Another World Discussion Thread

[Efulton]

Swajeski was limited for sure but I feel that 1989 and 1991 are two of the best years AW had since Harding Lemay left in 1979.

Jake's shooting and the returns of Kathleen and Carl and two of my favourite stories.

Swajeski aslo created some great  characters - Lucas, Frank, Ryan, Grant, Dean, Jenna, Lorna and Paulina and told good love stories - Frankie & Cass, Jenna & Dean, Felicia & Lucas, Paulina & Jake and Vicky & Ryan.

[chrisml]

I think if the Red Swan had gone somewhere emotional or important that it would have been redeemed, but it just fizzled out. I give them some grace, but they could have at least come up with a better long-term answer to the mystery.

The Fax Newman murder storyline was one of the worst--not just for Frankie's death, but for how they brutalized Courtney in such a horrific way. It's rather sick.  I would also put Mj as prostitute and the Sin Stalker as contender. Again, for the sexism and for destroying/killing off good characters.

 

[DRW50]

When on Soapnet, I did have some issues with choices made, but I found most of the show watchable. My biggest "miss" for 1989 would probably be Stacey/Derek (just forgettable) and the decision to turn Nicole into a psycho in order to push Cass/Frankie.

I don't really mind the Red Swan story. It's dull, and convoluted, but I do at least care about most of the people involved. Cali's Paulina is also worth watching from day one. They shouldn't have paired Ken and Rachel so quickly and let Rachel be on her own for longer, even if Ken had some potential (I think Vicky Wyndham complained in the press about his being written out).

As for worst AW stories, I'd have to include Reginald, Sin Stalker, and the grotesque serial killer in early 1996 that involved killing Bridget as well as Courtney, not long after she had already been raped by her abusive husband. Sick and disgusting.

Edited April 26 by DRW50

[Contessa Donatella]

I actually liked the Sin Stalker. And, I also liked the reveal of the Red Swan. It made Paulina a legitimate Cory, proving that Mac was her father. How could something have been better?

So, you're describing Fax Neuman except you've left out his murdering Frankie!!!

If it wasn't Nicole who killed Jason then who?

Edited April 26 by Contessa Donatella

[Contessa Donatella]

Absolutely no doubt about these romantic pairings: Frankie & Cass, Paulina & Jake and Vicky & Ryan. Arguably, all 3 best ever.

None of you has listed the most important aspect of this time period & that is Anne Heche.

[jmgaw]

What was the reason for Harding Lemay's brief tenure as HW in 1988?

[Xanthe]

That story seems to have been a mess. Maybe it would be easier to understand in hindsight if Rachel and Mac had successfully built new relationships and continued in separate storylines, but it just seems so strange that Mac became engaged to Alice during his custody trial over Amanda and then back-from-the-dead Steve was in True Love with Rachel.

Regarding the tomb dust, the whole Lesoleil/Chapin/Egypt/Arizona story was a weird distraction. The tomb dust itself was a strange magical weapon in a convoluted plan by Carl to kill Mac and I didn't mind Chris Chapin working to diagnose Mac's mystery illness. But I don't think they did a great job of balancing Nancy's romance with Chris vs Marley's romance with Jake. For both couples the resolution of Arizona brought them together. Jake and Marley got engaged not long afterward while there was a whole big thing between Ada and Nancy about whether it was OK for Nancy to live in sin with Chris.

I'd also list Lumina among the worst plots. Maybe cancellation caused them to rein in something that would have paid off better, but what we got was an unpersuasive attempt to portray Amanda's love for Cameron as a grand romance.

[DRW50]

The stories were similar (another reason why JFP was so wretched a producer) but they had different killers.

I don't hate the idea of Nicole killing Jason, but I think the aftermath could have been much different. It felt very slanted against her, and then they just banished Nicole from the canvas.

[Contessa Donatella]

Both of those serial killers were written by Margaret De Priest. They were not both produced by JFP.  To me the Sin Stalker was better because the shrink/killer was far more interesting plus the actor is sublime. Plus, it was a good Lisa story.

She got an amazing final scene that was straight out of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. 

Edited April 26 by Contessa Donatella

[DRW50]

I'm talking about the stories in 1996, not the Sin Stalker.

To be honest I don't think a good final scene for Nicole was worth the damage done.

Edited April 26 by DRW50

[Contessa Donatella]

Oh, sorry. I was comparing Sin Stalker to Fax Neuman & didn't realize we weren't on the same serial box. [cough] Sorry, too punny. Honest, I do not recall anything about the first 1996 serial killer. It was SO BAD that there were two!!! 

Not a problem to agree to disagree. I was very proud of the actors.

Wasn't it that after the strike they chose to stay with Swajeski rather than go back to Pete? Stupid, short-sighted decision. Don't get me wrong. I actually like Swajeski but if it was a choice between her & Pete, it's Pete by a large margin. If I am scrambling what happened when I'm pretty sure someone will be along to clean up. 

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[Contessa Donatella]

An argument between Ada & Nancy is something I did an edit for. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIjAI28pJx-/

I don't think they had something better planned that they either dropped or shortened. When I had that very brief Twitter DM conversation with Jean Passanante all she had to say was that it was "strange" which I certainly did not disagree about. Learning that she & Leah thought it was a strange story led me to speculate that the network alone wanted that story told & everyone else was just trying not to get sucked into some gaping hole.  It was a shame, too. VW told me that they were getting someone to write romance for them. It wasn't clear to me whether that meant personal love pairings or the grand romance that life can be. The only thing good about Lumina, IMO, anyway, was the masked ball. Those costumes were amazing!  Shawn & his merry band did all of the headpieces by hand. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFT8rG5OtnS/

 

[chrisml]

The Sin Stalker storyline was icky and creepy (not in a good way). I like murder storylines, but the reasons for the killings and Lisa's involvement was just sexist. 

@DRW50and I both agree about the Fax Newman stuff. Brutalizing Courteney and then murdering her shortly after is sick sick sick. Frankie's death has taken center stage but that storyline was just so misogynistic. 

Red Swan: I adore Cali Timmins. I also enjoyed Ken Jordan. The Red Swan just needed to be planned out better and have a better ending. I also don't think Paulina needed to be Mac's daughter but that's a discussion for another day. She could have been tied to the Cory family in a different way. 

Reginald/Mary: Another story I like in theory, but they wanted to make Reginald too much of a villain. Mary should have been his one weakness and Mary should have been in love with him so that there was an actual triangle. Also don't write off MJ and Cheryl as the story gets going. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Never read this before & I love it. DIGEST had him keep a producer's diary of the last weeks & days, to the bitter end. Have you read it? 

I've got it & probably it would be enjoyed, so I will ... find it (we hope) ... and post it. 

[DRW50]

I think I may have but it's been a long time.

And after reading what you and @chrisml said I realized Fax did kill Courtney. Sorry. I thought the previous serial killer had. 

What an awful year for the show.