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[watson71]

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The Flood- February 1986

Edited September 16, 2024 by watson71

[cody_1990]

Stephanie's murder was always something I wanted to see. I was disappointed when P&G shut down their classic soap channel before we got to the final year of SFT. Much like The Doctors, I was eager to see how the show fared at the end.

No way MC's Stephanie would of just stood there, she would of battled back and probably strangled Rivera with that locket lol Killing Stephanie and having Wendy disappear was defiantly a choice. I get the show was grasping at straws, and serial killers were kinda the in thing on NBCD with Days and SB both having their own first, but I feel this could of been better.

It is interesting to see what Gary Tomlin did though, he wrote the beginnings of the Salem Strangler on Days and Pat Falken Smith of course continued it and made it legendary, but I always wondered what his plan was there.  

Edited September 22, 2024 by cody_1990

[soapfan61]

The climactic scene of July 30, 1969

The courtroom buzzed with anticipation, a pressure cooker about to blow. Doug Martin was at the heart of it, his questioning of Andrea Reynolds relentless. He leaned forward, his voice a low growl, controlled but barely masking the intensity beneath.

“Mrs. Reynolds, let me ask you again,” Doug said, eyes locked on Andrea like a predator eyeing prey. “Do you recall your statement about Hemadol, or are you still feigning ignorance?”

Andrea shifted in her chair, her lips tightening into a thin line. She looked bewildered, but her eyes darted around the courtroom as if searching for an escape route. “I already told you—I don’t remember saying anything about that drug.”

Doug’s face hardened, and his hand shot up, signaling to the court reporter. “Read back Mrs. Reynolds' statement from last Tuesday. The part where she mentions Hemadol.”

The reporter’s voice echoed through the hushed courtroom: “Yes, I know what Hemadol is. My husband used it.”

Doug nodded, eyes gleaming like a shark that smelled blood. “So, you *did* know about Hemadol, yet here you are claiming ignorance. Which is it, Mrs. Reynolds? Were you lying then, or are you lying now?”

Andrea’s face flushed, her composure cracking at the edges. “I’m telling you, that’s not what I meant!” Her voice rose in desperation. “This is a mistake. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I didn’t lie.”

Doug circled her, slowly, like a hawk zeroing in. “You also claim you’ve never been to the Blaine Motel. But several witnesses place you there multiple times. Should we expect another convenient lapse in memory?”

Andrea’s voice sharpened, growing more defensive by the second. “I have never been to that disgusting place!” She spat the words, her eyes flickering to the jury. “If someone says otherwise, they’re lying. It’s probably Sam—he and that woman, Jill Carter, they’re the ones who’ve ruined everything!”

Doug’s eyebrow twitched upward. “Your husband, Sam Reynolds. The man you claim to love but also tried to divorce. Tell me, how does that fit into your little web of half-truths?”

For a moment, Andrea faltered. She stared at Doug, then down at her trembling hands. Her fingers clutched at her pearls. “I couldn’t stand to see him with her. I couldn’t… bear the thought of him being happy without me.” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Doug closed in, leaning against the witness stand, his tone now icier. “So, you poisoned him with Hemadol.”

Andrea’s face paled. Her breath hitched, and she twisted her pearls tighter. “I—I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to make him suffer. Not like that.” She glanced up, a tear sliding down her cheek. “I made a terrible mistake.”

The air in the room thickened, the weight of her admission settling over everyone. But Doug wasn’t done.

“And what about the gun?” Doug’s voice was calm, almost too calm, as he reached into his folder and pulled out the rental receipt. “The one you bought, practiced shooting in the woods? And the car you rented, which just so happened to be involved in a hit-and-run that killed an innocent man.”

Andrea’s hands flew to her face. “I didn’t mean for any of that to happen!” Her voice was a frantic whisper now. “I wasn’t thinking… I was out of control…”

Doug's voice was cutting. "Out of control enough to kill someone? To take a life?”

Andrea's head dropped, her sobs muffled as the courtroom watched, transfixed. The silence was suffocating, every eye trained on her as she spiraled. Then she lifted her head, eyes wild, and screamed, "Jamie! My son—oh God, Jamie! I’m so sorry!"

With a desperate yank, she tore at her necklace, the string of pearls snapping, scattering across the courtroom floor with a sound that echoed through the silence like gunfire.

And then, nothing. The courtroom was frozen in that instant—Doug, the judge, the jury, all staring at Andrea’s broken form. Her cries for Jamie hung in the air, unanswered.

[Paul Raven]

Don't recall seeing this before

 

 

[Paul Raven]

Here's a random lineup from 78. Bob Heitman (Bill Mendell) Millee Taggart( Janet Collins) and Leslie Ann Ray (Donna Davis)

 

 

[NothinButAttitude]

OMG. Thank you all. I have never seen the episode of Stephanie getting killed and have always wanted to see it. I can officially mark it off my list. 

And I am glad to see the flood episodes pop up again after being off YT for so long. 

[DRW50]

Thanks for the photos @Paul Raven

These episodes were already on Youtube but the quality here is a bit better and there are some commercials.

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[NothinButAttitude]

Thank you @DRW50! I've actually never seen these 3 episodes ever. I've seen the ending of the first episode of Stu getting pushed down the shaft, but I've never seen the conclusion. 

Talk about some campy mess. How did Ann Flood's character jump down the same shaft and make it back up? That boggled me. 

I cackled over seeing Nancy Karr and Jo go to blows. Who knew Jo could scrap?! 

I am stunned that no other soap tried to snag Domini Blythe post-STF. She exuded that British, uppercrest, Alexis Carrington aura that was popular around that time. I think she would've been great on one of the other P&G soaps or an ABC show. She might've even been good as Pamela Capwell on SB. Dare I say it, she could've been a good Alexandra Spaulding recast after Bev left the role. 

And what was the whole ordeal with the McCleary's dad and the judge? That's always been one arc that confused me. 

The episodes were entertaining. The sets (especially Estelle's penthouse) were a thing of beauty. But it is obvious the show doesn't know what it wants to be. Does it want to a P&G show or DAYS/SB/GH? You could tell the show was going through yet another identity crisis at this time. 

[Khan]

Wait a second, is that "Dainty June" Havoc in a cheap wig and Rhoda scarf, lol?

The cast are doing their best, but it's clear SFT is on borrowed time.  David Lawrence was a very weak EP, IMO, who was hired solely to turn out the lights for the last time.

Edited October 12, 2024 by Khan

[watson71]

She could have been cast as Iris on AW as well.

[j swift]

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Does anything say “jump the shark” like a visit from Hulk Hogan?

[DRW50]

IMDB has her in a December 11th episode so I guess she must have been a recurring character.

If the show had somehow gotten renewed again, what would you have done with the canvas they had at the time?

[NothinButAttitude]

Ooo. I forgot about that too. That would've been perfect timing too as Iris returned about 2 years after SFT ended. Domini might've been available at that time. 

 

[Khan]

That's a tough question to answer, since I think SFT's canvas was so damaged at the end (much like how I think DAYS' canvas is damaged today).

Naturally, Jo and Stu would have remained the show's center.  (There'd especially be a cute, little storyline for Jo, who'd decide at her age to go to college, lol.)

For sure, I would've phased out the McClearys, minus Hogan.  To me, they always came across as RH rejects, completely changing (in tandem with the Kendalls) the tenor of the show.  Casting Jacqueline Schulz as Patti screwed up a lot of timelines - with Patti now in the same age range as Liza and Sunny, for example - but on the other hand, I think she and David Forsyth worked very well together.

Ideally, I would've coaxed Millee Taggart into returning as Janet, if only on a recurring basis.  I'd also recast Liza, as I think Louan Gideon was just too wan for the role.  (In a perfect world, either Sherry Mathis or Meg Bennett would have agreed to come back, but probably not, lol).

Of course, I'd keep Marcia McCabe on the show.  I'm likely biased, since she's been one of my faves for many years, but I think if anyone could have taken Mary Stuart's place as SFT's tentpole matriarch once Stuart either passed away or retired, it was McCabe.  On the other hand, I'm not sure what I'd do with Lee Godart's Bela.  I'd probably write a storyline where Sunny discovers she's pregnant - she wasn't infertile, was she, lol? - but Bela dips, because he isn't interested in being a dad.  Sunny herself might deliberate over whether to abort the baby; eventually, however, she'd decide to raise the baby on her own.

Beyond that...?  Well, I would have LOVED to have introduced (maybe through Hogan and Patti?) an African-American family to the canvas.  And I would have loved to have introduced a new, young troublemaker in the form of Travis Sentell's long-lost illegitimate son from a relationship he had before meeting Liza.  He would've become very attached to Liza and to his half-brother, Tourneur.  He also would've stirred up a lot of trouble by becoming involved with both Estelle and T.R.

[DRW50]

Thanks. Those are great ideas. I agree the McLearys don't seem like a natural fit to the show, even if they have their moments. SFT probably came to a natural end, but I enjoy hearing fans talk about what could have been.