The show romanticized Sonny/Lily as a real love story after her death. It's not true at all. Sonny may have grown to love her, but he did not when she died. Lily basically had her daddy blackmail Sonny into marriage full well knowing Sonny was still in love with Brenda. She's not as innocent and kind as the show made her out to be. Obviously she didn't deserve to die a horrible death, but I am not sure what she expected out of Sonny. She was always going to be second choice with Brenda around.

I think even if you take Brenda entirely out of the equation Sonny would have gotten bored with Lily. She would have been a loyal and the type of wife he needed, but she's not the type of woman Sonny truly wanted. They probably would have stayed married and had a few children. I just can't see Sonny being satisfied with that.

This conversation made me go watch clink/boom again. I was more impressed this time around at how sleek it is, how understated (and Ingo does a surprisingly good job considering he was never the greatest actor of that group - you can really feel how much Jax loves Brenda). The only part that I would take out, every time, is that we hear Sonny screaming at the end.

2 hours ago, DRW50 said:

This conversation made me go watch clink/boom again. I was more impressed this time around at how sleek it is, how understated (and Ingo does a surprisingly good job considering he was never the greatest actor of that group - you can really feel how much Jax loves Brenda). The only part that I would take out, every time, is that we hear Sonny screaming at the end.

Honestly it’s the one soap moment of my viewing life that was unforgettable. I had just bought Soap Opera Digest earlier that day but hadn’t opened it yet. When the slow motion started I just knew something big was going to happen! After the show was over I saw the notice in SOD that Lily was out in the comings and goings. I’m so happy I didn’t see that before the show that day.

I agree that the scream should have been silent too. The impact of his reaction is stronger without the scream. I still think Wendy Riche had pretty great taste and her team really tried to make these things look cinematic on their daytime budget. Clink/Boom, the 1995 shootout, Liz being pulled off the bench in the snowy park, many of the scenes on the foggy docks or Wyndemere steps. They set a mood.

16 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

Honestly it’s the one soap moment of my viewing life that was unforgettable. I had just bought Soap Opera Digest earlier that day but hadn’t opened it yet. When the slow motion started I just knew something big was going to happen! After the show was over I saw the notice in SOD that Lily was out in the comings and goings. I’m so happy I didn’t see that before the show that day.

I agree that the scream should have been silent too. The impact of his reaction is stronger without the scream. I still think Wendy Riche had pretty great taste and her team really tried to make these things look cinematic on their daytime budget. Clink/Boom, the 1995 shootout, Liz being pulled off the bench in the snowy park, many of the scenes on the foggy docks or Wyndemere steps. They set a mood.

I agree. At the time I didn't appreciate some of this, especially the docks, but I do now with how everything is so basic.

The '90s were when moments like slo-mo still felt special. Now you just have slo-mo for someone walking down the street.

1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

I agree. At the time I didn't appreciate some of this, especially the docks, but I do now with how everything is so basic.

The '90s were when moments like slo-mo still felt special. Now you just have slo-mo for someone walking down the street

The sound design helped a lot. The recent clip I posted with Laura and Stefan had fog, darkness, spooky music, and the sounds of water and the bell bouy in the distance which really added to the gothic mood they were setting.

I keep coming back to what Shelley Curtis said about the constraints of current budgets could still be worked around if the story was important enough. You bang out the plot regurgitations and info dump scenes, and spend a little more time on the emotional core of the episode.

A simple fix on current GH is the Trina stalker story. Filming that Trina photo bulletin board in darkness, maybe lit dimly with a candle, more up close on the images and some basic spooky music would make the build up so much better.

Click/Boom is just such a great episode. Sonny's catatonic mood in that episode shows that Maurice Bernanrd can be brilliant if he tries. Him breaking down in Mac's arms is something we'd never see going forward but still a very human and raw moment. I loved also the wider cast all there and reacting in such horror and shock of it all. Similar to when Stone's funeral united everyone together in grief. Again, you don't see that in current GH at all.

23 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

The sound design helped a lot. The recent clip I posted with Laura and Stefan had fog, darkness, spooky music, and the sounds of water and the bell bouy in the distance which really added to the gothic mood they were setting.

I keep coming back to what Shelley Curtis said about the constraints of current budgets could still be worked around if the story was important enough. You bang out the plot regurgitations and info dump scenes, and spend a little more time on the emotional core of the episode.

I've said it before recently, but I miss the look of that era (and some of the early-mid 2000s) terribly. The fog, the original dock/harbor set, the noises from the docks and the bell/buoy which I don't think you hear much anymore. All of that was very much a part of the texture of the show for many years - that sound design, certainly, is also there in the very early '90s and some of the '80s IIRC. And the Cassadine music cue you mentioned was particularly special.

Edited September 20Sep 20 by Vee

1985 begins... Finally the return of the genuine one and only Frisco with a personality!

The great John Colicos returns for a short appearance. John was a friend of Gloria Monty. They worked together on The Secret Storm in the 50s. She called on him for a week's stay to jump start the new year. John played Mikkos look a like black sheep cousin Petros Cassadine. He will leave threatens revenge on Robert and vows to return but never did sadly

Dropped story alert! In the Dec. 3, 1987 episode that @MrEdge80s has just uploaded, Charlene reminds Lucy that she's the only one who knows "the truth about what you did as a girl." The music used for the scene is rather ominous, which makes me wonder what they had in mind. Lucy, Charlene, and one of Charlene's men in a Cheryl Crane-Lana Turner situation? Lucy as a Bad Seed? I'm glad they 86ed this. We really didn't need another Laurelton.

I actually would like to explore Lucy's family and background some more someday. Or maybe have someone turn up wanting revenge from Laurelton or copycatting. But losing that story was probably for the best lol.

I have always been curious about Colicos returning as Petros. He was already a very active TV and film actor in the '70s and '80s so his going way back with Monty and repeatedly returning for her makes sense. One of his last roles of course was the legendary voice of Apocalypse on the original X-Men animated series in the '90s. He also reprised the Klingon warrior Kor a few times on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He was great in so many things.

Wednesday, June 16, 1966

From a John Colicos interview

“I knew Gloria Monty, who directs Secret Storm, when we did two of Yeats’ plays,” he explained. “We became close friends, and several times she has asked me to be in the series. But I was always busy. This time I was working off Broadway, so when she asked again, I decided I would combine two new experiences.

John plated Matthew Deveraux on Secret Storm in 1966.