The Guiding Light 1954

-1/1/54-1/31/54. Dick tells Kathy that he wants a divorce and that he’s in love with Janet. Dan tells Peggy his life story of how his mother was his only comfort from being teased about his facial scars growing up and, after she died, he ran away at 14 never to see his father and brother again. Lacking grounds for a divorce, Dick tells Kathy he’s seeking an annulment based on fraud. Joe investigates the mysterious murder of a woman shot and left in a cabin named Judith Weber. Judith’s brother and sister-in-law are questioned but released. Dan takes an overinterest in the murder.

-2/1/54-2/28/54. Mike has his first day of school. Joe finds a scar cream called Coverall in Judith Weber’s apartment and it causes him to think. Peggy finds a jar of Coverall in Dan’s hospital room while he’s being operated on. Jim doesn’t get what Peggy sees in Dan and tries to get her to look at him. Dan freaks out when he knows Peggy found his Coverall and tells her to get rid of it. Before she can, she accidentally leaves it for Jim to find. After Peggy tells Joe how much she is in love with Dan, she is shocked when he mentions he found a jar of Coverall at the murder victim’s apartment. Peggy lies to Joe that she’s never heard of Coverall, Jim lies to a panicked Peggy that he didn’t find her Coverall. Kathy asks Dick to not make her wait anymore on his decision for an annulment. Dick tells her to expect to hear from his attorney. 

-3/1/54-3/31/54. Mike is misbehaving as he is missing Bill who has been away in New York City for work. Reverend Keeler counsels Kathy to fight for her marriage in spite of Dick serving her with annulment papers. Meta and Kathy fight and Meta tells her to quit pitying herself. Kathy decides to contest the annulment and the hearing is postponed as Kathy claims Robin is Dick’s baby. An angry Dick confronts Kathy and tells her he hates her. Dan confesses to Peggy that he knew Judith and was after her money for the operation but that her shooting was an accident, not murder. 

-4/1/54-4/30/54. Peggy is torn as she doesn’t know if the man she loves is a murderer. Dan’s surgeries are over and they finally take off his bandages to reveal his new face. Kathy is bedridden with nervous exhaustion. Dan checks himself out of Cedars without saying goodbye to Peggy. Kathy changes her mind and doesn’t contest the annulment. Dick starts to push away from Janet which makes Janet even more determined to keep him. Mike continues to misbehave and runs off claiming he’s going to New York to see Bill.

-5/3/54-5/30/54. Helen Allen comes to pick up Kathy and Robin and take them with her to her home in Miami Beach as Kathy decides she needs to get away. Dan shows up in Chicago, reveals himself to his brother, Paul, and asks for his help as a criminal attorney. Paul is reluctant to help out Dan so Dan reminds him that he’s responsible for his scarred face and Paul had a great life compared to Dan’s painful suffering. Papa and Bert urge Bill to stay in Los Angeles but Bill is reluctant based on his success in New York and his bad memories and fears of going back to alcohol in Los Angeles. Janet is presumptive enough to buy her own engagement ring, making Dick feel more trapped. 

-6/1/54-6/30/54. Joe figures out Dan might be the murderer and asks Peggy to turn him in. Peggy says she believes in Dan’s innocence and reminds Joe he felt the same about Meta after she killed someone. Sid tells Bill there’s no job for him in Los Angeles, only New York and Bill decides to stay in Los Angeles anyway due to his family. Mike continues to sass and when Mike mentions Bill’s drinking, Bill loses his temper. Mike keeps insisting Bill isn’t his father and Bert wants to send him to a child psychologist. Kathy comes back for Joey and Lois’ wedding. Paul, more worried about his own family and reputation, doesn’t want to help his brother Dan. Dan comes back to Los Angeles and sees Dr. Baird to thank him before he turns himself in. Dr. Baird tells Dan he’s finally turned into the man he would’ve been if he hadn’t been scarred.

-7/1/54-7/30/54. Kathy goes on a date with Jim before she goes to New York City with Helen and Robin. The child psychologist meets with a reluctant Bill who suggests Bill and Bert need the counseling which angers Bill. Peggy goes to visit Dan in prison and he sets her free, telling her to get on with her life without him and tells him he won’t see her again. Dick wants to take a job in NYC and everybody thinks it’s because Kathy has moved there although Dick denies it. Dick is trying to get away from Janet because he doesn’t want to marry her. Bert gets psychoanalyzed by the psychologist which gets her finally thinking about her behavior. Dick gets up his nerve to tell Janet that he was never in love with her and doesn’t want to get married. Janet plays magnanimous, returns her engagement ring to Dick and tells him he doesn’t have to turn down Dr. Baird’s job offer and run off to New York to escape on her account. After he leaves, Janet vows to even the score. Bert thinks she might be pregnant. 

-8/2/54-8/30/54. Dick decides not to move to New York. He is disappointed to learn Dr. Baird gave his position to another man, Dr. Thompson. Bert tells Bill that they’re going to have another baby. Dan Peters gets sentenced to 20 years and Peggy accepts that she’ll never see him again. Jim and Kathy start dating. Mike is not happy that he’s going to have a baby sibling and continues to hate Bill. Bill takes Mike on a trip to San Francisco and it’s there that Mike begins to call Bill “Dad” again.

-9/1/54-9/30/54. Kathy leaves Robin in NYC with Helen and comes back to paint Los Angeles red much to the concern of Meta who thinks she’s neglecting Robin and her responsibility. She confronts Kathy about the irresponsible life she’s now living and Kathy says it may be time for her to move out and live on her own. A pregnant and depressed Bert starts to envy Kathy’s new care-free life and wishes she never had gotten married. Dr. Bart Thompson, Dr. Baird’s new associate who got the job Dick wanted, automatically clashes with Dick. Mike continues to have behavioral problems. 

-10/1/54-10/31/54. Bill starts doing PR for Richard’s company. Richard and Bert try to get Dick and Kathy back together. With Dr. Baird in Europe, Bart makes Dick’s life even more of a hell which gives Janet a vengeful schadenfreude. Dick and Kathy have an awkward reunion at a medical fraternity dance and it stirs up old memories and feelings for both of them.

-11/1/54-11/30/54. Jim tells Peggy that he’s in love with Kathy. Jim tells Bart to quit bullying Dick and lets him know he’s got his number. Dick starts to sink into a deep depression due to all his pressures. Bert prays a prayer of gratitude as she, Bill, Papa and Mike prepare to go over to the Roberts’ for Thanksgiving dinner. Jim tells Dick that he’s going to ask Kathy to marry him.

-12/1/54-12/31/54. Dick starts to crack up. Kathy turns down Jim’s marriage proposal and Jim thinks it’s because she’s still in love with Dick. Dick freezes in surgery and Bart orders him out of the operating room. Dick goes missing. Bart tries to get his biological son, who doesn’t know Bart is his father, to come to Los Angeles. The Bauers celebrate Christmas. Ed Bauer is born on New Year’s Eve. 

-12/24/54. Papa, Bill, Bert and Michael celebrate Christmas as they anticipate the birth of the new baby. The Roberts have gone to San Francisco to be with Joey and Lois.

-12/31/54. Ed Bauer is born. Joe, Meta and Kathy are worried about a missing Dick.