Week 18, Part III -- Conclusion

Monica: "Alan Jr. only has one set of grandparents, Lila. I don't want him to lose them."

Lila: "We don't want to lose him, either."

Monica: "You are so dear to me, Lila. And, as much as Edward and I snarl at each other, he is dear to me, too. And you know you are always welcome in my house."

Sean Swindles the Quartermaines: Sean's airtime is spent with Anna and Robin in the Buzz storyline and Edward's out of town for most of the week, allowing for the revenge and financial aspects of this storyline to mostly take a backseat to the relationships stuff.

Jimmy Lee and Lorena each have a foot in the Buzz and swindling storylines. He's about as tireless as Anna in wanting to be there for Buzz, and Lorena keeps close to Jimmy Lee as often as she can. I liked that Jimmy Lee and Lorena's scenes were played platonically. It wouldn't have been unusual for the two to have hooked up out of a mutual need for comfort amid stress, and it's clear that they're always going to care for one another at least on some level, but you can sense that there just isn't love there. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Lorena's in line for greener pastures.

Alan's assignment for the week is to unload the home he shouldn't have bought. Alan approaches Derek, who's noncommittal. Soon after, Derek learns from Lorena about the Qs being in dire straits. Now Derek's willing to buy the $3.1 million house ... for $1.7 million. Things go better for the elder Quartermaines' efforts to raise money: Edward sells the Southhampton estate and Lila doesn't have to sell any of her jewelry to Amanda. Monica buys it all. After all, someday Alan Jr. will get married ...

Later on, Monica admits how much she cares about Lila & Edward, but insists that it's just too late for her and Alan. Lila reminds Monica, who doesn't answer whether she's in love with another man, about Alan's dangerous side. Meanwhile, Alan and Jimmy Lee get in some belated bonding at Buzz's bedside.

Domestic-Relationship Roundup:

• Lorena and Derek: If I didn't know better, I'd think that Shelley Taylor Morgan and Mark Goddard were going to hang around. On Thursday, Lorena and Derek discuss the idea of him buying such a huge mansion, one he can raise a family in. Lorena thinks it's a matter of time before she gets married, so she asks Claudia about buying her out of the spa.

• Bryan and Claudia: They have the obligatory "Gee, our problems don't seem like much, do they?" conversation after finding out about Buzz, but they aren't yet ready for a happily ever after. With her marriage not yet saved and in need of something to keep busy with, Claudia considers owning the spa.

• The Webbers: I'm happy to admit I was wrong. Things were blissful for Mike, et al. this week. On Tuesday, Mike gets Rick and Ginny to let him throw a surprise birthday party for Jamie. It's a hit, even if the guest list is just Jamie, Mike, Rick, Ginny, Amy, and Bill. Mike's actually grateful to Ginny. Oh, if only the peace could last.

• Tony and Tania: Buzz's plight inspires some reminiscing about Tony's coma the year before. The waterfront violence has Tony wondering if it's time for him and Tania to leave the Brownstone and move into a more suburban neighborhood. If you wait seven months, Tony, a house will be available. ...

• Frisco and Felicia: Felicia is even more upset about the violence, especially since Frisco's going to deal with it every day. Get used to Felicia stressing about being a cop's wife, since she's going to be this way for the next two-and-a-half months.

• Bobbie and Jake: The Paris trip? C'est Magnifique! Bobbie feels like she's at a turning point in her life, and that she can spend it with Jake. I guess they'll be getting engaged pretty soon, and I have to tell myself not to worry about how he apparently doesn't know about her past.

Tania also has some tang to her: "Knowing Buzz, if he recov -- I mean, when he recovers, he'll probably be back out in the van and taking care of the rest of the world. Whether they deserve it or not."

18 minutes ago, janea4old said:

Ten permanent sets.

At this point in my viewing, the permanent sets would likely be:

the "hub," the versatile nurses station and waiting room set, with various elevator doors to signify different floors

Kelly's

the Quartermaine living room

the Webber living room

the Brownstone living room

Sean's penthouse

Frisco and Felicia's studio apartment

Terry and Kevin's apartment

Anna's apartment

the spa

31 minutes ago, janea4old said:

This is the part that got me: Early each morning, the director talks it through with the actors. Each episode is filmed one week before airdate. After about 5 hours of rehearsal, they tape. Five hours! "a 12 to 14 hour day, five days a week, for cast and crew, is not unusual". Ten permanent sets.

Linda Gottlieb arrived at OLTL and changed to block taping, eliminating the rep company feeling from all the ABC soaps in her wake. They still had some time to rehearse back then, but they weren’t mostly all there until the episode was in the can anymore once her changes showed they saved money and time. They staggered people in for just their scenes.

From what I have read, Monty was especially tough about the show being up to her standards, so the rehearsals were long and so was filming if it wasn’t going right. But those rehearsals are where she made the magic happen, she liked strong ideas and a sense of play, and that’s why they did a lot of ad libs in her time. But now it probably seemed like a huge luxury to take that time. Also shows the pressure considering how close to air date the tapings were. That also gave them time to adjust things that were not working though. Now the DAYS audience has to just accept the show as it is or tune out for a year and hope it’s gotten better.

Was that a teleprompter I saw?

18 minutes ago, Franko said:

Ten permanent sets.

At this point in my viewing, the permanent sets would likely be:

By the 90’s, the only 100% permanent set was the nurses station, elevators, adjoining hallways and the seating area. I assume until Valentini got there the new JFP hospital set was permanent too.

Based on bts we have seen it seems like a lot of the sets stay up now, I’m sure to save money from having them moved all the time and easier to film the way they do now.

I know they move to the renovated Prospect Studios during the end of Monty’s tenure, either 1986 or 1987, so that ET story must have been at Sunset Gower. We know from Maurice’s State of Mind interview that Genie went to the old GH studio at Prospect to kind of make peace with her turmoil from being so young and under all that pressure, and for being brave to try. I didn’t realize they had been there before, although on a much smaller stage. Many of the actors have said Sunset Gower was not a great place to work.

To think it pretty much started with the OG 7th floor nurses station, medicine room, Dr.Hardy’s office, and a patient room.

3 hours ago, titan1978 said:

Many of the actors have said Sunset Gower was not a great place to work.

Whenever I watch the final three seasons of "The Facts of Life," which were taped at Sunset Gower, I'm always amazed by how cheap the show looks even compared to their previous home at Universal, when episodes looked as if they were taped on Betamax.

Desert Sun January 27 1986

Martha Scott takes role on ‘General Hospital’

By JERRY BUCK AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) Martha Scott has departed CBS’ “Dallas" and now is playing a mysterious grandmother in ABC's daytime soap opera “General Hospital.” “There are very few parts for, shall we say, older women," Miss Scott said. “This is an extraordinary role for a woman who’s been around all these years. People don’t write roles for women my age. It gives me a channel to do something different. I had a little bit of it in The Turning Point.’ She was the entrepreneur. There's some of it in my role in Dallas.’ as a woman who’s trying to guide her daughter’s life.” Miss Scott played Sue Ellen Ewing’s mother on "Dallas” for seven episodes this season. In November, she showed up on “General Hospital” as Jennifer Talbot, the grandmother of Terry (Robyn Bernard). The girl has a tough emotional problem and you begin to wonder what influence the grandmother has over her," Miss Scott said. “You know from the moment she sees her grandmother she’s terribly shocked. She has a terribly nice facade. She’s very polite, slightly Victorian in her way She speaks her language a little differently. People around Terry notice this woman has a tremendous influence on her mind. "As it develops it gets more intense and mysterious and horrible,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t really know what’s going to happen. It’s like Dallas,’ They won’t tell the actors anything.” Miss Scott, most noted as a film and stage actress and producer, had a fling at soap opera earlier in her career. "I had a daytime show in the 1950 s called Modern Romances,’ ” she said "I told a story and it was enacted by a group of actors. We did a complete story every week. 1 remember they let me out to do Ben Hur ’ The wonderful part of it was that the kids all knew me. I was the last face on NBC before Howdy Doody' came on. Kids would run up to me and say, ‘I know you! You’re on before "Howdy Doody.’ ”

On 5/3/2026 at 4:59 AM, Paul Raven said:

Desert Sun January 27 1986

Martha Scott takes role on ‘General Hospital’

By JERRY BUCK AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) Martha Scott has departed CBS’ “Dallas" and now is playing a mysterious grandmother in ABC's daytime soap opera “General Hospital.” “There are very few parts for, shall we say, older women," Miss Scott said. “This is an extraordinary role for a woman who’s been around all these years. People don’t write roles for women my age. It gives me a channel to do something different. I had a little bit of it in The Turning Point.’ She was the entrepreneur. There's some of it in my role in Dallas.’ as a woman who’s trying to guide her daughter’s life.” Miss Scott played Sue Ellen Ewing’s mother on "Dallas” for seven episodes this season. In November, she showed up on “General Hospital” as Jennifer Talbot, the grandmother of Terry (Robyn Bernard). The girl has a tough emotional problem and you begin to wonder what influence the grandmother has over her," Miss Scott said. “You know from the moment she sees her grandmother she’s terribly shocked. She has a terribly nice facade. She’s very polite, slightly Victorian in her way She speaks her language a little differently. People around Terry notice this woman has a tremendous influence on her mind. "As it develops it gets more intense and mysterious and horrible,” she said. “To be honest, I don’t really know what’s going to happen. It’s like Dallas,’ They won’t tell the actors anything.” Miss Scott, most noted as a film and stage actress and producer, had a fling at soap opera earlier in her career. "I had a daytime show in the 1950 s called Modern Romances,’ ” she said "I told a story and it was enacted by a group of actors. We did a complete story every week. 1 remember they let me out to do Ben Hur ’ The wonderful part of it was that the kids all knew me. I was the last face on NBC before Howdy Doody' came on. Kids would run up to me and say, ‘I know you! You’re on before "Howdy Doody.’ ”

Thanks, @Paul Raven! This is an especially timely upload since my next batch of episodes to write about includes some retconning involving Jennifer. Terry, Kevin, and Ted reminisce about how much Jennifer just loved the holidays, getting dressed as a witch for trick or treaters, having the best Fourth of July fireworks, etc. It doesn't correspond with the dime store Angela Channing we saw, but I guess Valentine's Day 1983 really sucked the fun right out of her.

I'm repeating myself, but you can draw a straight line from Ted going on about the volatile, offscreen, and larger than they appear Purity Water board to Tabitha on Passions going on about the volatile, offscreen, and larger than they appear "friends in the basement."

Edited Monday at 02:16 PM4 days by Franko

On 5/2/2026 at 4:23 PM, janea4old said:

@Taoboi You often talk about A, B, and C storylines. Pat Falken Smith talks about something similar in this video,

Ooooo thank you for the tag!!! I will give it a listen when I get a chance.

On 4/26/2026 at 6:21 AM, carolineg said:

I think I recall GW's GH being slightly less dark and liked some of what he did with Sonny (temporarily) hit rock bottom. I would have to refresh my memory of that period because I can't actually remember much more than the Sonny arc. I don't think GW was necessarily head writer material and it would have been awful for GH to close out the show with him at the helm.

All I remember from it was long scenes that I personally loved (but in the minority) that felt like character development, Liz getting to have a romance with Ewen, and that beautiful scene of Alexis tearing Carly apart and holding her accountable for Sonny 'killing' Jax in the plane crash.

On 4/27/2026 at 9:33 AM, Franko said:

Twenty-eight years ago this week ...

On 4/27/2026 at 10:15 AM, titan1978 said:

But her return was pretty great during the ball.

The ball, the ball, the ball. One of my favorite memories as a teenager. And I loved anything having to do with a masquerade ball since David Bowie and LABYRINTH.

I can see her and Katherine in front of the mirror in my mind's eye. Laura talking about how different they were, but in the moment, they looked so much like sisters. Putting doubts in Katherine's head about if Stefan sees her as an equal or as someone who he could mold into a double of Laura (mind you, Katherine winded up looking like a double of Helena, but still...). And just Katherine putting up a good fight, but realizing that Laura was right. Then running to the parapet. Stefan coming out. And Katherine seeing Stefan and Laura together and stepping backwards, falling as reality hits. In a trap set for Helena, too. Just the gothic-ness of it all.

38 minutes ago, Taoboi said:

I can see her and Katherine in front of the mirror in my mind's eye. Laura talking about how different they were, but in the moment, they looked so much like sisters. Putting doubts in Katherine's head about if Stefan sees her as an equal or as someone who he could mold into a double of Laura (mind you, Katherine winded up looking like a double of Helena, but still...). And just Katherine putting up a good fight, but realizing that Laura was right. Then running to the parapet. Stefan coming out. And Katherine seeing Stefan and Laura together and stepping backwards, falling as reality hits. In a trap set for Helena, too. Just the gothic-ness of it all.

Those were some pretty incredible scenes. IIRC Laura says something like “since when did we ever look alike?” to Katherine and you visibly see MaryBeth start to crumble, even though she is still putting up a front. I get why they brought her back, Luke and Alexis in 1998 are not going to actually murder someone in cold blood like that. Now 2008? All bets were off by then lol!

But in hindsight, this was another example of a plot with the Cassadines that built and then nothing really comes of it, like most of Stefan or Helena’s schemes! I think Tony Geary was right and there should have been a time limit on Stefan and Helena, and Nikolas would be the painful element that stayed to haunt their marriage. It was a lot of build and then nothing several times. Guza just didn’t want to let them go like he did the Sonny villain of the year stories.

Edited 22 hours ago22 hr by titan1978

Courier Express, 18 October 1981

‘Hospltal’ intrlgue behlnd-the-scenes.

PATRICIA FALKEN SMITH is mad as hell and she intends to take it out on her former intends bosses -the producer of "General Hospital" and ABC daytime program executive who preside over that enormously popular soap opera. As reported here recently, Falken Smith was the head writer for "General Hospital" for 2 and a half years through last month. But in the wake of a series of disagreements with "GH" producer Gloria Monty, Smith and her entire writing staff have departed and now toiling on the storyline of rival NBC soap Days of Our Lives. Monty says Smith was fired , Smith insists she got tired of working at GH and quit.

In fact, Falken Smith is so upset by what she believes are deliberate attempts by Monty and ABC daytime exec Jaqueline Smith to embarrass her, that she's making noises about suing them unless they both publicly declare that her leaving GH was a genuine resignation and not a firing.

"I won't be maligned by these two crummy broads," Falken Smith told this column. "I made their....show No. 1 and they've done nothing but scheme to stop me and my staff from getting the credit we deserve. We took those awful, corny plots Gloria and Jackie dreamed up and turned the show around.

"'But now, because their stupid science-fiction storyline was such a drag all Summer, they're trying to blame me. But that bad Summer story wasn't created by me. It was created by the scab writers who worked last spring during the writers' strike which I honored because I am a very strong union person. I refused to scab during the strike, and that's what got me in trouble with those two insecure broads. When I came back July 15, after the strike, they dumped all over me and made my life miserable.

So I quit, and then they put out the word that I got fired. All I know is I'm now the head writer on 'Days of Our Lives', my entire staff came over here with and and I look forward to making the show No. 1 and watching 'General Hospital sink into oblivion

17 hours ago, titan1978 said:

Those were some pretty incredible scenes. IIRC Laura says something like “since when did we ever look alike?” to Katherine and you visibly see MaryBeth start to crumble, even though she is still putting up a front. I get why they brought her back, Luke and Alexis in 1998 are not going to actually murder someone in cold blood like that. Now 2008? All bets were off by then lol!

But in hindsight, this was another example of a plot with the Cassadines that built and then nothing really comes of it, like most of Stefan or Helena’s schemes! I think Tony Geary was right and there should have been a time limit on Stefan and Helena, and Nikolas would be the painful element that stayed to haunt their marriage. It was a lot of build and then nothing several times. Guza just didn’t want to let them go like he did the Sonny villain of the year stories.

YES!!! THOSE EXACT WORDS!!! The dialogue. The direction. But when Laura said that and yes, MaryBeth's reaction...I get chills just thinking about it. And you just make me want to rewatch those scenes all over again. The layers to it all really fascinated me then. And have when I've seen the clip and rewatched it. And it was nice when I was young to see Laura be a little bit edgy with Katherine vs playing nicer when Stefan was around. I remember seeing an article saying she was coming back and that the ball would have surprises so when GF came into frame...just soooo good. Katherine's return of course was also a shocker...and a Friday cliffhanger with great music from what I remember.

Well I can see why Guza didn't want to let them go. I had never seen Stephen Nickels as Patch until after the fact. For me, he was Stefan. A goateed attractive dark tortured soul of a man who was cunning, but still had this soft spots to his personality. His way with words. His intelligence. The depth in his eyes. The sense of an enigma. I wouldn't have let him go, either. A case of stalling a story that I don't mind. But I'm bias clearly. lol. Tyler was just as great as Nikolas...which is why like you said that he should be there to be a constant reminder to Luke and Laura. Helena...well...who doesn't like a diva? lol. And they were so dangerous back then and like I mentioned...gothic with a feel of tragedy to them. I just ate that up.

The Decline and Fall of the Monty Empire

Week 19 (May 5-9, 1986) -- Part I

Kathleen: "Kevin, if (Terry) remembers what happened in that town hall that night, we're all ruined. And that's including your father. I mean, we are gonna be ruined!"

Laurelton: Terry finally remembers that Kevin killed Earl Moody. Unfortunately, she doesn't do so until late in Friday's episode. Three weeks left of this crap. Three weeks.

I suppose it's realistic that Kevin would try keeping his mask on for as long as possible, but I'm ready for the guy to lash out. He showed signs of it while angry about Terry's latest attempt at jogging her memory, looking at Jennifer's photo album. I want Kevin go off on Kathleen and Ted, who were just annoying as hell with their constant nagging about when the young couple will get out of town. As the week continues and one or both won't let up, even amid a friggin' hurricane, I started getting the impression that the older folks wouldn't have been that upset if both Terry and Kevin were washed off the road. To quote Christopher Walken in The Dead Zone, "You knew."

Back in Port Charles, Frisco continues having guilt about how he's supposedly leading Lucy on. Nevertheless, he invites her to lunch and a possible walk in the park. I got a kick out of Lucy switching from her demure voice used for talking to Frisco to her saucy voice used for talking to Kevin. I suspect that we'll soon get the gimmick of Lucy having to quickly alternate her voices while remembering who she's on the phone with.

Anyway, Frisco and Lucy's lunch at PCU happens at the same time Jake learns from neighbor Bea Dawson that Lucy's really a tramp. According to Bea, Lucy and Kevin have only been together for about two months, and that's when Lucy had her transformation.

Bea: "When he was here, she wore the strange outfits. ... Sometimes Lucy would open the door for her young man. I'd hardly recognize her. She'd be dressed like some of those girls from the music videos."

I'm still unwrapping how I feel about this. Based on what we've already seen of Lucy, and what we'll see in the future, I can't buy the idea that Kevin is behind her naughty ways. As for the timeline, I suppose it does work that Kevin only started seeing Lucy after he and Terry got married and once it was apparent that Terry wasn't going to satisfy him sexually. But I think it's better if Kevin and Lucy knew each other from earlier in 1985-86, before Neil Johnson's murder. While lunching with Frisco, Lucy maintains the story that she was hurt by Kevin and Terry's marriage and that's what prompted her "imaginary" affair and attempt at revenge.

Frisco and Lucy are interrupted by Patrick, who shares the good news that Lucy can fulfill her community service at GH. In light of their interactions over the next 20 years, it's funny to watch Amy and Lucy's first meeting.

Amy: "Wow. You know that is really amazing that you could comfort sick people while you have somebody following you around making sure you don't jump bail. ... You must have an amazing knack with people."

Patrick, meanwhile, keeps flirting with Lucy. I keep imagining the alternate 1986-87 GH where Kevin is innocent and he has to cope with the idea of his wife and mistress both being drawn to his brother. On Wednesday, Kevin says he's loved Terry since they were teens. Similar to what Lucy's said over the last few weeks, there's some fascinating maybe-its-truth, maybe-its-bull to it all.

Highlights of Jake and Frisco's investigation include Red Flynn making a positive ID of the sexy black lace stockings with embroidery worn by Lucy at the airport on St. Patrick's Day. I'd read about this scene while doing research, but was tickled to find out it involved Sally, the barmaid played by Patrika Darbo. I liked how the comedy was played in the scene, that it wasn't about Patrika's body, but rather that Sally thinks Frisco's indulging in a kink and later that Frisco tries to get the stockings back. He paid $12 for them!

As the week goes on:

• Terry lets it slip to Bobbie that Kevin's with her in Laurelton. Jake and Frisco, who assumed Terry was safe because she wasn't with Kevin, eventualy find out.

• Jake finds out that Kevin hid information about double jeopardy in his apartment, and eventually that it came from Jake's own law book. The fact that it was hidden at Kevin and Terry's place once again indicates that Kevin came up with his scheme relatively recently. I still prefer to think there was some throwaway moment in 1985 with Kevin messing around in Jake's office. Anyway, Jake points out that Kevin can't be tried again for Jennifer's murder, but he can be tried for Earl's and Neil's. (I think Terry could also file a civil suit against Kevin for Jennifer's death.)

• Frisco and Jake both end up at Lucy's place, twice in Frisco's case. The first time results in Lucy's landlady catching Frisco and calling the cops to report an intruder, which eventually results in Burt and then Anna finding out about the new investigation. Burt also noticed Patrick getting friendly with Lucy. Later on, Lucy finds out about Frisco's snooping, which leads her to cut up and burn the flashy clothes, then turn up the innocent victim of lies act with Jake. To his credit, Jake notices that Lucy's not burning firewood.

• Lucy and Frisco's time together while the lights are out at her place includes her hanging out barelegged in a satin aqua robe, his drying her hair ("Oh, no, you don't have to do that." "I want to.") and their listening to Janet Jackson. These scenes crack me up in light of Lynn Herring and Kristina Wagner's longtime friendship. I wonder if GH had any interest in a Lucy/Frisco/Felicia triangle, or if it's all just experimenting. It's also going to interesting watching Lucy and Frisco's subsequent interactions. Did they even have much? Lucy's marriage to Tony took place during Jack Wagner's absence, and from 1989-91, Frisco and Lucy seemed to be in separate stories.

Finally, on Friday, Anna, Jake, Frisco, and Bobbie are all on the same page. Bobbie, to her credit, makes a small gesture of reconcilliation by agreeing to pick up Robin from GH. Anna and Jake are helicopter-bound to Laurelton, where the town hall will soon be torn down and replaced with the Jennifer Talbot Memorial Wing. Before that happens, though, Kevin knows he's cornered. He heard Anna radioing to Sheriff Broder's office, and Anna knows Kevin heard her and tried to disguise his voice.

As for Terry, she's arrived at town hall. The flashback reveals that yes, Terry was naked and barely covered up when she showed up on Valentine's Day '83. Also, everyone but Kevin and Earl were in their seats at the time of the murder and the lights had just (or recently) gone out. That's another point in favor of "These people are all sleazes!" They apparently didn't try to stop Kevin. Anyway, Terry gives a big ol' horror movie style scream, then spends the last few moments of Friday's episode hyperventilating in terror.

2 hours ago, Taoboi said:

And they were so dangerous back then and like I mentioned...gothic with a feel of tragedy to them. I just ate that up.

It’s not that I didn’t like them or agree with you, because I loved them. I had seen Patch before Stefan and they just never feel like the same person, incredible work by SN. In 1996 he and Genie created actual heat, it felt dangerous.

My problem was that all that promise never really fully came to fruition. After Lucky was revealed alive the whole thing just fizzled out. They deserved a big finish, not a slow crawl.