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 and weekend, she is an editor for Soap Central. She did not watch any of the clips for any of the soaps (she watches no television and does not even have cable on the giant old television that lives in her family room and may or may not be plugged in), 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, but neither have her guesses based solely on her emotional response to reading all the recaps. Someday, perhaps she will find (or make) time to watch the reels, but that might fail to increase her chances of success.
Previous Predictions
2012: 1 for 8
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: While B&B might have done a nice job covering Stephanie's death, I can't erase the memory of Steffy/Hope/Liam from my mind. No, it's not in the reel, but I don't watch the reels. I didn't find the Y&R storyline about the amnesia and fake death to be that interesting. DAYS was interesting at the time, but it didn't stay with me. The OLTL episodes were art art mimicking art life, and it was a cool concept, but there wasn't a lot of OLTL for me to base emotional opinions on during the course of 2012. And since my votes are rarely are based on the reels, this seemed the right way to go.
What I didn't pick and why: I can't pick a substance abuse story that didn't ring true for me (Jack), and I do have some work with substance abuse in my history, so it's not an artistic value thing. It just seemed wrong. Paul's story with his son was pretty awful, but he just doesn't seem to be on-screen much, so I don't envision him as a leading actor (I know that's not his fault; he just seems underutilized). Patrick apparently did some very moving work with his grief, which is admirable, but there was the whole Britt thing that wasn't part of the reels but stays in my mind.
What I didn't pick and why: I don't like the character of Phyllis. She might be a fabulous actress, but that would require watching. The Alzheimer's story seemed to have much too happy a resolution, so even if it was well acted, it didn't seem to have the lasting emotional impact the disease has on individuals and their loved ones. I know it's art, but I work with real people and can't separate the two. And Katie Logan is a frustrating character. She lives with a controlling and abusive man (locking her in a tower?), and that's not a healthy role model. She tolerates that behavior, then when she leaves, she begs for forgiveness upon her return. I'd like to see a stronger woman character, who doesn't need a man, even if she chooses to keep one around.
What I didn't pick and why: Spinelli is a geek and I like geeks, but he was running against Billy Abbott, who I like for some inexplicable reason (no, it's not because he's easy on the eyes; none of the actors is ugly, and I don't watch). Ronan's role was brief, so there wasn't a lot to base opinions on. I can't pick Liam, even if he's a sensational actor. He's still written as Liam, who is unable to make choices, and who permits his dad to bully him (and why don't they do some education around abusers here? Bill is not emotionally healthy for anyone in his circle of influence).
What I didn't pick and why: I didn't really have a reason to pick or not pick anyone in this category. I just think I like Nicole more than the others.
Who I didn't pick and why: Sonny has never told Will about Gabi's crime, and he's been sanctimonious at times about Will not telling the truth. I like him a lot, but don't like that omission. Fen is a bully, and I deal with people who have been bullied, so I don't like it. When it came back to Fen recently (not in the voting period), and he was bullied, I thought that was good -- if only they use it to ensure he sees the pain he caused, and it becomes a good lesson. There are too many bullies out there. I have very little recollection of Devon throughout the year. His surgery helped his music career, which he loved and then abandoned.
Who I didn't pick and why: I don't have any warm fuzzy feelings for any of the characters.