Guiding Light Discussion Thread

[Contessa Donatella]

San CristoBULL

Dolly the Clone

Nursery Rhyme Pied Piper

Maryanne Carruthers

Sock Puppet

Ben Reade Memorial Sex Worker Turned Killer

Death of Maureen Bauer aka Suburban Joke

Mob Family Matters

The Many Faces of Bradley Cole

Through the Portrait***

That's 10. Darn, I have more. Okay, Dishonorable Mentions:

Tunneling beneath the city & somehow falling down through the ceiling of Danny & Michelle's apartment

Baseball Diamond

Marty West's sweatpants drop to his knees

Incredible Fans Who Believed Conboy & Weston were having an affair

***FTR even when I hate something I can enjoy good costumes.

 

Edited August 12, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
Costume Corollary

[DramatistDreamer]

I don’t think I got to see these in real time, it was probably years later but every time I see them, I can’t help but think, man, are these courtroom scenes compelling! It would have been nice to do one of those reunion livestreams where both Maeve and Melissa talk about what was going on in and behind the scenes on the days these scenes were filmed!

[vetsoapfan]

In no particular order:

--Reva the Clone

--Reva the Time Traveler

--Reva the Ghost

--Eli Sims, The Girl in the Lake and the Ghost in the Attic

--The Dreaming Death

--Harley Cooper, Super Hero

--Everything San Cristocrap

--Everything Involving Carrie Nye

--Ben Reade's Sad End

--The Nursery Rhyme Stalker

--The Santos Mob Invasion

--Amanda Spaulding: Alan's Sudden Sister

--Jeffrey O'Neill

--Floyd Parker: Insta-Killer

--Brandon Spaulding is Alive (although we saw him die on-screen)

I have to stop; I'm depressing myself, and I've already gone beyond ten choices!

Edited August 12, 2024 by vetsoapfan

[Mona Kane Croft]

How are we defining the term "storyline"?

Edited August 12, 2024 by Mona Kane Croft

[vetsoapfan]

It's open and fluid; just use your personal judgement. 

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[P.J.]

I had not seen them since they aired! I've really always considered myself more of an ATWT fan, and I while I remembered the broadstrokes of what went on, I had forgotten so many of the details. And some of the early 80's stuff I'd never, ever seen because I was in school. God bless utube.

I'd listen to any of them talk about anything from back in the day. I was so sad we'll never get Lisa/Michael/Maeve talking about the early 80's. I'll have to check and see if they did one about Jerry verDorn. 

[Soaplovers]

I liked the Dreaming Death story moreso now after the pandemic.  It involved the Cedars crew, killed off a contract character (Lesley Ann in a gothic way) and helped solidify the Jim/Hilary coupling after she almost succumbs to it.  

Infinity was interesting because it was an umbrella story that involved most of the cast.. and it led to death of Lujack.  I was hoping to see the fall out being Alexandra renewing a Lewis vs Spaulding feud.. but that story appeared to be dropped when Pam Long left as headwriter.

Also, I have to say the Susan Piper story had a lot of promise.. and the way she died in the quicksand pit was very memorable.

And I think Floyd as a killer might have worked if there was a bit more motivation written.   Given that he was kind of a born loser in the 1979/1980 so it would have made more sense if he accidently killed Andy Ferris, freaked out, and tried to cover it up instead of confessing.   That would have fit more with his character then him becoming obsessed with Beth and kidnapping India.

[P.J.]

yeah, just pretty much anything you can define. I've recently discovered I'm not fond of Fiona Hutchinson and her irritating accent, but that wasn't exactly a story. lol.

 

Most stories at least have some promise to them--I know The Fishing Picture story gets hammered, but I give it points for being a huge umbrella story that didn't overly rewrite established history (Brandon had never been a huge character on the show, he's mostly the off-screen big bad that the Spauldings blamed for their dysfunction.) 

Obviously even when shows honored their history, they tweaked them. The way Henry talks about Brandon, you wonder why he ever considered them "friends". And somehow, I think Alexandra started out as Alan's older sister, but in the '89 stuff, Alan talks about protecting his younger sister from Brandon's rages.

Edited August 12, 2024 by P.J.

[Contessa Donatella]

Recently I re-read 2 interviews in one night. Tony Geary & Jerry verDorn. The juxtaposition was a huge part of my reaction. Geary's perspective was that his scripts should be nothing but dialogue & he would interpret everything else. Stage directions specifically offended him. verDorn said that if a director like Bruce S. Barry told you to move from here to there at this point you do not say (mocking) what is my motivation for the movement. No, it's your job. Move. Figure out in your own damn mind why.

Edited August 12, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
oops

[Soapsuds]

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[DRW50]

The main reason was probably the intense response from their fans, although that didn't stop GL from still nixing other pairings. I wonder if JFP having to do that pairing (beyond Matt/Lucy I think some have said Josh/Vanessa was the plan) is why she immediately broke up an older woman/younger man pairing, Donna and Matt, in an ugly way, upon her arrival at AW.

In theory I don't have a problem with Dinah resenting Vanessa, there should have been good story, but Vanessa was rarely if ever given a fair chance to show her strength or point of view, and I just did not think Wendy Moniz was a strong or sympathetic enough actress for the inconsistent way Dinah was written. I don't think she found her footing until Rauch decided to make the character an outright bitch.

Mindy and Dinah were both in town for a few months in 1995, but I don't know if they ever interacted. By that point I'm not even sure how much time Mindy spent around Vanessa.

Beyond the other worst stories mentioned, I would include the Lonitrat fiasco with Roger/Dinah/Hart and the stories given to Griffen (nearly sleeping with his own daughter and then having himself shot for the cause). Such a horrible use of Geoffrey Ewing.

Edited August 12, 2024 by DRW50

[DramatistDreamer]

When Jerry verDorn was on those reunion specials, I am not sure they had clips. I would have loved to see he and Maeve and Melissa talk about the dynamics at work in those scenes. Sadly, I doubt those reunion streams have this. If you see something like this, please let me know. I would love to see it!

[Mitch64]

O'Leary could be good as the big brother, best friend, nice reliable guy, connector in town everyone feels comfortable with and that is what a show needs. He is not a romantic lead or a dramatic actor and while he has a humorous charm, the show needed to really pull him in (like Deas, Zimmer, Dusay, the show just let the actors lean into their worst instincts.) Of. course, back in the day I like Rick over Phillip (the intensity was too much..) but Long wrote for him (most of the time) to his strengths.  The Abby pairing was going to go nowhere..as she was just too nice (even Bert and Maureen had their time not being super nice...) I did wonder how Rick and Bridget would work...maybe Peter gets sick and he is the doctor and they grow close (bugging the crap out of Roger) and they have to bring Hart back for a blood transfusion or something...a better entrance then the one McTavish wrote for him. Both Rick and Frank needed a partner with a bit more of an edge or spark. 

[Mitch64]

Wow this is good! This is an umbrella storyline that works...Bauers Chamberlains, Lewis, Reardons and Marlers all having a legitimate stake in this. If only Nola were back to take up Bridgets side.  Then of course, it's the Buzz Cooper fill in that takes the momentum out. 

I always thought Ross and Vanessa should have been end goal.  If only Matt and Blake had been the ones to screw.

[TEdgeofNight]

ANYTHING Ellen Wheeler was involved in and Jill Lorie Hurst. They killed GL. Peapack???? What an embarrassment to daytime. Ending GL at Peapack was such a slap in the face to the legacy of the show. Thank GOD show killer Wheeler and Hurst never worked in daytime again.