Ryan's Hope Discussion Thread

[safe]

 

 

That is what I thought, too.

[adrnyc]

This week in my original RH journey was eps 1146-1150

 

A lot about Kimberly deciding on whether or not to do nudity in the Off Off Broadway play.  I, personally, find this storyline interesting as I'm an actor myself (25 years and counting) and nudity is always an interesting and lively conversation to have. I'm intrigued to see how the storyline plays out.  Since it's Off Off (Off Off Off Off Off) Broadway, this director could turn out to be a total sleaze.  Anytime it's a case of only the women being naked - or, if the director is gay and only the men are naked - that is a MAJOR sign to me that it isn't for artistic purposes.   I can see how we're all supposed to be feeling empathy for Rae now.  It's a classic soap storyline. She's just done the most horrific thing she's ever done (framing Frank and Jill) and that storyline is completely sidelined by Kimberly and the trials she puts Rae through.  The writers have set up the fact that Jack is now working for Rae but they never mention it as he's mostly wrapped up in "should or shouldn't Siobhan marry Joe."  Rae's deeds will come back to her once they think the audience is sympathetic towards her (and probably in time for Feb sweeps.)

 

Speaking of Siobhan and Joe.....it's the day of the wedding and I am, unfortunately, spoiled to know Mary Ryan's fate. She discovered the drug smuggling scheme this week and is currently hiding in the warehouse.  It's incredibly difficult to watch. It may not be Kate Mulgrew, but it's still Mary.  Goulet has been on for a year now and I've gotten used to her.  After having Edmund's death earlier this year....really, RH....ANOTHER death.  And around Christmas?  Maybe I'm wrong, and it's not happening now but I'm assuming the actress' contract is up soon.  Guess I'll find out next week!

[DRW50]

A belated article in honor of Claire Labine...

 

January 1987 Daytime TV

 

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[safe]

 

That was nice. Thanks!

 

The part where Claire said she would lay down on the bathroom floor to wake herself up when she was so tired was what they had Pat do when he was so exhausted from being overworked and keeping up with Delia's demands for attention.

[DRW50]

 

I'd forgotten about that. 

 

You could see what an articulate woman she was even in her responses - they're so rich. I love the anecdote about trying to figure out story for Pat and Faith even when Paul Mayer was seriously ill in the hospital.

 

I'm so glad I managed to find this scene - one of my favorite RH scenes, and easily the highlight of a story I otherwise loathed - Rae and Kimbo fuming as Michael closes out 1980 sharing a disco dance (to my favorite song from Fame) with Delia. It was so wonderful seeing Delia happy and full of joy, even for just one dance. And the fuming was an added bonus. It's at about 26 minutes.

 

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Edited December 11, 2016 by DRW50

[adrnyc]

 

Thanks for sharing!  I love reading old articles.  I often lament the fact that I threw away all my old Soap Opera Digests. What was I thinking?!

[DRW50]

 

You aren't alone. Saving space and so on. If you ever remember any articles and want me to see if I have the scans feel free. 

[adrnyc]

Thanks!

[DeliaIrisFan]

 

How lovely. Thank you for posting.

 

I hadn't realized that Eleanor was quite so young when she started writing for Ryan's Hope, or that it was public knowledge at the time that Claire was consulting before returning full-time as head writer. I still wonder how that arrangement came about, given how far off the show was from her and Paul Mayer's vision at the time, from what I've seen. I don't understand why ABC bothered — kind of like when Harding Lemay consulted at Another World for a nanosecond a decade or so later, with virtually no evidence onscreen of his involvement. (Ah, the days when even the lowest-rated soaps had consulting budgets that would seemingly have rivaled the total set design budgets for today's shows.) Then again, maybe the network actually thought RH was returning to its roots after the Pat Falken Smith regime — which I suppose it was, comparatively speaking, but...

 

Would it be ghoulish to speculate as to whether the "Terry the Tumor" story was the byproduct of Claire and Paul and the oxygen tank's writing session? She did say they were struggling to come up with a story for Pat and Faith in that situation, after all...

[DeliaIrisFan]

 

I remember when these episodes first aired on SoapNet that I also thought this was an interesting subject matter — one which couldn't have realistically taken place on just about any other soap. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no interest in Kim, and couldn't really take seriously a story that featured a parade of day players going on about what a great actress she was...

 

On a related note, I have often thought over the years about how RH might have successfully managed to branch out beyond 1-2 core families by tapping into the theatre and other aspects of the show's New York setting. Reading in the interview above that Eleanor Labine-Mancusi's life inspired some of Ryan's stories in the show's later years was interesting, because I always thought Ryan should have foundered between the kinds of careers that Eleanor mentioned she had worked in before going back to the family business, as it were. An art gallery would have been an obvious choice, perhaps leading to various characters getting involved in an adventure involving a theft of a famous painting or some such thing, although a karate studio would have been so hilariously '80s (but that probably would have led to accusations that RH was borrowing from popular movies again, in the era of The Karate Kid). I'm not sure if Ryan as a conduit to more escapist stories on the "other" side of town would have ultimately worked much better than it did with Kim, but it was a thought.

[safe]

 

 

That might explain why they decided to write another story where Faith was in danger for months ---  and once again held captive  -- and also having Tom and Teresa repeat Kenneth Castle's  lines about Faith being “wicked “ and needed to be “punished” 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 2016 by safe

[safe]

 

Also another one was Tom Desmond -- a few months before Mary.

[Soaplovers]

Claire labine had the family stuff...and intriguing plot lines based on character as her strong suit.

 

To me, her weaknesses were her tendency to have her plots/couples on hamster wheels...i.e. Jill/frank...Sibohan/joe... Delia/roger and any man with the last name Ryan.

 

Based on what i saw...Pat F as headwriter changed the show too much...almost a complete 180 from the Labine's slow, almost unwilling reluctancd to xhange/evolve the show.

 

Didnt Kim and antics cause a rise in the ratings? 

[adrnyc]

This week was episodes 1151-1155.  A hard week to watch and just before Christmas!  The Mary storyline and Joe/Siobhan wedding kept Kimberly in the background at least.  The Delia/Roger/broker storyline is getting on my nerves a bit.  The only reason she started the affair was because she knew Roger was having an affair with Rae.  I wish she's just come clean so her broker (Dan?) could stop tormenting her.  Next week is Christmas and I guess we'll be having a wake. Not looking forward to that!

 

I feel so bad. How could I forget Tom's death?!   I mean, I guess he had barely been on the show for months  - Faith, too.  And she's still hardly ever on. I guess with no Pat and no Faith, the writers don't know what to do with her?  

[DRW50]

The main thing I remember about Tom's death (besides it being a bit unintentionally amusing) was when they tried to imply it was Delia's fault. I had no time for that. It was one of many writing choices that made me loathe Roger. 

 

Do you have the episode where Siobhan and Jack argue after the engagement party and Mary realizes something isn't right? I haven't been able to find that one and I really want to see it again.