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I saw clips from a film with actress Elizabeth Roberts. She looked very familiar, but I couldn’t place her until I checked IMDB. She had played Marge Bernardi, the widow of the officer Sani had killed. I remember that story was one of the last times daytime shocked me. I remember Stefano summoning Bernardi to meet with him. Stefano had just learned that Kate had been carrying on with Rafe. In the story, I believe Rafe had been in a coma after a struggle with the criminal who had raped Nick in prison and had held a pregnant Gabi captive. I remember thinking Stefano was going to order a hit on Rafe but instead he told Bernardi to “to cut it off.” I remember loving that twist because I could wait for EJ to learn that Sami actually killed Bernardi because he was going to cut off Rafe’s junk. Obviously, Sami didn’t know Bernardi’s actual intention, but I wanted EJ to stew over that. Unfortunately, that never transpired. I remember feeling that story was wrapped up quick. Some never seen nurse had actually killed Bernardi. It was clear that there was another angle they were going to explore because they had a random scene of a woman cutting up in the square while Sami chased Bernardi around. Originally, the casting call was for a juggler. I suspect that video was suppose to come into play at some point, but it never did. I wonder hoW much Joe Mascolo’s health played in those 2013 storylines. Stefano, I believe, was the only one who knew about Bernardi’s original intentions. I also remember the nurse reveal was very quick compared to usual big reveals of the time. Around the same time, I remember speculating that the Jordan storyline was originally suppose to be a Kate / Stefano story where Stefano was going to conspire with Kate to keep Rafe / Jordan apart before Kate decided she preferred Stefano as the Jordan story was incredibly thin. Also, the casting call for Clyde was originally for a character on a six month contract. Clyde felt like a Stefano placeholder. Granted, I think Blake Berris received a similar contract before it was renewed. I think Jordan and Nick might have been an interesting pair. I definitely felt there is a bit of current story to mine from that plot. I remember thinking that one day Bernardi’s son would return to Salem to get revenge against Sami and become involved with Allie. Not that would happen now, but that’s what I remember thinking when the story was originally playing out.

Things like this are why I struggle with the idea that MarDar was this trailblazing team who had corporate interference ruin their stories. This stuff with Johnny was from November sweeps basically month 2 that they were working off their own story. The problem was Johnny missing was a catalyst for Sami and EJ to have sex so that Will could catch them and we can replay all of that story from the 1990s. Will catching them was all that mattered. That’s why the follow to the actual shooting/Johnny being missing didn’t matter. It was just sloppy storytelling. Also, we never learned who shot up the pub. You knew it would have been a disgruntled cop but playing the beat of this person being caught was something that would have resolved some issues. in my opinion, MarDar’s struggle came from a failure to understand how to play story beats in order to flesh out something from a situation to a story. Then may have known how to start and end, but the day to day stuff was painful even from the beginning. I blame this from years of working with Reilly who could stretch a moment to no end. Also, they underwrote a lot of things. After spending nearly 3 years no longer being the show that overused flashbacks, there were constant flashbacks again. People can criticize Tomlin and Whitsell, but they knew how to tell a story that played beats, utilize emotion, and had payoff. It didn’t hurt that the script team had a very P&G feel. I think the first year or so of their return was amazing because there was an investment in outcomes and the show had a ripple effect. There were definite misfires (Jordan Ridgeway, the Elephant statue), but the strong was strong ( Nicole/Eric, Kristen/Brady, Sonny/Will/Gabi/Nick).

I’m nearly positive the Ian McAllister stuff being Santo’s son was revealed in late August after MarDar had left the building. Ian had survived the explosion, but was devastated that Madison was not as lucky. I remember Ian revealed his mother was the Dimera family maid and that he believed Sanyo was his father. I think they had realized Ian was Stefano’s killer and tracked him down. This was during his final showdown with I believe E.J. during the same set of scenes where he revealed Stefano was alive and being held captive. Was there more to this prior? Also, wasn’t there some sort of Twitter drama with some soap blogger type (maybe Janey Giddins) where the person stated MarDar’s stories were still continuing (referring to the after effect of the explosion) and McPhearson threatened legal action or something else extreme. I feel like this all played out on Twitter. If I remember correctly, Mascolo quickly departed again in August/September, but that I might be misremembering. Also, I sorta recall them trying to put Ian into a bunch of little situations. I believe he invested in Common Grounds with Sonny. Also, and this I may be completely misremembering, but wasn’t Ian looking to use the waterfront for his business interests reviving manufacturing in Salem which had been one of E.J.’s campaign promises.

I was a lapsed viewer who had come back in the fall of 2008 when they started the baby switch. Watching day to day, the show didn’t feel dark at the time in 2011 because it had been (to varying degrees of success) tried to move away from the camp it had come to be known for in the past decade. In hindsight, I can see now 2011 was a dark year. Chloe’s stint as a prostitute had come after a bout of post partum depression mixed with an ongoing custody battle with (an offscreen) Phillip regarding custody of Parker. Chloe, as I recall, stumbled into prostitution. She went to bed with Quinn and he paid her. When she realized the money she could make, Chloe made the choice to enter. During the Parker paternity secret, Nathan Horton alluded to the fact that he thought Chloe could possibly be addicted to sex. The affair with Daniel during her relationship with Lucas was purely physical in the beginning. I didn’t mind the prostitution story because the trajectory Chloe had been on, but I don’t think it was as well plotted as it could have. Add in the addition of teenage Kinsey thinking prostitution would be a fun way to make some cash and a serial killer offing prostitutes and it only got bleaker. Similarly, Carly’s drug addiction seemed to be a continuation of the road that Carly had been on for the past year and a half. Her marriage to Lawrence had been at the very least emotionally abusive and, if they hadn’t already, Bo and Carly were ending their relationship because Bo had rekindled his feelings for Hope when he helped her escape from prison. Also, it was clear from early on in Carly’s return that her better match was Daniel, her child’s father, who was now interested in Carly’s friend Jennifer. Carly’s personal life wasn’t in a good place. If I remember correctly, the breaking point for Carly was dealing with the death of a young male patient and then dealing with the revelation that Vivian was in contact with her son, Nicholas, who proceeded to hang up with her when she tried to talk to him. My issue with the addiction stuff was it didn’t really go anywhere. Abigail learned her secret early on, but Carly was able to keep her quiet. There seemed to be some setup for Carly’s negligence to lead to serious injury with Brady after he had been conked on the head, but that seemed to be hinted at but never followed through. The problem with Marlene McPhearson and Darrell Ray Thomas was they dumped everything. Core cast and story, but also significant shift in sets and the elimination of supporting characters. Java Cafe and Cheatin’ Heart were both dumped in favor of Common Grounds. The hospital seemed to be used less. Lots of scene were in the square. Also, Higley and Whitsell had a group of recurring characters (Tad, Kinsey, Fr. Matt, Maxine, Justin, Adrienne) who were barely used or not used at all. It was too much of a shift. The week of the Horton Town Square was the week of the returns as well as the week after “All My Children” had concluded. Viewers who tuned in were treated to returning faces but basically no stories. The only major thread that was carried over was Daniel and Jennifer’s relationship. Everything else as I recall was just starting which made things very slow. Quinn came back for a single cycle and left in February 2012 to be with Taylor. I don’t remember if it was ever made clear what the purpose of his return was. I know he operated the spa in the square which was suppose to act as a retail space for the cosmetic wars, but I don’t remember if they chemistry tested him with anyone. Part of the problem is “Days” was able survive the cast purge of 2008-2009 because the stories were relatively stable. Major characters were being written out, but, for the most part, their stories had already been minimized so the impact wasn’t as big. The people who were really front burner during the purge were Marlena and John and there were enough other stories going that the loss didn’t feel as glaring in terms of story canvas as it would have in 2011 when basically every single front burner story was concluded without some sort of natural progression that shifted characters in directions based on the immediate aftermath of the previous stories. By comparison, when Tomlin and Whitsell came back as headwriters, the new stories were more built out of the old ones. Nicole’s pregnancy with her relationship with Daniel while Rafe claimed to be the father led to Jennifer, still grieving Jack, to worry about Nicole taking advantage of Daniel leading to Nicole’s fall in the Horton Town Center, which led to Nicole going to work at the church with Eric. Gabi’s scheme involving Andrew her fake stalker led to Chad going to Melanie and Gabi sleeping with Will before connecting with Nick while they both worked at Brady pub. There was still some sloppiness (Kristen’s initial reintroduction was haphazard) but the stories gelled by December.

Johnny Forbes was always set to die. In Nixon's bible for "Loving," the telelfilm is mentioned, but the story is not outlined. The story synopsis picks up with the daytime episodes. With that said, characters are described discussing some of the events of the film. Originally, Johnny was set to commit suicide after it was discovered that he was the one behind the prostitution ring. The scandal surrounding Johnny's demise was briefly addressed by Roger on a newsbroadcast and then it seemed to fade into the background. Marland did the incest storyline opposite the serial killer storyline on "New Day in Eden" around the same time. It creates a very dark story landscape. I don't think that really worked for what the early tone of "Loving." With that said, it makes an interesting point; the story of the telefilm doesn't really fit the general narrative of the daytime show. I would have liked to see the conflict between Merrill the reporter and Mike the cop continue. I think there was a way to do that by leaving Amelia's story a bit more open. If instead she had been arrested, this would have given Mike and Merrill something to spar over if Merrill launched an investigation into Amelia's disappearance while Mike was also investigating the incident. Personally, I would have killed off Patrick Donovan instead of Johnny Forbes, which would have given the Donovans something more intense to play in those opening episodes. Also, if Johnny was alive, I would allow the characters to believe that Johnny helped Amelia escape on his boat, but it would turn out Cabot Alden was the one to help Amelia flee prosecution. This would have left the writers with several stories to begin with: the Donovan family's grief regarding the death of their patriarch, Mike's investigation into both Amelia and Johnny, Merrill and Roger's pursuit of Amelia in order to clear Johnny, Johnny's life as a pariah, and the secret regarding why Cabot Alden was so willing to help Amelia escape town. Instead, there is almost no story at the start. With that said, in this scenario, both Johnny and Amelia would have to be recast.

All this talk of "Second Chances" and "Hotel Malibu" inspired me to revisit the show. I first saw the show when it was first released on DVD several years ago. From what I recall, the show was very dull in the beginning. I didn't recall Justin Lazard's Kevin Cook having much story with Jennifer Lopez's Melinda Lopez after the initial broken engagement story. Watching this again, I think the show made a mistake not marrying the characters off in those early episodes. The culture class between the snobby, blue blood Cooks and the proud, working class Lopezes would have provided the show with some light, character driven domestic drama which would help to balance some of the heaviness of all the broken relationships, the murder mystery, and the return of ex-con Mike Chulak. I don't think Matt Salinger and Connie Selleca were a good pairing. I think the show agreed as I felt they had been preparing to write out Mike midseason. I seemed to remember the show did pick up steam towards the end when they interested John Schneider's character who became both Dianne's business partner and potential love interest. There was some mystery that was introduced in the last couple episodes involving some connection between him and some hometown beauty queen who came into town for the local beauty pageant. I also liked the story involving Megan Follows' Kate falling for Robert Duncan McNeill's character who was tied to an older lady played by Ellen Albertini Dow. McNeill and Dow were relatives of Ray Wise's judge. I think Kate arranged a dog birthday party for Ellen Dow's character who then suddenly disappeared. McNeill's character and Kate had to track the aunt down. I believe Wise had stashed her in a nursing home. What I remember about "Hotel Malibu" was that it was very boring. I was surprised that they resolved Dianne Benedict's story in the premier episode and carried over Kelli McCarthy (Beth from "Passions") character to give Lopez's Melinda a reason to take the job at Hotel Malibu. I don't remember if they even showed Melinda's younger brothers on "Hotel Malibu." When they proceeded to move onto the drama of the Mayfield family, I don't remember much of the story picking up. I don't remember any of the characters or actors gelling. John Dye was miscast as the swarmy villain. Romy Wathall was the only real actress who seemed to spark in the story, which wasn't great. I do remember like Pepe Serna and Joanna Cassidy together, but I don't remember much of their pairing outside of Ellie either having a scare or being diagnosed with cancer.

I did like the initial transformation of Isabelle when Celeste Holms took over the role. The shift was deliberate. Holmes and Mary Ryan Munisteri definitely crafted a more cunning Isabelle who was interested in protecting her family and their legacy now that Cabot wasn't there to do it himself. I found the transition to Addie Walsh particularly jarring when Addie Walsh takes over. The final appearance of Wesley Addy featured a complete about face and had Cabot accusing Isabelle of keeping a secret, something that had not been alluded to at all in any of the other ghostly visits. With that said, even Munisteri was building a little mystery about Isabelle and her hatred of "the Bog," Isabelle's nickname for the Tides. I think if they kept Isabelle as a sort of take charge force of nature who wasn't going to allow anyone or anything hurt her family, I would have been fine with it. By the point, Isabelle is using Gwyn to convince Clay and the whole Tim Sullivan story develops, I don't care anymore. I'm not a huge fan of Pat Barry as Isabelle, but on subsequent rewatches I don't think she is as bad as I once thought. She plays what is written like @Kanesays. Regarding Cabot's death, I believe Jacqueline Babbin purposely deconstructed the Aldens because she wanted a more diverse canvas. Upon arrival, Babbin stated she felt that the show had almost no sense of self and that it was still attempting to imitate "Dynasty." I think Cabot's death was suppose to be an attempt to remove that element. Babbin implied that she and Millee Taggart/Tom King were not always on the same page. King and Taggart were under the impression taht Babbin was planning to replace them and Babbin never seemed incredibly happy with the writing. From what I've seen of 1991, I really enjoy much more so than 1992 or the little of 1990 that has found its way online. Regarding Clay, I've wondered what story was pitched by Walsh in her initial 1992 story bible involving Trisha, Clay, Dinahlee, and Trucker. I suspect whatever was suggested did not account for Beck's maternity leave. Jessica Collins was great, but she constantly got terrible stories. I think the show should have played out Curtis / Clay / Dinahlee longer. @Kane, what I like about your timeline is it would have allowed for the show to play Ava as a spoiler in the Curtis / Dinahlee story. I would have loved to have seen the eye rolls from Trisha and Stacey when realizing that Curtis was involved with both of those women. In terms of Graham, I assume someone in casting liked the actor and kept bringing him back for the cop role until they finally deciding on making Graham a recurring character. I thought Charles Harrison felt very last minute. Even his introduction seemed like they decided to just hire Geoffrey Ewing last minute and make him Angie's new love interest.

Thanks for this. I think the scene from "Search for Tomorrow" is between Laurie and Ida Weston (Vera Allen). It sounds like someone may come in at the end ("Can I get the bags?") and that may be Eunice. I believe Lauri married another man after Scott and died in an automobile accident. Ralph Haywood was Erich's biological father and he appeared in the mid 1970s looking to get custody of Erich. I don't know what happened to Magda Leshinsky, Lauri's mother.

@Kane Very cool blog. It was very interesting to look over. I was glad to see you had Det. Graham's original name (I don't remember if I recalled the other first name being used, but I remember Pat Hingle playing another detective character). I believe I read an article from 1991 about the first AMC/Loving crossover where LeClerc stated he had enjoyed working on "Loving" because of the quicker schedule compared to an hour. He also stated something that made me thing that the "Loving" set was much calmer than the "All My Children" set. Ultimately, I wouldn't be surprised if moving Jeremy to Corinth wasn't a decision made by Haidee Granger, the EP, who took over from Fran Sears. Sears had instigated the Alden U revival over the previous year. It should be noted that Jeremy arrives in October 1992 during a time where Addie Walsh is still credited as headwriter, but it has been suggested that Walsh may in fact have departed much earlier (circa June 1992). Jeremy had only been on a few months when Millee Taggert and Robert Guza arrived. Jeremy had lingered in the initial months post- Carter Jones. There was the unresolved thread involving Ceara. Ceara dies in Corinth in December, and the new writers arrive in January. I think they Guza and Taggert were trying to integrate Jeremy while also testing the waters so he was a little bit of everywhere. I still wonder if Jeremy wasn't originally brought on as a love interest for Trisha as the show had spent a better part of 1992 trying to build a Trucker / Stacey storyline. The only other time Jean LeClerc lead much story was in the early part of Laurie McCarthy and Addie Walsh's run, but that was when LeClerc was playing Gilbert. The end of the Gilbert story is a guilty pleasure of mine. By no means a good story, but the sequences with Ava, Gilbert, and Sandy in the church leading to Alex shooting Gilbert are pretty dramatic and emotionally gripping. On another note... December 1991 episodes have made there way online I really enjoy this period. I wish Mary Ryan Munisteri and Fran Sears had been given a full year.

@Darn Thanks for sharing that video. I think the segments with Stickney are imitating “Generations.”

I believe the cake says the show is celebrating its 25th anniversary so it should be April, 1981.

Could the blonde Judith Hoag with her hair flattened? Burke Moses' Curtis is in the grooms party so I'm wondering if Lotty was in the bridal party. I wonder if the other bridesmaid could be Trisha's school friend who appeared during the "Women of Loving" reunion? I briefly thought it might have been a recast Sherie with a recast Tug in the grooms party, but I don't think that's the case. Thanks @victoria foxton . I didn't realize that Teri Keane was back as Rose at this point. I didn't think she appeared again until late 1990 when her and Ed Bryce's Patrick Donovan were brought in for the holidays. Also, I didn't realize that Jeff's mother was still alive. I just assumed she was dead. I did really enjoy the lengthy Stacey and Jack scenes on the train. I forgot how reunions used to be a big deal and there was build to them. It's a shame that the show struggled to find story for them. The secret of Jeff / Gwyn sleeping together was played for a long time. I wonder if the show ever considered actually pairing Jeff and Gwyn. At least it would have given Gwyn something to do.

I hadn't heard much about this show, but it has recently been revisited by some digital channel over in the UK and was released on DVD. I purchase the DVD set that has both of the show's two seasons included except for two episodes that are considered missing. Set in an apartment building run by a housing association, the series has a eclectic mix of older and younger characters. I'm nine episodes into the first season and the show has already broached the issues of abortion, suicide, and homosexuality among some more light hearted moments. In the premier episode, the audience follows Derek Harding, a retiree who had sold his home, arrived at Rutherford Court with the assistance of his daughter and son-in-law. Harding is the initial access point for the viewer. An older gentleman feeling lonely and isolated, Derek decides he is going to end his life, as well as that of his dog, rather than be a burden to people. Harding chooses to live, but not before feeding his dog sleeping pills leading to the show's initial dramatic moments. After the situation is resolved, Harding starts to fall off, and, in the latest episode, it looks like they are setting up his departure. I enjoyed Harding's romance with Daphne Porter, a retired nurse, who helps him when one of his neighbors reports that he was mistreating the dog. One of the most interesting dynamics is between Marion Finch, a retired shop clerk, and her younger divorcee sister, Sarah Cunningham. Sarah's divorce was preceded by a stint in the mental hospital, which is revealed rather dramatically in a fight between the sisters in the canteen in the common room of the facility. When one of their neighbors goes off the deep end and starts stealing as a cry for help, Sarah decides she is going to live her life and begins spending nights out, which worries Marion. Marion is an overprotective sister acting more as Sarah's mother than her sister. If this was an American soap, I'd expect them to reveal Marion was actually Sarah's mother. The most surprising storyline was the introduction of Trevor Wallace, an attractive single man who lives in Rutherford Court. His pal Mike Gowers is trying to get him to go out on a double date with him, which leads to Trevor asking Tricia Webber, the beautician daughter of the husband and wife who run the complex, to be his escape plan. Trevor and Tricia ended up going to a production of "Annie" and their date ends with Tricia confused about Trevor's feelings. This is only further escalated by the fact that Trevor gently kisses Tricia on her forehead. In the following episodes, we meet Trevor's friend Peter, a hospital porter, who's picture is later discovered in Trevor's wallet by Mike. Mike has made hints about outing Trevor, but nothing has really been brought out into the open yet. Daphne Porter, the crusty former nurse, is one of my favorite characters. She very no-nonsense, but also has a softer side. She is very proud of her work in the nursing field. This is utilized when Julie Dunn, the newly married housewife, has discovered she's pregnant shortly after she and her law clerk husband Richard move into the complex. Rutherford Court has a "no children" policy and the expectation is that the Dunns would either have to move out or Julie will have to terminate the pregnancy. Daphne was very much against abortion shaping her opinion mostly by the fact that she would watch women recovering from abortions next to women trying to conceive. Richard seems to initially be for the abortion before telling Julie its her decision. As of right now, the story is still in process. Most of the other stories are short and light hearted. The group wins some money in some sort of lotto system, but their payout is very very low. Sarah briefly gets back together with her ex-husband, but then she starts a romance with a fellow divorcee Leslie Shepherd. Shepherd's divorce is big news because his future ex-wife will be marrying a local celebrity football player. Mike tends to get into some money making schemes, while Harry and Dora Klein argue over Dora's decision to take a position as a cleaner at the building. In the past, I have struggled with the pacing British soap operas as I found the storytelling moves very quickly, but I've come to appreciate the more frank discussions that this series has to offer. I do think this faster pace works in this more seasonly soaps though I'm aware the long running shows are also popular for a reason. Has anyone else watched this show?

I'm continuing to jump around. *** December 1984 *** I made it to the Murder with Merriment party. I appreciate the set up with Stephanie and Liza. I wish they had stayed in this lane with these two feuding over the television station. Shaffer does well in this material. Both she and Mathis seem to be having fun especially when the gun refuses to go off. I also like the little bit where Lloyd shows up at Stephanie's Christmas party looking for Liza and Stephanie is like "She can have you every other day, but today you're mine." It's a shame that story wasn't played longer. The strongest story I see is Lloyd's realization that TR is his long lost daughter, Rebecca. I really like the build. TR knowing the truth and rejecting Lloyd before Lloyd knows. TR idolizing Chase and Alec, but afraid to tell them the truth because it will involve Lloyd. TR's adoption going through right before the truth comes out so TR feels like she is in the clear when she is in fact not. I am still not sure I got to the point where Lloyd has told Liza and TR, but the scenes with Alec and Chase learning the truth were very strong. Wendy pretending Alec was her secret boyfriend was a nice setup for story once Warren was dead. I think there was potential in that pairing (Alec/Wendy), but I do adore Wendy / Quinn. I did like the bits with Liza and Kentucky trying to find the pilot for the plane. The heart attack stuff wasn't as noteworthy to me because it played opposite the stuff with Lloyd learning that TR was his daughter, which, too me, was more emotionally compelling. Cagney and Suzi planning their wedding is a non-story. The fact that the payroll stuff is just sort of dropped is unfortunate. I did appreciate that ocassionally some construction worker would come to Bigelowe's and treat Cagney like trash. Overall, I found it pretty run of the mill, but I will say that the actual Murder with Merriment party was a stand out. *** September 1985 *** Unintentionally, I ended up watching the last episodes of Paul Avila Mayer and Stephanie Braxton's run. It ended September 26, 1985. Gary Tomlin was credited on Septmeber 27, 1985. I'll be curious to see when things come together. In the batch I watched, mid September til the end of September, I felt the show was very strong. I'm not sure if Tomlin was tweaking the last few weeks or simply Avila Mayer and Braxton got the show together. I have a feeling it may have been a bit of both. There were a lot of great surprises. I found Danny, TR, and Ryder really engaging in their post-circus story where they seem to return to high school and are planning for life after graduation. One thing I noticed is that there was an emphasis on dreams during this time period, which I think was a way to build on the theme of "searching for tomorrow" and what that brings. All the actors have decent chemistry. There is a great bit where TR suspects Ryder is interested in Mrs. Webster, his guidance counselor, and she and Danny play out the scenario of how TR imagines the meeting between Webster and Ryder would play out. It allows Jane Krakowski to play a much more flirtatious part which I found interesting and Loprieno is hilarious imitating Adam Storke's tendency to use his hands. It's just fun. It's not super dramatic, but I feel having some light hearted material balances some of the other storylines to create a more cohesive canvas. With that said, I do wonder if the plans were for Webster and Ryder to have a fling becasue even Lloyd comments on the attractive guidance counselor. I imagine this story gets dropped, but maybe it doesn't. I had seen some of these episodes before because I enjoy the interactions with Kate and Suzi where Kate is a low key meddling mother-in-law. Suzi's horror at Kate cutting Jonah's hair was great. I had forgotten that sequence. I think the situation was tense wihtout being melodramatic and I appreciated that. Part of me wishes that Cagney and Suzi had stayed there a bit longer, but I am suspecting that Jo Henderson has been written out around the time Tomlin takes over. Again, I could be wrong. The stuff at Caldwell House with Dave Wilkes and Mel Hibbard is a nice subplot. I love Stu offering Dave the room because it'll anger Hibbard. The stuff with the bank has been set up back in April so I'm impressed with that piece. I think Caldwell House was just a smart move and I am sorry that it goes away. Dragging Adair into it with a fliration with Dave was intriguing. I forget that Adair and Chase aren't really a couple they just tend to have a bunch of scenes together. Robert Brian Wilson's Chase is more cunning and manipulative than I remember Kevin Conroy's Chase being. I do like the rivalry between Chase and Quinn and Wilson plays Chase more like a Curtis Alden type which I don't hate. It's just a very different version of the lovesick character Conroy played, but the writing supports what Wilson is doing. The Wendy / Quinn / Sarah triangle continues to play out. There are times I find Sarah so out of touch with reality, which I believe is suppose to be part of her character. There are times though that its just sooo extreme. I like the idea of an old fashioned, conservative young woman who isn't sure whether to join the nursing program or to be a folk singer. Quinn determined to make her the star based on her style doesn't work for me. Lisa Peluso plays Wendy's frustration well. Sarah is an introverted young woman who would need a knight in shining armor like Quinn. The sequence with Sarah and Quinn at the motel during the flood was nice. Agnes Carrouthers, the multiple divorcee motel owner, was a nice comical character. I like that "Search" during this time creates a lot of conflict from clashing values, which brings us to... The Hogan / Liza / Sunny story is a bit improved from the last set of episodes I watched. I find the idea that eveyone is up in arms about Liza and Hogan because she is an unmarried female business executive involved in an affair a bit of a stretch. With that said, I appreciate an attempt to ground that with Larry Weber's Thomas Collins, the board member determined to see Liza out and Lloyd in. This is basically the story I was suggesting back in those spring episodes. Also, I appreciate that Lloyd claimed he was pushing for the publication of Hogan latest novel "The Passionate Fool" as a book club alternate because Hogan wouldn't be happy in a relationship with a woman who was more successful than him. I find Lloyd very interesting. In 1983, I remember Lloyd being more like this version of the character, but more business oriented rather than as a romantic obstacle. I would be curious to see how any of this would play out with Mathis and Haskell still in the roles. With that said, I wonder how much tweaking is going on because by the end of Tomlin's first episode he seems to be rewriting Sunny's suicide attempt by suggesting that it was staged rather than an actual attempt. Or had this been alluded to since the start? *** February/March 1986 *** The flood. I'm not sure I had seen this long stretch before (I think it was about 8 episodes) involving the flood and the aftermath. It was interesting to see this before I had watched the 1985 episodes that also involved a flood (with Wendy, Sarah, and Quinn). This was definitely exciting. I am not sure though if there was enough fall out from it. Ryder's death was hard to watch. Pinning him during the flood after he had gotten TR to safety was heartbreaking. Watching the kid suffer for several scenes wasn't fun. The final goodbye scene with Ryder and TR was tough to take. I realize there needed to be casualties. The story wouldn't have stakes, but I am curious how this played out. TR seemed to become very clingy to Lloyd and Estelle and there were hints that Danny might develop a drinking problem, but I am not sure how much any of this developed. The setup of Lloyd moving into the penthouse post-flood has the potential to produce a lot of interesting character driven drama, but I am not sure it does. From what I gather, Liza had a tough February sweeps. She learns she is pregnant, then she is held hostage by Riveria, and then she is involved in the flood in a period of two weeks it sounds like. I didn't realize the Women to Watch stuff ended right at the start of the flood. Hogan's reaction to the pregnancy seems pretty on brand for Hogan at this point. I liked that Jo was concerned about Patty and Hogan's relationship. I don't care for Evie very much. I think Colleen Dion is fine, but the character isn't super compelling. I thought the party after the flood was a nice touch. There needed to be that balance and that celebration that they had survived. The montage to the Beatles song was nice. I also liked the origin story for Liberty House with the candles to help light the way as people searched for shelter. The revelation that the secret owner of Liberty House wanted Jo to run it was intriguing. I wonder what Tomlin had planned as I don't think that was ever really developed. I wish more of the spring / early summer was available in the show's final year. At what point did the USA reruns stop? I believe they started with October 1982, but I cannot remember if they made it to the end. I seem to recall they only went into 1984 or 1985.

Regarding the appearance of wrestlers, it seems typical of the time period. It's a bit more extrmeme than usual, but I wonder if it wasn't meant to be some sort of deal between P&G and USA. Wrestling was airing on USA at the time and "Edge of Night" reruns started airing in August 1985. Timing might be coincidental, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. I'll take wrestlers appearing as themselves than Olympic swimmers playing pivotal roles like Steve Kendall. When Sherry Mathis is in the role, I don't mind Hogan and Liza. I suspect Liza / Hogan was an attempt to keep Sherry Mathis on the show given her contract was up for renewal. In hindsight, Marcia McCabe was criminally underused or misused by most regimes during the NBC run. Sunny's rape and her (initial) romance with Hogan were the highlights of a lot of lame duck stories or untapped potential. Some of the couple writing for Liza and Hogan was very strong, in my opinion, but the writing for Sunny was pretty weak and, at times, offensive. I'm curious to see how my opinion on that changes as I watch more of that period. The circus stuff is Paul Avila Mayer's creative excess at its most extreme (matching the Meritkhara and Prince Albert stories on "Ryan's Hope" in the early 1980s). While I find the trappings annoying, the characterization and relationships between Ryder, TR, and Danny are strong. I appreciate Adam Storke and find his Ryder (pre-circus at least) soulful. He seems like the kind of actor that would have been hired a few years earlier to play Brian Emerson. Bringing back Stu's grandson gave Larry Haines more to do just as the introduction of Michelle Joyce's Sarah Whiting gave Mary Stuart more. As I rewatch bits and pieces from YouTube of the Avila Mayer / Braxton period, I'm remembering that I am often liking the idea of scenes are stories rather than the actual stories as they are executed. The scripts often lacking the eloquence that Avila Mayer was able to produce with Claire Labine at "Ryan's Hope" and they have some solid script writers (Nancy Williams was a P&G staple for years before working for James E. Reilly, I believe). The plotting isn't always as tight as it would be with a different co-headwriter. With all that said, I think this is one of the few periods where I feel the writing for families and friends is stronger than usual for the NBC years, but will acknowledge those relationships may not play out the way people would like them to. This is also one of the few periods I find Suzi and Cagney compelling as a couple on their own. In terms of canvas building, I think the circus stuff was a mistake, but I think it was easy to rectify. I think introducing Caldwell House was a smart move to recenter Jo and Stu in a central set piece where they could interact with people in a way that they had historcially. I think rebuilding the families was important. Off the top of my head, I think Jeanne Glynn only really added to the McCleary and Kendall families during the year or so she was wriitng the show with various writers. I don't think Gary Walton returning would have saved the show without a solid story in place. With that said, if Gary had returned, it would have been interesting to me to see Gary involved with work at the clinic and a possible romance with Selina McCulla. Then, eventually you bring on Laine Adamson with plans to redevelop that part of Henderson which would threaten the existence of the clinic. I think Lee Sentell would have worked better in a triangle with Liza and Sunny even if it required a recast. Also, I wish that more time had been spent setting up Liza and Hogan. Instead of Liza's midlife crisis, I would have used the loose thread of the prototype to result in TI loosing the government contract because they failed to deliver the prototype on schedule. This would have resulted in a huge financial loss for TI which would have pushed an older, conservative (as well as misogynistic) board member to push for her to be removed from her role as president of TI. Lloyd would step in as a co-president to keep the vultures at bay, which would infuriate Liza. On the otherhand, Sunny, who has had no social life, would be winning journalism awards left and right and would be at the peak of her career. As a result, when a jaded Hogan returned to Henderson, he and Liza would find themselves in a similar positions. Once Sunny takes a job away from Henderson (some morning show position in a major market with the potential advance to a network anchor role), Liza and Hogan would get together only for Sunny to return to Henderson after deciding her dreams involve being with Hogan. Lloyd could have even lured her back to town because he wanted Sunny to keep Hogan away from Liza, though Sunny would be unaware of that. What we got instead was deeply problematic. The decision to have Hogan act the way he did from the start was a terrible decision and sets the tone for a lot of the problems down the road.

Entering December 1984... I cannot believe that November sweeps started so strong with the climax of Adair and Chase sleeping together right before Alec's return. It's maddening that Adair leaves for Los Angeles to go visit Hogan less than two weeks later. With that said, Kevin Conroy is very good when he tells Adair that he doesn't love her knowing that Alec is intending to propose to her. Page Hannah needed a little more time in the role and I think she would have been fine. I loved Wendy listening in and that it all took place at the welcome home party Liza through for Alec. The welcome home party was just a great opportunity to allow some interplay between characters. I really enjoyed the tense moment between Wendy and Liza where Liza subtly lets Wendy know that she still blames Wendy for Warren's role in Travis' death. For a show that forgets everything else, I appreciated this. They also managed to remember that Liza had been a model. The lack of follow through continues with Kentucky and Liza. Kentucky pops up at the end of November to help find Tourneur Sentell when he wonders off after the other Kentucky (the dog). I wish there would have been at least some attempt to consider who might kidnap him (is Cord escaped from the institution?) Tourneur's disappearance was a minor crisis in the gist of the story, but it produced a really nice set of scenes for the Kendalls. Upon learning of Tourneur's disappearance, Lloyd becomes determined to see Liza speaking about knowing the loss of a child and how he threw himself into his work because he blamed himself. Later, Alec and Chase recall the day their sister Rebecca disappeared and there is some interesting backstory I didn't know. Apparently, Alec was suppose to stay with Rebecca, but Chase took the blame. Chase seems to have been beating himself up for years and has been protecting Alec all his life only to learn that Alec confessed the truth to Lloyd shortly after the kidnapping. It's a very nice moment for a character who has sacrificed love of a woman for the love of his brother. Wendy and Warren's reunion is nice, but it clearly cannot go anywhere. They believe the man is dead. Unlike the other faked death story the show was telling, Warren cannot just appear and all is well. Michael Corbett and Lisa Peluso are great together, don't get me wrong, but this is a story that couldn't have ended well. Warren's illness was a nice beat, and I do appreciate the little bit where the motel owner thinks Wendy is a prostitute. Given Justine's secret past, I wish they could have found a way to intertwine the two. Maybe Wendy could have legitimately been arrested for prostitution and Justine would have to bail her out. I don't know. I just feel everything is so small and a lot of this feels isolated. The writers have little idea of what to do with Cagney and Suzi. The payroll robbery stuff remains unresolved, the kids furniture business doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and Cagney may or may not have anger issues. I get why they went the cop angle with Cagney, but it would have worked better with Warren still around which is why they went that angle with Brian Emerson previously. So I think I've figured out the Brett Hamilton sex tape story. Brett would lure women into his studio to model for him and then sleep with them while he filmed. This is the tape that I think Warren has. It wasn't a pornographic film. If I'm wrong, someone let me know. Jo and Stu and the Shapiros was a quiet little mystery. The bigger story building with the Murder with Merriment party is a bit heavy handed. The showdown between Justine and Suzi at Bigelowe's doesn't seem to have enough build; everything just seems so small. I do like Justine and Chase and that Justine seems to have Wendy's number. I also cheated and watched some April 1985. I found that period very bizarre. The emotional stakes in the resolution of the Warren Carter plot were much more intense than the show had been producing in November 1984. In the April episodes, Wendy has summoned Cagney to her apartment to convince him to push Suzi to accept an insanity plea while Trisha pops up with the doll that Warren used to torment Suzi. The showdown between Wendy and Cagney over the tape was awesome. Wendy determined to maintain her belief that Warren wasn't the monster he was, but accepting that if she destroyed the tape, she would be destroying Suzi's future. I felt playing that beat, Wendy's POV, would not have been done in the fall and I felt it was a very strong element to the story. Similarly, I really liked Wendy and Suzi's subsequent reconcilliation. Much in how Gary Tomlin was able to recenter away from Travis and Liza, I appreciate that Braxton and Avila Mayer have managed to keep Cagney and Suzi involved, but allowing other character's throughlines to be developed more. The back and forth between Stephanie and Jo over Suzi's wedding plans was something I loved from the first time I saw those episodes and still do. Chase and new Adair are around without much story. It seems like Adair has now chosen Alec who is going off to study medicine at Tufts or some other school. I do like the hint of a rivalry brewing between Chase and Quinn as I feel there was definitely more to develop there. Joe Lambie is still to young for the role of Lloyd. I'm not a huge fan of Liza's "mid-life" crisis. It's a unique stance to take, but I'm not sure if Liza was the right character for this. I wonder if Jeanne Glynn intended for Sailor to be Liza's new love interest. The actor is under contract, but maybe I'm reading too much into Sailor's background (the wealthy man who joined the Merchant Marines) who almost seems like a successor to Kentucky Bluebird. That said, there are some very nice comic moments with Sailor, but also I feel uncomfortable in some of the Sailor / TR scenes. Speaking of oddities, Paul Espel has popped up as Bela wearing what I can only assume is his circus costume, but reads to me more like some back alley hustler. I don't understand how this care ends up lasting to the end. I do like Ryder. He and TR have a sweet connection. TR as the romantic lead makes sense. I know the TR-Ryder stuff devolves into the circus stuff. I do like the class conflict element of the Ryder-TR pairing. The poetry stuff seems a bit of a retread of the Despina stuff a couple years earlier. And Ryder lying alone sick was done in the November episodes I watched. Writing out Cruiser was unfortunate. I do like that we got to see Selina a bit more than I thought we would given that Cruiser has left for a computer programming course. Cagney and Suzi's engagement party is another nice event. The mirror stuff is silly, but I love this version of Kate. A bit controlling, but always loving. Kate recalling her engagement to Matt was nice. I remember really liking the family interactions under Braxton and Avila Mayer. Big getting drunk and offering everyone his spiked punch is a nice running thread. Chase showing up not knowing what was going on was a nice beat to play to show how out of the loop Chase is. Hogan's return was a nice complication, but the interaction between Hogan and Sunny is odd, I get where they are going with this; Sunny has been carrying the torch back home and Hogan seems more jaded by his experiences in African and Hollwood and seems pretty much over Sunny. From a storytelling perspective, there are possibilities, but having watched Sunny on the backburner with no story for months get shunned the minute Hogan returns has to be one of the most depressing moments. At the very least, I wish they could have built up Sunny's career and had her at the peak of her success while Hogan was on a downward slide. Neither period is perfect, but each have their own strengths and weaknesses. I know there is a brief period with Jeanne Glynn writing solo in the winter of 1985 that set up a lot of interesting things, some of which Braxton and Avila Mayer used, and some that they didn't. I'm returning to the winter 1984 episodes (December) but I'm more interested in getting to the 1985 post-Warren stuff.

There are elements of Warren's plot that I had completely forgotten. In my previous watches, I don't think I ever picked up on the thread where Warren set up Brian Emerson on drug charges in D.C. Granted, this all happens off screen with Sunny learning about it over the news wire and Stephanie rushing off to D.C. to help Brian. I wonder if the show was planning on bringing back Brian or if it was just a way to flesh out the story. The finale is weeks away in the material I'm watching (I'm approaching mid-November 1984), but I thought the idea of Suzi killing Warren had the potential for longterm ramifications (Jonah eventually learning Suzi's role in his father's death), but the immediate fallout (like most of this time period) wraps up quickly. In the episodes I'm watching, Warren is continuing to target people, but his main concern is Jonah. There is almost no mention of his loyal wife, Wendy. It's interesting to me that Warren always has a sidekick, but also has vastly different those two were. Ringo was loyal and truly friends with Warren. They had a history together that bonded them as well as genuine affection (at least on Ringo's part). Brett is being blackmailed. The power dynamic is completely different. It definitely can be read as sexual even if it wasn't intended. Warren has always coveted the background and lifestyle that Brett comes from. I would be interested in seeing if Franz and Glynn delve into the pornographic film backstory. I don't really understand why Brett got involvied in a starring role, but I'm not surprised Warren discovered it or that he had used it to get the upper hand with Brett. Chase / Alec definitely have chemistry. I imagine that the Alec / Chase / Adair story was inspired by Arthur / Lancelot / Guinevere with the whole show "Knights of the Turntable," Alec's song "Your Shining Knight," and Alec's whole quest for adventure leading to his presumed death. I'm really excited by the point that Alec returns from the dead while Chase is singing a love song to Adair that Alec has written. It's just really messy in the best way possible. The plot mechanics of Alec's return are sloppy. Alec cannot manage to find a phone, but arrives at the studio looking no different than he did when he left Henderson. Robert Curtis Brown could have at the very least grown a little stubble. It's humorous when Lloyd says that Alec looks so different. I can't tell if this was a failure on production to make Alec look worse for the wear or if they had considered recasting Alec during his death. This episode features the return: The homoeroticism of the Kendall twins is definitely on display. The writers' choice to focus on Alec's feelings about seeing Chase again over seeing Adair was a bizarre choice given the storyline's direction (within episodes Alec intends to propose to Adair). It is Chase who never gave up on Alec and it was Chase who was concerned about Alec's feelings rather than Adair. I would even add the choice to have Justine dance to "The Best of Times" from "La Cage aux Folles" would lead one to think that way. On a sidenote, I miss the days of New York soaps that would make theatre references. Anyway, the look in Alec's eyes for Chase seems more intense than most looks he shares with Adair. There is a later scene where Alec and Chase are talking privately and Alec informs his brother that he is going to take a shower and I half expected Alec to ask Chase if he wanted to join him. Soaps use to be able to do things without being completely campy. @victoria foxton Your point regarding Brett's sexuality reminded me of a little tidbit I came across recently. I mostly know Brett Porter from his appearance on "The Golden Girls" with Tom Villard. Villard had been partners at one point Wayne Hudgins (Beau Spencer, ATWT). I was saddened, but not surprised, to realize that both Villard and Hudgins had died quite young of AIDS. Bringing it back to "Search," I believe the actress who played Cyndy the PA at Channel 6 also died from the disease. I don't care for the Murder with Merriment stuff. I enjoyed it more than I have this viewing than I have in the past, but I wish the lighter material was truly light. I'd prefer more merriment and less murder. Do Victoria or Cord appear after the showdown at the hanger? Does the prototype get completed? All this stuff just seems dropped immediately. I know the show had problems locking down Will Patton, but Kentucky just drops off. With that said, Sherry Mathis' subsequent story seems to be an (aborted?) attempt at a triangle between Stephanie, Lloyd, and Liza. It would have been more interesting with Maree Cheatham, but I do think if the dressed Shaffer less matronly it would have worked. The show is definitely delivering a sweeps. Alec's back from the dead. Warren's return stint is kicking into gear as he is making moves to secure his future with Jonah and possibly Wendy. You have guest stars (Mel Tillis, Rowdy Gaines) even though I question who they are expecting to turn in for these two. A large party with a bunch of different cast members to celebrate Alec's return. The Alec / Chase / Adair stuff remains strong and moves briskly, possibly too briskly. Alec's decision to enter medical school is great, but planning on proposing to Adair seems rather sudden. At least Chase treats it as a sudden move. The sequence with Chase telling Adair that he had slept with her, but didn't love her, while Wendy was listening was great. Lisa Peluso is definitely underutilized at this point, but I know she was pretty busy earlier in the year with all the Warren / Suzi drama. I know its sacrilegious, but I'm not the biggest Cagney and Suzi fan. I like the actors, but I find the pairing forced at points. Leslie Stevens would be better utilized in other stories. I enjoy her more as Adair's pal or a thorn in the side of mother-daughter duo Stephanie and Wendy as Stephanie's secretary and Wendy's roommate. Justine, in some ways, is a replacement for Rhonda Sue Huckaby in terms of being a comic foil for Stephanie and a sort of tagalong in the younger set. I'm looking forward to seeing how Liza's party progresses.

I'm making my way through October 1984 having tried several times without much luck. I've always found the episodes too dark. I still find things rather bleak, but I can appreciate the dialogue and the general sense of character more. People have much richer lives. Jo is still involved in city council and attending college courses even if it isn't driving story. Adair worries about passing her Italian class. Wendy is working at the station but also seems to be dabblin with modeling and Brett Hamilton. Production wise, I like the look of the show. The darker color palate works in context of the time period. I always really enjoy how detailed that Sentell set is. I always am wondering whether the Kendalls have a similar setting. I've seen Chase in a bedroom, but I may not have figured out if it was a hotel room or in a Kendall house. Given the time period, I don't mind "Knights of the Turntable." The concept is silly: two well off fraternal twins launch a music program at some small local TV station where everyone under 21 seems to be really into Mel Tillis. I like the look. I'm also surprised by the amount of location shooting (the fishing trip, Adair/Chase's golf date). I was surprised to see people outside the studio for something that wasn't that remarkable. Ultimately though, being unremarkable, is what I'm noticing in terms of most of the story. While nothing is bad, nothing is long term. I really enjoy Alec Kendall's death, the fighting that results between Chase and Lloyd, and Chase and Adair's romance. I enjoy Kevin Conroy's angsty performance as Chase while he loves Adair, but feels guilty because she is his brother's girl. Page Hannah is a true ingenue, but she struggled with some of the more dramatic material. The problem is any momentum this story gains is immediately going to be hurt by the casting merry-go-round involving all three actors. I also have a soft spot for "We Can't Be Wrong." I think having a Liza operating a company called TI with a ward named TR is a bit silly. Mathis and Patton have good chemistry as Liza and Kentucky, but I find a lot of the overall story bizarre. Is Cord sabotaging the company because he was deprived of his birthright or simply trying to discredit Liza so that he can take over? Martin Vidonic is intense in his performance, but I think a more charismatic actor would have given Cord more legs to stand on. I'm not a fan of the deranged war veteran trope so the climax to the story is a bit too much for me. I do appreciate that it is Liza who talked Cord down. I just don't see where any of this is going. I wish the climax had involved Cord kidnapping TR and the kidnapping bringing all sort of emotions regarding the Rebecca kidnapping which may have brought out more information to forefront for the adoption storyline. I wonder if Franz and Glynn had always planned such a short arc with Cord or just decide to wrap things up. I know Victoria was Hogan's ex so I imagine she was an intended Hogan / Sunny spoiler, but she really just sort of floats around in story limbo. Warren Carter faking his death and blackmailing Brett Hamilton about his pornographic past is something I feel Ralph Ellis and Eugenis Hunt would have done. There is definitely shades of Warren / Ringo in the Warren / Brett relationship. Corbett just has sexual chemistry with everyone so I'm never sure if he wants to have Brett over a barrell metaphorically or literally. Brett Porter isn't bad, but I find the character underwhelming. I'm not the biggest Cagney / Suzi fan, but I'm appreciating Teri Eoff more and more as time goes on. Similarly, I don't like Cagney / Justine, but Leslie Stevens has grown on me. I wish they had kept her in Chase's orbit longer. I wonder if Stevens would have worked better as Adair. The Stu / Jo / murder hotel stuff has started. I'm glad they have something to do, but this isn't my favorite material. Overall, I think my problem is the show feels to small, but too big at the same time. There are a lot of characters, but none of the stories feel big. Franz and Glynn stylistically are very differnet from Tomlin and Lee's era, who seemed to strike a better balance between NBC and P&G. I do like what comes later at the tailend of Glynn/Franz and during Glynn's solo run.

@victoria foxton Thanks for posting about that 1989 episode. I'm not a huge fan of that period. This episode really maintained that belief. I was surprised to see Callan White was still around as Anne. It was a lot to have both Trucker / Clay and Jack / Rick fight in the living room one right after the other. The show is so plot heavy. It would have been better to split the fights over two episodes and had something more character driven in its place. Either Stacey and Trisha having some girl time or something with Kate mothering Ava or even Rocky. There is just a lot happening in 30 minutes that its hard to digest and appreciate it. This seems to be the end of the line for Casey / Ally. There may be another couple episodes, but I can't imagine much more. Watching the end of Casey has been hard given his character's trajectory. Also, watching how nasty Danny Roberts is and how involved in this sequence makes the attempt at a Danny / Ally pairing later even more disgusting. The virtual (implicit) reality stuff with Clay was interesting in terms of exploring Clay's psychology in regards to Gwyn and Steffi, but I do feel like its a bit hokey. I'll be honest, I'm not watching every part of the 1995 episodes (I find them slightly more engaging than the 1988-1989 stuff), but this would seem to be more lead up to the serial killer stuff with all the family photos and the talk of Curtis' release. Angie and Jacob have some nice couple building scenes. Jacob admitting that he had been scamming her before, but now he cared, was nice. Graham being the drug king pin was lackluster. A lot of the cop shop stuff does very little for me.

I don't know much about the promotion, but I would imagine having Rod Arrants and Christine Jones appear on "Another World" in the month leading up to the show's return was part of the promotion. I also would imagine having Rachel and Mac go to Point Claire for a brief stint was meant to bring some of the "Another World" audience to "For Richer, For Poorer." The ratings for "Lovers and Friends" were low. I don't think NBC cared about regaining that audience, but rather hoped that a revamp would bring in a new (larger) audience. The premier of "For Richer, For Poorer" is available at the Paley Center. It is a very plot driven episode. The show jumps right into the action without much recap from what I recall. The show opens with a fakeout. Megan and Bill are reciting their vows, but the camera pulls back and you realize it is only their rehearsal. I don't remember if they even mentioned that Richard Cushing had died from the heart attack he had in the finale of "Lovers and Friends." There was a scene with Connie Ferguson talking to her father Ira about the wedding plans and it was clear that Connie had some news that would disrupt the wedding. I believe it was clear in the show's initial run that Connie was pregnant with Bill/Rhett's child. I'd like to see more of this especially the "Lovers and Friends" run. Rod Arrants was very good with the early version of Austin, the alcoholic screw up who didn't fit in with the posh uptight Cushing clan. I also would have to loved to seen how Flora Plumb played the social climbing Ellie Kimball and her "friendship" with Nancy Marchand's Edith Cushing. And basically anything from either run with Richard Backus playing Jason.

Before CBS cancelled "Search for Tomorrow," it was announced that John Burnett and Millee Taggart were going to be heading the writing team in November 1981. Next month, it was announced that the show was moving to NBC and that Ellis and Hunt would be the headwriters. Jackson Chase is probably one of the two of them.

During May sweeps, Stacey gets a call about J.J. being missing and she runs into Buck who agrees to help her find J.J. They were separated at the time. While they are driving, J.J.’s friend runs out of the woods and they go and find J.J. after he’s tied himself to the train tracks. Buck cuts him off and Stacey is so grateful they have sex in her living room only for Buck to freak out, leave Stacey to go drink at a dive bar, and has sex with Tess. I like most of Nixon’s run, but some parts are bad. *** Most of the family tree stuff is accurate, but Cooper’s father Tyler Alden was Cabot’s nephew, not brother. When Tyler and Cynthia Alden perish in a plane crash in March 1992, there are no living members left of that branch of the family so Cabot’s brother can assumed to be dead. This originated from some FAQ on Usenet which I believe was stored on a fan site for Loving/Guiding Light and some other soap. By the mid 1990s, Jack’s parentage was rarely mentioned and rarely clarified. Jack was adopted by Roger and Ann Forbes. Dane Hammond and Linda Henderson were his biological parents. Shana’s mother was Lillian Sloane and she died several years before Shana arrived in Corinth. I think Isabelle (née Dwyer) was married to Cabot when Clay was conceived, but I could be wrong. Gwyneth’s maiden name was Marshall. Shana had two children: Jimmy, by Jim Vochek, who died with his father in the plane crash and Patricia (by Leo). Trucker and Trisha’s stillborn son was Benjamin. Cabot’s father is Barrett Alden, who had been engaged to marry Kate’s mother, Maggie, before Maggie married Kate’s dad John. Barrett may have had a brother Richard Alden who married Abigail. Abigail haunted 35 Maple Street, supposedly.

Casey dies the first week of June. Once Agnes Nixon steps down as headwriter, the show immediately takes a darker turn. Within their first months of taking over, Laurie McCarthy and Addie Walsh have Casey turning to drugs, Clay run down in a hit and run, Curtis shooting his own mother while hallucinating about Dante, and Ava and Sandy being held captive by Gilbert while his adopted mother (played beautifully by Marian Seldes) reveals the twisted backstory leading to Gilbert's current mental state. This is all just the tail end of 1994. Fans of "Loving" on the old usenet boards always appreciated that the tone was more lighter in the early 1990s. Only when Walsh (and later Harmon Brown and Essensten) did the show have a more serious tone. I don't hate the more dramatic tone, but I do wish it had been balanced with some more lighter material. Danny and Ally were never going to work. I've never seen that seen that scene before, but it's pretty wretched. I almost expected Ally to rip her shirt open and beg Danny to rape her as if she were Marah Lewis. Honestly, this makes me feel less sympathetic towards Danny when Ally later claims Danny raped her. I still think that they should have gone the angle of bringing back Matt Ford as an undercover cop involved in the drug sting, but let the audience think that Matt was back into drugs and that he had dragged Casey into the mess. This way, you could play Matt and Ally post-Casey with Ally having very relateable reasons for blaming Matt while also having a previous pre-established connection. The Jacob / Charles stuff is strong. The psychologist stuff stands out because everything else is pretty good. Carolyn, Lisa Brown's character, is the one who has been poisoning Jacob. It's a really bizarre story. I'm glad they tied Charles' dead fiance into the conversation as they have very similar backstories. Jeremy still remains dead weight. I did appreciate the stuff with Isabelle and Clay with Deborah and Steffi. I thought incorporating Isabelle into Deborah's heart issues was smart. I'm not sure Deborah was the right character for this story, but I think it worked. It's one of the few stories from the final year I would like to see a bit more of. The Tess / Stacey / Buck stuff is pretty generic. No one comes off looking good by this point. I wish the show had just backburnered Stacey rather than have her pine over Buck. I love the early stuff with Buck and Stacey and through the loan shark stuff, but so much after is just treading water. Some of it probably was due to Lauren Marie Taylor being pregnant again, but their story becomes ridiculous at some point. When you have J.J. on the train tracks as foreplay for Buck and Stacey's reunion, the couple has run its course.

Another reason that Shana chose Leo was that Leo didn't want to be a father, which meant she never was going to have to really deal with him. Shana did go to a clinic and did consider an anonymous donor, but ultimately chose Leo. The real plot contrivance was that there was some issue at the fertility clinic that had resulted in Shana and Leo going to a suite at some country inn in order to conceive Patti the old fashioned way rather than waiting for Shana's next cycle. The first half of 1993 is incredibly strong as tends to be the case when any headwriter comes in with a bible they have been able to write without having to also plan the rest of the series at the same time. Susan Keith claimed when she was fired in 1994 that the ratings had gone up in 1993 because of the Shana / Leo / Ava triangle. I don't know how specifically she was making that claim if it was simply on the basis of ratings or focus groups or a combination of both. I remember rereading the posts on Usenet in the late 1990s from this period and the longtime fans were very happy with the story as it injected both romance and humor back into the show. Leo was interesting when he was arrogant and pompous, but the point of a Shana / Leo pairing would have been to dilute that characterization. I'm not sure Leo would have been as interesting longterm without the arrogance, but I think there were angles to go with the charactes for another year or two before ultimately deciding to dispense with the character. James Carroll was very charming so they could have ultimately paired him with someone like Christine Tudor Newman, who seemed to get chemistry tested with every male in her range but was never allowed to keep any of them. A Leo / Gwyn / Clay triangle after Clay and Steffi split would have been interesting especially if Clay and Deborah were still married. @FrenchBug82 makes several good points about Shana. The writers didn't know what to do with her. When Susan Keith returns in the summer of 1990, it is Jacqueline Babbin who wanted the character back on the canvas. Babbin previewed Shana's return describing how the plan was to make Shana more of crusader type who would deal with a lot of social issues. Tom King and Millee Taggert wrote the airplane crash story, which tied the corporate element to the personal by having Jim and Jimmy Vochek die in the crash to the suit against the Aldens for their involvement in the situation. Meanwhile, Dane Hammond was taking advantage of the fact that the crash had caused some sort of hysterical amnesia for Shana leading to a Dane / Shana pairing. Babbin was critical to the press about King and Taggert's writing. Personally, I think the writing really only tightens up in the spring of 1991, and, by that point, Shana is mostly not a presence on the canvas. In the 1980s, Shana spent most of her time with Dane, Mike, Ann, Jim, Cabot, Isabelle, Jack, and Stacey. Most of these characters would depart within first few years of her return if they hadn't left already. Without these ties, there needed to more connections made to the canvas. I wish more of Shana's plot to break up Jack and Stacey's marriage while Shana was working with Clay was available. That story sounds very appealing to me even though I'm disappointed we never really got to see Jack and Stacey rip into Shana for what she did to them with Dinahlee. Ultimately, I think Agnes Nixon decided that Susan Keith wasn't needed as they had Debbi Morgan. Nixon gave Shana and Leo very little to do, but I wonder if it wasn't Addie Walsh and Laurie McCarthy who suggested they write out Shana and Leo as Shana and Leo are gone in June and they takeover from Nixon in August. If they had story planned for them, they could have utilized it. Also, bringing back Cabot and not having Shana around was a foolish decision. Maybe they did ask Susan Keith to make an appearance, but she was done with them by that point. I wouldn't blame her.

Leo Burnell, like so many characters on “Loving,” was only interesting depending on who was writing for him. Leo was introduced in the summer of 1992 shortly after Haidee Granger assumed the EP title from Fran Sears. Rumor is that Granger and headwriter Addie Walsh fought over the direction of the show and Walsh departed while Granger ghostwrote. Walsh was credited until January 1993 so who knows what really happened. Leo’s origin remains questionable as a result. I tend to suspect that Leo might have originally been intended to be a Curtis Alden recast, but that’s pure speculation on my part. Anyway, Leo was introduced in August 1992 as the mysterious owner of Burnell’s department store who had been lusting after Ava Rescott, recently employed as a manager at the department store. When we met Leo, it was revealed he had been an overweight nerd who had been in love with Ava while they were in high school together. As a result, Leo had created Burnell’s. None of this backstory made a lot of sense. Burnell’s had been an established entity in the “Loving” universe since January 1984. It was also a division of AE. A more realistic backstory would have been to reveal that Leo’s family had established Burnell’s years earlier, but had been swindled in business by the Aldens or had lost the business to the Aldens because of poor business dealings. Also, if the Burnell family had established the store there could have been internal conflict about Leo not meeting the physical standard of beauty given that the Burnell name was synonymous with fashion and beauty. Later in the year, October or November 1992, it was revealed Leo was also in cahoots with Clay Alden to buy up Alden Enterprises stock after Clay learned his father was horse trainer, Tim Sullivan, and was determined to destroy AE to get back at his mother Isabelle for passing him off as Cabot Alden’s son in order to secure a legacy for Clay. Leo was involved in some silver smuggling deal. When Robert Guza and Millee Taggert take over in January 1993, Leo becomes a much more complex character. He becomes much more chauvinistic (I believe tied to his self esteem issues) and plagued with money issues (explaining his role in both the silver deal and his unholy alliance with Clay). I liked Guza and Taggert’s Leo. I thought the pairing of Leo and Shana was unique and had the potential to allow both characters to play on their best and worst traits. Ava as the third wheel worked well. Taggert and Guza gave each Leo and Shana separate motives for the baby contract: (1) Shana was looking to restart her life after losing Jim and Jimmy years earlier and (2) Leo’s money problems had escalated to the point where he was on the verge of losing Burnell’s. Add in Ava’s motivation (she didn’t want to be alone after a string of failed relationships) and you had a solid story. Shana securing the funding for Burnell’s in exchange for Leo’s sperm was an interesting plot that played on the best (and worst) of Guza and Taggert. I also suspect that Guza and Taggert were reusing elements of the Mason and Julia baby contract, but with a stronger third wheel in the role of Ava. I appreciate that the show would switch the story focus between the three characters. Either Ava was scheming to keep Leo by her side, or Shana was trying to get pregnant, or Leo was acting to try and keep the department store afloat. The twist with the baby having developmental issues was a nice way to bond Shana and Leo. When that emotional drama settled, Leo defaulted on the loan and Shana assumed control of Burnell’s. The next step of the story was suppose to have Shana and Ava fighting over the day to day operations at Burnells, but Nixon stepped in in September 1993 and scrapped all that. Nixon had little use for Shana and Leo. Under Nixon, Leo struggled to accept that Patti might have developmental issues. This put some strain on the Shana and Leo’s relationship. The problem was that Nixon introduced several new story elements (Angie / Charles’ relationship, the ad agency) without really removing any story so Leo and Shana were sidelined and the entire Burnell’s aspect of their story was dumped. Personally, I think they should have continued the tension between Shana and Leo regarding Burnell’s. I also would have brought in someone from Leo’s past who claimed their child was Leo’s. Leo would bond with the new family until it was revealed that Leo was in fact not the father of this child, but, because the child was healthy, Leo continued to bond with the child. I would have allowed this tension to be the straw that broke the back of Shana and Leo which would have led to Leo and Shana splitting. If this had played out around summer of 1994, I would have slowly paired Shana and Alex, at first friendly, and later romantic after Alex and Ava came to blows over Ava’s refusal to return AE to the Aldens. Shana and Alex would have worked together to get AE back, while Ava would have found solace from Curtis while Clay was playing both sides. Of course, after Shana and Alex were closer, Leo’s former love interest would have run off leaving Leo to raise this child and Leo trying to get back in Shana’s good graces. *** I know this will be unpopular, but I find the Trisha / Trucker / Jeff stuff so unimaginative. It seems like something you'd find on "Days of our Lives" in the same time period. I thought the initial Jeff stuff was appealing when he was a selfish son of privilege looking to strike out on his own and build a name for himself while flirting with both Trisha and Gwyn. By the time Richard Steinmetz takes over, something goes in a different direction and Jeff goes from complicated romantic lead to romantic antagonist once they introduce Trucker McKenzie, who seemed like an attempt to retell the Trisha / Steve Sowolsky storyline. I do like elements of the Rick / Stacey / Jack stuff, but it would have all gone down a lot smoother if they had just cast Ron Nummi as Curtis Alden. Very little from Taggert / King interests me until Kate's cancer and Paul / Ava become a couple under Jacquie Babbin's run as EP.