Yes, Marj can thank her old association with John Conboy for her 2002 return. And he did write for her, although the stories she got were horrible. That was when we started getting Alex drugging Alan and Alan was horrified at the thought of Beth coming onto him (NEVER!). Then Wheeler and Kriezman gave us the wonderful Alex is a drug lord story, didn't they?

Marj never had a good story in her entire run. Not one. I even hated the early stuff, when she was obsessed with Mindy/Nick. It was degrading, and I can see why Beverlee left. It sucks because when Marj did get the chance, she shone.

I liked India's return, the brief relationship with Ross and the knockof of Madame De... I didn't like the warm fuzzy relationship with Alan taht much, which, if I remember correctly, didn't even have an ending.

They should have brought her back when Phillip returned from the dead.

It's true, Marj has never had a really great gut-wrenching s/l PERIOD. I remember when Rauch fired her, he said in SOD that he thought Alex was superfluous, that she pretty much functioned as Alan, doing everything he could otherwise do "but in a feline way." (direct quote) She's had scenes, moments, but I don't remember her ever having the McKinsey kind of heart-rending stuff which I think is why her Alex always remained in '80s soap diva limbo. I think a lot of people have a false impression of who Beverlee's Alex really was, she was NOT Iris. She was closer to Felicia Gallant in that bitchy-come-sympathetic diva way, she was just as much a Viki as she was a Dorian. Marj's Alex was essentially Myrna Clegg 2.0. Which is passable because she always looked and acted fabulously, but '80s Alex had the deeper material. Of course Beverlee McKinsey was divine, but Marj has her own delicious brand of delivering a line, which we have cigarettes and a comedic background to thank for. Especially on Capitol, I found myself laughing at the simplest lines, she has a great dry wit.

Edited October 16, 200916 yr by SFK

I remember that Rauch quote. I thought it was very insulting, and an example of his lazy view of the show. Only when Alan returned with Ron Raines did Alan and Alex start to blur together. They were created as very different characters -- Alex fled from the family for decades because she was not going to be the typical Spaulding.

I agree that a lot of people forget what Bev's Alex was like. She was a very complicated, vulnerable woman, easily hurt, very proud, and also very tender and loving. She was your best friend or your worst nightmare.

The gorgon woman of JFP's run is more of what people remember as Alex, sadly.

B&B---Whip Jones. Oh, I was ready to cry when they announced Rick Hearst was returning---the thought of him really getting to romance Brooke excited me. Instead, he's stuck at Jackie O, eating Pam's lemon bars and donning clown wigs. It makes me madder than hell to think he couldn't even make a desultory appearance at GL for this.

When Darn and I were rewatching some '80s OLTL on YouTube and saw some emotional material with Carla and Sadie, our first thought was that Ellen Holly's performance was very similar to Erika Slezak's. The black Viki, which is kind of what she was originally intended to be as far as a heroine on the show.

I think the Jared Hall character was too much of an anomaly given his age (mid-20s) versus Joshua's, unless Josh knocked some girl up while he was a street kid. Plus, we have Jared Banks. I'd rather see Josh himself back, or another child of his.

Interesting note: A while ago I was Googling her and discovered that Ellen Bethea had played the same role onstage in Funnyhouse of a Negro that Ellen Holly herself played years before and discussed in her book One Life. Real interesting synergy, but I think Bethea is out of the business now. I loved her, but I am loving Daphnee Duplaix, and I think her Rachel definitely has kept Bethea's intelligence and integrity alive.

Edited October 17, 200916 yr by Vee

I think the most pointless return was when ATWT brought back the character of Mike Kasnoff (the most recent time). Not only was the part completely miscast ( the actor was WAY too young for the role), but he had no point whatsoever. Hopefully, they'll do better next month when Mark Collier returns.

Yea,agree that the Nola return on GL was stupid. She is an iconic character, right up there with Reva and Alex, and they treated her like a walk on. I do know that she was brought on to pair with Ed, which I think would have been good, but PS had a problem with that so BOTH of them had no storyline...(if I was the producer I would have indeed told PS to shut his mouth and act the story out.)

Well gee, what a shock. Peter Simon seemed to be more trouble than he was worth, and his difficult nature cost him a job. Twice. And he always came crawling back...

Hunter Tylo on B&B for the 3rd time. Show was much better when she wasn't there.

Cord Roberts (John Loprieno) - 2008

I give them a pass on Tina and Marty because I think their returns had some merit and the jury is still out on Marty - but boy it's largely been a waste, yet she's gotten some great scenes.

Well that wasnt really a return. It was more of a visit and it served its purpose. He was brought back for the show's 40th anniversary and that summer it was high on nostalgia. Cord was a big part of the show's history in the 80s and 90s and it was good that they included him