Courier Express, 8 February 1981

Soap Report Jon Michael Reed

"ONE LIFE to Live" has tried to squelch rumors for months that Keith Charles was slated to be removed from the cast in his role of Ted Clayton. Next week, Mark Goddard inherits the part. Keith is a soap opera veteran, but the show wanted a change to someone who's "more menacing." Mark is a more glamorous "looker" than Keith, and that doesn't hurt either. Nightime series viewers may recognize Mark from frequent guest appearances and from his co-starring roles in "'Lost in Space and ''The Detectives." The soap is also auditioning a replacement to fill the Samantha Vernon role when Julie Montgomery takes a hike within the next two months. Julie wants out, and some lucky young lady will find herself playing a prominent and juicy soap role.

*that was the beginning of Goddard's soap career in the 80's. He went on to play Paul Reed on The Doctors and Derek Barrington on GH.

And Dorian LoPinto became Samantha.

9 hours ago, DRW50 said:

 

Your description of the Luna story cracks me up. 

😂 Hahaha, that makes me happy. 

That bad storyline is the gift that keeps on giving. I expected Luna to defeat the bad cop using telekinesis or something absurd like that, but Thank God they restrained themselves. My biggest issue is that I remember how when they had that wife beater storyline a year ago... Luna was the hero, she beat that man up herself from what I remember... She didn't need a guy in a tank top to do the job. She was that kind of girl. And that had more potential. 

Up to October 22th, 1992.

  🦩

"Old feuds never die."

🔷

Ladies and gentlemen... And just like that... One life to live has returned to TOP form. Well... almost. These last three episodes have been such a breath of fresh air. It's as if a new chapter has begun... and the magic is finally coming back.

🔷

Let me kick things off with the most interesting part. I've heard plenty about this classic "feud", but until now, I had only seen a scene or two. I was starting to think that everything I read about their legendary history was just that... history. But wow, it appears that it's finally happening - the big leagues have entered the ring.  Dorian Lord and Victoria Buchanan delivered one of the most entertaining scenes ever. Bitchy, witchy... full of venom. Just observe Dorian's body language - her posture is like that of a tiger getting ready to pounce. Meow. And that vicious back-and-forth... WOW... That's the kind of dialogue soaps are missing these days. And it's delivered by these one in a million actresses. You’ll catch all of it in the clip of the day section. For context - the growing suspicion about Viki and Sloan finally pushed Dorian to confront her. The fur was flying! 

 🔷

Now, let’s rewind a bit. Why is Victoria in this situation right now?! Well... Clint kind of... walked out on her! Yes, you heard that right. After she finally confessed to kissing Sloan. She claimed, "he kissed me", but that was more than enough. Her good intentions in finally being honest with Clint... backfired. And I’m not blaming Clint at all. I thought he would pay Sloan a little visit, but to my surprise... Clint showed more class than that. He simply packed his bags and left. I think I may have to do a different post just to upload this scene too. 

🔷

Heading into the madhouse, also known as Asa's manor. Blair has come to the conclusion that Cain is too big of a threat, and it’s time to take action. She did what she does best - she lied, claiming he’s been making inappropriate remarks about her... and that he’s been looking at her in a certain way. Asa, of course, totally lost it! He confronted Cain, who denied any of this was going on... and then the two little parasites started sparring with each other. I'll repeat myself and say - I can see a future for these foxes. They’re just meant for each other.  

🔷

In the Suede-Max-Luna drama, there's a new twist... (of course there is) - a witness spotted a briefcase... blah blah blah... to sum it up, it seems Suede's wife was killed by her father... who might have had some sort of inappropriate relationship with his daughter. Yikes. Thankfully, these scenes were short, and for now, it seems like we're stepping back from this craziness. It doesn't match the quality of the other parts of the show. It's just mediocre. I also feel like it's been raining in that town where they've been for weeks. I'm counting down the days until this is over. I want it wrapped up and done. I felt the same way when they were dragging out the Who killed Carlo murder mystery.

🔷

Now for the grand finale... let's talk about something SUPER exciting. Nora Gannon has entered some sort of a war (more like a flirtation) with her ex-husband. Not only is she staying in town... she's also taken on Marty Saybrooke's case. Did you forget about that little witch? Yep, she's done it again - smashed into The Banner's window. Now Nora wants to defend her just to get back at Hank. Sheila is witnessing all of this... realizing there's more than just animosity here. There's a history, there's passion, and there's definitely trouble.

P.S. I almost forgot - Nora met this guy she had an instant spark with. That guy's name is Bo Buchanan. He was grinning from ear to ear. Ugh, I dislike Bo. Ever since he ditched Cassie like a dog. 

  Overall -  10/10 - They're back.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Clip of the day

"But coming from a high-minded tramp... such as yourself... means nothing."  

Edited October 26Oct 26 by Maxim

3 hours ago, Maxim said:

Now, let’s rewind a bit. Why is Victoria in this situation right now?! Well... Clint kind of... walked out on her! Yes, you heard that right. After she finally confessed to kissing Sloan. She claimed, "he kissed me", but that was more than enough. Her good intentions in finally being honest with Clint... backfired. And I’m not blaming Clint at all. I thought he would pay Sloan a little visit, but to my surprise... Clint showed more class than that. He simply packed his bags and left. I think I may have to do a different post just to upload this scene too. 

 

Thanks again @Maxim 

I do enjoy the faceoffs between Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser, but this very icy take with Elaine Princi, with dialogue that is not as surface level as she had when involved with Viki before Gottlieb's arrival, is enthralling to watch. I love the way Dorian says she would be upset if a moral person was calling her names, but not Viki. 

The scene with Clint is just as good, and once again, that music is perfection. Never overbearing, always enhancing.

4 hours ago, DRW50 said:

Thanks again @Maxim 

I do enjoy the faceoffs between Erika Slezak and Robin Strasser, but this very icy take with Elaine Princi, with dialogue that is not as surface level as she had when involved with Viki before Gottlieb's arrival, is enthralling to watch. I love the way Dorian says she would be upset if a moral person was calling her names, but not Viki. 

The scene with Clint is just as good, and once again, that music is perfection. Never overbearing, always enhancing.

Absolutely! It's becoming quite a challenge to pick... the scene of the day, given the fact that 90 percent of the show is perfect. Sure, there are a few dull moments scattered throughout, but with such high overall quality, I find it hard to decide what to cut. 😂 I completely agree regarding the music - it's enhancing and never overbearing. (Read this Frank Valentini). Plus, the way the show incorporates popular music from that era adds a contemporary and primetime feel to it. I even catch Madonna and Michael Jackson on the radio! They're playing a huuuge variety of hits, and it's simply fantastic. 

Up to October 28th, 1992.

  🦩

"Gotcha!"

🔷

Oh wow! Where do I even start? This is going to be a four-episode review because I had a massive binge last night. Nearly three astronomical hours. No sleep for me.  ❤️

🔷

Honestly, I’m not sure how to write about this without making it sound like a cliche. It isn't. Why - the way they’re telling it is just so good, so deliciously soapy. I’ll lay out the events in chronological order. Sloan surprised Viki with a picnic basket the moment he heard her husband is out of town. (What an opportunist.) The Male Brooke Logan of the show.  ❤️ Viki of course... couldn’t resist his charm and ended up giggling on the floor next to delicious plate of pate and flatbread. There was some face touching, some eye fluttering and a lot of embraces. Their lips were practically red from wanting to do what they wanted to do. But they held back. Damn it. If this was The Bold And The Beautiful, we would have seen Viki and Sloan doing it on the floor. Viki would have gotten pregnant right then and there. Thank God this is not that show. Viki snapped back to reality when Kevin called asking why she has been ignoring Clint's calls. The phone was indeed ringing non stop, but the two lovebirds didn't even realize it. I love little details like that - when people are in THE ZONE, anything around them fades. So... she suddenly remembered she is a married woman and her face changed from a bright smile to a picture of depression. The forbidden picnic had to end. Viki pleaded with Sloan to leave town and help her save her family. He agreed, but not before they shared one last embrace.

🔷

Gotcha! We all love those last hugs... kisses... that always seem to tear families apart, right? It's such a soap staple. It was a "Goodbye" too little... too late - Dorian Lord snapped a few scandalous shots on her cute spy camera. Now the countdown began... for when Clint would find out. First I thought she would go and print this on her yellow rag's front page, but then I remembered her daughter was dating Sloan's son. So instead of doing it the sensationalist way... Dorian decided to seek Clint personally and deliver the goods home style. He (Clint) had gone to see Viki earlier to tell her he was ready to forgive and forget. Another soap opera staple - the forgiveness just before everything unravels. Viki was on cloud nine, so relieved and happy. And then, bam! The Witch of Llanview swoops in and flips everything upside down - in one of the most delicious scenes yet, Dorian Lord was practically terrorizing Clint with the truth. She told him how Sloan and Viki were all over each-other. And she also added that she has proof - photographic one. I screamed with excitement.

🔷

Then things got messy. Like, really messy. Clint had a full-blown male meltdown - before Viki could even get home - he was at a bar, all alone... drinking. Is this the start of his self-destruction? A hint of future alcoholism? It was brutal. And I felt empathy for him.  When he came back... still not fully sober, in my opinion... the two had their biggest fight since I started watching this show. Erika Slezak delivered an Emmy-worthy performance. This was a family way past it's expiration date. The fight seemed to continue for hours and was spread out in 2 episodes... I clipped the culminative part.  

🔷

The other storylines were just the appetizers before the main course - the Viki Buchanan story. I’ll just comment a little on the parts I enjoyed and skip the snooze-fest Max-Luna stuff that I’m over. 1 - We had Leanne once again pleading with Viki to see her kid - in the most intense moment ever, when Viki was totally shattered. When she asked how she was doing... Viki  replied - My life is falling apart, but I’m good, thanks for asking. I screamed. 😂 Perfect dialogue. 2 - We also had the war of the foxes - Blair and Cain, each trying to outwit the other. They shared a kiss, though. It was played off like a manipulation tactic, but still - lips touched. I think genitals may touch too very soon. I told you this was coming. Poor Tina. This girl is one storyline from getting written off at this point.

 Overall -  11/10 - S.U.B.L.I.M.E

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Clip of the day

Viki finally lost it. 

Edited October 27Oct 27 by Maxim

 

7 minutes ago, Maxim said:

Gotcha! We all love those last hugs... kisses... that always seem to tear families apart, right? It's such a soap staple. It was a "Goodbye" too little... too late - Dorian Lord snapped a few scandalous shots on her cute spy camera. Now the countdown began... for when Clint would find out. First I thought she would go and print this on her yellow rag's front page, but then I remembered her daughter was dating Sloan's son. So instead of doing it the sensationalist way... Dorian decided to seek Clint personally and deliver the goods home style. He (Clint) had gone to see Viki earlier to tell her he was ready to forgive and forget. Another soap opera staple - the forgiveness just before everything unravels. Viki was on cloud nine, so relieved and happy. And then, bam! The Witch of Llanview swoops in and flips everything upside down - in one of the most delicious scenes yet, Dorian Lord was practically terrorizing Clint with the truth. She told him how Sloan and Viki were all over each-other. And she also added that she has proof - photographic one. I screamed with excitement.

 

46 minutes ago, Maxim said:

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Clip of the day

Viki finally lost it. 

This was a fantastic scene!  Thanks for sharing  

49 minutes ago, alwaysAMC said:

This was a fantastic scene!  Thanks for sharing  

It really is. Perfect soap opera moment. Raw, authentic, very relatable... very human. There is no need for crazy plot devices, no need for tricks and camp... just a family descending into emotional hell. Done million times, but never old. My favorite kind of soap. ❤️

@Maxim I remember really liking Luna because the character and actress was so different from what we normally get on a soap opera. I haven't revisited her material so I wonder if I would have the same reaction now in 2025. I also remember that I enjoyed Suede (although I thought the name was silly). I can see what you're talking about with a strong woman always having to be rescued. Women on soaps always seem to lose brain cells and physical strength after a certain point.  What is that about? Why do soaps hate strong women?

The Dorian/Viki scenes remind me just how much I preferred Elaine Princi as Dorian. I didn't see Robin Strasser in her heyday. I only saw her when she returned, and I found her unwatchable quite often. 

32 minutes ago, chrisml said:

@Maxim I remember really liking Luna because the character and actress was so different from what we normally get on a soap opera. I haven't revisited her material so I wonder if I would have the same reaction now in 2025. I also remember that I enjoyed Suede (although I thought the name was silly). I can see what you're talking about with a strong woman always having to be rescued. Women on soaps always seem to lose brain cells and physical strength after a certain point.  What is that about? Why do soaps hate strong women?

The Dorian/Viki scenes remind me just how much I preferred Elaine Princi as Dorian. I didn't see Robin Strasser in her heyday. I only saw her when she returned, and I found her unwatchable quite often. 

Absolutely. The Luna of late 1991 is a far cry from the Luna of late 1992. She was practically a superwoman... the boldest and craftiest of them all... she really gave that domestic abuse guy a good beating... and was the ultimate hero in that storyline for me. Now, we’re stuck with a weak... incessantly whimpering woman who’s sending telepathic "HELP" messages to the dude with the tank top. It’s a tragic character destruction... and it doesn’t fit the actress at all. She was the most interesting when she was the radio host, doing her thing and offering a new perspective. Who knows, they might fix this mess in the future... but it’s just disturbing me to see her standing next to a guy (Suede) who once had her at gunpoint and was manhandling her like a rag doll... and now she’s looking at him with sympathy. And now they might even be heading into a love triangle, which is just nauseating. If she has to be with a man, I’d rather it be Max. The best scenario would have been if she didn’t need a man to define her. She was THAT girl, and now she’s not. I remember her first convos with Tina, where she was all about finding her inner Goddess and not letting a man push her around. Where did that girl go? That’s all I’m saying. I’m not a Luna hater... I genuinely like the actress - she’s memorable, interesting, and has range.

About Dorian - Oh God, you just reminded me that we’ll soon be saying goodbye to this incredible actress. I’ll weep when this Dorian is replaced. I adore her so much. She’s honestly my girl and my favorite character. I can’t imagine how I’ll connect with the OG Dorian. I might struggle at first... but we’ll see. You’ll catch my thoughts in my commentary. Let’s hope it’s not a letdown. Just knowing Elaine is leaving... is already a letdown.

On 10/26/2025 at 4:48 AM, Maxim said:

P.S. I almost forgot - Nora met this guy she had an instant spark with. That guy's name is Bo Buchanan. He was grinning from ear to ear.

I have been waiting for you to mention that!  I happened to see the clip just last month, and have waited until you saw the scene before posting it.
 

Just now, janea4old said:

I have been waiting for you to mention that!  I happened to see the clip just last month, and have waited until you saw the scene before posting it.
 

Yeeeeeeeees!❤️ I just finished watching a new episode... and it's clear that these two are becoming increasingly playful with one another. It seems Bo is forgetting Sarah quite rapidly. In just a year... he has jumped from Cassie (who I absolutely adore) to Sarah... and now he's looking at Nora like a lovesick schoolboy. If Bo were a woman, people in that crazy town would have labeled her a slut by now...  

Just a little sneak peak about what I'm gonna write on tomorrow. I'm literally screaming. This show is ON FIRE. 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 🤩 

 

Edited October 28Oct 28 by Maxim