ALL: Favorite Soap Special Episodes, Standalones, and Stunts

[carolineg]

I am surprised no one said GH's 50th show.  I really loved it.  I liked all the characters featured, the new interns getting a tour of the hospital, Patrick's speech, Audrey and the Steve portrait, Sonny/Jax/Brenda, GhostAlan, almost all of it.  Luke/Laura finding Ethan instead of Lucky was a little lame as was GhostEmily, but probably my favorite episode of the last decade easily.

[Vee]

I think the ghost [!@#$%^&*] was really goofy - there were better ways to use each of the returnees, especially the confusing stuff with Rick (where Rick mumbles 'that's not what happened' re: the attic story, similar to how Ron Carlivati sort of just tried to fluff off the Viki-killed-Victor retcon on OLTL with zero explanation). But I loved the Audrey stuff and the Nurses Ball, minus Sabrina.

I'll never forget the Audrey sequence, because I could swear the applause for Rachel Ames was not scripted or was hidden from her. She looked genuinely shocked and touched. (Timestamped below)

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Vee

[carolineg]

I LOVED the Audrey/Liz scenes and the exposition on where the Hardy/Webbers were.  I tear up at Patrick's speech even if that would not be the person I would choose to give it.   The ghost stuff was silly, but it was nice to see old faces.  I would almost say the Sonny/Brenda/Jax/Carly stuff was out of place, but I can't say anything against Brenda, so I won't.   I liked it all including the Nurses Ball and Sabrina!!!-I know.  It fell off the rails a few days later with the frozen Lulu story and then the Michael/Brenda weird situation, but overall, an enjoyable month or so.

[Vee]

I enjoyed the Brenda stuff and most of Cassadine Island, silly though the latter was. I've talked about loving the Laura/Stavros stuff.

I don't remember the Hardy/Webber exposition; I'll have to rewatch the whole thing.

[carolineg]

I generally don't dislike anything VM/Brenda does-the Michael nonsense just wasn't my fave.  At least Brenda was acting feisty and more like Brenda this return.  Given their screen partners and the fact Jax/Brenda were just returning it was great they were in the 50th.  It was just very obvious they were going to drop the engagement bomb and me knowing they weren't long for the show I was like

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  I did enjoy the Sonny/Brenda goodbye when they kissed and was back in my happy place when she left.

Honestly the Cassadine stuff was good, old fashioned adventure.  It just wasn't my favorite part.  I think it's mostly Lulu's fault-even frozen ER's Lulu was bad.

It's very brief, but we at least got to hear an update-

ELIZABETH: Grandpa’s General Hospital’s heart and soul.
AUDREY: I know. That he was.
ELIZABETH: Kind of wish everyone could have been here. Sarah’s in Monterey, Mom and Dad are in Asia, Tom’s in Africa. You know that Tommy just graduated from medical school? So, if he’s anything like the Hardys, I’m sure he’s off to practice medicine in some exotic place. We really are scattered, aren’t we?

 

[Vee]

Oh, I remember that now.

That was sort of the last golden period for the show before everything fell apart with the OLTL 3 returning.  There was some dumb shít onscreen but not too much. My favorite bit from that anniversary interim was both Brenda and Robin* greeting A.J. with open arms - that was a statement by the show. It would not have happened in the Guza era. I miss that.

ETA: Forgot Robin was still 'dead' at the time. I think she later saw him when she returned and gave the same reception as Brenda, but I may be wrong.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Vee

[carolineg]

Did Brenda and AJ even share a scene during the 50th?  Lol, I don't remember.  I agree Guza wouldn't never have even brought AJ back so it's a moot point.  Despite their Jason/Sonny shipping, I never got the feeling Brenda/Robin disliked AJ or necessarily agreed with the Jason/Carly/Sonny position on Michael not being part of AJ's life.  Although I think they both blamed it on Carly rather than Jason/Sonny.  I have always considered AJ/Robin/Brenda friends or at the very least friendly.

[Vee]

I could swear Brenda saw him and was very pleasant! I may be way off and conflating it with Robin the following year. I can't be sure right now. Ah, the Mandela Effect.

[AdelaideCate007]

GH can usually pull it together to do a good anniversary or tribute show. The 10,000th episode isn't anything great, but I remember the 30th anniversary episode being good.

I haven't watched the Sean tribute episode; however I thought the Lee and Gail ones were nice for what they were. I don't think the Gail one should have been tied to the anniversary but besides that, I thought it was nice. You see people complain about not enough guests coming back for the memorials but I don't know what more they could have done for Lee and Gail when all those characters are gone. It was nice they brought Serena back for the Lee one. Again, I haven't watched it, but the Sean episode was missing just Frisco, no? And that's not really a situation the show can do anything about when JW doesn't want to be there. As for older memorial episodes, the Mary Mae one was very well done from what I remember.

The whole 50th celebration was really a good era for GH. The Sabrina stuff was a bit much but other than that, I think that was a good time for the show and they pulled off some great episodes around then. The Nurses Ball has always gotten a bit silly (both in the 90s and in recent times), but I remembering think that first one or two they did when they brought back were excellent.

[carolineg]

You are correct.  They did interact. Here's the scene starting 40 seconds in.

 

[Vee]

[!@#$%^&*]! I knew it was at Kelly's for both her and Robin. Damn, I'm good. Anyway, yes, it touched me that he was given that seal of approval from two of the audience's most beloved characters. Didn't last, of course.

The Sean stuff is a bit campy with a drawing-room mystery but it's a fun one-off and true to the spirit of the characters. Reilly's daughter (a Tiktok star, IIRC) is very good but sadly will likely not be back given her fame, so they should recast the Annie role. Sharon Wyatt's voice cameo was touching.

They should've locked down Carly Schroeder as Serena when they had a chance. She kept acting long after she grew up. Now she's in the armed forces. Too late.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Vee

[allmc2008]

I'm lost about the Ron retcon with Viki you referenced. What was that?

[carolineg]

So funny.  You are good.  When you said that I was like I think there was a scene at Kelly's and there it was lol.  Shame on me for not remembering every Brenda scene ever.  Seriously, I am usually much more on top of that

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I think it was more special because of the Guza years and all the cancellation rumors.  RC really did breathe new life to the show for a few months.  The OLTL nonsense really started the ruination.  

Tbh, I thought the first several Nurses Ball's were very touching-up until 1998 I think.  It really helped that Stone/Robin's story was so fresh.  I think 1995-1998 are the best years for the NB.  Having PC and GH do the Nurse's Ball really stilted the way it flowed and the acts got sillier.  

[AdelaideCate007]

I've seen clips and it did seem nice.

I do wonder what they'll do for the 60th next year since it's probably the last big one, unless they make it to the 70th by some miracle. Most of the vets they brought back for the 50th ended up staying but I assume they'll at least try to get Robin, Brenda, Lesley, and Tracy back.

For non-GH shows, I remember really enjoying whichever anniversary it was on AMC where they brought back literally all the big past characters and they had a party at the Martin house. Also, for as horrible AMC was in it's last decade, the memorials they did for Phoebe, Palmer, and Myrtle were very nice from what I remember, as well as the 40th anniversary episodes.

[Vee]

On OLTL, when Ron first took over, there were a series of special episodes devoted to Asa Buchanan's death. Those episodes were largely very good (as was much of Ron's first year, IMO) but there were some weird side things. During the event, Viki and Dorian were once again locked together in a wine cellar or something and had it out for the umpteenth time. Viki brought up Victor's death. Dorian told Viki that she hadn't killed Victor after all - "I killed Victor." She offered no explanation for how this could be given Viki's re-integrated memory of doing so, and when Viki brought up Victor's unlikely return from the grave in 2003 Dorian simply said "if that was really him." It was never elaborated upon, but they did make a point of changing Victor's death date back to the '70s on the Lord mausoleum set, so they clearly meant to undo the terrible Victor resurrection plot from 2003.

I am glad they undid his resurrection, but I don't believe Dorian killed Victor after all, simply because Ron never bothered to explain a thing, and because I always liked the twist that it was Viki and that Dorian had spent years bearing the public shame and hatred to protect her. But this is what Ron does sometimes with controversial past stories; he suggests there is a seed of doubt but completely fails to explain the details. Back to the topic, he did this at GH with Rick Webber during the 50th anniversary as well - Rick's ghost is called on the attic story with Laura and Theresa Carter, and Rick simply says that 'that's not what happened' or words to that effect. There's no other discussion. It's lazy.

I think the show, though very flawed and volatile with some really terrible stories and much degraded daily writing, was fun and had a lot of strengths for most of 2012 through to late spring 2013. Even after the OLTLers returned there was still some good fun for awhile (though the Pickle Lila stuff on The Chew which ends in virtually the entire onscreen cast contracting violent diarrhea is possibly the worst episode of GH I have ever seen). They did save the show for a good stretch.

I was so glad they brought the Nurses Ball back. I think it's important it continue. I also think it's important it not be quite so cheap and embarrassing when they do it, and it's been that way for some time, so maybe it can take a brief break lol.

Lesley and Tracy still appear on a recurring basis, and Kimberly seems happy to show up whenever. I will eat my hat if Frank allows VM back on set.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Vee