27 minutes ago, rlj said:

This makes me sad as I am a die hard og Philip/Beth fan, but it def explains the sudden shift to Lujack for Beth!

I hated Beth and Lujack as a couple. 

9 hours ago, KMan101 said:

 

That's a shame she was treated that way. There sounds like lots of drama BTS on most soaps back in the 80s. Alcohol, drugs, egos, I'm sure ...

 

I had always wondered why she gave up Beth to play Adrienne, cut from similar cloths. She does well in that kind of role but it felt a little redundant. It makes sense now, of course, why she left GL.

 

Meanwhile, I'm watching June 1992 of GL.

 

Lots of it I've seen, some it's new to me.

 

Had no idea they paired Fletcher and Vanessa? I had to of known that. Did I block it out? They have like 0 chemistry and they ALWAYS tried too hard with Fletcher, IMO. Meh. (I also feel like they try too hard with Eve and Hillary Edson and way too much Vincent Irizarry as much as I love him). 

 

Also imagine Kinkead was getting frustrated playing mother hen to "poor Melinda".

 

I can see why McKinsey was over the show. Alexandra's "power" was stripped away over time, IMO.

 

I'm growing to like Mallet and Harley. I hated watching him in the wheelchair for whatever reason. 

 

I notice a lot of Reilly-isms (like Alan-Michael laser focused on Eleni and nothing but, etc), but it's nice to have it more layered, more depth, and I credit the rest of the writers for that. 

 

Blake and Ross is hot as hell. It's a shame they became so boring once Liz Keifer came onboard.

 

They seemed to want to neuter the 'bad girls'. Jenna in her return 1996-1998 was like a different character. I LOVE early Jenna. So much fun. The humor. Eddie Mekka. Her exchange with Nadine at the non-wedding was hilarious and getting stuck with Michelle then adds layers to her. I miss that kind of writing.

 

Not a popular opinion but I think Ed and Lillian had great chemistry. I LOVE Maureen with Roger. It's a real shame they didn't go there. I love the dialogue they have about Holly and how Ross and Ed coddle her. Roger also pointed out Maureen wanted to kill the woman but not the man and wondered why. Love it.

 

1993 doesn't do the show any favors. I really like a lot of what's going on in 1992.

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, 20205 yr by victoria foxton

9 hours ago, KMan101 said:

I notice a lot of Reilly-isms (like Alan-Michael laser focused on Eleni and nothing but, etc), but it's nice to have it more layered, more depth, and I credit the rest of the writers for that.

 

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.

21 minutes ago, victoria foxton said:

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. 

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, 20205 yr by kalbir

32 minutes ago, Khan said:

 

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.

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

37 minutes ago, Khan said:

 

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.

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

4 hours ago, titan1978 said:

Funny you should mention Vanessa/Fletcher!  I was reading on online bio of Vanessa as I was planning to dive back into watching GL, and I was shocked to read about her with Fletcher.  He really got around!  And I also don’t love him.  Ed was sanctimonious enough, I don’t need someone else like that.  Although that may just be his relationship with Alexandra, I haven’t watched enough of him to know if it carries over to others.

 

He doesn’t really do a lot for me, but when he is in scenes with Alex and they play the longing they both have for each other, it sells me on him.

I love Hillary.  I loved her as Tania on GH when I was a kid, and I like her as Eve.

 

 

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.

 

3 hours ago, Khan said:

 

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.

 

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. 

 

2 hours ago, titan1978 said:

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

 

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

 

2 hours ago, kalbir said:

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.

 

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, 20205 yr by KMan101

3 hours ago, victoria foxton said:

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. 

 

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). 

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, 20205 yr by Aback

15 minutes ago, Aback said:

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 a mushroom tripping.

 

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, 20205 yr by DRW50

10 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

For all her flaws I'm glad Ellen Wheeler at least acknowledged this, opaquely, in the finale.  

 

How?

 

PS. your take on Fletcher was interesting, thanks!

Edited April 27, 20205 yr by Aback

Just now, Aback said:

 

How?

 

PS. your take on Fletcher was interesting, thanks!

 

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.

14 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

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.  

 

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.

 

2 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

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.

 

I forgot he talked to Bill. That was nice.

Edited April 27, 20205 yr by KMan101

7 minutes ago, KMan101 said:

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.

 

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.

3 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

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.

 

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