^ When did that happen? Because I don't remember it either. I know Susan was injured in a very similar way, also in a car accident, but that was before AMC.

Thanks for that tidbit, ellabelle. I had NO idea that Erica and David were split up so she could be single for Bianca's coming-out. To me, that decision makes no sense. If anything, such an event would be a terrific catalyst either for bringing them back together or solidifying their relationship.

Supposedly TPTB knew how huge the Bianca coming out story would be, and they wanted it to be something that Erica struggled with on her own, and they didn't want her to be in the midst of a romance at the same time. It was felt that would distract from the gay story or something. I can see their point, and if you look at what happened in late 2000/early 2001, it does look like they were laying the groundwork for David and Erica to get back together. Their break up wasn't really final - it was more "I love you, but I don't know if I can trust you, so we need to end this," and yet they kept spending time together, whether it was having breakfast at the Valley Inn, or him driving her home from some event and sitting up all night talking to her, or her going to him for advice about Bianca, or them having sex on Alex's desk...

Erica was one of the few people still on David's side after the libidizone debacle on the yacht, and she arranged to get him out of jail, and that was spring 2001. That relationship was still salvagable at that point, but they wasted a wonderful opportunity to pair them up again to stick David with Dixie and have Erica flirt with Roger Smythe and then end up with Chris Stamp of all people. Such a waste... AMC could have had absolute magic if they'd put them back together. Even as enemies later on, the chemistry between SL and VI was just amazing. There were a few times after that where it seemed like David and Erica might end up back together, but for whatever reason, TPTB always pulled back. I'll never understand that.

You make a lot of good points. Many times I feel like I am too hard on those years. I should go back and look I guess - it's just tough because your memories of that time are so strong, and in some ways you don't want to go back and change them, because in the long run memories of soaps are often what you hold onto most dearly, the good and the bad.

I can completely relate to that...

What always got me was that when she was first in the wreck, her face did not look mangled at ALL. there was like minimal blood streaked down her face. I know they said they'd never show her scar because it could never live up to the audience's expectations of horror. Do you remember when her masque fell off, "Oh! My mask!", . Adam said she was butchered, her great beauty ruined, lost forever...

Adam was never very good with subtlety was he?

IIRC, there wasn't a huge amount of bleeding on her face when the accident first happened, but by the time they got her to the hospital, it looked a lot worse - the blood was soaking through the bandages. Then after surgery, the parts of her face that weren't bandaged were all bruised, and she looked pretty bad.

The one thing I will say about this clip is that everyone looks so fresh! Robin Mattson looks good, but it is a little out-of-character for Janet. (I will always be upset for AMC turning Janet crazy again just so Collins can do shtick and McTavish can have a convenient villian. Mattson did SO much to redeem the character.)

Collins was second choice. AMC intended on bringing Mattson back as Janet, but ABCD was less than impressed with her return as Heather Webber on GH in 2004 and nixed the idea.

^ When did that happen? Because I don't remember it either. I know Susan was injured in a very similar way, also in a car accident, but that was before AMC.

True. But I do recall reading the scanned article in question somewhere on this board and then reacting to it. (Unfortunately, I'm not good at retrieving old posts, so someone will have to help me there.)

That may have been in FrenchFan's recaps. I have some of that time too so if it isn't in there I will get around to looking at what I have.

Supposedly TPTB knew how huge the Bianca coming out story would be, and they wanted it to be something that Erica struggled with on her own, and they didn't want her to be in the midst of a romance at the same time. It was felt that would distract from the gay story or something. I can see their point, and if you look at what happened in late 2000/early 2001, it does look like they were laying the groundwork for David and Erica to get back together. Their break up wasn't really final - it was more "I love you, but I don't know if I can trust you, so we need to end this," and yet they kept spending time together, whether it was having breakfast at the Valley Inn, or him driving her home from some event and sitting up all night talking to her, or her going to him for advice about Bianca, or them having sex on Alex's desk...

Erica was one of the few people still on David's side after the libidizone debacle on the yacht, and she arranged to get him out of jail, and that was spring 2001. That relationship was still salvagable at that point, but they wasted a wonderful opportunity to pair them up again to stick David with Dixie and have Erica flirt with Roger Smythe and then end up with Chris Stamp of all people. Such a waste... AMC could have had absolute magic if they'd put them back together. Even as enemies later on, the chemistry between SL and VI was just amazing. There were a few times after that where it seemed like David and Erica might end up back together, but for whatever reason, TPTB always pulled back. I'll never understand that.

Yeah, I see their (and your) point, too, ellabelle. I just don't believe it would have been all that distracting. After all, AMC's social-issue storylines in the past have always been woven into ongoing relationship dramas between different characters. That's a huge reason why Agnes Nixon gets credit for them; they're never "very special episode," if you know what I mean.

Meanwhile, the less I say about Erica's "romance" with Chris Stamp, the better.

I actually liked Chris Stamp.

I preferred him as Ryan's father as it did away with all that sillyness about being an evil Lavery monstrosity Megan played with so extensively.

Edited February 23, 201213 yr by Skin

Collins was second choice. AMC intended on bringing Mattson back as Janet, but ABCD was less than impressed with her return as Heather Webber on GH in 2004 and nixed the idea.

That is so dumb, what backward thinking. That's like a hypothetically un-cancelled Another World saying, "Rae Cummings sucked, so we're gonna go with Jane Elliot for Felicia."

What gets me is that ABCD (okay, Frons) chose to blame Robin Mattson for her disastrous GH return rather than Bob Guza.

That does sound like Frons.

I'd always assumed McTavish pushed for Collins because that was her Janet.

While I agree that Heather Webber's return was a total flop (the story as well as Mattson seemed to be misplaced on that cast during that horrid year), I definitely would've preferred Mattson's Janet. I believe the comedy would've had a more droll, darker bent to it than Collins' gimmicky shtick!

Robin was definitely a more subtle Janet, but I can't fully hate KC as Janet either. It was one of those rare recasts where I actually really liked both the original actress and the recast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwwf8m6UgVo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjX66a2I0to