Paul Raven

Could we identify everyone in that photo?

I remember Ellen Weston as Dr Steele on Get Smart,who was the scientist whose cover was that of a show girl. I thought Patricia Everly was a daughter of Phil Everly,not his wife! There seemed to be a lot of goodwill towards Janice Lynde but she ended up returning to soaps in roles that weren't that memorable (Tracey AW,Laurel OLTL). In both cases she married veteran leading men (Russ,Larry) then was killed off.

Rachel & Mac;s 1st wedding.Victoria Wyndham's father Ralph Camargo played the minister. Rachel & SteveRachel and husband # 2 Ted Clark

Maureen Garrett speaks upon her return for the final GL episodes SPEAKING HER MIND Exclusive interview: Mimi Torchin catches up with GL’s Maureen Garrett (Holly) The fabulous Maureen Garrett, Holly to legions of Guiding Light fans, recently taped her farewell performances as her part in GL’s endgame. I spoke to my friend after she taped a few final scenes with Elizabeth Kiefer (Blake) and Crystal Chappell (Olivia), but hadn’t yet taped the scenes that will wrap up her 30 something-year storyline forever. This is happening Monday (tomorrow as I write, today as you read). It’s an ending she hopes the fans will find satisfying. I think you will. Garrett has been largely absent from Springfield for the last six years (she did make an appearance at Ross’s funeral in 2005), but spent the better part of her professional life (1976-1981; 1989-2003) playing the iconic Holly Norris, a woman who suffered through a battery of soap opera-heroine traumas, tragedies and life experiences including marital rape, alcoholism, the birth of a child with Down syndrome and mental illness — but ultimately triumphed and came out whole and sound in the end. Holly, perhaps more than any other female character on the show, experienced many things that the women in her audience had also lived through, if you don’t count (among other “adventures”) fleeing for her life from her lover through the jungles of South America; and kidnapping, Pied Piper-like, all the children in town during a psychotic break of epic proportions! Her long-running, on-again/off-again romance with Roger Thorpe, played by the late and extraordinary Michael Zaslow, was one of soapdom’s most dramatic and popular. Roger was not by any stretch of the imagination “a good man,” but he was a fascinating, complex one and his love affair with the steel butterfly, Holly, struck an enduringly responsive chord with the viewers. Maureen (I’m dropping this journalistic convention of last names and since she has been one of my nearest and dearest for two decades!) had quite a bit to say after shooting in GL’s new cost-cutting atmosphere. And she didn’t mince words. “Oh my God,” she exclaimed. “It was astounding, the working situation at Guiding Light. The actors are reduced to something like automatons. There’s no connection between the citizens of Springfield [when they’re not in scenes together].” She goes on to clarify her observations, words flying like birds let out of a cage. “You do not see the other actors. There are no rehearsals, no monitors on which to watch the action. Actors are led from hair and makeup to a kind of holding pen. Then they’re guided through the maze of pieces of sets to their spot. That ‘leading me from one place to the other’ was the only direction I received! Then, when you get to your mark, there’s no room to move, so there’s no blocking. The cameramen with their handhelds squeeze past you. You stand there and say your words, which immediately go onto tape. And that's it. You are led out of the maze. Complete isolation. Scenes are only one page long to make up for lack of movement within the scene.” She stops to draw breath, and then says sadly, “If this is the wave of the future, I am so glad I spent my time in the ‘classical era.’ It’s amazing what the actors manage to produce under these conditions. My hat is off to any actors who can build story, a genuine connection in this new media. It bears no resemblance to what was before. And that’s the way it goes.” I ask her how she felt when she heard that Guiding Light had been cancelled? “Well, of course I felt terrible,” she says. “I’m sad that it’s over. But we knew it was coming; the threat has been hanging over everyone’s heads for so many years that I guess it was time.” But even though she feels the loss of the soap that for so long was her home, the death of the process grieves her more. She simply can’t stop talking about it. “If this is the future (for soaps), as an actor, it really concerns me. There’s no director, no time, no spontaneity. If this is what has to be done to save the form, I think there’s room for debate about trying to preserve the process, too. You can’t really create connections or foster ‘chemistry’ without the work. I know some actors manage to somehow still do that, but not everyone has that skill, or even that natural, undeniable chemistry.” She reminds me about the theatre company she created within GL for actors who wanted to do stage work, even including some actors from other shows. “I went the complete other way when I was here the last time. I created an affiliate theater company because I just feel the process, for lack of any other word, is invaluable. As actors, we need that.” She sighs, “We’re losing the genre, the narratives. I guess we have them at night now in shows like Nurse Jackie.” Of course when she thinks of her own character’s “narratives,” she thinks one in particular was the apex. None of us would be surprised to hear what it is. “The whole Roger/Holly saga was so richly layered with love and hate. It was just so much fun to play, so full of challenges and emotion. Michael [Zaslow, Roger] was the ultimate acting partner. He always pushed me to be better, to give more. The connection between the characters was palpable, electric.” If Roger and Holly were the zenith, what was the nadir, her lowest point on the show? She doesn’t hesitate, “Oh, what absolutely did me in was when Holly fell in love with her abuser, Sebastian (Doug Hutchison). I was asked to do a lot of things over the years I was on the show that I didn’t particularly love, but it was my job to play them. But this was too much. I just couldn’t bend any more; I couldn’t fulfill the terms of that story.” She goes on to explain what she found so ultimately offensive. “It was insulting, insulting that this character (Holly) had come no further, that she was made to regress to that point of degradation. That was the end for me.” And for many of us, as well. I hated that story with a vengeance. It disgusted me. As her final thought about the dimming of the light, fans of the Olivia and Natalia romance will be happy to hear what Maureen says about the story, completely unsolicited, by the way. “I have to say that it’s owing to the long-overdue lesbian storyline and the incredible work of Crystal (Olivia) and Jessica (Leccia, Natalia) and [due to the fact that the] story has been able to catch fire. There’s so much buzz about it. It’s the only story I ever hear anyone talking about.”

The story of Kim and her heart problems was proposed by Felicia Minei Behr when she took over as EP.I think it was based on a real life friend of hers.

Kathryn Hays 25th Anniversary. Jennifer visits Kim <li>

There is excitement brewing at ABC these days. And it is being generated by their new serial, Ryan's Hope. This is the first new show the network has produced since 1970, when A World Apart, The Best of Everythingand All My Children made their debut.Written by the expert team of Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer (former writers of Love of Life), the setting is New York City. The producer is George Lefferts, with Monroe Carol as his associate producer. Both men are new to daytime, but have impressive credits from nighttime and movies. Following is a breakdown of the characters and setting. As of our deadline, there had been no cast chosen. The final auditions were set, and ABC hoped to gather an expert group of faces familiar and new to the daytime audience. Also, changes in the characters and how they relate to each other could take place as the serial is further developed. But here is what is planned to take place, a sneak preview to tempt your viewing pleasure: Ryan's Hope The people who share an attitude called Ryan's Hope come from different backgrounds and a wide range of experience, but they have certain qualities in common: independence, energy, determination, all directed toward being the best at what they do and making their lives count in a positive way They all share in man's natural heritage of pain and trouble and occasional tragedy, but they prevail--and share.a laugh somewhere in the process. Three families dominate the on-going story, which is set in the Riverside community of the upper West Side of New York City. Largest of these is the Ryan family: Johnny, Maeve and their five children, whom they have taught to be responsible, loving and loyal. Johnny Ryan owns a bar, which is in a curiously central location. To the East lies Broadway and pockets of urban poverty, largely Spanish and black. Directly across the street is the Emergency entrance of Riverside Hospital. Down the block is the local precinct headquarters. And to the West is an increasingly affluent area of new apartment houses intermingled with traditional brownstones, that extend all the way to the Hudson River. Johnny Ryan was a school dropout at 14, prohibition beerhandleratl6, briefly a boxer, and W.W.II infantryman. He married his wife, Maeve, in Ireland and re-turned to the United States, where he bought a bar after being a bouncer, bartender and bar manager. He is proud of his five children and worked hard to put them through college. Maeve Ryan had her heart ~captured by Johnny when he was in Ireland. She is not afraid of life, is warm, passionate and full of opinions, which she is not afraid to express. She was born in Dublin of a poor Irish background. Frank Ryan is everything a parent could want. He is dark, calm and placidly self-assured, and has been since a child, He is a detective on the police force and has a Clouded marriage to Delia. Delia Ryan is a beautiful Irish colleen. She met her husband through her brother Bob, since Frank and Bob are best friends. She is troubled and emotionally insecure. Cathleen Ryan is the baby of the family, attended Manhattanville College and is now a novice of the Sisters of Sacred Heart. Patrick Ryan, the third child, is a study in contrasts. He is fairly excitable and an intuitive leaper into knowledge. Me loves himself and returns his family's devotion because he has felt loved. He vitalizes other people. Siobhan Ryan Moscolo is married to a chemical engineer, Art, and lives in Pittsburgh. She has two daughters, Maura and Dierdre. She is pretty, practical and predictable. Ed Coleridge has tried his best to raise his two children, Roger and Faith. He is a physician, dedicating his life to medicine, and lives in the same brownstone in which he was-born., Roger. Coleridge was a lonely, unhappy teen. He won't admit he is wrong about anything~ He.is handsome with superficial .charm and has never learned how to love. His central figure is his father, of whom he wants approval. He lives on the top floor of his father's brownstone. He %s one of two first assistant residents at Riverside Hospital. Faith Coleridge is daddy's girl. She isolates herself from emotional involvements and is determined to excel in her work. She, also, is a doctor, but many of her colleagues at the hospital don't like her. She is shy, inhibited and inexperienced and uses her intelligence as a protective barrier. She lives wit~ her father and keeps house for him. Clem Moultrie, a supremely confident black man, is an intern and,first assistant resident. Heoan~ssumetobe relaxed and congenial with others. Romona Gonzalez is the head nurse at Riverside.She grew up in Spanish Harlem of parents who came to New York in the 1940s. Bob is Delia's brother and Frank's best friend. They work together on the police force. Bob is the living prototype of every Irish cop. He is big, broad-featured, steady, easy-going: a man's man. Seneca Beaulac is of French Canadian background, a physician and is fierce and brooding, He had an excellent reputation as a doctor and will be a catalyst in the lives of the Collins and Ryan-families. His grandmother was a full-blooded Seneca Indian,from whom he:got his name. He is precise, demanding, and intimacy does not come easy. Nell Beaulac is Seneca's wife. She is of a wealthy Boston family, is fluent in French and was indulged in material things as a child. She is a determined research doctor and takes for granted the luxuries of life: These are the characters, as now planned. Of course, there will be additions as time passes, but, for now, Ryan's Hope looks to be interesting and different from anything now on the air.

i didn't know Barbara Rucker had been married to Robert Urich. They would have been a glamouous couple. As for Wood and Rucker they seem to have disappeared after their soap stints. It would be great to track them down and find out where their lives took them. Carl,thanks for your responses to my posts-I really appreciate your comments.

Who's Who of Characters and ActorsDr. Charles Tyler (Hugh Franklin): a good doctor, good man, and patriarch of the Tyler family; estranged husband to Phoebe; father to Line and Anne; grandfather to Chuck Tyler. He is romantically committed to secretary Mona Kane. Phoebe Tyler (Ruth Warrick,): estranged wife to Charles; mother to Line and Anne; "grandmother" to Chuck; a ridiculously arrogant woman; a schemer. She believes her family to be far superior to anyone else's. Lincoln ("Line") Tyler (Peter White): the good and upstanding lawyer in town; husband to Kitty; son to Phoebe and Charles; brother to Anne. He feels very protective toward his new bride and will do anything to make her happy. Kitty Carpenter Tyler (Francesca James): wife to Lincoln Tyler; emotionally, at least, "daughter" to Mrs. Lum (alias "Lucy Carpenter"). She's been transformed from a neurotic girl to a sane and sensible young woman who is trying to better herself; still, a romantic innocent, always vulnerable. Dr. Chuck Tyler (Richard Van Vieet): a good young doctor; grandson to Charles (only); ex-husband to Tara and psychological father to little Phil. He is an idealist with strong feelings of responsibility toward others (some of whom tend to take advantage of his good nature). Kate Martin (Kay Campbell): the matriarch of the Martin family; a widow; mother to Joe and Paul; grandmother to Tara, Tad, and Elizabeth; great-grandmother to little Phil; a warm, understanding and generally non-interfering woman. Paul Martin (William Mooney): a good lawyer; husband to Anne; father to newborn Elizabeth; son to Kate; a family man who tries hard to handle the problems. He and Anne have a "true love." Anne Tyler Martin (Judith Barcroft): wife to Paul Martin; mother to newborn Elizabeth; daughter to Phoebe and Charles; sister to Line; a young woman of strong faith and stronger emotions. With the birth of her retarded daughter, she is becoming increasingly irrational. Dr. Joe Martin (Ray McConnell): husband to Ruth; father to Tara and grandfather to little Phil; adoptive father to Tad; son to Kate; brother to Paul. He is a complicated and undemonstrative man; a good person, but perhaps too proud. Nurse Ruth Martin (Mary Fickett): wife to Joe; adoptive mother to Phil and Tad; a person of strong family values who has had to come to terms with unexpected emotions, in herself and others. Dr. Jeff Martin (Robert Perault): son to Joe Martin; brother to Tara; a decent, idealistic doctor, much loved by family and friends. He left Pine Valley after the tragic death of his wife Mary—a temporary move, of course. Tara Martin Brent (Karen Gorney): ex-wife to Chuck; and now (finally) wife to Phil; mother to little Phil; sister to Jeff; a good girl, emotionally confused and usually close to tears. She is torn between her "true love" and her son's happiness. Phil Brent (Nick Benedict): husband to Tara; illegitimate son to Nick Davis and Amy (Ruth's long-departed sister), raised by Ruth Martin; Tara's "true love" and natural father to little Phil. Now that he has found his vocation (as a policeman) his main concern is in winning the love and respect of his son. (Little) Phil Tyler (Brian Lema): a small boy with his share of health problems. He is the one person standing in the way of Phil and Tara's happiness (he thinks Chuck is daddy). Erica Kane Brent (Susan Lucci): ex-wife to Phil; daughter to Mona Kane; a delightfully self-centered, scheming, and greedy young woman. She seems to have met her match in Nick Davis— all to the good, since her heart softens too when someone cares. Mona Kane (Frances Heflin): a very good woman; long-suffering mother to Erica; friend, secretary, and romantic interest of Dr. Charles Tyler. As sweet as she is, she can be weak-willed. Nick Davis (Lawrence Keith): a ne'er-do-well who has finally done very well (as owner of "The Chateau" restaurant); natural father to Phil; ex-husband to many; a well-meaning sort, but perhaps a bit worldier than most Pine Valley residents. He is currently involved (if that's the word) with Erica. Clem Watson (Reuben Green): an experienced policeman, working with Phil Brent; a black man, recently divorced. Dr. Frank Grant (John Danelle): a young black doctor; husband to Nancy; good friend to Chuck Tyler and perhaps a little more than that to Caroline. He is a good and earnest man who must come to terms with his wife's independent nature and career. Nurse Caroline Murray (Pat Dixon): Frank Grant's friend, confidante and love interest. She is an idealist, but made of stronger stuff than Frank. Dr. David Thornton (Paul Gleason): a surgeon who temporarily demoted himself to orderly after a painful stint in Viet Nam; an outsider who has experienced much of the world beyond Pine Valley. He is recovering from a disappointment in love, with Ruth Martin. Will he leave town? Dr. Christina Karras (Robin Strosser): a pediatrician; an intelligent and straightforward woman— but strangely haunted by the past. Danny Kennicott (Daren Kelly): a college student, in architecture; brother to the murdered Mary Kennicott Martin; a personable young man who lives in Kate Martin's house. Brooke English (Julia Barr): a college student; niece to Phoebe and currently living with her. She is charming and clever when it comes to getting her own way. Benny Sago (Larry Flieschman): Brooke's hoody boyfriend; a boor, a smart-aleck, and the bane of Phoebe's existence, Tad Gardner (Matthew Anton): an orphan, adopted by Ruth and Joe Martin; a boy about 8 years old who is perceptive, charming and endearing. Donna Beck (Candace Earley): seventeen-year-old prostitute who entered the story when she was admitted to Pine Valley Hospital as a patient; a mixed-up girl from a "bad home," now trying to go right. She is romantically interested in "Doc" Chuck Tyler, her legal guardian. Mrs. Lum (Eileen Herlie): a former carnival performer with a weakness for booze and money (not necessarily in that order). She was hired by Phoebe to impersonate Kitty's mother, Lucy Carpenter, and get Kitty out of town; not a nice woman, but compared to Phoebe a saint

Nancy's 80th Birthday party in 1998. Penny and Ellen returned and flashbacks were shown.

Re Bob & Sandy. A June 76 synopsis mentions Nancy hoping Bob & Sandy might reconnect but at this stage he's interested In Valerie.In the following months,After dating Bob,Valerie turns to Dan.and they make plans to marry.Meanwhile Joyce is interested In Bob,which annoys Lisa who is married to Grant.Sandy is attracted to Kevin,who is still involved with Susan. Jim carries a torch for Kim. Don returns and Joyce sets her sights on him,although he tells Nancy he is still attractted to Lisa and so on... It seemed to be musical chairs with all of these characters. Wally was played by Charles Siebert,who later was on Trapper John MD. He was a minister/doctor who was revealed to be the father of Tom and Carol's friend Peter.

The theory that P&G wanted the Bauers gone could be true,but a few years later Jack & Lainie Bauer were introduced-older characters in supporting roles.Did P&G have a change of heart? Anyway,Jack,Lainie,Lacey didn't last long and Todd Bauer became Frank Cooper,a symbolic sign that the Coopers were going to be the new core. I'll say it again,Meta should have come back for Bert's funeral and stayed,Hope had years of story left (only one marriage!) and maybe an illegitimate child for Mike to boost the Bauers (was there any possibility in his past that that could have occurred?)

Valente inherited a bloated cast and a show that was trying to keep Marland's work going without the man himself. I can understand his decision to move on and not try to do Marland lite but the choices made were misguided at best. Bringing back Paul and Ryder (Teddy) were a good idea but casting and stories were all wrong. By the time Rosanna,Mike,Linc and Woody were featured I think Marland was making the mistake of giving frontburner stories to characters that were not tied to the core.Good storytelling should always have a Hughes,Snyder or other more established character involved. Don Hughes history.Because of the recasting and absences of the character,he tends to be forgotten,but he did carry a lot of story over the years. Donald Hughes was the eldest son of Chris and Nancy. Climbing up the social ladder was important to Don. Don became a lawyer, like his father. Donald Hughes married Janice Turner Whipple, who was a widow with two grown daughters, Alice and Debbie. Nancy never approved of Janice, so Donald and Janice moved to Texas. After Janice died, Donald moved back to Oakdale. Donald and Ellen had been on and off through the years and he proposed to her. She said yes, but later told him she couldn't marry him after all as David Stewart had proposed to and she wanted to marry him. Donald then became engaged to Sara Fuller, but she died before they married. Donald also dated Amanda Holmes, Sara's daughter, for awhile. However, Amanda left town knowing that Donald wasn't really committed to her. Don moved to California but returned to Oakdale after his father suffered a heart attack. Nancy wanted Donald to get together with Jennifer Ryan, because all these years she'd been trying to get Bob and Lisa back together. However, Bob was too in love with Jennifer, so Donald started dating Lisa himself. Lisa seemed more interested in Dr. Wally Matthews and Don ended up moving back to California. When Donald next moved back to Oakdale, joining the firm Lowell, Hughes & Colman, he found Lisa had married Grant Colman. Joyce Colman, Grant's ex-wife, was doing all she could to break up Lisa and Grant. Joyce and Don started seeing each other. Joyce had had a son by Grant, who she gave up for adoption. His name was Teddy Ellison. He later came back to Oakdale as a young man named Ryder Hughes. Lisa tried to fix Don up with Mary Ellison, Joyce's son's adopted mother, but that didn't work. It was difficult to get Donald to make a committment, but finally he proposed to Joyce. They married. When Donald went to Switzerland on business, Joyce had a one-night stand with Ralph Mitchell, one of Don's clients, and became pregnant. Ralph wasn't interested in marrying Joyce, so Joyce told Don they were having a baby. She ended up having a miscarriage, but never told Don it wasn't his child. Mary had been Don's secretary for a long time. She loved Don, but it went to further. She started seeing Ralph Mitchell and they got engaged. Ralph and Don were good friends. Don was upset over the loss of the baby, so Ralph decided to tell Don that it wasn't his child. Ralph just couldn't handle seeing his friend so upset. Joyce couldn't have Ralph telling Don though, and decided to kill Ralph. Instead, she ended up shooting and paralyzing Don! Joyce made up a story about a prowler. The truth all came out when Don overhead it on an intercom system. Don forgave Ralph, but not Joyce. Joyce overheard Ralph telling Don that Joyce should be committed, and Joyce flew into a rage. She kidnapped Teddy, said goodbye to him, returned him to Mary, then left town. On her way out of town her car went off a bridge. Her body wasn't found. Don fell in love with Mary, but Mary planned on marrying Ralph. He told Mary he was going to move back to California as he couldn't take it, seeing her married to Ralph. Ralph felt Mary was in love with Don and he decided to break off the engagement. This cleared the way for Don and Mary to get engaged. Joyce, who everyone assumed was dead, came back to town very much alive. She decided to divorce Don so he could marry Mary. She had ulterior motives though, and she did all she could to get close to her son, Teddy. Joyce was successful in breaking up Mary and Don. Mary moved back to Laramie but got into a bad car accident and Grant ended up with Teddy. This pleased Joyce, as her and Grant were getting closer again (by this time Lisa had divorced Grant to try and win Bob back). Joyce and Grant became engaged (again), but Grant left her and Oakdale after one too many lies. Don also left Oakdale. He moved to Laramie, won Mary back, and they married.

Wasn't this (at least partly) a writers strike story?

Dave Gillis aka Dave Andrews was played by Nicolas Coster in 88. More from The Soap Opera Book Phil Brent Tara Martin Chuck Tyler Phil and Tara were childhood sweethearts, but Fate has continually interfered to keep them apart. Learning that his real father was Nick Davis, Phil developed amnesia and wandered off to New York. He later returned to find his true love about to marry Chuck, simply because she was angry and hurt about having been abandoned. Nick Davis stopped the wedding and Phil and Tara began their relationship anew. But before the lovers could marry—before they could do anything but say their vows in an empty church—Phil was drafted and sent to Viet Nam. Tara then discovered that she was pregnant with Phil's child (little Phil). Phil was reported missing in action and, to give her child a father, Tara agreed to marry Chuck. That marriage might have worked if Phil hadn't returned to find his true love married to another man. In time, Phil found out little Phil was his son and he and Tara made plans to marry. Tara divorced Chuck but once again Fate intervened. This time, little Phil, unable to cope with his parents' break-up, developed a psychosomatic illness—severe asthma attacks. The wedding was once again postponed until the boy could accept Phil as his step- father, and until Tara could work through her guilt. Finally Tara came to realize that if she felt secure in marrying Phil, little Phil would come around. So far he hasn't. No one is seen as the villain in this triangle, since all are relatively good and decent people. Sympathies lie with Tara and Phil because of their "beautiful love," but the wealthy, handsome, idealistic Chuck has had his fair share of viewer sympathy as well. Most viewers would like to see him happy—but with someone else. David Thornton Ruth Martin Joe Martin Ruth and Joe Martin made the perfect, happy couple. For years they provided advice, a shoulder to cry on, and a helping hand to everyone in Pine Valley. But when David Thornton arrived in town, things changed. David felt drawn to Ruth: he admired her, respected her, and began to fall in love with her. Ruth was careful not to give David any encouragement even though she was equally charmed by him. The romance might not have come to the surface were it not for two factors: Joe's busy schedule at the hospital (which led him to neglect his wife) and Joe's daughter's romance with Ruth's son (the Tara/Phil relationship). Joe blamed Ruth for destroying Tara's marriage to Chuck by telling Phil that he (not Chuck) was the father of little Phil. Ruth and Joe had many a bitter argument and Ruth turned to David for comfort and advice. David in turn confided in Ruth, telling her of the painful experiences that led him to forsake a career as a surgeon and work instead as a hospital aide. Ruth tried to make a go of her marriage, but found herself becoming emotionally involved with the kind, gentle (and persistent) David. Joe learned what was going on and was very hurt by his wife's "friendship" with David. Then Ruth moved out of the Martin home in order to have time to think things over. Still Joe couldn't believe that Ruth could be in love with David, and thought that the relationship would end. It didn't seem that way until Joe had to have a dangerous emergency appendectomy. At that point Ruth realized that she loved Joe; David realized that she loved Joe; and everyone else realized that they had known it all along! An interesting twist was that David Thornton was forced to forsake his disguise and perform the emergency surgery on Joe. (No one else was around to save Joe's life!). Now that David is recognized as a doctor and received a job offer, he should feel secure enough to be able to do without Ruth. It seems their relationship was based on his needs all along. Viewer sympathy was split pretty evenly between Joe and David while the conflict lasted.