Jump to content

James E. Reilly: Freak or Visionary?


Recommended Posts

  • Members

To some(especially the John/Marlena fanbase) Possession was a love story for John and Marlena. Even to this day, I felt like possession was a great idea to keep viewers interested in what would happen tomorrow. And all the while you have this story(which, to many, was a love story), you have all these others love stories going on at the same time.

Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

Oh no doubt, outlandish stories were nothing new on Daytime before JER came along.

However... the simple fact is, that prior to JER's first run on Days, these were, for most part, the exception. These days, it's almost the rule on the soaps to be sensationalist, outlandish, over-the-top and often downright stupid.

Those who say that JER is to blame, in part, for the destruction of Daytime as we know it are right in saying so. No doubt, his first run on the show was certainly better executed than the second (i.e. told in a more "serious" tone as opposed to the heavily cartoonish second run). But the success of it all had a damaging impact on the credibility and viability of soaps in the longer run.

Because soaps used to strive for credibility and respectability in the wider world, which is where AMC and Y&R did particularly well in the realistic, character-driven and socially relevant avenues. Since the 90s, soaps have ceased to strive for betterment in pursuit of the cheap gain by being as outlandish and often stupid as possible.

What we've seen is this spread through Daytime like cancer, and we've seen the effect of gimmicks being used to draw in viewers and then dive once the novelty wears off. In short, it's only now when we see Daytime in grave condition, that we see just how damaging it has been.

Comparing JER's outlandish storylines to stories related to cancer and HIV is far-fetched. Storylines related to cancer and HIV are usually eminently relateable, touch on real-life and very pressing social issues (remember the Keesha storyline on Y&R?). They gain respect for their shows and the genre if played out well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I wouldn't say JER's a freak, or a visionary. Personally, I'm more often than not, disappointed in his stories. They are primarily written to shock and awe the viewers, while the character aspects get chucked to the curb. He's a plot driven writer, and while that's not bad, it's not exactly good, as characters should be at the heart of any decent story. As a writer, I'd say he's pretty limited. Nearly everything is either a mystery, or is ladened with Supernatural or sci-fi overtones. He's the kind of writer who should stay well clear of social issues, as more often than not, they offend.

Sure, these kind of stories were around before he came onto the scene, but it's JER who has paved the way for these plots to become ever-so more popular, and fashionable in daytime. As for Passions - it's there to stroke his ego. I watch Passions, and mostly, he disappoints. If it's not the execution, then it's the pay-off, or it's the dialogue that's aimed at people with zero mentality that drowns in exposition. But then, Passions is a self contained bubble, and a satire to the soap opera.

Put it this way: whenever I read about him heading to a show, I cringe.

I wondered the same. Thankfully he never was Sunset's HW. He penned the Rosario Jewels storyline, which is a prime example of his creativity. Man, did it have plot holes! It was the only story that stood out from every episode, and not because of it's premise, but for being badly written, and poorly constructed. You could tell it was written by someone different to all the other stories.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

"Would we call Robin's HIV or Monica's Breast Cancer a "gimmick or cheap trick"? It got viewers tuning in...and after the story was over, kept them."

Didn't the HIV story (and it being admidst a slew of heavy stories) cause GH ratings to start to slip causing the execs to tell Claire Labine to cut a further elaboration of the storyline (I'm pretty sure I just read this in Waggert's Soap Encyclopedia).

I do think JER is given a bit too much credit as a writer--then again the man did cause a huge change for daytime (sure other soaps had done wacky stories before--GH in the 80s was filled with everything from mad scientists to aliens and OLTL had underground cities and doctors with bionic arms) but the Days/JER thing was at leasta s far raging--many shows were told to add these elemtns to their shows--most famously AW but we also had lotsa stuff at GL I doubt you ever woulda seen before, AMC with the voodoo plot and Santa Clause, etc

(it' sinterestign that making the plots more and more outlandish saved DAYS--although really DAYS wasn't int he 80s one of the most realisitc soaps either taking a huge cue from GH's action adventure format, I just read about one story they had where a character's clone from the future came to Slame and this was the late 80s--because some ten years before they tried a similar technique to save The Doctors--and it backfired)

What I hate about his writing is how lazy it is. I really wanted to like Passions cuz I liked the idea of a gothic horror soap (anyone remember the original ads for the show that promised a show that would actually try to be scary??) When I quickly realized we would never get that I was hoping for a campy fun soap liek I loved so much with most of Sunset Beach. But I just could never get into the show because of how he writes--the endless dialogue that goes in absolute circles, the slowness of plots, etc, etc, it literally gives me a headache to watch I find it that furstrating.

WHat was the evil spa story on ATWT?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

No question -- the graverobbing and subsequent plague released throughout Madison was born out of desperation to get The Doctors turned around and then the writers realizing "ah the hell with it, we're screwed". The Doctors was a well-written show for the most part until the last couple years.

Same for Capitol. As much as I enjoy watching James Lipton (and Will Ferrell making fun of James Lipton) the man cannot write a soap to save his life. Making a respected senator a traitor to his country? Ed Nelson should have sued CBS for wrongful termination.

Out-there storytelling has always been a part of daytime. It's just that 25 years ago, tales of rape and incest were what made us go "WOW!". Now it seems like we yawn and say been there, done that.

As much as I detest Reilly and what he turned Days into during his second run, the first run on the show was pretty entertaining for the most part. The Carrie/Austin/Sami story was fun to watch, the Maison Blanche hijinks were worth tuning in for every day... it was the second go-round, featuring a serial killer storyline that never should have seen the light of day and a bunch of characters that brought nothing new to the show, that tarred and feathered his reputation.

And the possession story had no place on Days, much like cloning on GL never belonged.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm sure I'm missing so many plot points here, but here are some highlights of JER's hits and misses in my book:

The Good

Who would have dreamed that Roman and Marlena's daughter, Sami, would turn out to be such a conniving teenager? A brilliant choice! (Although he never learned to let Sami grow up, the beginnings of Ali's Sami were great.)

He drew from the show's rich history and brought back Laura Horton, who had been comatose for 18 years. He also inserted Kate Roberts into the show's history without really rewriting anything (he just added to it). The Laura/Kate relationship was such a shocker. And he also brought back Bill and Mike.

He brought back Doug and Julie, originally to surprise Tom while he was in the hospital for Christmas 1993.

JER gave us classic Stefano in 1994 -- love of family (doing it all for Kristen), mind games (puzzle pieces to Maison Blanche), captivity (the dungeon with John and Marlena), etc.

Although the character is a little much at times, JER gave us the awesome Celeste!

He penned a respectful sendoff for Macdonald Carey/Tom Horton and brought back Kimberly, Marie, and Melissa for the funeral.

Although I hated Carly quickly forgiving and running off with her best friend's rapist, the "buried alive" story was awesomely done. It had been done before (I remember Lauren on Y&R), but never like this.

The possession worked. It was a shocker. It was daring. It was unsettling. But it kept the audience glued to the tube, and it set the stage for the re-emergence of emotions from John and Marlena that would later play over into the Marlena/Kristen rivalry, the introduction of Susan Banks (although the other twins were too over the top), and John and Marlena's eventual reconciliation.

JER was looking to the future when he began strengthening the next generation -- Carrie, Sami, Shawn, Belle, etc.

Although I hated that vets were being killed off, JER originally had a purpose for selecting the victims. In the case of Maggie's death, it allowed a devastated Mickey to fall into the hands of a gold-digging piece of trash, Bonnie Lockhart. New character, realistic circumstance, fresh material.

The Bad

I enjoyed Vivian vs. Deborah Adair's Kate as well as Lauren Koslow's. And I enjoyed Vivian and Ivan. It was even a shock when Vivian ended up running into a pregnant Sami far from home. But much of the "humor" that followed, and those endless fantasies where Kate was the maid, got really old. Vivian became too much of a cartoon after a while.

Lisa Rinna's Billie was such a great character, and her relationship with Robert Kelker-Kelly's Bo was fun. My favorite Billie scene was when she left Bo at the airport and refused to stay in Salem because she knew he had unfinished business with Hope that he had to resolve. What class! What love! (But then he ruined the character by bringing back a second-rate actress with much less integrity than the character originally had.)

The post-Maison Blanche Stefano became silly. Holding Marlena in a cage, reigning over the "little people" underneath the city of Paris, trying to chop off John's head in a guillotine, unable to find the Lady in White, dressing as Elvis to impregnate Susan -- shame on JER for weakening such a strong character.

He allowed Josh Taylor to become Roman Brady and persisted on a Roman/Marlena/John triangle for years. It's still hard not seeing Chris Kositchek instead of Roman. Wayne Northrop and Josh Taylor made huge impressions as Roman and Chris; when actors/characters are able to do that, you don't tinker with them.

John's past has been changed so many times that it's impossible to construct a timeline that makes sense. His past, as well as Steve's, should be dealt with properly.

Re-introducing (living) Chelsea was such a rotten thing to do. And Andre was behind that, too? Oh, come on.

The Philip/Belle/Mimi/Shawn/Jan stuff got boring very fast, and the Iraq storyline was beyond pathetic. Also, Philip's prosthesis was poorly handled and should have been left alone.

It's painful to watch and see all these children that grew up so fast. SORAS is part of life, and we accept it, but the Belle/Philip/Brady gang grew up way too fast, and it's now impossible to piece together John/Marlena/DiMeras history without scratching your head and sighing. But, aside from, say, Belle's age, the worst move was making E.J. Elvis. Why couldn't he have been a Tony/Anna child or someone else in the family?

The Ugly

JER failed to appreciate important characters like Victor and Jack. Victor was turned into a wimp, then left to shrivel up in a nursing home for a while. Jack abandoned his family, then slept with Jennifer's mother.

He dishonored Macdonald Carey/Tom Horton with that stupid black-and-white bobbing head of a ghost that was never explained in the end. Was it just DiMera technology at work?

JER damaged the character of Bo when the return of Hope barely got his attention. Yeah, he loved Billie, but had JER never heard of Bo and Hope? The Bo/Billie/Hope/Franco stuff was boring, Franco beating up Jill and murdering the guy on the island (Vivian found him) was dropped, and years later it just got worse when Bo couldn't choose between Hope and his family, and Billie the pit rapist.

He botched the Mickey/Bonnie relationship and then destroyed the character of Mickey when Maggie returned and he was unable to choose between the two.

The "murder" of Maggie was disturbing, and I didn't appreciate seeing Suzanne Rogers bloodied and on the floor. This was wrong. Also, the "murder" of Alice Horton was beyond despicable. Watching Alice hide in the closet and later suffocate on her own doughnuts -- this never should have happened (but, then, again, I guess it didn't).

The Stalker storyline started out well but ended badly. Melaswen was a flop. The most infuriating part of it was that no answers were given for so much of this story. The ones that were given still don't make sense. And the character of Tony was ruined (and now that it's Andre, there are even more questions, particularly "why?").

Making Marlena the bad guy in the possession storyline was shocking, somehow made sense, and worked so well. Making her the bad guy again when the murders began was predictable and confusing. The jail shooting, Melaswen, castle affair, and Wayne North debacles were bad story, but at least JER appreciated the great Deidre Hall.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

He can have a good vision sometimes. The Posession Storyline kept me glued to the TV. But after that storyline, the show fizzled for me. His storylines are too drawn out. The characters never move and the dialogue is too repetitive. For months the characters still say the same things. The serial killer storyline was beyond stupid. All the victims were stored in a pretend Salem. It did not make a whole lot of sense. Btw, what the hell happened with Cassie?? Reilly is one of my least favorite writers, if not my least favorite!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Oh I was wrong--it did cancel out the plans for more similar "issue" storylines on GH though. From page 123 of Waggert's SOap Encyclopedia (not Schemering's slightly better 80s pedia)

"In 1995 the show began its most daring medical story when RObin Scorpio's boyfriend, Stone, was diagnosed with AIDS. Shortly before Stone's death Robin learned that she herself was HIV positive. While other soaps had introduced HIV positive charactrs before, no longtime character had ever contracted the disease. Despite being very well done, the storyline cost a lot of viewers. The one-two punch of Monica's breast cancer followed so very closely by Stone's battle with AIDS turned off many younger viewers, who prefered the more romantic/fantasy oriented teen stories on shows like Days of Our Lives (which had just had a sudden ratings spike). Fearing the repurcussions of further downbeat medical stories, and much to the consternation of Labine who left early in 1996, GH canceled its plans to have a major story arch revolving around Audrey Hardy developing Alzheimer's disease.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

But GH actually gained respect from critics, industry insiders, and serious fans in the 90's, while Days didn't. I can see how something like a possession can attract more viewers than a aids storyline, but at the same time, GH soared in credibility, whereas Days declined in credibility.

All one has to do to look at all the Emmy's (back when they had at least some credibility) GH amassed in the 90's and Days' complete shut-out from that particular award show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • There was a huge outcry when we learned that JFP intended to off Donna.
    • Especially children who much more likable characters and are played by better actors 

      Please register in order to view this content

      It’s a worse idea than her wanting to become a doctor Well, some of us Italians do prefer trumpets and saxophones over strings  
    • As requested by @P.J. the 1976 summary from Daytime Serial Newsletter. This was the Dobsons. I will be posting it in parts, as it quite lengthy. The Guiding Light premiered forty years ago on radio and now, after successfully having moved to television in the mid-fifties, it continues to chronicle the lives of the Bauer family of Springfield. Bertha (Bert) Bauer, the matriarch and guiding. force behind the family,has proved to be a source of strength and good counsel to all her friends and acquaintances as well as her own sons.  Michael, her older son, an attorney, recently married Leslie, who was formerly married to his brother,Ed, with whom she has a son, Freddie. Michael’s daughter Hope has always felt close to Leslie, but a recent conflict with Mike over her relationship with an older college professor has strained Hope’s relations with her father. Ed married Holly Norris last year but has just learned from her that their infant —daughter, Christina, is not his child but Roger Thorpe’s. Roger, who is deeply in love with nurse Peggy Fletcher, hopes the truth about Christina can be concealed, as he fears he could lose Peggy for good. Holly’s mother, Barbara, has recently married Roger’s father Adam and has no idea of the truth about Christina. Drs. Sara McIntyre and Joe Werner find their marriage is better than ever since orphaned T.J. became their foster child, and they are relieved that he is not the missing son of Cedars patient Ann Jeffers, who is searching for the child her estranged husband took out of town when she ran off with another man. Nurse Rita Stapleton, newly arrived in Springfield, aware of Ed’s personal upheaval, is solicitously offering him friendship and a shoulder to lean on. Dr. Ed Bauer has stunned the Bauer family by separating from his wife, Holly, soon after the recovery of their infant daughter, Christina, from pneumonia. Holly, exhausted by the baby’s illness and her own growing guilt feelings, has confessed to Ed that Christina is Roger Thorpe’s child, not his. Ed, learning that Peggy Fletcher has accepted Roger’s proposal,tells Roger to tell Peggy the truth before he does. Rita Stapleton, R.N., is taken aback when she meets Peggy’s fiancé, as she knew Roger when he worked in the oil fields in Texas. At the time, Rita was private nurse to wealthy oilman Mr. Granger. Roger, under pressure from Ed, realizes he can’t marry Peggy without telling her the whole truth. Somehow finding the courage, he tells her everything and begs for her forgiveness. As he feared, Peggy, stunned, breaks their engagement. Despite Ed’s later assurances that his own marriage was shaky before Roger, Peggy can’t forgive him; there’s no trust left. Holly, who has filed for divorce, goes to Peggy, explaining that she cared for Roger more than he ever cared for her, that she knew Roger loved Peggy from the moment he met her and became a better person for just knowing her. She assures Peggy that there has been nothing between them for a long time now. Leslie Bauer has returned to college to add personal fulfillment to her life as a housewife and mother. Her husband, attorney Mike Bauer, has undertaken a search for Ann Jeffers’s son Jimmy, whom she abandoned when she ran off with another man years ago. Jimmy’s father, Spence Jeffers, was a quick tempered drunk who cheated on Ann repeatedly. Mike offers Ann a job in his office, to help her meet the costs of the investigation. Spence and Jimmy’s trail seems to end in Alaska. Mike seems to resent Leslie’s involvement with school, and she is upset by his long hours and absences on the Jeffers case. Ann, realizing Leslie’s feelings, apologizes to her for causing Mike’s absences and tells Leslie how lucky she is to be married to a man like Mike.  Ed, unable to do neurosurgery after being wounded in the arm last year, decides to go ahead with highrisk nerve-root-resection surgery, despite the fifty-percent chance of total paralysis. In the operating room, Dr. Steve Jackson finds an excessive amount of scar tissue and refuses to continue the surgery, fearing that healthy nerve roots could be severed accidentally. Dr. Jackson closes, over young Dr. Tim Ryan’s objections, and later tells Tim his arrogance is becoming a detriment to his medical career at Cedars Hospital. Ed’s friends and family are upset at his reaction to this disappointment. His assignment as Chief of Staff wasn’t as fulfilling as surgery, and he now realizes that will no longer be part of his life. Rita Stapleton tries to cheer Ed by bringing groceries and consolation, but Ed’s depression isn’t lifting. His mother, Bert. Bauer,fears that Ed, a former alcoholic, may start drinking again. |  When Roger tells Peggy he’s leaving Springfield —for the sake of everyone he has hurt, Peggy, realizing also the suffering of her son Billy, who had grown to love Roger, tells Roger that even though it hurts to know about Christina, it hurts more to be without him. They agree to try again and plan to marry immediately. Barbara Thorpe, Holly’s mother, stumbles upon a manuscript written by her son Andy and, putting the pieces together, realizes that the story of a young woman whose child is not her husband’s is about Holly. Holly makes her mother promise not to tell anyone, which puts a tremendous strain upon her, as Barbara is married to Roger’s father, Adam Thorpe. Barbara is unable to tell Adam why she’s suddenly suffering migraine headaches and constant depression. | Despite Rita’s increasing attempts to reach him, Ed continues to sink further into his depression, until finally she tells him he isn’t half the man she thought —he was. Stunned into taking a good look at what he’s become, Ed admits he’s destroying himself and shows up the next morning at his office ready for work. Dr. Tim Ryan has become annoyed at the number of dates Rita has broken to be with Ed, and upon learning he’s up for chief resident, he rushes to share the news with her, only to find she’s entertaining Ed for dinner. Tim leaves angrily but later returns to apologize and propose marriage to Rita. She politely turns him down and suggests they no longer see each other, for his sake. Tim bitterly accuses her of using him. Under pressure from Adam to explain her strange depression, Barbara finally tells Adam the whole story.She informs him that Roger and Peggy are not welcome in her home. Home from his honeymoon, Roger learns from his father that Barbara knows the truth and has told him. Roger can tell his father only that he regrets what happened and he is a changed man now. He hopes his father can one day forgive him. Adam later tells Barbara she’s put the entire blame on Roger and hasn’t considered Holly’s guilt in the matter, adding, “I can accept the truth, why can’t you?” Feeling that it’s best for everyone involved, Roger prepares to resign as manager at the Metro Restaurant and take Billy and Peggy out of town. Peggy bolsters his confidence by telling him they’ll stay and fight this out together. Tim, upset by Rita’s attitude and rejection, is letting his emotions affect his work. When Ed, unaware that Rita is the reason, warns Tim that his recent lack of efficiency may lose him the senior resident appointment, Tim smarts at his rival’s being his superior. Tim takes stock of the situation and resolves to put personal problems aside and concentrate on his career. More to come...
    • @Tisy-Lish Seems like the bulk of 76 was the Schneiders who I don't believe ever headwrote another soap. I think the Labine/Mayer structured the show well in the time they were there and succeding headwriters used that to their advantage but then began chipping away with their own characters/story. @Franko glad you're enjoying delving into unfamiliar territory And now Part 2.... When a missing person’s report on Ben goes out, the Connecticut state police respond with their unconscious John Doe. When Ben awakens after brain surgery he calls for Betsy, angering Arlene, who gets drunk and goes to tell Meg the truth. Meg’s housekeeper, Carrie Lovett, who is Arlene’s mother (she had no idea of ‘Arlene’s involvement with Ben when she took this job), manages to prevent Arlene from seeing Meg. Ben, still hazy from anesthesia, tells Betsy how sorry he is for the way he’s treated her. Betsy, misunderstanding, assumes he means the gambling. Diana is still feeling sorry for herself, despite Jamie’s efforts to convince her that they can have a full life with children by adoption. When he informs her that his divorce is almost final and they can plan their wedding, Diana refuses to acknowledge that she has any future at all. Arlene, drunk and despondent, starts a letter to Ben in which she refers to herself as his “real wife.” Ray finds it and takes it to Jamie, threatening to give it to Betsy unless Jamie gets his client, Meg, off Ray’s back. Jamie has already warned Meg that Slater is no small-time hood; he has big money and power behind him. Arlene, confronted by Jamie, insists she meant “first wife,” but Jamie gives her seven days to produce a divorce decree or he’ll prove her and Ben guilty of attempting to defraud Meg. Ben, learning this, orders her to get a quickie Haiti decree, but she refuses, reminding Ben that he has told her sometimes he feels happy being married to Betsy and expecting a child. Arlene refuses to be dumped. Ray comes to Ben’s aid with a phony divorce decree. Ben takes it to Jamie for verification while Ray tells Meg that Ben needed false divorce papers from Arlene. Meg confronts her son and agrees to help him out of this mess. She plans to expedite his divorce from Arlene and convince Betsy to renew her marriage vows on their anniversary. Learning that Rick has known about Arlene and Ben’s marriage since the beginning, Meg withdraws her support from their planned ski resort. Rick realizes his dreams have just gone down the drain but can’t fault Meg’s motive. Arlene decides she needs money now to get Ben out of town and sets out to blackmail Meg. Ben, realizing that the only thing left to do is to run away with Arlene, leaves a letter for Betsy explaining why he married her but that he later fell in love with her. At the edge of town, however, he realizes he can’t go through with it. He tells Arlene he loves Betsy and wants to be there with her when their child is born, and he gets out of the car and calls a cab. Arlene, furious, races back to Meg’s house, where she tells Betsy the whole story. Betsy, disbelieving her, rushes to her bedroom, where she finds Ben’s letter confirming everything Arlene just told her. In shock, Betsy calls her brother, Dr. Tom Crawford, to come right away. Ben arrives and is truthful with Betsy, who no longer wants anything to do with him. Realizing that Meg stands in the way of his being a man, Ben moves out. Betsy is unmoved when Ben and Arlene’s divorce comes through; she won’t expose herself to that kind of hurt again. When Meg cajoles her to live with her until her grandchild is born, Betsy tells Meg that in the eyes of the court this isn’t her grandchild and she’ll never allow her child to be corrupted by Meg’s money, as Ben was. Meg, full of self-pity gets drunk and manages to get Rick drunk when she tells him Skyler Mountain is out. She then reminds him of how their relationship used to be and renews his passions, now affected by liquor. After they spend the night together, Meg decides to go ahead with the Skyler Mountain project after all. Rick makes it clear, however, that he still loves Cal and his relationship with Meg will be strictly business. Betsy continues to refuse to see Ben and is determined to be self-supporting. When she inadvertently mentions Ben’s letter to Bruce Sterling, the mayor of Rosehill, he has to turn it over to the district attorney. Meg is furious upon discovering that her own brother in law is the one who found the evidence against Ben. Dr. Joe Cusack is quite concerned about a teenaged alcoholic patient at the clinic, Lynn Henderson, who is determined not to be helped. She tries a sob story on Vanessa Sterling, but Cal, Van’s niece, overhears and warns Lynn not to put the bite on her friends and relatives. So Lynn, who refuses to heed Joe’s warning that alcohol has so destroyed her stomach lining that she could die from another binge, steals money from Van’s fund-raising folder and takes off. She later turns up at Van’s to apologize for stealing charity money and explains she was the ugly daughter of a beautiful mother and grew up feeling unloved. Van persuades Joe to let Lynn stay with her instead of returning to the halfway house she hates. Bruce, Van’s husband, sees Lynn as another of Van’s strays and asks Lynn not to take advantage of Van. Cal. is concerned to learn Rick will again be involve in business with Meg. He assures her it will be okay and that Meg is his last chance to fulfill his dream of making it big. When Meg overhears Cal telling Ben that she and Rick are engaged, Meg tries to tell Cal that Rick’s not the marrying kind and she’s wrong for him. Seeing that Cal is serious and Rick apparently is too, Meg threatens to tell Cal everything, including their most recent intimacy, if Rick doesn’t call it off immediately; she gives him twenty-four hours. Rick, for Cal’s own good, he feels, tells her he’s not the monogamous kind and she’d be better off without him. Cal, knowing she really loves him, refuses to let  go easily. So. he uses Cal’s knowledge of the fact that his son Hank dearly wants his parents to reconcile and tells Cal he and Barbara are planning to try again, for the boy’s sake. But Cal later runs into Hank and mentions that he must be glad his mother’s coming home. Hank has no knowledge of this and is confused. Rick, therefore, has to tell the child he used this as an excuse to get out of marrying Cal. But Hank, miserable at having his hopes raised and dashed, spills this to Cal when she tries to cheer him up. He tells her it was all a lie. Jamie warns Rick that his Skylar Mountain contract with Meg has so many contingencies that if anything happens, he’ll be holding the financial bag. But Rick, wanting this success badly, signs the papers, and Meg releases the money.
    • I genuinely in my 20 year history of watching Days can’t recall a single Bo and Phillip scene though I’m assuming there had to be one or two? Phillip was always much more presented as Lucas’ brother due to Kate’s involvement in their love lives and closer age post SORAS. I will say my favorite thing about PR though is he made Bo the only Kiriakis to actually pronounce it like Victor/John Aniston despite Papa Brady obviously being the dad he was associated with.
    • OK 1976 GL coming up   As none of those shows aired in 1976...
    • Thank you, @Paul Raven! I chose Love of Life because it's a show I don't have a lot of familiarity with, so I thought it would be interesting to look at this period with a more or less unspoiled view.
    • 40 years ago this summer.  To me this is the GOAT CBS daytime promo and the yardstick to which all CBS daytime promos are measured.

      Please register in order to view this content

       
    • That would be a good plot point to add more tension to the situation.
    • Some hot sports guys from tennis and football.

      Please register in order to view this content

       

      Please register in order to view this content

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy