Soaplovers

There were a few elements during Long's brief OLTL stint that reminded me of her style. There was a bigger focus on the newspaper and a lot of crowd/social gatherings. And she created Lindsay Rapaport and established her as Nora's rival though the two were not actively fighting.. but were on a ceasefire. Long paired Lindsay with Clint.. even had them elope and showed her trying to find her place in the Buchanan family. The moment Pam Long was driven off the show.. Lindsay/Clint broke up and Lindsay became fixated on ruining Nora.

That was why she and her friends were about to watch GL in Chicago at 9 AM central time. Most of them started work at noon so GL was the only soap they could watch live. My mom and her friends all watched other soaps, but the only one all of them watched to discuss was Guiding Light.

My first soap opera memory happened in December 1985 with two particular events on GL: Reva's jump off the bridge attempting to kill herself and Lujack dying in Beth's arms. My first primetime soap opera memory was Pam opening the shower door revealing Bobby taking a shower. I only recall that memory because my parents spent the whole summer fighting over if this was really Bobby or a lookalike with my dad guessing that it was going to be revealed that Pam dreamt Bobby's death and my mom saying only a moron would do that story.

Kat/Tomas is giving me shades of Steve/Alice on AW with Eva looking to potentially be playing the Rachel part. 1) Rachel/Alice were sister in laws that didn't like one another pre-Steve while Kat/Eva are recently discovered half sisters that don't like one another. 2) Alice kept Steve at arms length in part due to what happened to her sister Pat when she went all the way (abortion and murder trial)... while Kat is keeping Tomas at arms length in part due to the men in mom/aunt's lives cheating on them. 3) Rachel enticed Steve until he succumbs to her advances... Eva has already made one overture to Tomas.. who is remaining strong.. for now. A traditional soap opera trope can be used in 2025 if the acting is good and the character motivations check out. Chelsea/Bill/Hayley were a good combo today. June and Hayley have to be related... they sound alike and kind of act alike. So hot busboy seems kind of shady... but having Jacob's dad and partner involved in what happened to Martin makes me think perhaps maybe Joey could be involved also?

For me, I was a small child home during the summer of 1991.. and I turned the tv onto All My children and found myself loving Hayley and thinking she was hilarious... and I became an AMC fan. The Natalie well story was far fetched, but there were two long term effects of that story... the introduction of Dimitri & Janet becoming pregnant with Trevor's child. Considering that we had Stuart hiding in an attic, the whole Goldie/Silver story, and Erica yelling at a bear.... it wasn't as if AMC wasn't a little wacky pre Nat/Janet.

The backstory of Doug III's dad's conception in the 70s was interesting (Doug III's dad was conceived via IVF)... and I'm glad the show in the few years has been going back into the history to resurrect some stories/character threads. Chanel is a wonderful example of the classic female ingenue/heroine of yesteryear.. and her popularity shows that this type of character is as welcome in 2025 as in the past. All one needs is decent writing and a strong actress to play that type of character.

My late mom and all of her GL watching friends in the Chicago area loved Jeffrey/Reva as a couple... that they thought he seemed to accept her for her without wanting her to change. I think they related to her because they were in the same boat/close to the same age as the Reva character... and most of them rolled their eyes at the Josh/Reva coupling. What's funny was my mom went on a rant when the show was ending about how Pam Long ruined the show... and I asked her what characters/couples she loved on GL. She said she loved Billy/Vanessa (told her Long created that coupling), she loved Tony/Annabelle (told her Long created that coupling), she loved the 4 mousekateers (told her Long created that), she loved Fletcher.. and his couplings with Claire, Maeve, and Alexandra (told her Long created those), and she even said she loved Reva's siblings Roxie and Rusty (told her again Long created them)... and then when she mentioned loving India + Lujack/Beth.. she said 'let me guess... Pam Long created them). While I think Pam Long/Gail Kobe did damage with some of their decisions... the ratings remained in the top 5 (hitting #2 in the summer of 1984, and #4 during the climax of the Infinity story in November 1985). And part of why the ratings didn't faltered too badly was because she wrote compelling/interesting stuff... some in a trainwreck sort of way.. others in memorable ways. And it seemed to appeal to the under 35 viewer at the time. Now had there been more then basic cable as an option during that time.. ratings would have probably been weaker for all soaps... so GL could get away with some of their decisions because the options weren't as vast as they are nowadays.

I think no adjustments have been made in terms of the character of Ashley or Ashley/Derek. I think Ashley being a Mary Sue/eager beaver was always meant to be a facade.. and that what we're seeing of Ashley now is the real Ashley getting a rude awakening that the vision she had of her life/future isn't turning out the way she thought it would. Now had MVJ and writers written more scenes of Ashley with her mother Jan, or even scenes where Ashley mentioned more about her childhood... it would have helped the viewers get more of a sense of who she is. I also think Ashley has a lot of conflicts brewing in her head... she thinks Derek is who she should be with... but her heart really feels something completely different.. and it's causing her to lash out. Maybe she knows who her father is, and if it's Joey.. it makes sense why she would intentionally go for someone like Derek. Someone the opposite of her father, and also thinking she wouldn't be like her mother....but I will say that Andre wouldn't be a bad choice. The episode from earlier this week where Dani expressed doubts about her/Andre and that she fears he'll hurt her is classic foreshadowing on a soap opera. I have a feeling Ashley will realize she might have feelings for Andre.. and Andre will feel torn because he only went with Dani because Ashley wasn't available to him. It's sad that I can think of more avenues/motivation for Ashley then the very people writing her.

I think Jessie was a red herring If I recall correctly, Dinah had originally been adopted by Jessie's uncle and aunt (her father's sister).. but they were killed in a car accident and she got passed around to different families before working in the carny. I think Dinah came onto the show in mid 1986 looking for her foster sister Dorie... who was being adopted by India. While that was going on, Ross/Vanessa were looking for their daughter and they thought that Jessie was their real daughter (probably because of her father being the one that handled the adoption)... and I don't know how it came out that Dinah was their daughter.. or if she was meant to be the daughter.. or if one of the writing regime changes made it so.

I also think that what we've seen of Dani for the past 75 or so episodes is probably something that Nicole and her parents have laid witness to their whole lives. While I agree June looks 30+ years old, she's also lived out on the streets for awhile without access to skincare, make up, etc.... while Hayley looks as though she loves to shop and pamper herself all the time.

The two sound alike, act alike, and kind of look as though they could be sisters... and it would give Hayley someone to interact with that's family outside of Bill and the Duprees

I have to second that. They had a lot of chemistry I actually think Andre has a rescuer/hero complex that probably stems from the loss of his parents. Hence why he's taken on such a protective/rescuer vibe with Dani and always is there for Ashley when she's going through angst. It's the only explanation I can think of for why he has a busybody type of thing when it comes to both Dani and Ashley. Perhaps that tendency was why he was previously a 'ladies man'.. though we saw no evidence on the show of this only comments from other characters alluding to that.

I do recall the Reva being sighted on an Italian travel show.. it was when Josh/Harley had become engaged and were ready to take the plunge. And Nadine lets Billy into WSPR to get a copy of the tape, and I think he also thinks it could be Reva... but isn't sure. I think Robert Newman was leaving so this was the shows way to write him off, also to throw a bone in by mentioning Italy and having Josh go to Italy since Guiding Light was hugely popular in Italy. I remember he went off alone, then weeks later wrote a letter to Harley telling her not to wait for him.. then Josh has Sarah bring the kids with her to Italy while Hawk remains as the guy running Company through the rest of 1991 (he even had a few scenes with Bridget.. trying to keep her in line because she was being mischievous at Company) before he stops appearing on the show.

They were actually in her story bible when the show was being developed... but I view them as the 'token' happy couple that are perfect for one another on paper... but in reality, the two are not as perfect for one another as one would think. I predict that they aren't end game and were never meant to be end game (i.e Brooke Logan and her first boyfriend Dave Reed on B & B were never meant to be end game... and I think Derek/Ashley will be like that as well... if the show hurries up and breaks them up completely.. that is). @TaoboiIn regards to Joey/Vanessa/Doug.. my little heart is happy to see them on this week.. but I was hoping for at least one episode last week where Vanessa talks to Nicole/Dani about Joey and basically admit they were right and maybe she could have participated in the pottery therapy session. It would have made the last two episodes make more sense with her renewed confidence and trying to get back into the drivers seat after being played by both Joey and Doug.

This is why creators shouldn't be the showrunners because they're too close to their creation and can't be objective enough to shift gears if something from their vision doesn't work. My issue with the show is the pacing because most of the stories are decent.. but the choice to heavily feature one of the stories for a week and then either not feature it all.. or not really mention it for awhile is not logical. Unpopular opinion: Chelsea is the weak link of the younger set and she isn't a strong enough actress to be leading a story nor being in a pairing when that airtime could be given to more talented performers.

Shanice? Maybe test him again with Hayley.

I think we're supposed to be wanting them to just break up because they're only together for different reasons: 1st serious relationship and lack of experience (Ashley) and I think the head injury made Derek decide to not wait and to go for what he thinks he should want.

You could tell Long was writing the show because she wouldn't have just reunited Josh/Reva instantly... there would have been a slow and gradual process to reunite them. When she returns in mid 1987.. she really gets to work keeping Josh/Reva apart with Josh dealing with Sonni/Will.. while Reva and Alan continue their relationship. Their mid 1989 was long awaited and worth the wait.

I also wonder if maybe Days brisk and fast filming schedule was too much for her when she went back for her last stint in 2016/7... and that's why she has turned down offers for visits since. I always thought PP was more intense in her acting then her over acting... and I also co sign that Days made the right call in her letting her go in 1992/3 (and she even said she realized by late 1992 that she couldn't do the job that she was hired to do on a long term basis).

I remember Mick also was involved in the Blake video tape story.. trying to blackmail her and that her uncle Ken beat Mick up while Meta figured out what was going on and was trying to get Blake to tell Ross about her sleeping with Ben. The main rumor I had heard was that Carmen's henchman Dietz was going to be the one that actually killed Mick after he witnessed Drew and Michelle both knocking him out.. and finished the job. Another rumor would have been that Holly would have been involved with investigating what happened to Mick and would be tied to this henchman Dietz. Sadly.. the rumors sounded better than what actually showed up on screen.

Vanessa... most people think being unfaithful is being disloyal. I love the mental gymnastics cheaters do in order to justify not being disloyal. Vanessa/Joey do have a good rapport and a toxic sexual chemistry. Question I'd like to know is why Vanessa is drawn to this.. is it a form of rebellion from her upper class upbringing (hence why she was drawn to Doug originally).. or is it something that happened in her life. Agnes Nixon would have that answer if she were head writing the show and/or created the Vanessa character.

He had gotten advice from Naomi to just go for it, but I don't think she meant for him to propose to her... but she had advised him to not wait and take action (stemming from her trauma at her dad having a stroke).

She had a recent interview where she discussed in some detail that she had a hard time when coming back for her last visit/stint in the late 2010s.. and she realized that because she had been away from acting for so long, that she couldn't control her ability not to over-act. She also said she lives 3500 miles away, has animals, and a life that she would have to make arrangements for in order to make appearances on the show. So I don't think we'll be seeing her again on DAYS for the foreseeable future.

I was recently watching 'season 1' of Bold & the Beautiful... and I had forgotten that Brooke had a whole ass relationship with a cop named Dave for the first months of the show... and that relationship eventually ended within the first months of the show before she was thrown in the Ridge/Caroline/Thorne orbit fully. So I wonder if Ashley/Derek are like that... together at the start of the show and eventually they'll break up and either end up with other people.. or are written off the show. I think the writers/TPTB know that the two aren't a match or else why all the weirdness/awkwardness between the two characters. If so, I wish they would hurry up and break the two up.. and have them move into different orbits of the show.

Julia isn't a natural pot stirrer, nor a drama starter... so like Mynique on RHOA not knowing how to read someone... Julia just doesn't know how to generate a feud on Miami. Tamra and Kenya could teach a class on how to pot stir and generating a feud.