Love of Life Discussion Thread

[Khan]

How did Paul die the second time?  And was his and Van's second marriage a happy one?  Or, as I suspect, did the writers turn Paul into an entirely different character in order to make viewers root for Van to return to Bruce?

[dc11786]

I believe Paul/Matt Corby was murdered by his ex-wife, Evelyn. This was why Bruce and Van ended up raising Stacey Corby for a bit afterwards. I think he got the Sam Reynolds recast personality adjustment as well. 

@FrenchFan might have more details as I think this was Loring Mandel's scripts and I can't remember if those are in his collection. 

[Paul Raven]

@dc11786 thanks. I don't believe that Van actually remarried Matt/Paul. Is that right?

[Khan]

Thanks, @dc11786 and @Paul Raven.  I figured LOL's writers wouldn't have pushed Bruce aside just so Paul and Van could reunite.  Like you said, @dc11786, Paul got the Sam Reynolds Recast Personality Adjustment, lol.

[dc11786]

I don't think Matt / Paul remarried Van. For many years, there was very little research out on that period of "Love of Life." I think Matt Corby arrived on the scene as someone's defense lawyer, maybe Bill and Tess when they were accused of killing John Randolph, Tess' husband. Then, it was revealed he was Paul. At that point, they introduced the Southern ex-wife, Evelyn, and their daughter, Stacey (or maybe she was just Evelyn's daughter). I think Van and Matt reunited, but I don't know if the intention was for usurpment of Van and Bruce, though. 

Bruce wasn't perfect at this point either. I think he was involved with Judith Cole, Marsha Mason's reporter character. Thinking about all of this, I have to wonder if Paul Raven's return was a substitute for the aborted return story for Meg which would have been in about the same time period.