ANOTHER LIFE

[DRW50]

Thanks @dc11786 really enjoying your recaps/reviews. I didn't realize this Dave was on for this long. And I see we're getting into Miriam's downward spiral. Sounds like it's a bit rushed but I guess they realized they were writing her into a corner.

Edited Sunday at 11:41 PM by DRW50

[dc11786]

Dave is very much a supporting character in Jeff's story at this point. Dave has been popping in the bookstore to convince Jeff to start selling the Bible, which leads Jeff to start being overly aggressive in trying to convert customers to Jesus rather than convincing them to buy product. There is a very specific approach to capitalism on this show as being a detriment to the soul which is quite fascinating. On secular soaps, it is the equivalent of show's that valued the community over the individual. 

Dave has also deduced that Jeff is interested in the ministry. I think that is a smart move for the character, but I'm not sure if that's where the story is going.

Miriam is definitely going down. The Miriam / Charles / Nancy triangle is fascinating with Miriam standing in as the jilted wife while Charles shacks up with Nancy in Nora's house. Charles is such a nasty piece of work. I'd say he's one note, but given some of current world figures, maybe the heartless industrialist isn't that far off.  

Now up to episode #195. 

Several new characters have shown up. Jill Hansen just showed up and collapsed at Jeff's bookstore after stealing a book while Dave is chatting up Jeff. Jill is a runaway from Indiana who I know will become involved with several sets of characters. A couple episodes earlier Gary Taylor, Peter's buddy from the job site appeared, and he I think is involved wiht Peter and Jill for a bit. Carla Redlon has returned to Kingsley after achieving some success as a singer looking to reunite with her son and ex-husband. 

Peter's arc has built nicely. In the last month or so, Vicki Lang has been introduced as Gene's new assistant. Peter trying to become the man of the house is nice layer to some of his material. He is in the thick of things (offscreen) at Prescott Development. There was a nice scene where there is a minor construction accidnet that leads to people being rushed to the hosptial and Terry fearing that she is replaying the loss of her family further. I'm not always sold on the actor; he comes off as a bit like he's from a sitcom. I do think he has a fun presence and he seems like a real teenager. 

One of the best developments was in Nancy's lawsuit when Miriam, hurt over Nancy and Charles' fling, decides to run off and tell Terry that she knows all things that Nancy has concocted and will say so in court. Its a nice twist on the Miriam-Davidsons relationship. Meanwhle, Miriam is still pill popping a bunch, which hasn't gone unnoticed by 

Terry's stalker was a story I had heard almost nothing about. It is well done. There were some interesting sequences with Dennis Frazier, the man who killed Nora and Scott, remembering the accident before going to the Davidson house and knocking on the door. The lighting, the music, the filming, and Mary Jean Feton's performance are incredibly effective. 

I find the quad between Ben / Lori / Russ / Becky very interesting, especially in counterpoint to where Susan Scannell will end up at the end of 1982 on "Search for Tomorrow." Becky's story is very similar to Kristin Carter's becoming involved with Brian while he is trying to reunite with Suzi. By default, I would think that Warren / Suzi / Brian / Kristen should be more effective given the angle of Warren being more devious than Ben and Kristen's miscarriage being a secret. In what I've seen though, I find the AL version more effective. Russ as the equivalent of Warren is just as jealous and hot headed, but not as openly a criminal. Warren's connection to Rusty is a bit like Russ' connection to Vince, but Vince is more effective as the grey villain in the overall story than Rusty ever was. There's a lot of interesting dynamics at play. I think it helps that Russ has Vince and Carrie, which keeps that end of the quad very interesting. Carrie is more of a low rent Stephanie, but with more emphasis on their animosity than I remember seeing in the Stephanie / Kristen material. I have no use for the Summer Wind angle though I find the actor playing Phil attractive. I am curious if there is any crossover with Carla Redlon becasue I think a Becky / Carla friendship could be intiguing. 

Ben and Lori are now heavily involved in Ben's pursuit of a clinic in Chesterfield, the part of town that Ione Redlon is looking to move back to. Lori's point of view is very negative about the area, which Alex Greely explains away as representing her sense of instability in the past year with the car accident with Russ, marrying Ben, Nora and Scott dying, the fire, etc. It was smart to justify her POV, but I think Lori's a bit spoiled. I can't see a modern audience being overly sympathetic to Lori in this situation. 

I appreciate Jill's story. The actress is young and its only been like two or three episodes, but it is clearly a social issue story. Jill has left because her mother's boyfriend made a move on her and the mother, Mrs. Eubanks, didn't believe her. Now, because she just turned eighteen, she is no longer viewed as a runaway but rather homeless. Jeff and Liz taking her in seems like the kind of thing the new Jeff would do. I'll be curious if I still enjoy the story as it progresses. 

The Hollister Mall plot is a bit stalled. The investigation into the fire has continued. Insurance payments have been released, but now Charles and Webster cannot secure insurance which threatens the whole project. 

George Slaymaker was recast just as George was seen committing adultery by making out with his mistress in the office. I think it's one of the new George's first scenes. I have to wonder if that had any element of it or if I'm just stuck thinking about Joann Pflug's quick exit from Rituals two years later. The first George, Charles Kahlenberg, will pop up two years later on "The Catlins" as Warden Evans, who ended being behind a drug ring in the local prison as well as being behind the murder of Eleanor Catlin Quinn. 

I'm mostly just having it play in the background so I'm not sure if I missed anything or misheard something. 

[DRW50]

@dc11786 I hadn't even thought of connecting Becky's story and Kristin's.

I wonder if Kahlenberg was the only actor who appeared on both those soaps. 

The actress who played Jill posted here briefly about 15 years ago.

I guess we must not be far off the end for the Cummings family.

[Soaplovers]

The Cummings were basically boxed in/islanded off from where the show would go in the 2nd year and beyond so it made sense to write them off.

[DRW50]

I think they still could have worked in story for them, as they lived near Terry and Liz was friends with her, but for tighter story and budget reasons I guess I get it. I do wonder if the claims of them possibly getting a spinoff were true.