Guiding Light discussion thread

[Soaplovers]

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This episode should have been the end of Beth/Phillip... they never should have been endgame.  Beth was actually becoming an adult and trying to break away from the dysfunctional relationship she had with Phillip (he was kind of controlling/emotionally abusive like her step father Bradley).  Also, a great scene between Bert and Josh

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Beth/Phillip should've never been endgame PERIOD. Especially, after they had Beth birth a child with Alan of all people. 

 

Beth was a character that had so much potential, but each passing regime, the writers stayed decimating the character. Honestly, it would've been refreshing to see Beth end alone and be OK with it. Much like Reva, Beth was always defined by the man she was bedding instead of herself. 

[DRW50]

 

I didn't mind them that much in GL's last year, as I thought it sort of made sense in closing out the show and focusing on the problems of their children, but Beth was so, so badly damaged in the '90s and '00s that I just had to ignore most of her recent past. 

 

Judi Evans just felt like a completely different character. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

I just couldn't let it go. Again, I just wish that Beth would've ended by herself and learned it was OK to not be dependent on a man. 

 

I agree that JE's Beth was a whole different character. While she was a damsel at times, she still has some fight in her. BC's Beth was just a train wreck and the only reason I cared for her was b/c of BC.

[Soaplovers]

 

JE's Beth was never insipid.. and the way she played Beth... I never viewer her as a victim, but as a character fighting through obstacles put in her path.  After Philip accidently blinded her in that explosion, there was no way the show could realistically put them back together.

 

BC's Beth in her first stint circa 1989 to 1991 was well written (Pam Long was still head writer).. and once her character regained her voice, she had a lot of backbone and strength.  It was her return in late 1997 where I didn't recognize Beth and the show even had other characters remark that Beth had changed.  The last few years had Beth going back to how she was written in the early years of her stint.  I did laugh when she made mention about how Lizzie was so like her because Lizzie (when Marcy Rylan played her) reminded me so much of a teen Mindy than a teen Beth.  Looking at KT playing Mindy.. she had the same mannerisms and tone of voice that Marcy Rylan had playing Lizzie.

[rlj]

I posted this eppy  in this thread, it's a fav of mine  Philip h we d just been beaten up by Lujacks goons and less then a week earlier Beth told him she only loved him, he literally was blindsided lol

 

Philip was never emotionally abusive to Beth like Bradley was, she held the power in that relationship.  She was never scared or intimidated by Philips domineering Spaulding side

 

Beth sleeping with Alan tainted their endgame status for me!

[NothinButAttitude]

 

MR's Lizzie was more like Mindy too, which I find to be hilarious. What a cruel twist of fate that Lizzie would pan out to be more of a chaotic mess like Beth's best friend. But seeing all the mess that Lizzie went through, it'd only make sense that she'd pan out to be a hellion. 

[Mitch]

Loved seeing Darcy again!!! Long came up with a great and unconventional choice to bring her back years later as a drug counselor who turned herself around. I remember Mindy walking into Company and seeing Darcy again.....with a "Oh it YOU," and almost running away!  I loved KT's Mindy...(I love that she is giving Phillip sympathy and gets derailed with all the meals she missed worrying about him...) my fave couple was young Rick and Mindy...O'Leary and KT were really cute together. ..so I'm glad they ended up together at the end.

[vetsoapfan]

What is the earliest surviving episode from TGL's run?

 

I have a radio broadcast from 1940. Does any extant material precede that?

[zanereed]

 

I believe that is the earliest *known* surviving episode.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Thanks. From past experience, we know that surprising goodies do pop up from time to time, but as long as no earlier episodes are known to exist as of right now, I won't go hunting. I'd love to get the very first show from 1937. You would think that somebody would have been bright enough to save the very first broadcasts of shows like TGL, ATWT, AW, etc. At least SFT's debut ep is floating around among traders, and TEON's second episode from April, 1956, too.

[zanereed]

 

Agreed. I just have a copy of the script from the first episode of GL on radio in 1937 (which was available for a time, I think, on the GL website?).

[vetsoapfan]

 

Really? That is so cool. I did not know about the existence of that first script, or I would have snatched it up too. I used to have the first script of AW saved on my ancient computer, but when that died I lost the script along with it. I have since learned to back up every precious document and file file on flashdrives.

[victoria foxton]

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[vetsoapfan]

The dreadful writing during the time of Johnny's introduction did the character no favors. Nor did the tedious, forgettable, cliche characters like the Valeres whom he was saddled with in his initial story.

 

After following 36 years' worth of story, I simply could not accept that Johnny's branch of the Bauers even existed. His grandfather, Otto Bauer, was supposed to be the brother of Frederick, "Papa" Bauer, Ed's grandfather and Rick's great grandfather, but I did not buy it. Otto was never mentioned during any of the Bauers' crises or family celebrations from 1950 to 1986. No one ever mentioned notifying Otto or Johnny's parents, Jack and Lanie Bauer, when Papa died in 1973, or when Bill Bauer died (either time) or when Bert died. I always referred to Johnny, Jack, Lanie and that dreadful Lacey as the fake Bauers, because it seemed to me TPTB just threw them into the mix to placate viewers and shut them up, since die-hard fans of the show had been demanding the core family be resurrected in Springfield for years. But offering us fake Bauers was like offering a plastic bone to a starving dog.  Why TPTB did not dig into the show's history and bring back real, established characters like Mike, Hope, Trudy, etc., I'll never understand.