Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I guess she didn't fit into the more garish, yelly GL that Long/Kobe wanted. It's funny that they ended up creating India, who served the same purpose as a character.

[cassadine1991]

Can't believe the reveal of the affair was so early in the year. Loved the performances of Ellen and Tina. And damn the writing

[cassadine1991]

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[Mitch]

I love the Spaulding living room, I hated that they got rid of it for showing that damn study all the time. But it also makes me laugh when I remember the Rauch years and Beth would lay around in her Chanel suits and as they said on the boards "hump the Spaulding couch and molest the liquor cart."

Vanessa was so good at being a being a bitch when she needed to be "After your BLUNDER with Spaudling Pharmacutical.." they didn't need to bring in Marj/Alex, Vanessa should have been the rich biz conflicted sometimes bitch in town. I hated when she just simpered after Matt. Derwin and Mallet were sexy as hell and Ehlers was still a bit plump and not annoying at this time.

This clip reminded me why I really, really hated Eleni and her fake accent, and AM being a puss over her. I liked Henry's dismissal of her. This was also the last time I liked Jenna..after they brough Buzz in I HATED her and she became another boring heroine.

Edited July 8, 2015 by Mitch

[NothinButAttitude]

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[NothinButAttitude]

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[heffer]

They had to keep Alex around because of the Nick storyline. Otherwise I agree with you, they could have just retired the character without Bev and make Vanessa the new diva of Springfield.

Cosign about Eleni. It was very hard to feel for a bed-hopping tramp of what was supposed to a sympathetic character

[DRW50]

I don't think Vanessa could have ever been the new Alex - with proper writing, the characters both served an important function in Springfield. Alex got her hands dirty in a way Vanessa wouldn't, and Alex was defined by a poor relationship with her father, whereas Vanessa cherished her father. One of the many scenes I liked in the custody battle story was when Mindy had pictures of Bridget and Dylan kissing that she wanted Vanessa to use in court to try to make Bridget seem like an unfit mother, but Vanessa couldn't do it, because she didn't want to win that way.

I just think the show made Alex all about Nick and made her into a shrill plot device, and unfortunately also began making Vanessa far too winsome, damaging both characters.

It's hard for me to want to go back and watch any of that era of the show - late 1992, 1993, 1994, etc. It's like my soap version of a trigger. There's something in me that can't watch most of that without getting antsy and unhappy. I think it's seeing the fabric of the show torn to pieces under stunt casting and "production values."

[cassadine1991]

JFP and her choices?

[cassadine1991]

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Edited July 9, 2015 by cassadine1991

[Mitch]

I understand what you are saying, but original version Van was much nastier then Alex, and they would conveniently forget that after she reformed. However, I think Van could have filled the Alex void, not becoming the same character mind you...just as the poweful complicated woman you should NOT cross. In some ways when Van would get cold she was scarier then Bev/Alex in you knew she meant business. I like my complicated villaness with a core of decency, which is what made Alex interesting under long and Curlee and got ruined under JFP and the of course, Marj/Alex was a cartoon.

I would have killed off Matt and have Van go darker...maybe he died at a Spaulding contruction site that had made cuts to save money and that inadvertantley led to his death. Van blames Alan, and without the influence of Henry or Mo around she goes dark. She is sick of what the Spauldings had done to the company as remember it was her legacy almost as much as theirs. It could have been Van doing the "Ex Wives Club" instead of Joan/Alex. Van then gets half of Spaulding under her control and the push and pull with Alan goes on (I would need to recast Alan and actually maybe get them together later on then have him drop dead, leaving all of Spaulding to Van to fight off the various Spaulding heirs.)

It seemed they were going that way under Rauch when Van got pissed that her doctor died in the lab explosion and she unmaske Vickie as a Spaulding, but then it went nowhere.

She just didnt work as the simpering wife and as even Reva said, "Ive ALWAYS been a little afraid of you!"

[Soaplovers]

I remember during the alex/Mindy tangles in 1993/1994...there were a few instances where Van would earn alex to back off Mindy...and she would say it in a cold,but firm way that would get alex to back off.

I'd always envisioned reva, Vanessa and Holly as strong pillars for the show. In different ways. Reva would be the salt of the earth version, Vanessa the detached but strong as steel version..and Holly as the sarcastic, cynical version...and Maureen being the maternal/warmth version.

Shame TPTB didn't see that long term.

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks, TimWil, for clarifying when the change in Morgans occurred.

[Mitch]

It is too bad that they did not see it that way...that would have been great but it also would have been the flavor of old GL which was an ensemble where everyone was important and got things to do. After the 90s all the shows forgot or couldnt balance things out so we got the Reva Show, the Harley Show, The Brad Cole Show, the Cooper Show. Reva was much more tolerable as part of an ensemble and Zimmer did her best work bouncing off of people as good as her and long term characters..( I always remember a Bauer BBQ small scene with her and Mary Stuart which was really good, you could tell Zimmer respected Stuart and Stuart didnt fade into the wallpaper.)

[NothinButAttitude]

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