Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[NothinButAttitude]

This is why soaps need to move away from supercouples and focus on individual character growth/progression. Supercouples become stale by the 3rd or 4th time they are broken up. 

[DramatistDreamer]

 

ITA. I've been preaching this for years.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2016 by DramatistDreamer

[NothinButAttitude]

Every character on these shows need to be able to stand alone and be interesting on their own. That's why I love Emmerdale b/c most of the characters have their own little quirks that make them able to stand on their own and don't need a relationship to do so. US soaps should adapt to that while maintaining romance elements. 

[DramatistDreamer]

I tried to get rid of that gif and it won't go away.

 

Writers use supercouples to prop characters, especially when they have no story planned for one or both characters. I think shows believe they can build excitement despite having nothing interesting in store other than the same formulaic fodder. It is quite lazy.

I've seen fans fall for it too. Not on this messageboard but years ago, there was one messageboard, in particular (I won't mention the name), as soon as a casting or spoiler was released some posters were already creating scenarios and starting 'stan wars' assuming who the new character was "for", who he/she would be paired with.

I'd be like "Can we get so-and-so a story first?"  Gosh.

 

 

[DRW50]

 

From what I remember neither of them wanted a reunion, so they'd probably agree with you. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

I don't blame them, but (again) that's what happen when the characters have nothing to offer more than a pairing. Reva's whole arc since KZ's return was her constantly chasing and trying to keep Josh. 

 

Going back and watching KZ's original run on the show, Reva at least had ambitions/jobs. I remember seeing clips of her working at the hospital and later the newspaper during the Kyle era and forming a bond with Fletcher. Reva excelled when she was out her element and interacted with others.

 

I don't ever remember having a damn job from her return or having ambitions. If she did, it was short-lived. They should've kept Reva/Josh together instead of having him go to Cassie. From 2006 onwards, their stories should've centered around Marah/Shayne, (both who should've been brought back years before the finale), and Lewis Oil.

 

This is why I say soaps need to bring back workplace stories. 

[DRW50]

 

I was in and out in those last years but I never felt like Reva's problem in her last return was chasing after Josh as much as a lack of focus. She was a talk show host, a psychic, a lost princess. None of this ever really went anywhere and the talk show host stuff in particular was garish (I remember the bit where while live on air she helped the black waitress at Company, Ruth, who took someone hostage or something - it had "white savior" written all over it). She had the failed pairings with Bradley Cole. She had all the hammy melodrama with Tom Pelphrey that I found tacky and embarrassing. Josh often seemed like a bystander, which was one of the reasons Robert Newman got tired of the pairing, I believe. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

But his pairing with Cassie was no better. 

 

I do think how they marginalized Robert Newman was a crime. That man is the total package. He can act and is still damn sexy. He was also the constant on the show the last 2.5 decades of the show. They should've really centered Josh as a patriarchal figure on the show, and did more stories with him and Billy at Lewis Oil. 

 

I forgot Reva was a talk show host. I find that bit so stupid on soaps. Only character on soaps that was a convincing talk show host was Kim with Patterns on ATWT. I just feel that is a job they give larger than life characters on soaps when they can't find crap else for them to do for the time. 

[DRW50]

To be honest with you I always thought Josh was kind of dull, outside of his pairing with Harley. I also thought he was a sanctimonious ass. I thought the last few years and his efforts to become a minister had a lot of potential, but it just never really went anywhere. 

 

I think soaps can do the talk show host gig alright if it's handled the proper way, like the Cutting Edge on AMC, or Leanna Love on Y&R. Reva's story just never really made sense in that context, because her life was always OTT OTT OTT. Like in-between stints as a talk show host, she went blind while helping her sister fight rebels on a tropical island. What can you say? 

[Vee]

I don't know why they never went back to Josh and Harley. I would have. And I thought on paper the idea of Josh and Cassie (with Laura Wright in the role) was transgressive and interesting, but given where the characters all were in story and how they'd just reunited Josh and Reva, I think it was just wrong. Especially when the show began leaning on Josh and Cassie as true love.

 

I think Robert Newman is a tremendous actor who needs to be in more and better stuff all the time. You can see his mind working at every moment. He's still hot, too. Grant Aleksander should also be somewhere. They can make him Jeff Webber for all I care.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Vee

[DRW50]

It would have been strange seeing Josh with the butch, bitter Harley of her last 5 years, but you never know. 

 

I'm just glad they never paired him with Vanessa as they may have if "Matessa" hadn't taken off. Of course he likely never would have porked her daughter...

[Vee]

 

Yes, I was going to say that would have been a problem in Harley's twilight years.

[DRW50]

Sometimes I almost forget about those last years...maybe most of her stint after 1991 or so, but especially then. It did seem wrong she wasn't there at the end though. I can't remember if AMC had already ditched her in the toilet stalls by then. 

[Vee]

I didn't find Harley intolerable until around Peapack and Cyrus when it was clear they were just throwing her at any hot dick around, but I wasn't watching much in the intervening period prior. I was always lukewarm at best on her and Gus (I liked her with Phillip). For all her apparent BTS antics though, it was wrong that Harley was just dropped entirely from story and discussion.

Edited November 23, 2016 by Vee

[DRW50]

 

When I liked Harley best was when she was a quirky, messy character who had a serious core. For me that was taken from her when she was paired with Mallet (never liked that pairing...). When she came back I thought it was potentially there again, and she and Philip worked well in that context early on, but when they brought back Beth she became very serious to contrast Beth's neurotic prissy dysfunction. I think she and Gus again could have been that but I don't know if it ever worked out. I feel like over time actress overtook character.