GL95

I was thinking the same thing-it always seemed like her makeup was pretty minimalist too.

As someone who actually liked Alan-Michael/Lucy (I had no history with the show and just started watching right when A-M was first named president and Lucy was working for him and I liked their dynamic and A-M at this point is someone who is generally trying to be a better person), I think they did a decent job with his story arc in 1995 with him fighting to free himself from the need to be loved/noticed by Alan and learning to love someone unselfishly. As far as the Spaulding dynamics, I hate more in 1995 how they pretty much permanently set up the Alex/Alan dynamics with Alex backing Alan in the end no matter what while also being weirdly obsessive about his love life. Now, did we need THREE different times that A-M is on the outs with Alan starting in 1994 and A-M decides Alan really does love him because Alan does the bare minimum and cares whether A-M lives or dies then betrays him again five minutes later? No, we did not. A-M basically went by way of Mindy as an important character that they never recovered from a giant recasting mistake/keeping in the same stagnant dynamic. The A. Spaulding/Amanda as madam stuff was terrible but having an uninteresting actor as A-M who couldn't pull off any of the necessary saying one thing while thinking/reacting to the machinations of the other Spauldings (or show the vulnerability underneath the bluster) made it so much worse.

Right now where I'm at I'm mostly just amused at how big of a deal they're making outbidding Lewis based on getting access to the contract including Ross/Holly trying to get Blake to turn A-M in. It's certainly not a sound moral or ethical decision, but on the scale of possible criminal matters on this show it seems pretty minor (Billy has committed assault in public twice in the last two months without consequences though Springfield PD doesn't seem particularly interested in assault charges in general haha). Billy is pretty sanctimonious about Spaulding even trying to compete to begin with and Nadine of course isn't at all sympathetic. The most interesting aspect of all this is the A-M/Alex dynamic where Alex is basically giving him tacit approval to be underhanded so long as he doesn't get caught and keeps her hands clean with plausible deniability. (Not dissimilar to her with Roger really.) It's interesting watching out of order as I first started watching GL somewhere in 1995 and A-M was in his phase of trying to be a better man while also repeatedly in the Charlie Brown mode of getting the football yanked from under him. What's a waste to me is I actually think A-M has some of the clearest motivations of anyone ( a lot of this is Rick Hearst's performance but it's in the writing too). The Spaulding presidency drive is pretty clearly the way he thinks he'll finally get the love and respect he's never gotten from his family before (and it's a shame the Bauer side as a mixed bag with a mom that apparently was in and out of rehab as the "good side" wasn't explored more). I think the front half of 1994 still mostly works for A-M but I think more than anything he gets lost in the Alan/Alex over the top recasts with RR's Alan dominating far too much. As much as Reva's sucking up all the oxygen gets blamed for the show's slide, I think it really begins with Alan's return and Alan just being a complete sociopath who's not even a fun villain. It's sort of funny how unceremoniously they dumped Nick just when he was more or less tolerable after keeping him with one foot in the Spaulding fray with no real reason for far too long (Alex actually unconditionally loved him just like she did Alan).

I'm in late April 1992 right after A-M fires Blake after Eleni overhears Holly saying that Blake called immigration on Eleni. Right now all the "good" characters are talking about how A-M is the most devious person ever for blackmailing Nadine to hand over the Lewis Oil bid in a contract he was bidding against Billy for. Nadine had leaked to the Inquisitor that Vanessa was the anonymous woman pressing attempted rape charges against a Spaulding client-something A-M actually specifically wouldn't do even though he was in a rivalry with Vanessa. This whole thing seems rather quaint compared to later Spaulding shenanigans. A-M is now legitimately doing sketchy/amoral things, but it's funny how early they had Harley talking about how much he'd changed for the worse over things like being upset that someone had broken into the Foundation's computer that held all the accounts, wearing a suit a lot, or just taking his first job at Spaulding seriously in general. The whole face-off with A-M/Blake/Eleni/Holly was a real powerhouse of good actors. Watching Melina K and Sherry Stringfield square off was fun. A-M definitely was using Blake during this time and is throwing her under the bus, but it's an interesting mirror with Nick who has the DNA test saying he's not Alexandra's son but is taking the Spaulding board seat for his own purposes to find out dirt, etc. The way Nick just keeps using Alexandra's desperation to have a son again seems just as bad as what A-M was doing but the show keeps putting him in the "good category." Alex keeps scheming partly because Nick keeps staying in her orbit and stringing her along. In this plot line I also enjoyed the Roger/A-M confrontations. I do feel like looking ahead a couple of years that they really wasted an opportunity when Roger made A-M the primary fall guy/target in his embezzlement scheme. I think if he'd just scammed Alex there would have been more room to lure A-M over to Roger in one of the many times A-M gets cast aside, and Roger while trying to manipulate A-M also very clearly recognizes his weaknesses/insecurities and largely is speaking the truth. Not that Roger doesn't eventually alienate everyone, but I feel like a period of a true Roger/A-M alliance would've had some interesting potential.

I’m watching AM/Eleni’s airport wedding-poor Frank. I knew the basics of AM tricking Eleni with the prostitute in Paris/Blair calling immigration. I hadn’t realized just how much Blake’s call set it up given that AM’s scheme is elaborate as far as needing a private jet and being an international trip, but given that Alex was with Frank all night one conversation was likely going to blow it all up. Blake/Holly having a nice moment talking about AM then Blake just unapologetically telling Holly she tried to have Eleni deported without even realizing why a normal person might think this was wrong made me chuckle. The SS version of Blake just has zero moral compass.

Maybe the timing was off, but I feel like bringing in Marcy Walker as Mindy might have worked. If nothing else it seems she wouldn’t have been a worse recast and then no Tangie randomly floating around.

“Today the part of Julie Cameletti will be played by Mira Sorvino” were not words I expected to hear in this January 1992 episode.

I was being slightly hyperbolic but not by much. AM comes over with a pile of Foundation phone records because Nick wants them for the Jean Weatherill murder investigation, and also thinks he’s coming for Christmas. He’s surprised the mansion is decorated to the nines and he’s a bit touched and says this all wasn’t necessary and she tells AM it’s not for him but for Nick and makes sure he has the records Nick wants. AM is concerned this could hurt both him and the company and Alex doesn’t care, she just wants to please Nick. Nick shows up only for the records not to bond (on Christmas like what are you doing to this woman Nick) and AM says maybe he should go and Alex is like “Yep sounds good.” He then goes home and Blake has come over and is drunk and he realizes he needs to be clear they’re not going anywhere even though Blake’s obsessed with him. (He’s pretty kind about it.). He then takes off to chase his own obsessive love of Eleni that’s clearly doomed. Just sad all around with the obsessive love. I do like some of the complexity with the AM motives because he definitely is very threatened by Nick by both what it means as far as his place in the family and the company, but his concern for Alex is genuine as well (along with his hurt of being tossed aside).

Watching late December 1991 and I’m pretty stunned Nick/Mindy dragged on for over three more years. I thought I’d get it watching with Kimberly Simms since Nick/Mindy seemed to be going through the motions in 1995 and they acted like Nick lost a great love to the pursuit of Spaulding power, but Mindy/Mallet definitely had far more chemistry. Alex just kicked AM out on Christmas and flat out told him he could never fill the hole a long lost son could for her when Nick still is in denial about his clear parentage. I never watched with LuJack so this all leaves me fairly cold. (Though reading the Beth/LuJack backstory here it’s interesting to me that Mindy immediately falls for a LuJack given the Mindy/Beth consistent overlap of partners. It’s sort of funny Beth’s name doesn’t come up at all with Nick even with Lillian bonding with him.) Lillian just found the lump in her breast-will be interesting to see the Ed/Lillian affair and aftermath.

So many fictitious island nations to choose from. Could do an ATWT crossover and he turns up in Montega.

I figure you have AM “die” getting swept out to sea-maybe leave Lucy pregnant. It’s sad but beats letting all the buildup fizzle with a terrible recast IMO. I’m sure AM would’ve turned up on San Cristobal eventually haha

I tried rewatching some of the Michael Dietz as AM clips and he is so bad. It was a nearly impossible recast but he was so actively bad. They should’ve just had AM swept to sea on the honeymoon yacht trip If they weren’t going to send Lucy/AM off into the sunset. I would’ve rather had the dramatic shakeup of AM believed to be dead than round whatever of internal Spaulding family drama. I was amused at Phillip’s pouting over the tables briefly being turned with AM getting Alan’s praise when AM/Lucy were lost at sea-AM getting reverence from being believed dead would’ve made the A Spaulding stuff mildly more interesting. There’s a lot of 1990 and 1991 missing unfortunately in the vault-especially first half of 1991.

I started when Rick Heart took over as AM in June 1990 (AM was rescued from kidnappers by Roger and literally emerged as a new man haha) not AM’s debut which is several years earlier. It’s also about a week from when Reva drives off the bridge so it’s a decent spot to pick up.

We started watching at basically the exact same time-I was in high school and got drawn into Lucy/Alan Michael after the scene on his yacht over dinner where they hash things out and AM claims he never plans to marry again so she decides to truly move on with Brent. What’s funny is I first went back to watch Lucy/Alan Michael clips out of nostalgia and saw their entire history the first time, but I got into the vault and started watching at Rick Hearst’s debut as a starting point and filling in the gaps of AM’s backstory. It’s jarring because I’m up to the point where AM in late 1991 is sleeping with random women and Blake here and there, and it’s pretty jarring because it’s really the only point I’ve watched where he’s depicted as a playboy or even particularly sexually driven. He has quite the onscreen dry spell since he dated Lucy months without sleeping with her because she wasn’t ready, then Alan stepped into try to win Tangie from AM while AM was literally out buying condoms for their first time so that ends that.

He shows up In 1995 to have AM get Lucy out of danger at Marian’s (without telling AM the full story so really only keeps Lucy safe a week haha) and visits Nick/Susan in the hospital after Susan was attacked by Brent/Marian.

AM initially hired Lucy at Spaulding when they were first dating and she ended up staying on as Alex’s assistant when AM left Spaulding briefly when he blew a bunch of bridges/Alex was obsessed with anointing Nick. Alex kept Lucy on initially to spy on AM but it didn’t really go anywhere. AM found out Alan was out of prison and there was a period pre-Tangie where AM literally was roaming the beach looking like a hobo for weeks when he thought Alan was trying to kill him. Lucy pretty much dropped off the canvas at this point without being seen much at Spaulding until she was left in an emergency and called in AM to help once Nick had peaced out, leading to AM and Lucy agreeing to be strictly business but after their first run of her mooning over him he started to want her when she put up boundaries/started dating Brent.

It’s funny because I had no idea Lucy had that accent when she started since I started watching first run when you picked up. When I watched earlier eps I am not sure I would’ve liked Lucy/AM if I’d seen their first buildup. (While many say Lucy was a Lucy stand-in by the time 1995 rolled around she was an amalgamation of Harley/Blake/Eleni IMO. There was the Harley independence, being AM’s business right hand like Blake with some Eoeni guilelessness thrown in.)

One thing I’ve really noticed watching 1990-1996 GL is how the show basically is entirely about acting from trauma. Basically the “good” characters had at least some familial love they could rely on. (Though it’s funny how even Frank/Harley were abandoned by both parents and the supposed good parenting Buzz did involved basically raising his daughter as a homeless grifter.) I’m curious since I never see it come up with Alex in these 1990/1991 episodes-is the Brandon abuse Alex talks about in the mid to late 90s a retcon to explain Alan’s sociopathy and her protecting Alan even as he repeatedly screws over her nephews she claims to love like sons or was Brandon onscreen depicted as consistently cruel and abusive?

I am up to November 26, 1991. Finally the Daniel St. John story went somewhere-the body of Jean Weatherill was just found in the pool. This really, really dragged. I'm sort of amused by this long con of Suzanne who was just super sketchy for what, 8 months before it was revealed she was working for Roger? Or did it just feel like that long? Her actions from the beginning screamed I AM NOT WHO I SEEM from day one. ("I will work for free! Anything at all I just need THIS job! I am not sus, nope, not at all!"). It's a little alarming for the DA to be this gullible haha I said it upthread, but it's sort of amazing how any attractive woman can pretty easily con Ross. I know he's about to get duped by Blake (in the beginning), which leads to tensions when Dinah dupes him, which leads to more tensions when Amanda dupes him. (Ross got really bailed out IMO by Blake sleeping with Rick because he was really terrible to Blake during the Amanda stuff-he kept gaslighting her that Amanda had no interest in him and that Blake was crazy as Blake was slowly disintegrating with insecurity and would get mad at HER for not trusting him.) Random observation from this time period: it amuses me that Sam and Alan Michael look like siblings when Sam has zero physical resemblance to Phillip. Now that the Daniel St John story is moving forward I will be very happy to see this Nick paternity plot finally move forward (even if I wasn't spoiled could it have ended up any other way really?).

I’m watching Bridget’s first few months in town, and though she spoke about it vaguely I didn’t realize the level of trouble with Elvis and general manipulation of everyone. She was always young mom/runs Company and the boarding house person to me. Then Julie right now is her nice innocent friend being taught how to manipulate Mallet by Bridget-what a difference a few years makes.

I just watched the period where Roger embezzled from the foundation with AM as the patsy and it’s a miracle the IRS let them have a foundation at Spaulding it seems.

Ross was DA at that time and Sam is talking about being a public defender-guessing they were setting up the prosecutor/defense attorney family opponents. It’s funny but I actually had no idea Sam existed because I didn’t start watching until 1995 in its original run. As a random starting point to pick up the early 90s I chose Rick Hearst’s debut as AM and half the episode was a montage of Dylan/Sam making out on the beach and I had no clue who she was because there was only music and no dialogue. It was a wild time to pick up-in short order Roger rescues AM from kidnappers/Reva drives off the bridge/Sam’s paralyzed from jumping out of the car.

I’m up to where they had Sam go to law school so it seemed like that was briefly the plan.

A random thing I’ve noticed watching 1990/91 episodes-they mention all the time that the Bauer and Spaulding residences are next door to one another and I don’t remember this ever once being mentioned in the 1993-1997 rewatch I recently did.

Thank you! I remember liking original recipe Crazy Annie, Phillip/Harley (I had zero history of either but liked their dynamic), Abby’s journey, Danny/Michelle despite really wanting to hate the mob story, Aubrey Dollar’s Marina, and I actually liked the two fathers of the twins twist. I watched B&B first and that show has all the paternity testing-I liked the wrinkle. I feel like there’s other stuff I’m forgetting but there was a lot of dreadful plots with the occasional gem for years. The casting of the younger set late 90s/early 2000s was a highlight. Hayden Panatierre/Brittany Snow/Matthew Bomer (even though his plot was insane)/Tom Pelphrey etc.