That's more of a writing decision than an acting one. The writers used Palmer and Opal's courtship and marriage as a way to soften Opal and make her more "likable" with the audience.

wow, I remember him! How obscure!

After seeing the clip I remember him. PV High School Reunion? I wonder if there is going to be some tragic event happen there? Isn't there supposed to be some catastrophic thing?

PV High School Reunion? I wonder if there is going to be some tragic event happen there? Isn't there supposed to be some catastrophic thing?

Have you seen Carol Burnett lately? I'd say what the surgeon(s) did to her face was pretty damn catastrophic.

SID write-up with a picture of Verla, Opal and Sam at ConFusion (blech) for the PVHS reunion.

I'm not crazy am I? Verla didn't go to PVHS. So stupid.

http://abc.soapsindepth.com/2011/08/amc-sneak-peek.html

Hopefully, someone will post these scenes online. Jason Kincaid (Sam) was a fun actor, and I'd hate to miss his return, even if the premise isn't accurate (Verla never attended PVHS).

SID write-up with a picture of Verla, Opal and Sam at ConFusion (blech) for the PVHS reunion.

I'm not crazy am I? Verla didn't go to PVHS. So stupid.

http://abc.soapsindepth.com/2011/08/amc-sneak-peek.html

Nor Did Opal for that matter. It would have been better if they did it with Erica, Tara, and Chuck and some made up PVHS classmates for them or with Tad, Liza, Angie, Jesse, and Greg and the nerdy classmate they had who name slips my mind.

It would have been better if they did it with Erica, Tara, and Chuck and some made up PVHS classmates for them or with Tad, Liza, Angie, Jesse, and Greg and the nerdy classmate they had who name slips my mind.

Alfred Vanderpoole, aka Khan's all-time favorite AMC comic character.

Alfred Vanderpoole, aka Khan's all-time favorite AMC comic character.

That's it! I torn between Vanderbelt, Van Meter, and Vanderpoole! I think it would been cool to do something with that group just to see how Jamie Lynn's Liza would have connected with her high school mates (though I think Mary Beth Evans would have been the perfect Liza recast).