GUIDING LIGHT was on fire today. Kim Zimmer knocked it out of the park as Reva dealt with Edmund. But the true shining star was Crystal Chappell. Seeing Olivia pour her heart out by Gus's grave got the tears started, but by the time she blurted out to Natalia that she was in love with her the waterworks were going full blast.
This is exactly what I want from a soap - to be drawn into the storylines and then feel like I can't wait for the next episode.
Chappell was nominated for Daytime Emmys the past four years and lost after winning in 2002. It's time she is recognized again.
UPDATE:
Soap Opera Weeekly's Mala Bhattacharjee agrees.
I'm starting to feel like a broken record about GL being completely awesome lately, but, seriously, it's true. I am not spoiling anything since most of the country gets the show at 3 p.m., but the last five minutes of the episode are an absolute MUST-SEE for Otalia fans, and for fans of good soap in general. Afterwards, I got up, walked down the hall and told my colleague Joe, "Oh, my heart." Complete with a theatrical hand on my chest.
OMG, AND I HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THE EPISODE TODAY!
ReplyDeleteI AM SO SMITTEN!
Ugh. I don't usually (read: almost never) cry at a television show.
ReplyDeleteI did today. Crystal Chappell is a Goddess. I had tears rolling down my cheek by the end of today's episode.
If Crystal does not win an Emmy this year, the system is as frakked as the Neilson Ratings.
Thud. Group hug anyone?
Major kudos to Crystal, Jessica, Ellen Wheeler and Jill Lorie Hurst.
Amen, brother!! Keep on preaching it!!
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more! CC's performance just killed me today. I'm still recovering.
ReplyDeleteIf she doesn't win for 2009 and 2010, I will officially boycott those awards. I watch a lot of soaps and no one comes close to what she's doing right now. I'm not a crying kind of gal, and the last scenes today had the tears going for me.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how she constantly wrenches such emotion up, but it is breathtaking to watch. Just amazing. What a privilege it is to watch her work.
I'm still a little floored by what transpired today. Crystal Chappell is completely amazing. Jessica Leccia was fantastic today, too. Go Guiding Light, show them how it's done.
Without a doubt, hands down, all other contenders should bow out and down,Crystal is giving us a performance for the AGES. If you don't get punched in the emotional gut from her every second on the screen, then you should check to see if you're heart is still beating. Wow, all I can say is wow. We are blessed to be able to watch her on our screens. But seriously, no one can touch her right now.
ReplyDeleteLove her performances since I started following GL because of the Otalia storyline. She brings humor, honesty, and understanding to all her scenes.
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree more!!! Crystal Chappell is definitely emmy worthy. She captures all of my emotions.
ReplyDeleteCrystal is the GODDESS for a reason!!!
Crystal is fantastic and today's episode was proof of that.
ReplyDeleteShame on you CBS! GL is on fire!
There are no words that could possibly describe how talented this woman is. Breathtaking. Awe-inspiring.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely can not wait to get home and watch this show. I don't cry. I don't. But I cried yesterday. And I just know I am going to cry again today. Damn you Guiding Light for being this good!
ReplyDeleteHands down...best performance I've seen on a soap...ever...and I've been watching them for over 45 years!
ReplyDeleteOh my God!!! She killed me today. What a performance. She did not hold anything back. I am still a wreck. I've never seen such acting...I am speechless.
ReplyDeleteIf Crystal is not recognized for this work in a BIG way, there is NO justice... Never has a TV storyline, daytime or primetime, packed this much of a punch. Kudos to the writing team also, Crystal is the cream of the crop, and the material is flawless!!
ReplyDeleteRemarkable, Remarkable, Remarkable... And I have not even seen today's show, I'm speaking from months of sleeplessness and Otalia induced procrastination. I am captivated.
Crystal Chappel rocks the opera--I agree totally; she deserves an emmy for this storyline: period. There should be no discussion. She delivers completely every time she is on screen. She totally becomes Olivia; it is so believable.
ReplyDeletebuggy
Obviously I could not agree more. if Crystal does not win for 2009 and 2010 then clearly the awards are not interested in honoring the best in daytime.
ReplyDeleteCrystal is in a class by herself.
I can't WAIT to see this episode when it airs later today!!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal blew me away in that last scene... she certainly does deserve the Emmy this year along with the writers (and Jessica too). Major kudos to Jessica also... without her perfect control of Natalia's demeanor, Olivia's spiral into despair wouldn't have been as powerful.
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is simply the most outstanding actress from heartbreak to humor. She shines! Awards are well and good but it is so very obvious that she acts for the pure joy of expressing her characters to the fullest extent and touching her fan's emotions with her performances. Her portrayal of Olivia Spencer, a true three-dimensional character who is going through an intense redemption and learning how to truly love someone is beyond words!
ReplyDeleteThere are no words to describe Crystal Chappell's performance today!!!
ReplyDeleteI have only read the PBP on BPD and watched the preview for tomorrow on GL.net and there is no doubt in my mind that there has never been a more talented actress than CC period.
ReplyDelete-Steph
Crystal Chappell is like no other actress I have ever seen! She has the incredible gift to make us feel what she is portraying! She has deserved the Emmy every single time she has been nominated! Go Crystal!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell deserves the Lead Actress Emmy for her performances in the Otalia storyline. I am talking the Emmy not the Daytime Emmy! Give her an Oscar for that matter. Currently, she is the best in the entertainment industry!
ReplyDeleteCC was outstanding today! She had me in tears. Yes, she should just get the Emmy right now. Huge day for all of us Otalia fans.
ReplyDeleteI have loved Crystal since her start on Days of Our Lives as Carly Manning.
i think it is criminal how under appreciated crystal chappell has been during her tenure on daytime. this woman has the acting chops to do anything: humility, snark, passion, depression, seduction, aggression. in fact, the only thing she doesn't know how to do is ACT BADLY.
ReplyDeletei agree with mel from BPD, if crystal doesn't win the emmy this year (or next for that matter) than the awards are nothing more than a glorified high school presidency popularity contest that fails to recognize the best in daytime acting.
crystal chappell for best everything. period!
What I love about Crystal is her range. Humour, quiet contemplation, wordless emotional moments told completely with her eyes, breakdowns and complete angst...it's all there.
ReplyDeleteThis woman is amazing, and is not only under appreciated in the soap genre, but outside of it.
If she doesn't win an Emmy for this storyline, I will eat Doris' hat.
Almost three hours after watching that scene and I am still in shock at the absolute brilliance that is Crystal Chappell. My hands flew to my face, my heart broke, and I couldn't speak for minutes after that scene.
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell deserves that Emmy. My goodness, she deserves all forms of soap opera awards.
oh, DJ, i needed that. a little reminder of comic crystal: "and there she was, wearing a hat"
ReplyDeleteThe phrase "Crystal Chappell is a Goddess" just doesn't convey the ability of this amazing woman. Her range is astounding. Her comedic timing is spot on...and then she still has the ability to reduce you to a crying wimpering pile of mush as she did today.
ReplyDeleteNot only should she get an Emmy, she should have her own award show.
CBS canceled the wrong soap! Gaaaahhhhh!!!! It is so frustrating! This show is on fire right now and doing everything right and Crystal Chappell is #1 on the hit parade of what is best with Guiding Light.
ReplyDeleteIf she doesn't win a freakin' Emmy then who ever does should hand it over to her with sincere apologies.
I agree with you 200%...Crystal Chappell is in a league of her own. I haven't even seen today's episode yet, but just following the running commentary had me in tears. (I'm currently soothing myself with booze and chocolate for when it's up online later). Crystal has proven time and time again that she is a class act, and I'm keeping everything crossed that she gets the Emmy this year, and that she should be nominated & win next year as well. Crystal Chappell rocks...bigtime! It's a privilege to be able to watch her immense talent on the screen & I hope we will be able to continue seeing GL in the future.
ReplyDeleteCC is a goddess and the emmy 2009 is definitv hers!!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is a force. She was the reason I started watching GL and I will follow her where ever she goes. When she acts she holds nothing back. You as a viewer feel everything with her. Her pain, her happiness, it's all there when she is on screen.
ReplyDeleteThe Otalia storyline writing is great, and is emmy worthy also, but it would be nothing without Crystal and her great scene partner Jessica Leccia.
Today was amazing. Crystal's performance had me going through the rollercoaster of emotions right along with her. Cannot wait for what's to come with this amazing couple!
ReplyDeleteCC is pure Goddess. Pure talent. Nothing to add
ReplyDeleteAmen!!! Crystal Chappell should have her own emmy category because it's not possible for anyone else's performances to come even close to what we are seeing from her right now. I'm literally holding my breath each time she is on the screen. Just watching broken hearted Olivia is breaking my heart. Kudos as well to Jessica Leccia whose performances have also been amazing. The Guiding Light writers also deserve an emmy for the material they have given CC and JL to work with for this storyline!!!
ReplyDeleteIncredible performance from Cyrstal Chappell and Jessica Leccia today!.........
ReplyDeleteCrystal is in a league of her own. She knocked it out of the park in today's ep - as she does almost every ep. I'm totally Chappelled.
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ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is one of the most talentd actresses to grace the air waves. She should most definitely win an Emmy this year for her beautiful, gut wrenching, heart melting portrayal of Olivia Spencer. She can say more with her eyes than most people can with spoken words. Crystal Chappell is absolutely phenomenal!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is an amazing actor. She can say more with one look than many people every say with too many words. She has transformed Olivia from as woman I couldn't stomach, into a woman who brings me to tears with her intensity. Otalia is spellbinding, and she is the best part of the story!!
ReplyDeleteJust when I think I've seen the absolute best of what Crystal can do, she raises the bar even higher. She is the finest actress on daytime and one of the best actresses working, period. Her Emmy reel will be jam-packed with stellar performance after stellar performance.
ReplyDeleteGuiding Light needs to continue for many reasons, but at the top of my list is having the joy and privilege of watching this phenomenal artist work.
As we say over on the BPD board multiple times a day, "CRYSTAL CHAPPELL IS A GODDESS".
As people have already said she is the definition of Goddess. As an actor myself I can safely say that never have I seen someone with such a mastery of the craft. She is an absolute powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with. All hail Crystal Chappell!
ReplyDeleteCrystal is going to win this year, and next year!! There is no one who can compete with that performance today!! To evoke that kind of emotion in the cold in a cemetery and collectively rip the hearts out of thousands and thousands of viewers with your performance is the mark of pure genius!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal is a GODDESS!!!! And when Emmy tickets go on sale, I will get me one and YELL like a nutcase when she wins..
Oh, my bleeding heart! Hold me.
ReplyDeleteWhat can Crystal Chappell not do? Why is the TV world not bowing at her feet? It's a mystery.
Jessica Leccia you're amazing today. You spoke a thousand words with your face. Unfortunately, it's not the same as what's coming out of your mouth.
Bravo everyone!
Crystal Chappell is amazing. Such a moving performance. And the final scene today with Natalia, oh my god. I cannot wait for tomorrow's episode.
ReplyDeleteOMG...I watched it at 3 pm. and I was glued to it!! Liv even had my eyes watering lol's. I've never seen such an emotion al actress as her. She needs to sweep the emmys this year! Thx for a great article and Go Otalia!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell, not only knocked it out of the parked, she knocked it out of the atmosphere. She is AMAZING!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal killed it... and me... today. Emmys Smemmys... There aren't enough awards PERIOD.
ReplyDeleteBEST. LOVE. STORY. EVER.
Commenting in Haiku:
ReplyDeleteChappell Perfection
The eyes bring it home, no doubt
Master method class
Wow - simply one of the best performances I have ever seen. It was so breathtaking...
ReplyDeleteThe whole episode was fantastic - classic soap story telling where you felt every emotion - and left wanting more.
I cannot wait for tomorrow's episode.
We need to fight to save the light. This is simply the best love story on television period.
CC had me bawling when she was at the cementary! The bases were loaded, and she hit a grand slam today!!
ReplyDeleteToday's episode was AMAZING! Crystal knocked those graveyard scenes out of the park... so wonderful.
ReplyDeleteJessica's scene with Frank and Father Ray were lovely as well, loved her subtlety.
Tomorrow is just gonna blow us all away. I can't wait!
She deserves an Emmy and more! They should have acting classes devoted to her. She could do a semester on how to kill people with your eyes...not saying a word. She is a goddess and should be worshipped as such!
ReplyDeleteOMG! Crystal Chappel had me tearing up when she was proclaiming her love for Natalia at Gus' grave, and then when Natalia finally showed up, and she put her heart out there and finally said those words, it about killed me. Chappell is just AMAZING. I haven't been caught up in a couple like Otalia in years. The Emmy is definitely hers, and how can GL be cancelled when the show is on fire these days???
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is just too amazing for words. That scene was totally draining to watch so I can't imagine what it must have been like for her to deliver. If she doesn't clean up at the Emmys there is something really wrong.
ReplyDeleteJust back up the brinks truck and hand CC all the emmys. Today was just wow. Holy Batman and I am in love.
ReplyDeleteCrystal continues to amaze. The episode today as a whole was great. The writing was excellent! Kim Zimmer was, as usual, fantastic. But I will agree that Chappell stole the show...no one else came close. She left me speechless for about an hour after the show ended. She deserves the emmy and more, but if she doesn't win...it doesn't even matter...she is still the queen. All hail!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is a GODDESS!! Her performances have been beyond anything I have ever seen on television. I can't wait to see her next scenes! Crystal deserves the Emmy this year. She has poured her heart and soul into her work. Her acting is visual poetry.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, after today I don't know why any other actress would even bother to show up at the Emmys - except to hail the queen of course. Absolutely amazing.
ReplyDeleteFinally saw the episode. Holy smokes! Was there another SL on the show today? (Apologies to a wonderful performance from Kim Zimmer, but...) I realise this is a group effort among Crystal, Jessica, Ellen and Jill, but it feels like Crystal is leading the way. Is it really necessary to hold a vote for the award? They could throw in a Special Recognition Award while they're at it. "To Make Up For All We Didn't Give You In The Past."
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible day on GL. The scene at Gus' grave just underscores what good writing together with incredible acting can provide to an audience. Crystal had me crying with her and for her (Olivia). If Natalia doesn't leave Frank at the alter and follow her heart I swear I will reach through the tv screen and strangle her!
ReplyDeleteForget the Emmy's- give that woman an Oscar! I have loved CC for a long time, but the performance today- CC you just replaced Meryl Streep as my favorite actress and that says a lot!
ReplyDeleteLet's create a new award and call it the Chappell in honor of the best in the biz!
It's ridiculous to even try and compete with Crystal this year. She deserves this!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell brought me to tears today. Her performance was mesmerizing. So is this storyline. I hope it continues for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI have never felt so moved by daytime before.
ReplyDeleteI have never been so impressed by a daytime writing team.
I have never been so blown away by an actress in just about any format.
I was moved to tears. I was overjoyed to see a love story told with such care and love by everyone at GL.
Crystal Chappell deserves another Emmy for her work. As you said - there are not enough kudos in the world for her work with this story line... a story line with so much more to tell.
Unbelievable! Breathtaking!
and the world will not be the same for me with that "I'm in love with you!" screamed by Crystal.
ReplyDeleteI have never ever heard an actor saying that with such a truth.
Crystal Thank You, you screamed all my feelings I couldn't scream or say that way years ago. It's like katharsis.
You are totally right on! Crystal Chappell was so wonderful today. Her confession scene at the end of the show was some of the best acting I have ever seen anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThis is what great acting looks like!
ReplyDeleteCC totally killed today and yes, she deserves an Emmy. GL was on fire today (go Reva!) and it needs to find a new home pronto!
Let's save the light!
Forget the Emmy, Crystal deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for Overwhelming depiction of the deepest most profound love ever shown on Television! And for envoking heartbreaking emotion in fans around the world!! Hail Crystal! You are a GENIUS!!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal Chappell is a ROCK STAR!!!
ReplyDeleteThat woman could have chemistry with a ROCK!! She is FREAKIN AMAZING!! CBS is on crack for cancelling Guiding Light...I haven't been this into a soap in years..I am completely engrossed in this soap because of these two characters..I've watched CC since DAYS and have always been a fan.. but she just keeps getting better..she totally invests herself in these characters...I have no more words....
the word actress does not accurately describe what crystal chappell does. she is by far the best method actress on this planet. there's only one other other actress who could do what she does constantly and without faltering....does the name garbo ring a bell. if an awards show is giving out awards for acting then crystal should be there to pick one up whether it is the oscars, the emmys, the mtv movie awards or bet awards. just give the woman her own awards show.
ReplyDeleteC-r-y-s-t-a-l C-h-a-p-p-e-l-l.
ReplyDeleteI'm just spelling it out here so they know what to put in that envelope.
I don't dare swallow or blink or go to the bathroom when she's on the screen, her performance is truly captivating. constantly.
Crystal deserves an award for her incredible ,outstanding, powerful performance. Wow !!!
ReplyDeleteThis is hands down the best drama -- daytime, prime time, any time -- on television right now! I wonder if that is because CBS executives gave up on the show and are no longer interfering in the creative process?
ReplyDeleteI cried right along with Olivia at the grave and felt my heart breaking right along with hers. Crystal Chappell's performance has been brilliant and if she does not win an Emmy for her work, there is no justice.
Crystal Chappell is a force to be reckoned with! Her performance was absolutely outstanding. I have never seen another actress who can say so much with just her eyes,facial expressions, and mannerisms. Hand her the Emmy NOW!!!
ReplyDeleteI've made it to 41 years old...without ever watching a SOAP! It took a Crystal Chappell and Jessica Leccia....to draw me in! If you knew me...it's saying a lot! Crystal....GOOD LUCK! I can't think of any other actress... performing in any type of media arena...that would deserve it, MORE THAN YOU! Thank you for the opportunity...to WATCH YOU!
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