P.J.

I can see Kim thinking to herself---why would I be so emotionally invested in a guy who literally looks like he is the slasher in a slasher film? I think they tried expanding Reva's reach and having her anchor this story, and it doesn't work. I don't think anyone could've really, as Cain is never a compelling figure. It is a hoot seeing a younger Victor Garber though. I'd speculate that Reva and Kyle were popular because the viewers didn't expect Josh back, and they wanted to see Reva happy. Otherwise, I don't get it. He's more controlling than generous. I watched a little of the actress that Long supposedly wanted for the role. She doesn't seem very good. In Texas, she seems to be very similar to Vanessa, and I can't imagine her projecting a more down to earth image.

Ewww....I love MKA, but GL wasted her returns. I do think she sleeps with Ross, or gets darn close. So...against my better judgment, I slid into '86 to find Vanessa confessing to Henry about being pregnant...and it's NOT William Roerick, DAMN IT. It's some damn temp Henry. But then it gets weirder because I'm listening in German, and it's the same voice fooling me.

I don't believe she did. She did sleep with Simon, believing he was a Spaulding.

Well, depending on rewrites...Jennifer Richards potentially slept with Brandon and Alan. It does feel like we're forgetting someone, but then again, maybe I'm confusing that with brothers, which would include a lot more.

shoot...he said in that Locher room with Krista. I think he met her before that---she was doing Broadway and they had mutual friends or an agent maybe?

That's an odd coincidence. Yeah, Roger would turn anything he could to his advantage. At the time, he's just taking the pictures to bank leverage over Reva, Billy or the Lewises. I'm kinda squeamish about 1986 episodes myself. I'd love to hear the original version of Ross/Vanessa/Dinah, but the Cain story is bad, and I don't want Billy and Vanessa to break up.

Well, Josh was a horndog. LOL Yep. It was one of the first really weird things Reva did with her PPD. She became obsessed with the idea that Dylan and Sam should get married. Sam was only 17, and needed her parent's permission. Reva helped them leave town so they could go to a neighboring state where Sam was old enough. Ross, Billy and Josh stopped them, then Sam went to India to try and persaude Justin. Reva followed her and didn't tell Josh she was going. While Reva was gone, Josh advertised for nannies, and Harley applied. He ended up hiring someone else. But when Reva returned, she hired Harley because (in her weird mental state) she wanted someone she could trust with the kids (because she feared Josh was trying to get rid of her and that Vanessa wanted the children.). After Reva starts treatment, she asks Harley to stay until she's stronger because she's good with the kids. At the party, Reva starts going off the rails, insulting Justin and Josh hauls her to a private dining room to ask WTF. Reva starts confronting him about the "affair" with Vanessa, and he realizes she is weird. He locks her in the dining room and frees Mindy and Van from the ladies room (where Reva has locked them in). Van starts telling him that Reva attacked her and needs help. Reva escapes out the window of the dining room and goes back to the party, climbs onto a table and starts a striptease. Josh gets her to stop, takes her home and after filling Ed in, decides to go to the doctor the next day. Reva then takes off and spends days running around town, coming on to a guy she thinks is Billy, Billy, Hamp, Frank and Roger. Roger takes her to his apartment and takes nude pictures of her, which he tries to blackmail Billy with. He wants the deed to the land the Towers is on in exchange for them. (Billy had been left the deed by a sweet old lady who lost her home in the 5th street fire. Roger had stolen the deed from her before she died. After Roger took those pics of Reva, she saw him hide them, and took an envelope from the hiding place. She didn't realize she'd taken the deed and not the pictures.) Anyway, Billy and Vanessa trick Roger into burning the pictures, claim the deed and at the Towers opening reveal that Billy owns the land and therefore the Towers. That's what led to Roger and Alex's breakup and Roger and Mindy's affair. Mark Lewis was on ATWT? 1986 is not a good year, storywise. No bueno. Muy no bueno.

I'm not sure if the boy Carrie 2 seduced (I think his name was Ron) was still in high school or in college, but I remember he was very shy. I don't recall her making a pass at Alan, but she did make one at Justin, and she ended up banging Josh. I think there was an out of town business man too. Reva thought Josh and Vanessa were having an affair. Vanessa had just been fired by Roger, and when Reva took off to India, Van started helping Josh with the children. He then hired Van to work at Lewis. She would hear him on a business call with Van and think they were arranging a tryst. Or they sat too close together on the couch, so of course they were hiding an affair from her. It was very weird and blew up really quick. It culminated at the party Reva was throwing at the club to introduce Dylan to Justin. Reva imagined everyone whispering about her and then she dumped a tray of drinks on Vanessa. When Vanessa hauled her into the ladies room to ask WTF, Reva accuses them of having an affair, asks if Van's pregnant, and then knocks her to the floor. I do think Claire had a tumor. I know around Valentine's day, Claire is making passes at a young businessman (or maybe even someone college age), and Ross (Van kinda pushed her at him because she's not keen on Calla). There's also a young intern played by Burke Moses that I think she sleeps with.

Don't forget Carrie, who as Carrie2 was screwing everything in pants, and PPD Reva, who to either get back at Josh for his supposed affair with Vanessa (or just to prove she's more desirable than Van) tries to screw half the male population.

Elements of it were silly, but it was a small price to pay to get Zas back. I should say there's a difference between in town and out of town returns. It's understandable for Roger to skulk around town in a bad wig and clown suit when he's in Springfield and running the risk of bumping in to people he knows. Taking us out of town to find someone always has a short shelf life. Then it usually becomes about another character knowing X is alive but determined to keep them out of Springfield. Like Alan discovering Amish Reva. I don't know how long it went on, but it was probably twice as long as necessary.

Right? Vanessa had a ball gown for every occasion.

I'm pretty sure he was. But point taken. GL really had a thing for masked and costumed balls/parties in the '80's. Everyone looks fabulous, but those poor costume designers.

Eh...but neither had been in town. Know the name Roger Thorpe? Sure. But Alex would have gone crazy trying to memorize all of Alan's co-conspirators/lovers/wives and Fletch didn't even know Roger/Adam was on the island, IIRC. But who knew or should've known each other is always a little dicey when people come back to town.

I think all the suits are fit too tight, except for Jon Lindstrom's. DC lawyers/doctors are not all LA fashion elites. Yes, maybe Tomas would have a more modern cut to his suit, but an established guy like Bill wouldn't go around looking like that lonely button on his jacket was ready to explode constantly.

I do agree it's better to just have people pop back into town. I never understood why Roger needed a mask on an island, when neither Fletcher or Alex would've known who he was. And the vine...sigh. Couldn't he have just been sent crashing through a window or something?

Tamara Tunie reading that damn letter is exactly why I wish this show had more experienced actors.

I was completely lost. But it is wonderful that it exists. I didn't really know Robert Mandan had done soaps...well, besides SOAP.

OMG...Robert Mandan! And Donna Mills is a child. I keep hoping for more of early Ross/Vanessa.

I'm not sure it's as unpopular as you think. I just think the show knew they were in a bind, and needed a proven couple for the viewers to invest in. Trying to reunite Vanessa and Ross had just failed in 87. I don't think Ed and Holly's affair was well received, as Simon and Garrett had a brother/sister chemistry. Enter Billy and Vanessa, who give you history and an out not to try and do a Josh/Reva/Billy triangle, which would've really wrecked the relationship between Josh and Billy. I'd have been ok with trying Vanessa/Ross again, and doing a Vanessa/Ross/Holly/Billy quad for a while. I hated Nadine. HATED. She had to be the most insufferable also-ran before ATWT's Julia Lindsay. This is where I wish I knew Roger's history better.

Wasn't there a break in Zaslow's first run? I thought Roger was off-screen for a while, and when Zas came back, Roger was hiding at the boarding house and Nola figured out there was something hinkey about him. I'm pretty sure Simon chose to leave the first time and was replaced by RVV. I don't want to assume Jordan's issues played a role in his first departure, but Maeve said in an interview that at some point, it became very hard for her to work with him and she asked to work with him less. That seems to fit 1986, where suddenly Vanessa is essentially Ross' law clerk and not at every Lewis family moment.

I don't know how you want to count Maeve. She "retired" in '00, but would come back for appearances. I don't know however if she made an appearance in '01 or '03. In '02 I believe she came back for Josh and Reva's wedding. I assume she came back when Gina Tognoni took over the role of Dinah. And I know she was back for Ross' memorial service. Maureen Garrett was around until at least '00. I don't think Holly was in town when Ben returned though. I just got pissed off about Jerry all over again.

There was the one appearance in '96, but otherwise, that's correct as far as I know.

Jordan was gone from '87 to mid-'89. He left just weeks after Robert's late '86 return.

Well, they usually weren't on the show at the time for long until the late 90's. But yeah, they really deserved a story centered on them, and not through the lens of Reva.

I would be fascinated to see the GL episode counts from that time, if they existed. Six years seems like a long time, but Reva was front burner 24/7. I don't see how she could've done episodic tv. The only breaks she really got were her maternity leaves. And it's not like even the late '90's when there were shows shooting in NY (well, mostly L&O). Jordan and Robert have the best brother chemistry.