titan1978

This is actually the Anna I miss. She could seem aloof or even cold when in job mode, but I thought that kind of helped her stand out at the time amongst soap leading ladies. Robin and her friendships got the more emotive person. It’s also part of why Anna/Duke took off, because her more sensual and playful side came out. But when it was work she was always business, and was calculating. Then Duke died and she really became cold. I get that being more in touch with her emotions is a good thing, but Anna now is so weak compared to back then. I remember how chilling the scenes were when Olivia Jerome caused the accident that killed her baby, and Anna knew it was her, and went after her. Even the stupid Casey the alien story introduced Faison and reminded viewers about her time as a double agent. Anna was a great character, and she was unique.

I think it truly depends on how much they think he hung the moon. Big fan and open to his suggestions/defers to him leading the scenes? Then maybe he would be excited. Much like Michael/Jacinda, it’s such a nothing relationship! I don’t get what the show does most of the time when it comes to couples. People who naturally should be together are, they spend years building something up just to destroy it and rarely mention it again.

Like I said, David’s Edward was a rascal! I think part of the issue was Lewis was clearly having difficulty his last era on camera at the show after just doing voice overs. His scenes with and about Tracy when Jane was leaving in 1993 had more weight to them than anything Ingle accomplished with that relationship, but Lewis was ready to go before he came back. IIRC Monty during round two lured him back to being on camera. I get why they recast, and I thought Ingle did solid work selling the story with Mary Mae early in his run. His regrets with Bradley and stepping out on Lila again. He had an increasingly fragile Anna Lee, which made scenes between them a delicate balance, which also did him no favors. He eventually blended in well with the Q’s, he just felt more like a curmudgeon than an actual character. But by then the Q’s were a collection of people throwing catchphrases at each other than actual characters.

The Labine proposal was better, adding Ned and Lois and her family (and possibly Tracy) to the show bible she was already working on was a smart idea and could have worked. I do know my ABC affiliate didn’t air Loving or the City, but did pick up Port Charles for the whole run. That GH connection helped it to air, but it never fully materialized, I assume due to costs. There should have been more character crossover. I still think if they really wanted a splash and something to hit better, they should have paid them and lured Cari Shayne and Antonio Sabato Jr back, even if he was only there for a few months to break them up. Richard Culliton was a terrible fit on GH, and honestly, PC.

Yeah I just think he is stupid, other than that I have no issues with him and he is very attractive. They should style his hair like today more often, Michael can punch him every morning when he is getting ready.

That was such a strange casting decision. And an awful story with Heather.

Agreed. It was a beautiful last set of scenes for Ingle. I appreciate the memorial wall, and Audrey’s final appearances. They even acknowledged Gail and Lee Baldwin, and we got to see Serena again. I have plenty of faults with Frank, but his respect for how important those people were to the show and to fans is special.

You make a good point. During his first run, David Lewis had pretty consistent and better writing. They used John Ingle a lot, but by the late 1990’s the Q family was often just lumped together in scenes in the sitting room arguing, and that just got worse as time went on. During Ingle’s first three years Edward was involved in actual stories. That Justus story should have been explored more on all fronts! Edward protecting him while also using the opportunity to bring him closer to the family. Justus actually dealing with the fallout and coming to terms with what he was now capable of doing. And Laura’s betrayal by them both, and Luke keeping it from her. Justus was one of her closest friends and Mary Mae became an important mother figure to her before she died. I accepted Ingle, but he’s not as fun to watch.

I thought Latham was better at PC than Y&R. But that’s not saying much. It was at its best with Karen Harris and Barbara Bloom as HW during nurses strike story. And at its most fun during the first couple of supernatural arcs. I still wish GH had gotten Nolan North’s character when PC was cancelled, and Livvie. The supernatural stuff could have been retconned as a book Lucy was writing. I wish Karen Harris had come back too, Guza was better with her in the writing team back then.

Monica’s does feel more earned than Emily’s did. I love that Monty’s pace was considered fast for the times, and yet she and the writers still have richly developed characters centering a lot of the action. Laurelton is a mess, I am not convinced by most of those characters. But Monica taking the time to admit she wants the Quartermaine clout without the hassle and animosity between her and Alan was much more adult than anything we have on the show now. Monica had such an interesting relationship with Edward back then, especially David Lewis. Even Terry is defined, she is just the wrong fit for this type of story and as the centerpiece of the show. I know I keep harping on that, and I do like her. Just not in something this complex. I have been checking out random episodes from this time as @Franko is covering them. I say this all the time, as much as I loved John Ingle, David Lewis is more fun. He amps up the snobbery, the old money attitude, he’s bitchy, and believably viscous when he needs to be. He’s a rascal. John Ingle did have a tendency to just be a blowhard. The only times I felt true kinship between them was when they were trying to force othrough the incinerator project during a Labine’s run, and when Guza had him help Justus cover up Damian’s murder, even with Laura in jail and on trial. That guy was the same Edward as before to me. But I can’t deny I cannot imagine Lewis playing the Mary Mae story!

Good to know, thanks!

I truly do not get why they brought Nathan back if reuniting with Maxie isn’t going to play a part. This feels rushed to me. Is Storms exiting again?

This is one of those times I wished I still had soap magazine back issues, because I know I read that this was the idea and it was scrapped. I just cannot remember if it was ever a direct quote by Labine or Riche, or unnamed sources. Riche was sometimes very candid in interviews back then, before 1999ish or so when she and Guza were fully at odds.

She blatantly said what the issue was when she left the last time. She wants to be THE leading lady on the show. I find her very publicly immature for her age. She shares some of Britt’s traits. I agree about her and Sidwell. The only moment any of this was believable to me was when he shot Dalton in front of her. He seemed actually capable of anything, and she played several layers trying to keep herself together. Ingo went full MAGA, whereas Burton seemed to more align with modern (at the 2000’s times) hardcore Christianity than the full MAGA/FOX thing. I assume with the vax stuff he is at least MAHA, his past with Monavie and being a personal trainer lines up wit that to me. Burton keeps it a little more private so I don’t know who exactly he voted for, but the fact that fundamental Christianity is where it is today I have questions. Their people are out here calling for family voting so that the husband gets to cast for the family and I just don’t have the patience for them to not be speaking out as their movement gets increasingly worse, let alone their attacks of LGBTQIA+ folks for generations.

You are not alone in this thinking, it came up a lot when Storms took her leave, and it’s a sentiment I have seen other places when this news broke, and again when KT spoke out about being frustrated. I come at this kind of thing from a different place. It should be real for everyone to have access to this kind of leave from their jobs. It’s kind of like people being mad at poor folks that might abuse a system in place to help them, and not the same heat or more for the million and billionaires that make the programs necessary, and have every break available. Be mad at the system that fights worker’s rights, not the person for having access to them. My issues always lie with the shows. If they had balanced storytelling it shouldn’t be a big deal. When you read classic soap synopsis characters used to leave all the time for a couple of months then be picked back up. I like them together too, both onscreen and off. But I also have a hard time with the thought process that Steve espouses that he cares so much about the world being a kinder place when he refused vaccination and aligns himself with that kind of policy thinking, and question where his brand of conservative Christianity is in this moment with racism, transphobia, fascism, misogyny, immigration, etc.

He was so hot back then, and I did like seeing that flashback. I also miss those front steps to the Brownstone!

That was a lovely tribute. I appreciate the flashbacks were not all the ones I was expecting. I knew we would see the wedding and they love to show that pink Cadillac! But they did a decent job picking scenes that were unexpected this time. I know the wedding will always be iconic. But if I had to pick one classic Luke and Laura scene to see over and over again it would be them dancing in Wyndham’s. It’s just so soapy with them on the run but they end up hiding out there and have this lushly romantic evening. I do miss when soaps had time to play a little bit.

She is still a mess!

Wha a waste of a charismatic, attractive man.

I know one thing- Frank hates people that leak stuff about the show. Mostly major spoilers or bts drama get his ire the most, but he doesn’t really like loose lips at all. So it’s one thing for Mo and Genie to talk about a powerful scene coming up and how much they liked filming together (which they did). It would be another thing if one of them said they are being paired or chem tested. So reading this post I tend to be more in the camp of Dom saying they shared scenes and being pumped to work together than they are being chem tested and paired. But again, time will tell. And if it isn’t true, the folks on those sites will just say it got scrapped or edited out. Because it’s never factually wrong lol.

There does seem to be a corner of the online fandom that doesn’t like Lulu since the return. They didn’t like her part in the Gio reveal or how harsh she was at first. Neither bothered me, because I think normal antagonism is necessary for drama on soaps, and both Lulu and Brook Lynn can give as good as they get. I saw the noticeable thawing begin when the Britt/Rocco thing started up. People online that love Britt seem to be mostly as disgusted by this storyline as I am, which is nice to see. It’s hurt her return and helped Lulu.

I think Susan Flannery had a lot to do with that in the early years. I admit to not seeing much of Vanessa, or being a Bold fan, but early Stephanie walks a delicate balance thanks to Flannery. I know Jane Elliot was cast then let go before the show started, and while Jane is an excellent actress, I think she would have run too hot as Stephanie. I agree. In the same six months we had Brenda/Sonny and the wire, Laura kicking Luke out after the mob shootout, Monica’s breast cancer and Emily’s mom, Stone was HIV+ and declining rapidly, and Robin was at risk of being HIV+ and had her first test, waiting to be cleared by her second test. Most of the show was miserable (although JFP and Guza would later demonstrate how bad it could get as far as misery).

Full agreement from me! Also your post about Anna. She was my favorite character back in her original run too, and I want her back to being calculating and taken seriously.

Why would there be a ship name before anyone sees them in any capacity as a couple? These posts increasingly read like Facebook fanspeak. Time will tell if we see them sharing scenes or not, and what capacity. I have no issues with them trying them out, just these posts are difficult to parse or fully make sense to me.

I get the Sam of it all when she died. But I did not get Dante being mad at Lulu for Gio, that smoke should have all been on Lois and Brook Lynn. What sticks with me is that they both know she was going to tell him she loved him again when the bombing happened and she went into a coma. And he was in love with her too. They have done nothing real with that at all. The reason why I am so vehemently opposed to Valentin and the return of Britt/Nathan/Obrect, etc, is that we finally had started to get our priorities right onscreen. I don’t want to fully go back to the mess we had with a bunch of actual GH vets just existing while Nina, Valentin, Obrect’s family, Michael Easton and Roger Howarth were the focal points of the show, with Anna and Maxie as the only GH vets with story.