NOT NOW, CASSIE

I was surprised to see GUIDING LIGHT'S last Cassie, Nicole Forester, on this morning's BEVERLY HILLS 90210 rerun.  I didn't think she had ever done a soap before GL.  Unfortunately, my first impulse at the sight of Ms. Forester is to scream "Not now, Cassie!" at the TV -- my Pavlovian response to the ever annoying Cassie, a character so irritating you just wished Reva would smack her one.  Not Ms. Forester's fault, though; her portrayal was good, particularly in the aftermath of Tammy's death.

Speaking of recasts gone wrong  -- caught up with last Tuesday's episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS, which was a real showcase for the new Maddie, Kelly Barrett.  Sadly, unlike the fantastic Billy Magnusson, Ms. Barrett is unable to connect with material that was enacted by her predecessor.  Just think how moving her reunions with Noah and Casey would be if Maddie was still played by Alexandra Chando.  Kelly Barrett just does not possess the sparky vulnerabilty that Alexandra Chando had, that made Maddie a real heroine.  I'm all for giving Noah a friend (that boy has nobody to talk to!) but so far NuMadddie is just not convincing.  Besides the recast, NuMaddie is also written as sexually aggressive -- something the sexually abused old Maddie would never be.  I think it's time for the ATWT writers to either cut this character loose, or make Alex Chando a deal.