GH: Classic Thread

[Khan]

This is what I have been saying for the longest time.  

I wouldn't necessarily re-pair Robert and Anna, but I agree, @Vee, that the ONLY reason why he and Diane are together is due to their ages and nothing more.

[carolineg]

I don't really get the Anna/Robert hate.  I can see why Holly/Robert have more love, but I also don't find A/R that bad?  It's obviously all on clips and not a whole show context so I could be missing a lot.   They just seem decent to me.  I am open to hear anyone's thoughts about it though.

[j swift]

On screen, it seems like Robert and Anna were together for a much shorter time than Robert and Holly.  Obviously they had a long history.  But, Duke was presented as the love of Anna's life.  And she was shagging aliens and mobsters with ponytails (aka Evan Jerome) for months before Gloria Monty returned, and suddenly she's tieing Robert to a column, and then they moved into that ugly purple version of the Webber house. 

So, for me, there's just not as much rooting value for them as a couple versus as partners and friends.

[titan1978]

As a kid watching back then I thought they played that there was some emotion still between them. From the wedding flashbacks to establish their history when she first arrived to how Duke was at times angry and jealous of Robert’s place in their lives. It was part of the story when Grant Putnam kidnapped her. The audience did favor Robert/Holly and Anna/Duke though.

I liked them together and I loved their wedding at Lila Quartermaine’s garden, with all the large hats.

Anna was my favorite character. When she was gone I was almost gone too. But habit and then my teen gay hormones kicking in when Jagger arrived kept me watching. I was at the perfect age for Jagger/Karen/Brenda/Jason/Robin/Stone.
 

Riche really lucked out while rebuilding things with that teen squad and the Ryan/Felicia story both capturing the audience that was left. I was way more glued to those stories than I had been during Monty’s return year.

[carolineg]

This all makes sense.  I just thought Anna/Robert had some lovely scenes in Nightshift 2 that made me think the romance was still workable.  Again I know it's more Luke/Laura, Holly/Robert, Duke/Anna, Frisco/Felicia and Sonny/Brenda as the top 5 considered supercouples of GH across the internet, but I still think TR/FH work quite well together.  I guess my point is the separate pairings they are doing right now work way worse than Anna/Robert.

[Khan]

I don't HATE Robert and Anna as a couple.  I'd be fine with them reuniting and spending their twilight years together.  But it's clear someone(s) at GH feels differently.  If it's Tristan and Finola who keep resisting the idea, then I say, why force the issue?  It'd be lot easier just to have Robert and Anna pursue separate romances than to reunite them and make everyone, including the actors and the audience, utterly miserable.

[j swift]

Excuse me for being a bit catty, but Robert has not aged well.  As an infrequent, mostly sweeps viewer, it is surprising to see him in his current state.  Meanwhile, Anna is still vibrant.  She was constantly in love scenes as recently as last winter while she was stuck in the cabin with Valentine.  So, at this point, their pairing seems more like an endgame if both actors were to leave the show, than a viable option to maintain Anna as a leading character.  (my only excuse for the ageism expressed in my comment is the projection of hating the process myself)

[dc11786]

Thanks. In considering what was said upthread about how it was harder to ground some of the 80s characters into the more modern world, maybe Labine felt similarly about Sean and Tiffany. While I find Tiffany's descent into self-destruction fascinating, I could see where others find it heavy. In reviewing the summaries, there were some lighter moments (they had several girlfriend-type meetings between Holly and Tiffany), but not enough to lessen the tone of the overall plot. I could see it all just being too much and dumping Tiffany and Sean. 

I think Jessica was worth salvaging long enough to let her have the baby, but her long term potential was most likely limited. What I enjoy about the pre-Labine Riche era is the level of connectivity between the cavas. I know some of those characters aren't the most beloved (Julia, Jenny, Paul, Nikki, Eric, Jessica), but they all seem to play a part and fit with the environment the show is developing. I don't think people would have liked Jessica as Jessie's grandniece, but I thought the closeness in names and the same last name as Jessie's former love would be too much to pass up. 

Hindsight provides different outlooks. In watching 1990, knowing what happens in 1991, Robert and Anna reuniting doesn't seem to be much of a stretch. How quickly that occurred would be, but the Anna & Robert thread seems to be something that was being delayed for some reason. The original set up of the Lucas story with Cheryl's baby being fathered by either Julian or Robert would seem to keep Anna in that orbit. I would say that it's possible Evan Jerome/Edge Jackson was intended to keep Anna and Robert in the same story as Julian Jerome as the baby's father meant Lucas was an heir to the Jerome money.

Also, a rather significant part of the original Cesar storyline in 1990 is the revelation that Sean engineered the break up of Anna and Robert in order to keep Robert's head in the game, which woudl suggest that there would be a potential hurdle removed for Robert and Anna reuniting. Maybe Robert and Anna was never the plan, but there are enough threads that they could have done some easy work and repaired the two. 

Anna goes through a series of guys in 1990: Julian, fauxDuke, Casey, Shep, and Edge. I think that the Hardy/Palumbo 1991 would have had a messy scenario with Edge/Anna/Shep/Cheryl/Robert and the baby drama. 

I think given the canvas at the time, settling on Robert and Anna wasn't the worst decision in the world. 

Most of March, 1992 is available on YouTube. Riche really creates a world that is accomplishing what Monty set out to do by trying to modernize the show and take it out of the 1980s but by emphasizing the hospital and the family connections rather than having characters who simply stated their ethnicities. I think Riche's decision to continue to play what was in place instead of doing a wholesale reset was smart in the long run. The 1992 stories may not have been the stories she is most known for, but it sets the tone for the next few years with Levinson's run and Labine's run. 

[Paul Raven]

I was just about to make the same observation when I saw your post. 

Tristan is 77 and Finola is 64 so there is already an age difference. And Finola has had (good) work done and presents younger. Its just a fact that on TV these days just about every woman above 50 has some type of enhancement and it has become the norm. We are taken aback when we see someone who has aged naturally.

I don't think Tristan took much care of himself when younger so a lot of wrinkles and sun damage. I don't think its ageism, just facts.

[carolineg]

I think Tiffany was more difficult to ground and find a place for.   Sean has a few more options for me just with the nature of his job.  Once the show reunited Tiffany/Sean I think they were written into a corner.  It really seems easier to give them their happy ending than to go back down the road of more angst and cheating.  I could see them lasting through Labine, but I could never imagine Sean/Tiffany in a Guza world.

I'll have to check out some clips of Jessica and see what I think.  

I do agree with those that say TR hasn't aged well.  On the other hand I always thought Finola looked much younger than him so it doesn't phase me.  I also enjoyed Olivia/Robert so obviously the age difference didn't bother me.   Tristian does come off as a grumpy grandpa sometimes, I just don't think it would hinder Anna's viability.

[titan1978]

I think the right decision was made in regards to Sean and Tiffany at the time, to rest the characters. I could have easily seen a place for Tiffany down the road as a supporting player, possibly involved in media stories with a younger set of characters. I think she would have fit in quite well with Jax, Kate, Lulu and Maxie at  Crimson. Her becoming a PR person feels natural to me.

And I enjoyed Sean, but him being revealed as the big bad with the virus makes way more sense than Holly. His whole foundation was based in going outside the lines when it was necessary or suited him. Sure he was a good guy by the time he left, but I think the swing is much easier to believe with him.

Labine spoke about inheriting a show that was filled with characters that were left over from the last three regimes, not really families per se, and her focus on the hospital was to both ground the show and also give a central hub for a foundation. The hospital and Luke & Laura were the spokes that touched everything.

[janea4old]

 

Lots of talk about the lack of intimacy with youngsters on the show nowadays, but Steve and Audrey could make it work believably. 

[Khan]

Get it, Dr. & Mrs. Hardy!

[janea4old]

Well yes they were called that back then.
But now I'd call them Dr. and Head Nurse Hardy!

[depboy]

Hi everyone!  Here is March 1974 GH summaries.

Friday, March 1, 1974: Augusta gives Henry a birthday kiss.  Joel invites Diana to dinner, and she awkwardly turns him down.  Jim is annoyed when Lucille mentions that they knew of Joel’s assistant coming and that Audrey didn’t tell him.

Monday, March 4: At the risk of losing Chamberlain’s annual contribution to the hospital, Steve decides that Lesley will stay on the Grey case.  Wyatt finds Florence extremely upset, not wanting to live; he’s baffled not knowing she knows the truth about Lesley and Gordon.

Tuesday, March 5: When Audrey tries to tell Jim not to be uptight about the situation with Joel, she immediately regrets it.  Lesley finds Florence hostile and incommunicative.  Joel and Jim have a confrontation with Jim telling Joel he was foolish for bringing in the assistant surgeon; Joel says he’s not going to let Jim’s ego interfere with his having the best surgical team.

Wednesday, March 6: Peter hints to Jessie that he misses Diana more than he thought he would; Diana admits to Jane that she is lonely without Peter; Peter arrives and tells Diana he would like to come over and pick up some of his things.  Howie is indignant when Jane tells him that she sometimes worries about his being with other women.

Thursday, March 7: Joel apologizes to Audrey for the conflict between him and Jim; Joel tells Steve that if Jim insists on him using a different surgical assistant, he won’t comply.  Florence tells Peter she doesn’t trust anyone, including him and refuses to talk to him further.  Peter arrives at Diana's and finds her in her robe; he finds her very appealing, but his mood is interrupted by the baby.  He is still not fond of her, and leaves; Diana is bitterly disappointed.

Friday, March 8: Lesley refuses to see Gordon.  While looking for the keys to the car in Jim’s coat pocket, Audrey finds a small bottle of whiskey; Jim is defensive, and tries to cover his annoyance.  Gordon comes to see Lesley at night; she tells him that it is no longer possible for them to have a life together; Florence calls Wyatt and begs him to come pick her up from the hospital.

Monday, March 11: Steve asks Jim if he can attend the meeting in which Joel and Jim will decide whether or not to perform the difficult surgery.  Augusta suggests that Henry ought to have more fun in his life.  Florence sneaks out of the hospital; Wyatt tries to convince her to return to her room; Florence accuses him of lying to her about Gordon’s affair and begs him to help her escape; as Gordon and Lesley continue their talk, he tries to kiss her and remove her robe; she slaps him; Jessie calls to tell Lesley that Florence has disappeared.  

Tuesday, March 12: Jane tells Howie that she is miserable about their marriage, particularly her part in it; Howie gets a call from Jessie in which he is told that Florence has disappeared; Howie talks to Steve and tells him that if Florence isn’t found, heads are going to roll; Wyatt is angry at Florence; Lesley calls Wyatt and he admits that Florence is with him.  Steve, Jim, and Joel argue in the coffee shop about the difficult surgery; a reporter, Kira Faulkner, overhears and takes notes.

Wednesday, March 13: Jim is extremely upset that Joel refuses to do the surgery.  Kira annoys Steve with questions and her suggestion that the conversation she overheard would be interesting for a community interest news telecast; he finds her charming.  Steve tells Jim that it is Jim, not Joel, who is putting the cardiac patient’s life in danger; Jim tells Joel that if he gives him permission to use his assistant for the surgery, it is a one-time-only deal; Joel agrees; Jim tells Audrey the surgery is underway; he tries to cover his anger, and leave to go get drunk.

Thursday, March 14: Lesley is afraid that Florence knows the truth.  Joel emerges from the surgery happy, but exhausted; he tells Diana of the tension and asks her to celebrate; she accepts.  Kira’s mother suspects that Kira is out scalp-collecting; Kira and Steve get better acquainted and she does her best to get a news story out of him.  Wyatt refuses to allow Lesley in the house to check on Florence; she enters anyway, and learns that Florence knows about the affair; Wyatt forcefully removes Lesley from the house.

Friday, March 15: Audrey finds Jim drinking.  Augusta tells Lucille she is lonely.  Joel and Diana return from their night on the town; Joel asks Diana if there is room in her life for someone new now that Peter is out; Joel tells Diana he hopes to get Jim’s job; he kisses her goodnight.  Jim admits to Audrey that for one fleeting moment, he hoped that Joel would bungle the surgery.

Monday, March, 18: Augusta jokingly suggests that Henry take her to the Chinese ballet; she tells Jessie that the carefree unattached life isn’t for her.  Lesley tells Jessie that Florence knows about the affair and that she is going to draft a resignation letter.  Gordon tries to see Florence, but Wyatt refuses to admit him to the house.  Jessie suggests to Audrey that she talk to Lee about her concerns over Jim’s drinking.  Steve refuses to let Lesley resign and he won’t be bullied by Wyatt.

Tuesday, March 19: Howie tells Jane that Thurston is about to blow his stack over the Grey case.  Gordon asks Lesley to help with Florence; she goes to Florence and tells her that she did love Gordon once, but the circumstances are different now; Florence’s hostility wanes, but she continues to refuse medical help.  Jane pleads a headache when Howie wants to make love; he walks out, telling her a healthy marriage should be a lot different from theirs.  

Wednesday, March 20: Joel asks Peter if he minds if he dates Diana; Peter, annoyed, says she is free to do whatever she wants; Joel asks Diana for a date, but she turns him down.  Steve and Mr. Thurston argue over the Grey case; Steve says he will resign if Lesley is removed from the staff.  Diana dreams of Peter and Joel.

Thursday, March 21: Steve tries to explain to Audrey why he had to intervene between Joel and Jim; Audrey admits to Lee she is worried about Jim’s drinking; Lee and Jane have lunch.  Jim asks a doctor friend in Boston to nose around and see if he hears anything about Stratton.  Steve receives a letter addressed with unusual handwriting.

Friday, March 22: Gordon sees Florence and begs her to let him return; Florence goes into shock and is rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery.  Diana agrees to go out with Joel.

Monday, March 25: Wyatt can’t bear to hear Florence say she wants to reunite with Gordon; Wyatt finds Lesley and threatens that if something happens to his daughter, he will see to it that she will never practice medicine again; Lesley tells him to save it and go and pray for his daughter’s life.  Peter, waiting at Diana’s, sees Diana return with Joel; he watches as Joel kisses her goodnight.

Tuesday, March 26: Lucille notices another letter for Steve with the same unusual handwriting.  Florence is brought from the ICU, and Wyatt and Gordon are grateful; the old hostilities are swept under a flood of relief.  Jim begins to get the feeling that if he doesn’t perform surgery again he will be disappointing Audrey.  Gordon thanks Lesley for saving Florence; this is the last time he will see her alone.  Steve opens the envelope and discovers it contains three coins.

Wednesday, March 27: Howie tells Steve that all of the wrinkles have been ironed out in the Grey case, and that Wyatt pledged $50,000 to the hospital.  Jane admits to Jessie that she and Howie aren’t close and that she feels sick when he comes near her.  Peter admits to Jessie that he waited for Diana and that she came home from a date with Joel and it was extremely awkward.

Thursday, March 28: When Lee cautions Audrey not to push Jim into returning to surgery, she pooh-poohs him.  Howie tells Augusta that he and Jane are having problems, but it’s Jane that’s the problem, not him. 

Friday, March 29: Another letter arrives for Steve; Kira invites him to have lunch with her and her mother; he is unable to go.  Diana receives her R.N. pin tomorrow; she tells Jessie she enjoyed kissing Joel.  Augusta senses that Peter is feeling low; she makes an effort to cheer him.  Steve opens the envelope, this time it contains four coins and two tickets to the Chinese ballet; he and Jessie speculate as to what it all means.