Khan

I love that you called him "Steve Burton" and not "Harris," because, let's face it, Burton isn't strong enough as an actor to play anything other than a version of himself, lol. And it totally sucks that they didn't devote the entire episode to Marlena and John.

In a sense, JZ and Bobbie were a lot like Emily McLaughlin and Jessie Brewer. To many, both actors and characters represented a sort of compass for the rest of GH to follow.

IIRC, when Marland first went to work at GH, the plan was for David and Lesley to have an affair. Marland told the network Lesley wouldn't cheat on Rick with his old buddy. ABCD challenged him to come up with something better, so he wrote the David/Laura affair instead. Also, IIRC, David lost his wife and child in the hurricane, but I always wondered whether new story could be spun from that plot point. Like, what if they hadn't died in the hurricane? What if his wife and kid had lived, and his son (I think it was a son) showed up years later in PC?

Although I'm happy to see Constance McCashin has found a more fulfilling career in therapy, I must confess that I miss seeing her on TV. At the very least, she'd be doing stellar work as an NCIS director in one of their franchises.

That would be FANTASTIC if they did! I must confess that, aside from what Rita Lakin wrote, THE DOCTORS disappointed me. Even Douglas Marland couldn't seem to write strong, memorable stuff for the show.

I thought Jennifer Ferrin was great as Jennifer. Even when the writing stunk, which it did more often than it didn't, she still managed to turn in some fantastic performances. I wonder what Harry Zittel is doing these days. Is he still in the business?

If Valene's novel, "Capricorn Crude," didn't threaten the Ewings' personal fortunes, then Sue Ellen's movie wouldn't have either.

I haven't seen this episode. Was it devoted totally to Marlena, or were other characters/stories featured? I think I would have written a simple celebration for just Marlena, John and whatever kids and grandkids are floating around Salem atm. No other characters or stories would be featured; just Doc and her loved ones maybe having a private party and providing opportunities for Marlena to reflect upon her many adventures via flashbacks (and yes, those flashbacks would have both Wayne Northrop and Josh Taylor as Roman, because, come on, we're not idiots, lol).

I really thought Cynthia Preston was going to set GH on fire as Faith. She was so bold and unpredictable, exactly the kind of character you'd need on a soap to keep things percolating. I wonder what happened BTS to cause her to be killed off so relatively soon.

Didn't he portray Adam as a child? Harry Zittel?

I agree!

Another strange storyline from the Bell days had to be the saga of Vanessa Prentiss and her veiled face. I'll bet that was something soap fans back then weren't used to seeing, lol. Unfortunately, I think Vanessa's choice of cover undercut the suspense a bit. The storyline called for a Hannibal Lecter-type mask. Instead, Y&R fans got a salute to "I Dream of Jeannie," lol.

Definitely Brad Carlton in a cage. Someone was thirsty as hell when they wrote that one, lol.

Actually, @j swift, I kind of agree with you. I can't recall the last time DAYS was relatable in any sense - and chances are, even if DAYS were to make an honest return to the kind of simple, character-driven storytelling it used to be known for, the writing just wouldn't be there. Therefore, I've learned to accept the show for what it is. Big, honking, offensive flaws and all, lol.

???

IOW, you'd fire Ron Carlivati, lol.

I'm sorry, but this is 2023, and unless Hope is suffering from a brain virus, having her fall for the guy who once terrorized her is socially and morally irresponsible.

I, myself, would have John afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease. Naturally, the big twist here would be that, at first, everyone assumes that John's symptoms are signs that he's going back into "mercenary mode." It's only after Doc has him undergo a battery of tests that everyone learns the sad and painful truth.

Should I feel bad that I have no memory of this hookup whatsoever, lol?

Even if it all did take place in one room, with Kayla as the doctor, it still could be good, if the writing and acting are there. Corday, Sony and "The Cock" would just need to commit to telling a story that wasn't about resurrections, brainwashes, demonic possessions or drugged baked goods.

Thank you for mentioning that, @Vee. I thought I was misremembering, lol. Clearly, Ron loves the idea of running gags. However, his gags are hardly ever funny; and the more others seem to resist them, the harder he seems to push them, because he's convinced you're going to love 'em if it's the very last thing you do. It's torture.

I agree, on both counts, lol.

That's always the trouble with Sonny. His relationships - with Nina, with Connie/Kate, with Olivia, with Carly, with everyone except Lily (who died before she became really boring) and, of course, Brenda - start off great, but they devolve into nothing. As a matter of fact, I'm looking on soapcentral.com at the list of all his paramours and some of them I just plain don't remember. (Who da fuq was Hannah, lol?)

When I was a kid, I used to watch "National Lampoon's Class Reunion" all the time on HBO, which my old apartment complex carried for free. "Class Reunion" was a dreadful movie, but it was saved by a number of performances, including Jackie Zeman's.