Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Soapsuds]

I hated Beth and Lujack as a couple. 

[victoria foxton]

I'm currently watching 1994. Which is a real struggle. It's the Buzzard show. With way too much Lucy, Mindy, Nick and Tangie. The best is Vanessa & Bridget's custody battle. And Bridget & Dylan. I also like Ed & Eve. With a teen aged Michelle causing problems. Wanting Ed with Holly. Who she had become close too after Mo's death. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by victoria foxton

[Khan]

 

I'm CONVINCED Bridget in the Attic (the storyline where Nadine stashed then-pregnant Bridget in said attic, then pretended Hart and Bridget's newborn was her and Billy's) was straight from the pen of Jim Reilly.  On paper alone, it reads like the kind of logic-pushing stuff that would become his trademark on DAYS and PASSIONS.

[kalbir]

My online watching for the first time was episodes from September 1992 to March 1994 (I watched Spring 1989 to Summer 1992 both live and online). After Maureen's death, it was the Buzz hour. I stopped my online watching when I got to Nancy Curlee's last episode.

Edited April 27, 2020 by kalbir

[titan1978]

It absolutely read like a Reilly story.  Plus he loved characters like Nadine.  Insecure and a little trashy/married into status is his jam!

[Soapsuds]

I loved the story and finally made Nadine interesting instead of Vera Louis Gorman mess she was.

[KMan101]

 

There are times I don't mind Fletcher and almost like him but then ... MEH. I did enjoy him with Alexandra but the writing sometimes did the character of Fletcher no favors. Soaps really seemed to enjoy the angry shouty, sanctimonious man who yelled at a strong woman. (Ross falls in this trap, IMO, around 96/97) 

 

And LOL he sure did get around. Damn did he have a lot of relationships. I don't really see any chemistry between Fletcher and Vanessa.

 

I don't mind Eve and I love Hillary Edson but from what I started watching it was just a little "how wonderful she is" and they try a little too hard, but I've always been a fan of her as an actress. It was amusing watching Ed interview for a job at Cedars knowing that in the future they get together. Just a lot of focus on a new character played by a soap hopper. Just an observation. I guess they had to establish her.

 

 

Oh my God, yes! So much. I saw some of that but not the entire story yet.

 

I also see a lot of fakeouts. Blake's dream of Holly walking in on her and Ross in bed. Then you have Holly and Ross talking about Blake and he thinks Holly's talking about him and Blake having sex but of course it was about Blake's questions to him (she covered his press conference and asked what he did the night of the blackout, LOL. This Blake is SO much fun). I know they're soap tropes and Reilly WAY overdid it, but I see it. However the entire writing staff was so talented and it was pulled off, but I see shades.

 

Also Little Bill so damn focused on his mom and dad reuniting. It reminds me of Reilly too, with Shawn-Douglas on DAYS and other kids he wrote for. I get it ... but still. He beats you over the head with it. And the huge "true love" thing, etc. Just lots of little things I notice. But the writing staff, again, is able to pull it off. I wonder exactly how much influence he had. Seems like a lot. 

 

 

Exactly this. Bridget and Nadine were very much up Reilly's wheelhouse.

 

 

Yes. I despise The Buzz Hour (it was also "The Lucy Hour" and currently seems like "The Nick Hour" IMO, but I love Irizarry so I'll give it a pass). It just gets worse as the years go on. Jenna was ruined with him, IMO. Nola was wasted on him. At least he and Kim Zimmer had some weird sexual thing going between them that worked.

 

I see a lot of "look at me" scenes with Mark Derwin but he's less obnoxious for the most part. But a lot of shouting and attention (similar to Buzz, IMO). I feel like it's Jill showcasing her 'stars'. You can see what she does too all over the show but it really hits in 93/94 it seems. I see her kinda pushing Hillary Edson, Vincent Irizarry, Rick Hearst. They're all great but the show spends a LOT of time on them where I'm at in July 1992.

 

It's sad because the show is so entertaining, even when it's moving slower, and they have a ton of characters and lots going on. Lots of different ways they can go with storylines. It's a shame Jill slowly seemed to dismantle it.

Edited April 27, 2020 by KMan101

[KMan101]

 

Quoted you twice but yeah there is some decent stuff in 1994. But again it's a lot of Jill showcasing her stars (Lucy, Nick, Tangie). 

[Aback]

To this day I still can't believe Fletcher lasted that long on the show, with so many romances. I don't see the appeal, at all. His pairings were chemistry-less. He left the show but he left no marks, although his son (Ben) even came back. To think that 'Fletcher' was on GL feels like mushroom tripping.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Aback

[DRW50]

 

GL at its best was never really just about romances. I never cared about his relationships with women (I did like him with Bev's Alex; Jay and Maureen Garrett had a certain spark but the relationship relied too much on suppressing Holly's personality), but he was a great community character, and I liked his friendships with Ed, Ross, etc. He was the only reason I sometimes tolerated Nick (Nick was a godawful character until his last six months or so on the show). I also thought his relationship with Ben was very touching, a bond built not on blood but on loss and found family. I never forgave the show for what they did with Ben. For all her flaws I'm glad Ellen Wheeler at least acknowledged this, opaquely, in the finale.  

Edited April 27, 2020 by DRW50

[Aback]

 

How?

 

PS. your take on Fletcher was interesting, thanks!

Edited April 27, 2020 by Aback

[DRW50]

 

Nothing that big, sadly, but more than I expected. Fletcher came back for Alex's exit, and before he left, he and Bill briefly spoke about how much they missed Ben. That was probably the first time the character's name had been mentioned since his wretched death storyline.

[KMan101]

 

I can agree with this on Fletcher. I think he worked better as a supporting character in the community. Never felt 'needed' but GL was often a 'character' show. 

 

They really [!@#$%^&*] on the character in the end of his run. 

 

Me neither on Ben. It was disgusting. I also thought it was so great seeing Michelle, Bill and Ben as friends. Wasn't that kind of lost when Ben came on as Matt Bomer? I was on/off watching at the time.

 

 

I forgot he talked to Bill. That was nice.

Edited April 27, 2020 by KMan101

[DRW50]

 

Generally, yes. With Taggart they did have some friendship scenes, mostly in the context of pushing the Bill/Michelle pairing...nearly a decade after anyone stopped having any interest in that relationship.

[KMan101]

 

Ah yes I do remember Taggart FINALLY playing on Bill/Michelle but I never cared much about Nancy's Michelle. At all.