Franko

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire Week One (Jan. 1-3, 1986) Ted to Kevin: "... You're a very bright, considerate young man, and we both know that you love Terry very much." Kevin turns to Terry and gives a "sure, I guess" head shrug I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. There's three primary stories in this batch, and a decent amount of character and relationship stuff, which is honestly more interesting. Laurelton -- We're in the questions on top of questions stage. Who killed Neil Johnson, Kevin and Patrick's cousin? Is Terry capable of murder? Is Patrick? What happened in Laurelton on Valentine's Day 1983? Patrick is presented as the most suspicious and erratic party, so I imagine that was the clue for viewers to turn their attention to either Terry, Jennifer, or Ted. I'm going to try keeping an open mind as I watch this story play out (after all, I've got Lucy's arrival to look forward to!), but right now, I'm more interested in the character stuff. We've got Anna trying to prove herself worthy as being co-chief of the Port Charles Police Department. I also really like Bobbie disapproving of Kevin & Terry's engagement. She says some lines that are interesting to me in light of our discussing Bobbie's mindset before marrying Tony. "You don't get married to achieve stability. You have to be stable in order to get married, and stay married. I think you have it backwards, Jennifer." Sean & Monica's Affair -- Be still my heart, Sean wooed Monica with his Great American Songbook mixtape! It's a nice contrast to the posturing exhibited at separate times by Alan ("Every woman has a little bit of Mata Hari blood in her. Why would you be different?") and Edward ("We Quartermaine men always satisfy our women, Alan. Don't ever forget that. ..."). When it comes to this storyline, like Monica said, there's nowhere to go but up. Mike Webber's Paternity -- Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see the last two episodes of December 1985, which included Mike learning that Derek's his father. Mike begins 1986 living at Kelly's (like Ruby doesn't have enough to deal with ...) while Rick and Ginny are anguished. Did Ginny, Mike, or Rick Jr. get mentioned at all when Rick Sr. returned? Relationship Roundup -- Anna & Buzz lead this section. I don't outright hate them together, but I'm feeling a Sherlock & Watson chemistry rather than anything romantic. Other pairs in this batch include Frisco & Felicia (she learns that "Sam," his police partner, is "Samantha"), Yank & Jade (he wants to start anew), and Jake & Bobbie (he fails at keeping Anna from finding out Bobbie's gone to Laurelton). There's also Jimmy Lee & Celia, and Tony & Tania, but neither did anything interesting. Other thoughts: -- Robin being adorable, wondering why Buzz has to work on New Year's Day ... not a bad way to start my journey. -- Scoffing at '80s hair is too easy, but my heart breaks for Sherilyn Wolter and Robyn Bernard, both having to sport 'dos that aged them. On the other hand, there's an endearing retro charm to Anna taking off an earring to talk on the phone and then putting it back on afterwards. -- Jade took "New year, new me" to heart. On Jan. 1, she says she's going to stop working at the tearoom in the Asian Quarter. On Jan. 2, she's a student nurse at GH. -- Today in Jack Wagner being wacky: Frisco breaks into a slight strut walk as he and Sam walk arm in arm out of the PCPD gym. -- If I'm not mistaken, "Someone to Watch Over Me" played on two soaps this week in '86. Besides Sean and Monica listening to Sinatra at his penthouse, there was Kim Hughes listening to herself at Doug Cummings' shrine. -- Speaking of that penthouse, it's the one Robert lived in and the one where Luke had his pre-wedding address to Port Charles. It's not the same penthouse where Tracy was going to let Edward die of a heart attack -- the entrances are on opposite sides. -- Today I learned Laurelton's in the South. For whatever reason, I was thinking it was in Upstate New York.

No worries. Well, wish me luck, everybody -- I'm about to begin my dive into The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire (i.e. 1986 episodes).

Was Lucky named yet? In 1986, on her wedding day with Jake, Bobbie gets greetings from "Luke, Laura, and baby."

I think you're right about Tony and Bobbie not having been intimate yet. I guess Tony was sort of on the same page as the viewers, who had been watching this unofficial courtship play out for a year.

I wasn't aware of this! It feels like something the writers could have played during any of Bobbie and Tony's estrangements, the question of what was the foundation of their marriage, anyway? Did stability, trust, etc. trump intimacy?

And many happy years to come!

They do seem to fade away, yes. I think 1988 was also when they had Justin Whalin as a SORASed A.J. It's kind of a shame they didn't keep him at roughly Robin's age, since an A.J./Robin/returned Mike Webber triangle could have been interesting. I'm planning on watching 1986-87 GH and giving commentary. Maybe I'll hang around through the writers strike. As fabulous as Tiffany is, she always feels like a puzzle piece as opposed to someone who can naturally generate a story like Robert, Anna, or Sean. From what I recall, Sean and Tiffany hadn't met before 1986. It feels like they should have. If nothing else, Jake could have filled the role of a recurring lawyer, or at least popped in from time to time. Much appreciated. Thanks. After the fourth or fifth time, Bobbie should have just been like, "Screw it, I'm becoming a dog mom!"

It's complicated. I almost feel like I need a chart. The short-ish story (and credit where it's due, this all comes from the Curlyqgrl summaries): Bobbie and Jake, married on Nov. 25, 1986, spent 1987 in a deteriorating marriage and ended the year with Jake walking out on Dec. 31, 1987. Bobbie was attending the party at Duke's Place at the time. Lowlights of Jake & Bobbie's '87 include their four failed attempts to become parents (Gretchen the surrogate, who backed out; trying to adopt Lucy's baby with Jake, which she miscarried; being unable to adopt Melissa and Skeeter, the kids of Bobbie's physical therapy buddy Martha; being unable to adopt at all since Bobbie was charged with prostitution -- she was trying to stop problem child Melissa from being human trafficked), Lucy's hookup with Jake, Bobbie's paralysis from the MOX virus (which began in late May and ended with a full recovery in early September), and Scotty's return. Tony, meanwhile, lost Tania in March '87, gained Lucy as a nanny in April, had sex with Lucy at the end of August, and after some back and forth, married her in early November. I'll try to be brief with 1988, I promise: Bobbie hooked up with Scotty (who had been undermining a possible reunion with an offscreen Jake) at the end of March. This appears to have petered out by the summer and she had a fling with some guy named Gregory, which apparently continued through the end of the year. Meanwhile, it was time for Tony and Lucy's marriage to fall apart. It was a two-prong deal, including Tony getting mad when he heard Lucy say she was glad Frisco was dead (she was being petty about Colton, not Tony, getting a front-page story). After Tony kicked Lucy out (late August), Bobbie picked up the reins as BJ's babysitter-mother figure. In mid-September, Lucy blew it for good when BJ drank nail polish remover. Autumn and winter 1988: Bobbie moves in with Tony to help with BJ. Tony begins to divorce Lucy. Sam Behrens comes back for a few weeks in November so Jake can defend Anna (for allegedly shooting Olivia) and Jake and Bobbie can officially conclude. Tony has neurological issues that results in a brain surgery that leaves him blind. While Tony's out of commission, both Bobbie and Lucy attempt to get custody of BJ. Home stretch, people! 1989: Tony's blind. BJ is briefly kidnapped by some bereaved mother named Hillary. In February, Tony and Lucy's divorce is final. Bobbie is jealous of Tony's helper Valerie. In March, Bobbie and Jake's divorce is final. In July, Bobbie learns that she has another chance at adoption. Right after that, Tony completely recovers his sight in time to save Bobbie and BJ from getting hit by a forklift. Valerie becomes jealous of Tony and Bobbie. In August, Bobbie once again has a mother decide she wants to keep the baby she was going to adopt. In late August, Bobbie (initially unbeknownst to her) has her illegal adoption of Lucas. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Lucas is christened and Tony proposes to Bobbie. Lucy rattles her sabers about renegotiating her divorce settlement from Tony and it briefly seems like Bobbie tried to torch her and Tony's house so Lucy won't get anything. Friday, Oct. 13 -- Tony and Bobbie wed. I'm not going to take so long with Sean & Tiffany. Tiffany left for Europe on Tuesday, July 10, 1984, giving WPLC to Edward. Edward brought Tiffany back on Wednesday, July 30, 1986, to seduce Sean. The pair finally met on Friday, Aug. 8, when she pulled a damsel in distress routine.

I think you're right, and it was Sue Ellen of all people who reunited them?

Ah, that's right. I forgot about Gary and Val's umpteeth estrangement.

Could we also fold in the idea that Lucy had kept her distance from Gary & Val from 1982-1991 because she was mad and hurt that once again, they couldn't go the distance?

Is Elaine Bromka (Stella Lombard) the wife in the second commercial?

Indeed. Lynn's always been one of my favorites. (As a kid, I thought she was the most beautiful woman on TV.)

As far as I can tell, this was all still Monty. She was executive producer until early 1987, when H. Wesley Kenney took over. I'm tempted to watch all of GH from 1986-87, the transition from Monty into Kenney and the decline of the show's time at No. 1. Random side note: in retrospect, it's amazing that Lucy's hung on as long as she did. She could have easily gone the way of, say, Laura Templeton, being part of a big story and then not having much relevance after.

It was the setup. Celia had come to tell Jimmy Lee that she was getting more money from her dad Quentin, which would have helped them out on a personal level, but not really helped Edward-Alan-Jimmy Lee. Once Celia thought she saw Jimmy Lee fooling around, it was all over. Re-reading the summaries, it feels like they either didn't have much of a plan for Jimmy Lee/Steve Bond beyond the Sean swindles the Quartermaines story (and with respect to Steve, he's the weakest player in it), or they did have plans that didn't really ignite (like Jimmy Lee ending up with Sandy, daughter of Buzz Stryker, who lost his tenuous relevance once Anna-Duke caught on).

I'm assuming Sherilyn Wolter had a three-year contract. She debuted on Thursday, March 17, 1983, and had her last episode on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1986. They spent more than two years building to Jimmy Lee and Celia finally getting together, and then they only had a half-year marriage. The wedding was on Friday, Aug. 16, 1985. On Friday, Feb. 21, 1986, Celia misunderstood a compromising situation between Jimmy Lee and another woman that was orchestrated between Sean and one of the lesser Cassadines. As for Jimmy Lee and Charity, she was introduced on Wednesday, July 30, 1986. She and Jimmy Lee met in late November, and had sex not long after (which is something that never happened between Alan and Charity). By mid-December, Jimmy Lee wanted to marry Charity, and they ended up doing so just before Christmas. Their last episode was Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1986. I wonder if Steve Bond had a one-year contact, followed by a three-year, or a three-year, followed by a one-year extension. He apparently debuted right at the start of 1983.

A lot of ABC actors there -- I wonder what was the breakdown of Rosie's affiliates in '96-'97.

By coincidence, I was looking at TV listings for Monday, Jan. 5, 1998, AMC's 28th birthday. Susan was on that day's episode of Rosie.

I'm down to the final four episodes of Season Seven. I'm wondering if Cathy and Laura's last scene was or will be that moment when Cathy declined Laura's invitation to join her and Greg at the movies. A shame; the ladies' friendship deserved better. Also, Val and Jill were in the same room during "Phoenix Rising," but have yet to interact with one another. And at this point, the only people who don't know about Gary fathering Bobby & Betsy would be Lilimae, Eric, and Michael, but all of them could make an educated guess.

God bless us, everyone.

Something I never expected to see: a fake version of the front of Val's house, clearly on a soundstage like the fake Southfork porch seen on many episodes of Dallas. It's seen in "Irrevocably Yours." I wonder if I'll see it again.

I'm up to "The Confession." The intercutting between two parallel conversations gimmick has officially crossed the line from clever to annoying.

Thanks for the warning. For the record, here's where we stand with the current two big secrets as 1986 begins. GARY IS THE FATHER OF BOBBY AND BETSY: Explicitly know: Val, Ben, Mack, Karen, Abby, Greg, Gary (Even if Val won't 100% say so for another two years), J.R. (Just kidding! But, c'mon, like he wouldn't know?) Could easily put two and two together: Lilimae, Cathy, Laura, Peter (he might have found it out while snooping through Greg's stuff), Olivia, Eric and Michael JOSHUA DIED BY ACCIDENT WHEN HE FAILED TO COMMIT A MURDER-SUICIDE WITH CATHY: Explicitly know: Cathy, Lilimae Could easily put two and together: Every damn person on the face of the earth. I want this storyline to end already, and for someone to read that miserable old crone for filth.

"Jill, this is Gary Ewing. Gary Ewing, Jill Bennett." Now I'm curious what Jill and Val's first interaction will be like. ETA: Also, I like that Cathy's stage manager knows damn well what's happening between Cathy and Ben ... and she seems to be a-ok with it.

It's actually pretty sad that the Knots landscape is filled with businesses and locations that ended up slipping away, being let go of, or flaming out spectacularly. Knots Landing Motors. Daniel's. Westfork Ranch. Lotus Point. Pacific World Cable. Empire Valley. Hell, even Tidal Energy. It's like an extra-pointless game of Monopoly, with The Sumner Group as Park Place. Who knows, maybe the community pulled a Neighbours and in-universe, Seaview Circle itself has been torn down for road expansion.