Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I don't think Cloris had so much power in the industry that she could dictate her son getting a job. There was a rumor that someone once talked with her at a party about her son being on GL and even she said he couldn't act. 

I do think Morgan settled into the role once they dropped the rebel aspect. Some aspects still didn't work but they smoothed everything out after he and Sam broke up and he was mostly likeable support in the Lewis family and in the Julie and Bridget pairings. He also worked well with all the Lewises. 

I do wonder what they would have done with him if Englund hadn't left when he did - probably would have made him look bad compared to Hart, but he could have at least gotten to react to Reva's return from the dead.

I didn't mind his relationship with Sam but looking back he was too visibly old for her - sometimes I wonder if Suzy Cote looking so young is one of the reasons she was let go after a few years.

[P.J.]

I've been known to have multiple tabs open for jumping between years or from English to German episodes.

I blame my split personality. 

Lacey was definitely from a previous regime. She was already in town when Alan-Michael parachuted during the 50th anniversary week.

[P.J.]

I can appreciate what Morgan brought to the role. No, he's not the greatest actor, but I've seen plenty worse.

That said, I do think he was an odd casting choice to play the son of Billy and Reva. Their son should've been the building block of the next generation, just like Alan-Michael. And he wasn't.

Oh...gosh, Terrell Anthony is bad. And he and Krista Tesearu have no chemistry. NONE. And it's not because of her.

[DRW50]

Alan-Michael really wasn't either. 

By this point GL was starting to become more focused on stretching out and overusing existing characters or bringing in new characters and dynamics instead of having the generational aspect.

I think another issue was that I'm not sure how many viewers were really asking for Billy and Reva to have a son. They already had kids of their own and their dynamic, while very interesting, had mostly been resolved and now had to come back up because of a retcon son.

If Kim hadn't left, I think they would have gotten a lot more out of her relationship with Dylan than they did.

[Soaplovers]

Such bitter shrews LOL

A lot of Gen X women loved Morgan E as Dylan... and he was a much better long lost son of Reva then that freak Jonathan was later on.

[Contessa Donatella]

@P.J.I'm going to need that URL from you. I can offer various others, not GL. 

[DeeVee]

I've often wondered this, too. 

Never happened with Alan Michael, either. Possibly because of absent core family members? With Alan Michael, they also burned through the character really fast. He was married 4 times by the time he left town. He beat Ross Geller on the divorce meter, LOL.

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm neither taking up for Morgan or putting him down. But, I frankly do not understand the hatred for Tom Pelphrey's Jonathan!!!

Yes but what about one of his wives later marrying a lesbian? or being on a break?

[chrisml]

I always liked Alex's rapport with Lillian. Their friendship was enjoyable to watch. It's so interesting to me how often Lillian rescued scenes and Sloan managed to have chemistry with just about everyone. 

Krista Tesreau is underrated as Mindy. The other actors get all the attention, but I think she was charming and had depth to her portrayal. The first two Mindy actresses were great casting choices. 

I also enjoyed Dylan. There was a sweetness and vulnerability to him. I don't think every actor has to be en Emmy winning acting genius. Englund had the likability factor going for him. As for Jonathan, I think the character was sleazy, mean-spirited and just unnecessary. I also think Pelphrey overacted. I know David Kreizman fell in love with the character/actor, but I wish he had kept his affections to himself and off the show.

[P.J.]

Alan-Michael may not have been the "next generation anchor", so to say, but he's eminently a better developed character than Dylan was.

No, no one was asking for a son for Billy/Reva, but it was a "boom" moment, and a better way to give Billy a long lost child than the typical "oh hey, remember that ONS with some nameless chick?" that a lot of fathers ended up with. (John Dixon had two..)  Even if the backstory doesn't quite add up. Reva's kids were little at the time, and there was such a gap between Mindy and Bill that it's a little more believable that at some point, Billy was gonna have a long lost kid show up.

LOL...well, naturally he was better than Jon.

Well, Alan-Michael was on nearly 10 years. Phillip had hit four marriages in the same time. (well, if you only count him as an adult. He'd married Mindy, India, Blake and Beth by 1992.)

Alex and Lillian are the rare friends that lasted a long time, and never really stepped on each other's toes.

I would still call Krista the definitive Mindy. I have come to appreciate Simms more lately. But the affair with Roger still skeeves me out.

[Contessa Donatella]

Well, I am one who is very glad that the GL Casting Director found Pelphrey at a NJ college. But, I always found Tesreau to be solid as a Mindy! And, she was one of MOL's better pairings. 

[DRW50]

He had more focus, but I don't think they ever developed him well. He was stuck in the bratty/scheming role for too long. He did have more development than Dylan, I suppose, but it was more frustrating to me because he should have been more of a character than he was, whereas I thought Dylan was fine in how they used him.

[VelekaCarruthers]

And Terrell tried to compete with A Martinez/Cruz SB for tightest jeans with package visible.  Neither could compare to Charles Flohe/Preacher on EON...In that department 

Edited July 6 by VelekaCarruthers

[P.J.]

Had Hearst stayed in the role, I hope that would've changed. 

On second thought, with two firecracker parents, maybe it was better that Dylan was calmer.

[DRW50]

It had in his last year or so, although they seemed to be going back that route after Philip's return.