Guiding Light discussion thread

[Mitch64]

I was and thank you, what a great early Christmas present! I remember watching this on my good old VCR at the time, after work with a glass a wine and spitting it out at the line and Reva's reaction! I liked Moniz but the one note they wrote her was tiresome. I wish after her accident she grew up a bit and became a force to be reckoned with like Van, who by the way they dress and makeup to look so frumpy here. 

 

I really do now understand Kimmer bitching that they were trying to make her the new Bert Bauer (except Bert was never sanctimonious) I would have loved old Reva to resurface here go after Dinah, which would make the old Van resurface to put her in her place, and it would be Shayne and Chamberline blow out with dumb Josh as usual sitting on the sidelines trying to protect what was left of his balls. 

The show was dumbly entertaining at the time but we are gearing up for the clone.  What was up with Matt and the doctor guy giggling together so much? It was supposed to be male bonding but it came off more like Matt was flirting. MOL was actually good before he got fat and started mugging, Beth needed to go to the Bauer house and get her old storyline back from Chele, I know Jesse was dumb but ..really? Chamberlin is good as an ice queen..which could have been a natural progression for the character if they hadn't made her manhungry pathetic while they were at it.

[P.J.]

Well, Vanessa is pregnant with Maureen here. But at some point, wardrobe took a huge downgrade and stopped dressing Van in the jewel tones she looked best in. And I think they made Van's look more "casual" in deference to her younger husband. RME. (recalls some ridiculous comment Matt made at Van's memorial, about him having to remind her to dress for business meetings. AS. IF. Vanessa was a fashionista before "fashionista" was coined.)

I know I've complained about Vanessa and Reva being "friends" before, but it always strikes me as ridiculous given their history. I just watched a scene from '95 (after Reva returns) where Reva is trying to guilt Vanessa into going to Josh to get time with her kids, and when Van points out that Josh has been the stability in those children's lives, Reva gets all snarky about Vanessa toeing the "Lewis party line" even though she's no longer a Lewis and how she should understand since she had to fight to get into Dinah's life after giving her up. (Ignoring, of course, that Reva had done the same thing with Dylan...)  Vanessa should've torn Reva a new piehole and thrown the fact that (in effect) Van had mothered Shayne more than Reva at that point. Ugh...there are times when Reva expecting everyone to do for her just chaps my hide. 

I guess they're trying to make Matt look like the "fun" one in counterpoint to Vanessa's seriousness. Basically, Matt has no internal life struggle, so gets to act like the flake he is. Then again, maybe he's just falling into his old "escort" routine.

[Errol]

Donna,

This counts as sharing alleged inside info. Whether this is true information or not, you have been asked not to share private information that has not been corroborated anywhere else. I'm tired of having to tell you this. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, I can assure you that it's not any kind of insider information. What it is, is something that someone posted that they are a part of. Simply put, it is just people talking, regular like. I have no reason to doubt them but at the same time I have no way to confirm what they've said. I am surprised that it would be considered a problem. But, if it is, do you want to delete it?

[Mitch64]

I just watched that last week. Both actresses are good with the material they are given (Van is stoic and immovable, Reva is emotional and throwing any punch that would land) and both actually have a point. For once, it wasn't Reva's fault that she was away (well, slinking around SF spying on everyone was her fault but...McTavish writing so..) and Van has every right to question her (I love when she opens the door and sees Reva alive and well and in beige...why the insisted on dressing Reva in beige... and Van pauses and then says simply "Oh, Reva" ) Kimmer was really good in these first months of her return...it was later that she started to fall into her patterns and not committing to things like she used to. 

 

It is interesting...what the hell does Matt want out of life? Even when Annie and Dinah are cartoony and pathetic you know what they want..but Matt? He just has very shallow relationships with Bridget, Nola and Josh, etc. I would think people would forget he was even in the room.

I watched a scene when Ed returns and Van is coming for Jeva's wedding, and stops by the Bauer house to talk to Ed, worried that Rick's condition would send him back to the bottle. Both are really good and subtle and got me thinking that they might have made a good match at the end...but too much history I guess, his dead wife's best friend, his nephew's ex-wife, his best friend's ex love. I know they were together earlier but that might be too weird even for SF.  But they both really give off the vibe of longtime friends, no OTT just two old friends concerned about each other that GL was missing during the Mob/San Crud crap.

Edited December 23, 2024 by Mitch64

[Maxim]

I've jumped back into the amazing 1982 german episodes... that I can never be thankful enough to @rsclassicfanforever for uploading. 

[P.J.]

I should've recognized McTrash writing. I have kinda skipped around the GL holiday lately, and only watched those scenes. I don't think I could stomach Reva's return. 

Christmas '95 is a bit strange. It's a clip show (basically) with some odd choices. Vanessa (spending her first Christmas with Matt) remembers Christmases '83 and '84 (Christmases with Billy). Nola recalls one with Quint, and Ed and the Bauers remember Mo's last Christmas.

While I was always annoyed at how Fletcher insinuated himself into Vanessa's life and then proceeded to throw down ultimatums the moment he got her into bed, at least he had a life apart from her. Matt's got nothing. He's working for her ex-inlaws, has some quasi attraction/tug of war with her daughter, and confides in a woman who he knows antagonizes his wife. How he doesn't know that Vanessa would put her kids ahead of herself (when she just risked her life to give birth to Maureen, or limited Billy's access to Bill or fought practically the town for custody of Peter) and the marriage to do what she felt was right? Moron.

I've watched that Ed/Vanessa scene a couple of times, and it always seems a little odd. It seems like the type of scene that should've gone to Ross or Billy.  Not that I don't think Ed and Vanessa don't care about each other in some basic way, but they never seem that close. 

Edited December 24, 2024 by P.J.

[P.J.]

Right? I was giggly that it was chock full of Vanessa.

[DRW50]

I never thought they were either. I suppose they just wanted to have the moment after managing to get Peter Simon back and Maeve back briefly. I think Maureen's death and the affair were always going to be obstacles in a friendship, one they never had anyway. 

I was so surprised when I learned they had dated and IIRC were even engaged. Never mentioned in later years.

Edited December 24, 2024 by DRW50

[P.J.]

That's one of those forgotten nuggets. So much so, I was shocked when I came across it. They were lovers, but I don't think they were ever engaged. Vanessa is angling hard for it, so hard that she pays Joe Bradley to get Rita's address so that Ed can get a divorce. She then sends it anonymously to Ed. When Ed finds out she did, he dumps her. He meets Mo a couple of months later.

I understand the show never playing that vibe through the years, as they really don't interact for long stretches other than the odd medical emergency. They wouldn't even have a flashback to go to, as Simon took over the role as Maeve went on maternity leave. Not to mention, IMO, Simon isn't a chemistry magnet. Maeve doesn't get enough credit for making Vanessa appealing in spite of her agendas.

[DRW50]

Didn't she also fake a suicide attempt? I can't remember.

I thought Peter worked well with all of his leading ladies (the few he had), but I agree Maeve was better on that front.

[P.J.]

Yes. Ross had regrets after the Jennifer Richards trial, and he broke things off with Vanessa, and tried to make a relationship with Eve. Vanessa was determined to get his attention, she mixed booze and pills, intending to call Ross so he'd rescue her and feel guilty. He took the phone off the hook, and she passed out. Henry found her and got her to the hospital. Ed either treated her, or just started talking to her and that's how that developed.

Andy Norris told Ed that she faked the suicide, which was the first bump in the relationship (the scene is between Maeve and Mart). It's Peter Simon and Anna Stuart who play out the break up, when he finds out she sent him Rita's address. I actually haven't seen that, but it ushers Anna Stuart out, and Maeve comes back sometime in late January/Feb of '82.

And when WM's Dinah comes back and is super self-destructive, the show missed the opportunity to really remind us that Vanessa understood her behavior because she'd lived it. Instead it was all "Vanessa's guilty for giving her baby up" yadda yadda.

I guess I might be short changing Simon a little, he does have decent chem with both Mos and Holly. 

 

Edited December 24, 2024 by P.J.

[DRW50]

Thanks.

I also liked him with Eve, although I haven't watched them together in 30 years. 

I forgot Hulswit didn't play the breakup.

[P.J.]

I never liked Eve or Hilary Edson. Nor Vincent Irizarry as Nick.

[Contessa Donatella]

I enjoyed Hilary Edson in GL, AW & GH. Lucky for me!