Best of GL- if you had to pick...
Golden...@webtv.net
best episodes of GUIDING LIGHT to be forever preserved for future
viewers. What would you pick??? Here's my list: 1) ROGER THORPE-HOLLY
storyline from 1979-1980, 2) death of Diane Ballard/ Carrie split
personality/Ross Marler storyline 1981, 3) Nola Reardon and Quentin
(1981- whenever), 4) Reva as "slut of Springfield", 5) return of Roger
Thorpe in 1989, 6) Brent as Marion Crane in 1995, 7) Annie Dutton
storyline, 8) Reva's clone, 9) Holly as the Springfield Stalker, 10)
Santos storyline. Feel free to agree, disagree, and
create your own TOP TEN storyline list. Have fun!
Peter J.
I have no idea what order I would put them in or what 10 I would choose, but
picking a few off the top of my head:
The whole Blake/Ross seduction storyline during the summer of '92, culminating
in their very, very, VERY hot sex scene during the legendary blackout. That
story added so many intricate layers to the characters of Ross and Blake, both
of whom had been growing somewhat stale, and Sherry Stringfield/Jerry ver Dorn
had a shocking amount of chemistry. You see Jerry and Liz Keifer and they are
very believable and funny together, they have carried the "Bloss" tradition
through many mediocre-to-poor plots and years of inactivity, but they have
never quite matched SS and JvD. The feelings for her that Ross kept trying to
repress finally just BLEW UP and I thought they were going to burn a hole in my
tv set during that first sex scene. That scene was the ending and beginning of
so much for both characters. Never has a parent/child love triangle worked as
well as this one did. The scene where poor Holly walked in with coffee or
breakfast food to surprise Ross and got the biggest surprise she ever could
have imagined...classic, a triumph on every level.
Reva's "death" would be another, not because of Josh as much as the perfection
of her final episodes. The picturesque Florida locations (perhaps my favorite
soap location sequence of all time), Harley wisecracking her way through the
vacation and not realizing how much her own life was going to change within
days, Ashley Peldon's Marah, who was so naturally adorable and never seemed to
be playing up to the camera, and the last scenes, which were a true nail-biter.
Samantha jumping out of the car, Reva driving further and further across the
bridge until she yelled "I'm comin' Bud" and crashed into the water. Many soap
deaths are hyped as being momentous and making permanent changes, but this was
one soap death that had big, big, long-term reprecussions for a laundry list of
people - Harley, Vanessa, Josh, Billy, Nadine, etc. I was actually disappointed
when I found out Zimmer was returning to GL, not because I hated Reva, but
because she had the dream soap exit and nothing she could do after returning
would ever be able to top it. As a result, most of Reva's stories have seemed
anticlimactic.
As I've mentioned before, Maureen's death is another crucial story point,
because that is when GL started the slow decay which has continued unabated
ever since. Oh, that drab housewife Maureen, she isn't flashy, she isn't 18,
she isn't a size 2, no one will miss her. Well, they did, and many of us still
do. I remember when Ed found out she was gone, and I started crying, and I
cried during episode all the way up to Roger's graveside visit, and it was
because I loved Maureen, but also because inside I could sense what had been
taken. When JFP murdered Maureen she did not kill a character, she murdered
Springfield's heart, conscience, soul, and GL has never even come close to
getting that back. I always hoped Michelle could fill that role, but the way
that GL has casually butchered her beyond repair over the past year is a good
example of how far off track this show and it's moral barometer has gotten.
Jenna's farewell episode was, in many ways, exquisite. If someone has Nadine's
brutal murder and funeral and Jenna's final appearance on tape they should
watch them back to back to show how a soap death should and should NOT be
handled. Jenna appeared to all of her loved ones, her husband (possibly the
only reminder for fans in the past 5-6 years that Justin Deas can act when he's
given material), her friends, helped them grieve, and as a result helped the
fans grieve. Daytime loves to cheat fans out of their sorrow, or manipulate
them ("oh, Arlene, Jim would WANT you to drop your drawers with another man a
month after his funeral...I know he would" "Thank you Grandma, now go hide in
the broom closet again until the holiday episode"), but Jenna's last episode
wasn't about that. GL really did want us to have the chance to say goodbye. I
wasn't a big fan of Jenna's, but after she came back to town she had a maturity
and a glow about her that she carried with her all the way to the end. I will
never forget that episode because it was such a complete antithesis to most of
the plot-driven, overacted, overwritten horse manure which was being shoveled
in our faces during that era of GL.
Harley and Mallet leaving the show and Lucy appearing mere moments later in
that AWFUL, AWFUL beret I always wanted to smack off her head. Everything about
that character should be a lesson for future soap PTB that you cannot duplicate
the success of a character (Harley) simply by bringing in a younger version of
her, having her take over Harley's role in the family, and doing your best to
show how adorable/sassy/spunky she is 3-4 days out of every week.
A lot of the Drew stuff, mainly in her last 2 years on the show. I felt like I
was watching a star-in-training, and apparently that turned out to be true.
It's always a pleasure seeing green actors with a spark grow into strong,
formidable talents, and she certainly did, unlike many newbies who start out
green and end up gangrene. Drew's first meeting with her biological father (Ben
Warren) and the moment when she realized Jesse actually loved her were
particularly beautiful performances.
Blake/Ross/Ben Warren, not for quality, for sheer camp value. This was the
CAMPIEST story I have ever seen, and I howled my way through those months. My
favorite parts were when Vanessa held a meeting of her support group, Second
Chances, at Blake's house, and Blake, who was paralyzed at that time and hiding
the fact that she had consensual sex with Ben, suddenly yelled out, "I don't
need a second chance! I've hard second, third, fourth, fifth chances, and I've
blown them all!" Then there was the *outrageous* story point where Holly's
unbalanced brother Ken Norris came back to town, around the time Blake was
trying to recover a compromising video of her and Ben. Inexplicably, she shoved
this in a video rental box and then in the closet so Ross wouldn't find it.
Ross did, and took the video back to the store. Blake started getting blackmail
calls from the next person who rented the video (Wait Until Dark), and was
supposed to go down to the docks. She was still in her wheelchair, and Meta
Bauer drove her there. Meta wasn't in on any of this and after they got there
Blake told her to drive back home. Meta was rightfully shocked and asked what
Blake was going to do to get home. Blake said, "I'll call a cab, just go on,
go!" And Meta, giving her a look which said, "you are a crazy woman", left.
Then Blake was pushed towards the water and went rollllllling down the pier in
a scene I would never be able to forget even if I wanted to. The best part was
when Ken showed up at the Bloss home soon after with the incriminating video in
his hand. Blake didn't understand how he got the tape, and he just said he had
his ways or did what he had to do. Then they showed the blackmailer - a muscled
young man in his early 20's (Mick Santos, actually) - covered in bruises and
black eyes. And Mick was in the mob. So not only did a portly, middle-aged man
manage to kick a young, fit man's ass, Mick never paid Ken or Blake a visit
with a gun or bodyguards to rough them up or anything. Apparently you can beat
the crap out of mafiosos for fun and suffer no consequences! This whole story
was almost a bad parody of soaps, with the perfect finish - Ben had drank
drugged champagne and passed out in his bathtub, about to drown. Blake wheeled
into his hotel room, saw what was going on, and, sure enough, walked for the
first time in months to HOIST him out of the tub and onto the floor. And that
was it...no physical therapy, no relapse, she was able to walk again
afterwards.
Various tales during Abby's tenure on the show. Amy Ecklund was a very powerful
actress who suffered the misfortune of being stuck in the Rick Bauer vortex,
which means you exist only to be his wife and then sit around twiddling your
thumbs until you're fired or quit at contract time. There were so many
beautiful Abby scenes; a few I will list are -
Abby standing up to her Amish mother when she came to town to scold her
Abby quitting her job at Spaulding after realizing Alan was using her to get to
Reva
Abby's near-rape scene with the gang member, Roy Meachum, and her hospital
scenes with Holly and Reva where she talked about how violated she felt even if
she hadn't actually been raped
Abby shooting Roy in open court
Abby hearing tissues and car keys for the first time after getting her cochlear
implant
Abby deciding to leave Rick because of his attitude and his demands that they
have children. One night Claire had climbed into bed with him to make Abby
think they had slept together. Abby saw them, and when Rick begged her to
believe him, she said she knew how evil Claire was and that Rick hadn't been
with her. She went on to say that they were just too different and loving each
other wasn't enough to make the marriage work. She then left for good and after
she was gone, Rick sank to his knees against the kitchen counter and began
sobbing - one of the only times in recent years I've really felt sorry for Rick
instead of muttering some sort of profanity at him
Richard's funeral episode (the drums, Cassie's poem) and Cassie's understated
grieving - exquisite work from Laura Wright, who always makes Cassie's feelings
clear without trying to hog the scene. She was also fantastic while Hart was
dying. I remember back then that some people said Cassie wanted Hart to die,
she was encouraging him to die, but that's BS. She knew he was almost gone and
she was mature enough to put aside her own pain and desires to help him on his
passage. Cassie may be the most believable widow or widower I have ever seen on
daytime television. She takes the viewer through every step and there is never
an overnight recovery period - the ache lingers inside her and slowly
dissipates.
I have to mention Bridget and RealDavid's friendship, and Bridget/Kat's
friendship, the talks they would have on Kat's fire escape, the growing pains,
the anguish, making them all viable and interesting characters without having
to sacrifice the integrity of the adults around them to prop them up
When Harley visited in 1/97 for some ball or party, she ran into Reva and
started in about Reva dumping Buzz. They stormed into the bathroom and every
time a woman would try to come in to use the facilities, they would yell
"occupied!" or "get out!" or "people are busy in here, go somewhere else!" Reva
eventually realized that Harley was still ticked off, rightfully, over Josh
dumping her 6 years earlier to go track down Reva in Europe. They managed to
resolve their differences in a very seriocomic way. Beth Ehlers has had a whole
lotta garbage thrown at her since she came back (the worst probably being the
Harley/Beth/Phillip triangle, which had shitty writing from start to finish),
and I honestly consider that bathroom conversation, and a later freezer
confrontation with Jenna when Beth returned for good in summer '97, to be the
last instances of the real Harley, the Harley with such a strong sparkle in her
eye and heartbreak in her voice that I fell in love with way back when, not the
dour, depressed woman who was broken by emperor of the pigs Phillip and has
never fully recovered.
There are many honorable mentions, like any of Nadine's stories, or the initial
Vanessa/Matt romance (pre-Dinah), or Beverlee McKinsey's reign as Alex and her
delicious takedown of Roger/degradation and shaming of Mindy (I will never
forget how betrayed Billy felt by his princess sleeping with the prince of
darkness, and how his reaction cut Mindy to the bone).
I hope other people respond to this, because it's very good for catharsis.
Jude, Plain and Tall
<Golden...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:6108-3E4...@storefull-2311.public.lawson.webtv.net...
Well I disagree with the last three......those storylines are part of the
reason why GL went into a deep tailspin. It is only now beginning to emerge
from the swamp of bad storytelling.
LMORSE1831
> best episodes of GUIDING LIGHT to be forever preserved for future
> viewers. What would you pick??? >>
1. Matessa - from the beginning up to the fire.
2. Matessa - During the email days, even though it was hokey.
3. Nola and Quinton
4. Ed taking off his wedding ring from Rita, and going after Maureen.
5. Lujack singing "out on the streets"
6. Edmund romancing Beth, especially the strand of pearls that went down her
back.
7. Roger and Holly trying to get back together in the late 80's/early 90's.
8. Blake and Ross at the swimming pool, and during the blackout.
9. Alan and Hope stranded on an island.
10. Richard and Cassie "romance of convience."
Ok, they are all a little romantic.. but they were pretty good.
Linda
Amy
AlanMichael/Lusy/Brent/Marion storyline. I was even in schhol then and would
come home and RUN for the tv and to see what freaky "marion" was doing next to
poor lucy. hehehe
*~*Amy*~*
Peter J.
>
>8. Blake and Ross at the swimming pool, and during the blackout.
Oh good, I'm not the only one then. That was such a good time for GL, I wish it
could have lasted.
Dana Carpender
Boy, I'm with you. I *LOATHED* the clone story, and the Springfield
Stalker story (and what it did to poor Holly), and while I like a few of
the Santoses (or perhaps more accurately, their actors) -- Danny, Maria,
and Father Ray -- I've hated the whole "married to the mob" thing,
resented the sudden invention of a pervasive and well-known crime family
of long standing that we'd somehow never heard of, and have found Carmen
to be the most irritating and chemistry-free character the show has
perhaps *ever* had -- she can suck the sex appeal out of any man they
pair her with.
I first started watching during the Holly-Roger Rape Trial, so that's a
fave. Loved Pill-Poppin' Annie, Brent, Nola first moving into Quentin's
mansion, and them falling in love. Beth-Lujack was good, I thought.
The arrival of Reva, and the early years, with her jumping from Billy to
HB to Josh, and the whole "Josh in a wheelchair" plot. Mattessa, and
the cave on the island -- still some of the hottest scenes I've ever
seen on the show. I don't know if I recall all of the death of Diane,
although I certainly remember Diane, and that she was murdered -- was
that the one where we found out Floyd Parker had done it? The whole
Tony/Annabelle/Sharina thing was *great*. Bridget in Nadine's attic,
and then the custody battle with Vanessa. Am I over 10 yet?
--
Dana W. Carpender
Author, How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet -- And Lost Forty Pounds!
NEW! 500 Low-Carb Recipes
http://www.holdthetoast.com
Check out our FREE Low Carb Ezine!
Jim & Dodie
Beth, Mindy, and Rick went t NYC and then during Christmas time met
Santa.
EVERY year I yearn for santa to stop by and see the three.
S Park
2. Beth and Lujack--Almost Paradise!
3. Mindy and Kurt wedding
4. Arrival of Sam Spencer-best loking guy ever on GL
5. Roger Returns
6. Bev as Alex
7. Barbados story
8. Reva as Slu of Springfield
9. Harley and Mallet
10. Ross/Blake?Tory
looneybird (remove NOSPAM from email address to reply)
fountain.
2) Melina Kanekaredes, as Eleni, singing in Greek.
3) Cynthia Waltros as Annie Dutton.
4) Danny/Michelle "cat burglers"
5) Jenna the "cat burgler"
6) Michelle/Danny marriage to keep Carmen from killing her... she didn't
want to fall in love with him, but did.
7) Beth/Lujack love story
8) Nolarobics (Nola's arobics)
9) Roger and Holly rape storyline
10) Reva/HB "love" story
These are in no particular order.
<Golden...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:6108-3E4...@storefull-2311.public.lawson.webtv.net...
looneybird (remove NOSPAM from email address to reply)
Lemay. "Nick" came to each of their homes.
"Jim & Dodie" <jdr...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:22342-3E...@storefull-2374.public.lawson.webtv.net...
Jynxed R Us
Linda "LMORSE1831" wrote
> 10. Richard and Cassie "romance of convience."
>
I loved it when Richard and Cassie were at the farm house and they were
picking up after the kids (I think) and it went into a fantasy sequence. I
thought it was Cassie having a fantasy "again" and when it was over Richard
was the one having the fantasy.......It was great!
Some of my favorite couples were Quinten and Nola, Kelly and Morgan, Beth
and Lujack, Cassie and Richard, and I'm now starting to like Cassie and
Danny. Fletcher Reade has always been one of my favorite characters. He
was like the Indiana Jones of Springfield. I wish they would bring him
back. Ben Warren has left a permanent mark also. If I wasn't already
watching three soaps (Y&R, B&B, & GL) I would have started watching ATWT
just to see Hunt Block, but I don't want my VCR to blow-up before it's time
from overuse. ;o}
JMO,
Cindy
Anthony D. Langford
>Danny. Fletcher Reade has always been one of my favorite characters. He
>was like the Indiana Jones of Springfield. I wish they would bring him
>back.
Me too. I've always loved Fletcher. He was one of my absolute favorite
characters. But, I doubt if we'll ever see him again. If he was hardly
mentioned when both Holly and Ben were in town, you can bet he won't be on now
given that Holly's on her way out.
Anthony D. Langford
Creator and Writer of Covington Bay--An Online Soap Opera
Check it out at: http://www.covingtonbay.com
Bo
Langford) wrote:
>>Danny. Fletcher Reade has always been one of my favorite characters. He
>>was like the Indiana Jones of Springfield. I wish they would bring him
>>back.
>
>Me too. I've always loved Fletcher. He was one of my absolute favorite
>characters. But, I doubt if we'll ever see him again. If he was hardly
>mentioned when both Holly and Ben were in town, you can bet he won't be on now
>given that Holly's on her way out.
I've been so hoping that they would develop Ben's character/storyline
(with or without Marina)...and that that would set the stage for the
return of Fletcher. I suppose it could still happen, but with Holly
gone, probably not. :(
-Bo ( b...@bodacia.com | www.bodacia.com )
"Somewhere in Texas, a village has lost its idiot."
Niki
>From: alang...@aol.comnojunk (Anthony D. Langford)
>Date: 2/17/2003 9:50 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <20030217095039...@mb-ms.aol.com>
>
>>
>>Danny. Fletcher Reade has always been one of my favorite characters. He
>>was like the Indiana Jones of Springfield. I wish they would bring him
>>back.
>
>Me too. I've always loved Fletcher. He was one of my absolute favorite
>characters. But, I doubt if we'll ever see him again. If he was hardly
>mentioned when both Holly and Ben were in town, you can bet he won't be on
>now
>given that Holly's on her way out.
:-( I wind up cracking more bones contemplating this whole Holly reduction
activity. <just shaking my head in total non understanding of it all>
Niki
CMK1996
>Date: 2/17/2003 11:48 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <je425vo2fqlj9033f...@4ax.com>
>
>On 17 Feb 2003 14:50:39 GMT, alang...@aol.comnojunk (Anthony D.
>Langford) wrote:
>
>>>Danny. Fletcher Reade has always been one of my favorite characters. He
>>>was like the Indiana Jones of Springfield. I wish they would bring him
>>>back.
>>
>>Me too. I've always loved Fletcher. He was one of my absolute favorite
>>characters. But, I doubt if we'll ever see him again. If he was hardly
>>mentioned when both Holly and Ben were in town, you can bet he won't be on
>now
>>given that Holly's on her way out.
>
>I've been so hoping that they would develop Ben's character/storyline
>(with or without Marina)...and that that would set the stage for the
>return of Fletcher. I suppose it could still happen, but with Holly
>gone, probably not. :(
>
to see Fletcher again. When I think of having Ed back, Holly, Ben, Alex, and
Claire (lost in the hospital somewhere), it seems like such a lost opportunity
not to have Fletch around.
KC
Jim & Dodie
I do remember and he showed a VERY brief time a year after that too.
SRG
David/Kat romance, especially the racism story, which built into what I thought
would be another great story, but instead turned into a horrible dud...when
racist Vinny (was that his name?) was killed in late spring, David was accused
of murder and I was ready for what I just knew was going to be the best summer
love-on-the-run storyline since Luke and Laura went searching for the Left
Handed Boy. Boy was I wrong...instead of giving us full-blown romance, danger,
and suspense with David and Kat (played by great actors who were woefully
misused) running for their lives, instead we got the short-term stunt-casting
of Joe Lando, who sucked the energy out of every scene he was in, and then were
froced to watch as Lando's McCauley West come between Mindy and Nick(who by
this time we could have cared less about thanks to Barbara Campton's dull take
on the character). What should have been a showcase for David and Kat, a story
that would have launched them into supercouple status, instead was ruined by
all this. I remember some weeks David and Kat would be on perhaps one or two
days(!) even though the Vinny murder was the storyline driving the entire show
the whole summer! Then what happened? Of course ratings were flat during this
snoozefest, and executives blamed David and Kat! I'm so glad Nia Long went
onto bigger and better things!
SRG, Creator of Rich Chocolate...(A Decadently Delicious Affair)
Visit the world of Rich Chocolate, where image is everything, but nothing and
no one is what or who they seem...
Niki
>Date: 2/18/2003 3:16 AM Eastern Standard Time
>Message-id: <20030218031611...@mb-ct.aol.com>
Niki
Connie
I miss santa too.
there are times when it would be so easy to bring him back, be the voice
of reason.
Didn't they do a santa like character the year before last?
