Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[P.J.]

In a quick search, it must be between April 11th 1989 when Josh and Reva take Marah in for another DNA test, and the 28th when Josh tells Will that he is indeed Marah's father.

The German episode dates it as the 4/14 episode. It seems to be the same episode where Meredith miscarries Phillip's baby.

https://youtu.be/lp-rGkdEyQU?si=A86cxHUdIBL-kXGl

[Contessa Donatella]

Thank you. The dates match up with where I've been looking. Thanks again. 

[P.J.]

LOL...it's strange how your perspective changes. I know when I really started getting GL, I was into the romance of Kelly/Morgan and Quint/Nola. And honestly, I didn't remember a lot of early Vanessa. But in rewatching now, I can identify with Vanessa's more cynical assessment of love and romance. (see also Van showing up in black to Ross and Carrie's wedding...)

While I love Billy and Vanessa, I do wonder what Marland would've written for her, or what would've happened to her if Reva hadn't taken over the damn show.

re Reva: other then her momma and sisters, I can't think of a female friend she had. It's always a guy--Philip, Fletch, Hamp, Billy. Ooops...I suppose Abby. but I generally hated Amish Reva so...

It was great that GL built up Bill/Michelle/Ben from the time they were kids. Though it's a little weird that no one refers to Ben and Bill as cousins.

I do think Vanessa runs the Spaulding Foundation in 86, so they might have crossed there, and the kids' connection makes sense (not only Bill/Michelle, but a little during the Rick/Mindy years). It's just jarring sometimes when you rewatch an earlier era and don't see the interconnectedness that developed later. 

[DRW50]

If that version of Vanessa had stayed, I think she probably wouldn't have lasted very long - I could see her being killed off similar to Diane. 

[P.J.]

I think Marland would've given her a redemptive arc in the style of Nola's though. She almost seems like a Lucinda-esque prototype.

But I agree---I don't think Vanessa could've lasted as the neurotic mess she was before Billy much longer. It took her three years to get a viable romance. And other than Ed, I don't think any of her entanglements truly cared about her. Ross of this era is mostly just using her.

[DRW50]

That's an interesting concept. The writing for women often seems so black and white for me in what I've seen of Marland's run, with a few exceptions.

[P.J.]

God, Vanessa/Fletcher is a l-o-n-g three months.

Bev does look exhausted in her exit. "Do a good job, baby," feels off-script. 

[Soaplovers]

I think the Vanessa that came back in mid 1989 after being off canvas was a nice mix of Marland's Vanessa and Long's Vanessa...where she had the haughtiness and disdain for Nadine...but also had a heart.

Shame by 1991...that Vanessa went away.

[Mitch64]

I can't even remember that "romance" they just threw every diva at Fletcher and it never worked...I think he was like Frankie D, he must have had blackmail pics of execs at P & G to stay on the show for that long. 

They should have never recast Alex and let Van go back to her more controllling ways as rich matriarch of SF. 

[P.J.]

What did surprise me in Vanessa's return is how hard she goes after Ross again. She tries manipulating him back into Spaulding, making a deal with Phillip (agreeing to back his idea to give WSPR to Blake in exchange for offering Ross a VP position.). Vanessa sure believed in work place romance. 

I think overall, Vanessa's return was handled well. There are times I wish OG Vanessa could've come out and dealt with her adversaries more, but when she did, it was awesome. 

 

The only women I thought Fletch ever worked with were Claire and Alex, and even with Alex he comes off as a lecturing dweeb.  He is so suffocating with Vanessa. Who intends to throw a rock on someone's finger after three months? Sure, they've known each other for a while, but he doesn't really understand what makes her tick. There's a wonderful moment where she tells him that a lot of what he admires in her now is the result of her having loved Billy, and that Fletch wouldn't have even looked at her then (which is so true, early Vanessa is just slightly less self-destructive than Blake.) Y'know, back in the days when shows actually did their homework instead just inventing character history to suit story.

Personally, I do think they needed Alex on canvas. And I'd certainly rather deal with Alex than Alan (all apologies to Ron Raines). But I certainly rather have dealt with a more controlling Vanessa than the Matt years.

 

[Soaplovers]

I did watch a snippet of an episode from the fall of 1987 when Mo was still hospital Admin... and she was preparing to go to war with Alan over something he was pulling on the hospital and Ed.  So I don't think Van and Mo were going to interact as friends.. since it appeared they were on opposite sides in 1986.

Plus, I think Maeve was Mo's friend in 1987/88 until Maeve passes... and Vanessa was off canvas from January 1988 until around mid 1989.

I was surprised Vanessa had set her sights on Ross when she came back in mid 1989.. and she instantly disliked Nadine for being beneath her.  There was a scene where Vanessa came to see Ross as Holly left.. and said 'oh... she's attractive' to Ross.   Vanessa always viewed women as either competition or beneath her.. at least back in the 80s/early 90s.

In fact.. Billy/Nadine started because the two were in cahoots to keep Vanessa and Ross apart.. and then they fell into an affair themselves.

Fletcher was best with Claire.. both were head strong and full of passion/adventure.  

However, I did like his opposite attract relationship with Maeve.. she kept him in line and he helped her to loosen up.

Attempts to pair him with Vanessa and Holly didn't work... I always wondered why the show didn't test him with Nola or Nadine.

[chrisml]

I've been watching some GL episodes, and I have little memory of the character of Rose. I like the actress (Alexandra Neill) but I can't think of one storyline of hers. Also, was Elizabeth Dennehy really fired because she looked like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction? Some people online indicate that it is so. In the episodes I watch, Ed is upset because he feels Maureen is in love with Fletcher. I like this storyline and I wish it had been fleshed out/continued. Also, Carl Tye Evans was such a cutie.

[DRW50]

I think they needed what Alex should have been, but sadly even with the divine Beverlee there I don't think the Alex of the end of her run was needed, let alone how she was written under Marj.

I did enjoy McTavish's Alex and her banter with Hawk, mostly because I thought that material suited Marj.

I liked Fletcher more than most here, but that was down to just finding him a likeable support character and everyday figure. Other than Alex I was never invested in his pairings. 

I don't think Fletcher/Holly was a terrible idea, especially with their media jobs, but giving them a child was a very bad idea and just an example of trying to fit an issue story onto characters.

If they were going to tell that story then it might have made more sense to me with Nadine (Jean Carol would have stayed if she had been given story, IIRC), or even Nola. Nola would have loved that child, but I could see Quint struggling, possibly wanting her to have an abortion (especially after learning the baby would have Down's) and that being a more believable cause for their split than an affair. 

[heffos]

Frankly, I always thought they got rid of Dennehy because she more resembled more the Judi Evans Beth type (in both looks and personality) than Beth Chamberlin did.

[Liberty City]

I've read Elizabeth Dennehy was hired during a strike period, and the writer (at the time) was unhappy with her as Blake, so she fired because she didn't embody as Roger Thorpe's daughter. And supposedly, Sherry Stringfield was whom they had in-mind prior to the strike, so when the time came, they pounced in hiring Stringfield.