Born in 1979. Spent my childhood watching Guiding Light with my grandmother. I've been watching 1979 Guiding Light and now I'm up to 1980. Right now I'm watching Mike and Ed chase Roger in Santo Domingo.
I remembered that I loved Christopher Bernau as a child, and my 10 year old self shipped Reva/Alan hard. As an adult, I've only seen him in old episodes of Dark Shadows until recently. No wonder I never warmed to Ron Raines' Alan. Bernau is sexy, conflicted, charismatic, charming, and dangerous. Hope never stood a chance. Watching these episodes has also made me really appreciate Grant Aleksander's casting even more. He physically looks like Justin and Jackie, but he holds his mouth and face like Christopher Bernau and has a similar sort of reserve, and there's something of Lezlie Dalton's Elizabeth about him as well. It's amazing.
Charita Bauer is so wonderfully alive and vital in all of her scenes and stories-she's especially good with the actress who plays Hope-and its so hard to believe she's going to be gone in just a few years. Mike Bauer is SO compelling. What a waste to let him wither off canvas for decades.
The Dobsons have a great point about the trees, though. One moment I'm watching intense, well-written drama that has barely aged, and the next moment a 70s commercial for a funeral home is playing. It's jarring. The disco open is dated, but it fits the show's vibe so much better (Hope and Alan snuggling! Ross's hand blocking the camera while Bert glares! Mike and the gun!).
ETA-Also, these episodes have changed my opinion on Roger Thorpe. I only remember him from his 1989- run, but DAMN he's so awful it's hard to imagine redemption. Zaslow is great, of course, (there's one scene between Bernau and Zaslow that's like watching two Shakespearean actors at work), but Roger has so few gray layers and is doing such horrid things. Alan at least seems conflicted in all of his scenes.
Adam Thorpe, however, is a fantastic character and the actor does such a good job of playing a good man who sired a monster, a monster he loves. The scenes with he, Barbara and Christina in the hotel room as Mike, Ed, Holly, and Roger battle for their lives are excellent.
Also, Alan was on the phone with a Josh Chamberlin in a March episodes. I wonder if that character was divided to make the Lewis and Chamberlin families?
Guiding Light discussion thread
in DTS: Cancelled Soaps
Posted · Edited by WhiteDressGhost
Born in 1979. Spent my childhood watching Guiding Light with my grandmother. I've been watching 1979 Guiding Light and now I'm up to 1980. Right now I'm watching Mike and Ed chase Roger in Santo Domingo.
I remembered that I loved Christopher Bernau as a child, and my 10 year old self shipped Reva/Alan hard. As an adult, I've only seen him in old episodes of Dark Shadows until recently. No wonder I never warmed to Ron Raines' Alan. Bernau is sexy, conflicted, charismatic, charming, and dangerous. Hope never stood a chance. Watching these episodes has also made me really appreciate Grant Aleksander's casting even more. He physically looks like Justin and Jackie, but he holds his mouth and face like Christopher Bernau and has a similar sort of reserve, and there's something of Lezlie Dalton's Elizabeth about him as well. It's amazing.
Charita Bauer is so wonderfully alive and vital in all of her scenes and stories-she's especially good with the actress who plays Hope-and its so hard to believe she's going to be gone in just a few years. Mike Bauer is SO compelling. What a waste to let him wither off canvas for decades.
The Dobsons have a great point about the trees, though. One moment I'm watching intense, well-written drama that has barely aged, and the next moment a 70s commercial for a funeral home is playing. It's jarring. The disco open is dated, but it fits the show's vibe so much better (Hope and Alan snuggling! Ross's hand blocking the camera while Bert glares! Mike and the gun!).
ETA-Also, these episodes have changed my opinion on Roger Thorpe. I only remember him from his 1989- run, but DAMN he's so awful it's hard to imagine redemption. Zaslow is great, of course, (there's one scene between Bernau and Zaslow that's like watching two Shakespearean actors at work), but Roger has so few gray layers and is doing such horrid things. Alan at least seems conflicted in all of his scenes.
Adam Thorpe, however, is a fantastic character and the actor does such a good job of playing a good man who sired a monster, a monster he loves. The scenes with he, Barbara and Christina in the hotel room as Mike, Ed, Holly, and Roger battle for their lives are excellent.
Also, Alan was on the phone with a Josh Chamberlin in a March episodes. I wonder if that character was divided to make the Lewis and Chamberlin families?