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1997-09-24
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From: port-charles-owner@xmission.com (port-charles Digest)
To: port-charles-digest@xmission.com
Subject: port-charles Digest V1 #8
Reply-To: port-charles@xmission.com
Sender: port-charles-owner@xmission.com
Errors-To: port-charles-owner@xmission.com
Precedence:
port-charles Digest Thursday, September 25 1997 Volume 01 : Number 008
In this issue:
GH/PC: GH: V
GH/PC: GH: next week's previews after the show
GH/PC: Julia Barrett
GH/PC: GH: AJ
GH/PC: GH: Sorry about last message with another message attached!
Re: GH/PC: big BAD gh spoiler... (space included)
Re: GH/PC: GH: V
Re: GH/PC: Julia Barrett
Re: GH/PC: GH: AJ
GH/PC: he always leaves me in the rain
GH/PC: PC: Picky, picky about Cooper and his room...
GH/PC: PC: Scotty and the Bridesmaid
Re: GH/PC: PC: Scotty and the Bridesmaid
GH/PC: Sonny 'pulled a Nick'
Re: GH/PC: Sonny 'pulled a Nick'
GH/PC: Outta Left Field
GH/PC: Guza interview
See the end of the digest for information on subscribing to the port-charles
or port-charles-digest mailing lists and on how to retrieve back issues.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 00:21:02 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: GH: V
I can't help it. I love the character of V, even down to her name. Of all
the women on GH, this character is the one that comes the closest to
myself. Unsure, klutzy, very casual wardrobe to the point of not much to
wear, etc. I think most women would say the very same thing. What I get a
kick out of is the fact that since Jax has been with her, he has actually
seemed truly amused by her. I think that I like his smile more now than
when he was ever with Brenda... She brings back humor to the show between
a couple that has been missing since K&L went to PC. (Luke has humor no
matter who he is with, so I don't count that!
Mary Lu
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 00:37:44 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: GH: next week's previews after the show
I know that I didn't get next week's previews after today's GH program. I
think this was an error in the Portland area. Did anyone get to see them
and if you did, could you please tell me what they showed? I tape both GH
and AMC here, and there was nothing between the programs after they said to
stay tuned for the previews when suddenly I was watching what happened
yesterday on AMC. (Yes, here in Portland, we have GH before AMC.)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 00:34:36 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: Julia Barrett
Wasn't Julia Barret supposed to return to town for the wedding? (I think
she was played by Crystal Carson, a great character, I thought.) Could
that be Julia that arrives in the back of the church when Brenda looks
back? Did she have an invitation to get in? I'm just trying to put my
thinking cap on here on how they could stretch out the anticipation a
little bit further.
Mary Lu
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 00:54:38 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: GH: AJ
More thinking today about AJ's actions concerning Carly and her/his(?)
baby...
AJ asked Lila about whether or not he was really a Quartermaine and Lila
gave him the answer about his dad needing proof that he was his and the
realization that the doubt that Alan initially had about AJ's paternity due
to Monica's actions has cost AJ the close father/son relationship that
SHOULD have been his, and wasn't, not due to any fault of his own. I am
thinking that he is placing himself into the role of the baby, realizing
that if he told Tony about his relationship with Carly, he could be
permanently jeopardizing any real bonding of this child to Tony if it is
really Tony's child. I don't think he would want any child to go through
what he has/is going through because of someone else's mistake. This is
the only valid reason that I can think of that is keeping AJ from telling
Tony about Carly... for the child involved.
This can get really complicated because AJ may have the conscience that
Carly lacks about what is truly right for the baby. IF the child is AJ's,
he may decided that it is better off being raised by Tony with two parents
that care for she/he, no matter how demented one parent is, than by being
raised by one alcoholic and one psycho. This may be what drives AJ's
character in the near future. Of course, all this is mere speculation on
my part, but it is based on the scene between AJ and Lila, and Lila told AJ
the truth. (Then again, he.... just thinking about other
possibilities.... I totally love BW playing the role of AJ!)
Mary Lu
- ----------
: From: Mary Lu <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
: To: port-charles@mail.xmission.com
: Subject: GH/PC: GH: V
: Date: Saturday, September 20, 1997 12:21 AM
:
: I can't help it. I love the character of V, even down to her name. Of
all
: the women on GH, this character is the one that comes the closest to
: myself. Unsure, klutzy, very casual wardrobe to the point of not much to
: wear, etc. I think most women would say the very same thing. What I get
a
: kick out of is the fact that since Jax has been with her, he has actually
: seemed truly amused by her. I think that I like his smile more now than
: when he was ever with Brenda... She brings back humor to the show
between
: a couple that has been missing since K&L went to PC. (Luke has humor no
: matter who he is with, so I don't count that!
:
: Mary Lu
:
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 04:19:21 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: GH: Sorry about last message with another message attached!
Sorry about that last message as I used a message I had sent earlier to
reply to and I didn't kill my original message at the end. Oh, well. I
know I'm not perfect...
Mary Lu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:47:26 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: GH/PC: big BAD gh spoiler... (space included)
Mary Lu wrote:
> My question to others who watched this show in other areas... did you get
>previews for next week? Did they run the closing credits?
Yes, there was nothing very telling about them previews, though. Mike
yelling at Jason, asking him if Sonny was ever coming back, and then
screaming at him "Don't just stand there like a stone!"; Sonny telling his
driver to take him to the church; and then another run-in with Carly and
someone, I don't remember off hand...
Taiyin
"Do you ever listen to yourself?"
- --"I'm the only one who ever does."
-- Lila & Edward, GH
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:49:44 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: GH/PC: GH: V
At 12:21 AM 9/20/97 -0400, Mary Lu wrote:
>I can't help it. I love the character of V, even down to her name.
I agree.
I guess I just hope she doesn't get paired with Jax. I'd rather she
actually becomes a character in her own right before being joined at the
hip to any of the resident men.
Plus, honestly, I'm not really much of a Jax fan.
And, from what I've heard, it looks like Jax is going to be holding
Brenda's hand through the up-coming months, anyway.
Taiyin
"Why don't you go scare yourself with visions of living on
fish heads and crusts of bread." -- Alan, "General Hosptial"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:51:39 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: GH/PC: Julia Barrett
At 12:34 AM 9/20/97 -0400, you wrote:
>Wasn't Julia Barret supposed to return to town for the wedding? (I think
>she was played by Crystal Carson, a great character, I thought.)
Yup, Crystal Carson played Julia.
But I never heard anything about her coming back. In fact, in one of the
mags form the last couple of week sthey did one of those "Where are they
now" things with her and she didn't mention coming back at all.
The most she said was that, as long as Brenda was in town, it would be a
possibility.
Taiyin
"I used to want to hurt you. I don't anymore. I guess that's progress."
- --"I used to want to kill you. I don't anymore. I guess I'm mellowing."
-- Monica and Alan on their 20th Wedding Anniversary, "GH"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 14:54:03 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: GH/PC: GH: AJ
Mary Lu wrote:
>This can get really complicated because AJ may have the conscience that
>Carly lacks about what is truly right for the baby. IF the child is AJ's,
>he may decided that it is better off being raised by Tony with two parents
>that care for she/he, no matter how demented one parent is, than by being
>raised by one alcoholic and one psycho.
That's actually an excellent point. While I was watching those scenes I
was thinking that they were going to use it to motivate AJ into finding out
the truth, but that would be a much more unconventional way to go.
And when the fall-out comes, as it most surely will (SOON, PLEASE!!!), it
would be that much more spectacular.
Taiyin
"I haven't tried to kill you in 15 years. That's cause for
celebration. Would you like some champagne?"
- -- Alan to Monica on their 20th anniversary, GH
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 22 Sep 1997 18:21:25 PDT
From: "Jodi Griesemer" <jodidawn@hotmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: he always leaves me in the rain
I don't know if it was just me or what but after fridays episode I
was expectinga spectacular ending to this horrendous nightmare. And as
a result today I was not moved until Brenda was standing out in the rain
and told Jason that he "Sonny" always leaving her in the rain.....now
that moved me to tears...I can't wait for Rena to get there...I know I
will fo0r sure cry.
Hope everyone's day/night is going well....after this nightmare we
all need some laughter.
Jodi
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 02:03:11 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: PC: Picky, picky about Cooper and his room...
I know, I know, it's only a soap... however, the scenes with Cooper and
that hospital are so unbelievable.
The guy was in a locked ward in some psychiatric hospital (or at least some
hospital with a locked ward). Did you see how plush his bedding was in
that room? Get real! I have spent enough time in hospitals (no, not
psychiatric ones) and the bedding is anything but plush! If that hospital
is so cold that people need comforters on their beds at this time of year,
then something is wrong with the hospital. If Cooper was a "veg" (as that
nurse so "nicely" put it), then, think about it, the linens on that bed
would have to be frequently changed. You keep it as minimal as possible.
Does anyone remember when we knew that Cooper wasn't in a coma? If he was
in a coma for even a short time (a couple of weeks) he would have been weak
as a kitten getting out of bed. I can't remember how long I was in one
(and what level of consciousness constitutes being out of one), but it was
awhile. I was too weak to hold a newspaper, not to mention even sitting up
in bed. If you are unconscious, or are unable to move on your own, they
turn you... you are not left in one position for much more than two hours
because of the potential for pneumonia, bed sores, etc. With soap comas,
no one ever turns the patient! I laugh at it now, but the chair used to be
my "enemy" because I was forced to sit in one before I could hold my head
up! That was therapy, I guess, but it worked.
What is the deal with having a phone in Cooper's room? Since when?
Someone in his condition is not in a room with a phone, particularly in a
locked ward. Was he in a locked ward for psychiatric or criminal reasons?
Doesn't matter. A phone would be off-limits. The phone cord could be used
to hang oneself. Well, a vegetative patient couldn't do that, but then he
couldn't use the phone and why put him in a locked unit? Yadda, yadda,
yadda....
Are they going to assume the body is Cooper's or are they going to use
dental records...
I know, I know, IOAS!!!! But I had to vent. Besides, I am worried about
Kevin. Why can't they let K&L have a little bit of peace?
Mary Lu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 02:04:54 -0400
From: "Mary Lu" <mlgianelli@sprintmail.com>
Subject: GH/PC: PC: Scotty and the Bridesmaid
I loved the comment made today about how pretty Brenda's bridesmaid was!!!
Did he look wistful when he said that to Serena or was that just me...
Mary Lu
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 08:37:06 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: Re: GH/PC: PC: Scotty and the Bridesmaid
Mary Lu wrote:
>I loved the comment made today about how pretty Brenda's bridesmaid was!!!
>Did he look wistful when he said that to Serena or was that just me...
No, it wasn't just you at all. In fact, that was the *exact* word I was
going to use to describe it, too.
I did really end up enjoying watching he and Serena go out and save Eve's
bacon. I miss them. She's been so preoccupied with Devlin lately, that
she and Scott haven't gone a few rounds in far too long.
I loved the look on Eve's face when Scott said "pick up," too. <g>
Taiyin
"Do you ever listen to yourself?"
- --"I'm the only one who ever does."
-- Lila & Edward, GH
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Sep 1997 09:08:32 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: GH/PC: Sonny 'pulled a Nick'
Well, I suppose that only makes a hell of a lot of sense to "Forever
Knight" fans. <sigh>
Let me start, however, by saying that back in the old days of B&S, I
*loved* them. Clear up until Lily entered the picture. And since their
reunion I have been less than impressed, clear up until the point where I
got downright apathetic. Brenda's recent foray into spineless little girl
behavior has left me with a neausiatingly bad taste in my mouth.
And the one thing that I have always hated about Sonny was the fact that he
'pulls a Nick' on a regular basis.
What 'pulling a Nick' means, as any devout FK fan can tell you, is that
Nick Knight has the VERY unfortunate habit of making decisions for the
people around him, especially the women. It's a truly reprehensible
quality that undermines the woman's ability to choose her own course in life.
Sonny has always had the inclination toward that, and that has always been
something that I haven't liked about him. The fact that Lily just blithey
went ALONG with that kind of machismo megalomania is a large part of why I
so thoroughly detested her. And the one thing that I always liked about
Sonny and Brenda, even when other things bothered me about them, was that
she would go out of her way to try and keep him from doing that. And she
would call him on it when she had found out he had done it behind her back.
And yet after their reunion, that was all supposedly over with. He came
clean. She tried to respect the boundaries of what she could and couldn't
ask about. But, by and large, he had STOPPED making her desicions for her.
And then this. This was, without a doubt, truly reprehensible. "It's been
a great ride"?!?!? He deserved to be eviscerated for having Jason tell her
that. That was inexcusable.
And yes, I know, the entire point was to break her heart so she'd hate him.
But he seemed to miss something crucial: he didn't have the right to make
that choice for her. She CHOSE to leave her home and her 'family' to be
with him. She CHOSE to accept that they would have to live their lives on
the run. But she CHOSE that because, for her, nothing else was more
important then them being together. If he didn't want her, that would be
one thing, but manipulating the situation and her emotions the way he did
was well beyond his right.
When he asked Jason if he would break Robin's heart if it would take away
her HIV and keep her safe, and Jason said no, it was clear that Sonny
didn't understand WHY Jason wouldn't do that. Jason knows that is not his
choice to make. He doesn't have the right to do that to Robin, because her
choices are what make up her life.
Sonny didn't GET that. He didn't understand that, no matter how well
founded his fears might be (though, frankly, they were sounding pretty
sudden, irrational and paranoid to me), he didn't have the right to make
that choice for her.
And at the wedding... I felt so humilitated for Brenda. And Lucy was such
an angel. And I almost cried for Mike. I really, Really, REALLY wish Luke
had been there, because I would have killed to see his reaction to all of
that. Somehow I doubt even he could have defended Sonny after that.
And Jodi was right, when Brenda said, "He always leaves me standing in the
rain" I did cry.
I also find it absolutely disheartening that Maurice supposedly actually
LIKED that exit for his character. I know the whole entire purpose for
doing it that way was to leave the door open for him to come back, but
frankly I think it would have been easier to explain his rise from the dead
than to repair the damage they just did to the character's integrity.
The whole thing was just so... I'm at a loss. After all the years of round
and round and back and forth and ups and downs that Sonny and Brenda have
gone through TOGETHER, how on earth does Sonny think that Brenda will just
accept that she meant so little to him? She'll hate him for what he did,
to be sure. But to try and negate 4+ years all of a sudden? I don't think
so.
The whole thing was really hideous, and it makes me grateful beyond BELIEF
that Bob Guza is returning, because there is no way in hell the show, not
to mention fans, should have to suffer through anymore of this dreadful
writing.
Taiyin
"Be careful. No, forget that. Just be happy." -- Brenda, GH
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 10:46:36 -0500 (CDT)
From: jesaker@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: GH/PC: Sonny 'pulled a Nick'
On 09/23/97 09:08:32 taiyin wrote:
>
>Let me start, however, by saying that back in the old days of B&S, I
>*loved* them. <snip>
>And then this. This was, without a doubt, truly reprehensible. "It's
>been a great ride"?!?!? He deserved to be eviscerated for having Jason
>tell her that. That was inexcusable.
all i can say is...oh god i don't even know. since friday's episode, i've
alternated between hysterical sobbing, blind rage, and absolute
speechlessness. what a week to spend three days away from my computer
(yup, jury duty DID come to pass, and i might be there again tomorrow.)
however, i'm sure my parents, grandmothers, friends and roommates are all
VERY happy i have temporary access to my email again, because they have NOT
enjoyed my gh rantings...
i am horrified, absolutely positively HORRIFIED and disgusted, with what
happened with sonny and brenda and jason from friday through yesterday.
friday i was watching with my mom and my grandmother, who don't watch gh.
and i was livid--screaming at sonny, screaming at jason, and then sonny
stopped the car. mom and nana said, "see...calm down. it's going to be
ok." and i actually (idiot that i am) had HOPE that sonny was indeed going
to do the right thing. of course he didn't--but what he DID do was even
WORSE than if he had just kept driving!!! how...could someone please tell
me HOW sonny could do that??? drive back to the church, only to stand
across the street and WATCH the complete devastation and destruction of the
woman he supposedly loves??? ohhhhhhhh no. no no no no no. that's just
wrong. cruel, inhuman, unthinkable. BEYOND low. he WOULDN'T DO THAT!!!
and then yesterday--jason was WAY too nice to sonny. he let him off the
hook FAR too easily. "she believed me." no--that doesn't cut it, jason.
tell him--tell him in excruciating detail every single thing she said. how
she tried so hard to reconcile this behavior with everything she loved and
trusted about sonny. how she really DIDN'T believe it. how jason had to
push, and keep pushing, and ultimately had to deliver the cruel line sonny
had devised, about how it had been a great ride. and then, how she
completely fell apart. how her eyes glazed over, and all life seemed to
just vanish from her body. how she was left completely alone--humiliated
in front of the entire town, deserted by the man she loved, with NOT A
SINGLE ONE OF HER BEST FRIENDS around to try and comfort her (ok, side
note...WHY IS ROBIN NOT ON A PLANE FROM PARIS RIGHT NOW??? OR LOIS??? OR
EVEN NED??? i know...actors' schedules. and lois IS coming. but not for
another week. wouldn't you think SOMEONE would come as soon as they
heard?)
i'm sorry, but i'm truly repulsed by this entire thing. i don't see the
need for it. i don't see what it accomplished. or even what it was
SUPPOSED to accomplish. NOBODY who had ever seen s&b together, sonny's
enemies included, would buy that sonny never loved brenda at all--
therefore, since he DID love her, he would STILL be hurt if something were
to happen to her. therefore, she can NEVER be safe, even if he's no longer
with her. so that reasoning does NOT work. and sonny is not a dumb man.
he would KNOW that. and even IF that reasoning DID work--that's something
sonny should have realized a LOT earlier...NOT an hour before the
wedding. it just doesn't make any sense. i don't think i could accept
this outcome, even if it WAS done for a valid reason. but the fact that it
WASN'T just makes it that much worse.
>And Jodi was right, when Brenda said, "He always leaves me standing in the
>rain" I did cry.
oh me TOO. plus all day yesterday, with the flashbacks. i had to stop the
tape four times, because i was sobbing too hard to hear what was happening,
and it took me a full 20 minutes to compose myself after it was all over.
but it was all so GRATUITOUS! i feel manipulated. this storyline was not
only cruel, but it was not true to any of the characters involved. i can
only compare it to lucy's miscarriage--that was also a plot development i
hated (and still consider cruel), but at least none of the characters were
destroyed in the process. and the acting we got to experience was superb.
none of the above is true in this case. i truly can't imagine forgiving
sonny--OR jason for that matter--for their behavior throughout this. and
(i'm sorry to say) we didn't even get any beautifully-acted scenes out of
this. brenda's sole function yesterday was to initiate flashbacks, and
sonny's last moments were ridiculously anticlimactic. how could he have
been so calm and unfeeling when he knows he just destroyed the so-called
love of his life???
and worst of all is that i don't know who any of those people were. we've
watched sonny and brenda for four years now, and the "new" jason for...i
forget. but for a while. we've seen sonny fully develop as a character--
revealing his insecurities and flaws. we've seen that beneath his tough-
guy mob exterior is a little boy, abandoned by his father, who felt
powerless to defend himself and the mother he loved against the ravages of
his stepfather. we've seen him love and lose stone, his surrogate
son/little brother. learn that robin, who he loves as a daughter, is hiv+.
seen him react to his wife and unborn child being blown up in front of his
face, and feel that he is responsible for their deaths. recently, seen his
trusted bodyguard die in his stead, and seen his reaction to having
joseph's blood too on his hands. this is a man who, if he's learned
anything over the past four years, has learned about love and loss. and
the importance of being able to say good-bye.
and jason--brain-damaged or not, jason knows right from wrong. and jason
knows about love. and loyal as he is to sonny, he knows how to stand up to
him when he's right and sonny's wrong. when sonny tried to fire him, jason
called him on that--told him that wasn't his choice to make. that jason
knew what he was doing, and deserved to have the opportunity to make that
decision himself. he knew the same was true of brenda. and he knows what
this would do to her. especially after just experiencing his own break-up
with robin...he KNOWS.
that either one of them could have gone along with this, allowed this to
happen, CHOSEN for this to happen...i can't accept that. that's something
the characters that I'VE been watching just wouldn't do.
>
>I also find it absolutely disheartening that Maurice supposedly actually
>LIKED that exit for his character. I know the whole entire purpose for
>doing it that way was to leave the door open for him to come back, but
>frankly I think it would have been easier to explain his rise from the
dead
>than to repair the damage they just did to the character's integrity.
i absolutely, completely, TOTALLY agree. that's what i kept saying on
friday, when i was trying to really be hopeful. "maurice said he liked the
way the exit was written. he wouldn't accept sonny leaving that way. not
without saying good-bye. not doing that to brenda." which made the
outcome even worse. how on earth he could support, and actually approve of
that ending is BEYOND me. my faith in the characters of sonny and jason,
and the actor(s) who supported this, and whoever conceived of this idea,
wrote it, and allowed it to be carried out, is completely and irreversably
shattered. i can suspend disbelief in soaps when long-dead relatives
return from the grave, when identical twins people never knew they had
appear out of nowhere, when fires can be started via laptop computer, when
comatose criminals can be given access to a phone, and the complete privacy
to kill a priest and start an explosion...but i draw the line at this. i
watched this love story for four years, and i can NOT pretend those four
years didn't happen. i can NOT accept that sonny could do something this
cruel, and this damaging, and have the nerve to claim it was done out of
love. i would rather they had killed the character off than do this.
it's ridiculous, i know--but i actually feel personally betrayed by all of
this. i've watched this show for over ten years. during that time, i've
developed (perhaps unhealthy) attachments to various characters and
storylines, and been extremely emotionally involved in them, and been upset
when favorites have left in various ways. but never have i felt this
manipulated before. tptb brought on these characters, not realizing what
they were going to create. but as soon as they DID see what they had on
their hands, they decided to milk it for all it was worth. they created
tension, obstacles, drama, in the form of lily/miguel/jax/miranda/etc.
they dragged these two characters through three years of hell. they
realized they had quite a fan base built up that would put up with any
amount of crap we were fed, as long as the promise of a payout was still
there at the end. so we all stuck with it through the above-mentioned
horrors, not to mention the reunion that wasn't, the tiger key mess, and
the abduction of brenda by aliens from the planet of the stepford wives.
by this point, just about everyone realized there was no hope for any sort
of "happily ever after" resolution...but we still watched, hopeful that the
inevitable would at least be done in a way that was true to the characters
invovled, and that RESPECTED the relationship they had built with each
other (and that we had built with them) over the years. rumors started
surfacing--horrible rumors--and still i remained hopeful. i had faith.
faith in the actors, faith that tptb would know this one time that they
should NOT play with the fans, that we would get the closure we desired,
and deserved. misguided faith, as it turns out. and now, i'm really not
sure if i can put up with this any longer. i was never one of those
fanatics who said "sonny IS gh, and when he's gone, i'm gone." i've
survived the departure of TONS of "favorite characters" over the years.
but what i can't survive is the departure of my respect for the show, and
of their respect for their fans.
>The whole thing was really hideous, and it makes me grateful beyond BELIEF
>that Bob Guza is returning, because there is no way in hell the show, not
>to mention fans, should have to suffer through anymore of this dreadful
>writing.
i'm no longer sure that's enough. guza may not be able to save this mess--
or at least not to MY satisfaction. i haven't decided yet--it's really
hard to break a ten-year habit in the course of one afternoon--but i am
right THERE on the edge, THISCLOSE to giving up this show once and for all.
i didn't think it would come to this. but then, i didn't think it would
come to what happened between s&b either.
i'm sorry this is so long, but i've been DYING the past few days with no
one to talk to who could come CLOSE to understanding my disgust at all of
this. i ALMOST feel better now...almost. but i'm still not sure whether
i'll be able to bring myself to watch whatever happens next.
julie
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 10:09:18 -0700
From: Taiyin <taiyin@xmission.com>
Subject: GH/PC: Outta Left Field
I sat there watching GH and I thought I was hallucinating. Literally, I
thought I was seeing things.
Wasn't Monday supposed to be Maurice's last day? And what was that with
him still being in PC? Excuse me? Talk about an anti-climax!! Sheesh!
Why didn't he just leave after the non-wedding, like he seemed to be doing
originally? And why in the hell hang out in town where he could be seen?
And, as if everything else weren't bad enough, by the end of the episode I
could honestly say that Sonny was a desetable character. I hate the
writers for doing that, it was totally unnecessary. Why in the world did
they have to make Sonny such a creep in order to leave town?
This was worse than when Jake "died" on Another World and then the entire
town became convinced that he had been stealing his best friend's money and
ditching his wife. At least the FANS knew the truth. This time we don't
even have that. We only know slightly more than Brenda does, and if
anything, I think that makes it worse.
I don't recall ever seeing a beloved character leavea s how in such a
dreadful way.
That was hideous.
Taiyin
"You're the shrink. What do you
need me to tell you that for?"
- --"Maybe I'm having a Stupid Day."
-- Mac and Kevin, GH
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 13:01:54 -0500 (CDT)
From: jesaker@ix.netcom.com
Subject: GH/PC: Guza interview
just read this on pc online. although it doesn't say, i assume it's a
logan/tv guide interview, reprinted entirely without permission. (please
don't sue.) i'm sorry to say, in the midst of my current outrage over the
travesty of sonny's departure, guza's plans do NOT make me feel better...
but i thought i'd share anyway.
julie
************************************************************************
Bob Guza, Part 1
Head writer on General Hospital
Get ready for the Second Coming: Two-time
Emmy-winning writer Bob Guza has returned to
General Hospital after abandoning the show in
the summer of '96 to launch Sunset Beach. And,
boy, does he have his work cut out for him! Here,
in the first of a two-part Q&A, he sheds a little
light on his plan for salvation.
Well, Mr. Mystery-Man Recluse! Where the
hell have you been? Are you aware of how
much fuss you've stirred up on the Internet
and in every soap magazine on the planet?
There has been nothing but nonstop ''Is Guza
coming back to GH?'' buzz for months and
you've been hiding out, refusing to give
interviews, through it all. Do you have any
clue what's been going on? Have you been
online?
No. I'm not equipped to do that at home. Maybe I
should start doing it from the studio. It would be
interesting to get a take on what the fans are
thinking.
Well, everybody's thrilled -- and relieved --
that you're back to save the day, especially,
I'm sure, Tony [Geary] and Genie [Francis].
Tony and Genie are the best. I cut my teeth writing
for those two back in the Gloria Monty GH days.
It was just extraordinary. I just can't conceive of
the show without them at the core.
OK, so here's the situation as I and a lot of
other people see it: You came back to GH in
January of 1996, and in record time turned it
into a magnificent show. And then you're just
as suddenly gone. GH almost immediately
went to hell in your absence. Seriously! You
left the following June -- though your stories
played out well into the fall -- and then, under
[former head writer Richard] Culliton and the
subsequent regime, the whole show went to
s---. It completely fell apart. The show has
lost over a million viewers in less than a year.
Are you feeling guilty about this? Because
you sure should be!
[Laughs] What sort of things fell apart in your
mind? I'm really curious. I'd like your take on that.
Hey, I'm asking the questions here --
everybody's sick of what I think about GH.
We want to hear from you.
I know I'm supposed to be answering questions,
but if you'd be specific it would help me.
OK, I'll be specific -- it all sucks. There's
really not one single element -- except maybe
a performance here or there -- that has
managed to survive the last two writing
regimes unscathed. The plots are stupid and
pointless. The characters are unrecognizable.
It's like a bunch of pod people took over the
souls of the characters we know and love and
are now calling themselves ''Stefan'' and
''Carly'' and ''Lucky.'' And there are too
damn many teenagers. Your successors
basically violated the audience. There was an
overwhelming lack of respect for what had
gone before, as if we viewers either don't
remember the show's history or don't care
about it. Now, you dug into the history. Yes,
you created your new characters and
employed a little revisionism -- OK, a lot of
revisionism where Laura was concerned -- but
your style is to pay homage to the past and to
the investment we've made and to the actors
and their characters. That has not been the
case with your successors.
I love the characters. I love the actors. It's not like
I even have to think twice about resurrecting the
history and trying to tap into it, as opposed to
bringing things in out of left field, you know?
GH has been through so many crap periods
but it always survives because of the
extraordinary characters and actors. [Stuart]
Damon and [Leslie] Charleson and [Jackie]
Zeman and Geary can survive anything. But,
boy, have they been put to the test. So my
first question is: How will you fix it and how
quickly?
I don't know what to tell you. The show was
written into late October when I returned, but I'm
going full-tilt to turn some things around by
November. I've basically had to do a crash course
on GH and Port Charles, since I'm also serving
as a consultant on PC. I'm hoping to have some
influence as quickly as possible. GH has got to be
big. The people are larger than life. I don't want to
see my life on the screen. I want to see characters
who love deeper, crash harder and soar higher
than I do. That would be the first thing I will do.
And we must put the titans back together -- the
Cassadines and the Spencers, Brenda and Jax,
that sort of thing. That's what people want to see.
Why does it have to take so long to see
results when a new head writer joins a soap?
Especially when there's a crisis like there is
with GH. I mean, have you seen the ratings
lately? Why can't there be some sort of
emergency turnaround?
I'm not sure there can't be, to tell you the truth.
You want to be careful of doing dramatic U-turns
from a Friday to a Monday, but the audience will
accept a certain amount of that if they believe
things are happening for the better. Ideally, you
filter your story plans into the story plans of the
previous regime; you work together with them for
an easy transition. But I also want to start with a
bang -- and I will. We'll start with something right
away that wakes everybody up and says, ''We're
here, we're fixing the show, take a look.''
Clarify some of the hoo-ha about you: Why
did you start GH and then jump ship so
quickly for SB? How did you get away with
that?
My deal to cocreate and head-write SB was in
place before I started with GH. SB was in what is
called ''first position,'' which meant I had to leave
GH when SB got the go-ahead.
Did ABC and [executive producer] Wendy
[Riche] think it was unlikely SB would get a
green light? As much as we're glad you did
GH even for a few months, it seems like a
foolish or at the very least odd business move
-- to hire a writer that you know will likely
depart within six months. Sounds nuts.
I honestly don't know, Michael. Nobody ever told
me what they were thinking. My guess is they
probably thought the chances were slim that SB
would go, because so few [proposed soaps] have
gone. But nobody ever actually said that to me.
They rolled the dice and took what they could get.
I was on GH for basically eight months, because I
worked with Claire Labine for a bit before she left.
I always felt I had unfinished business. Now it
seems like I'm coming home. I feel like I owe
some people on GH more time and some more
story. And maybe some Emmys -- like for Tony
and Genie, who sorely deserve it.
So you had a one-year agreement with SB
and therefore you had to wait until it was
concluded to start back at GH?
Right. It would have been a conflict of interest,
which is why I won't be directly responsible for
story for a while. I've just come on board, and I've
got to catch up first on what's been done in my
absence: I've got scripts to read, tapes to watch,
then I've got to hole up and write some long story.
So when can we expect a miracle? Like, how
about next Tuesday?
Gee, thanks for the pressure.
The pressure is on, baby!
It's always a pleasure talking to you, always a
pleasure!
You are on the hot seat, mister. We are all
waiting to see what you will do. So let's get
down to specifics. When will Bobbie finally
realize Carly is her daughter? The crowd's
getting antsy.
I will jump on that immediately.
As much as we've wanted some resolution,
I'm glad the previous regime did not get their
hooks into that story.
That's an ''A'' story, Michael, an ''A'' story! I'm
glad they didn't get to it, too. That's one of the first
things I want to jump on partly because it's left
over from when I was here before. I'm dying to
get into that. And Luke's connection to it is great. I
like the idea that he's the only one who knows the
secret.
And he's got one of his own, right? Bobbie is
gonna have a cow when she finds out Luke
lied about her daughter being dead.
Right.
See, that's the stuff we miss. It was all so
beautifully layered. Secret on top of secret.
And on that subject, when Genie took a
powder, we were left with the intimation that
Stefan might be the father of Nikolas.
I love that possibility.
But that wasn't your idea, right? That
happened during the Culliton regime.
Actually, I pitched it a long, long time ago in long
story. I still love the idea of maybe getting back to
that.
Seems like a mighty dangerous thing to do to
the Luke and Laura fans. There was a large
contingent that had difficulty believing Laura
could -- or would -- have kept the secret about
Nikolas from Luke for all those years. Sure,
it made for fabulous drama, but it was hard to
swallow because of the closeness of the Luke
and Laura relationship.
You are right, absolutely right.
So Nikolas being Stefan's kid seems like one
more of those hard-to-buy revelations.
Well, we'd have to be very, very careful, but the
story has to have those kinds of stakes. Whether
Nikolas is literally Stefan's kid or not, you need
those stakes. You need that possibility. Luke and
Laura have been so strong for so long that if
something is going to come between them -- or
threaten to -- what would do it? It has to be
something really big. I think the audience would
buy it, with Luke and Laura ultimately triumphing,
of course.
Stefan, easily your most brilliant creation, has
become a toy villain in your absence, trying to
take over the world with his laptop.
I want Stefan back in Luke's face. His romantic
power over Laura is much more important than his
quest for global power, which is silly and hard to
buy. And I can't wait to get my hooks into Alexis.
If my life depended on it, I could not describe
the plot in which Stefan tried to take over the
world or the world's bank reserves or
whatever it was -- with Alexis standing by in
support -- and he did it all on his little laptop.
Yeah, I heard about that.
And then Luke stopped him on his little
laptop. This, of course, all harkens back to
the Ice Princess days, but we're in a very
different place here in the '90s. Nobody buys
this stuff now. I asked some of the actors
involved if they could tell me what was
actually going on with that laptop plot, and
they didn't understand it either. So what are
you going to do to get Stefan back on track?
Every story must have a romantic underpinning.
Every story. Stefan needs something big -- he
needs to be breaking up Luke and Laura, or
trying to. That's what I mean by ''big.'' Taking
over the world is not big, it's silly. I agree with you.
Do you see the Ned/Alexis romance as
successful? Is it something you want to
pursue?
I absolutely want to explore it, particularly with
Lois still out there hovering. The possibilities are
tantalizing. As I said, I can't wait to get my hooks
into the whole Alexis character because she came
along after I left. I've been a huge fan of Nancy
Lee Grahn. I worked with her on Santa Barbara.
I'd love to reteam her with Lane Davies, to tell you
the truth.
She and I were talking about that possibility
just the other day. Even though they couldn't
stand each other's guts back then, she's
ready for it now! She could use a strong
leading man to give Kurth a run for his
money.
It would send such a ripple through the show.
Plus, Lane needs a regular gig. He keeps
getting cast as a regular in all these lousy
Fox/WB/UPN sitcoms that last two and a half
episodes.
God, he's so good!
Lane is one of those with that rare power.
[Stephen] Nichols has it, too. And Geary.
Maurice [Benard], too. There are a number on this
show who do.
Alexis could use some of that power. Who is
this desperate, sick, psycho character? Why
this sudden turn to the dark side? I realize it's
not your fault -- but we demand an
explanation! She's almost a villain at this
point, especially compared to Katherine, who
is now some sort of latter-day saint. How will
you deal with this?
The first thing we need to do is give Alexis a
reason for being -- which she really hasn't had up
to this point. I've got a really great idea. Basically,
we're going to find out why the family is so
important to her. Alexis will become the truest of
the Cassadines. In about eight months, she's going
to turn on Stefan. There will be a series of events
that will turn her against her family. It will be really,
really prominent. I have always loved Nancy. I
tried to get GH to hire her when I was here
before.
Elaborate when you say ''truest of the
Cassadines.''
She'll be the one who truly, truly believes in
upholding the legacy.
Hmm... sounds very cool. And a vast
improvement over the crap they've been
handing poor Nancy. That girl deserves
another Emmy just for showing up every day.
Speaking of reunions, many fans resent the
forced pairing of Nichols and his Days of Our
Lives costar, Mary Beth Evans. It's like The
Powers That Be are going to shove the magic
of Patch and Kayla down our throats, whether
we like it or not. Address this.
It was rushed. I thought there were years to be
milked with Stefan and Bobbie. I want to get back
to that. My initial plan had nothing to do with
reuniting Patch and Kayla. We brought in Stephen
Nichols because I wanted to put a Cassadine in
Luke and Laura's path. I wanted that kind of
romantic triangle to harken back to the past. I
wasn't thinking Mary Beth at all. This is absolutely
the truth. We thought down the line -- like maybe
three or four years after we played through the
Cassadine saga and the whole stuff with Bobbie --
that we might see what would happen with
Stephen and Mary Beth. But I mean, literally
three or four years. I still think there's a huge
amount of stuff to be milked with the Cassadines
and the Spencers and Bobbie and Stefan. I love
Mary Beth and what she does, but I think the
niche with Stefan was rushed a bit. I want to get
Stefan focused on Laura. That's the key thing to
this show. The Patch and Kayla thing is immaterial
as far as I'm concerned.
So you won't be continuing with the romance?
We'll certainly pick it up from where they are now.
Maybe the way to do it is to use the
Katherine/Stefan stuff to link Stefan back to Luke
and Laura.
Back to Stefan and Alexis, what's with all
these intimations of incest that we've been
seeing?
I do not want to suggest that there is some sort of
sublimated love between Alexis and Stefan.
Well, too late for that! I mean, I'm into kinky
programming, but these two have been
cheek-to-cheek one too many times, even for
my taste.
I think it's something much deeper than that.
Like what?
Did you ever watch Wiseguy and that relationship
Kevin Spacey had with his sister?
Of course.
Well, we can't do that. That's not what we're
talking about, though it certainly looks like it now.
And it will continue to look that way for the next
three or four weeks. But that's not the way we're
going to go. The audience is just not ready for that.
So Alexis will continue as a villain of sorts?
No, the biggest thing on GH is Luke and Laura's
love and, down the line, Alexis -- in order to
protect the Cassadine family -- is going to ally
herself against Stefan when he's getting increasingly
involved with Laura. I think it'll be real interesting.
So it's not villainy per se, because she's acting out
of understandable motivation. But she'll do
whatever is necessary.
Let's discuss the situation with Vanessa ''I'm
leaving; no, I'm staying; no, I'm leaving; no,
I'm staying'' Marcil. The Brenda/Sonny fans
are disappointed that they don't get a happy
ending. But the Brenda/Jax fans are doing
cartwheels. But there's also a groundswell of
Jax/V fans. So what do you want to say about
this?
We've got to explore the Brenda/Jax thing. It is
just huge. I got a chance to run with it for a little
while, and certainly I brought Jax in, picking up on
what Claire had envisioned.
Printed reports say Vanessa is leaving in
December -- that she's taking advantage of a
six-month out in her contract and that she and
Maurice will be reunited and leave the show
together.
No, she's not, Michael. Oh, God, no! That is
absolutely not true. She is very prominent in at
least the next year's worth of story.
And Maurice?
I would hope Maurice would come back at some
point. I talked to him at the GH picnic a couple of
weeks ago and he said, ''My timing sucked,''
because he very much liked working with me. If he
came back, we'd maybe put them back together,
maybe not.
So where does this leave poor V?
I haven't seen enough about V yet to know, but I
think there's some very important stuff with Brenda
and Jax to be played first, and then we'll see about
what might come between them.
So you don't see Brenda needing a window of
time to, uh, rest, after Sonny's departure?
Of course. I would be throwing things at the
screen if Brenda went right into Jax's arms. There's
no way that's going to happen. But Jax could play
a huge part in her healing. I love the two of them
together.
But wouldn't that window of time Brenda
needs to heal allow the V and Jax relationship
to really solidify, thereby making Brenda the
third wheel?
I like the idea of maybe that starting to happen, but
with Jax still having his eye on Brenda and
watching her heal and deal with the fact that
Sonny's left her. That can happen even as he's
growing increasingly close to V.
That Lisa Cerasoli is really excellent. At first
there was a lot of adverse reaction to her --
the Brenda/Jax fans were not happy -- but
she's been developing quite a nice following.
I agree. I really like what she's doing. You could
have brought anybody into that mix and there
would have been a bad reaction. But I like the
dynamic. Brenda and V could even become
friends. That could be really extraordinary.
Next week, in Part II of this Q&A, Guza
gives us the lowdown on Nikolas, Lucky, the
Webber girls, Felicia & Mac, Alan's drug
addiction, Steve Burton's rumored departure,
what went wrong at Sunset Beach and loads
more!
------------------------------
End of port-charles Digest V1 #8
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