When Long Ago Characters Resurface.

[Vee]

IIRC, AMC's Cara was actually a massive (and unnecessary) renovation of a tiny character created when AMC was hastily writing Jake Martin out in 2003. All of a sudden he banged some dayplayer colleague, Carolyn, and then he left, then returned very briefly and told people he had married her or something. This is when Frons took over, and had pod people running AMC and making it feel like a show beamed in from the planet of the Body Snatchers overnight; it was completely foreign to me. Carolyn was a nothing they didn't need to create, but they did. Then when Ricky Paull Goldin arrived years later, they said she'd left him or something.

Then, when they decided to intro the Castillos, the bizarre decision was made to retcon Carolyn into Cara Castillo, who all these years had gone by an assumed name to escape being deported or whatever - all this to give her a past with Jake, though they could've done that without using "Carolyn". Really, the only example I can think of such a bizarre outgrowth of a very miniscule role. Though I did and do love Cara.

[Pine Charles]

If the character(s) is widely missed - and added a lot of depth to story when they were originally on - I think it's a good idea... in theory. It's all about the writing, of course.

I know pretty much everyone was overjoyed that Angie and Jesse were returning to All My Children. Billy Clyde returning to the online version was great for longtime fans (I can't see his return as longterm, however).

But if it's some random/obsure return, I don't see the point. I would be stratching my head if AMC decided to bring back Sharla Valentine.

[Khan]

I wouldn't. Not if they brought back Tichina Arnold and wrote her like Pamela James or Rochelle Rock.

[heffer]

The return of Alan Spaulding from prison. Michael z's Roger had inherited the role Alan filled for the show and as much as I like Ron Raines as an actor, NOONE could truly replace Chris Bernau in the role (just like Hagman's JR).

The return of Steve Frame on AW. Going from Reinolt's love sparks with Courtney's Alice to David Canary's version being meh over Alice and pining away for Rachel just didn't do the character justice.

[applcin]

I was thinking that they do seem to be planning longterm for him (assuming the show comes back and stays back). He's not that out of control villain anymore who ends up "dying" or going away. He's been now written as someone looking for forgiveness and acceptance, he's not going around kidnapping anyone, he doesn't seem to be an actively recruiting pimp anymore (notice the ages of the "ladies" around him), he's moved into Cortlandt Manor, he's giving away money. Plus, MC lives in CT and he's an entertaining presence. I wouldn't be surprised if they attempt a pairing with Opal.

[Gray Bunny]

Agreed with all points. And I'll add to it the times when they brought back Lisa Rinna as Billie (2002, 2012). I love Lisa, but neither return worked. There wasn't even a story for her when she came back last year. And as SOD reviewed, by now, Lisa is too known as being "Lisa Rinna, the TV personality" that it's hard to get caught up in her as Billie Reed.

For GL, all the fans loved when Mary Kay Adams would return as India. I liked her too. But her return in 1998 was used to soften the blow of Jenna leaving, and she spent the next year in backburner "love" stories with Ross and then Alan. Wasted opportunity, and a daughter, Dorie, that endlessly stayed away at school. I never learned what India's true back history was, other than being one of Phillip's ex-wives.

[John]

Did GL have anything planned for Alex in her 1998 return or was it just the fact that GL was recurring & AMC offered Marj Dusay a contract, that she left?

Could be that, however, given that GL didnt recast makes me feel they had nothing real planned in the first place.

[Pine Charles]

Thank you for explaining that - because I've missed so many shows and had to rely on written summaries, ect. (it's a long story). Anyway... Maybe the person who wrote the recaps was drunk or something, but they made it appear that Billy was acting nice but was really planning/behind a bunch of evil doings.

I'll try to catch some of the later episodes (it would take ages to watch every single one I missed).

[ellabelle]

I guess wrt long ago characters resurfacing, a lot of it depends on how you as a viewer felt about the character the last time he/she was on the show. I liked Billy Clyde Tuggle in the AMC episodes I've seen via YT from the 80s when he and Jewel (played gloriously by Christine Baranski) kidnapped Adam. I didn't enjoy him at all during the early 90s when he tried to kill Donna and kidnapped Dixie. So his return was kind of a mixed bag for me. Thus far I'm not overly impressed, but I guess we'll see.

I was thrilled to see Dimitri back after more than a decade, as I always enjoyed the character, and I'm intrigued by the Brooke flirtation.

[applcin]

Unless they reveal something later, they haven't been writing him that way. I mean, he's been seen lurking a few times or eavesdropping but seemingly not with evil intent. He seemed pleased to see Pete and Celia together at the party (some might speculate as a father/guardian might enjoy seeing his child be happy). He's offered to help Jesse a few times, even when the latter was fired and drinking. He made a huge anonymous donation to the Miranda Center and had nothing to do with Dixie finding out it was him. More than anything, he seems to be trying to find ways to fit in or ingratiate himself, get people to see him differently. He's also using Palmer as some kind of model or blueprint of how he wants to be in high society, to the point of buying his house, using his tailor, etc. Whether that turns out to be all part of a more sinister plan later remains to be seen but it hasn't been presented that way so far (i.e, no scenes of him plotting evil deeds behind people's backs). Matthew Cowles also said on one of those Friday interviews that BC was lonely and seeking forgiveness.

[cassadine1991]

Originally

[FrenchFan]

What about a long ago character back in another show such as Delia from RH in GH?

[ellabelle]

I know, and I don't like it at all - it doesn't make logical sense based on everything we know about BCT. I'm hoping that the lack of a reveal means that they're reconsidering that storyline, but with my luck, probably not.

[allmc2008]

Ron and Franks writing as a whole OWNS this thread!!

[applcin]

When GH's Anna Devane got resurrected on AMC, that was kind of a mixed treat for me. She had been my favorite character on GH and I had always wanted her back "alive" again. But it seemed ill-suited to GH at that point in time because she had very few ties left there (not to mention, the show had become a totally different animal by then). Tristan and Kimberly were gone. Sean, Frisco, and I think maybe also Felicia weren't there. Duke was dead. Only her brother-in-law, Mac, was around and that wasn't that significant a relationship.

Meanwhile, on AMC, I think to get Finola on and capitalize on Anna's popularity, they created her twin, Alex. It was like the Tony Geary/Bill Eckert situation. A popular actor was back on daytime but playing a character related to the character people wanted to see. I was glad to see Finola but Alex just felt wrong. And, don't get me started on the insta-family Anna was given--a twin, an undead mother, Aidan, Gabriel (I think that was his name). That part was a bit of an ugh, although Aidan as a cousin was more plausible than the other three.

So the reunions that should have happened on GH (with Robin and Mac) happened on AMC. It was nice to see on the one hand but on the other, it was like a sad reminder of how irrelevant it would have been (and apparently was) on GH at that time.

I haven't been a regular viewer of GH in a decade but, from what I hear, why don't they just rename it "One Life To Live in General Hospital" and be done with it? The need to regurgitate and reformulate OLTL actors and characters makes all of the FOJ hires and the Rae Cummings soap-hopping understated by comparison. Honestly, I don't get the point of making IK Delia as opposed to a brand new character. Then again, I thought it would have been cool when Daniel Hugh-Kelly played a judge on OLTL that he would have been Frank Ryan (that was exactly how I would have expected Frank to end up).