Back to 1976 Pt 5

Cathy has been irritable and vague lately, worrying Tony, who has no idea that her mental condition has deteriorated to the point where she visits the infant department of the local department store, looking at clothes for her daughter, and spends more and more time dreaming of Megan’s future as if the child were still alive. But Cathy finally admits she can’t handle the situation and agrees to see Dr. Will Vernon, the new psychiatrist at Llanview Hospital. Joe runs into Cathy in Will’s reception area, and she tells him about a fantasy she’s had about their Megan’s sweet-sixteen party. As she relates the event in vivid detail, Joe is  overcome with painful emotions and insists she stop it. He then spills out the truth—that even if there had been no accident, Megan would never have had a ‘sweet-sixteen party; she would not have lived long enough. Cathy bitterly berates her father for taking it upon himself to deny her and Joe the knowledge of Megan’s condition, insisting that if they had known they might have somehow been able to find a cure.Cathy refuses to forgive her father for this, despite Tony’s pleas that this bitterness can’t help her or Megan.

Jenny, who has finally let Peter persuade her to begin to function again by working as a nurse at the Free Clinic, insists she can’t make any binding plans yet but will live right now one day at a time. Jenny is taken aback when her sister Karen shows up on the Craig doorstep, explaining that she caught a ride on the private plane of a jet-set friend and thought she’d stop for a visit. Actually, Karen has arrived by bus and hitchhiked from the terminal, which Jenny soon discovers when her ride drops by with Karen’s address book, left in the’ car. Karen defensively admits that she wasn’t in Europe but had failed to make a living as an entertainer here in the States and was living in a commune. Karen is reluctant to follow Jenny’s suggestion that she look for a job, preferring  to just relax and size up Llanview, the Craigs, and particularly Anna Craig’s brother, the very eligible Dr. Larry Wolek.

When Larry bitterly learns that the hospital board has voted for Peter to head the new wing, he points out that Dorian knew she would win—after all, without the Ford Foundation money the hospital would be in trouble, and Dorian now controls those funds and the board knows it. When he announces he’s resigning from the hospital and will set up. a private practice, Karen enthusiastically offers support. Larry notes that he'll never go anywhere at the hospital now that  Dorian is holding the purse strings, but adds that someday he’ll have his revenge on her.

Tony is furious to discover that instead of keeping her appointments with Dr. Vernon, Cathy has used this time to visit Joe frequently, commiserating with him over their mutual tragedy, and has even gone to Viki to promise her she’ll make her sorry she was ever born. Tony warns Cathy that she’s become obsessed since learning the truth about Megan and is . risking their marriage by shutting him out of her life. Cathy comes close to revealing the truth about the reason she hustled him into marriage when she rejects his help and his concern, but manages to remember how she could still lose Tony to Pat and tearfully insists it was because she loves him.

Naomi Vernon’s asthma is worsening, and Larry urges Will to hire a full-time nurse.Jenny, offered the position, accepts it, to the delight of Brad Vernon, Naomi and Will’s son. When Brad receives a bid to play in a tennis tournament, Naomi fears this will worsen things, as Will feels Brad’s on his way to becoming a tennis bum. But Will tells his son not so— not if Brad’s really willing to make a career out of the sport and concentrate on it, not just dabble in it. But Brad decides against the tennis tour and tells his father he’s considering taking students right here in Llanview and possibly returning to school.Will is pleased with this unusually mature (for Brad) plan and wonders if Jenny’s not the reason why Brad’s suddenly more sensible and realistic.

When Viki suddenly goes into premature labor, she’s rushed to the hospital, where her condition is brought under control. After a few days she’s allowed to go home with full care on the understanding ‘that she and Joe have separate rooms for the balance of her confinement. To show a new leaf of family solidarity and concern, Dorian sends her own housekeeper, Felicia, to care for Viki. Viki agrees to this, not for Dorian’ s sake but so as not to hurt Felicia by rejecting her.

Karen decides that a private practice for Larry Wolek could be the perfect answer to her own search for money and comfort. She throws herself into grandiose and pretentious plans for setting up his office, horrifying Larry, who not only can’t afford these things but realizes that the kind of patients he’s planning to have would be frightened off by them. Karen tells him he should change his thoughts and try to attract wealthy patients, but she wisely agrees to  simplify the plans and make them fit his needs. As they spend more and more time together on the project, Karen manages to show herself in only the most attractive light, and soon she and Larry become lovers. 

Thanks @slick jones!

I have no idea how I've been underestimating OLTL for so many years. I was judging this show by some late 2000s scenes and some 80s camp. This 1991-1992 period I'm currently watching is the best... I mean... the BEST classic soap opera I've ever seen. A huge thank you to my soap opera friend - if you are reading - THANK YOU! 

This is the first show where my husband is sitting down to watch with me, without me even asking him. For some reason he adores Tina. He finds her charming and sweet. I can't disagree. I like this Tina, even though she is very different from the OG (from what I've seen from the older days). 

Aaaaand there is this in-joke - recently we noticed this woman working at our local KFC that is a stunning Dorian Lord doppelganger. So now when I am craving KFC, I just say - I want to go to Dorian!   🤣

Short clip - Blair wearing Dorian's clothes, drinking Dorian's wine and plotting Dorian's demise... like a scene straight from "The Favourite" by Yorgos Lanthimos and "All About Eve". Just 10 minutes ago she was drowning her in compliments.

 

Thanks @Maxim . Mia Korf was such a dynamic screen presence. 

I liked Karen Witter a lot too, even if the writing wasn't the best.

Thanks for the recap @Paul Raven

I'm glad to know Karen's story entrance. Never did until now. 

I wonder if the show ever remembered in later years that Brad was a big tennis player. 

11 hours ago, DRW50 said:

I wonder if the show ever remembered in later years that Brad was a big tennis player. 

That's actually the only think I remember about Brad Vernon, that he played tennis, he was blond, and was untrustworthy with Jenny Wolek, and then the actor Jameson Parker went to primetime on Simon&Simon.

Edit to add, now reading a biography of the character, wow he turned out to be a horrible person after the recast, but I don't think I was watching then.

Edited June 17Jun 17 by janea4old

I like Kassie DePaiva, but a lot was lost when Mia Korf left the role of Blair. Mia Korf was fantastic, and that period of OLTL was such great television. 

Speaking of that era, it's so interesting to me that Erika Slezak does not think Linda Gottlieb was good for OLTL. This anecdote about Clint Ritchie speaks to how good she was for the show. It's from Jeff Giles's book.

I think it may have been down to personality issues. Gottlieb seemed to rub a number of people the wrong way. Gottlieb was good for Viki, overall, but that isn't what an actor is going to remember.

I initially thought Gottlieb was referencing the plane crash Clint had but this must have been something else. I assume he didn't actually get plastic surgery...

Her last line just breaks your heart.

Edited June 18Jun 18 by DRW50

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

I think it may have been down to personality issues. Gottlieb seemed to rub a number of people the wrong way. Gottlieb was good for Viki, overall, but that isn't what an actor is going to remember.

I initially thought Gottlieb was referencing the plane crash Clint had but this must have been something else. I assume he didn't actually get plastic surgery...

Her last line just breaks your heart.

She probably did rub people the wrong way and I'm assuming some of it is because she's a woman since they excused Rauch's behavior for years. 

Clint Ritchie's behavior must have been appalling for Erika Slezak to even share that story because she was not one to badmouth her castmates. I can only imagine it was much worse than she relates in that anecdote. It's also sad that no other producer would hold him responsible for his drinking including Rauch who was also an alcoholic. 

1976 Pt 6

Karen complains to Jenny that Anna seems to resent her. Jenny assures her that Anna’s only concerned about Larry’s future, but warns Karen that their affair shouldn’t become obvious. Anna is concerned about Larry’s growing infatuation with Karen, as she is very aware of Karen’s preoccupation with material things and her desire for a life of ease and wealth. 

Cathy delightedly announces to Tony that she’s going to have a baby, insisting that she doesn’t need medical confirmation; she knows she’s pregnant from the symptoms. She adds that Dr. Vernon has dismissed her as a patient, that she’s no longer in need of therapy. But Will tells Tony this isn’t true, and Cathy’s  deep-rooted problems are so complex that a pregnancy can’t wipe them away. When Tony insists that she at leasts sees adoctor for pre natal care Cathy books the appointment, but the doctor is delayed and she impatiently leaves, returning home to assure Tony that the doctor checked her thoroughly and found her pregnant and healthy. Cathy wastes no time in telling a stricken Pat that she’s pregnant.

Viki goes into premature labor and has a tiny baby boy. Fearfully she and Joe await the test results from  the Llanview Hospital cardiologist, and their hopes are overwhelmingly realized when Jim happily informs them the baby’s heart is completely normal. They decide to name their son, who, appropriately, was born on his late grandfather’s birthday, Kevin Lord Riley.

When Jim tells Tony he’s learned that Cathy never kept her obstetrical appointment, Tony angrily confronts her with her pattern of lies. She bitterly retorts that it’s all his fault; he keeps pressuring her to take his orders and give up her independence. When he orders her to make another appointment immediately, she insists shell do what she wants when she wants, and he can’t force her to conform to what he wants her to be. But she does go in for the tests, and later meets Dorian, who impulsively buys her a christening dress for the expected child. Cathy is stunned to return home and learn that Tony’s heard from the - doctor’s office and her tests are negative. Insisting that there’s been a lab error, she returns for a second test, and when this too is negative, she hysterically insists that the doctor is deceiving them. Tony tries to comfort her, and persuades her to start seeing Dr. Vernon again.

Upon returning the christening dress to Dorian, Cathy is bitter to learn Viki has a healthy child, and she remarks that Viki always gets what she wants. Cathy runs into Joe at the nursery the next day and  sees his delight in his son. She discusses her feelings about Megan and illegitimacy with Dr. Vernon shortly after, and when Viki’s name comes up she admits her gall at seeing Viki’s baby, not her own, making Joe so happy, and shrieks, ““Wouldn’t you want a woman like that dead?” Cathy then takes her irrational hatred out on Pat by accusing her of lying about Brian, and she later frightens, Brian by evicting him from Tony’s Place after acting strange and somehow sinister.

Pat assures him that Cathy’s strange behavior is due to the disappointment about the baby. Dr. Vernon asks Cathy why she visited Viki after expressing such hatred toward her. Cathy, who has told Tony she went because she acknowledges her own responsibility in Megan’s death (she allowed Viki to be with Megan), refuses to discuss it with Dr. Vernon beyond noting that she and Viki were once good friends. Tony is furious to discover that Dorian has paid off his mortgage on Tony’s Place in full and he can’t  change it—anyone can pay off anyone else’s bank loans. Tony, knowing that Dorian does nothing unless she expects to realize something from it, goes straight to Llanfair and informs her that her “Lady Bountiful” gesture is not appreciated and he will make the monthly payments to her now, until the debt is  paid in full.

Karen sublets a friend’s apartment, explaining to Larry that they now have a place to be alone together. When he asks why she insists upon concealing their growing relationship, she says she just wants to keep it between them while it is still so new. She is upset when Anna unexpectedly comes upon them kissing, knowing that Anna isn’t delighted with her involvement with Larry. But Larry tells Anna that Karen is the first woman he’s been involved with since Merideth’s death and she makes him happy. Realizing that Larry is asking her to give Karen the benefit of the doubt, Anna implies that she understands. Vince, under the impression that Karen and Larry are just good friends, brings a buddy to meet Karen at Tony’s Place, where she’s waitressing, but is disconcerted to see the not-just-friends kiss she gives Larry when he walks in.

Still not mincing his words, Vince tells Larry that a relationship between second cousins isn’t appropriate. As Larry is older than Karen, it’s up to him to keep things under control. “Karen is snide when Larry is deeply involved in Viki's birth and testing and points out to Jenny  that he’s not Viki’s doctor. Reminded by Jenny of Viki’s medical situation and her former relationship to Larry, Karen retracts her bitter words and purchases an outlandishly expensive gift for the baby, saying that the gift to this baby particularly can’t be chintzy. 

Recap time! 🐍  One Life To Live - 1992.

I'm advancing in late February 1992. Alex just got Carlo off the charges - she replaced the real tapes with polka music... Tina pulled a number on Asa by buying some of his land for 1 dollar and then she requested 200 000 to get it back 🤣... Blair wrote an overly positive article about Asa, once again trying to paint herself as his biggest fan. The usual "I'm the most innocent girl in the world" routine. Watch out, Renee, your man has a wandering eye. 

Buuuuuut the most interesting storyline for me right now is the Kevin/Leanne situation and how it's affecting Victoria. This is one of the rare moments I'm seeing her be so negative, so critical and so... NOT her usual suffocatingly positive self. And rightfully so - in the past few months she's gone through more drama that people go through their entire lives - her house burned down, she was kidnapped and held hostage, her stepson died, her daughter followed him into the great beyond pretty soon... (I wonder how much of these catastrophes and deaths have to do with actors leaving the show and the new regime establishing itself!)

Anyways... the girl (Victoria) doesn't get a break! And now on top of all that trauma that is enough to put someone in Mountainview... we have an opportunist (Leanne Demerest) trying to install herself in her home and in her naive son's life. No, no, no... Viki has come to a breaking point! And I love seeing this side of her. I was getting really sick hearing her try to be positive and good in every single situation. Dorian had said it in one of the prior episodes - Victoria controls people through her moral superiority and Holier-than-thou persona. I'm not saying I agree on 100 percent with Dorian, but there is some truth to this. 

Short clip - Victoria stole the episode for me. Powerful stuff. That's what makes the soap opera genre my favorite. It's like opening a window to a real person's life and her struggles. Every beat hits. Every emotion leads to another. I live for moments like this - pure, raw, REAL. The second layer underneath her surface attitude - the mourning of Megan's passing makes this scene even more human. She is going through the anger stage of grief. 

Edited August 2Aug 2 by Maxim

Thanks.

Very hard to watch those scenes now. 

Andrew was such a pure, wonderful character. A rarity on soaps. And one that was very unique to the spirit of OLTL, while it still had that spirit.

22 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks @Maxim . Mia Korf was such a dynamic screen presence. 

I liked Karen Witter a lot too, even if the writing wasn't the best.

She is absolutely amazing (Mia) - I can't imagine anyone else playing that part. I don't know how I'm going to accept this when I get to this stage. And I know that she WILL be re-cast, I've heard it before, even though I don't remember ever seeing anything with the other Blair. 

4 hours ago, chrisml said:

I like Kassie DePaiva, but a lot was lost when Mia Korf left the role of Blair. Mia Korf was fantastic, and that period of OLTL was such great television. 

Watching Mia Korf today (assuming the uploads ever resume, I hope to watch her from the beginning) is a very different experience from little clips over the years, because of how the culture has changed around visibility. It is shocking to see how prominent they made an AAPI character 30+ years ago, and it frankly hasn't happened on American daytime since to that scale. Which is so shameful.

I loved Kassie's Blair as much as she aggravated me and you can't go back, but it's a drag what happened when Korf chose to leave. I've always thought there was a very specific, clever way you also could reincorporate Mia Korf into OLTL were it still around and honor that past. She's still beautiful, too. (She and Kassie posed for pix together IIRC at an OLTL reunion several years ago.)

Mia Korf talking about being replaced by a "tall blonde casting".

At about 16-42 mark in the video.

 

 

12 hours ago, Maxim said:

Mia Korf talking about being replaced by a "tall blonde casting".

At about 16-42 mark in the video.

Thanks. Crazy that only has 59 views. Hopefully it will get more now.