Guiding Light discussion thread

[Asb23]

I hated how they though they could just replace Harley with Lucy. They also acted like H&M moved to the other side of the word. Is my memory correct in that they sent a letter to Frank saying they were going to live in Florida permanently? Or was there a phone call? I remember finding it odd (which leads me to think of was a letter) that that’s how they would communicate such huge news. Are we to believe they never come back for their stuff or to say goodbye (offscreen)? It was a dumb excuse to write them off with, IMO.

Edited December 2, 2020 by Asb23

[Mitch]

That is what I wanted from Vicky...being annoyed that her side of the family was not given legitimacy and that Victoria gave up her claim to Spaulding..it might have gotten a bit edgy for P & G and GL at that time (especially with the stuck in the 80s vibe Rauch and MADD seemed to want from GL at the time) but interesting. I always wish they had brought Vicky back instead of Amanda during the McTavish time. She could have been angry that she felt Alex talked Victoria into a settlement and the whole Brandon is Amanda's daddy could have been that since Brandon was alive, all other trusts and wills were revoked and he had created a new will giving all of his assets in Spaulding to Victoria and then to Vickie. Alex and Victoria knew about it but when Victoria dies Roger finds the real will. Instead of a replay of Roger and Jenna Vickie would not trust Roger and as soon as she got it all she would only give him table scraps, making him work with Alan and Alex against her.

 

That was so stupid..why not just going into the wedding say Harley found a higher level job in Florida and they were moving there? And say, "Oh I have to get boxes together as Harley and Mallet are coming in this weekend to get their stuff. " As weekends seem to not exist in soap time.

[SFK]

 

ITA. I was very excited when I read a SOD interview with Rauch where he talked about reintroducing the black Spauldings, plural. I thought it was a bad move to kill off the senior Victoria and send Vicky to Springfield on her own. The deep-rooted resentment had more than enough justification as is, it didn't need the "help" of her mother's death as motivation. I would've given Vicky a brother as well, hell, Terrell Tilford could've played him. He would've made for a better Spaulding than a David recast. I also resent that the show killed an opportunity to cast a marvelous biracial/black actress of a certain age to play Victoria, created by Kim Hamilton. (When Joan Collins started playing Alex, I had pipe dreams of Diahann Carroll or Shirley Bassey joining her as alive after all Victoria.)

[Mitch]

Oh my God..with Zimmer, Wright, Collins and Carrol of Bassey GL would be diva heaven...and hell for TPTB I am sure. I always thought it funny that Zimmer didn't have a scnene with Alex until Collins was gone and Marj was back.

 

I do think it would be cool to have a "star" play Victoria and no, she didn't need to die to give Vicky motivation. Her agreeing to let Alex have Spaulding would be enough..Vicky would think it was bending knee to the white relatives but for Victoria it was just not wanting to deal with the crazy ass relatives in SF. Come to think of it,  Perry's Madea as Victoria would get me turning in each day! "Cassie, someone needs to wrap your skinny ass around a lightpole..oh yea, you used to dance on those dont you..Alex..look at the cracker getting all snooty with us!"

[Soapsuds]

 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

While this story spiraled to the death of GL, I don't think anyone can deny how well written Ed's affair with Lillian was. But God, Ed was a selfish bastard. Something that always p*ssed me off was that he never had his feet held to the fire over the affair IMO. 

 

Watching this episode also raised all these "what ifs." What if they didn't kill Maureen and instead tossed her into Fletcher's orbit? I always felt those 2 had stellar chemistry and for once, it would've been nice to see him win despite the fact that he could irk my nerves at times. 

 

 

[Mitch]

I really think this caused my dislike for PS as they wrote Ed like a total pr*ck...(but it was JFP's GL..the "star" of the show became selfish Buzz...) and it wasn't his fault, he just played what they wrote for him. He said in one of the reunions that he kept looking for Ed's redemption but it never came.   Maybe a recast would have worked that could seperate the character from PS's Ed.?

 

Nola did confront him later but her anger was more directed towards Lillian and they wrote her as bitter from her own husband's affair. They missed a great opportunity to have Nola come back and try to take over for Mo...in the kitchen (not Ed's bed) and trying to mother Chelle and hand out advice and screwing it up as only Nola could do. When she finds out what Ed did, the man she always thought of as a big brother perfect husband kind of guy her anger would be justified and having Ed use that to actually tell the audience how guilty he feels..would have been great.

[titan1978]

Fletcher and Maureen makes more sense to me than him with Holly.  If she had lived I think we would have seen something become of her relationship with Roger.  Maybe not a full love story, but something was being built up there.

 

And it is well written.  Her death and the way she dies, leaving everything unsettled was excellent writing.  It’s just too bad the story lead to killing off Maureen.  But as it stands without thinking of how bad it became, it’s as perfect a soap storyline as BJ’s heart was on GH.  All the pieces were set and everyone was given excellent material to act.

 

 

[Soapsuds]

So who is this guy and if he got CTE why hasn't Alan Locher?

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by Soapsuds

[Forever8]

Speaking of Locher

 

Another Virtual Interview has been scheduled for Wednesday December 16th, at 3PM EST/ 12 Noon PST.

 

 

GUIDING LIGHT Alums Virtual Interview - Soap Opera Digest

Edited December 8, 2020 by Forever8

[Faulkner]

They have stood the test of time, those two. Good for them.

[soapfan770]

Interesting to hear them as I felt the two were so wasted and their story was either appearing at various parties as the token couple or being some D-plot angle in the Santos mess. David & Ruth wasn’t too bad but it also was very forgettable. 
 

Platt came on as Vicky right after Vicky’s involvement ended in the clone story right? I believe the original actress was still in the role when it was revealed she was a Spaulding, I remember her work more than I do of Platt oddly but that fall 1999-summer 2001 period I was turning out a lot. 

 

I remember David returned after Charles had a heart attack at the Bauer BBQ stressed over buying faulty medical  equipment he purchased from Santos family(!) David found Vivian crying in Griffin’s arms. It was weird because they were are all barely on at the point David came back as I think Marcus & Dahlia were just about out the door...it was said Marcus randomly ran off with another woman or something.

 

[DRW50]

 

Yes. I remember hoping the first actress would work out because she'd had a terribly written role on Homicide as this random woman that Meldrick Lewis just married after deciding he wanted to be married, then she showed up a few times mostly to be shrewish, then they divorced (I came away thinking they were going to make Lewis gay and backed out, but looking back it was probably just down to the horrible time Tom Fontana had writing for female characters). I thought she was OK, if not great, but she never had much of a chance. Victoria Platt was also fine, but I remember feeling she was too positive and likeable to fit the vibe they intended the role to have. The whole thing was clearly not interesting for Rauch or P&G - the epitome of lip service. Even the few moments of tension with Vanessa in the story were just a segueway to the garbage with Vanessa being age-shamed and considering plastic surgery. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

I hate that the show flopped things with Nola too. It also p*ssed me off that she stayed chasing after Buzz. If anything, as you pointed out, they should've been centering Nola to be the new matriarch of the show. I think it would've sped down the bleeding of the show and possibly wooed fans back if done correctly. 

 

 

 

Maureen and Roger would've been odd for me. The reason being that I liked that Maureen was one of the few friends that Roger had. I hate when soaps act like men and women can't be platonic friends without feelings being involved. Do I think she could've turned to Roger for support? Yes. Something romantic? Bleh. 

[titan1978]

I agree.  It just seemed to me in this case that they were gently testing the waters.  It wasn’t the words in the scenes so much as the ways they had them looking at each other.  Lots of long gazes when talking to each other, and soaps are notorious for chem testing.