Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Denise Pence mentioned Katie leaving to marry a basketball player. I'm not sure if it was oncamera though.

[robbwolff]

I thought there was some kind of fake marriage between Hillary and Fletcher in order for them to get out of San Rios.

[DRW50]

Someone who has a lot of partial GL episodes was nice enough to upload this one, which I'd only ever seen on YT before with only the last 10 minutes.

 

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[DRW50]

After watching the episode, I can see why GL was still bleeding viewers at this point. The tone of the show is wildly uneven - there's so much odd camp and slapstick (the stuff with Simon and Jessie and Roxie - yikes), yet the Reva and HB and Kyle stuff is deadly serious. The attempts to root out the truth about India was much more silly in tone than they need to be. 

 

I didn't even know GL had any black characters by 1986. 

 

I like the bouncy closing theme. 

 

The best of this is probably the brief moments with HB and Reva. Larry and Kim always worked beautifully together. 

[victoria foxton]

Jessie was so bland and basic. I liked Simon and India they were fun and mischievous. Reva and HB played well off one another.  I like Larkin Malloy but i find Kyle dull.The stolen art story seems like a dud. GL was rudderless during this time. Not as good as Pam Long's second run. Or it's early 90's resurgence which ushered GL last golden age. Never seen this soft jazz closing. With the characters still interacting. I really liked it.

[DramatistDreamer]

Despite the obvious flaws, at least this was at a time when soaps still cared about writing decent dialogue and not just one liners and zingers at all costs.

[zanereed]

This was right when Christopher Bernau came back to the show. I remember I started watching again because of that, as I had given up the show the year before because of the cast overhaul. I agree, Carl, the tone is completely uneven, as is the cast. I remember them pushing Simon and Jessie as the new supercouple, but I don't remember them catching on (as they, along with Calla, would all be off the show in 1987). They certainly didn't with me.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

 

I noticed that Suzzane Douglas was the Black woman featured in this episode. I've always liked her. Does anyone know how long was she on the show? Was she a Dayplayer?  GL should've expanded her character, Douglas is such an elegant actress, IMO and it was their loss not to utilize her on the show long-term.

Edited September 8, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[zanereed]

I think she was just on for a few episodes in 1986. You are correct, that was a waste of talent. It reminded me of when Brandon Spaulding was revealed to have an unknown child in 1984, Victoria (the climax to that Barbados storyline debacle). I thought the show was going to add her to help diversify the cast. Did the show ever use Victoria at all?

[zanereed]

Whoops - I completely forgot about Victoria being on GL in the late 1990's and early 2000's. I wasn't actively watching at the point.

[robbwolff]

The Vicky Spaulding in the 90/00s was a different character than the one introduced in 1984. Victoria Tamberlaine was introduced in 1984 as the daughter of Brandon and Sharina. Vicky Spaulding was Victoria Tamberlaine's daughter. When Vicky showed up and was revealed to be Brandon's granddaughter, there was a throwaway line that Victoria Tamberlaine was dead.

[DRW50]

Wally was played by Michael Conforti, who went on to write for GL, right?

 

He's kind of cute...

 

It's a shame they didn't keep Suzanne Douglas around. She fits in well.

[DRW50]

This redheaded woman isn't Kirsten Vigard, is it? I don't think it is but she looks so familiar.

 

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[vetsoapfan]

No, it's not Vigard, but she reminds me of Rebecca Mader, an actress who would play on Lost and Once Upon a Time, decades later. RM is too young to have done this in 1981, however.

[robbwolff]

Though I doubt it's her, the redhead bears a striking resemblance to Mary Kay Adams.