10 hours ago, Vee said:

I think that's true for the remainder of Genie's second run, but I also think the BTS situation got worse and worse. And I don't think it was any one's fault, nor do I suspect Genie was exempt from blame. I think a lot of constraints may have been put on story for her, but I also think the show didn't handle it or treat her well. But it was so long ago now.

 

I know she has declined book offers because she doesn’t want to be mired in her past and have to dredge up a lot of painful memories. Even under Riche one of the female line producers came up and pinched the skin at her side and made comments about her weight. It can’t have been an easy place to work with all those egos (including her own), and constantly being undervalued compared to an acting partner. I still believe Geary did better work when they returned when he had to play with people who had their feet firmly on the ground. Genie, Jackie, JJ, Norma Connolly, NLG being prime examples. I think pairing Tracy and Luke brought out his worst instincts and also had Jane playing one note quite often. It was a beautiful note compared to him, but still limiting for such a gifted actor like Jane.

Thanks for posting that clip, it was an illuminating look for those that didn’t know the earlier Tracy that her bravado hides a delicate person who tries very hard to keep others from seeing that side. Nice to see Laura not falling to pieces too, and the acknowledgement from both that Luke would always want her, even if they are not good for each other. 

Edited March 20Mar 20 by titan1978

I initially thought the idea of Tracy/Luke was inspired.  I enjoyed something different for both of them and something a bit comedic.  I am not sure if it ever should have been long term.  The well was pretty dry as far as story goes once they fell in love for real and it was just a serious of Luke doing something bad, Tracy getting mad, and then taking him back over and over.

On the other hand, I also thought their wedding in 2010 or 2011?  was lovely (whatever one that Sonny rudely proposes to Brenda in the middle of).  It was a nice conclusion to their story and it was then immediately ruined by Luke running down his grandson and becoming an "alcoholic".

I think Tracy works better on her own and even Laura has a solid place on the canvas without Luke.  Idk, I still think the show will end with Luke/Laura if Tony is available. 

On 3/17/2025 at 10:04 AM, carolineg said:

Correct.  I really do think JFP is intelligent in some aspects of running a show, but the favoritism and misogyny is real with her.  GH also had an embarrassment of popular leads to choose from at the time.  It was unnecessary to shift to newbies like Roy/Melissa.  In 2001 people weren't even that sick of Sonny, Jason, or Luke yet and there were a lot of vets (in JB's age range) just waiting for story while Melissa took over the show.

I agree; I also believe Phelps plays at an "act now, think later" mentality, which is nice but also can be deadly (i.e., the death of Maureen on Guiding Light, the multiple deaths on General Hospital). And I do believe because she is a female, she gets more flack than her male counterparts. I also think she acts from a business standpoint (at times) and not a creative one.

11 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Idk, I still think the show will end with Luke/Laura if Tony is available. 

If it was up to me, sure. But I think the only way he'd ever return for that at this point (assuming he's well) is if you also kill him off in the same story, and even that's a gamble IMO. But it's what I'd do, in a year or less.

5 minutes ago, Vee said:

If it was up to me, sure. But I think the only way he'd ever return for that at this point (assuming he's well) is if you also kill him off in the same story, and even that's a gamble IMO. But it's what I'd do, in a year or less.

I have it ready to go if the show wants it lol. It allows for both Laura and Tracy to be honored, and Luke gets one final adventure. My proposal starts with Laura having vivid and creepy dreams about Luke where she starts being kind of haunted by the song Fascination IRL. She ends up finding Luke’s wedding ring at a newly opened second hand shop where Aiden gets his first job (the original one Luke threw in the water off the docks before the divorce), and realizes he is still alive. Deliberately playing up that almost psychic connection Laura used to display with Luke and sometimes Lucky to start the story off.

20 minutes ago, Liberty City said:

I agree; I also believe Phelps plays at an "act now, think later" mentality, which is nice but also can be deadly (i.e., the death of Maureen on Guiding Light, the multiple deaths on General Hospital). And I do believe because she is a female, she gets more flack than her male counterparts. I also think she acts from a business standpoint (at times) and not a creative one.

Well I think most of her creative decisions have been awful lol.  The show usually looked pretty good under JFP.   I think FV has very similar flaws to her as well so it's not a huge upgrade.  I think Frons and to a lesser extent Guza were more to blame than JFP in the end.  There are just multiple women who have had less than nice things to say about working with her so she was still obviously a problem.

17 minutes ago, Vee said:

If it was up to me, sure. But I think the only way he'd ever return for that at this point (assuming he's well) is if you also kill him off in the same story, and even that's a gamble IMO. But it's what I'd do, in a year or less.

I agree.  I am not sure I would kill Luke off (again, for real, lol).  I really love Kevin and JL.  I just can't imagine that truly being Laura's endgame.  I am not creative enough to know how to craft a Luke/Laura reunion tale though.

18 minutes ago, carolineg said:

Well I think most of her creative decisions have been awful lol.  The show usually looked pretty good under JFP.   I think FV has very similar flaws to her as well so it's not a huge upgrade.  I think Frons and to a lesser extent Guza were more to blame than JFP in the end.  There are just multiple women who have had less than nice things to say about working with her so she was still obviously a problem.

I agree on all accords. While Frank may have made improvements to GH's sets, you can tell the money is lacking, whereas under Jill we couldn't always tell.

1 hour ago, titan1978 said:

I have it ready to go if the show wants it lol. It allows for both Laura and Tracy to be honored, and Luke gets one final adventure. 

I do too, but I ain't putting it on here lol.

58 minutes ago, carolineg said:

I agree.  I am not sure I would kill Luke off (again, for real, lol).  I really love Kevin and JL.  I just can't imagine that truly being Laura's endgame.  I am not creative enough to know how to craft a Luke/Laura reunion tale though.

The story I had in mind would pretty much be designed to end in a sweeps blowout as a big adventure story to send the show off to Hulu for good (with much PR fanfare) with a streamlined cast. It would blow the last of the network budget to do it lol. But yes, it would honor LNL, end Luke and cue up Laura's new man (not Kevin, who would end up back with Lucy). 

If it were up to me Luke would hang around, but that's just not going to happen so I would settle for giving Geary what I think he's often been dying for re: Luke: A big, permanent death.

Edited March 20Mar 20 by Vee

2 hours ago, carolineg said:

Idk, I still think the show will end with Luke/Laura if Tony is available. 

Hell no.  Even if as platonic friends, I don't want Laura interacting with her rapist ex as the glorified end of GH.

Just no

Edited March 20Mar 20 by janea4old

I'm with @janea4old.  I think it would be a huge mistake now to reunite Luke and Laura, even if it were for the last episode, or with the guarantee that Luke would die afterward.

2 hours ago, Khan said:

I'm with @janea4old.  I think it would be a huge mistake now to reunite Luke and Laura, even if it were for the last episode, or with the guarantee that Luke would die afterward.

They don’t end up together in my version lol! But again, GH isn’t knocking on my door. They should though.

They would kind of reunite in a certain way in my concept - the whole story would be about Luke realizing and accepting that he did love his life with Laura and their family, that he is still in love with her - but Luke would die a hero at the end of the day, giving his blessing to her and the new man already on the scene. Like I've said before, that's all I'll say in public because that OTT idea runs long lol.

I know this material isn't exactly classic, but I was wondering if anyone knows the first and last dates for GH's 2023 strike material?

I was bored and looking around at some old clips and see that Obrecht returned at that time. Was that a long-range plan or did Frank just figure hell, we've got months to fill, let me bring back a pal?

I also see that she was with Scott...was that at this time? How long were they together?

And finally I see that Shari Belafonte was on GH as her close friend. I guess the days of weight loss commercials are long gone for Shari, but they could have done better. Too bad they couldn't have had her as a new wife for Jake Meyer.

I remember Shari Belafonte coming on as Mayor Lomax in 2016. I was embarrassed for her.

I don't remember anything about Scott and Obrecht other than I hated them continuing trying to push "Liesl" as a fun domesticated character the normal characters should all eyeroll indulgently at and get along with, which the pairing with Scott did yet again. It had its share of fans, I was not one of them.

As for the strike, I am just grateful the mortifying spectacle of Jake paired up with the hellspawn (Charlotte) did not last beyond that period.

Edited March 22Mar 22 by Vee

34 minutes ago, Vee said:

I remember Shari Belafonte coming on as Mayor Lomax in 2016. I was embarrassed for her.

I don't remember anything about Scott and Obrecht other than I hated them continuing trying to push "Liesl" as a fun domesticated character the normal characters should all eyeroll indulgently at and get along with, which the pairing with Scott did yet again. It had its share of fans, I was not one of them.

As for the strike, I am just grateful the mortifying spectacle of Jake paired up with the hellspawn (Charlotte) did not last beyond that period.

Thanks. Obrecht's return scenes did feel very forced, although after seeing her have a big welcome with Willow I wonder how she'd react to Willow these days. 

I also watched a clip of Ellen Travolta staring down Russian gangsters. And this is the first time I realized just how strange the current placement of the Q mansion front door is.

Edited March 22Mar 22 by DRW50