m not talking about me… I rarely look at the comments and when I do I shrug it off. But looking across the board … the stuff that I’m seeing online about all Soaps in general is just nasty work. There’s a lot of toxicity out there.”

Photo: JPI

After his initial comments and the remarks made by fans in his thread, Rivers concluded and posted, “Love the fact that we can all have an open, honest and respectful discussion. This is what Social Media is supposed to look like.”

So, what do you think of the point Jermaine is making? Do we all need to go back and remember why we watched soaps in the first place? Is there too much negativity towards the shows and its cast members? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

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Hey, I am beginning to like the character and I can see him with Lily. He can hold his own and I think can exist outside of the Dumas/Cane storyline. The brother is handsome and has a strong personality. I loved it when he put Audra on notice! I hope he is not one of the victims in the coming week/weeks.

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I agree. I took a disliking to him when he was so harsh with his mom and Nate at the beginning. I also did not like the way he seemed to almost leer at Lily from glance one.

From those inauspicious beginnings, the actor has slowly won me over. He’s very good and I am now enjoying the character as well. I can see Damien with Lily as well, he is quite handsome. Damien and Lily would be beautiful paired together.

I must say however, that I do have a soft spot for OG Lane. It will be interesting to see how it plays out.

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There are too many miserable people who only get joy when they can bring others down.

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Oh please, fans are allowed to express their opinions. Treating fans like this actor does it. No but seriously, he thinks he’s who. What would happen it if fans stopped to watch ? And of course that comes from a newbie. Actors portraying longtime characters never would act like that. No they even like & retweet our posts. They understand our feelings because they know the show is bad. We don’t blame the actors, we blame the writing. Fans aren’t forced to love the characters or everything they make or every storyline.

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Fans should always express their opinions but far too many behave as though they cannot distinguish between a scripted series and reality. So many mean spirited comments are targeted at the actors when they are simply doing a job like anyone else. I understand fans being invested but that doesn’t give license to be cruel or inconsiderate. It’s as if soap viewing causes some fans misery and if that’s the case they need to seek entertainment elsewhere.

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A M E N!!! You hit the nail on the head.

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But too many fans express their opinions disrespectfully. That’s the problem. People have forgotten to be civil and that actors and, yes, the writers are also human beings with feelings.

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Agreed, SonniOrSolita (and yes, I’ve been around to get the reference, ha! good for you!). I’m going to be civil and respectful, or try to be, anyway, but I’m also going to tell the truth. I’ve been watching soaps since the mid-1970s, and most of what’s being put on the air today is far inferior to what we were seeing back in the 70s, 80s, and even the 90s (though the decline in storytelling quality had begun by the middle of that decade). Maybe those “sweet old ladies” (not-so-sweet old man here, but I was a young and middle-aged man watching back then, and I take a little umbrage at his characterization of the audience, which wasn’t entirely female–plus, unless he’s much older than he looks, he wasn’t even alive in the 70s or much of the 80s, so I’m not sure how he’d know) were sweet old ladies because what they were watching didn’t give them so much to be cranky about. The real decline in quality began about the time the internet became accessible to a wider group, so it’s hard to say which caused which; I think it’s true that the anonymity of the internet brings out the super-nasty side of some people, and that’s been appalling to see, but I think it’s also true that the internet started letting previously isolated soap viewers compare notes and realize that, hey, “I’m not the only one who thinks what I’m seeing on my screen is crap compared to a few years ago.” So those “sweet old ladies” might not have been so sweet by the 2000s, regardless. Beyond the Gates is restoring my faith that good soap CAN be made in today’s environment, but that has the corollary effect of making me wonder–AGAIN–why the other four shows have storytelling styles that range from uneven, at best, to absolutely awful. I don’t blame the writers; I suspect they’re doing the best they can to deal with what the networks dictate (as well as doing their best to get hired on BTG, if they’re smart). I don’t blame the actors, who, as others have noted, are just trying to make the scripts work (with even less rehearsal time, apparently, than they used to get).

I think it’s worth pointing out, however, that sometimes, even if you’re civil and respectful in the way you express yourself, sometimes the truth is going to hurt. There are tons of talented actors on the soaps, but there are some genuinely bad ones as well, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise when a show hands a big storyline to an actor who’s not remotely capable of carrying it or when somebody clearly starts phoning it in (though I do have some sympathy for the latter). I think most of the writers are much better than they get credit for, but I’m also not going to pretend otherwise when what I see on the screen isn’t working at any level or when a show’s or character’s history has been so badly violated that I’m looking at my TV and thinking, “This can’t be happening. She’d never say that, she’d never do that” or “Wait a minute; that isn’t what happened” or just plain out “WTF?” I can do a better job of not being quite so blunt sometimes, and I work on that; there are multiple ways to say the same thing, and some of them are softer than others but make the same point less stridently. But even without some of the outrageous nastiness I see in some of the comments, some of what needs to be said simply isn’t pretty or pleasant. “Watching soaps for the love of it” is hard when there’s not nearly as much to love as there used to be, especially if you’re in my position, you’ve watched them for years and you KNOW they can be considerably better than they currently are.

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Like a lot of “oldies”, I started watching daytime dramas around 1980 with my mom (who swears she never watched…okay mom, I know better). The shows were very well done back in those days. I was mainly a CBS viewer: Capitol, ATWT, Guiding Light, Y&R and Bold. I would catch a little of some of the other shows when they had storylines about the LGBT community and stories about HIV/AIDS (after all, I’m gay). Slowly, a lot of the older shows were dropping like flies. Watched the series finales for Capitol, the beginning of Bold and the ends of GL and ATWT. I kept on watching Y&R and Bold until Brad Bell at Bold did the unthinkable….he fired Krista Allen from her role as Taylor. That was when I stopped watching Bold for good. I don’t know why he felt that it was necessary to fire her (she was doing a great job I might add), although rumors and gossip was basically saying that Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke) told Brad to get rid of her. Whether or not that’s true, who knows. Then, practically a year after KA was let go, her comes her replacement Rebecca Budig! I mean seriously!? She is way too young for that role. I still refuse to watch Bold.

Then along came a brand new daytime drama in the form of Beyond The Gates, the brain child of Michele Val Jean!! After finding out was being cast on the show, I was like….yessss mama! I’m here for it! What took me completely by surprise was the network was more than ready to back a new show that ALSO had the blessing P & G and the NAACP! I was hooked from second 1! Haven’t missed an episode!!

I do agree 100% with Jermaine Rivers and the personal attacks that some of his cast members are getting and attacks that were uncalled for. These are human beings who are playing characters and saying dialogue that is questionable at best.

Now, let us all stop being cruel to the actors….PLEASE! It’s not their fault that the writing is bad (looking at you Brad Bell and Josh Griffith). Let just enjoy the show(s). Because we never should take them for granted….they’re on our screens one minute and gone the next.

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agree.

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Well said. He speaks out of insecurity. He knows he is too old for this role and not a sexy bone in his body. Wrong character role. As I have sad many sites ago. He is almost as old as his mother. He does not turn my head.—Holden fits this role to the max. He is fire. . ❤️

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Damian’s arrival in GC is a very good thing. Jermaine’s portrayal has a similar essence to when Neil arrived, though not saying anything about him replacing KSJ. I think his arrival is finally moving the Younger of YandR generation forward. He’s grounding yet complex. This character is developing nicely, and yes, he will be a good choice for Lily.

I’d like to see Sally end up with the “new” Cane – I fully see Courtney Hope and Billy Flynn rocking that combo.

And it seems that Chance will probably be the one departing to the heavens since Connor is taking over the DOOL role of Chad DiMero that Flynn left.

I just want to see some on-screen chemistry – not so interested in all of the business sellings and acquisitions.

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Agreed with everything you ve mentioned! Hes given the Winters a worthy male head of the fam. Devon wasnt cutting it. Jermaine s been a excellent invaluable addition since the moment he arrived with an attitude, charm and some real acting chops!
I hope he and Lily become a solid couple!

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Good for him. Too many soap message boards are full of people making nasty comments and arguing savagely over fictional characters. If you’re full of that much hatred, find another outlet to vent!

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Nothing to do with hate, but everything to do with opinion—-Seems to me YOU are expressing hate. This is an opinion piece—If you don’t like it, don’t read it. I can express whether I think this actor fits the role. He definitely does not. It is my truth and you do not have to like it.

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Fortunately, I have not seen the nasty comments and don’t want to. People should not be saying nasty stuff. I don’t always enjoy the stories or actors or characters, but I like my soaps overall.

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Sorry, but calling/insinuating “most” mentally ill was a poor choice of words. It really was. The concept of what he’s talking about rings true… but his execution was entirely too poor and leaves a poor taste in my mouth.

Last edited 1 year ago by Scott (ATWT fan)
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Saying that someone lacks emotional intelligence is not the same as saying they are mentally ill. You are putting words into his mouth and might want to re-read that statement again.

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This started with “participation trophies”. Everyone being coddled to. Now when things don’t go the way they want, they throw a temper tantrum to get their “trophy”. Add that to social media allowing people to have no filter (or decency) in the name of free speech and it has all gone crazy!

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I’ve watched Y&R since it’s inception in the 70’s. As I’m getting closer to retirement, I have a little more time to record or watch online to see what’s happening in Genoa City. I remember the days they left you with a cliffhanger on Friday, and you couldn’t wait til Monday. Not just Y&R, but mostly all of the soaps were written so much better years ago. We got hooked on soaps not because it was something to watch on tv, but because the writing was so good. The script writers knew what they were doing. People tuned in.

The networks (at least CBS) seems to have little interest in improving the products because in the world of daytime, they are still number 1. But the writing has suffered, especially on Y&R. Story lines start and stop on a dime, some with no resolutions. Having the same person be the Executive Producer AND Head Writer is a big mistake. I always hope Y&R gets better. The actors are top notch. But they are only as good as the material they are given, and frankly, the material over the last few seasons has been mediocre at best. Sorry if those of us who complain bother some posters, but we really do care about the QUALITY of the show, and it’s severely lacking. The fact that Y&R brought in a new wardrobe person to spruce up the actors is good, but it doesn’t solve the problem with poor story telling.

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Michael did you forget your interview with Jeanne Cooper? It was on July 26, 2012.

This is what she said:
When there was the ‘Who Killed Phillip?’ storyline and our characters were in court, and being thrown about, a faction of fans lined up at CBS with posters marching, and this group flew in from the east coast. And they were pro- Brenda (Jill). Then, I in turn said to her, ‘Well all these people must have gotten pregnant by someone else’s husband.’ They had to get us out of the studio because we had death threats! They would say that I or she ‘deserved to die.’ Oh, the studio was very quiet about that, and they had police stand there. It was wild!”

Viewers were like this from day one! They were flying across the country and threatening actors and protesting stories in person. It’s no worse now. Social media

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I tend to be patient when my soaps enter a period of lackluster writing. It helps that the acting on the shows is almost uniformly excellent. When you consider the tremendous pressure and workload that is presented by preparing more than 250 fresh hours (mostly) of drama each year, it’s truly remarkable that these shows ever achieve aspired heights. That said, while I deplore attacks on specific actors, I think that it’s useful for the producers of these shows to have a way to monitor how their stories are impacting their fans and allow for adjustments. There is tremendous value in constructive criticism, and I urge my fellow fans to focus on that.

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Maybe, it’s because you are in the wrong role, sir—I , for one, do not question your performance. I question TPTB trying to couple you with Lily—no tension, no sexiness—Holden would have been a better choice. My opinion.

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Not a good look when you bite the hand that feeds you. He makes some good points, but don’t attack your customer base!

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Previews

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Sally’s Bachelorette Party and Billy’s Bachelor Party Take Center Stage

Published

2 days ago

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October 4, 2026

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Sally and Billy Y&R Preview

This week on all-new episodes of The Young and the Restless, its time for Sally’s (Courtney Hope) bachelorette party and Billy’s (Jason Thompson) bachelor party as the two prepare for their big wedding day.

The ladies are hosting Sally’s bachelorette party over at Society when a surprise guest shows up in none other than Sally’s younger sister, Coco Spectra in Ashley Campbell’s Y&R debut. Also in attendance are Abby (Melissa Ordway), Traci (Beth Maitland), Lily (Christel Khalil), Esther (Kate Linder), Chelsea (Melissa Claire Egan), Victoria (Amelia Heinle) and Claire (Hayley Erin). 

Billy’s bachelor party taking place at the Abbott mansion, where his brother Jack (Peter Bergman), nephew Kyle (Michael Mealor), Cane (Billy Flynn), and Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) are there to celebrate and hope that Billy’s life doesn’t implode before the nuptials with his pregnant fiancée.

Sally and Coco

Photo: JPI

In other story points, as viewers learned, Lily believes her cancer has returned and by week’s end will open up to Cane about it. Meanwhile, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth) will find himself somewhat battered by mid-week.

Did Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) do something to do him? Does this mean he will not leave Genoa City once for all or will he slink away?

Meanwhile, what is Phyllis’ (Michelle Stafford) latest plan? Will she save Matt as she tries to build an business empire all her own with Arabesque? Can she lure her son Daniel (Michael Grazaidei) to join her new venture? Stay tuned.

Roger Howarth

Photo: JPI

MORE Y&R SPOILERS

Check out the official Y&R spoilers for the action in Genoa City from October 5-9 below.

Monday, October 5

Victor plays his cards close to the vest to protect Nick, Lily struggles with an unexpected health concern, and Phyllis seals the deal.

Tuesday, October 6
Victor makes good on a promise to Phyllis, Nikki interrogates Nick, and Sharon makes a fresh start.

Wednesday, October 7
Phyllis and Sharon make a pact, Matt Clark has a rude awakening, and Audra gives Adam and Billy an ultimatum.

Thursday, October 8
Billy finds himself in the hot seat and a surprise guest crashes Sally’s bachelorette party.

Friday, October 9
Cane pushes Lily to come clean, Audra and Chelsea are forced to put their differences aside, and Billy’s relationship with Sally is tested.

Check out the Y&R preview for episodes this week.

Now let us know, do you think everyone will get out of Billy and Sally’s way and let them have a happy wedding day? Do you think Coco is back to be by her sister’s side or has an agenda? Are you sick of Matt Clark leaving town and then flip-flopping staying put? Do you want to see another cancer journey for Lily? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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Previews

TUNE-IN: ‘Tracker’ Season 4 Premiere Starring Justin Hartley

Published

2 days ago

on

October 3, 2026

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Justin Hartley, Tracker

This Sunday, October 4 marks the season four premiere of the hit CBS primetime drama, Tracker starring Justin Hartley in the leading role of Colter Shaw.

The former Passions, ‘Young and the Restless’ and This Is Us (ex-Crane, Adam, and Kevin, respectively) star is also the executive producer of the series, which came in #2 as the most-watched show of the 2025-2026 broadcast television season behind Marshals, and in the 2024-2025 broadcast TV season was the most-watched show of them all!

In the season four premiere, Colter’s search for a teenage boy’s missing father leads him to a dangerous criminal operation at the Port of Los Angeles. The episode entitled “Safe Harbor” was written by Alex Katnelson & Annakate Chappell and directed by Joel Novoa.

Justin Hartley

Photo: CBS

TWISTS AND TURNS FOR COLTER SHAW

Speaking with TV Insider on what viewers can expect when Colter is back on their screens this Sunday, Justin Hartley explained, “So we have a situation where this really precocious teenager gets a hold of Colter and his information through a Reddit forum and calls him to the house under false pretenses. Colter ends up finding out that the guy is really young and (asks), ‘Why did you lie to me?”’And he goes, ‘Well, I didn’t think you’d take a job from a kid.”

Harley continues the episode tease, “He explains, and Colter’s looking around and seeing himself in this kid. He doesn’t know what happened to his dad, but he’s managed to get his younger brother ready for school, and he is taking care of the house. He’s doing all this kind of stuff. He’s very resourceful. And so he says, ‘Well, let me investigate this for you, figure out what’s going on.”’

“It leads to a much, much, much bigger thing. When I was reading the script, I remember thinking, ‘Well, hello. I did not see it going there.’ But it makes sense. When it starts to unravel, and then you start to unpack things, things just get bigger and bigger and bigger and more stressful,” shares Justin. “And then all this huge mess has to get all wrapped up.”

As for the usual Tracker twists, Hartley says to be on the lookout for a major one! “I think that there’s a really good twist in the episode, and it’s not a twist for the sake of just being a twist. It really has a lot to do with the story and how things are covered up,” explains Justin. “They hide in plain sight, these really evil things sometimes, and unless you really go digging for them, you can’t figure it out. And then once you do find it, it’s like, wow, it’s been here for a long time. It’s that.”

OTHER SOAP ALUMNI TO APPEAR ON SEASON 4

This season on Tracker, as previously reported soap alums: William deVry (ex-Julian Jerome, General Hospital et al) will appear in the fifth episode, Jensen Ackles (ex-Eric Brady, Days of our Lives) is on his way back as Colter’s brother, Russell, while Hartley’s real-life wife, Sofia Pernas (ex-Marisa Sierras, The Young and the Restless) will also be back on-screen this season as Billie.

Tracker’s season four premiere airs 9:30-10:30 pm ET/9:00-10:00 pm PT on the CBS Television Network, and streams on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*.

You can check out the official Tracker season 4 promo below, followed by a clip from Sunday’s season premiere below.

Now let us know, excited to see the brand new season of ‘Tracker’ starring Justin Hartley? Is it one of your favorite primetime shows? Of all of Justin’s roles, daytime or primetime, which has been your favorite? Drop your pick in the comment section.

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General Hospital

GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof

Published

4 days ago

on

October 1, 2026

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Tajh Bellow and Loren Lott

Two soap opera alums very familiar to fans of General Hospital and The Young and the Restless are paired together in a new short-form digital series from none other than Issa Rae’s production entity HOORAE Digital.

Look for Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, GH)) and Loren Lott (ex-Ana Hamilton, Y&R) as part of the cast of  The Compatibility Experiment, premiering on October 14, 2026, exclusively on TikTok and its companion microdrama platform, PineDrama.

In the video teaser, it appears that Bellow and Lott play a couple, Kelvin and Camila, set in a Love Island reality show-esque environment trying to win the one million dollar cash prize, only what could go wrong?

The Compatibility Experiment

Photo: HOORAE

The Compatibility Experiment loglines share that it brings a fast-paced, relationship-focused reality check—much like Love Island with a twist. The show takes a participant’s current relationship, introduces them to a potentially more compatible partner, and forces them to navigate the differences with life-changing money on the line.

The new series is part of a groundbreaking content deal between HOORAE Digital and TikTok to develop premium short-form storytelling. The ensemble cast also features; Ayona, Reggie Luck, JaNa Craig, Tosin Morohunfola, Jessica Jacoby, Georgia Warner, and Nick Cassidy.

General Hospital fans know Tajh Bellow for his performances as TJ Ashford, and who earned two Daytime Emmy nominations along the way during his run. Bellow took over the role in 2018 and last appeared on the ABC daytime drama series in December of 2024.

Loren Lott first appeared as Devon’s (Bryton James) sister Ana Hamilton on The Young and the Restless from 2018 to 2019; making a brief return in 2024. She has continued to perform on the stage and screen with recent credits including: Bel-Air, Cherish the Day, and All American: Homecoming.

Check out the trailer for The Compatibility Experiment below and let us know what you think of its concept and if you are glad to see Tajh and Loren again? Hoping they might return to daytime in their GH and Y&R roles at some point in the future? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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