Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[P.J.]

Kristen Vigard. Around September 1980, Morgan ran away after having a fight with Jennifer (Jennifer had found her birth control pills). She wound up in Chicago and walked right in to a pimp named Duke. He was about to rape her, but Kelly saved her. Duke went to jail, but busted out in the spring of '81. He kidnapped and raped her the week of April 20th, according to the TV Guide recap. 

[DRW50]

Geez. I don't think I've ever seen any of this. And then a few months later she has sex with Kelly? I always just through her story was about struggling with the aftermath of having sex with Kelly too early. 

I wonder if the rape was Marland's plan or entirely strike writing. I guess it must have been from his outlines.

Edited March 28 by DRW50

[P.J.]

Ugh...blatant is right. 

I don't remember Fletch with Ben much, actually. Which is odd, since they often made such a big deal about how hard raising a kid on his own was. I know while he was involved with Alex, she became attached to Ben. Ben is around a little more when Fletch dates Vanessa, but not a huge amount. I know Greg Burke said he remembered them hanging out with Holly, so I'm guessing it's around '94-'95? 

Morgan and Kelly had had sex in the summer of '80. Nola had helped her get the birth control pills (that Jennifer found) as a result. 

Kelly and Morgan married in August of '81, which is also a little creepy.  

There was a writer's strike in '81? I've forgotten...

[DRW50]

That may be when they start showing him more, yes - I remember him being around a fair amount but I may be thinking of the scenes with Ben and Michelle.

So they had the sex story first and then the rape story. I guess Marland was trying to speedrun another Laura.

Thanks.

The writers' strike was from April to July 1981, so may have started showing up onscreen sometime in May or late April. The only story I've heard of it in GL terms is that Marland was on the phone putting through all the dialogue for the episode where Kelly confronts Nola over her pregnancy lies, as the strike had just been resolved.

[Soaplovers]

I remember Ben was shown after Maeve's death.. and I remember it was when Josh and Reva were watching him, comforting him and helping him deal with Maeve's death.  Fletcher had mentioned that as one of his memories of Reva after Reva was thought dead in 1990.

Fletcher was the guy that was more about the adventure and getting the latest scoop then about romance.  Other then some promising chemistry with Claire, I often viewed Fletcher as more on the asexual spectrum.. and usually took him awhile to fall for someone.  

He usually would hang out with Vanessa when Little Bill and Ben were school age.. and sometimes would handle carpool for the kids on his way to the journal.  

[chrisml]

From what I remember of Lucy's portion of the story, it did feel that the writers were going out of their way to terrorize and punish Lucy with the rape/Brent/Marian storyline. Yet the audience's attention was more focused on the Brent/Marian of it all. I suppose Satra didn't have it as bad as what JFP and Pratt tried to do to Jessica Collins on YR until that was nipped in the bud. JFP really is/was a sexist menace.

I always liked Fletcher. He was a comfort character. I think shows need them and too often they're overlooked or dropped.

[Contessa Donatella]

Basically I liked Fletcher too, although didn't really like the baby Meg story. Liked Fletcher's relationship with Alex.

Honestly I am still reeling over reading Sonia Satra & Emmy in the same sentence!

 

[P.J.]

The part about Marland coming back and writing the Kelly/Nola confrontation does sound a little familiar. OMG...I just rewatched it. It's literally 15 minutes long. Perfection barely begins to describe it.

[DRW50]

I remember watching just a fragment of it on the 50th anniversary special and being mesmerized. Lisa Brown did good work for many years to come but that level of rawness and brokenness stays with you.

[prefab1]

Keep in mind, Natalia Livingston has a Daytime Emmy, and even at her worst, Satra could act circles around her. 

[Contessa Donatella]

This provokes many thoughts in me. WHAT? NotEmily has an Emmy?!!!! is the first. Do we really want to talk in terms of such low bars? is the second. Third & last, No, sorry to me at least Satra is not better, although I can see my way to equally deriding both if it helps. 

[P.J.]

Lisa is practically the entire episode. After Kelly chews her out, Nola tries playing victim with Bea and Tony, and Bea just isn't having any of it. 

It is literally a crime that Lisa wasn't even nominated for it. 

[Franko]

The full episode used to be on YouTube, and for all I know, it's back. I love so much about it, including the ending, when the down-and-out Miss Reardon starts plotting her comeback ...

[Contessa Donatella]

Someone tell me where is it?

[Mitch64]

The episode is great...and I loved the addition of Nola at the end bruised but not beaten and plotting, I am sure Marland pattered that after "Gone with the Wind," and another reason that it made no sense with Nola coming home after Quint cheated on her, she would have been plotting a comeback and not whinging and acting bitter in the Boarding house.. (and I had no problem that Quint cheated on her it happens in the best of marriages, but I would twisted it that Nola cheated and Quint took the blame to save her the rep with Henry, her family and friends...and so Van couldn't smear her nose in it..God I love me some Van and Nola passively aggressively annoying each other...)

Fletch I didn't mind as an friend type character, the same with Frank Cooper, it made Springfield look like a town that some poeple weren't dealing with constant trauma..( would have made Rick Bauer one of those, the friendly town doctor,) but they didn't need storylines or romances.