Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Kane]

I'm pretty sure Lucy and Bridget never even have another scene together for the rest of the time they're both on the show. Bridget isn't even invited to the wedding! The lack of community feeling and continuity of non-romantic relationships during this period is very jarring. Characters suddenly only seem to interact with a handful of other characters, rather than characters across the canvas.

I'm deep into 1997 in my watch right now and find that it's even stranger because the show goes back and forth between ignoring history in order to manufacture some kind of separation between characters (for example, at one point Amanda refers to the Coopers as a family that the Spauldings "barely know," despite her and Alan spending the better part of 1996 going to war with Buzz over 5th street, and Alan has absolutely no reaction when he finds out about something bad that's happened to Abby, which seems pretty out of character given how close they were in 95/96) and ignoring history in order to create a sense of community that doesn't quite fit (characters who couldn't stand Amanda are suddenly acting all buddy buddy with her). The wheels really feel like they're coming off in 1997 (although I know some would argue that the wheels started to come off years earlier).

Watching the Marcus/Dahlia romance again from a 2025 perspective is so weird. Marcus is a full grown man who must be at least in his mid-20s and he's dating a teenager who is not only still in high school, but is still fully a year away from graduation, and no one says anything about how creepy that is.

I feel like the buzz around Marcus gave the illusion that the show was more invested in him than it ever actually was. Even during his "big" story where he's arrested for Cutter's murder, he actually doesn't appear on screen very often. He's imprisoned, Griffin is brought on, other characters make a fuss about trying to get him out, but there's a long stretch of time where he doesn't appear at all. I've been keeping episode counts while I watch and between Cutter's death in mid-November of 1995 and the end of the year Marcus/Mambo only appears 7 times (and of that only twice in December).

[DRW50]

I can probably believe the Spauldings reacting that way, as Alan barely cares about anyone but himself and maybe his family, while Amanda only had that one experience with the Coopers, but I see your point. I do think 1997 was a better year than the last 3-4 before it, for whatever that's worth.

You are right about Marcus. Kevin Mambo winning two Emmies (the latter during periods where he had nothing to do) helped.

[P.J.]

And on rewatch, I could've done without the unsubtle praising Matt like he was the only one who ever accepted Van as she was...but TPTB and their agendas.  It was totally in character for Vanessa to shut down emotionally until she was alone. While she could be volatile, both she and Henry believed in keeping emotions private. 

Thank God it's still Bryan Buffinton in the role for both Henry's and HB's funerals. It just wouldn't have been the same with Ryan Brown, who couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag.

Roll My Eyes.

[kalbir]

And Kevin Mambo beat Shemar Moore for those two Emmys.

I chalk up the wins to the voters not wanting Jonathan Jackson to eventually end up with a five peat (he won 1995, 1998, 1999).

These were the 1996 and 1997 Younger Actor races.

1996: Nathan Fillion, Jonathan Jackson, Kevin Mambo (winner), Shemar Moore, Joshua Morrow

1997: Steve Burton, Jonathan Jackson, Kevin Mambo (winner), Shemar Moore, Joshua Morrow

Edited May 13 by kalbir

[DRW50]

I think Kevin's 1996 Emmy was fair enough. He barely appeared for his second. I don't think anyone else on the list is that deserving but I might have gone with Moore as he did try with the whole Keesha AIDS story.

@alwaysAMC Thanks to slick jones' cast list I was able to see that Nikki Rene played Tina. Not much on her, as you mentioned. Tap and a few Broadway listings (it doesn't help that a younger actress with a similar name is in a lot of roles).

Nikki Rene: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World

https://onceonthisisland.fandom.com/wiki/Nikki_Rene

Nikki Rene - IMDb

Edited May 13 by DRW50

[Paul Raven]

Concluding 1976...

Raymond Schafer arrives in Springfield and begins an extensive probe into Malcolm’s death, puzzling Ed, who wonders why most of Schafer’s question sessions keep turning back to Rita’s involvement with Malcolm. Ed assures the man that Rita’s only connection with
Malcolm was as his nurse; he is unaware that Schafer knows a great deal more about Rita than he does.
Just to protect Rita, Ed has Mike check on Schafer’s credentials, and learns that he’s a  well-respected criminal attorney. The waitress at the restaurant where Malcolm suffered his stroke tells Schafer that the woman who was with him reacted very professionally to the sudden emergency, as if she were a nurse.
Realizing that her little sister has fallen hard for Tim, Rita warns him that she’s very vulnerable and innocent, but Tim tells Rita her advice isn’t necessary. But Tim then receives a plum job offer to be chief neurological resident at a prestigious Philadelphia hospital and can’t pass up the opportunity. Evie is crushed by the news and spends the next several days
at home crying.
Joe Werner, fully recovered, has accepted a post as a medical aide in a destitute village in India and leaves alone, with Sarah to follow him later. Justin asks Sarah to consider a partnership with him in private practice, but she explains that she thrives on the hospital atmosphere. When a call comes from India that Joe has had another massive attack, Sarah
leaves on the next available flight and arrives only moments before he dies. The painful news is relayed back to Cedars at once.
Sara returns from India a heartbroken woman, but the day-to-day involvement of raising T.J. and of her career seem to be her salvation. Justin shows a surprisingly compassionate and understanding side to Sara, but, ironically, Justin’s ex-wife, Jackie, arrives in Springfield with her diabetic father, who is suffering from a heart attack. In the process of consulting with
Justin on her father’s condition, Jackie comes face to face with Sara for the first time since their college days.

Evie’s heartbreak at Tim’s departure turns to fury and hatred when she inadvertently discovers a letter which Tim wrote to Rita just after he left. In it he concedes that Rita was right about Evie’s vulnerability where he was concerned but reminds Rita that he badly hurt her in the same way she feared Evie would suffer. Evie is now sure that Rita somehow forced Tim to leave town and is livid at the idea that Tim was Rita’s lover. She insists she’s cutting off her relationship with Rita and will pay her back for any help she’s received in the past.

Ben and Hope’s wedding plans are off, as Ben, while still insisting he’s innocent, won’t explain why the robbery evidence points to him. Hope feels his unwillingness to tell her the truth makes marriage to him impossible, but confides to Ann that she is miserable without him. Ben has echoed these sentiments to Mike but won’t confide in him, either as Hope’s father or
as an attorney. 

 Holly is trying very hard to build a life without Ed, but since she sees him virtually every day at work,she’s unable to put him out of her mind. She accepts a date with a member of the hospital administration staff but is unable to avoid making comparisons between Ed and this young man and winds up alone, sadly holding Ed’s picture and recalling how much she
loves him.

Believing that the hospital board’s conclusions on Grainger’s death have settled the question once and for all, Rita has regained her self-confidence, and her romance with Ed is growing daily. They admit their love for each other, and Ed confides that he intentionally  held back with Rita for fear of making another mistake. Rita then tells Ed she has never married because for her marriage must be forever. Rita’s mother realizes that Rita is truly in love when she confides in her that she doesn’t understand why she’s been so lucky in having him love her and how she wants to be the very best person she can be for him. Ed proposes marriage to Rita and gives her time to think about it before answering. Rita painfully realizes that her past could, if it rose again against her, make a life with Ed a lost dream.

But Raymond Shaefer has been quietly but efficiently carrying on his investigation and has learned that Grainger argued with Rita at her apartment. He presents the evidence he’s compiled to District Attorney Eric Van Gelder, who decides the case warrants further investigation.
Rita goes to Ed’s office to tell him she loves him but can’t marry him, that she doesn’t deserve him and “can’t do it to him.” As she turns from a confused Ed to leave, she finds the district attorney and a police officer outside Ed’s door, waiting to arrest her. Ed, insisting that a serious mistake has been made, calls Mike to help her as Rita, shocked and humiliated, is
taken under arrest through the hallways of the hospital in which she works.
Mike manages Rita’s release on bail only after she has had to submit to the degrading booking procedure. Mike sees her alone at her apartment, explaining he can help her only if she tells him the whole truth.

Rita equivocates until Mike mentions Texas, indicating to Rita that he knows at least some of the story. Van Gelder has, in fact, let Mike see the bulk of evidence in the case against Rita, to convince him her arrest wasn’t a capricious whim. Rita explains to Mike that Malcolm believed she intentionally vilified him to his father, to do him out of his rightful inheritance, and then wanted his father dead to collect her money. Mike expresses his appreciation of Rita’s honesty, promising to help her. But Rita’s tormented dreams confirm that she hasn’t yet told all the truth, and after Peggy visits, expressing firm support, Rita tells Roger she has to reveal his part in the story. Roger painfully tells Rita about his being Christina’s father to show her that if Ed knew, it would end Rita’s chances with him forever.

Rita, who was ready to tell Ed the whole story, now realizes how risky that would be. Adding to Rita’s pain is her forced leave of absence from the hospital until she’s cleared and the embarrassment of seeing her name in the headlines.

[Mitch64]

Eve was one of those characters that had the "Jessie Brewer"role. They had heavy storyline, they burned through it and now they are there for support and a touchstone in the community (Marland wanted to give Jessie story, but I agree with Monty...she best served in her connecting role, and keeping that damn Amy Vining busy so she keeps her nose out of things) So charcters are important and why they should have kept characters like Bridget around (even as she is more volatiles then Eve) who didnt need a big storyline but could have been behind the bar making connections and expostion, but Rauch wanted JEVA/JEVA/JEVA and DRAMA (which to him meant a lot of yelling and stupidity.)

[Reverend Ruthledge]

Thank you for posting these, Paul. I always look forward to posts about the golden years of GL. 

[alwaysAMC]

Ugh, that's just a shame to hear about Bridget/Lucy and David. Not even going to their wedding is awful. I'm not there yet in my watch, but I'll be disappointed with that. And if Nick/Susan are now already gone too, which I'm assuming they are because they're no longer in the end credits, then who even is at this wedding besides family?

I hate to hear that about 1997. Btw, I'm happy to hear we're pretty close in our viewing timeline

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  That comment Amanda makes is weird, but maybe if she's just talking about herself, I'd understand. But otherwise, makes no sense considering the Buzz/Alan rivalry over Reva, Lucy/A-M being a couple and the interaction A-M has with the Coopers throughout and vice versa, Frank/A-M's past.  I can't speak to Harley because I haven't seen her yet, but surely in her years in SF, she had a past with some Spaulding family member haha.

That's a shame about Alan not having a reaction to Abby. I was wondering for months now if Abby would ever get back into Reva and Alan's orbit now that everyone is back in SF and away from Goshen, and wouldn't you know it, just last week in March/April 1996, Abby visited both Reva and Alan separately (Alan just gave Abby a job at Spaulding Enterprises). It was so nice to see they both still really cared about Abby, but said to hear that wanes going forward. 

Alan just sucks - the most selfish/hateful/arrogant character - so I guess I can't be surprised. He barely tolerates Alex these days, and I guess he's back in A-M's good graces post-Marian. Otherwise, no one else in town likes him now that Reva dumped him.

Great observation on the Marcus stuff, and having just seen it, you're right!  The storyline really wasn't about him once he was put in jail, it was really about introducing Griffin (whom I do not like at all), Roger who framed Marcus and accelerating his storyline with Dinah, and putting the pieces together with Marian being the real killer. Marcus is rarely seen while in jail, as your character count proves.

I didn't even think about the age different between Marcus and Dahlia, but you're right - yikes. I was actually already getting worried about Rick/Abby's age differences, because Abby's mother told a doctor she was 22 years old, but then Rick said 18 a week later and she hangs out with Michelle and the other high school-aged people, so which is it? But I'd assume Rick is what, in his mid/late-30s? So that pairing I was already starting to question with age difference. 

I'll miss Bryan, as he's grown on me while he ages over the last year. 

Ahh good to know - RME  

Oh this is great, thanks for sharing!!!  Glad to see she's still with us and out there doing work she loves. 

[alwaysAMC]

While we're talking about Henry's funeral... I just got to the reading of Henry's will spanning April 11-12, 1996.

What did fans think about this? Not as impactful/emotional, of course, but I was quite surprised that he left the rest of his estate to Hart - wtf??  His messages and gifts to Nola, Bridget and Matt (sorry, @P.J. 

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) were very sweet. I liked what he did with Dinah, giving her his wife's brooch but nothing else beyond her trust that she already got, which he wants her to use for the betterment of herself and others.

Watching J get so excited about what he might get out of it, and his subsequent whining when he realizes it all goes to his higher education, was highly annoying. I haven't minded J since he came back until this moment. Contrast that with Bill, sitting next to Vanessa, who was very mature about the whole thing.

 

Edited May 13 by alwaysAMC

[DRW50]

I had forgotten this. I guess it must have been for Peter, unless it was for Hart's abs.

[alwaysAMC]

LOL - well, Peter was included in the grandkids' section, each named specifically with their $100K trusts.  It must have been the abs...

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In Henry's will, he said it had to do with Hart having a chance at being a better person than his father, since his father isn't providing for him (I'm paraphrasing here, but it was about Roger).  Still a little surprised...

Edited May 13 by alwaysAMC

[Mitch64]

Oh, poor Henry had to wait for the grave to finally come "out"! The whole things was McTavish plot dictated so that Hart could have money to pull off his scam of Roger later. The fortune is totally forgotten later.

Which reminds me WHY did they fire Hilliard who actually could kinda pass for a midwestern farm boy..from JOISEY Grillo?

AM and Lucy's wedding has got to be the weirdest wedding up to that point and really exemplified the McLaiby cheesy run. Universal Studios? And the Spauldings shut the place down for the wedding that only involves 6 people??? Its not even that weird that Bridget and David arent there...they didn't even invite AM's Mom or Grandfather...

[P.J.]

I'm not going to watch (because...well...that M-dude...lol) but knowing the history between Henry and Roger, I could see Henry wanting to enable Hart to stay independent of Roger. I could even see it as Henry having the last laugh at Roger. Roger hated "the Henry's" of the world, which basically meant anyone who had money and social prominence. Twice Roger swindled Henry out of a chunk of his fortune, so giving some to Hart, who hates his father, is a form of karma.

[DRW50]

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