DRW50

Holly was gone for most of the '80s, and Vanessa was often written into a corner during the '80s, so I think there was still space for Hope (who was nothing like either of them) and Jackie (who was, under the Dobsons anyway, a very unique character). Elizabeth I think was fine being left out if Jackie and Hope were still around, but without them, I would have had her come back more often. I can see where Philip initially worked better as a full Spaulding, but that ran out of steam fairly quickly, and stories like his going to the dark side and being abandoned by everyone in 1988 would have been stronger if Justin had been involved to help pick up the pieces.

In the long-term it also really limited Royce's tenure on ATWT (I don't think Marland living would have made much difference there). It's so strange to imagine how Carrie would have stayed after murdering Jackie. Jackie never should have been killed off at that point. She was the main one who kicked off the Philip story - her obsession with being in his life and being close to him, to the point of marrying Alan, a man she did not like or love. It's unfortunate she was the first to go...and that they never even brought Elizabeth back. Killing off Jackie, who was so wonderful under the Dobsons, so vital, just because Carrie Mowery was a dud sums up everything going wrong with soaps by this point. There's an August 1982 episode where it seems like Alan is laying the groundwork for Philip returning. Did Marland plan that? If so, killing off Jackie makes even less sense.

I think we get a glimpse of that in one of the other episodes available from around that point, but I do wonder how that would have gone with everything with Jackie and Justin. I imagine they would have forgiven, but...what a lot to forgive. (I assume it was not Marland's decision to kill off Jackie? If only they'd just recast)

I wouldn't have recognized Courtney...

@victoria foxton At first I thought you meant Simon also had syphilis (which would not surprise me...).

I was barely watching anything with GL by that point. I should look to see if we get Peter Simon jamming to him.

@soapfan770 I'd have to look through old magazine scans, but if there were any criticisms they may have been along the lines of the reasons that the "sexy men of CBS Daytime" promos from the mid '90s were - pushing a narrative that trivializes soaps and makes them into a flesh feast.

I have watched various parts of the Carrie story - most of them in clip form from the old ClassicGL account. The most memorable parts of them took place at the Amanda dinner party where she is dressed like a child and Carrie goes around getting drunk and rattling Alan with her shameless gossiping, including a lengthy bitching session about his daughter delivered right to his face. Surrounding these scenes were various moments of Carrie, in melodramatic voiceover, thinking to herself about needing to get away, people she will kill if they won't let her get away, and so on. This is a set of scenes I hadn't really bothered to watch until now because, frankly, I'm not a big fan of the story, but these were interesting, sometimes not for the right reasons, but interesting nonetheless. In these, she has to spin out some big lies in order to convince Ross that Justin (who was about to call after a visit with estranged wife Jackie made him realize Carrie had threatened to harm her) had tried to rape her. She also makes wild claims that both Justin and Jackie threatened to kill her. The whole thing is so absurd, you just don't for a second that Ross, no matter how much he loved Carrie, would go along with it (even if Carrie Mowery's Jackie was so high-strung and twitchy I could actually see her killing a few people...). It breaks reality and any sense of logic in a way I usually don't see with Marland. And it makes me wonder just how Marland thought Carrie could go this far and still remain on the show. I know the Carrie story was not the only falling out between Marland and Allen Potter, by any means, but I do feel like Carrie was written into such a corner that I'm surprised Marland could not see what the outcome would be. Still, Jane Elliot is always excellent, and it's fascinating to see her in a role so unlike her other work. I know the idea is not new to either show, but some parts of this, especially the various occasions (the June 4th episode has another) where sleep brings out the "good" Carrie for fleeting moments, reminds me of Viki's DID sagas, especially the '95 version. @Vee @SFK This episode also has some lovely Ed/Maureen scenes, and some of my favorite Nola scenes, which I've probably watched about 4 or 5 times over the years, where she and Quint listen to Bertie Higgins and they get to replay her Casablanca fantasy flashback.

When I go through some of these 1982 episodes, I stick on the scene with Morgan and Nola (and then Morgan and Kelly) early in the clip. It's a prototype of the "forgiveness" and "the past is the past" that Oakdale-era Marland would layer with many therapy sessions (I think they may have had something along these lines with Bobbie on GH too but I can't remember if he was already gone by the time she was reformed). It's such a halting scene, with so much left unspoken, and no real attempts at forcing a sense of caring, as later happened with relationships like Josh and Iva. When Morgan talks about just wanting to move on with her life, and acknowledging her own mistakes, you can believe it (and it's one of the flashes of Jennifer Cook reminding me of Kirsten Vigard's work). And you get a shameless Kelly Speedos shot in the bargain. There is also a lovely scene with Derek and Nola later in the clip. I know Derek was "boring," but I find him very endearing and real. Lisa Brown often seems so frantic as Nola, but in episodes like these, she is just luminous. On paper, the idea of Hillary using the "don't tie me down" attitude of the early '80s to vacillate between decent but dull Derek and live wire, sensitive soul Tony has a lot of potential...if the people involved had more chemistry and if I did not have to put up with Tony going on sanctimonious tirades in every other scene...

@Vee That blog always has such incisive takes breaking down a season's themes, similar to your strong takes. I don't agree with all of them (I am a big fan of Linda Fairgate, which they are decidedly not), but I still appreciate seeing such detailed analysis on a show that deserves it. Like you, I do think this season does a better job with Abby than given credit for there. The main problem is when Abby is around to move the plot along, she loses some of her layers. Some of the better years for the character are when she is just a cog in a wheel but still able to keep her vulnerability and her edge, all at once.

I have been casually going through some 1982, some of these I'd watched 6-7 years ago or more and am refreshing my memory while they are still there. I'd forgotten about this cable car sequence involving Mike. Does anyone know if the original sequence, in better quality, is around? @zanereed ? (not a big fan of that children's show score!!!) It also reminded me, of course, of the iconic (well, to me and @Soapsudsand Soap Opera Weekly editors of 1997's Greatest Soap Moments issue, anyway) cable car moment with Frannie and Daryl on ATWT. Something else that bugs me about this period with Vanessa is that any time she (and this happens with Josh too, but not quite as frequently) starts complaining about other people, or even venting about work problems, the Good and Moral residents of Springfield shut her down like she started threatening to set an orphanage on fire. While the show had its share of problems through the '80s and early '90s, I do like that during that time the business characters were allowed to just casually talk - and yes, sometimes bitch - without being put through such a bizarre purification ritual.

The media will always look for a black Republican to proclaim diversity and how the GOP is the party of the future, when primary voters have much less interest: Due to Hunt's loss, this is the man who will be running against Sanford Bishop...

Jennifer Harmon isn't in this is she? I was trying to figure out.

This led me to Google to remind myself of when John Pleshette passed away. I was sure he had. Kind of thrown to realize he is still with us, but...good for him!

Great find @slick jones ! Hope to get to see more of this show someday.

Yes. Ugh. I was half-asleep with I typed that out. RIP to them both.

Great to hear.

@Skylover What I got to see of Dieter Brummer as Scott (in the clips of the Kim and Scott story - boy what a horrid mess the David and Leo retcon made of that...), I truly enjoyed his work. Jason Donovan, not so much.

@VeeSuch detailed descriptions of the directorial choices and their impact on lighting and shadows - something I never take enough notice of. I'll have to try to skim through this episode. I think you are right about Ciji's appeal to viewers - in some ways she is a prototype Laura Palmer in how she appeals and repulses to many who can only see her the way they need to see her. The Gary scene is a real howler, and more of a fit of the Knots that could only exist in the early '80s (although Kevin Dobson has some overacting in the late '80s that rivals it...).

How sad. Looks like, per Lynne McGranger, they weren't allowed to mention Neighbours when they their Logie.

I do think Abby loved Gary. You can tell the difference in how Abby is with men she used and may have been fond of but didn't love, and how she was with Gary. It's just that Gary was so much to deal with, and was never as able to be honest about himself as Abby was about herself.

It's like Dark Shadows...only without me having one single, solitary reason to give a damn about watching. And of course Sonny's brother looks just like the man who murdered his husband. Amazing that someone who was barely able to read his lines on AMC 2.0 continues to clog up the daytime drain. What else is new with this dead genre.

Great ideas @zanereed This reminds me how much I wish someone could write an alt GL taking place somewhere around 1983 or so.