Wendy

In short? Nothing. It wasn't even mentioned, IIRC.

No, Justin Gocke (RIP) faded out around 1991 or 1992-ish. Around the time Gina gave birth to Channing III and married Lionel.

That was what I recall reading. And Cassie was never hinted as being CC's. She was his foster daughter that lived with the Capwells for a time, around the time she was assumed dead, but that's it.

Same. CC would have been the Stefano DiMera of SB with his endless spawns coming out of the woodwork. Between Elena (although, history-wise, she made sense!) and drippy Greg, that was enough.

Oh! You're right. (Can't sleep, hence the insanely-timed reply.) I must have blocked that out, but it's returning to me. Yeah. So, that sucked. (As did Warren treating Lionel like s-h-i-t to make it fly. Now I do remember, although I'm fuzzy as to whether Warren apologized for being such a turd to the only man that ever raised and loved him!) I do know the rest I talked about before the cancellation was being hinted at, with CC/Augusta/Warren. (Sort of an inverse Lionel/Sophia/Channing [Brick]). But, yuck.

This makes the show's ending possible story threads come full circle. Just before SB was cancelled, I recall hints the show was throwing out that Warren was not Lionel's son [which would have been ludicrous under John Allen Nelson's version of Warren, who looked and sounded like Nicolas Coster!] and there were threads regarding CC/Augusta. Which would have intensified the Mason/Warren rivalry [started with Cassie] and made the family tree very weird for Mason/Julia [remarried by then!] with Warren as her nephew and Warren as POSSIBLY [as the story was never completed, naturally!] Mason's half brother. Sort of glad the show ended before that dumb mess could happen, as those hints seemed to point that way...

I respectfully disagree. Lane Davies wanted out. I LOVED his Mason most of all, but I really think, for the time, Gordon Thomson did a good job. (Terry Lester was...okay, but he was involved in a lot of wacky hijinx during his brief time, and he looked more like Sophia's son than Pamela's.) I did really like how GT's Mason reacted to Eden's "death" after she fell from that cliff and went after the shrink (same shrink involved with the Julia/Dash mess) at The Oasis. And GT's Mason was all about Julia, which I loved. Even when with Cassie. Had Julia crooked her finger, Mason would have dropped Cassie like a hot potato - which is exactly what happened. LD's Mason and Julia were SCORCHING. It was that version that got me so into them! But LD's Mason always seemed to have a foot in the past with Mary, so I liked that, with GT, Julia was his one and only. And when Eden/Lisa was coming apart, I remember the scene at the Capwell mansion when Eden passionately defended Mason to CC, and even ripped CC for it. It was never explicitly said, but I think, by that time, Eden probably knew Mason understood her plight, both because of Pamela and his own DID with Sonny, etc.

Didn't Brenda sort of bomb with the whole Dante crap last time, though? Not slighting VM, but the writing was so bad, not even she could elevate it. And considering it is still s-h-i-t, for the most part, well... Not gonna lie. I'm shocked that Charles Shaughnessy is joining GH (again, apparently!) in a contract role, but since Days has no use for Shane, a job's a job!

Welcome! And I think this is a very astute observation. Nice to see a new POV. Mason probably had no idea what a healthy romatic relationship before Mary was, so your take seems on the nose. Glad to "see" some new people here!

Yeah, the Dobsons seemed stuck at the point for the show at the time they were locked out by NBC, but time marched on without them, and the characters evolved. Bringing them backwards wouldn't have done any good. Yeah, but that did lead to a great few scenes with CC and Julia, when CC dropped by Julia's beach house and - unusual but nice for CC - he was worried about Mason's behavior and basically implored Julia to help Mason, etc. I recall Julia remarking about "Capwell fits of sincerity" to CC.

The renovation apparently occurred under EP John Conboy. From all I read about him, he was known for doing things like this on his other soaps. (Think he was an EP of Capitol at one point.) I know many missed the original mansion.

By the time Katrina showed up, it was clear the show was on a down swing. I don't recall much reaction about her either negatively or positively. The only memory I have of any visceral reaction was after the Dobsons' plans and a few letters stating how Mason/Julia had already been through enough, they belonged together, leave them alone, etc. She was pretty nondescript to me, too, EXCEPT for what you mentioned regarding Julia and Dash. You were correct that Julia handled them with much more aplomb than I would have. I would have lost my crap and told Katrina to stay out of business that she knows nothing about (since she was not in town when that all went down!). I think Katrina, as a surrogate Capwell, was supposed to be the newer "younger" female, as Kelly once was. But once Eileen Davidson was (mis)cast and much older, there was a hole, so enter Katrina. Still say Carrington Garland should have remained. Then no need for any of this.

I don't think so, but I do recall that Tori was supposed to remind Mason of Mary. I have read over the years that TPTB realized they screwed up in killing Mary, but Harley Kozak did not want to come back, so it seemed like, for a while, they tried to "Mary-ize" (yes, my term!) any woman Mason got close to except Julia. Hell, I remember when the Dobsons returned for Round #2 in the early '90s and their plan was for GT's Mason to become enchanted by the Capwells' German house guest, Katrina, and have her...you guessed it...remind him of Mary. It was in some SOD issue. I guess the audience had well moved on, because it never happened. And thank God. Maria Ellingsen looked like Gordon Thomson's daughter. Of course, Katrina ending up with rapist Dash and defending him to the Capwells did the character no favors.

Maybe simply have Mason realize that, while a part of him would always love Mary and be grateful to her for making him realize he could love and be loved, time has changed him and he was IN LOVE with Julia. (Assuming it would be a back from the dead deal.) I could see Mason at first choosing Mary, but still feel intellectually/emotionally drawn to Julia [M/J had the wit/intellectualism and their profession as lawyers in common to keep them in each other's orbit naturally, not to mention Samantha!], and have to fight to win Julia back. Heck, I could see Julia involved with Michael and Mason having to compete. Then, when Julia and Mason reunited, Mary and Michael could at first just commiserate together, and have things progress from there.

I preferred Mason and Julia by a mile, too. But I didn't hate Mary. I think she and Michael Donnelly may have been interesting to try, especially since they both had the religious backgrounds, with Mary being a former nun and Michael being a former priest. And the fact that both were involved with the respective halves of Mason and Julia, it could have been a jumping off point into their own stories. And Michael, while a good guy, did seem to have a darker streak (see his involvement with Flame, his career as a cop), so there was the possibility of conflict, etc.

What was that song...oh, yeah!

Well, the whole concept changed - from daytime to primetime. Maybe the network didn't like it. Been ages.

The actor playing Johnny just got married.

I hope those kids will be okay!

Maybe, but Mason or not, aunt or not, she didn't have to give Samantha "Eden" as her middle name (when Eden was thought dead), but she did. That was nice. And there were great, heartfelt scenes between the two that I can still remember right after Dash was acquitted of raping Julia, with Eden checking on he, bring Julia and Samantha a bunch of Christmas presents from the Capwellsr. Eden was in her reporter phase then, and I recall her being almost as devastated as Julia. I realize part of that has to do with Eden's own history with rape, but she was also clearly sad for her friend. I think they may have started to be friendly through Cruz and Mason but made their own friendship along the way. The Dobsons talked up Julia with David Raymond in their second tenure. Trouble is? He had all the charisma and personality of dirt. And before the story went south with the rape, the show did have Dash pursuing Julia. I recall, at one point, the show also throwing around Mac Blake (Gina's brother) and Julia. Pre-Mason, there was also Jack, played by Joel Crothers. For good or bad, Julia's best chemistry was always with Mason, no matter the actor, and the audience responded. And it forever will piss me off that Cassie was never exposed in meddling with Julia/Mason. At least Mason dumped her asssss for Julia and she was left to chase her own nephew versus Angela and went nuts. Karma.

Should have named the character something else, though since the show had just came out from under with Eden/"Lisa". Not to mention, Julia and Mason's law office secretary, Lisa DiNapoli. The writers should have picked up a baby names book and branched out.

It wasn't, as far as I know. I do know I read past rumors that EDEN may have had a flirtation with Lionel. I also read (had serendipity with Cruz not happened) that Eden/Warren was being considered. As already stated, early on, I guess the pairing was supposed to be Pearl for Julia, but then she was put in Mason's orbit and voila! Serendipity, part 2.

The Orient Express was basically replaced by The Oasis set, which Mason ran.

Yeah, another vote to NEVER, EVER recast Robin. Robin was also never that interested in hospital politics, so she and Patrick in Cali is fine with me if KMc will not return (and probably won't - at least as a regular! - since her directing career is going well!).