Franko

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire Week 15 (April 7-11, 1986) -- Part I Frisco: "(Lucy Coe's) practically a nonperson. She doesn't have a boyfriend, she doesn't have a girlfriend, practically doesn't exist, and (her coworkers) sure the hell don't know where she went when she left town." Laurelton: I must say, it's rather bold of GH to once again play a weeklong game of hide and seek. We'll meet Lucy next week, but in the meantime, just about everyone can't stop talking about her. I wonder what the 1986 audience thought. Were there viewers who figured Lucy would be killed off before she could testify at Kevin's trial? Were there others who expected Lucy to be played by a surprise guest star, someone to justify all the anticipation for a character with a seemingly specific purpose and time with the show? I'm really going to enjoy watching early Lucy, catching the moments that made GH want to keep Lynn Herring. On the other hand, I'm beyond ready for this story's grand finale. A while back, I dreaded having to watch Terry at her breaking point for days at an end. Now I feel the same about Sarah. The housekeeper gathers enough courage to testify that "KO" was engraved on the chain that was used to kill Earl Moody. Anna allows Sarah to be left alone outside the courtroom, where Sheriff Broder, Ted, and the O'Connor parents intimidate her. The director decided to get artsy, filming their guiltripping, menacing, and gaslighting with a POV shot. Anyway, Sarah returns to the stand and walks back what she said, changing it from something she saw for herself and knows to be true to something she was told about and/or interpreted. You know what, I'm going to headcanon it. Sarah eventually either directly killed or facilitated the murders of Tim and Kathleen O'Connor. And really, they had it coming. Just like Ted and (especially) Sheriff Broder. Justice for Sarah! Brett, to Anna: "'Gut feeling'? What is this, the '80s version of women's intuition?" For the record, this week's most interesting stuff happened near the second half of Friday's show. Highlights before then included: Will Patrick commit perjury? (Sarah, Lucy and Kevin eventually will.) Felicia and Frisco separately flirting with various university folks while gathering information. These include Red Flynn, Lucy's fellow student librarians, a trio of basketball players, Norman, a player whom Red intended to bribe, and Susie, Norman's ex-girlfriend. Felicia's joined by Lorena when she talks to Red at the pub and Kim when she talks to the basketball trio at Kelly's. Make no mistake, though: these scenes are all about giving Kristina and Jack something to do. I think I'll be glad once we get past the F&F wedding and the couple are players in the Duke storyline rather than players in Laurelton. Patrick and Bobbie making amends, and his moving back to the Brownstone. Anna and Jake taking yet another field trip to Laurelton. I was going to save this for my stray observations, but just who the heck are those three randos (two ladies and a guy) who are always seen whenver there's a scene with the Purity Water board? I guess one of them would be the recorder. We're familiar with Ted, Sheriff Broder, the O'Connor parents, and Mrs. Russell, but not those other three. Anyway, all of them and Sarah hear the tape from Terry's hypnosis session. Patrick getting harassed by yet another sleazy reporter-photographer, which triggers his patient's bum heart. (She'll survive, for now.) Patrick admitting on the stand that when he burned his copy of Sarah's letter to Neil Johnson, he believed Terry was the murderer. Red's testimony including the oddity that Kevin wore a green top hat at the airport on St. Patrick's Day. I mean, I guess Kevin intended to blend in with the folks who were also dressed for the holiday, but now I'm picturing Kevin wearing his novelty apparel while arguing with Jennifer. Red also reveals that Kevin was at the airport with a sexy young woman, "a real looker" with "legs that went on forever." Gee, I wonder who this could be? Red didn't see Kevin's mystery lady's face, but he did see her talk to Jennifer. Two final items for this storyline: Sarah's referred to as "Mrs.," so it's a safe bet that her being in love with Earl was a retcon. Also, Bobbie continues to be affronted by the trial. Friday's episode includes Bobbie and Ginny acknowledging that they're once again at the courthouse. I'll conclude my thoughts tomorrow. We've got more of Sean Swindles the Quartermaines, Mike's Paternity, Bryan and Claudia, and a turning point for Anna and Buzz.

I wonder who would have played the surgically-altered Chase? For the record, Season Seven's marquee guest stars included: Leslie Caron (three episodes, October 1987) Ed Marinaro (four episodes, October 1987, plus one last in April 1988) Eddie Albert (four episodes, October-November 1987) Eve Arden (one episode, November 1987) Lauren Hutton (four episodes, November-December 1987) Buck Henry (three episodes, December 1987-January 1988) Theodore Bikel (four episodes, December 1987-January 1988) Tahnee Welch (four episodes, December 1987-January 1988) Ursula Andress (three episodes, one in January 1988, then two in April 1988) Rod Taylor (three episodes, February-March 1988, then two in April-May 1988, before joining the cast in Season Eight) Roscoe Lee Browne (10 episodes, February-May 1988) Mary Ann Mobley (four episodes, March-April 1988) Charles Frank (seven episodes, April-May 1988, before wrapping his story up for two episodes in November 1988) With the exceptions of maybe Lauren Hutton and Ursula Andress, I can't imagine that any of these people provided much of a "Wow! I've got to tune in!" factor.

Forty years ago this week in People ...

Thanks again, @slick jones. My goodness, Ron Holgate has had quite the career. Viva musical theater! I wonder who acted opposite Holland in that production of ... Jimmy Dean. The character Joe has gender-affirming surgery to live as Joanne. On Broadway and in the movie, the roles were played by Mark Patton and Karen Black. Welp, guess I can't make that a spoiler. Sorry to anyone who wanted to be surprised by the movie.

Okay, it's bugging me. Let's see how many of those stars I could name. Barbara Eden, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Olivia de Havilland, Sal Mineo, Julie Newmar, Robert Goulet, James Mason, Ernest Borgnine, Louis Nye Were some of those younger folks from Peyton Place?

And Sal Mineo, of all people, is part of the fun.

I'm going to assume they played young Abby or young Belle.

"National treasure." And now I said what I said. (It happens that I just finished watching Season 8.)

Aw, you guys sure know how to make a recapper feel good. I'm especially glad-proud that the amount of detail's appreciated. @DRW50, I would have absolutely no trouble believing DL sexually abused Terry. @titan1978, I'm looking forward to the Kenney years, which I'm mostly just heard about.

I guess Pamela Bellwood DGAF at that point. But where did Jack Coleman and Ted McGinley stand?

Week 14, Part II Edward: "Well, think of it, my dear. Has there ever been such a family of scoundrels as the Cassadines? A clan so greedy, so conniving?" Monica: "Is present company excepted?" Sean Swindles the Quartermaines: The rollercoaster's still ascending. I cheated and looked up that the other shoe won't drop until Friday, April 18. Anyway, last week, Lorena found out about Monica and Sean, who weren't being particularly discreet while at the spa. Lorena spends this week unsure if she should warn Jimmy Lee and Alan, and also reveals to Monica that she's got a grudge over her cousin having been Celia's maid of honor. That's childish on Lorena's part, but not as childish as ... Edward's continued la-la-la, I CAN'T HEAR YOU! attitude as more people begin to doubt his certainty in buying out Donely-Cassadine. For his part, Dimitri wants out. He's made enough money and really doesn't want the SEC on his back. Influenced by Monica and Dimitri, Sean goes to the Qs to try stopping them from sinking more money, but Edward and Jimmy Lee figure it's a trick. Alan believes Monica when she says she believes Sean, but hasn't yet put two and two together as to why Monica has him pegged. Sean ends Wednesday's episode with Dimitri's power of attorney, meaning it's him alone against the Qs. He's going to sink them. Back at the mansion, what should be a five-member vote over whether to believe Sean and go no further with buying out Donely-Cassadine becomes a three-member vote. Alan and Lila abstain, Monica's in favor, and Edward and Jimmy Lee win with the nay votes. I assume this is when Monica decided to hell with them all except for Lila. Mike's Paternity and Bryan and Claudia: Hey, what do you know, Jeff's still around! It seems that even though he's in a "wonderful" home and doesn't have anything against his foster parents, he's still lonely. Ruby figures that Jeff's jealous of Mike's independence. Over at GH, Tania and Debbie bond over having previously miscarried, and Tania feels better knowing that her baby could be like Willie, carried to term and having grown up. (Repeating myself, but just about every Tania and/or Tony and/or B.J. scene for the next eight years is going to be heartbreaking in hindsight.) In other news, Debbie's a licensed practical nurse. I don't know how often GH had LPN characters. Bryan and Debbie decide that what Jeff needs is a gym membership, so they take him to the spa. Claudia and Lorena catch Bryan and Debbie's shared proud moment. The married couple may be frosty to one another, but they are on Ginny's side, and she's getting closer to a victory on Thursday. Ruby, to Mike, who's baffled that Ginny appears to be "getting along fine without me": "And what did you expect? You're the one who said you didn't want to live with your mother. Did you expect Ginny to curl up and die? What's she supposed to do, put her life on hold until you decide to grow up?" GO RUBY! Later in the episode, Mike hangs out at the spa. He tells Lorena that he doesn't think of Kelly's as home, and is allowed to fall asleep on an exercise mat (!). Okay, while I like seeing Lorena get some stepmother practice in, this is just too odd. I could maybe buy Mike resting in a private location of the spa if they weren't using the primary set for those scenes. Anyway, Lorena calls Derek and Ginny to let them know that Mike's homesick and might finally be preparing for a reunion. (Oh, if only I didn't know what's coming soon.)

Fantasies actually did well in the ratings, ranking No. 9 for the week of Jan. 18-24, 1982. Bear in mind, though, that this was January 1982, at the time when ABC Daytime ruled the world, and the competition was weak. M*A*S*H (No. 17), House Calls (No. 44), and People of the Year (No. 60) on CBS. The latter was a special hosted by Bob Newhart (!) about People's 25 Most Fascinating People of 1981. Over on NBC, The Long Summer of George Adams, starring James Garner. "In 1950s Oklahoma, a railroad worker's job is threatened by automation, compounding domestic problems with his wife and the ridicule he faces from the townfolks because of his second job as a watchman." It ranked at No. 40. This was when NBC's highest-ranked program was Real People (No. 13).

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire Week 14 (March 31-April 4, 1986) -- Part I Monica, to Edward: "How dare you fly in the face of truth! ... And is it too painful for you to admit the fact that we've been swindled, that you have risked this entire family's fortune?" Alan: "Well said, Monica." Edward: "Your eloquence proves nothing." Monica: "But your pigheadedness proves everything, Edward." Laurelton: Oh, if only Terry, Bobbie, and Felicia heard what Monica's saying. Most of the Brownstone ladies are insufferable this week. What infuriates me is that I'm certain there's not going to be moments where any or all of them come to terms with the fact that they were deceived and behaved irrationally. I hope I'm wrong. Anyway, most of the week's devoted to whether Jake will defend Kevin. He finally agrees on Friday, which means we have to have scene after scene of a begging and pleading Terry, an aggressive Bobbie, and a childish Felicia. I'm watching with an interest in finding the seams of Kevin's scheme; surely his insistence on being defending by Jake should have raised some eyebrows? Hell, Anna and Frisco end the week respectfully in opposite camps when he leaves her side (but not the police itself) after deciding he's got a conflict of interest. Jake could have done the same, or at least have been prohibited from taking Kevin's case. Kevin wants Jake, by the way, because he's of the people and isn't well-known as a defense attorney. For his part, Ted is competent but apparently not capable of getting the job done. It's funny that these episodes aired in the spring of 1986, before the premiere of Matlock and new life for the Simple Country Lawyer trope. Patrick: "Look, I don't think Jennifer Talbot had a real friend in Laurelton. Except maybe Ted Holmes." The O'Connor bros scoff and chuckle over this like d-bags. In the midst of this, we get some awkward comedy when Kevin's professor can't immediately find the attendance sheet for March 17. Back to Kevin's scheme ... by the time it's proven that he wasn't in class on the day Jennifer died, he's repeatedly insisted he was in the library and a librarian can vouch for him. Lucy is named for the first time on Tuesday. She's away for Spring Break. Less than two weeks until Lucy's arrival, and just over three until the reveal. Frisco's personal conflict this week is about whether he has what it takes to be a cop. He and Sam are among the cadets on probation. Captain Lewis, who's on his way out at the police academy*, vows to make sure they absolutely know the penal code. Frisco's determined to do right by Lewis, and he also insists on sticking to his goal. Once he's got his first check as a police officer, then he'll get a marriage license and wed Felicia. *I have no clue what this was about, if GH figured Don Dolan had run his course and originally planned to no longer need him after the cadets story, or if they wanted to move Dolan to more scenes with Finola, Bob, and eventually Tristan. Soap Opera Digest recaps from this period were really the pits. Describing Sheriff Broder coming on Ginny's show to criticize Anna, SOD made it sound like Ginny had no integrity at all. That's not the case in the actual scenes. Yes, Ginny could have pushed back more against what Broder said, but she did ask questions and generally let the hick hang himself. I still wonder why the people of Port Charles care so much about the Brownstone-Laurelton murders, or if they actually do. Lucy's library supervisor apparently isn't keeping up with the story, but on the other hand, an old lady in the park calls out Anna while she's taking Robin to school. Friday's episode also has Buzz making a televised statement supporting Anna. It's pretaped, so he can watch it with Anna, Robin, and Filomenta. Nice job, Buzz, now ask Anna out while you still can! Speaking of Anna, she and Robin have a nice scene on Friday when Anna explains that even though her job means people will disagree with her, it's okay to have disagreements. Robin also shouldn't go around punching her classmates while defending her mom. I just really liked Finola and Kimberly's chemistry together. As this storyline's gone on, I've lost a lot of patience with Bobbie. I keep wondering if the story just doesn't work, or if it doesn't work because Bobbie's in a role that she's just not right for. Could it have worked 20 years later with Lucas rather than Terry? Anyway, Terry caught me off guard on Friday. Not only is she ugly-crying and running her mascara nearly as badly as Tammy Faye Bakker, but: Terry: "Jake, I think you have forgotten something. Before I got my head on straight, I was starvin' for love. Do you remember? When I crawled into your bed? You were so kind, and understanding, and you talked to me. You told me that someday I'd be able to find the man that would love me. And in order ... in order to get love, I would have to learn to love. You said something like that. Do you remember?" I'm assuming Bobbie never found out about this. The week ends with Kevin vowing to sell his Purity Water stock, part of a bequest from Jennifer, to fund a hospital in her name. That, plus the lack of a clear motive for why Kevin would kill Earl Moody or Neil Johnson, not to mention the harassment he's been getting all week, is good enough for Jake to defend Kevin. Kevin's going to trial, Frisco's also been whipped into acting on Kevin's behalf, and Anna accepts this. Devane and Jones say they'll be friendly. If either party finds something that would prove the other's right, they won't conceal it. Bobbie: "Well, nobody seems to have noticed that a very important event has just taken place here in Jake's office. ... All of us Brownstoners are one big happy family once again." Group hug. Man, f*ck you, Bobbie. (Part II will be about Sean Swindles the Quartermaines, Mike's Paternity, and Bryan and Claudia, which actually isn't a total afterthought this week!) @DRW50, @titan1978, @Vee, @carolineg, @Jdee43, @dc11786, @Khan -- After all this time, I finally realized I should tag people.

I suppose it's possible. I assumed Audrey Landers is between Brenda Strong and Anne Francis, but maybe that's supposed to be Charlene. The lady below Priscilla Pointer -- Morgan Brittany? (A really pale version of her.)

When we get AI that doesn't make Linda Gray look like a character from Child's Play, or turn Charlene Tilton into Melissa Joan Hart, then I'll consider it an existential threat.

Another great post, @slick jones! Who did Valerie play in that production of Steel Magnolias? I'm assuming Truvy, but I could also see her doing well with M'Lynn.

Speaking of Mitch's clothing, I don't know if I've ever seen a swimsuit lining look that much like briefs. "Mitch, I'd like you to meet my friends, Neiman and Marcus. And over here are Sanger and Harris."

I know, right? Part of me wants to pretend I can just smugly laugh it off as, "Oh, the bad old days," but this type of stuff's still going on. And considering GH would eventually go all-in on Anna's lovelife, I guess we're supposed to believe Jake was at least somewhat in the right with what he said.

What a find, @DRW50! That top right panel is a shining example of smell the fart acting.

I think the problem is that the show rarely had an interest in developing Bryan and Claudia beyond being "the friends." Every time I watch one of their scenes, I figure that an episode had a couple of minutes to kill or the show's fulfilling contractual obligations.

I did get a small kick out of Julie Harris deciding to sell the awkwardness of the moment. One moan was enough, Julie.

I made it to "Deadly Combination," and the infamous moment of Ben putting Lilimae in a headlock. It's striking -- I would have cheered something like that happening in Season 7, but now, all I can think about is how Ben's at rock bottom. I'm not blowing the lid off anything new here, but Doug Sheehan deserved better.

Take all the time you need, @slick jones. I appreciate the effort, and as always, the info.

Mary Beth knew how to work with props. There's a bit in Compromising Positions where she's passing along info to Susan Sarandon while tending to a plant.

Bob's last special, explicitly promoted as his last, aired in November 1996. By that point, he was averaging 1-2 specials a year, usually a Christmas one and a birthday one. There was a special in 2003 to celebrate his turning 100, but that was just a straight best of.