Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[John]

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[MichaelGL]

Your assumption is correct. While there was a good amount of fans who loved the Santos element, it was only down to the coupling of Danny and Michelle (IMO a coupling that only worked with Joy Lenz in the part), everything mob related was seen as out of place on GL.

Further back in this thread a few posters have pitched ideas as to what other ways the Santos family could have been incorporated in Springfield which would have been 100 times better than what we got. IMO I didn't have a problem with the actors, just the perpetual mob stories were a major issue.

Edited June 8, 2020 by MichaelGL

[Bill Bauer]

 

That's a VERY unpopular opinion but I agree with it. 

[Mitch]

Most tentpoles are "boring" but shows need them. Bert wasn't exactly jumping in fountains...

 

I think there were a ton of ancillary problems which made the impact of Mo's death worse. It was very apparent that JFP was moving the show from the Bauer kitchen to the diner with the Coopers at the center. I have no doubt she felt Frank and Eleni would be the new Ed and Mo but Melinda left and Frankie D didn't have the chops to become the moral center.  The show became the Buzz Cooper Hour, and of course Simms, McKinsey also left at this time. The show also did not have a matriarch in place. If they had brought back Meta right before the death, or at least right after, the hole would not have felt that big. The whole tone of the show changed at that time, and a lot of it had nothing to do with Maureen's death.

 

I do think one of the main things that was so big about this as shows have always treated death so cheaply. People returned from the dead, beloved core characters died peacefully in their sleep of old age, but this death felt real, almost too real.

[Bill Bauer]

 

 

I agree with what you wrote. I think AW was gutted when they killed off Mary Matthews and the show, in my opinion, lost its core. I'm not opposed to tragic, untimely deaths of matriarchs and patriarchs since that happens in life and I think soaps are best when they mirror real life but if the writers use the death as a symbolic way to move focus away from the core family then I am very much against it. So, I was actually ok with them killing off Maureen because it was good drama and I never really liked the character that much (neither Dolan's nor Parker's version) but not at the expense of gutting the Bauer family any more than it had been. I think the problem is that Ed was never very patriarchal (outside of Hulswit's version). If he had been, the loss of that "moral compass" would have been less of a problem. 

 

You haven't seen the old episode where Bert baptizes herself the "slut of Selby Flats"?

[Mitch]

HAHAHAHA... no doubt the most cheerful, helpful and all around full figured slut Selby Flats ever saw!

 

"Now dear, would you like some pie and coffee or are you too worn out from the mind blowing sex???"

 

[Soapsuds]

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[victoria foxton]

I miss the days when soaps had a budget to do fancy parties. Even thought 86 was wonky in quality. This is a good episode. Aside from the chem testing between Billy and Roxie. The look on Alex's face when she saw Alan was soapy goodness.

Edited June 8, 2020 by victoria foxton

[vetsoapfan]

I think TGL was left seriously crippled after the mass slaughter in 1983-84. 

 

It was then bludgeoned into a coma when Maureen was senselessly killed off.

 

Finally, it was left brain-dead when Reva the Ghost, Reva the Clone and Reva the Time Traveller showed up. What made it worse was that the host was also infected with the San Cristo-crap and toxic mob viruses.

 

By the time Peapack came about, our once-beloved show was hanging by a thread on life support, and it was only a matter of time before the Light would be extinguished.

 

 

[Soapsuds]

I've seen YR, BB, ATWT, Capitol and now watching this episode. All from 1986. It's weird seeing Grant on Capitol and Jess too. John Bolger on now as Phillip.

I agree the show lost its luster after 1984.

[victoria foxton]

Ron i would love to read your opinions of Capitol. 

Your spot on in your assessment. But i can still enjoy quite a bit from that era.  I can't enjoy much from the last 17 yrs of GL.

Edited June 8, 2020 by victoria foxton

[Soapsuds]

I loved the India/Alex rivalry

 

Alex after seeing India in her living room: Oh...It's back.....lol

 

Hated Jessie and Simon.

 

Flove me some Kurt Corday.

First Dinah was so dull.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Soapsuds

[victoria foxton]

Diva's Alex and India were one of the few things GL did right.

 

GL desperately tried to make them into the next big supercouple. 

 

Poor Kurt Corday. got caught in the shuffle.

[Bill Bauer]

I forgot what an annoying character Calla was. I can't look at her without thinking of syphilis. 

[Soapsuds]

The masked ball was boring until the end.