Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Khan]

Ross Marler's funeral was an ITL. 'Nuff said. :-(

[Vizion]

I saw that one actually. I pretty much was pissed all the way through it because the show let JVD go and on top of that, they felt it necessary to imply that the whole time he was having an affair with his assistant (yeah a month later we found out he didn't have an affair, whatever, there was no reason to even imply or hint that he did in the first place). It was ridiculous and just sucked all the way around. Ross, in many ways, represented the heart of GL, much like Maureen. He was something of a moral compass and when he died, and in such a crappy half-assed way, just UGHHHHHHHH, and then to use his death to start the idiotic and ridiculous plot point of Blake running for mayor

It was called 'A Love Lost'

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Part 2

Part 3

Does anyone remember what ITL it was when everyone was stuck at the cabin and a couple have sex because we see a used condom and you have to guess who it is (the couple ending up being Olivia and Buzz)?

[soapfan770]

Pretty much illustrates my point--the ITL eps had self-contained stories that should have been written out over a period of time. I do remember the one about the cabin mainly because I knew Olivia and Frank wouldn't do it. I think the worst one I saw was the Thanksgiving 2007 episode. Or the one about Alan's dream-erasing drug. OR the one with Harley waking up to find it was 1993.

[DAMfan]

4.1 coming up is a sad date for GL fans - when CBS played a joke on GL fans and actors - they thought it was funny on April Fools Day to let's us know they canceled our Light and we will never forget that date.

[Mitch]

Having them every week ruined the flow of the week. Each episode was a stand alone and sort of existed in its own reality. The ones that did impact story had everything piled into them, when we should have seen the natural flow of the story grow, example, the Mel and Rick one. We didnt see them more weeks, when we did everything seemed fine, then we saw that Rick was screwing Beth and that Mel and he had problems. All of that should have been played out over the months (and actually would have made quite good of a story, helping to bring Beth back to her old self, and giving Mel a more well defined character.)

Also, the demand for having them every week made them become filler, like with the "Memory Forumla," one, and the "Superhero," one, and the goofy Cops one. Also, the same character dominating everyday, dominated the ITL, like Reva, Jeffy, Jammy, and the Coopers.

Some were great.. I thought the 70th anniversary was really, really good. Loved the Jeva one which incorporated Billy and Van,

[DRW50]

Claire is annoying as hell in this clip. No wonder Ed boozed it up.

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[Vizion]

Hmm, I don't remember the three you mentioned, I'll have to look them up. The "Choices" one surrounding Daisy having an abortion actually was pretty good. I liked the dynamic between Reva and Harley and I did see potential for the character of Daisy that was never fully realized (and then when they had her get involved with Grady, UGH). Brian Gaskill as Dylan wasn't working for me at all though.

[soapfan770]

Look them up at your own risk^_^ The dream/memory one aired around Jonathan's '07 return, and I think the 1993 dream one was actually one of the last ones they ever did before the big '08 changes airing in either Jan or Feb '08. The best one was the Mother's Day ep, if not for all the Jenna and Nadine interaction. Oh and bringing back Audrey Peters to play Sarah Shayne.

Ugh now I've got the ugly green glass and plywood Cedars hospital set on my mind. In spite of the cheapness, I have never understood why the set they started using in 2006 looked so terrible and un-hospital like.

[Khan]

A good set designer knows how to work with any budget, large or small. That set looked so awful, though, it had me wondering if Ellen Wheeler had hired some high school drama club to re-design Cedars just to save a few bucks.

[Michael]

That Cedars re-design was sooooo strange. Like, just use some white walls! It's a hospital. The place looked like a damn Hawaiian cabana.

[DRW50]

It was very claustrophobic.

[Michael]

The whole show felt oddly claustrophobic in its last years (well, except for all the scenes set in the middle of random empty fields...). I think it was Marina and Mallet's wedding where I had to turn off the TV because I was so uncomfortable -- they were seriously getting married up against a wall, with the four guests standing behind them in a line. It was just horrible staging.

[Khan]

Perhaps, Mallet and Marina were going for a "police lineup" theme?

[Michael]

I feel like I'm just running all over the board 'LOL'ing at you, but... LOL.

[DRW50]

From the April 12, 1983 Digest. I got a kick out of Helena, I wish they could have had Rose Alaio come back later on, it might have given Nola something to do in that horrible return.

This issue also talks about how chaotic GL is backstage, with Geraldine Court (who had just been fired) basically calling it a madhouse. John Wesley Shipp also quit, as he wanted to do a play and they kept telling him he had to make a decision now, and that he was upset about changes to his character. Didn't he end up staying on a while after this? I know he was with Claire, and that was a while after this wasn't it?