Lisa Svenson does not watch soaps, but she knows what happens in all of them. By day, she works as a therapist, and by night she is an editor for Soap Central. She did not watch any of the clips for any of the soaps, but she did read all the recaps when they were written. Her selections rarely have anything to do with the clips.
In previous years, Lisa has made picks by using pseudoscience, with experiments that have included pets, hydrodynamics, aerial trajectory, and other exciting techniques. These experiments have not had a high rate of success. So, without further ado, here are her predictions.
Previous Predictions
2011: 2 for 8
2010: 2 for 8
2009: 2 for 8
2008: 0 for 8
2007: 3 for 8
2006: 0 for 8
2005: 3 for 8
2004: 1 for 8
2003: 0 for 8
2002: 1 for 8
2001: 2 for 8
What I didn't pick and why: All My Children's ending seemed too much like a transition, and it needed more resolution; General Hospital was very heavy (which probably means it stands a better chance than my choice); and The Young and the Restless seemed as if the whole murder mystery was written as they acted it, and the Nikki episode probably was more meaningful watched than read.
What I didn't pick and why: I didn't sense a connection between Sonny Corinthos and Brenda Barrett for their reunion; Luke Spencer's behavior frustrated me when he was so stubborn about admitting he drank too much and when he shunned his wounded child; for Jesse Hubbard, the magical arrival of another baby who could pass as his and Angie's ruined the story; and the Bo Buchanan portion reminded me of the Thanksgiving episode when Matthew said he died, but wasn't dead (quite the cliffhanger, though).
What I didn't pick and why: On GH, I just can't get past not liking the character of Carly; Viki's dissociative identity disorder just doesn't sit right with me (none of the characters with DID do); Katie's heart transplant recovery is a hang-up for me; and I cringed the whole way through the baby-substitution story, so as wonderful as Angie might have been, I couldn't buy it.
What I didn't pick and why: Spinelli as the Jackal was comical at moments, but it did not resonate with me and just got confusing -- I never knew if it was faked or not; Jack could not escape the battle with Daniel for Jennifer's love, and that's the part that sticks with me about his character; Lucky seemed too intense -- nothing good happened to the character since Jonathan Jackson resumed the role; and Patrick seems like an arrogant guy who was surprised by being a reasonably good family man, but that didn't strike me as dramatic enough (however, the post-death-of-Robin stuff? Different story).
What I didn't pick and why: I read a lot about Annie, and I couldn't even begin to guess what mental illness she might suffer from, which made her shenanigans seem more like the acts of an immature child; Genevieve still seems hard to read -- it's hard to route for someone when you can't quite figure out their motivation; Chloe annoys me because she can be mean to Billy, who I still like as a character; and Elizabeth confuses me with her relationships with men.
Who I didn't pick and why: Matthew perhaps didn't do the worst thing when he eliminated Eddie Ford, but it seemed like a disappointment that he was the killer with all the other possibilities; Will's 2012 stories seemed stronger than the 2011 stories, so I'll probably think he rocks next year, when I fully expect he'll be nominated; Ethan Lovett seemed like an afterthought for most of his time on General Hospital -- so many potential story starts, and all just kind of fizzled.
Who I didn't pick and why: Stephanie seemed so insecure and absurd that I couldn't get behind the character at all; Lily seems like such a pushover most of the time that I forget there were a few dramatic scenes, but the ghost story got annoying when Cane was alive and just messing with her for his misguided romantic reasons; Steffy /Hope/Liam just cannot be overcome in my mind.
What I didn't pick and why: All My Children... really, I can't get over the back-from-the-dead things; Days of our Lives... Brady and Madison; The Young and the Restless... lack of sympathy for Diane, and for all the people on the show who fake their own murders to frame someone.
What I didn't pick and why: General Hospital, because the writing was all I encountered, and it worked for me as a story, not as a visual experience; One Life to Live because I think they could have found better parts of Viki's vast history on the show to draw from to create a powerful scene, and because the DID thing just didn't cut it for me; and The Young and the Restless because I felt less sorry for Diane than I should have.