As The World Turns Discussion Thread

[DramatistDreamer]

By the last decade or so, I think ATWT characters, particularly female characters, lacked that kind of complexity. Most characters were either written completely as witches with a B, or maudlin, pathetic and tragic.

Seeing these episodes of Barbara & Hal declaring that their's will be the last marriage each of them has (which, of course, it wasn't) made me think of Hal and Emily and just how much Emily seemed to shadow Barbara's romantic and relationship entanglements.

Lemme see...

There was James Stenbeck

The affair with Tonio Reyes

Marriage to Hal

entanglement with Tom Hughes

Although they diverged where Paul was concerned, in the very beginning Emily was like a big sister/step-maternal surrogate for Paul before James' 'murder' when Barbara got framed (where he eventually turned up alive), which changed once the relationship between Emily & Paul became sexual. Eventually it became a twisted relationship (especially during the years RH was playing Paul), then again Paul's relationship with everyone (including Barbara) had become twisted and demented during that time.

Kind of weird, don't you think?

[amybrickwallace]

That's what I'd call coming full circle!!!

[DramatistDreamer]

I wonder, if the show had stayed on air long enough...might Emily eventually be married to Henry?

[John]

in the last video at 16 mins in who are the long haired dude & nurse GF. Dont remember them. Also what are the actor's names? Thanks

[robbwolff]

I believe that's Pam Wagner, John's niece. She was played by Robin Morse, daughter of actor Robert Morse. And long-haired dude is Beau Farrell and was played by Neil Maffin.

[DRW50]

Laura was saved from an attacker in the park or something, and she went to work as Christopher's nanny. The original story had her falling for Tom, but during the strike she fell for Bob. She also seduced her and Kim's boss at WOAK, in bizarre, noir-esque scenes like inviting him over to her motel room and shocking him when she "accidentally" opened the door while wearing her bra.

After Bob rejected her and Kim saw through her, she held broken glass or a knife to her throat or something, and the authorities took her away. They found her boss dead in her shower at the motel room. She was taken away for treatment. Beau and the rest of Oakdale learned that she'd been sexually abused by their father.

No one in Oakdale knew that Beau was her brother until the end of the story. She'd asked him to keep quiet.

The story was panned as one of the worst of the year by SOD, and was so clearly strike material. I do think there were some good moments here and there.

This episode has the climax.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dANcfPQd9Ms

[DRW50]

Beau was an interesting addition to the show. Neil Maffin wasn't a bad actor, and while the angsty folksy/pop singer is a cliche, he was at least different from the other young guys on the show at the time. I also liked his relationship with Pam, who was a believable, sympathetic, intelligent heroine.

I think because of the strike or the change in producers he got lost in the shuffle, and he had that strange exit where he sort of got involved with Nella Franklin and they left town together, but not romantically?

I wonder if they cut him because they thought Duke was that "type" and they didn't need another.

[amybrickwallace]

Emily married to Henry had the show gone on...hmmm...can you imagine she and Babs scratching each other's eyes out over him? LOL

[ljacks13]

I found a nice blog about archival soaps. Check it out: http://thesoapoperasaga.blogspot.com/

[amybrickwallace]

That looks great. I'll have to bookmark it and look at it later.

[Mitch]

I loved the "Laura," story.. who would have though boring Leslie Anne from GL would make such a great psycho??? It was during the strike so the material was a bit more sensational then Marland ever wrote but that is what made it fun. It started with Bob saving Laura from someone chasing her in "Elmwood Park," (one of those weird names, phrases that Marland would have everyone repeat, over and over, like "Ruxton Hills," and "I need honesty in my relationship,") which we find out later was her brother. The Hughes being the Hughes they invite her to stay with them and she becomes Chris babysitter. It was weird but in Chicago at that time there was the Laurie Dann thing where she went nuts and held a son and mother hostage after the horrible act of shooting up a pre school. The clip of Laura on ATWT boss arm laying out of the tub with blood running down it (she killed him with a razor) was the last scene before the cut went to the Laurie Dann rampage.

Laura was much more interesting then boring Angel Lange and the letter opener she constantly fondled. God I hated that story.

[amybrickwallace]

Did Angel ever come back to ATWT after Lily and Holden's 1998 wedding?

[DRW50]

No, she didn't.

I didn't even think she was there for the 1998 wedding.

That's chilling about the Laurie Dann incident. I can see how that airing right after ATWT must have been unsettling.

[amybrickwallace]

OK, maybe I confused them with Caleb and Julie, who did return for the wedding - but I thought Seth and Angel were there, too. Does anyone know for sure?

[DRW50]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjLBUu5OG-U&index=2&list=UUGxJeDjZ65VEz81qzAubTJA

Very funny.

That "consulting soapalogist" is likely more qualified than anyone running soaps now...