P.J.

I could understand Alex being attracted to Roger, to a point. And it seems to be a pattern for Alex, being attracted to users like Roger, Warren and Eric. But it got very uncomfortable, watching everyone in her life try and warn her and her ignoring them because Roger was apparently that and a bag of chips in bed. Was there really a serious love interest for Alex? Fletch and Alex might've worked, had Jay been an actor with more gravitas. As it was, it was sort of like pairing Bette Davis with Jim Nabors.

Well, Bev and Michael didn't let it show onscreen. Whether it was just a personality thing or not, I wouldn't blame Bev for not liking the Alex/Roger storyline. I can't imagine Bev liked the idea of Alex being led into so many bad life choices. As for liking the story with Fletch... it was probably a change of pace for her. I guess that's a reason to like it. :)

No, I cringed through Oakdale Confidential, that was bad enough.

I suppose I sound so dour. lol I think GL always did family relationships better anyway. I suppose the cast turnover has something to do with it--Reva was always so busy chasing men she didn't have time to develop friendships. oh, Ditto. On rewatch, Judi Evans is at times so sweet and pure it makes my teeth ache. I suppose Beth Chamberlain was happier playing a more complicated woman, but her Beth rarely had any self-respect, imo. Which would've been fine, if any writer had ever leaned into it and linked it back to growing up with an abusive stepfather. (which they may have actually tried at one point, I forget) But all I remember is her Beth jumping from man to man, more and more desperate.

The thing about gatherings is that "everyone" usually ends up invited. Josh and Rick probably never had a conversation that wasn't centered on some medical emergency. (This reminds me, when Josh saved Mindy from Will, who had forced her to take an overdose, it was Rick who saved her, but I digress...) Ditto: Vanessa and Reva. Other than Abigail, I can't think of anyone I'd consider Reva's friend. (Ex-husbands and sisters notwithstanding) Beth really has become unlikeable. Ironic that she's throwing the same shade at Cassie that Harley and Vanessa threw at her.

I don't think the writers really cared about the names of secondary characters like cops and secretaries.

ugh...Jenna. Van being her friend is so ugh. Van never would've given that woman the time of day, back in the day. I love Lisa. RME...The show worked triple time to convince us Reva could love that creep.

a lot of mid-89 to mid-'93 is up. I wish at the end, Van and Nola had had a real conversation, and said how much they missed Henry. Surely two minutes of Reva endlessly yapping at Jeff's pic could've been cut for Lisableepin'Brown --one of GL's most memorable actresses. I can't watch Nola's return--it's just too sad. And he-who-shall-not-be-named stinks up the joint.

I think her appearances lasted less than a year. She came to town and around Christmas '98, it was revealed that she had been the one who ran over and killed her husband Bert. (Brad had taken the blame and gone to jail, that was the source of Jack and Brad's estrangement.) Then I remember her living with Brad and Carly after they married, and Carly paying off some IRS debt for her. (around May'99). I doubt she was seen after August, as that was when Brad busted Carly and she lost the $50 million. He left town shortly thereafter and Loprieno was fired.

I'm not sure Perrine was ever a regular, but the revolving door or Brads in '98-'99 didn't help the situation. It would've been nice if Dolores had ever checked in on her kids---Jack used to get shot/injured once a year.

Who has time to jet back when they're sleeping with everything in pants?

Oh, I understand. I remember desperately trying to watch it in those later years and just couldn't sit through an entire episode. The only reason I watch what I do of the later stuff is for Vanessa/Billy and Bill (with his parents, mostly, and Lizzie, here and there.) If it weren't for Vanessa and Billy's wedding, I don't think I'd rewatch the ending at all. I think TP returned because he was grateful for the experience and boost GL had given him. I think a lot of the actors did that. It just so happened that he fit into two arcs---Reva's and Lizzie's.

The only time I remember them mentioning Dolores after she left was when Jack had amnesia. Carly tricked him into going back to Montana, saying that his mother was sick and wanted to see him. Holden later told JuliaII that Dolores and Brad lived in Florida (I think). I don't recall them mentioning her at all when Brad died. I don't think Dolores was a grifter like Iris (Gwen's mother), just kind of a slut and dependent on men. I did hear of her passing. I watched a short film on her not too many years ago about her struggle with Parkinson's. She seemed like a lovely woman.

More like an invasion, but I digress.

Well, I may have exaggerated a bit. But you had Richard, Cassie, Edmund, Olivia, Colonel Dax ( you'll know him as OLTL's Carlo Hesser), Beth down there. Reva and Josh must be there a bit. Phillip would drop by, I think the Santos bum down there now and then...it's honestly ridiculous. But it's been forever since I watched any of it. There was a big common area, and a patio setting that I recall, but there must've also been bedrooms. At some point Richard steps down and moves to Springfield, but it's not long after that he dies.

You're probably right. With half the cast semi-permanentlly based in ChristoHell for the next three years there's little chance of them dropping by Meals and Wheels for breakfast.

Wired For Sound and Company were completely separate entities. The only thing they had in common was that Tony ran them both. Vanessa owned Wired For Sound. If it had been Company, she probably would have torched it herself to try and get rid of the Reardons. At the time, she was mean enough to do it--or at least threaten to.

There were times (even before the Gus years) when Harley got dour, shrill and bordering on self-righteous. God knows that dealing with the Spauldings and Beth, Harley had her reasons, but it got on people's nerves. I liked Hayley very much on ATWT. Her big story was a bulimia story that she was very good in. Some found her "too perky", but she was teen/young adult, so it worked for me. I think when she was filling in as Harley, they used her sparingly until Beth Ehlers returned. I couldn't tell you exactly how long she was in the role. But I think she either had filled in before this, or filled in again after. I can't be sure, but I think Jay saw the writing on the wall. Other than Maeve, Fletcher had never really had a successful romance (and I'd argue his with Maeve wasn't all that thrilling). While I can't really recall it, it doesn't sound like the writers were that committed to his romance with Holly either. It might've developed into something more if Michael had still been in the role of Roger, but once he was fired, the writers didn't seem to know what to do with Holly.

and that reminds me...I hated Fletcher and his nicknames for characters.

I remember that too @Khan While I liked Hayley, I don't think she would've worked long term as Harley. But for short bursts, she's able to carry story. I don't think Hayley ever did more soap work after ATWT.

As I recall, Beth had a medical emergency with her pregnancy and was out for a while. Hayley Sparks had been on ATWT in the role of Courtney Baxter Dixon.

Well, viewed by itself, I understand your reaction. It's really more of a finale week. The reason Dinah only had a cameo was that Gina left before shooting ended. I have my issues with the ending (too much focus on insignificant characters, etc), but it was more cohesive (imo) than it had been in years.

Lots of actresses tried that pixie cut. I was glad when it went away. I think you hit the nail on the head. Frank was the "normal" Cooper, sort of the plastic peanuts that kept Buzz and Harley (and Nadine before she was whacked) from grating together too much. I can't recall a story ever centered on Frank. He had romances, but they mostly seemed like filler, like with Dana (the girl who impersonated Beth and ended up being killed by Chelsea's stalker Rae). It's the reason he's the perfect beard at the end of the show for Natalia and Olivia's back-and-forth romance. I wish TPTB had just once, put Vanessa and Nola in a story where they worked together. I think that would've been a lot of fun to see them reluctantly on the same side of any issue. Reva spread a rumor that Josh had a "social" disease, but that's a bit in the future, after she and Josh broke up, but before she comes back married to HB in May. Vanessa (who by now knew Alan had brought Reva to town) had set Josh up with one of her college friends for a date. The friend avoids Josh's touch, and makes an excuse to leave. I think the friend tells Warren what Reva said...I'm not sure Vanessa knew what Reva had said. I'm not sure I'd call Reva fun....just unencumbered by the need to make her a "heroine" with endless coats of whitewash. (but I'm jaded...lol)

Yeah, in retrospect, Maeve probably got tired of coloring it. Later she goes to her natural gray. I was just glad she let it grow again. That pixie wasn't my favorite look for her.

Granted, we as viewers don't really understand how hard it is to course correct, especially at the beginning, when you don't have a "B" story for a character to lean into if their "A" story isn't working. It still feels very rough, but at some point, they need to make hard decisions on the casting side, imo. And you're right, '89 GL is kind of figuring out who and what was working and what wasn't. And they had the benefit of working with characters that were fully established and in many cases, had been played by the actors for years. Just random question, as long as we're also talking JvD's anniversary...when did Maureen Garrett take over the role of Holly?